To Maury with Love, Drury Lane Theatre Royal, Catherine Street, London W1 for one night only | 22 February 2026 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Review by William Russell

Photo credit: Eliza Wilmot

To Maury with Love

Drury Lane Theatre Royal, Catherine Street, London W1 for one night only | 22 February 2026

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Review by William Russell

“A memorable birthday party.”

An 80th birthday tribute to Maury Yeston the American composer of musicals like Titanic and Grand Hotel this Sunday night concert directed by Tom Southerland and performed by a cast of West End musical stars was a lavish and heartfelt occasion. Yeston is a much-loved figure in the American musical theatre and while he could not attend, he was there in video form and in between performances of songs from his shows he talked about musical theatre and life with great charm. Oddly although his shows have run on Broadway and won Tony awards here only Grand Hotel, based on the film starring Garbo, Joan Crawford, John Barrymore and pretty well anyone who was anybody in Hollywood  at the time, got a West End production proper at the Dominion Theatre, although Nine, based on Fellini's film Eight and a Half was staged at the Donmar and won an Olivier. But what is arguably his best show – Titanic directed by Southerland – was first staged at the Southwark Playhouse, a fringe theatre as far from the West End as you can get. It later transferred to Charing Cross Theatre, which is what you could call off West End, and his Death Becomes Her, based on an old Frederic March film, was also staged there. But the shows although listed were not really what made the evening – it was the succession of splendid songs he has composed over his long career. Taken out of context they still worked their magic and the singers, some reprising songs they had sung in Yeston shows, all rose to the occasion as did the large orchestra under Mark Aspinall. But birthday greetings apart it was also a charity event to raise funds for Bowel Cancer UK.

Cast

Ramin Karimloo. Sydne Christmas, Madalena Alberto, Graham Bickley, Rob Houchen, Kelly Mathieson

Graduate students in Musical theatre from the Royal Academy of Music.

Creatives

Director – Tom Southerland

Lighting Design – Howard Hudson

Sound Design – Andrew Johnson

Conductor and Arranger – Mark Aspinall

The London Musical Theatre Orchestra