Tag Archive: Actor

1. Stuart Matthew Price Revisited

   May 13, 2013 11:56 am Leave a Comment

   

   I really do not know where to start with this! Last night I attended The St James theatre in London to watch a concert/cabaret by Stuart Matthew Price, a West End actor and singer whom you may recall an interview from recently. I did not know what to expect from this experience although I knew a great night would be had. Did I say a great night? Well…..it was astounding! After hearing Stuart sing last year at the American Composers evening, I knew he was good but boy! He bought the house down this time!

   Not only did he have a mixture of songs, all of which were songs that he would never play the role for, either because he was, in his words, ‘too old, too young or too male for’ but he delivered the songs with a mix of finesse, joviality and heart-wrenchingly beautiful tones.  Now, I am no theatre buff or critic, so just let me state that quite clearly. These are just the thoughts of someone who knows what they like when they hear it, and let me tell you, I like his performances! If you ever get the chance to see him on stage, either in a role or in his own shows do not miss out!

   I was intending to choose a few of my favourite songs of the evening and explain why they were so good but to be honest, they were all marvellous! Amazing songs such as The Circle of Life, I’m The Greatest Star and As If We Never Said Goodbye were sung so passionately, it would be easy to see him in these roles if he fit the characters. For me, one of my favourite songs currently is Bring him Home and Stuart blew this one off the planet, seriously, if he does not record this on an album I will be rather miffed. The audience were practically in tears, you could feel the collective held breaths as his voice soared through the roof, incredible I say! Pure genius!

   One audience member told me ‘Stuart Matthew Price has to be one of the most brilliant, talented singer/songwriters of this generation. What an amazing voice and the way the songs were arranged was just out of this world – kept you riveted.. I was almost in tears when he sang “Bring him home” so choked… the concert was definitely not long enough, before you knew it, it was over, such an outstanding performance. It was a truly fabulous evening, well worth coming all the way from Belgium for’.  

   One of the main surprises of the evening was his rendition of Billie Jean/Smooth Criminal/Thriller which were made into a medley to a jazz arrangement, you heard correct…Jazz! Stuart pulled so much focus; he even had the audience joining in for Thriller. I can still not wrap my mind around a jazz version of these songs but it was truly incredible and I say again, this man is a genius!

   The next song in the program, They Just Keep Moving The Line, was sang by one of Stuart’s three backing singers, Ben Fenner (look out for his interview at a later date!). What can I say about Ben? Well, there are no words! Phenomenal, just does not cover it. His range was astounding, the audience literally roared with applause with his ending note. Watch out for this young man, I guarantee, with his voice, stage presence and appealing nature, I guarantee that he will go far in the world of show business.

   The first part of this show ended with another of my all time favourites Defying Gravity which was preceded with The Wizard and I. For these, Stuart was assisted by his 3 singers and the sound they created was astounding! I really am running out of different words to describe how incredible this was!

   I am missing out a few of the songs from last night believe it or not, I am focussing on the ones that, not only do I know better but that shock me to the core, for one reason or another.

   With that said however, another outstanding performance was from Aimee Hodnett singing The Girl in 14G. I admit to not actually hearing this song before so I had nothing to compare it too but WOW!   I found this version of the song by the fantabulous Kristen Chenoweth as there is no way I can explain the intricacies of this song so take a look and then think of Aimee singing it better! Yes, I said it! Aimee was amazing, she sang with more passion, personality, range, comical persuasion and all round astonishing stage presence.

   The stage once again went back to Stuart as he sang a medley of Losing My Mind/Not A Day Goes By/Being Alive which once again was astonishing! Being alive is another of my favourite, yes, okay I have quite a few favourite musical songs, who doesn’t?! Stuart singing Being Alive literally made the hairs on the back of my neck stand to attention.

   As we were nearing the end of the show, Stuart’s third backing singer, Natasha Ferguson took the stage for Listen, and boy did she make us listen! Another powerhouse of a voice! Wherever Stuart found these singers, he should keep them, never give them back, they were terrific!

