Cassidy Janson – Vaudeville Theatre

Cassidy Janson performed as part of the Westway Sessions at the Vaudeville Theatre, London.

Star rating: four stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ✩

“I’m slightly high.” Not a confession you necessarily expect from a beloved doyenne of musical theatre, but Cassidy Janson has the sort of chaotic energy that leads her to say things that should probably remain internal (when Benny from ABBA complimented on her singing after a performance of Chess, she replied: “No, thank you for the music”).

The drugs in question, though, were Sudafed, a treatment for a sinus infection that Janson was determined wouldn’t derail her West End concert, performing as part of the Westway Sessions series. In truth, despite the occasional sniffle and nose clear between songs, the infection didn’t really affect the performance (Janson, who knows these songs better than anyone, occasionally noted a voice break, but such was her emotional performance that such hiccups barely registered).

If one were expecting a potted history of Janson’s West End career, one might have been disappointed. While we got a number in recognition of her role as Idina Menzel’s understudy in the original West End run of Wicked (‘I’m Not That Girl’) and her favourite song from her Olivier-winning turn as Anne Hathaway in & Juliet (‘That’s the Way It Is’) this was much more a tour of Janson’s own tastes of late 20th-century female pop-rock.

There was, of course, one huge West End crossover: Carole King. In 2015, Janson took over the role of King (from originating actress Katie Brayben) in the West End production of the biographical jukebox musical Beautiful, and the singer-songwriter’s work dominated her two-act set. From the opening ‘I Feel the Earth Move’, King was a constant touchstone. Understandably so, for Janson’s light tone with its occasional rasps place her exactly in King’s register.

Throughout, Janson and her four-piece band (led by musical director Adam Dennis) provided a wonderful sound that highlighted the warmth in the singer’s voice. Perhaps it was the sinus infection and the Sudafed, but for someone who exudes such a chaotic, comedic energy, the inter-song chatter was kept to a minimum. We heard little snippets about her album with Beverley Knight and Amber Riley, Leading Ladies, but only as intros to another vocal performance. We always got the impression that Janson was giving an honest version of herself, but there was always a hint that her true character, the one that engages her costars offstage and made her performance in & Juliet so warm, was something she was holding back.

Still, every short bit of chatter meant that the next song came all the quicker. Whether it was a charming rendition of the Beatle’s ‘Here, There and Everywhere’ (based on a George Martin re-orchestration originally sung by Céline Dion) or a tribute to Streisand in the shape of ‘Don’t Rain On My Parade’, one thing is sure: Janson is one of the warmest, most engaging voices in West End theatre. And an amazing ambassador for Sudafed.

Scott Matthewman