Elaine Paige @ Symphony Hall, Birmingham

Nov 20 2006 By Graham Young, Birmingham Mail

I'VE never been a huge fan of Lord Andrew Lloyd "Warbler" - catching the original Starlight Express in Victoria and a version of Cats in Blackpool count as two of the biggest mistakes of my life.

But I do like a good tune and seeing one of his most famous proteges suggested a perfect compromise.

The songs I enjoyed most last night included I Know Him So Well, Don't Cry For Me Argentina, Cole Porter's I Get A Kick Out of You and Edith Piaf's Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien.

The bobbed blonde born Elaine Bickerstaff 58 years ago also shone with Memory (from Cats!) and an encore merely introduced as "a classic", Cry Me A River.

Snippets of chat like "I auditioned for everything, in the same year I got Evita I missed out on Annie, but maybe one day" don't make an unforgettable entertainer per se.

Miss Paige lacks Tony Bennett's humility, Tom Jones' sexual magnetism, Cliff's showmanship and Shirley Bassey's diva like quality.

But full credit to the girl for now doing it her way.