   Obviously, after such an awesome show and a standing ovation for this epic performer, an encore was called for, Stuart sang Who I Am Today which he composed last year for his family. It was a fitting end to an amazing, beautifully performed, captivating show. I could keep going and use every letter of the alphabet to describe the evening but I am sure that you get my gist.

   So there we have it, a great show, great singers and as Stuart said ‘not forgetting the amazing MD talents of Mark Aspinall and the fantastic guitar playing of legend Charlie Laffer!’

   Watch out for this gentleman, he is on fire right now! Truly one of the most exquisite voices and talents of this generation!

   Just so that you are aware, if and when any videos appear from this event, I will include them here, so if you see it pop back up, you know that edits have been made so come look!

2. Stuart Matthew Price – A Man With A Song In His Heart

   April 21, 2013 11:02 pm 2 Comments

   Last year whilst at a concert in London, I was lucky enough to hear the remarkable voice of Stuart Matthew Price. This young West End actor has such an exquisite voice that will hit you between the eyes and leave you yearning for more! For theatre goers amongst you, you may know Stuart from great shows such as Shrek the Musical, Jesus Christ Superstar and Bugsy Malone among many others as well as singing in numerous concerts.

   Can you start by telling me how long you have been an actor and what got you started?

   Well I’ve been a professional performer since 2007 when I graduated from Mountview. However, I’ve been a fan of theatre since I was 6. My mum and Dad were driving me and my older brother up to the West Midlands to visit our grandparents. I remember hearing this strange new music and asked mum “What’s this song, Mummy?” and she replied “It’s from a musical called The Phantom of the Opera”… and from that day I was hooked. I guess you can say it’s Andrew Lloyd Webber’s fault that I’m here.  Then let’s send him a medal! (more…)

3. Eddy Martin – Young Dreams Becoming Reality

   April 20, 2013 10:59 pm Leave a Comment

   As regular readers may be aware, last year I attended a Glee convention, G2. I was lucky enough to interview two of the four guests. This year Starfury are holding another known as G3 and I have made it my challenge to interview all six guests. Well here is guest number four, actor, singer and songwriter Eddy Martin who played Thad on Glee, one of the Warbler Council members. I am quite pleased that I have already spoken to most of the G3 guests and will do my best to contact the final two. I was lucky to speak to Eddy as he is extremely busy at present so it was a flying visit, I am grateful to him for allowing me some of his precious time, he is such a lovely young man!

    

   How did you get started in the TV/film industry?

    

   Well it all started when I was very young, I was 5 years old and there was a Community talent show ran by the city of Montclair. It was for ages 8 -18, I was too young but I saw the flyer in the mail and insisted that I wanted to do it. Mom brought me to the audition and convinced the organizers that they had to put me in even if it was just for fun.

   The day of the event is one I’ll never forget, I instantly fell in love with the adrenaline of being up on stage, the applause, the power I had with a mic in my hand. I ended up winning the contest singing “Eva Maria” in Spanish and won 100 dollars, with that money I took my whole family and cousins to “el pollo loco” a fast food Mexican restaurant. I remember thinking to myself. “Wow I did this. I was able to pay for this by singing. I want to do this for the rest of my life”.

   After many talent shows and a streak of nonstop 1st place finishes, I ended up on TV and met with a casting director named Blanca Valdez who got me my first agent. At age 11 Salma Hayek discovered me and gave me the lead role in her first movie as a director and since then I’ve been acting more than singing. My true passion is singing. I feel I have a lot to learn about the craft of acting.

   Any plans for an album?

   An album has always been a dream of mine. It’s something I will do within the next 5 years of my life. It will most likely be in Spanish.

   Here is a song that Eddy wrote in Spanish in 2006. 

   So I guess Glee was ideal for you as it incorporated the singing?

   Glee has been amazing to me. Glee has such a beautiful audience. The so called “Gleeks” are beautiful souls (I am stereo typing). But every one of them I’ve encountered has given me such a good vibe.

   Gleeks are certainly passionate about the cast that is for sure!

   You are attending G3 in July, have you been to a convention like it before?

