Metta Theatre and Aria Entertainment – two of the UK’s leading production companies devoted to British musical theatre – have announced that the studio album for the brand new life affirming British musical, THE RHYTHMICS, is now available via Spotify, iTunes, Amazon Music, Apple Music and many other Digital platforms.
With book and lyrics by Metta‘s Artistic Director Poppy Burton-Morgan, and music & lyrics from MTI Stiles + Drewe Mentorship Award winner Ben Glasstone, THE RHYTHMICS explores the crisis of masculinity via a collection of oddballs belting their way through a thrillingly catchy guitar led score.
MEET MANCHESTER’S PREMIER ALL MALE RHYTHMIC GYMNASTICS PERFORMANCE ENSEMBLE…
Hapless single-dad Grey is in a rut. Teenage daughter Silva packs him off to revive his rockstar dreams, successfully auditioning for ‘Nick & the Rhythmics’ only to realise… he’s actually signed up for an All-male Rhythmic Gymnastics troupe. Against the odds these burly blokes make it as far as the World Championships – twirling their ‘ribbons of fire’ – and along the way Grey finally learns to commit to life. Calendar Girls meets Full Monty in this joyous new British musical.
THE RHYTHMICS follows the ups and downs of single-father Grey and his precocious teenage daughter Silva – based somewhat autobiographically on Poppy Burton-Morgan’s own relationship with their father Louis Burton. Poppy and Ben invited Louis to play guest saxophone on the album which has now been released following Louis’ 72nd birthday.
Thanks to emergency support from Arts Council England, a hugely successful Crowdfunder campaign, which exceeded its original target, alongside Metta Theatre reserve funds, the producers were able to record the album (under socially distanced rules in studios across London, Brighton and Glasgow) during the month of July.
Artists involved in the cast recording include Neil McDermott as ‘Grey’, Eleanor Kane as ‘Silva’, Christopher Staines as ‘Nick’, Daniel York Loh as ‘Dennis’, Samuel Thomas as ‘Connor’, and Kinny Gardner as ‘Sid’.
The Musical Director was Jamie Ross and it was mixed and mastered by Simon Small for Voicebox Productions.
As well as the cast album (which features 11 of the 19 songs that will be in the show), the producers have released a full music video of the track ‘GOT YOUR BACK’ with fully integrated BSL choreography from Mark Smith (Artistic Director for Deaf Men Dancing), as well as captioning, in order to make it fully accessible to deaf and hard of hearing audiences.
Artists specifically involved in the music video are Neil McDermott as ‘Grey’, Loren O’Dair as ‘Sue’, Craig Turner as ‘Nick’, Carl Sanderson as ‘Dennis’, Lemuel Knights as ‘Connor’, Adam Jay-Price as ‘Jeremy’ and Kinny Gardner as ‘Sid’.
