Trehearn Triumphs in Ghost the Musical!

I hate to hear people complain when they discover they will have to see an Understudy perform as one of the lead roles in a musical.  Theatre today is vastly powered by “names” in lead roles which is a huge shame as there are so many talented West End Understudies treading the boards who are more often than not far more talented and better qualified to play the role.  What’s more these performers have such a desire and passion for their art, they quite often hold down a 9-5 day job as well as being in the cast of a musical.  It’s an unfortunate reality in the world of theatre that the wages are such that the ensemble members cannot support themselves living in London on their theatre wage alone.  These people give their all eight shows a week and at times must be dead on their feet.  Respect!  Their tremendous heartfelt commitment inspires and humbles me. 

I actually love going to the theatre with the sole intention of seeing an understudy in action.  That’s exactly what I’ve done twice now with Ghost the Musical at London’s Piccadilly Theatre.  Rebecca Trehearn is a prime example of an understudy who should be holding a permanent lead role as Molly Jensen in Ghost.  She currently only covers the role when Siobhan Dillon, of the BBC’s competition show, “How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria,” is off sick or on holiday.  Although I don’t dislike Siobhan’s interpretation of the role, I much prefer that of Rebecca.  Rebecca clearly relishes the opportunity to get out on stage and show the theatre world what she’s made of.  She’s so passionate about her craft and this transcends into every breath she takes up on stage.  It’s not like watching someone play Molly, it’ like she IS Molly, embodying the character and drawing the audience into her world.  Many performers can get up there, deliver a note perfect performance and reel off the script but few have the innate ability to become someone else up on stage.  Rebecca Trehearn is one of the few who can achieve all of this, she’s a rare gem and I don’t think she actually realises how incredibly good she is.  She knows she can sing, I’m sure of that but she’s way too modest and humble to fully admit this herself.  She’ll always be striving to improve, to better her last performance and that’s the mindset of someone who’s in the trade because they love it, it’s embedded deep in their heart and is the blood that keeps their soul alive.

From the moment Rebecca sets foot on stage she lives and breathes Molly Jensen and no sooner has she interpreted the show’s opening number, “Here Right Now” with Mark Evans as Sam Wheat, the audience already “believe.”  They believe in Molly.  Certain performers connect with an audience immediately.  They draw them in, have them hanging on their every word, feeling and emotion, taking them on a journey.  When Rebecca performs she does exactly this, in fact she carries the show throughout.  She’s the link to all the characters and without her pulling off this genuine connection, the show would not flow, the audience would not “feel.”  The rest of the cast, especially the other leads feed from her honesty and draw strength and confidence through her.

Admittedly Rebecca is a tremendously talented actress but when watching her you can’t help but think there’s a deeper connection to her performance.  When she sings she doesn’t just belt out a song line for line, breath for breath.  Something about the way Rebecca delivers a song takes on a depth that runs beyond the lyrics and the script.  When she sings, “With You,” a poignant moment in the storyline, her eyes harbour a pain, the emotion audible and visible in her delivery, her breathing rising and falling as she absorbs the emotion and pulls it all back in to take the song to her head voice and deliver one of the most moving and heartfelt moments I’ve ever witnessed in Musical Theatre.  I’ve heard Caissie Levy, (Original London Cast), deliver the song with equal power and grace but even she can’t give it the emotional intensity and connection I feel when Rebecca sings the song.  The same can be said for Rebecca’s interpretations of all the songs she sings in the show.  Her vocal tones are beautiful and diverse.  She gives a song light and shade, she has an angelic grace to her head voice and when she opens up her chest voice there’s no holding her back.  Some of the notes she powers out will leave an audience in awe, mouths aghast.  Rebecca’s “Suspend My Disbelief / Rain Hold On” is packed full of vocal acrobatics that few could deliver whilst acting out a role simultaneously.  One of her ultimate shining vocal moments in the show actually goes unapplauded due to the tight script linking and scene change.  “Nothing Stops Another Day” is one of the show’s most memorable songs and Rebecca’s delivery on all levels is perfection.  This is without doubt her crowning moment in the show.

Rebecca’s American accent is seamless throughout.  This is no doubt partly due to extensive study and practice on Rebcecca’s behalf but also I’m pretty convinced a lot of it boils down to her connection to the character and her complete immersion into Molly’s life and experiences.  I can honestly say I haven’t come across any British Musical Theatre lead, be it male or female who can carry off an American accent the whole way through without faltering.  It’s rare to come across a performer who not only delivers vocal excellence but can also make an audience relate and connect emotionally through their acting.  So how does Rebecca do all of this with such apparent ease?  Simple, she’s not acting the role, she feeling the role.

Rebecca Trehearn is a credit to the West End and without a flicker of doubt one of Ghost the Musical’s finest assets.  As you can gather this is not a review of “Ghost the Musical” per se, more a focus upon an individual cast member’s outstanding contribution to the show’s success.  Rebecca is a tour de force, she’s sensationally talented, immensely passionate and thoroughly committed and hard working.  She would fully deserve to take over lead as Molly from Siobhan Dillon when her contract expires.  I really do hope cast and creative team and the show’s producers recognise what a glittering superstar they have in Rebcecca.  However the future may pan out for her, one thing is certain, Rebecca’s future is written in the stars!

Rebecca Trehearn - Nothing Stops Another Day

(no copyright infringement intended)

Be sure to catch Rebecca in Ghost the Musical at London’s Piccadilly Theatre.  

Book tickets here:

http://www.ticketmaster.co.uk/Ghost-tickets/artist/1017977

 

Her confirmed performance dates covering the role of Molly are:

July 23^rd – August 4^th

August 30th – September 1st

She’s also performing in “Laugh And Be Happy” at Chichester Festival Theatre on 8^th July 2012 

http://www.cft.org.uk/3983/Laugh-and-Be-Happy/321

Listen to some recent recordings I made at “West End In Concert” on my Youtube channel here:

Rebecca performs “Gravity” (Sara Bareilles):

And “Breathe” (In The Heights):

Follow Rebecca on Twitter: 

www.twitter.com/RebeccaTrehearn