REUTERS/Darren Staples |
 [Photo by Robert Faust]
INTERVIEW
Prior to the event, she was interviewed by the BBC and the interview was broadcast during the show intermission.
INTERVIEWER:
This interview took place in Petula's dressing room earlier this afternoon after Petula's sound check. My first question to Petula was what songs would she be performing tonight. . .
PETULA:
WELL, I'M DOING A COUPLE, I DON'T KNOW IF THEY
WILL BOTH BE IN THE TELEVISION SHOW... BUT,
I'M DOING A SONG FROM 'BLOOD BROTHERS'
CALLED 'TELL ME IT'S NOT TRUE' WHICH I DID--
'BLOOD BROTHERS'-- ON BROADWAY FOR OVER
A YEAR THEN WE TOOK IT ON THE ROAD IN THE
STATES, FOR ANOTHER YEAR WITH DAVID CASSIDY~
SO, I'M DOING THAT THEN...THEN I'M DOING A SONG FROM ANOTHER SHOW
I WAS IN...THIS TIME I DID IT IN THE WEST END, IN LONDON
'SUNSET BOULEVARD' I ALSO DID IT IN THE STATES
ON TOUR, SO, I AM DOING 'WITH ONE LOOK'
INTERVIEWER:
Brilliant! Now, how did you first hear about the event that is happening tonight?
PETULA:
WELL, I WAS CONTACTED BY GEORGE SCOTT
AND I THOUGHT IT WAS A GREAT IDEA.
THE WHOLE IDEA WAS I THOUGHT VERY, VERY
EXCITING.
IN FACT I CAME UP TO CARDIFF TO DO THE FIRST
BIT OF PROMOTION ON IT BECAUSE I WAS VERY
EXCITED BY IT.
SOME PEOPLE AROUND ME SAID...OOH WELL YOU
KNOW 'SHOW SONGS' SANG BY THESE 'YOUNG'
PERFORMERS?
I THOUGHT HEY! WAIT A MINUTE I THINK THIS IS
GOING TO BE REALLY GOOD !! YOU KNOW ?
SO, WE HAD A FEW ARGUMENTS ABOUT THAT.
I SAID YOU'LL SEE THEY'RE GOING TO BE REALLY GREAT.
AND IT'S TRUE, BECAUSE EVERYTHING SOUNDS
FRESH, IT ALL SOUNDS KINDA NEW AND DIFFERENT.
AND I THINK THAT'S INTERESTING.
INTERVIEWER:
Yeah...are you an actual fan of some of the groups that are here tonight...like 'Steps' and S Club 7 and those sorts of groups?
PETULA:
'STEPS' YES, 'STEPS' I REALLY LIKE VERY MUCH.
UMM, OF COURSE CHARLOTTE IS GREAT TOO.
CHARLOTTE CHURCH IS AN AMAZING SINGER.
INTERVIEWER:
An incredible voice that girl has got. We just interviewed her actually and just watched her perform.
PETULA:
SHE IS A GREAT GIRL TOO.
WE DID A SHOW TOGETHER IN MINNEAPOLIS
I THINK IT WAS A FEW YEARS BACK WHEN
SHE JUST KIND OF HAPPENED.
IT IS AN AMAZING VOICE.
UMM....SO, I MEAN THERE ARE LOTS OF GREAT
THINGS IN THE SHOW.
I THINK IT'S GOING TO BE FUN FOR THE AUDIENCE.
INTERVIEWER:
Is this one of the biggest venues you have ever played? A stadium of this size?
PETULA:
YES...I RECENTLY SANG ON THE MICHAEL JACKSON
SHOW...LIKE HIS COME BACK AT MADISON SQUARE
GARDEN WHICH IS PRETTY BIG TOO.
I CAN'T ACTUALLY REMEMBER HOW MANY PEOPLE
THERE WERE THERE. (LAUGHS)
BUT THIS IS BIG. THIS IS SO BEAUTIFUL TOO.
IT'S NOT JUST BIG IT IS BEAUTIFUL HERE.
INTERVIEWER:
What was Michael Jackson like? Did you get to meet Michael?
PETULA:
OH! I KNOW MICHAEL QUITE WELL.
INTERVIEWER:
Oh really!!?
PETULA:
YES, YES.
