Sep 106 min read

Review: Hugh Panaro - Man Without A Mask (Crazy Coqs)

Review by Daz Gale

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London audiences were blessed by the presence of a Broadway legend this week, as Hugh Panaro visited for three special concerts at the intimate and beautiful Crazy Coqs. With a variety of credits behind him both in London and on Broadway, he is perhaps best known for starring in The Phantom Of The Opera for more than 2000 performances. It is rather apt, then, that his solo concert is titled Man Without A Mask, but for his closing performance in London, and decades since he last performed in a show over here, would he leave the audience wishing he was somehow here again as he brings us the music of the night?

If you’re unfamiliar with Hugh Panaro, he has performed in many a Broadway show over multiple decades with roles in Les Miserables, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street and the aforementioned The Phantom Of The Opera among his credits. His UK performances have been elusive with West End audiences last seeing him in Show Boat in 1998. His last visit to the UK was as a special guest of Barbra Streisand during her tour in 2007, so these three concerts really were a long time coming. I must admit having never seen him on stage before, I wasn’t as familiar as perhaps I should have been. However, after this concert, Hugh Panaro is a name I will never forget.

In Man Without A Mask, Panaro talks us through his love affair from theatre, from his first trip to the theatre seeing Annie as a kid, to his early roles, and all of the credits he is known and love for. A gifted and natural storyteller, Panaro comes alive as he recounts these details from his life with an effortless charm and charismatic nature that allows you to feel he is speaking to you and only you. It is this unrivalled ability to connect with an audience that endears him to your heart whether you have been a fan of his for decades or experiencing him for the first time. Sometimes at these concerts, the stories can prove a bit overlong and leave you impatiently waiting for the next song. In this instance, that was not the case at all with the stories every bit as enjoyable as the musical numbers. With a warm nature and a smile glued to his face, I found myself hanging on his every word. His dalliances with some of the most legendary names in music and musical theatre including Barbra Streisand, Elton John, Jule Styne and Stephen Sondheim meant there was never a dull moment as he filled us all in on a life well lived.

It was the chance to experience Hugh Panaro’s voice that les a small but mighty crowd to pack inside Crazy Coqs in the heart of Piccadilly on a Monday night, and through the 80 minute, 14 song set (plus a riveting post-show conversation at this performance), they certainly didn’t leave disappointed. As well as being treated to numbers from some of his most familiar shows, Panaro wasn’t afraid to dive into some of his less successful shows, performing ‘Right Before My Eyes’ from the short-lived Lestat and talking about his time in The Red Shoes, a show that ran for five performances. Panaro also recounted the roles he wasn’t lucky enough to get with a brilliant delivery of how he failed to land a part in Miss Saigon twice. His impeccable performance of ‘Why God, Why?’ from the show left us in no doubt we had all missed out on what would have been an incredible take on the character.

The presence of Claude-Michel Schönberg at this particular performance made Hugh Panaro’s stories impact even further, with the star unafraid to direct the narrative at him. With the composer responsible for several of the shows Panaro has starred in and performed on this note, it was his performance of ‘Live With Somebody You Love’ from Martin Guerre at this particular show that perfectly demonstrated both Schönberg’s genius as a composer and Panaro’s skill as an interpreter of these songs. His acting through song is like none I have seen before, with a complete embodiment of the character bringing a power and storytelling nature for each number, even when it is a standalone moment and not part of the musical itself.

The aspect of this performance I found most impressive was in the quality of Hugh Panaro’s voice. An undoubted powerhouse performer, he purposely holds back regularly, showcasing a remarkable restraint that is used to a gorgeous effect. At several moments in the evening, he sung at a whisper, making the big belting moments all the more impactful. This under-singing tactic is not something I have seen often, and is almost unheard of at a concert such as this. It is this attention to detail and level of care taken with every word and each note that made this one of the greatest performances I have seen at this beautiful cabaret venue, and I have been lucky enough to attend some legendary ones in the past.

For his three shows at Crazy Coqs, Panaro enlisted the help of a different guest each night, with Christina Bianco joining in on Saturday and Liz Callaway on Sunday. For this performance, we were treated to the incredible talents of West End star Laura Pitt-Pulford. Another incredible performer when it comes to acting through song, their duet of ‘Too Many Mornings’ from Follies was truly stunning in one of the most beautiful moments in an evening that regularly tested my tear ducts. Laura Pitt-Pulford also blew us away with a solo take on ‘Move On’ from Sunday In The Park With George.

There were too many musical highlights to mention during a packed 80 minutes, but some of the ones that lingered in my mind long after the show finished where a beautifully tender ‘You Don’t Bring Me Flowers’ and an especially poignant ‘Empty Chairs At Empty Tables’ prefaced with a powerful speech about how relevant it is today. A striking arrangement of ‘It Only Takes A Moment’ from Hello, Dolly! provided a rapturous response, while ‘Why God, Why?’ was perhaps the most rousing moment of the evening. Of course, no Hugh Panaro performance would be complete without a taste of Phantom and so we were treated to one of the greatest renditions of ‘The Music Of The Night’ I have ever been privileged enough to be present for. Having lived in that role for so many years has allowed him to perform that legendary number like no other, and the result truly was something special.

I may have been ignorant to the talents of Hugh Panaro prior to setting foot inside Crazy Coqs – in fact, I nearly wasn’t able to attend the show at all, having to miss my originally planned visit for Saturday. Things have a tendency to work out as they should though and to say I’m glad I witnessed this performance would be as big an understatement as I could make. Panaro’s ability to tell the story of a song and perform it with an incredible range while holding back is second to none and left me in awe of his abilities throughout. As the show ended, multiple people commented this is one of the all-time great performances at Crazy Coqs and I have to agree. One of the most special evenings I have experienced at a concert, blessed by a wonderful talent who is every bit as captivating without the mask. There was no doubt about it as I left the venue – when it comes to Hugh Panaro, I am now a huge Phan.