Chicago the Musical extends booking period

Chicago the Musical has extended its booking period by six months at the Cambridge Theatre so that it now plays over the Christmas and New Year period and you can now purchase tickets up until 30th April 2011.

Chicago opened at the Adelphi Theatre in 1997 and moved t the Cambridge in April 2006.  The show currently stars Vivien Carter (Velma Kelly), Emma Barton (Roxie Hart) and Terence Maynard (Billy Flynn)

Release date of Les Miserables 25th Anniversary Cast Recording

The new live cast recording of the Les Misérables 25th Anniversary Tour was on sale at the opening night at Bristol Hippodrome on Thursday 15th July but is not yet generally available.

Cast member Jon Robyns (Enjolras in the touring production) has announced via his Twitter account that the 25th Anniversary 2010 Cast Recording will be available at other tour venues and on sale nationwide from 23rd August 2010.

Latest news on Sondheim's Passion at Donmar

Elena Roger, David Thaxton and Scarlett Strallen start rehearsals next month for the Sondheim-Lapine musical  Passion which opens at the Donmar Warehouse on 10th September.

The director Jamie Lloyd has worked closely  with Sondheim and Lapine on making this  central trio of characters the heart of the show. Roger and Strallen are the only women in the production with the soldiers also playing  all the other roles, including the female ones.

Apparently Sondheim has cut some of the score, trimmed and changed lyrics, while Lapine has reshaped the book. Passion is notable for being the only other show ( apart from Sweeney Todd)  that Stephen Sondheim himself conceived.

The piece will not have an interval and  be 10-15 minutes shorter than the original 1996 London production which was directed by Jeremy Sams and starred Maria Friedman and Michael Ball.

Shoshana Bean in concert

Shoshana Bean who is  best known for playing Elphaba in Wicked on Broadway. She will be appearing in London’s West End  for the first time next month performing  two concerts at 8:00 and 11:00 at the Ambassadors Theatre on  Tuesday 17th August 2010.

Shoshana Bean – Live in the West End will also feature West End guests including Dianne Pilkington and Oliver Tompsett  (Wicked), Daniel Boys (Avenue Q), Michael Arden (Aspects of Love) and Gavin Creel (Hair) 

The 8:00 pm concert will feature Tompsett and Boys and the 11:00  show will include appearances by Pilkington, Creel and Arden

Miss Bean has also starred in Hairspray and in an Off-Broadway revival of Godspell. Recently she starred in the Las Vegas burlesque revue Peepshow which was  conceived and directed by Jerry Mitchell (Grease, Jekyll & Hyde, The Full Monty, Hairspray, Legally Blonde and Love Never Dies).

Shoshana Bean recently released her debut solo album Superhero on Shotime Records which is her own label.

Book tickets at: www.theambassadorstheatre.co.uk

Patina Miller in Concert at Ambassadors

 Patina Miller (Sister Act), Chloe Hart (Hairspray),  Lucy May Barker (Spring Awakening), Andrew Kober (Hair), Jeremy Legat (Wicked), Hannah Shankman (Hair) and Matt Shingledecker (Spring Awakening on Broadway) are scheduled to perform in the concert  Homemade Fusion which is a  celebration of  the New York song-writing team Michael Kooman and Christopher Dimond.

The concert will take place at the Ambassadors Theatre (where Stomp is currently playing) at 11:00 pm on 21st August 2010.

Composer Kooman and lyricist Dimond, recently won a Jonathan Larson Grant for emerging composers. They have worked together on musicals including Junior Claus, Golden Gate and the song cycle Homemade Fusion.

To book tickets visit: www.theambassadorstheatre.co.uk

Amanda Holden and Richard Blackwood cast in Shrek the Musical

As predicted on 25th June Britain's Got Talent Amanda Holden is playing Princess Fiona in the West End production of Shrek the Musical which is scheduled to open at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane after Oliver! closes.  
 
Tickets for Shrek the Musical are on sale from 1st October with the previews in May 2011 and the opening night in early June.  The new stage musical will be booking until February 19th 2012.

Richard Blackwood (radio and TV presenter, comedian and actor) will be playing Donkey (the part created in the Shrek movies by Eddie Murphy).

Other casting rumours are that Nigel Lindsay (Nathan Detroit in Michael Grandage's Guys & Dolls) and Nigel Harman (EastEnders and Sky Masterson in Guys and Dolls) are in very early talks to play Shrek and Lord Farquaad respectively. 

