Dianne Pilkington, Daniel Koek and Stephen Ashfield in Cabaret at Lauderdale House

Lauderdale House in Waterlow Park at Highgate Village has just launched its 21st season of London’s longest running West End style Cabaret Season.  All of thee concerts are on a Sunday at 4:30 pm and tickets can be obtained by telephoning: 020 8348 8716.

They are presenting the following West end musical theatre stars in cabaret:

Sunday 20th February: Dianne Pilkington Supported by David McMullan

Dianne is best known for her portrayal of Glinda in Wicked with other West End credits including Taboo, The Far Pavilions, Cats, and Belle in Beauty and the Beast. David McMullan West End appearances include Mary Poppins and Hairspray.

Sunday 13th March :Daniel Koek Supported by Nia Evans

Daniel is currently playing the part of Anatoly on tour in Craig Revel Horwood’s production of Chess.
Other musical theatre roles include Jason and the Argonauts,  Pacific Overtures,  Saturday Night Fever  and West Side Story. Nia Evans has appeared in the musical adaptation of Shakespeare’s Love’s Labour’s Lost and played the role of Young Phyllis in Follies (Rose and Crown Theatre).

Sunday 20th March: Stephen Ashfield Supported by Amy Coombes

Stephen is currently playing the role of Bob Gaudio in Jersey Boys. His West End debut was as Boy George in Taboo (opposite Boy George). Recently he created the leading role of Adam, in the world premier of Imagine This at Plymouth Theatre Royal. He can also be seen in Tim Burton's film Sweeney Todd. 
4.30pm performance SOLD OUT. Extra performance added at 7.30pm

Duncan James & Simon Webbe back with Blue for Eurovision Song Contest

Blue boy band members Duncan James and Simon Webbe were appearing in London’s West End last year in the musicals Legally Blonde and Sister Act respectively, but they are now back together with the rest of the band to represent the UK in the 2011 Eurovision Song Contest in Dusseldorf in Germany singing their new single “I Can”:

Blue have sold over 13 million records and won two Brit Awards. They reformed at the end of last year for a series of gigs. Duncan James said the band is celebrating their 20th year together and thought participating in the annual contest seemed "a great way to mark the occasion".

A one-hour documentary, showing Blue's preparation for the Eurovision Song Contest will be broadcast on BBC1 in April. The Eurovision Song Competition will be broadcast live on BBC1 on Saturday 14th May, with commentary by Graham Norton.

Madonna ousts Kylie in Priscilla Queen of the Desert on Broadway

The West End musical Priscilla Queen of the Desert is undergoing a few changes for its Broadway debut.

The show is set in the Australian outback and quite naturally makes numerous mentions of Kylie Minogue, but because she is not a household name in the States they have replaced her with Madonna who is another gay icon.

She’s The One Breakthrough Breast Cancer Charity Gala on 3rd April

Future Dreams returns to The Savoy Theatre on April 3rd (Mothering Sunday)  with their third annual charity gala She's the One to raise funds for Breakthrough Breast Cancer.

This year's star studded show will be a celebration of the lives of the charity founders and breast cancer survivors mother and daugher Sylvie Henry and Danielle Leslie.

The line is up is yet to be announced but past productions have been hosted by Vernon Kay, Patrick Kielty and Gaby Roslin, with performances by West End stars Denise Van Outen,  Ruthie Henshall, John Partridge, Lee Mead, Duncan James,  Hannah Waddingham and hit musicals Jersey Boys , Thriller Live, La Cage Aux Folles and Grease.

Tickets at http://ambassadortickets.com

Andrew Lloyd Webber talking about The Wizard of Oz on The One Show

Andrew Lloyd Webber has just taken a break from rehearsals of The Wizard of Oz which starts previews on 7th February to appear on BBC’s The One Show.

One of his current hiccoughs is that the Yellow Brick Road which they have put down to run from Oxford Circus up to the London Palladium in Aygyll Street has been declared a health and safety hazard as shoppers may slip on it.  So they are currently testing different surfaces to ensure that it is safe to walk on!

