What I’d like to see from Elaine Paige’s New Chat Show

Musical theatre geeks cheered this week as the news was announced that legend of the genre, Elaine Paige, is set to front a new musical theatre inspired chat show. What’s coming up and what would I like to see from this new show?

Elaine Paige is a genuine musical theatre icon; the woman’s a powerhouse on the West End Stage. She famously originated the roles of Eva Peron in the West End original production of Evita and Grizabella in Cats. She’s also had notable roles in productions of Hair, Chess, Jesus Christ Superstar and Grease.

So she’s perfect to front such a new show. A show like this, which brings the best in the modern industry and sits them down for a chat, of course has to be fronted by such a presence in the industry. This is because of the nature of the chat show formula.

A chat show, at its heart, is a show designed to provide a unique insight into the guests’ lives and character. Only someone who they respect, who they have long admired and looked up to, could handle such a task. Paige’s authority in industry circles uniquely positions her for such a task.

The show is slated to appear on the Sky Arts channel, so it’s very clearly centred towards a niche audience and this could prove a true boon to true fans of the genre. It’ll allow Paige to speak to the guests on a level that provides true insight. She won’t have to dumb it down for the general public who naturally have very little frame of reference.

Paige herself has said of the opportunity that "I look forward to welcoming some of my friends and colleagues to the show and singing not only some new songs but some of my all-time classics."

From this we can gather that it’ll be a mixed format; that part of the chat show experience will involve belting out some classics that provide a snapshot of that performers experiences and how they have lived their lives. That’s exactly what I want to see from a show like this; true insight. Also if it yielded collaboration of the Judy Garland/Barbara Streisand variety, then I’ll truly count it a success!

For musical theatre fans, Elaine Paige’s new show provides a unique opportunity to know more about the people behind the characters and it’s something you absolutely shouldn’t miss, Simon Morris readers.