Shrek will be directed by Tony Award® nominee Jason Moore (Avenue Q) and Rob Ashford (Promises, Promises) – who worked with Miss Holden when she  appeared on the West End stage in Thoroughly Modern Millie seven years ago.

A number of changes are expected for the West End show with new numbers, a new opening and spectacular improved illusions with a redesigned dragon and Shrek.

"Jekyll & Hyde" Marti Pellow on Weekend Wogan

Marti Pellow is still being advertised at the Churchill Theatre in Bromley as appearing in the musical Jekyll & Hyde from Thursday 20 Saturday 29 January 2011.  But all has gone very quiet on the Bill Kenwright front regarding the proposed tour, even though I am told his appearance has been confirmed.

Marti will be appearing on BBC Radio 2’s Weekend Wogan this Sunday, 1st August between 11:00-13:00 and is down to chat to Terry and sing a couple of songs.  Maybe he will mention the tour then?

John Owen Jones in Wales at the West End Concert

Aled Jones, John Owen Jones (tour of Les Miserables), Mark Evans (tour of Oklahoma), Gwion Jones (Oliver!), Katie Treharne (Phantom of the Opera), Tara Bethan (Joseph) and other Welsh stars from London’s West End will be performing songs from the musicals at the Wales at the West End Concert in the Main Pavilion on Monday, 2nd August at 8:00 pm.

It is part of the National Eisteddfod of Wales which is being held at the old steelworks site on the outskirts of Ebbw Vale from 31st July-7th August.

For more information and to book tickets visit: www.eisteddfod.org.uk

More tour dates released for Blood Brothers and Joseph

The Bill Kenwright tours of Blood Brothers and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat have had more dates added and now run until 10th March 2011 and 28th November 2010 respectively.

Any Dream Will Do finalist Keith Jack is currently playing Joseph. Lyn Paul is playing Mrs Johnstone in Blood Brothers with Spice Girl Mel C due to reprise her West End appearance in the show  when it plays at the Liverpool Empire from 8th – 20th November.

To find out more about where they are playing just click on the links.

New Footloose Movie and tour scheduled for next year

There is a new tour of the musical Footloose scheduled for next year.  It starts rehearsals on 20th December and opens at the Theatre Royal Newcastle on 21st January 2011 and tours until July.

There is also a new film of Footloose due to be released in April 2011. It is being written and directed by Craig Brewer and stars Kenny Wormald as Ren McCormack, Julianne Hough as Ariel Moore, Dennis Quaid  as the Rev Shaw Moore and Miles Teller as Willard.


We will publish the full list of tour dates and casting news on Musical Theatre News as soon as they are available.

Closer Than Ever Revue at Landor Theatre

The tiny Landor Theatre in Clapham is presenting a revival of Richard Maltby Jr and David Shire’s award-winning revue Closer Than Ever which runs from 15th September to 9th October 2010 (preview on 14th September).

The revue premiered in New York premiere in 1989 winning the Outer Critics’ Circle Award for Best Off-Broadway Musical. It is a companion to their hit revue “Starting Here, Starting Now", following up their earlier “songs of innocence” with 24 wise and witty “songs of experience.”

“Closer Than Ever” is an intimate tale about love, security and  happiness: and trying to hold on to them in a world that pulls you in a hundred different directions.

The strong cast of Closer Than Ever is Clare Burt, Michael Cahill, Ria Jones and Glyn Kerslake. The show is directed by Robert McWhir and choreographed by Matthew Gould.

For more information visit www.landortheatre.co.uk

Smokey Joe’s Café extends booking by a month

Smokey Joe's Cafe opened at the Landor Theatre on 20th July and had been booking until 12th August, but it has now extended its run by a month and will finish on 12th September.

Kym Mazelle had to leave the cast this week due to prior work commitments, but Melanie La Barrie (pictured) has taken over.  She has a number of musical theatre credits including Les Miserables, Daddy Cool and Mary Poppins in London’s West End.

Over the Rainbow finalist Steph Fearon will stay on until the end of the run.

Smokey Joe's Cafe features pop classics by songwriters Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, including “On Broadway”, “Jailhouse Rock”, “Stand By Me” and “I’m a Woman”.

This is its first major London revival since is played at the Prince of Wales Theatre in 1996.

For more information visit: www.landortheatre.co.uk

Hannah Waddingham in The Wizard of Oz?

Sounds like Hannah Waddingham will be getting in some valuable practice when she appears as the Witch in Sondheim’s Into the Woods at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre next month.

She is strongly tipped to play another witch: the Wicked Witch of the East in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Wizard of Oz which opens at the London Palladium next March (previews from 7th February).She played this part at the workshop ALW ran earlier this year.