He also let slip that he had dinner with his ex-wife Sarah Brightman and sounded her out to play the good witch Glinda, but she was far too expensive.  Adding that pairing her with Michael Crawford again after they appeared in The Phantom of the Opera together all those years ago might look a bit unoriginal.

He and Tim Rice have written an opening number for the show as well as songs for the two witches and The Wizard and Professor Marvel (both played by Crawford) as none of them had anything to sing.

Graham Norton joining Hannah Waddingham, Simon Burke, Paul Spicer and Alan Cumming in Lance Horne:First Things Last this Sunday

You can see Lance Horne: First Things Last on Sunday 30th January at the Garrick Theatre.

Graham Norton has just joined the line up of West End stars incuding Julie Atherton (Avenue Q), Lucy May Barker (Spring Awakening), Simon Burke (La Cage Aux Folles), Ashleigh Gray (Wicked), Cassidy Janson (Avenue Q), Alexandra Silber (Carousel), Paul Spicer (Avenue Q), Emma Williams (Love Story) and Hannah Waddingham (Wizard of Oz) as well as Broadway star Norm Lewis (Les Misérables), international cabaret diva Meow Meow, star of stage and screen Alan Cumming and Horne himself accompanying them at the piano.
 
The concert celebrates the release of his debut album Lance Horne: First Things Last which features songs performed by  UK and Broadway artists.

Adam Garcia and Mischa Barton in new comedy The Hen Do

Wicked!, Got to Dance judge  and Tap Dogs star Adam Garcia is co-starring with the OC’s Mischa Barton in a two part television comedy drama The Hen Do which is about a hen do that goes awry in Ibiza.

Lucy Brown (Primeval) and her writing partner Olivia Poulet (The Thick Of It) have teamed up with Caveman Films and producers Andy Serkis (Gollum) and John Cavendish (Bridget Jones) for the show, which is still in the process of being cast.

Kerry Ellis Night at the Musicals Concert

West End star Kerry Ellis is returning to the holiday resort where she started her career and is appearing in Night at the Musicals on Sunday 27th February at Potters Leisure Resort at Hopton-on-Sea which is midway between Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft not far from the Norfolk Broads.

Shortly after leaving school Kerry joined Starmakers holiday village entertainers at Potters Leisure Resort. She appeared  in a number of shows and did cabaret performances with the resort's professional theatre company during their 1995 and 1997 summer seasons.

Tickets at www.pottersholidays.com

Ben James-Ellis & Darren Day cast in Neil Diamond's Brother Love Musical

As mentioned earlier today, Brian Conley is playing Brother Love in this Neil Diamond musical which Craig Revel Horwood is choreographing directing.

More casting has just been announced with Darren Day and Ben James-Ellis (semi-finalist on BBC's "Any Dream Will Do",  "Dreamboats and Petticoats" and  "Hairspray" in the West End) joining the tour.

Brother Love’s Travelling Salvation Show will play at open air grounds  inside a heated and adapted big-topat the following venues: Cheltenham Racecourse 8-10th April: Leeds Castle Maidstone 12th-17th April: Beaulieu Palace House 19th-24th April: Woburn Abbey Milton Keynes 26th-30th April: Rockingham Castle Market Harborough 3rd-8th May: Goodwood Chichester 10th-15th May: Sandringham House King’s Lynn 17th-22nd May

Purchase tickets for Brother Love’s Travelling Salvation Show

Sheridan Smith in Flare Path at Haymarket in March

Sheridan Smith has just finished playing Elle Woods in the musical Legally Blonde at the Savoy Theatre and is next appearing in the West End with  Sienna Miller and James Purefoy in Trevor Nunn’s Flare Path at the Haymarket Theatre.  This is the first of a series of productions Nunn will present as Artistic Director of this theatre.

Flare Path is a 1942 play by Terence Rattigan. It is set during World War II in the Falcon Hotel which is on the edge of an airfield in Lincolnshire. A young bomber pilot called Teddy  is celebrating a reunion with his actress wife Patricia but events take an unexpected turn when a famous heartthrob film star caled Peter arrives, and an urgent bombing mission over Germany is ordered.

