Interview: Gina Beck on RODGERS & HAMMERSTEIN: SOME ENCHANTED EVENING at Saffron Hall

The golden age of musical theatre is coming to Saffron Hall for one night only on 12 June with Rodgers & Hammerstein: Some Enchanted Evening, featuring the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and a number of West End stars.

We caught up with Gina Beck (Wicked, Matilda) who will be performing in the concert…

Even after all these years, Rodgers and Hammerstein's musicals are still some of the world's favourites. What do you think makes their shows so popular?

Of course the ever popular music. Some of the most famous songs in musical theatre litter their musicals, but also the stories that they’ve decided to tell. In their shows, we find some amazingly rich and detailed and decidedly human characters, love stories are often at the heart but these are never a straight forward ‘guy meets girl’ scenario. There are also strong themes to do with racial politics that they brought into popular musical theatre and to the forefront of people’s minds.

Which of Rodgers and Hammerstein's shows is your personal favourite and which of their songs do you love the most?

So hard to choose but I’m going to have to say South Pacific because I’m immersed in that show at the moment and I think the combination of the songs and the story, plus the flawed characters and the heat of the island combine to create the most amazing show. I love singing ‘Wonderful Guy’ as it’s so happy and it’s such a release for the character. She’s high as a kite and that’s infectious!  

Are there any songs in this concert that often go forgotten that you're excited for audiences to hear again?

I personally haven’t come across “I Have Dreamed” from The King and I but it’s the most beautiful romantic duet, I’ve really enjoyed learning it.

What is it like to perform with such a large orchestra, compared to much smaller bands that you often get for musicals today?

It’s wonderful. It’s so nice to be supported by all of those instruments, and to hear the nuances of the orchestration which you don’t often get to hear in the theatre.

You're soon to be returning to South Pacific, the show that reopened Chichester Festival Theatre following its closure due to the pandemic. Are you looking forward to revisiting the production?

Very much looking forward to it. Daniel Evans is a genius and I’m lucky he chose me to play Nellie in this new production. We had a great time in Chichester and I was actually pregnant during the run so it’ll be different doing the show as just me!

You've performed in such a variety of major musicals. What has been the highlight of your career so far?

So many highlights, playing Glinda in America, singing at the Proms, being a part of the Les Miserables film, I’ve been very lucky.

What do you still hope to achieve in your career? Are there any particular roles that you would love to play somewhere down the line?

I would just like to keep working if possible and preferably with Daniel Evans! I would also like to do some Sondheim and some Shakespeare.

For more information and to book tickets for Rodgers & Hammerstein: Some Enchanted Evening, please click here.