Review: An Evening With Danielle Steers (Crazy Coqs)

Review by Daz Gale

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Amidst all the busyness of Piccadilly Circus and directly opposite the bustling Piccadilly Theatre sits a world unto itself - the intimate Zedel - home to a bar and restaurant, it also has what I consider to be the best cabaret venue in London, Crazy Coqs, where you’ll regularly find some of the greatest talents in the West End and beyond. That’s where I found myself on a late Sunday afternoon to witness the person behind one of my favourite voices in musical theatre: the stunning Danielle Steers. A far cry from the large stages she has frequented over the years, she may not have had a flashy set such as an exploding motorbike or a collection of Cher’s ever-changing wigs, but she did have the voice and the personality - and as we all know, two out of three ain’t bad.

If you are unfamiliar with Danielle Steers, she is perhaps best known for a trio of roles - originating the role of Zahara in Bat Out Of Hell, starring as Lady in the UK premiere of The Cher Show (a role she was born to play) and playing Catherine Parr in Six The Musical. Most recently, she was seen in new musical Hot Mess, wowing audiences in Edinburgh and then again for its London debut last year. It was Bat Out Of Hell that I first fell in love with Danielle’s voice - the moment she opened her mouth for the first line of ‘Two Out Of Three Ain’t Bad’, she had me hooked. I had followed her career over the years and regularly found she was a standout in anything she starred in, so the prospect of an entire concert with her distinct tone felt like musical heaven to me. Needless to say, I wasn’t disappointed.

The intimate setting at Crazy Coqs allowed Danielle to explore different musical genres and styles, showcasing how beautifully her voice is suited to a versatile range of styles. Opening with numbers from Bill Withers (Lovely Day) and The Darkness (I Believe In A Thing Called Love), the tone was set immediately - this was a setlist full of surprises, creating an exciting feeling never knowing what was next. Though these two numbers were originally released decades apart, stylistically on the night they felt further back, both being transformed into jazz numbers that sat right in the sweet spot of Steers’ voice. There is a real timelessness to her vocal that transcends genres, decades and generations, and this setlist beautifully encapsulated that.

It wasn’t just a randomly put-together setlist, with stories attached to each, letting the audience get to know Danielle Steers a little bit better - something that worked to this concert’s advantage in such an intimate setting. A cover of Amy Winehouse’s ‘Back To Black’ followed the revelation Danielle’s partner used to date Amy, while her son Alfie was referenced on the classic song of the same name. Danielle’s personality shone through the evening, with anecdotes and jokes that made it easy to love her so much more, such as her knack for performing the same song at every audition, no matter what kind of show it is, followed by a performance of said song, Oleta Adams’ ‘Get Here’ - one of the standout numbers of the night. While the section she humorously called the “Crazy Toxic Creep” section featured those three numbers, all delivered in what I can only refer to as her signature style.

Of course, many of the audience were there to relive the roles Danielle put her stamp on, and an early rendition of ‘Two Out Of Three Ain’t Bad’ from Bat Out Of Hell reminded me of the reason I fell in love with her voice in the first place. That role left me convinced she was the perfect fit to play Cher when The Cher Show finally arrived in the UK, something I brought up in conversation to her in the years between the two shows - it was the role she was destined to do, and one she was sensational in, so a stripped-down version of ‘Believe’ stunned from start to finish.

Two numbers from her most recent role in Hot Mess were performed, including a reunion with her co-star Tobias Turley for a rendition of ‘Better With Time’, replicating the charm and chemistry the two had together in the roles of Earth and Humanity (if you haven’t seen it, that might not make any sense but just go with it). Danielle had an opportunity to change into her next beautiful outfit (which she hilariously revealed she got on an offer) while Tobias gave the audience his best Michael Bublé, performing ‘Sway’.

The evening ended with a performance of a song from a show Danielle has never starred in, but commented how much she would love to, as she delivered a rousing ‘Maybe This Time’ from Cabaret. Leaving the audience on a high, I believe everybody at Crazy Coqs shared the same thought of what an amazing Sally Bowles she would make - though with a talent as abundant as Danielle Steers, it is hard to think of any role she wouldn’t thrill in.

This concert was a perfect example of Danielle Steers’ incredible talents, and why any stage lights up the second she sets foot on it. Boasting one of the most recognisable voices in the West End, the versatility of the songbook present at this concert demonstrated the remarkable strengths Danielle has as a performer, but also as a person, endearing her to everyone as we got to learn a little bit more about her, and enjoy being in her orbit - quite fittingly for someone who played an entire planet in her last role. Even that is not big enough for the weight of her talent - Danielle Steers has gone from strength to strength in the years since I first saw her on stage, and this concert confirmed that the best is still to come.

Setlist:

Lovely Day (Bill Withers cover)

I Believe in a Thing Called Love (The Darkness cover)

Back to Black (Amy Winehouse cover)

Get Here (Oleta Adams cover)

Two out of Three Ain’t Bad (Meat Loaf cover) (from Bat Out Of Hell)

Summertime (George Gershwin cover)

Happy (from Hot Mess)

Better With Time (from Hot Mess) (with Tobias Turley)

Sway (Tobias Turley solo)

Believe (Cher cover)

Crazy (Gnarls Barkley cover)

Toxic (Britney Spears cover)

Creep (Radiohead cover)

Alfie (Burt Bacharach cover)

Maybe This Time (from Cabaret)

An Evening With Danielle Steers played at Crazy Coqs on 8th February.

Listen to Danielle Steers and Tobias Turley on a recent episode of my podcast, All That Chat on Apple Podcasts and Spotify