Casting to date  includes Joe Armstrong (Dusty), Sarah Crowden (Mrs Oakes), Sienna Miller (Patricia), James Purefoy (Peter), Sheridan Smith (Barmaid Doris) and Clive Woods (Swanson).

The show opens on 10th March (previews from 4th March) and is booking until 4th June.

Brian Conley starring in Neil Diamond Musical

Comedian and West End Theatre star Brian Conley has recently finished playing Buttons in panto as well as sharing the the role of Edna Turnblad with Michael Ball in Hairspray the musical both in London and on tour.

He is now about to star in Brother Love’s Travelling Salvation Show which is a musical based around Neil Diamond's mildly controversial fourth album  which upset US evangelists.  The production will be directed by  Craig Revel Horwood.

The show is about a preacher called Brother Love (Conley) who decides the world needs to experience the “Power of Neil” via his music. With a 15 piece band and catchy Neil Diamond songs, he spreads the word and offers salvation with some great dance-moves thrown in.

Revel Horwood was holding auditions for Brother Love earlier this week so more casting news to follow shortly.

Brother Love’s Travelling Salvation Show will play at open air grounds  inside a heated and adapted big-top offering all the amenities of a standard venue.  It was originally due to tour in October/November but the dates have been changed and below are the latest venues:

Cheltenham Racecourse 8-10th April: Leeds Castle Maidstone 12th-17th April: Beaulieu Palace House 19th-24th April: Woburn Abbey Milton Keynes 26th-30th April: Rockingham Castle Market Harborough 3rd-8th May: Goodwood Chichester 10th-15th May: Sandringham House King’s Lynn 17th-22nd May


Purchase tickets for Brother Love’s Travelling Salvation Show

Buddy the Musical tour extended

A new tour based on the life and times of Buddy Holly is due to start at the Orchard Theatre in Dartford on 1st February and currently end at the Edinburgh Playhouse on 16th July.

Three new dates have just been added to the tour schedule of Buddy the Musical

• Wycombe Swan Theatre 27th June - 2nd July
•  Glasgow King's Theatre 4th-9th July
• Edinburgh Playhouse 11th-16th July

I have heard good things from the rehearsal room of this new tour with  Buddy Holly being played by Glen Joseph/Oliver Seymour Marsh:Big Bopper: Colin McGregor: Richie Valens: Pedro Reichert: Vi Petty: Catherine Henderson: Norman Petty: Steve Simmonds and Maria Elena: Carla Freeman.

Tori Amos Musical Opens at National In October

UPDATE 13th June 2013: will open at the National Theatre on 9th October 2013 (previews from 25th September). Directed by Marianne Elliott  tickets go on sale 1st July.

Rosalie Craig plays Althea the Light Princess opposite Nick Hendrix as Digby who is a neighbouring Prince.  They are joined by Clive Rowe, Hal Fowler, Amy Booth-Steel, Stephanie Bron, Vivien Carter, James Charlton, Owain Gwynn, Nicola Hart, C J Johnson, Luke Johnson, David Langham, Richard Lowe, Tommy Luther, Jamie Muscato, Emma Norin, Malinda Parris, Kane Oliver Parry, Adam Pearce, Caspar Phillipson, Laura Pitt-Pulford, Nuno Silva, Phoebe Street, Ben Thompson and  Lynne Wilmot
 
The production will be designed by Rae Smith, with lighting by Paule Constable and choreography by Steven Hoggett. 
----
UPDATE 20th October 2011: The new musical by Tori Amos has been postponed indefinitely. It was announced by the National's artistic director Nicholas Hytner in January, and was to have been directed by Marianne Elliott, who co-directed the National's smash hit War Horse. Despite numerous workshops, the musical has been deferred over fears it will not be ready in time with no new dates set for its world premiere.
----
American  rock singer-songwriter Tori Amos is writing a musical based on the adaptation George MacDonald’s 1864 fairytale The Light Princess which is scheduled to premiere at the Lyttelton at the National Theatre in April 2012.The musical will have music and lyrics by Amos, book and additional lyrics by Samuel Adamson and will be directed by Marianne Elliott.

