In 1999, Barbara was approached to play the role of the infamous 1960’s pools winner Viv Nicholson in ‘Spend Spend Spend,’ a new British musical written by Steve Brown and Justin Greene.
"If you'd asked me three years ago whether I would like to do another West End show, I would have said "absolutely not, not remotely interested," Barbara commented at the time, “and this is the strength and the power of 'Spend, Spend, Spend'. It was the best thing I had read since 'Blood Brothers', no doubt about it. It was bawdy, funny, and sad; it had everything that I would want in a musical. This really is a fantastic show."
Digitally remastered, and with extensive liner notes about the production, the CD features all 21 tracks from the original soundtrack recording including the haunting ‘Scars of Love’ and Barbara’s duet with Rachel Leskovac (who played the younger Viv Nicholson), ‘Who’s Gonna Love Me’.
“‘Spend Spend Spend’ is a musical, and I should say that it is the most glorious new musical I can recall.” (The Financial Times)
“If you want to know what a great musical should look and sound and feel like, head for the Piccadilly and ‘Spend Spend Spend.’ A new composer-lyricist team (Steve Brown and Justin Greene) have found in Viv’s memoirs a moralistic musical about greed and retribution, but in their grainy score, they have managed to get as close as this country has ever come to Brecht/Weill.” (The Spectator)
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