ONCE HE GOT ON STAGE IT WAS ABSOLUTELY
INCREDIBLE YOU KNOW.
BUT BEFORE ALL THAT, EVERYONE WAS TREATING
HIM LIKE ROYALTY AND BOWING AND SCRAPING,
WHICH I THOUGHT WAS A BIT NAFF.
BUT ONCE HE ACTUALLY GOT UP AND STARTED
PERFORMING, HE JUST BLEW EVERYONE AWAY.
INTERVIEWER:
Do you still enjoy performing as much as you used to? Because you have been a performer and a big star all of your life. You were a child star, you were a big star in the sixties with some of the pop records. Do you still get as much of a buzz out of performing now as you always have done?
PETULA:
I WOULD NOT BE DOING IT IF I DIDN'T GET A BUZZ.
THERE REALLY WOULD NOT BE ANY POINT IN DOING
IT ...AT THIS TIME IN MY LIFE ANYWAY - YOU KNOW,
I SUPPOSE I COULD BE OUT GROWING RADDISHES
SOMEWHERE BUT, I DON'T FANCY GROWING
RADISHES RIGHT NOW...I WOULD RATHER GET
UP AND SING.
ALL THE TIME PEOPLE ARE KINDA ENJOYING HEARING
ME SING AND I ENJOY DOING IT AND MY VOICE IS OKAY
YOU KNOW...WHY NOT!?
INTERVIEWER:
What do you think of when you hear some of the old sixties records that you hear on the radio, like obviously, 'Downtown' and 'Don't Sleep in the Subway' and all the rest of them? Do they still sound good to you? Because they are fantastic songs and great records.
PETULA:
OH! I DO MOSTLY CONCERTS ANYWAY...I WORK MOSTLY
IN THE STATES AND WE ARE JUST PLANNING A NEW TOUR
OF THE STATES FOR NEXT YEAR, AND OF COURSE I WILL
BE SINGING ALL OF THOSE SONGS...I WILL BE SINGING
A LOT OF OTHER STUFF AS WELL, NEW STUFF AND ALL
KINDS OF STUFF...BUT THOSE SONGS ARE JUST BASICALLY
GOOD !! ... YOU KNOW 'DOWNTOWN' IS STILL A GREAT
SONG AND 'SUBWAY' WHICH IS MY FAVOURITE AND
'COULDN'T LIVE WITHOUT YOUR LOVE'.
I AM NOT SURE THAT I THINK THAT THE RECORDS ARE
THAT GOOD NOW,....BUT THEY ARE THE ORIGINALS
I SUPPOSE WARTS AND ALL SO, I SUPPOSE IF YOU TRY
AND IMPROVE SOMETHING THAT WAS SUCH A HIT YOU
MIGHT MAKE THE WRONG MOVE.
INTERVIEWER:
Just a couple more questions before we finish. You see obviously, musicals you have been very well associated with. You made a great film which I have got on video somewherre which is highly under-rated with Peter O'Toole...the remake of 'Goodbye Mr. Chips' in 1969. Was that fun to do?
PETULA:
YEAH, WAS THAT '69?
I MADE A FILM BEFORE THAT I DID 'FINIANS RAINBOW'
WHICH I THOUGHT WAS '68 / 69?
AT THE END OF THE SIXTIES. I MADE
GOODBYE MR CHIPS' AFTER THAT ONE.
OH! YES, IT HAD SOME GREAT MUSIC IT WAS LESLIE
BRICUSSE,... YOU KNOW... WHO WROTE ALL THOSE
GREAT SONGS WITH TONY NEWLEY.
I THOUGHT THERE WERE SOME WONDERFUL
MOMENTS IN THAT MOVIE, THERE WERE A LOT OF
THINGS WRONG WITH IT TOO,
BUT...YOU KNOW.....THERE IS A "BIG" LEAP BETWEEN
FROM WHEN YOU FIRST READ A SCRIPT AND SAY
THIS IS FANTASTIC...AND WHEN YOU ACTUALLY SEE
IT ON THE SCREEN, THERE IS AN AWFUL LOT THAT
GOES ON IN-BETWEEN. (LAUGHS)
INTERVIEWER:
A sad ending in that film as your character gets killed, didn't she...oh!