The Light Princess tells the story of a princess who lacks any gravity and can only stop herself floating into the air  when she swims. Because water keeps her grounded she thinks that if she cries enough she may be able to stay on terra firma  long enough to marry the  prince she loves.

Amos is one of the first alternative rock performers to use a piano as her primary instrument. Her songs cover a wide range of subjects, from sexuality to religion to designer accessories ("somewhere in the hills of Ireland there’s a Prada bag"). Her hit singles include "Crucify", "Silent All These Years", "God", "Cornflake Girl", "Caught a Lite Sneeze", "Professional Widow", "Spark", "1000 Oceans",  "A Sorta Fairytale" and "Spark".

Robbie Williams the Musical?

News is that Old Vic owner Sally Greene who is also involved in Billy Elliott the Musical is pulling together a musical based on the turbulent and troubled  life of  Take That boy band member Robbie Williams. Apparently the search is currently underway for "two Robbies" - presumably one young and the other a current day version.

There was a musical called Never Forget which was based around Take That their songs which went on tour and had a brief  run in the West End in 2008.  An unamed source said  "Robbie is bang up for the musical and thinks it will be a fun production. He loves West End shows and is honoured they will be doing one about his life."  

Maybe there will be a part for musical theatre performer  Jonathan Wilkes (who's currently playing Khashoggi in the tour of We Will Rock You) to play his best friend if he's up for it ...

News on Love Story Cast Recording

The new musical Love Story which is currently playing at the Duchess Theatre is one of the best shows I have seen for a long while.

The score is beautifully sung by Michael Xavier, Emma Williams and Peter Polycarpou and Amazon are now advertising Love Story: Original Cast Recording which you can pre-order and have it sent to you as soon as it is available.

You can find out more at www.amazon.co.uk

Gareth Gates back in Les Miserables on Monday

Gareth Gates has been on a break from playing Marius in Les Miserables at the Queens Theatre while he  starred in the panto Snow White at Woking Theatre over Christmas and New Year. 

He's just had a short holiday in New York and is returning to the West End as Marius on Monday 31st January and will continue ion the role until the next cast change on 18th June.

David Shannon & Jacqui Scott in The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber Concerts

Friday 1st April Birmingham Symphony Hall & Manchester Bridgewater Hall Saturday 9th April at 7:30 pm

Soloists: Robyn North, Jacqui Scott, Tim Rogers and David Shannon

This is a concert full of the best-loved songs from Andrew Lloyd Webber’s shows including Love Never Dies, The Phantom of the Opera, Cats, Evita, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, The Woman in White, Starlight Express, Aspects of Love, Jesus Christ Superstar, Whistle Down the Wind and Sunset Boulevard

Wizard of Oz’s Danielle Hope on The One Show on Friday

Over the Rainbow winner Danielle Hope is in the middle of rehearsals playing Dorothy in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s new musical The Wizard of Oz which starts previews in London's West End on 7th February.

But she is taking a very short break and can be seen with Andrew Lloyd-Webber and Toto in her dressing room at the London Palladium on The One Show on BBC1 at 7:00 pm on Friday 28th January.

Julie Atherton Concerts at Trafalgar Studios

As already reported, while Ordinary Days is playing at the Trafalgar Studios Daniel Boys will be performing  Live in Concert after the show on Friday nights and Lisa Faye’s Streisand: the Main Event can be seen on Saturdays 19th & 26th February.

Avenue Q's Julie Atherton (who is appearing in Ordinary Days with Boys) is now performing solo concerts after the show at 9:45 pm on Wednesdays 9th, 16th and 23rd February and 2nd March. 

Film about Queen’s Freddie Mercury confirmed

Great news for followers of the Queen musical We Will Rock You.

This year is the 40th anniversary of the rock group Queen (they formed in London in 1971) and drummer Roger Taylor has just confirmed on the Chris Evans breakfast show that a BBC documentary is being produced and a Hollywood film is definitely being made about Freddie Mercury with Sasha Baron Cohen playing the rock legend and Queen doing the music. 