The only other casting to date is Danielle Hope (who was the winner of BBC’s Over the Rainbow) is to play Dorothy, with her runner up Sophie Evans covering for holidays and performing the role every Tuesday night from 8th March 2011.

More UK dates added to Evita Tour

The UK and European tour of Evita is currently still in Europe playing at theatres in Germany.

But it soon returns to the UK opening at the Lowry Theatre in Salford on 6th September. And the good news is that Bill Kenwright has added some more UK dates so that it now also visits theatres in Wimbledon, Bradford, Malvern and Aylesbury before it returns to Zurich in Switzerland on 8th November.

Tommy Steele in tour of Scrooge the Musical

Bill Kenwright is mounting another tour of Scrooge the Musical at the end of this year with Tommy Steele again playing the miserly Ebenezer.

It is a short tour which starts in October at Wimbledon, visits Hull and Cardiff and then plays over the Christmas period at the Grand Canal Theatre in Dublin.

Musical Theatre Summer Course at Menier Chocolate Factory

For the second year the Menier Chocolate Factory is running a 5 day intensive intermediate to advanced level Musical Theatre Course.  It is from 30th August to 3rd September and is open to professional actors and experienced performers who are aged 18+.

Attendees get to work alongside musical theatre directors, musical directors, choreographers, performers, singing and vocal specialists. This course offers ensemble singing and movement sessions, rehearsals for "Mini Show" Presentation, one-to-one song coaching and repertoire advice, audition technique, voice production and accent work, singing technique, text and script work, performance master class and Q & A with a West End producer/casting director

Places are limited with a maximum intake of just 20.To find out more and to complete an application form visit: www.menierchocolatefactory.com

New Guest Narrators on Rocky Horror Show Tour

The guest narrators have now been announced for most of this year’s remaining tour dates of Richard O’Brien’s Rocky Horror Show.

The tour restarts at Woking on 30th August with Michael Starke and ends in Aylesbury on 4th December.

Two new narrators have been added to the list:  Michael Aspel will present the show at the Theatre Royal Brighton in September and Gethin Jones will done the suspenders when it hits Venue Cymru in Llandudno.

David Essex to play Captain Hook

David Essex is currently playing fairground owner Levi Lee in his musical All the Fun of the Fair at the Garrick Theatre. It ends its run in London’s West End on 5th September which will give him a well-earned break before he takes on the role of Captain Hook in Peter Pan at Darlington Civic Theatre from Saturday 4th December to Sunday 16th January 2011.

All the Fun of the Fair closed at the Garrick Theatre for a few days last month so that David Essex could complete a sell-out arena tour around the UK with The Osmonds and Leo Sayer.

Elvis Forever Concert in September

BBC Radio 2 has confirmed that it is hosting a concert in London’s Hyde Park to mark Elvis Presley’s 75th birthday , which would have been this year.

Elvis Forever will take place on Sunday 12th September and will be broadcast live on Radio 2 with the station’s website featuring backstage footage and interviews from the event. It is being co-hosted by Priscilla Presley and Chris Evans with the line-up of performers to be announced shortly.

New Chas and Dave Musical heading for West End

A new musical called Stop Dreamin’ which is based on the hits of the cockney duo Chas and Dave is heading for London's West End in February 2011.

Ray Cooney (Run For Your Wife, Charlie Girl, Move Over Mrs Markham, Not Now,  Darling and other shows too numerous to mention) has written their songs into a story set in London in the 1960s based on the life of his mother and father.

The show will feature songs including Rabbit and Ain't No Pleasing and casting to date includes Cliff Parisi (Minty from EastEnders), Vicki Michelle ('Allo 'Allo) and Trevor Bannister from Are You Being Served?

Chas and Dave were the creators and performers of a musical style labelled "rockney", which mixes "pub sing-along, music-hall humour, boogie-woogie piano and pre-Beatles rock 'n' roll".  They had a number of British chart hits, with "Gertcha" being their major breakthrough in 1979 and being the first of eight top 40 hit singles and nine best-selling albums.

They officially split up in September 2009, but are shortly to reunite for a brief tour.

Dame Judi Dench Sondheim Tribute at Proms this Saturday

Dame Judi Dench is performing at the Royal Albert Hall in the BBC Proms this Saturday 31st July at a concert being conducted by David Charles Abell dedicated to the music of Stephen Sondheim (who will also be there).

