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‘Just for One Day — The Live Aid Musical’ Review: Musical Performances Make Up for an Earnest Retelling of the Famous 1980s Charity Event


This boisterously played but problematic musical about Live Aid/Band Aid has tremendous musical performances. Shame about the book.

Enraged by the British government charging the standard 15% sales tax on tickets for Live Aid, Bob Geldof (Craige Els) bullies his way into a meeting with Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher (sparky Julie Atherton). Literally so, since actors in the 26-strong cast, playing everyone from music legends and technicians to record-shop staff and audience members, almost always face front to tell us their memories before cutting back to tiny snippet-like scenes illustrating how things happened. “Reach Out and Touch (Somebody’s Hand)” gets a welcome surprise treatment while The Police’s “Message in a Bottle,” slowed down and rethought for full choir over the white-hot, six-piece band, and a haunting, epic arrangement of Dylan’s “Blowing in the Wind,” ignite the audience.

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Or read this on Variety