Shooting is scheduled to start in October.

Alfie Boe and Matt Lucas Duet on Comedy Rocks

Following their performances at the Les Miserables 25th Anniversary Concert in October opera singer Alfie Boe and comedian Matt Lucas have become firm friends with Boe lodging with Lucas when he’s in London. Boe is actually joining the West End production of Les Miserables playing Jean Valjean at the end of June.

Alfie Boe’s new CD Bring Him Home features a list of show tunes with him duetting The Impossible Dream from The Man of La Mancha with Lucas.

You can tune in to see them performing it on Comedy Rocks which is presented on ITV1 by Jason Manford on Friday February 4th at 9:00 pm

David Essex to play Shane Richie’s Uncle in EastEnders

The BBC has just announced that singer, actor and West End star David Essex will join the cast of EastEnders later this year playing Eddie Moon - father of Michael and uncle to Alfie played by Shane Richie.

Essex actually hails from East London and said he was "really excited to be joining the square Eddie Moon is a great character and I can't wait to get to grips with the role and work and such a fantastic cast."

Essex has just finished playing Captain Hook in the panto Peter Pan and last  appeared in the West End in his musical All the Fun of the Fair which is due to play again at the Mayflower Theatre in Southampton from 11th-15th October with  a tour meant to be  following, but I don’t know if this will be affected by his EastEnders role.

Bob Fosse Biopic Movie

A new feature-length biopic film about the life and work of the legendary dancer, director and choreographer Bob Fosse is in the early stages of development with producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron.  Bryan Singer (X-Men) will direct. directing.

The producers’ new Footloose movie musical is due for release in the autumn and they were also responsible for the song-filled "Life With Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows” and were among the producers of the films "Hairspray" and the Oscar-winning "Chicago." They produced Broadway's recent Promises, Promises and are among the lead producers of the new Broadway production of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.

Bob Fosse began his career as a dancer in burlesque, on stage and screen before becoming a choreographer (Damn Yankees, The Pajama Game) and a director-choreographer (Sweet Charity, Pippin, Chicago, Dancin'). He moved into film, directing Cabaret (which won him an Oscar for Best Director), Lenny, Star 80 and the autobiographical All That Jazz  for which he was nominated for an Oscar for Screenplay and Director.

Fosse died of a heart ailment in 1987 while he was overseeing the tour of his Broadway revival of Sweet Charity

Daniel Boys In Concert at Trafalgar Studios

West End star Daniel Boys is next appearing on stage with Julie
Atherton in Ordinary Days at the Trafalgar Studios from 8th February-5th March 2011.

And he’s making the most of his time there by appearing in concert from Friday 11th February to Friday 4th March at 21:45 after the play ends.

Tickets at: www.ambassadortickets.com

Lost Musicals The Bandwagon, Coco & Mexican Hayride

Ian Marshall Fisher's Lost Musicals is now in its 21st year having resurrrected over 70 neglected Broadway shows.  The.2011 London Season has been announced and includes three semi-staged productions at the Lilian Baylis Studio at Sadler's Wells.

The Bandwagon  - Sundays 27 March, 3 April at 4pm; Saturday 9 April at 3pm; Sunday 17 April at 1.30pm & 4.45pm
 Music by Arthur Schwartz, lyrics and book by Howard Dietz book by George S. Kaufman. 
Not seen since 1931 this was considered at the time to be the finest revue in Broadway history  for Fred and Adele Astaire with songs including Dancing in the Dark, I Love Louisa and High and Low.

Coco - Sundays 15, 22 May & 5 June at 4pm; Sunday 12 June at 1.30pm & 4.45pm
Music by Andre Previn, book by Alan Jay Lerner.
Written in 1969 for Katharine Hepburn (later played by Danielle Darrieux and Ginger Rogers) about Chanel’s fight as a woman in her 60s trying to maintain her reign as a leading fashion designer while younger designers start to  usurp her place.

