7 amazing songs from musicals you won't be able to stop humming
Radio 2 is transporting you to the glitzy and gutsy world of musicals, with a celebration of songs from iconic producer Bill Kenwright's most popular shows.
The special concert will be broadcast to mark the West End legend's 50 years in showbiz. Artists including Wet Wet Wet's Marti Pellow and Joe McElderry will perform tracks with a 60-piece orchestra, in a show recorded at the London Palladium. You can hear the programme on Friday 2 June, 20:00-22:00, or for the following 30 days via our website or the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ iPlayer Radio app.
To help you get excited, we've rounded up some of our favourite tunes from some of Bill's biggest hits. And even if you don't think you know that much about songs from the musicals, we guarantee that all of these will make you smile.
1. Any Dream Will Do
Joe McElderry sings Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat
‘Any Dream Will Do / Close Every Door’ performed by star in the lead role Joe McElderry
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat is one of the most famous musicals in the world and was, of course, written by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice.
It premiered in 1970 and Bill Kenwright produced a version of Joseph which toured the UK between 1983 and 1987 - four years before Joe McElderry, who performs Any Dream Will Do and Close Every Door as part of Radio 2's tribute, was born.
X Factor winner Joe joined the UK tour of Joseph in 2015 and received rave reviews in the lead role, with critics marking his Close Every Door performance for special praise.
2. The Lonely Goatherd
Lucy O'Byrne sings 'The Lonely Goatherd'
‘The Lonely Goatherd’ performed by Bill Kenwright’s ‘Maria’ Lucy O’Byrne
Well, this is the only tune on the show that includes yodelling.
The Lonely Goatherd is one of the most iconic songs from Rodgers and Hammerstein's The Sound Of Music and probably best known when sung by Julie Andrews in the 1965 movie version.
But Lucy O'Bryan also gives good goatherd and proved herself on stage when she toured in Bill Kenwright's version between 2015 and 2016.
3. Starlight Express
Kris Harding sings Starlight Express
Kris Harding who played steam engine ’Rusty’ sings the title song
If you've seen Starlight Express performed by an amateur company since 2012, you'll have seen the Bill Kenwright production. The show he premiered at the New Wimbledon Theatre in 2012 is the officially licensed version for amateur theatre groups across the UK.
Starlight Express tells the tale of a child's train set which comes to life, with the cars competing to become the fastest engines in the world.
The title track Starlight Express is sung by Rusty, the underdog in the competition and the star of the show.
For Radio 2 the song is performed by Kris Harding, who has played Rusty in UK and Asian tours of the cult musical.
4. This Is The Moment
Michael Ball performs ‘This Is The Moment’ from Jekyll and Hyde
Michael Ball performs ‘This Is The Moment’ from the famous horror-drama musical
Bill Kenwright produced a touring version of Jekyll and Hyde starring Wet Wet Wet frontman Marti Pellow as the misguided Dr Jekyll in 2011.
But here, the legendary Michael Ball lends his impressive pipes to performance of one of the musical's most popular tunes, This Is The Moment.
A studio version of This Is The Moment can be found on Michael Ball's 2009 Best Of album, Past & Present.
5. I Am What I Am
John Partridge sings ‘I Am What I Am’ from La Cage Aux Folles
John Partridge sings ‘I Am What I Am’ from the 1983 musical about a cabaret club owner
I Am What I Am is one of the most famous gay anthems of all time, originally written as part of La Cage Aux Folles but becoming known worldwide after it was covered by disco icon Gloria Gaynor.
The musical was also a major milestone for LGBTQ+ representation in the mainstream as it focuses on Georges and Albin, a gay couple, who work at a drag bar and what happens when they meet the parents of Georges' sons' fiancée.
Former EastEnders star John Partridge, who stars as Albin in Bill Kenwright's 2017 tour of the show, performs the iconic track here.
6. Thank You Very Much
Tommy Steele performs ‘Thank You Very Much’, from Scrooge
Tommy Steele performs ‘Thank You Very Much’, from the musical based on the Dickens novel
Bill Kenwright produced a touring version of Scrooge which ran for ten years between 2003 and 2013, starring Tommy Steele in the title role.
The American version of the show, which opened in 2004, was also produced by Bill.
Here we can hear Tommy reprise his role once again to perform Thank You Very Much, one of Scrooge's most popular songs in the musical and the tune that closes the show.
7. If You Love Me
Elaine Paige performs ‘If You Love Me’ from Piaf
Elaine Paige performs ‘If You Love Me’ from the play about French Chanteuse Edith Piaf
Taken from the play based on the tumultuous life of La Vie En Rose singer Edith Piaf, also known as 'the little sparrow,' this song is more stirring than ever in the hands (well, the lungs) of Elaine Paige, the undisputed first lady of British musical theatre.
Behind the scenes at Radio 2's celebration of Bill Kenwright's career
Join us behind the scenes at rehearsals and the final performance at the London Palladium