The concert is entitled Sondheim at 80 and it will be broadcast live on BBC Radio 3 from 7:30pm-9:30pm or you can watch it on BBC 2 at 8:00 pm. Sondheim will give a live interview to Katie Derham during the interval for broadcast on BBC 2 that evening and his  pre-concert talk will be broadcast on BBC Radio 3 during the interval.

Dame Judi will sing the classic Send in the Clowns from A Little Night Music which she appeared in at the National Theatre in 1995.

Other performers taking part include Bryn Terfel, Simon Russell Beale, Daniel Evans, Maria Friedman, Caroline O’Connor, Julian Ovenden and Jenna Russell (who is due to open at Regent Park’s Open Air Theatre next month as the Baker’s Wife in Sondheim and Lpine's  Into the Woods). Dame Judi Dench is supplying the voice of the giant for this production, but she will not be appearing in the show which gives tales from the Brothers Grimm some dark and humorous twists

The music includes numbers from Follies, Sunday in the Park with George, Into the Woods, Company, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum and Sweeney Todd.

Caroline O'Connor's The Showgirl Within at Garrick

Caroline O'Connor returns to London’s West End in a one woman show The Showgirl Within which is playing at the Garrick Theatre for one week only from 27th September-3rd October.

Caroline O'Connor: The Showgirl Within celebrates her performances on stage and screen featuring dance routines, show tunes and other classics. The show is directed by Michael Gracey with choreography by Ashley Wallen.

Caroline O’Connor’s film work includes the featured role of Nini Legs in the Air in Baz Luhrmann's film Moulin Rouge!, and as Ethel Merman in the Cole Porter biopic De-Lovely starring Kevin Kline in the title role.

In 2003 she made her Broadway debut as Velma Kelly in Chicago. Her West End theatre credits include Mack & Mabel , Me and My Girl, A Chorus Line, West Side Story and Ellie May in Showboat for the Royal Shakespeare Company and Opera North.

O'Connor has recorded four solo CDs (What I Did For Love, A Tribute To Piaf, From Stage to Screen, A Tribute to Garland), and has featured on numerous cast recordings and compilations.

Les Miserables cast at Queen’s Theatre

With Nick Jonas making his final performance as Marius in Les Miserables at the Queen’s Theatre on Saturday night, Alistair Brammer will revert back to playing the role.

Other cast members now include Simon Bowman as Jean Valjean, Norm Lewis (Javert), Martin Ball (Thenadier), Lorraine Bruce (Madame Thenadier), Alistair Brammer (Marius), Killian Donnelly (Enjolras), Lucie Jones (Cosette), Samantha Barks (Eponine) and Rebecca Seale as Fantine.

And the tour of Les Miserables currently continuesat the Bristol Hippodrome,  Salford Lowry and  Southampton Mayflower until it comes into the Barbican Centre on 14th September.

Nick Jonas will be back to reprise his role at the special 25th Anniversary Concert of Les Miserables at the 02 Arena on 3rd October.

Cast changes at Legally Blonde the Musical

As already mentioned, Sheridan Smith is due to leave Legally Blonde the Musical at the Savoy Theatre on 23rd October.  Jill Halfpenny who plays Paulette will also be leaving during that month.

When they leave,  Legally Blonde will revert back to its winter schedule and no longer offer Sunday performances.

Director Jerry Mitchell will return to audition replacements for the departing cast members with a rumour going round that the original Elle Woods, Laura Bell Bundy, might take over from Sheridan "for a while".

Glee to feature The Rocky Horror Show

Glee creator and producer Ryan Murphy has announced that the popular show will present a "Rocky Horror" episode next season.

Glee is a musical comedy series which follows a teacher who against all odds (including a vile cheer leading coach) attempts to save McKinley High's Glee Club from obscurity while helping a group of aspiring performers realize their true star potential.

If you want to catch Richard O’Brien’s famous “Time Warp” before then The Rocky Horror Show is currently on tour in the UK.

Cast changes tonight for Dirty Dancing and Grease

Ray Quinn joins the cast of Dirty Dancing tonight and is contracted to play the part of Billy at the Aldwych Theatre until 27th November when he leaves to start rehearsals for pantomime in Jack and the Beanstalk at the Derngate Theatre in Northampton.

Meanwhile Lauren Samuels who was one of the final three in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Over the Rainbow may not have got the part of Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, but has landed the part of Sandy in Grease which she opens in tonight at the Piccadilly Theatre.