Mexican Hayride - Sundays 17, 24, 31 July at 4pm, Sunday 7 August at 1.30pm & 4.45pm
Music and lyrics by Cole Porter, book by Herbert and Dorothy Fields. .
Written in 1944 starring Bobby Clark and June Havoc (the original Baby June whose early life was portrayed in the musical Gypsy). About American Joe Balscom a fifth rate "Guys & Dolls" type racketeer who unwittingly becomes a Mexican hero.

Casting for the 2011 Lost Musicals season is still to be announced.

Tickets at: www.sadlerswells.com

Elaine Paige, Oliver Tompsett, Tim Howar & Sally Ann Triplett at Talent 2011

Stand Well Back and The Phoenix Artist Club are presenting Talent 2011 at the Criterion Theatre in Piccadilly Circus at 7.30pm on Sunday 6th February in aid of The Theatrical Guild which is the charity helping front of house and back stage theatre staff.

This is the Phoenix's Got Talent Gala Finale to find a new musical theatre star. The 12 finalists have won through a year of competition heats and will sing two songs to judges (Belinda Lang, Andrew MacBean, Richard Quest and Elaine Paige) before the audience votes for the final three who are then voted for by the panel. The winner will receive £1,000 prize money and the opportunity to record a demo CD.

The evening will be compered Colin Savage and feature guest performances from  musical theatre stars Oliver Tompsett (Wicked), Tim Howar (We Will Rock you, Rent) and Sally Ann Triplett (Mamma Mia!, Chicago).

The competition is not open to anyone who is or has been a lead in a West End show and this year’s finalists include the stage doorkeeper at the Piccadilly Theatre, a London tourist attraction employee and chorus member from a touring West End show. All finalists have attended a three day boot-camp run by theatre professionals.


Each ticket entitles the holder to join the after show party at The Phoenix Artist Club for theatre performers and artists. Tickets at: www.ticketmaster.co.uk

Trevor Nunn to direct Sondheim's Follies at Haymarket

Trevor Nunn will begin his stint as artistic director of the Theatre Royal Haymarket in March by directing Sienna Miller in Terence Rattigan's Flare Path.

The rest of Nunn's Haymarket season is still to be announced but there is a strong rumour that over the 12 month period one of the productions will be Stephen Sondheim’s Follies.

As mentioned last year, Nunn will need to sign a major box-office name before he will get the green light for Follies as it will cost something in the region of £2 million.

Earl Carpenter to play Peron in Evita tour

West End performer Earl Carpenter has just finished playing the role of Khashoggi in the tour of Queen’s We Will Rock You and is now set to join the Bill Kenwright tour of Evita playing Juan Domingo Perón.

He will start off on the European leg of the tour opening in Basel in Switzerland on 25th January, and stay with Evita when it returns to the UK at the beginning of May to continue touring until September.

Carpenter has a very impressive list of musical theatre credits including We Will Rock You, Les Misérables, The Phantom of the Opera, The Merry Widow, The Secret Garden, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, Sunset Boulevard and The Witches of Eastwick.

Vampires Rock Tour Dates

The new tour of Vampires Rock is at the Queens Theatre in Barnstaple tomorrow night, and then on a  countrywide UK tour which is currently scheduled to end at the Belfast Waterfront on 30th March.

Vampires Rock is a musical comedy set in New York in the year 2030 where the undead are among us. Steve Steinman plays the evil Baron Von Rockula who is the owner of the Live and Let Die Club. Aspiring singer Pandora  arrives to audition for the resident vocalist position and is the perfect choice for the Baron’s bride but he must convince her to agree to eternal immortality and live forever!

With the help of some classic rock played live by the Lost Boys, the Baron and his sidekick Stringfellow attempt to convince Pandora to lose her soul to rock and roll blasting  their way through rock anthems including songs from Meat Loaf, Rainbow, AC/DC, Alice Cooper, the Rolling Stones, Bon Jovi, Queen, Suzi Quatro, White Snake, Bonnie Tyler and Cher.

New Wayne Sleep Tour

Precious Little Sleep is a new tour starring Wayne Sleep. It is a celebration of his life and career, with dance routines specially choreographed by the man himself.

