Jamie Muscato, one of the West End’s most exciting voices, is set to take centre stage in his first major solo concert at London’s prestigious Cadogan Hall on July 21 and 22, 2024. Known for his standout performances in shows like Heathers and Moulin Rouge, Muscato is now preparing to share a more personal side of his artistry with audiences.
“It’s something that I’ve wanted to do for a while,” Muscato reveals, discussing how the solo concerts came about. “When I was approached about doing it, I jumped on the chance.” The demand has been overwhelming, with the initial show selling out almost immediately, prompting the addition of two more shows.
Reflecting on this unexpected success, Muscato shares, “When it was about to go on sale, I thought we might sell out the show by the time the show’s about to be on, you know, like the last couple of weeks would sell the last few tickets. And then it happened almost immediately. I didn’t really know what to think, I thought maybe there was a fault on the website!”
For Muscato, the journey to this career milestone began in Brighton, where he cut his teeth in amateur theatre. “They’ve got an amazing amateur theatre ethos down there,” he recalls. “I’d spend my time out of school, hopping between various theatre groups and doing as much as I could.”
His professional break came with Spring Awakening, leading to a career that has seen him take on diverse roles across the West End. “I feel like I’ve done an apprenticeship through my work,” Muscato explains, “because I started off as a swing, and then I did ensemble. And I’ve been a first cover and second cover, and I’ve worked and learned through all those different jobs.”
As for what audiences can expect from his Cadogan Hall performances, Muscato promises a deeply personal selection of music. “I’ve made this quite selfishly,” he admits with a laugh. “It’s basically a collection of my favourite things. I’ve chosen songs by bands I love, some of my favourite roles, some musicals that I love, some of my parents’ favourite things, and squished them together into one, hopefully cohesive show.”
The process of curating the setlist was both challenging and rewarding for Muscato. “When there’s no boundaries, it can be anything,” he explains. “Once I started putting some guardrails on myself, it made it a lot easier to choose what I wanted to do, because this works with this, and then this can follow on from that.”
Muscato is particularly excited about the intimate nature of the performances, despite the venue’s nearly 1,000-seat capacity. “I’m looking forward to the first show,” he says, “because that’s the first time you really know what you’ve got. You can rehearse all you want, but once the audience is there, and they give you that feedback, you can just feel where it is.”
The concerts will also feature special guests, adding another layer of excitement for Muscato. “I’ve got a couple of guests coming in, and they are some of my favourite people,” he shares. “I’m working with some really great people on this, and hopefully, it’ll just be a nice fun couple of days.”
As he prepares for this new chapter in his career, Muscato remains busy with other projects, including the upcoming concert of Carousel at the Royal Festival Hall. “It’s such an amazing show, such an amazing role,” he enthuses. “It’s a different style and vibe and something I haven’t really done – that legit, baritone, male lead for a long, long time, if ever really.”
With his solo concerts at Cadogan Hall, Jamie Muscato is poised to showcase the full range of his talents and share his passion for musical theatre with audiences in a uniquely personal way. As he puts it, “Hopefully, it won’t end there. I’d like to do some more shows, and see where this goes.”