Sheridan Smith & Duncan James signing Legally Blonde CD

Sheridan Smith, Duncan James, Alex Gaumond and Jill Halfpenny will celebrate the release of the original London cast recording of Legally Blonde the Musical with a CD signing at  Dress Circle in Monmouth Street on August 21st  from noon-1:30 pm. An additional special guest for the event will be announced at a later date.

The album was recorded live at the Savoy Theatre and features 18 tracks. It will be released by First Night Records on August 16th

Jessica Martin in Sunset Bitch at new Waterloo East Venue

Waterloo East Theatre is an intimate venue seating up to 150 people with an adjoining bar and box office.  It is in Brad Street under the railway arches at Waterloo East station in London. The venue is a non-for-profit receiving house that will also stage its own community and educational theatre projects.  Ticket prices start at £10 with a “pay what you can” night during the run of every show.

WET has just announced its first season and will open with Tom Crean – Antarctic Explorer which will run from September 2nd-4th ahead of a world tour.

It will be followed by Sunset Bitch which is an outrageous musical comedy starring Jessica Martin which will run from September 8th-26th. Martin originally appeared in this production at the New York International Fringe Festival in 2005.

Miss Martin’s music and theatre credits are too long to list but include: Mrs Lovett in Sweeney Todd, numerous Lost Musicals, Trudy in A Saint She Ain’t, Candida: Nellie Forbush in South Pacific: Mabel Normand in Mack and Mabel: Sally Smith in Me and My Girl and Bunny in Babes in Arms

Copacabana at Newbury

Barry Manilow’s musical Copacabana opened at the Watermill Theatre in Newbury on 15th July and is running until Saturday 4th September.

It is a new production directed by Craig Revel Horwood who is about to start rehearsals on a tour of Abba and Tim Rice’s Chess the Musical which kicks off next month.

Lo La Mar has big dreams of stardom appearing in steamy nightclubs to reach her goal. Enter budding songwriter Tony Star who falls for her and arranges an audition at the Copacabana to launch her career as a Copa girl in New York. But Lola is whisked away by the villainous Rico and Cuban star Conchita Alvarez to perform in his club the Tropicana in Havana.  This when Tony stages a dramatic rescue …

The Copa cast includes Laura Pitt-Pulford  (Samantha/Lola),  Antony Reed (Rico) Edward Baker Duly (Stephen/Tony), Basienka Blake (Conchita), Julian Littman (Sam) and Karen Mann (Gladys)

Buy tickets at : https://boxoffice.watermill.org.uk

Elton John writing Animal Farm Musical

Elton John and Lee Hall wrote Billy Elliott the Musical which is currently playing at the Victoria Palace Theatre. They are now planning on getting together again to write a new musical based on George Orwell's 1945 novella Animal Farm.

Lee Hall has said that Animal Farm is “perfectly suited for the stage” and that he is "I'm deep into it, writing songs for pigs and other four-legged friends."

It has taken almost two years to secure the rights to bring the production to the stage. The CIA once controlled the animated screen rights which enabled them to make a film pointing out the dangers of Stalinism and communism! There is no news yet on a potential producer but it is early days as it expected that it will be a couple of years before it’s ready.

George Orwell's famous story is about a piglet called Napoleon who destroys his rival and rides roughshod over other opponents in his bid to control the old Manor Farm.

Using a group of pigs (Napoleon, Snowball, Squealer and Old Major) the novel cleverly portrays corrupt leadership as the flaw in revolution and shows how ignorance and indifference to problems within a revolution allows horrors to happen if the smooth transition to a people's government does not happen.  And all this set to music!

Michael Ball’s Love Story musical opening at Duchess Theatre

As already mentioned Love Story the Musical is transferring from the Minerva in Chichester into London’s West End.

Michael Ball, Adam Spiegel and Stephen Waley-Cohen are the producers and it has now been announced that the doomed lovers (played by Emma Williams and Michael Xavier) will be with the show when it starts previews at the Duchess Theatre on 27th November with a press night on 6th December.  Booking is until 26th February 2011.

Book tickets at: www.nimaxtheatres.co

Another Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz

Andrew Lloyd Webber has announced today that Sophie Evans (who was runner up to Danielle Hope in Over the Rainbow) will play Dorothy at selected performances of his new production of The Wizard of Oz which is due to open at the London Palladium next February.

Sophie will appear as  Dorothy every Tuesday evening from 8th March, and throughout the weeks of 2nd May, 5th September and 12th September when Danielle is away on holiday.

Sir Andrew is helping Sophie to continue her training by providing the funds for a year-long musical theatre course at the Arts Educational School.