The next performance is at the Theatre Royal Wakefield tomorrow night, but the tour visits another 24 venues before it currently comes to an end at the Kings Theatre in Southsea on 19th April.

Liam Tamne, Adam Ellis & Adrian Hansel in Concert Upstairs at the Gatehouse

Nothing to Do With Love presented by the Sunday Night Singers  is an evening of comedy songs and ballads from musical theatre performed by West End artists Upstairs at the Gatehouse in Highgate Village on Sunday 6th February at 7.30pm

Musical Director Ian MacGregor has assembled a very impressive cast of West end performers including LIAM TAMNE  (Wicked, Hairspray, Hair, The Departure Lounge): ADAM ELLIS (Chicago, Pirates of Penzance , Sweeney Todd, Starlight Express): ADRIAN HANSEL (Carmen Jones, Porgy & Bess, Carousel, Fame, Starlight Express, Hairspray): ASHLEY CAMPBELL (Five Guys Named Moe, The Rat Pack, Fame,  Little Shop of Horrors, Carmen Jones): EMMA HATTON (Dreamboats and Petticoats Christmas in New York): LAURA COTTRELL (Me & My Girl, The Full Monty): NATALIE HOPE (Don’t Stop Believing, Laughter in the Rain Evita, High School Musical, Fame and The Rocky Horror): SIMON OULDRED (Rent, Popstar the Musical)

Tickets at www.ticketweb.co.uk

Streisand – The Main Event at Trafalgar Studios

At last year’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Lisa Faye’s Streisand - The Concert enjoyed sell out shows and 5* reviews.  It has now been renamed Streisand - The Main Event and is playing at the Trafalgar Studios in London on 19th & 26 February.

Streisand – The Main Event is a celebration of Barbra Streisand’s career featuring taking you on a musical journey of songs that she brought to life with her unique style and interpretation.  Ranging from her first intimate standard You’ll Never Know to award winning films like Funny Girl and number one hits like Evergreen. 

The show also includes some lesser known gems linked with interesting anecdotes about Streisand and her music.

Tickets go on sale next week

New Footloose Tour

The new tour of Footloose starts tomorrow at the Theatre Royal Newcastle before embarking on a countrywide UK tour which currently ends at the Leeds Grand Theatre on 2nd July.

Max Milner is playing Ren McCormack and ex-Busted member Matt Willis is playing Chuck Cranston after just finishing a run in Flashdance.


Footloose is full of high energy electrifying dance routines and classic 80's anthems including Holding Out For A Hero, Almost Paradise, Let’s Hear It For The Boy and Footloose.

It is is based on the hit 80's movie which launched the careers of Kevin Bacon and Sarah Jessica Parker.

Hannah Waddingham, Emma Williams, Julie Atherton, Paul Spicer & Norm Lewis in concert on 30th January

You can see Lance Horne: First Things Last on Sunday 30th January at the Garrick Theatre.

It will star Alan Cumming, Julie Atherton and Paul Spicer (Avenue Q), Hannah Waddingham (The Wizard of Oz) and Emma Williams (Love Story) with special guest star Norm Lewis who is currently playing Javert in Les Miserables at the Queen’s Theatre.

The concert celebrates the release of his debut album Lance Horne: First Things Last which features songs performed by  UK and Broadway artists including Alan Cumming, Lea DeLaria, Cheyenne Jackson, Ricki Lake, Meow Meow, Amanda Palmer, Daphne Rubin-Vega, Alexandra Silber , Julie Atherton, Aneurin Barnard, Paul Spicer, Hannah Waddingham and Emma Williams.

Marti Pellow tour of Jekyll & Hyde starts tomorrow

The new Bill Kenwright tour of Jekyll & Hyde starring Marti Pellow kicks off tomorrow at the Churchill Theatre Bromley before embarking on a 22 venue tour (including Abu Dhabi) which currently ends at the Grand Theatre in Leeds on 30th July.

Jekyll & Hyde has music by Leslie Bricusse (Scrooge, Doctor Doolittle) and includes the songs Someone Like You, A New Life, and This Is The Moment.

