Viva Forever, I’ll be Waiting
Everlasting like the sun
Live forever, for the moment
Ever searching for the one..

It is a dream of ever Spice Girls fanatic to watch the Viva Forever! The Musical. It was launched at WestEnd’s Piccadilly Theatre last December much to the excitement of followers like me. Which 90’s kid didn’t love the Spice Girls (or at least one of them) anyway? It may sound crazy to some, but the Spice Girls did inspire me to do better when I was younger. Just watch their videos, listen to the records and viola, Positivity is in the room! The ‘Girl Power!’ tag motivated a lot of women to aim high and work hard to achieve their dreams.

Last month, it was announced that the Viva Forever The Musical is about to reach its final show. The members of the band expressed their sentiments regarding the cancellation of the musical play via Twitter. Geri Halliwell even wrote a blog entry about it. It received mixed reviews from the critics, but the Spice Army who saw the show said they enjoyed it and the presentation is not bad as what the others say.

I was still in the Philippines when I booked the tickets online. Lucky to have seen the announcement about the 2 tickets for the price of 1 promo for Spice Girls fans, Bought tickets for me and my mum and she loves the Spice Girls too! She is just as excited as I am!

We took the train ride to London right after lunch last Tuesday. We left our things at a relative’s house and took the London Red Bus 38-Victoria to Piccadilly Circus. I’m glad we found Denham Street right away. I remember there was a bit of tension around the area that time. There were lots of policemen and I later found out that a protest just happened nearby.

When we reached Piccadilly Theatre, I did the necessary touristy/fanatic things to do like having a photo taken outside the venue. In the poster, it says Viva Forever is a feel-good musical. When we reached the ambassador’s lounge, I personally felt at home to see girls mostly my age with their girl friends or families. I also spotted a number of gay couples, which made me smile. Admit it or not, I bet some of them consider the Spice Girls as their gay icons especially Geri Halliwell and Victoria Beckham!

It’s my first time in Piccadilly Theatre. Before the show started, some fans were just as jolly as I am. Some were even exchanging stories on who were their favorites. One fan was with his boyfriend and he immediately wore the Viva Forever souvenir shirt. He took a photo with the stage as his backdrop and posted it on Twitter right away. So cute!

Here are my thoughts on Viva Forever The Musical:

I am proud to say that I know the lyrics to every song performed on the play! You can spot a die-hard Spice Girls fanatic when they are lipsynching to the unreleased song like ‘Do It’, ‘Denying’ and ‘Right Back at Ya’.

Look at me
You can take it all because this face is free.
Maybe next time use your eyes and 
Look at me
I’m a drama queen if that’s your thing, baby
I can even do reality!

‘Look at Me’ by Geri Halliwell is the only solo Spice Girls song on the tracklist performed by the talented Sally Dexter (playing the role of ‘Simone’). I can say her version is better than the original lol. I love how she sang it in a sarcastic yet realistic way. Do I sound twisted? I am just impressed! She’s a drama queen if that’s your thing, baby. She can even do reality! (Uh, Uh, Uh, Uh!).

The story of Viva Forever is very 2013. The lead character Viva (played by Hannah John-Kamen) is a member of a girl group named ‘Eternity’. She is a talented and driven performer and she aspires fame. They joined a reality show called ‘Starmaker’. As fate would have it, she was torn between continuing with the show as a solo artist or step back on the chance of a lifetime.

Viva Forever is a feel-good musical just like the Spice Girls songs. Who doesn’t feel the positivity when you hear any of their songs anyway? There were some parts where I nearly cried. The show tackled mother-daughter relationships, fame, friendship and other things girls can relate to.

Here are some of my favorite moments from the show:

GOODBYE-MAMA-HEADLINES

A mother longing for her daughter’s affection, a daughter yearning for her mom’s embrace and a mentor who wants to get more media mileage for her talent.

The song ‘Goodbye’ was written by Victoria, Emma, Melanie B and Melanie C when Geri Halliwell left the group to pursue a solo career:

Just a little girl, big imagination

Never let no one take it away
Welcome to the world, what a revelation

You know there’s a better way for you and me to be.

Imagine those words sung to you by your mom.

Back then, I didn’t know why

Why you were misunderstood

So now I see through your eyes

All that you did was love

Imagine your daughter singing those words to you.

Let’s make the headlines true this time.

Imagine a ‘mentor’ wanting more publicity.

Ah. Goodness. Maybe I became emotional with this part because I was seated next to my mom and we were holding hands the whole time 😀

2 BECOME 1 – It is one of the most hilarious part of the musical. Little girls used to think that this song is a very wholesome song about two people falling in love. When you read the lyrics now, you’d find out that the song is all about safe sex.

Be a little bit wiser, baby. Put it on, put it on!

It is the part of the program where the audience waved as the sung with the cast. The cheekiest section of the show that everyone giggled to.

TOO MUCH – I can see myself in the character Suzi (lucy Montgomery). Her fit body and sense of humour gives me an idea on how I’ll be to my close gal pals years from now. Being a cheerleader to a girl friend never been this fun!
Too Much is an empowering in a sexy way type of number. I want a man not a boy who thinks he can! 😉

WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE

The race is on to get out of the bottom
The top is high so your roots are forgotten
Giving is good as long as your getting
What’s driving you is ambition, i’m betting!

The number where the pros and cons of fame and power is shown. Love, love, love the theatrical appeal of this number!

TELL ME WHY

What made you think that without me
Your life will be so much better but now you see
That without me, your hopes and dreams

Will never be as good as what you had with me
So tell me why did we end up this way?
When we try to make everything ok
Tell me why, oh why did you feel you couldn’t stay
When we could’ve stayed together but you wanted it this way?

The Spice Girls single from the Forever album I wished they released as the second single. This is one of the songs pertaining to Geri’s departure from the group and it is also applicable to Viva’s departure form Eternity. You can see the disappointment from every girl’s actions and voices as they perform it. Agh, brings back the memories! Geri, you broke our hearts! LOL

VIVA FOREVER

Both of us were dreamers, young love in the sun
Fel like my savior, my spirit i gave you
We’ve only just begun…

The impact of the Viva Forever music video released many years ago leaves me teary-eyed. I think it is one of the most depressing music videos ever. It was good that they presented Viva Forever in a boy-girl point of view. Angel (Ben Cura) rendition of Viva Forever is sweet and romantic.

Produced by Judy Craymer (Mamma Mia!) and Penned by Jennifer Saunders, the people behind the production of Viva Forever lived up to the expectations of the fans. This is not a theatrical show full of fantasy-inspired costumes or gritty plot/script. It is a feel-good musical and it is very 2013 – if you’re a social media addict, you’d find yourself giggling every time Minty utters her hashtag notes. It also shows the reality behind the current ‘reality’ talent shows. Are they boosting your talent as an artist, or do they want your sob stories to make it in the headlines? Are these people really sincere with your well-being, or do they want to get more famous and make money out of your misery?

To the critics who kept on bashing the show: SCREW YOU!  The legacy of the Spice Girls still lives on. I am still hoping Viva Forever will go places. Not within the year, but in the near future.  The legacy of the Spice Girls lives on and it won’t end in Piccadilly Theatre. Singing and dancing with the crowd on the finale made me a really proud Spice Girls fan! Girl Power forever!

Are you a Spice Girls fan? Have you seen the Viva Forever The Musical? Who’s your favorite Spice Girls? Share your favorite Spice Girls tracks!