View from the Cheap Seat

A one-night-only orchestral tribute to Jim Steinman delivers a cohesive and energetic evening, balancing his best-known hits with deeper cuts that rarely surface in live performance.

Bat Out of Hell, which premiered in 2017, remains one of the more effective jukebox musicals, its loose Peter Pan-inspired narrative providing just enough structure to support Steinman’s characteristically maximalist score. His songwriting, long associated with artists such as Meat Loaf, Bonnie Tyler, and Celine Dion, is defined by scale, melodrama, and emotional excess; this concert leans fully into those qualities.

Symphonic Steinman retains much of the theatricality associated with Bat Out of Hell. A live band is complemented by performers drawn from UK and international productions, including Glenn Adamson (Strat) and Danielle Steers (Zahara), both of whom bring familiarity and authority to the material. Their performances anchor the evening, offering continuity for audiences already invested in the stage adaptation.

The programme also incorporates artists with more direct links to Steinman’s original work, notably Karine Hannah and Tyce Green, alongside established musical theatre performers such as Natalie May Paris, Christina Bianco, and Zoe Birkett. This mix of voices prevents the concert from becoming overly nostalgic, instead giving it a broader interpretive range.

While the setlist is understandably centred on the Bat Out of Hell catalogue, the inclusion of lesser-known material is where the concert distinguishes itself. “Catwoman’s Song,” originating from Steinman’s unrealised Batman musical with Tim Burton, is a notable curiosity, while “Pray Lewd”, a piano-led reworking of material from Pandora’s Box’s Original Sin (1989), adds tonal variation.

This is ultimately an accessible and entertaining evening, particularly for those who never experienced Steinman’s work live in its original form. Following his death in 2021, his catalogue continues to demonstrate a rare ability to bridge rock and theatricality, sustaining relevance across generations.

Total Eclipse: Symphonic Steinman was performed on 3 May 2026. Tickets were provided by Buchanan PR.