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The Seckerson Tapes: Kerry Ellis Interview

Musical-theatre-diva-cum-rock-chick discusses collaborating with Brian May

by edward.seckersonFriday, 20 August 2010

Kerry Ellis: a musical-theatre-diva-cum-rock-chick

Kerry Ellis amassed a legion of adoring fans when she went "green" playing Elphaba in Stephen Schwartz's smash-hit musical both in London and on Broadway. But her pre-eminence as a musical-theatre-diva-cum-rock-chick was secured earlier still when Brian May, the celebrated lead guitarist of Queen, asked her to play Meat in the Queen/ Ben Elton show We Will Rock You. May quickly recognised a symbiosis between them and their CD single Wicked in Rock sprung a rip-roaring reimagining of "Defying Gravity" with Brian May's amazing guitar riffs a key feature.

Now her debut album Anthems from Decca is writ even larger with an intoxicating mix of show and rock anthems giving full rein to Kerry's laser belt and May's impassioned and fabulously distinctive guitar sound. The arrangements are big, the songs bigger with show-stoppers (from Wicked and Chess and Kristina) rubbing shoulders with some May/ Queen classics. May has gone on record as saying that Kerry's voice is proving as powerful an inspiration for him as Freddie Mercury's. That's some compliment.

In this audio podcast (with clips from the album) Kerry talks about her amazing journey, her heroes and heroines of song, and a voice that can just as easily embrace Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady or Nancy in Oliver! as it can cream "No One But You" from We Will Rock You.

Listen to this episode

Find out more about Kerry Ellis on her website
Buy Kerry Ellis's new album Anthems

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