John Barrowman on Radio 1 this Sunday

John Barrowman will be a guest on the Jo Whiley Show on BBC Radio 1 this Sunday 25th July between 1:00 pm and 4:00 pm.

Jo’s show has all the latest showbiz gossip, fashion tips and fitness advice plus John as a celebrity guest on her Road Trip feature when he will take you on a journey through his favourite places, tunes, foods, friends and films.

Last chance to see Sheila Hancock in Sister Act

Sheila Hancock will be playing the role of Mother Superior in Sister Act the Musical at the London Palladium this Friday 23rd July, Saturday 24th July and from Monday 26th July - Saturday 31st July which will be her final performance date.

Whoopi Goldberg will be wearing the habit from Tuesday 10th August - Tuesday 31st August (excluding Monday 16th August & Monday 23rd August).

Another King Arthur joins Spamalot Tour

Comedian Marcus Brigstocke is currently playing King Arthur in the tour of Spamalot, but due to prior commitments he will not be appearing in the show when it visits Aberdeen, Cardiff, Sheffield and Torquay when James Gaddas (pictured) takes over the role.

Marcus returns when it plays at the Wycombe Swan on 8th November and is currently staying with it until it leaves York Grand Opera House on 27th November.

James Gaddas  is probably best known for playing Governor Neil Grayling in ITV's Bad Girls between 2002 and 2006. He has been appearing in Billy Elliot the Musical at the Victoria Palace Theatre playing the role of Jackie Elliot.

Presenter and comedian Matthew Kelly is taking over the crown to join the show for a limited season when it visits Milton Keynes Theatre from November 29th - December 4th 2010 and the Alexandra Theatre in Birmingham from 7th December 1st January 2011.

Hannah Waddingham and Leanne Jones in Concert at Cadogan Hall

Grateful is an evening of musical theatre and gospel music which is being presented at the Cadogan Hall on 12th September. Cadogan Hall is a former church near Sloane Square in London which is now a live music venue hosting classical, pop and rock gigs

The concert will feature West End stars including Hannah Waddingham (pictured) who is soon to play the Witch in Sondheim's  Into the Woods at the Open Air Theatre in Regent’s Park and Leanne Jones (Tracy Turnblad in Hairspray) accompanied  by a 20 piece band and the West End Gospel choir. 

Other artists appearing include Anton Stephans, Melanie LaBarrie, Cassie Compton, Rebecca Caine, Ian Carlyle and Edward Baruwa and The West End Gospel Choir.

The concert is being organised  by actor and musical theatre artist Anton Stephans  to raise funds for the Intermission Youth Theatre which does work with disadvantaged young children, forming a creative outlet through drama working on new versions of Shakespeare that they can relate to and give these youngsters respect and some structure in their lives.

For tickets call 020 7730 4500 or visit: https://esro.cadoganhall.com

Sierra Boggess, Louise Dearman and Patina Miller in Scott Alan Concert

The three West End Divas Sierra Boggess (Love Never Dies), Louise Dearman (Wicked!) and Patina Miller (Sister Act) will appear in the concert  Simply The Music of Scott Alan at the New Players Theatre at 5:00 pm and 8:00 pm on Sunday 26th  September 2010.

Other musical theatre performers include Hadley Fraser (Fantasticks), Ashleigh Gray (Wicked), Jodie Jacobs (Jest End), Norm Lewis (Les Miserables), Stuart Matthew Price (Parade), Willemijn Verkaik (Wicked) plus one other very special guest still to be announced!

Following on from the Just Me & Them concerts last year this new show will feature brand new songs by the American composer and lyricist

Simply The Music of Scott Alan is produced by Simon Greiff and Phil Sykes (for SimG Productions) in association with Scott Alan.

To book tickets visit: www.ticketweb.co.uk

Abba’s Thank You For The Music Concert

Now in its 17th year Thank You For The Music is in concert at the IndigO2 in Greenwich on 24th September at 8:00 pm to celebrate 40 years of Abba.

The tribute band Abba Magic will play hits including Mamma Mia, Dancing Queen, Super Trouper, Knowing Me Knowing You; The Name of the Game and Waterloo.

They will be joined by Bee Gees Magic who will play Maurice, Barry and Robin’s hits from the 70s including Stayin' Alive, Massachusetts, Night Fever, How Deep Is Your Love as well as numbers like Islands In The Stream, Heartbreaker and Chain Reaction which they wrote for other artists.

Click on this link to book tickets for Thank You for the Music

If you're a fan of Abba and the Bee Gees but can't get to the concert don't forget that Grease is still playing in the West End and there is a UK tour of Chess starting in October.