PETULA:
(LAUGHING) OH! YES.
WASN'T THAT SAD..HEART BREAKING REALLY.
(LAUGHING)
INTERVIEWER:
Okay, final question then. You are doing the show tonight obviously. Do you plan your career months or years in advance? Or is it more haphazard than that?
PETULA:
IT'S PRETTY HAPHAZARD, YES.
YES, IT IS SORT OF ORGANIC YOU KNOW (LAUGHS)
I KNOW THAT I AM GOING BACK TO THE STATES
VERY SOON - IN A FEW WEEKS TIME TO PROMOTE A
PBS SPECIAL -THAT'S PUBLIC BROADCASTING IN
THE STATES.
MY OWN SPECIAL WHICH I DID IN NORFOLK, VIRGINIA.
SO, I HAVE TO PROMOTE THAT AND THERE IS A CD
COMING OUT OF THAT.
THERE IS A NEW CD WHICH I AM PREPARING FOR
THE END OF THE YEAR.
I AM DOING SOME STUFF WITH RICHARD CARPENTER
IN 'L.A.' AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR.
AND THEN WE HAVE GOT THIS BIG TOUR COMING
UP NEXT YEAR IN THE STATES.
INTERVIEWER:
Have a great show tonight.
PETULA:
THANK YOU
INTERVIEWER:
Are you feeling nervous or are you quite calm?
PETULA:
I'M NOT NERVOUS YET BUT I WILL BE (LAUGHS)
--Transcription courtesy of Brenda Redpath
| "Tell Me It's Not True"
SHOWTIME AT THE STADIUM
Cardiff, Wales
October 20, 2001 |
'SHOWTIME AT THE STADIUM'
Petula Clark takes part in a unique charity event at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, on October 20, 2001
"Something's coming, something good..."
Stephen Sondheim | | 
BBC Radio 2 |
Some of the world's top musical acts will be appearing at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, on October 20 in a spectacular concert celebrating songs from hit musicals.
The concert will be recorded by BBC Wales to be shown on BBC One later in the year. The event is being staged in association with the Red Hot AIDS Charitable Trust.
ShowTime at The Stadium will feature contemporary artists performing classic songs from stage musicals - from West Side Story to Rent - under the guidance of Musical Director Midge Ure. The event will launch the International Festival of Musical Theatre, which will take place in Cardiff every two years from October 2002.
The show will be directed by international stage producer Francesca Zambello and artists will be backed by a 60-piece orchestra and a gospel choir. The participation of local schools and drama colleges will make the concert a truly community event.
Artists already confirmed to perform cover the entire spectrum of music from Petula Clark to Charlotte Church, with many more soon to be announced. So far, Petula is keeping secret the choice of songs she is working on.
Sets from famous musicals currently playing in London's West End and Broadway will also be featured in the spectacular.
Launching the concert Musical Director, Midge Ure said: "Although this is not Live Aid II, the thoughts, compassion and messages are very similar. Music is a great leveller that transcends religion, colour, sex and political systems. ShowTime at The Stadium is a fantastic project to be involved with and I was delighted when asked. I jumped at the chance!".
Jean Simmons, legendary actress and Patron of the Red Hot AIDS Charitable Trust, said: "It gives me great pleasure to be part of ShowTime at The Stadium where many great artists will be performing in this superb stadium in October to raise much needed funding for the global struggle against HIV and AIDS."
David Jackson, Head of Music at BBC Wales says: BBC Wales is delighted to be broadcasting this unique event for BBC One viewers. ShowTime will also be broadcast on BBC Radio2 and Radio1.
TICKETS FOR SHOWTIME AT THE STADIUM ARE AVAILABLE FROM THE MILLENNIUM STADIUM BOX OFFICE PRICED BETWEEN
£15 and £35 ON 0870 1211228 or 0870 5582582
--Terry Young -- 20/8/01 |
Atomic Kitten, Midge Ure, Petula, Charlotte Church, Jean Simmons |
Petula has been in Cardiff recently, where she was working on preparations for the upcoming Oct. 20th AIDS benefit at Millennium Stadium. She taped a local show for Welsh TV and spent some time with Charlotte Church, who is also Welsh and will appear on the show.
BBC News link.
Bonnie Miller -- 7/11/01 |
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