The best way to express what this show represents, is to say it is like a classic cabaret crossed with a night with Mr Rogers. I Heart Musicals is a uniquely wholesome and surprisingly educational twist on a classic cabaret.
Relaxing, delightful, and beautifully sung
Lily Casson combines an hour of musical theatre history and education with a collection of songs from musicals such as Wicked and Waitress to Newsies and Persephone. As the show begins, Lily calmly takes a seat and begins reading from a book in what appears as an ode to childhood story telling. For the first five minutes I am not sure what to expect from the next hour, with it seeming like this would be an entire show on musical theatre history. However, when Lily stands and moves across the stage to another microphone, it becomes clear that we are in for a relaxing, delightful, and beautifully sung cabaret show.
Each time Lily stands to sing, she performs one or two of her favorite songs before returning to her seat to explain the significance of the next works she will tackle. Her voice whilst talking has the air of a 1980s radio host with a classic, but timeless feel. However it is her sweet singing that really enchants me. With a delicately soft, yet undoubtedly diverse voice that has vibrato that wouldn’t come as a surprise from the mouth of a Disney Princess, it is a pleasure to hear Lily in all of her song choices. From For Good from Wicked to Without You from My Fair Lady, Lily’s performance for each song takes on the necessary character and diversity to keep it encaptivating for the full hour.
