Writer: Brian Langtry

Director: Stephen Leatherland

Reviewer: Joanna Forest

The Public Reviews Rating:

The Eva Cassidy musical is a heartfelt tribute to her life and talents as an artist, inspired by Stephen Leatherland, director, and Brian Langtry, writer. The idea was conceived when Leatherland heard a recording of Eva playing in his hotel on his honeymoon in 2000.

The moment the curtain rises and we see and hear Sarah Jane Buckley singing as Eva Cassidy we know immediately that we are in for a very special evening indeed. Eva begins her story tonight at just 14, with Buckley convincingly taking us back to her childhood. We learn Eva had a very normal childhood, and was part of a loving, musical family she was also a talented painter as well as singer. Eva saw the world as an artist and would often remark on the beauty she saw around her. She especially enjoyed twilight and would refer to this as her ‘Golden Time’.

Though incredibly talented Eva struggled against the fact that her music could not be classified into one style or genre, making it hard to market her and to get air play. Her effortless ability to make all styles of music distinctly her own, worked against her. Recording engineer Chris Biondo was to have a huge influence on her career, recording her first demo and Eva was to become the love of his life. Eva singing the song ‘True Colours’ to Chris shows us the depth of their connection. Tragically we see Eva become more frail throughout and at just age 33 she died.

Sarah Jane Buckley is outstanding as Eva Cassidy, with her superb singing voice she efforlessy carries this musical. A stand out moment of the night is the song ‘Autumn Leaves’, where Buckley shows us some tremendous acting as she really lives the despair and fear Eva has as she in the midst of cancer treatment and gravely ill. There are of course the well known hits such as Somewhere Over The Rainbow, Songbird, and Fields of Gold, which Buckley sings so beautifully with great emotion and sincerity. We have so much empathy for Buckley’s Eva, brave, sweet, truthful yet troubled, that we are truly moved when she sings her last song before she dies at her tribute concert ‘What a wonderful world’. An incredible performance that has us completely drawn in from start to finish.

The rest of the talented cast of actor musicians are an excellent support. Maureen Nolan is lovely as Eva’s warm,kind and spiritual mother, Barbara, a heartbreaking moment where we really feel for her is when Barbara tries to comfort her dying daughter when Eva asks ‘Do you think it would have made a difference if I had kept my hospital appointments?’ Jonathan Parker as Chris Bionda is totally convincing as her devoted friend throughout and James Gortan captures the stern and cruel side Eva’s father Hugh perfectly. We are treated to a great duo when we Eva sing with Chuck Brown played fantastically by Robert Grose. Brian Fortuna has a great charisma as Danny Cassidy and a touching scene is when Danny talk about his sister’s illness with Alexis Strum as Karen.

The direction by Stephen Leatherland is obviously a labour of love for this story that inspired him so much, with so much attention to detail. In 2005, Leatherland and Langtry visited Washington as the guest of Chris Biondo and met all of Eva’s band. The insights after experiencing Eva’s environment and meeting the people who knew her so well and were so important in her story, meant the personalities of the characters on stage and events we see are so accurate. The set designed by Final Creation has clever use of projections on the cloths, a lovely touch that really sets up the different scenes and brings them to life.

This is a wonderful musical journey to be taken along, a truly inspiring story. I’m sure Eva Cassidy would be so delighted to know just how many people are still enjoying her music today

Runs until 7th September then touring nationwide

Tags: Alexis Strum, Brian Fortuna, Brian Langtry, Bromley, Churchill Theatre, Eva Cassidy, James Gorton, Jonathan Parker, London, Martin Hughes, Maureen Nolan, Nick Sayce, Robert Grose, Sarah Jane Buckley, Stephen Leatherland, The Eva Cassidy Story