Ramin Karimloo and the Broadgrass Band

It may be a little early to make claims on a ‘best this year’ level but Ramin Karimloo and the Broadgrass Band last night at The Capitol in Horsham was indeed our best night out this year and we have been very busy with theatre and movie visits, as we often are during the winter months when we don’t have much in the way of sporting events to get in the way of sheer enjoyment.

That is what last evening at the charming little Capitol Theatre, Horsham, was. Ramin is the best value for money you may get. He has been the long running star in so many musicals that I’m sure President Trump would tell you were HUUUUGE simply HUUUGE. That is what Ramin is in talent terms as well as being a top level hunk of eye candy.

He has several voices all of which are marvellous. The price you pay for the absolute pleasure of hearing him sing ‘Til I hear you sing again’, ‘Bring him Home’. Music of the Night etc. is that you have to accept that he wants to sing Bluegrass and that is in no way too hard because be does that exceedingly well too. Even if that genre is not in your top favourites; the Bluegrass is very well done; foot tappingly, head bobbingly good.

Having said that the difference in the reception of his own fun brand of music and what 99% of the audience want to hear, is vast (another Trump-ism use HUUUGE) and he cannot deny that he can hear that difference too. So the truth is that we, the faithfully following Ramin Karimloo fans, allow him that, because it is not in any way a sufferance, indeed its easy listening and fun watching but it is not what we have gone to the theatre to hear. His big show stopping songs bring the house down every time whereas Ramins own favourite world of music are enthusiastically met but not a fraction of the thunderous applause for the big numbers from the musicals we have loved and seen many times, I cannot count how many times we have seen Les Mis. 

All the other big show songs that he sang from were also a bonus deal: ‘Can we start again please’ from Jesus Christ S.S. was great as was Stephen Sondheim’s ‘Being alive’ and ‘High flying adored’ from the spell when he played Che in Evita.

Ramin Karimloo is an extraordinary talent and as good as his band certainly are, they are not what the crowd have come for; they are there to see and hear the great God of the big musical stage.

Yesterday afternoon I left a post on FB saying that I was getting a little bit excited about the forthcoming evening with my idol. I added that I was dragging Steve along kicking and screaming but in truth that was nowhere near the case. My husband loved that show every bit as much as I did though he may not have enjoyed the long awaited moment when Ramin got hot enough performing to take his jacket off! That is another box that Ramin ticks. Very presentable, fit and strong looking and well as a handsome face….. complete with dimples and a charming personality.

When the show ended, the audience refused to leave; clapping, shouting, stamping, whistling and demanding MORE, MORE. We got several songs more with a final burst of country when all the band came back on to join the main man for the old Johnny Cash smash ‘Will the circle be unbroken’.

When Steve and I saw Ramin's show at the London Palladium last July, at just the right moment a woman called out from the circle “We love you Ramin”; that is un-deniable. Yeah we do…. blokes too.

The programme did at first glance seemed enough money at £7 but it had a link to get three free downloads that were recorded in New York last year including The Anthem from Chess. The warm up act was OK, nice young man with a nice voice singing his own songs; acceptable but sadly for him everybody just wanted Ramin Karimloo to start. Our seats were in the centre of second row and only cost £38 each. What sensational value.

This will be the last chance we have to see our top West End and Broadway man in the UK for some time since he did state that he was moving out of the UK. The reason for that is that he is to star in the new Broadway production Anastasia that starts the preview season on March 23^rd before the full opening night on April 24^th. I think Ramin did a recorded workshop version last year sometime. He will be wonderful in that have no doubt.

The last show on this tour is at the Apex, Bury St Edmonds tomorrow.