Noel Sullivan from Grease to join We Will Rock You tour

Ex Hear’Say band member Noel Sullivan has been playing Danny Zuko in Grease at the Piccadilly Theatre in London’s West End since November 2009. Lauren Samuels who was a finalist in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Over the Rainbow joins the cast to play opposite him as Sandy from Friday 26th July.

But Sullivan is now due to leave the show later this year to join the  tour of We Will Rock You you which opens at the Palace Theatre in Manchester on 3rd December and runs until January 2012.  Prior to Grease he appeared in Fame, Flashdance and Love Shack.

Emma Bunton on Spice Girls' Musical

Emma Bunton has been talking about the Spice Girls proposed West End musical (working title “Viva Forever”) saying that the group have been working closely with Mamma Mia! producer Judy Craymer to make it happen.

All of the girls will have input on the casting and storyline, which sounds dangerous as they are all pursuing solo careers (some in different countries) and it could take a while for them to be able to get together and reach agreement!

Miss Bunton even hinted at them making cameo appearances for a one-off show.

New cast for Dirty Dancing at the Aldwych

The iconic musical Dirty Dancing is currently in its 4th year at the Aldwych Theatre in London’s West End and has recently extended its booking period until April 2011.

There is new company who will appear for the first time next Monday, 26th July. Joining the previously announced Dancing On Ice star Ray Quinn (Billy Kostecki), BBC’s So You Think You Can Dance winner Charlie Bruce, Royal Winnipeg Ballet dancer Johnny Wright (Johnny Castle) and Hannah Vassallo (Baby Houseman) will be Nadia Coote (Penny Johnson): Paul Gilmore (Jake Houseman):  Hilary MacLean (Marjorie Houseman):  James Leece (Robbie Gould): Maxine Gregory (Vivian Pressman):  and Christopher Kenniston and Richard Hope as Neil and Max Kellerman.

The 2010/ 2011 London company will also include Wayne Anthony Cole, Amy Bennett, Jacquie Biggs, Karl Bowe, Kevin Clifton, Henry Davis, Antony Edridge, Tanya Edwards, Rachel Ensor, Caroline Haines, Helen Harper, Jamie Hughes- Ward, Tony James-Andersson, Frankie Jenna, Mark Jennings, Anabel Kutay, Maurice Lane, Richard Lloyd King, Carly Mercedes Dyer, Sandy Moffat, Dominique Provost-Chalkley, Lucy Sinclair, Russell Smith, Joyce Springer, Alain Terzoli, Alan Vincent and Russell Walker.

Latest news on Chess Musical 2010 Tour

The new tour of Chess the Musical begins rehearsing this week without the Director as Craig Revel Horwood has posted a note on Twitter today:  “soaking up the sunshine in Greece for a week to recharge the batteries. Copa opened on Monday night and first music day for Chess. Busy beez”.

No doubt he will be joining the cast next week once the music has been set.  He has assembled a very impressive list of principals with Shona White (Wicked) as Florence Vassy: James Fox (Fame Academy Jesus Christ Superstar) the American:  Daniel Koek (West Side Story) the Russian:  Poppy Tierney (Mary Poppins Aspects of Love, Witches of Eastwick) Svetlana: James Graeme (Phantom of the Opera) Walter and David Erik (Dirty Dancing Phantom of the Opera) playing The Arbiter.

The Chess tour opens at Newcastle Theatre Royal on 27th August and currently runs until April 2011.  

Tour dates for the Gruffalo

The children’s show the Gruffalo is currently on tour until 18th September 2010 visiting venues all over the UK including Liverpool Empire, Plymouth Theatre Royal, Blackpool Grand, Hayes Beck Theatre, Richmond Theatre, Palace Theatre Newark, Bristol Hippodrome, Grand Opera House York, Bournemouth Pavilion, Palace Theatre Southend, Newbury Corn Exchange, Brighton Theatre Royal, Towersey Festival Oxford, St Andrews Byre Theatre, Glasgow Theatre Royal and the Sheffield Lyceum

The Gruffalo is a magical children’s show adapted from Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler’s popular book. With over three million copies sold worldwide it was recently voted the nation's number one bedtime story by BBC Radio 2 listeners.

Find out more about children's shows here.

Extended timetable for The Railway Children at Waterloo

The Railway Children  is playing at the old Eurostar Terminal in Waterloo Station and is proving so popular that it extended its booking period on its opening night until  2nd January 2011.

It has a set featuring the old Gentleman’s saloon carriage from the 1970 film of the same name starring Jenny Agutter and Lionel Jeffries.

