Defying Gravity sends clubbers wild at 1am as musical rave brings theatre bangers to Newcastle
Defying Gravity from Wicked probably isn't a song you'd ever expect to hear in Digital in Newcastle on a Saturday night, but that is exactly from what happened this weekend, thanks to the arrival of a musicals rave in the city.
And, as you might guess from the night's theme; this wasn't your typical rave. Imagine walking into the top floor of Digital to be greeted by the sounds of Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious of Mary Poppins at just after 11.30pm and you'd be on the right track as that did actually happen and no, I wasn't mad at it at all.
The Musicals Party, brought to Tyneside by Throwback Events, swapped trance and techno for Elphaba and Glinda, as a slightly smaller than expected crowd lapped up every single jazz hand and hair flick. Lovers of the biggest show of the moment, Hamilton were well catered for, with many attendees knowing every single line to songs from it like Alexander Hamilton, My Shot and The Room Inside; while there many budding Anne Boleyns and Katherine Howards in the room to do the Six soundtrack justice in serious and sassy style.
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The opening 'oh oh oh-oh-ohs' of The Greatest Showman still hit as hard as they did when the movie was first released six years ago and, if Zac Efron or Zendaya ever needed an understudy, they'd be spoilt for choice, judging by some of the stunning singalongs to Rewrite the Stars, Tracks from Everybody's Talking About Jamie, Moana, Heathers, Hannah Montana and High School Musical also filled the air during the four hour long event, with the often overlooked Troy Bolton solo number Bet on It so well received it was played twice.
There wasn't too much for fans of an 'old school' musical to get excited about as, while of course there was some Grease thrown in for good measure; the likes of Oliver, Sound of Music, Chicago and Phantom of the Opera were snubbed. Mamma Mia songs were met with a conviction that Meryl Streep would be proud of and, it just wouldn't be a musicals party in the 2020s without a bit of Let it Go from Frozen.
But, as you see from the video at the top of this story, the night belonged to one song and one song only and that was Defying Gravity. from Wicked.
With less than two weeks now to the release of the much hyped movie adaptation, the opening lines of 'Elphaba, why couldn't you have stayed calm for once? Instead of flying off the handle!" were met with palpable excitement from everyone in the room. And by the end, everyone on the dancefloor might as well have been painted green, as they channelled their inner Idina Menzel with every ounce of their being.