So interesting and insightful…… Mike Dixon has been involved in the British music industry for over 40 years and has been Musical Director for more than twenty West End productions including, We Will Rock You, The Bodyguard, Grease, Aspects of Love, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and Jesus Christ Superstar. His TV credits include six Royal Variety Performances, countless light entertainment series and Glastonbury with Shirley Bassey, as well as a huge number of high profile television and radio concerts.

His career has taken him all over the world working with some of the most iconic artists of the 20th and 21st centuries, including Dame Shirley Bassey, Lord Lloyd-Webber, Leslie Bricusse, Sir Tim Rice, Don Black, Sir Elton John, Lionel Richie, Sir Tom Jones, Lady Gaga and Queen.

The book follows his journey as his exciting and eclectic musical career develops. From his early musical experiences in Plymouth, studying at Trinity College of Music, to conducting in the Royal Albert Hall, with plenty of humour along the way, it is a little peek behind the scenes into the world of entertainment from a unique, hands-on perspective.

I've just finished Turn Around and Take a Bow and I really enjoyed it.

Mike Dixon, whos' autobiography this is has had a fascinating career, and he explains the work a musical director does.
His love of music shines through and his enjoyment kf working on team efforts is palpable.
It started when, as a child he just absorbed music - and doesn't remember learning to read it. As he says rhe same of learning to read English too I suspect it only came so easily because of his incredible talent.
From working as an assistant to becoming Dame Shirley Basset's MD seems to have happened as an effortless series of chances, bur none of these would have fallen I to his lap without years of hard work.

His first Royal Variety Performance was one I remember, it introduced Bradley Walsh whom I'd met before a performance just a month before. The Eurovisions, the An Audience with along with humorous twiddly links in Joseph and Friday Night is Music Night are all shows I too have experienced as an audience member.

This is a very generous book and shines the spotlight on other talents too, rather than hogging the limelight.

As one would expect from a globetrotter who hob nobs with showbiz royalty his vision of his dream destination kept him going during gruelling cancer treatment. However, one wouldn't expect it to be a caravan in Cornwall, initially without plumbing or electricity!
He speaks fondly of his parents and it seems they trained him well so he cidnt get list in excess when flushing toilets became an option!

I have followed Mike Dixon for a good while - I am a huge lover of musical theatre and Dixon seems to be the god of musical theatre MD'ing.
Was super intrigued to read about him in this book.
I loved the insights to the theatre shows, and all the backstage gossip - these were my favourite bits as I love musical theatre, and have seen the majority of the shows Dixon worked on.
I was less interested in Dixon's more personal life, and flipped the pages a bit faster when he spoke about these moments.

Overall I really enjoyed this book - just wish it focussed more on the shows...

Mike Dixon has had a remarkable career and, as a musical theatre lover myself, I wanted to know more. I really enjoyed reading about some of his experiences. He’s met the Queen and the surviving members of Queen. He’s worked with Andrew Lloyd Webber and Shirley Basset, among many others, and he’s known musical royalty like Liza Minnelli. That said, probably an editor would have been a good idea. I felt like I was drowning in detail. My sister is a professional musician, so I appreciate Dixon’s efforts to include the full lineups of some of his projects but, as a reader, it was not pertinent. There are a lot of interesting anecdotes, but they’re buried in names, dates, places and other details that didn’t add anything. His personal history also takes too much space, in my opinion. I appreciate the enormity of being a cancer survivor but including his email updates to his friends didn’t add much to this book. Having worked in the theatre business myself, I used to help edit program bios and I know how difficult it is to omit credits that people worked hard to get, but it is necessary. Approaching this book as a Playbill bio might have improved it.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, #NetGalley/#Matador!

Turn around and Take a Bow is a memoir penned by Mike Dixon. I must admit that I had not heard of his name before but that did not affect my enjoyment of the book. I think anyone could pick up this book and have heard of one (or definitely more) of the many, many shows and productions that Dixon has been a part of. Also, the work that goes through them all is so very interesting. A very enjoyable memoir from start to finish.