   I haven’t! You have noooo idea how excited I am.  I can’t believe this is happening. A convention to see me/us? It’s surreal. It’s funny because I think I’m more excited to see all the fans than they are to see me, this will be a highlight of my life. Crossing the Atlantic, meeting all these awesome people, visiting London and spending time with my warbler friends’ ahhhh!!

   The Warblers are like rock stars after all!

   Are you staying on to see Telly’s concert too?

   I would love to! It’s not set yet, but more than likely I’ll be there. Telly is one of the most talented people I’ve ever met; in fact, the Glee set has an abundance of unbelievable talent.

   For the record Amber’s voice is my fave.

   The Warblers alone are so individually talented; I do not think people are quite aware of it.

   If you were able to do a lead warbler song, which would you want to do.

   Ah! I wish You know… I think I would like to have done a song in the Ricky Martin episode. I would have liked to do a Ricky Martin song since I am the only Latino on the warblers.

   That would have been ideal for you!

   What is your main goal?

   My main goal is still the same of that 5 year old Eddy I’d like to be able to take care of my parents and my future wife and kids using the talents that god has given me

   Which has been your favourite role so far?

   Glee is up there because of the fun it was on set. Yet working on Nickelodeon for two years as a series regular on Just Jordan was a really fun role because I played a really nerdy goofy kid.

   What has been your biggest struggle?

   The struggle is every day. It’s really hard to explain but this industry beats you down to the ground. You feel like dirt. It’s a journey of peaks and valleys… And boy do the peaks feel good.

   Eddy has starred in many films and TV productions, such as Drillbit Taylor with Owen Wilson, Fred: The Movie, American Family and of course Glee among others, where he has also managed to show his dance moves as a Warbler. He has shown that he is an actor of versatility as well as a great singer. Although Eddy is not just a singer, actor and dancer, he is also a musician who plays the drums, piano and writes his own music. As I said, a versatile young man!

   After speaking to and researching Eddy, I have to say that I was surprised how much he has already achieved in his career and yet is relatively unheard of, how is this so?!  I think he is totally under rated, with the right support network; this young man will make it big. He is so obviously motivated and talented.

   I will leave you with this little video that I found and loved, enjoy!

    

    

4. Nick Young – The latest Triple Threat

   December 18, 2012 12:24 am Leave a Comment

   There appears to be so many up and coming actors that hope to conquer the entertainment world, Nick Young has such a dream. Join me in welcoming one of Glee’s newest Warblers and find out a little about him. What makes him different I hear you ask! Well, Nick is a trained dancer in many fields, has toured with Country legend Kenny Rogers and has appeared on one of America’s most popular dance shows. Read on to get the scoop!

   My name is Nick Young (obviously haha) and I just recently turned 21, I’m currently living in LA pursuing my dream to become an actor/singer/dancer. I got into dance at the age of four because my mom owned a local dance studio and trained in tap, jazz, ballet, etc.  I started singing professionally at the age of nine. I auditioned and landed a spot on country music legend’s Kenny Rogers national Christmas tour, “Christmas From the Heart” I did that for three years. From there I pretty much only sang recreationally, a few high school things here and there but nothing too serious. I actually thought throughout High School that I would go to college for athletics, to play football and baseball, but when it came time to graduate I just figured I’d take a year off and figure things out for myself. It wasn’t until I auditioned for ‘So you think you can dance’ and made it to the top 20 of season 8 that I realized that a career in the industry is what I really wanted in my life. I was originally planning on moving to NYC to pursue theatre but when the show ended I decided that I really wanted to get into TV and Film, and decided to move to LA.

   Singing wasn’t really a focus of mine when I first moved out here at all though. It wasn’t until I landed a Warbler spot and being around the whole cast of Glee that made me want to start taking singing seriously again. One of the warblers, Jon Hall, asked me if I sing and I’ve always been a little bit under confident with my voice, but I of course said yes and asked him for some voice lessons/recording sessions and from there we just started recording in the studio at his apartment and my confidence in my voice has definitely shot up a ton! We’ve just been doing covers and I decided “what the heck might as well put them up on YouTube and see what people think”.

   After showcasing your recordings with Jon, what reactions did you get to your YouTube videos and how did you feel about it? (more…)