Breaking the chains

Ghost The Musical returns, unchained

Bill Kenwright’s 2019 tour of Ghost the Musical arrives in Edinburgh with the spectre of its previous visit’s miscasting firmly put to rest, as proper musical theatre stars take over the main roles.

The production, which is on UK tour until May, will play a week a the Festival Theatre from Tuesday 26 February 2019. It stars Rebekah Lowings in the key role of Molly with Niall Sheehy as her husband, Sam, who is murdered one night on the way back to their apartment.

Rebekah Lowings and Niall Sheehy. Pic Pamela Raith Photography

Jacqui Dubois reprises the role of Oda Mae Brown, a phony storefront psychic who Sam, trapped between this world and the next, tries to communicate with, in order to try and save Molly from grave danger.

Oda Mae is the part made famous in the film by Whoopi Goldberg, and which Dubois had to significantly under-sing in the show’s 2016 tour to Edinburgh in order not to overshadow Sarah Harding, who was completely miscast as Molly.

There should be no such problem for Lowings, who has such headline musical theatre roles as Mary Magdalene in Jesus Christ Superstar and the Narrator in Joseph in her CV.

The book of the musical is adapted by Bruce Joel Rubin from his own film script and sees him pick up elements of the film that were simply used as emotional stimuli and reinstates them as proper plot lines.

serious acting chops

That does demand some serious acting chops from the principals, however. Significantly, Lowings also has those by all accounts.

Jacqui Dubois. Pic Pamela Raith Photography

Niall Sheehy, who has roles in Titanic The Musical, Miss Saigon, Les Mis and Wicked to his credit, looks good value as Sam. Not just for the original musical score from the Eurythmics’ Dave Stewart, but also for the Righteous Brothers classic Unchained Melody which accompanied the film’s iconic moment and which Sam and Molly here sing live.

Further casting includes Sergio Pasquariello as Carl alongside Jules Brown as Willie, James Earl Adair in the haunting role of Hospital Ghost and Lovonne Richards as Subway Ghost. Jochebel Ohene Maccarthy plays Louise and Sadie-Jean Shirley is Clara.

While the star-casting is gone, this is still the production directed by Bob Tomson with design by Mark Bailey that is pared  back from the over-blown and unnecessarily technology-heavy design of the initial productions.

Bruce Joel Rubin said; “This is a show with such a strong emotional and musical life that it can mould to many visions and interpretations. It can be performed on any scale, and its vibrant heart will still captivate an audience and allows the imagination to flourish. It is purely theatrical in the greatest sense.”

Listings

Ghost: The Musical
Festival Theatre 13/29 Nicolson Street EH8 9FT. Phone booking: 0131 529 6000
Tuesday 26 February – Saturday 2 March
Evenings: 7.30pm; Mats Thurs, Sat: 2.30pm.
Details and tickets: Book here.

ENDS

Tags: Bill Kenwright, Bob Tomson, Bruce Joel Rubin, Festival Theatre, Ghost: The Musical, Jacqui Dubois, James Earl Adair, Jochebel Ohene Maccarthy, Jules Brown, Lovonne Richards, Mark Bailey, Niall Sheehy, Rebekah Lowings, Sadie-Jean Shirley, Sergio Pasquariello