This show stars Life On Mars’s Marshall Lancaster as railway porter Mr Perks and also features the Stirling Single period steam train from the National Railway Museum where the production was first seen in 2008.

A 1000-seat auditorium has been specially constructed in the station with the audience seated either side of the original railway track and the action taking place on the track and platforms.

You can find out more about shows for children here

Blink Twice forgotten musicals in concert

BLINK TWICE! is a must see show for all fans of musical theatre presenting  showstoppers from the musicals you missed. Anna Gilthorpe, Ashleigh Jones, Adam Lilley, Emma Lumsden and Reed Sinclair perform forgotten gems by Andrew Lloyd Webber, Jerry Herman, Kander & Ebb, Stephen Sondheim and more.

The show is playing from Tuesday 27th July to Sunday 22nd August at Above The Stag Theatre at 15 Bressenden Place, London SW1 (directly behind Victoria Palace Theatre where Billy Elliot is playing). The nearest public transport is Tube/National Rail: Victoria Station (100 metres).  Performances are Tuesday to Saturday at 7.30pm; Sunday at 6pm.

Blink twice is devised by Peter Bull and Tim McArthur: Directed by Tim McArthur with Musical Director: David Harvey

To book tickets: Box Office: 020 8932 4747 or visit www.abovethestag.com

Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice together again for The Wizard of Oz

Andrew Lloyd Webber is working with Tim Rice again for the first time in 34 years doing new songs for The Wizard Of Oz musical.

Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice were co-creators of Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Jesus Christ Superstar and Evita but split up in the seventies when Rice wanted to do a musical about chess and Lloyd Webber was more interested in writing about cats.

Lloyd Webber says they have remained close over the years but have not found anything that they wanted to do together until now. He may have found his Dorothy in the form of Danielle Hope via his reality TV casting show Over the Rainbow, but he’s now got to fill a few holes in The Wizard Of Oz musical to get a show together as it opens at the London Palladium next February.

The Wizard Of Oz musical has never really worked in the theatre as it has some gaping holes: for example there are no songs for either of the two witches to sing.  Hopefully Lloyd Webber and his old writing partner Rice can remedy that along with other new songs/links which they know are needed.

Michael Jackson’s Thriller Live to tour in September

Thriller Live the concert is currently playing at the Lyric Theatre in London’s West End and is now about to embark on a new 2010 UK tour starting at the Alhambra Theatre in Bradford on 20th September.  It visits ten venues in the UK including Bath, Cardiff, Manchester, Brighton and Edinburgh where it ends on 11th December.

The tour of Thriller Live offers over two-hours of non-stop hit songs with a live band including: I Want You Back, I'll Be There, Show You The Way To Go, Can You Feel It, Rock With You, She's Out Of My Life, Beat It, Billie Jean, Smooth Criminal and of course Thriller.

Cast of Hair the Musical at Latitude Festival

The cast of the musical Hair which is currently playing in Lndon's West End are performing at the Latitude Festival at Henham Park in Suffolk today.

You can see them on the Waterfront Stage doing a 20 minute set from 15:20-15:40.

If you miss them today you can catch the Tribe the Gielgud Theatre until 4th September.

Blues Brothers to hit the road again

The Original Tribute to the Blues Brothers is back touring the UK.

Jake and Elwood Blues start performing again at Jersey Opera House on 16th August and visit 7 more venues in the UK including Tunbridge Wells, Brighton, Milton Keynes, Stoke, Glasgow and Woking before the tour ends at the Churchill Theatre in Bromley at the beginning of October.

The Original Tribute to the Blues Brothers features Jake and Elwood and the Bluettes with original members from the West End along with a few new twists and a few new moves. All the favourite numbers are still here including Everybody, Shake Ya Tail Feather, Sweet Home Chicago, Think, Respect, Gimme Some Loving and many more.

New Tour of Annie the musical

A new 15 venue tour of the musical Annie starts on 24th August at the Bradford Alhambra and runs until 31st December playing at the De Montford Hall in Leicester over Christmas.

The production stars Su Pollard as the gin-soaked orphanage director Miss Hannigan and David McAlister as Daddy Warbucks plus a supporting cast of over 40.

Annie is a heart-warming rags-to-riches story of 11 year old orphan Annie’s adventures from the New York orphanage to the luxurious home of Oliver Warbucks. Annie the musical features classic numbers including “It’s A Hard Knock Life”, “Easy Street”, "N.Y.C." and of course the legendary “Tomorrow”