Month: December 2019

PREVIEW: 9 reasons why we can’t wait for January (2020) starring Madonna

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  1. Madonna brings Madame X to the London Palladium

2019’s Madame X collection made our Album of 2019 shortlist and was Madonna’s best since 2005’s Confessions. We were at her last London gig at The 02 in 2015 and are looking forward to the shift from arenas to theatres for this 15-gig run. Tickets The tour opened in the US in the autumn and, despite the late starts, promises much. We’re just glad we don’t have to be up early after what is shaping up to be a late night albeit in thrall to the Queen of Pop.

  • Read on for reasons including new Pet Shop Boys album, Richard Armitage’s West End return and VAULT Festival

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AWARDS: winners of the 2019 monstas are …

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monstagigz readers have been voting throughout December for their favourite pop, theatre, TV and film of 2019 from our shortlists. Read on for details of our monstas winners …

2019’s Best Performance Of A Song

  • I’m Not A Girl, Not Yet A Woman by Arun Blair-Mangat and Miriam-Teak Lee (& Juliet, Shaftesbury Theatre, pictured above) Review & Juliet tickets

Screen Shot 2019-12-30 at 19.20.02

  • Thank you to everyone who voted. Picture via Facebook courtesy & Juliet musical
  • Read on for reasons including the remaining 13 theatre, pop, film & TV winners

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TOP 6: Best read monstagigz content of 2019 starring Sheridan Smith

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  1. When Sheridan Smith stole the show in Joseph at the Palladium 

Thank you to our tens of thousands of readers who drove up our traffic by more than 12 per cent in 2019 and welcome to a top six of the most popular content of the year.

Sheridan Smith won our Best Theatre Actress monsta in 2015 and here stole the show in Lloyd Webber’s Palladium revival of one of his biggest hits. We said in our review: ‘We know we’re in safe hands when the always reliable Sheridan Smith channels Eric Morecambe from behind a fake moustache, confiding to the audience: ‘It’s still me.’ It was such a success that it returns to the Palladium for a second run next summer. Tickets

  • Read on for reasons including what Carrie Hope Fletcher did next and the return of Dame Maggie Smith

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ALBUM OF THE MONTH: Fairytale (International) by Saara Aalto (December 2019)

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WORTH A LOOK?: ****

OUT? now

TRACKLIST: Every Christmas Day; Christmas Without You; Let It Go; Starry Skies; Can I Keep The Pictures?; Fairytale Of New York

Aalto won our Best Album monsta last year for her Wild, Wild Wonderland LP and, although its follow up is only half a dozen tracks long, it signposts an interesting future for her singing original songs.

  • Read on for reasons including why live is where Aalto always excels

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AWARDS SHORTLIST: MONSTAS: Best TV/Film Actress of 2019

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

It’s almost Christmas and what would the festive season be without some recognition of the best of 2019? Over the next week we’ll shortlist five nominees in each of 14 categories for our Oscars, or monstas if you will, of 2019.

  • Read on for nominees for the monsta for best TV/film actress of the year. 2018 winner: Lady Gaga for A Star Is Born

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AWARDS SHORTLIST: MONSTAS: Best TV/Film Actor of 2019

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

It’s almost Christmas and what would the festive season be without some recognition of the best of 2019? Over the next week we’ll shortlist five nominees in each of 14 categories for our Oscars, or monstas if you will, of 2019.

  • Read on for nominees for the monsta for best TV/film actor of the year. 2018 winner: Hugh Grant for A Very English Scandal

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