Other cast members joining Marti Pellow as Dr Jekyll/Mr Hyde are Emma/Sarah Earnshaw, Lucy/Sabrina Carter, Utterson/Mark McGee, Sir Danvers/David Delve, Lord Savage/Jacob Chapman, General Glossop/Martin Dickinson, Bishop of Basingstoke/Jon De Ville, Poole/James Gant, Lady Beaconsfield and Nellie/Amira Matthews, Bisset/ Daniel Robinson, Sir Archibald Proops/Matt Stevens, Simon Stride/Michael Taibi with ensemble members Grace Gardner, Alexandra Grierson, Carolyn Maitland and  Rob Copeland  and Kerri Watt Ensemble / Swing

Alexia Khadime joins Boys and Atherton in Ordinary Days

West End star Alexia Khadime is joining Daniel Boys and Julie Atherton in the new musical Ordinary Days which previews at the at the Trafalgar Studios on 8th February and runs from 10th February-5th March 2011.

Khadime took over the role of Elphaba from Kerry Ellis in Wicked at the Apollo Victoria in 2009 being succeeded by Rachel Tucker in March 2010. Other musical theatre credits include The Lion King and tour of Whistle Down the Wind with her most recent role was Welcome to Thebes at the Royal National Theatre.


Ordinary days tells the story of Deb who loses her most precious possession - the notes to her graduate thesis - and  unwittingly starts a chain of events that turns the ordinary days of four New Yorkers into something extraordinary. Told through a series of intricately connected songs and vignettes, Ordinary Days is an original musical about growing up and enjoying the view.

Tickets for Ordinary Days

Order Ordinary Days album at: www.amazon.co.uk

Kerry Ellis Anthems Concert extra performance added

 Due to overwhelming demand a second concert has been added for Kerry Ellis and Brian May  Anthems: The Concert at the Royal Albert Hall on 1st May in aid of Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research.  There will now be an earlier  show at 4:00 pm.

Queen’s Brian May and West End and Broadway diva Kerry Ellis will perform the live version of their hit album Anthems in a Concert directed by Hugh Wooldridge.  They will be accompanied by the City of London Philharmonic, The Anthems Ensemble and The West End Chorus and Dancers.

Adam Pascal (Rent, Aida, Cabaret, Chess) will support Brian and Kerry in a programme which will also include songs from Rent, Wicked, Chess, Hairspray, The Rocky Horror Show and the Elton John / Tim Rice Broadway musical, Aida.

Book tickets at: www.royalalberthall.com.

Ron Moody Platform at National

The archetypical Fagin Ron Moody is doing a 45 minute platform in the Cottesloe at the National Theatre at 6:00 pm on Friday 11th February.

He will be talking about his very frank and enlightening memoir A Still Untitled, (Not Quite)Autobiography.  It covers all the twists and turns of his 50 year career, including  his approach to creating characters such as the original Fagin in Oliver!

This Platform is followed by a booksigning

Louise Dearman and Ashleigh Gray at Dress Circle signing tomorrow

"More With Every Line - The Music of Tim Prottey-Jones"  has 13 tracks performed by an impressive list of West End musical theatre stars from "After The Turn" and "Once Bitten", musicals which Tim Prottey-Jones is in the process of developing.

There will be a signing  at Dress Circle in London's Monmouth Street on Saturday, February 12th at 11.30am. Louise Dearman and  Ashleigh Gray will be there.

The full track list is:

1. Bite Your Lip - Jon Boydon & Sabrina Aloueche
2. Fallen - Louise Dearman
3. My Heart Beats In My Song - Daniel Boys
4. Time - Victoria Hamilton-Barritt & Noel Sullivan
5. I Will Be There - Jessie Buckley
6. Butterflies - Tituss Burgess
7. Just One Look - Jon Lee & Julie Atherton
8. See This Day Away - Aaron Lazar
9. I Know Who You Are - Colleen Ballinger
10. Strong Without You - Samantha Barks
11. Rescue Remedy - Drew Sarich
12. More Than You Could Know - Tim Prottey-Jones & Stuart Matthew Price
13. Rain On Me - Rachel Tucker

The album can be pre-ordered at: www.amazon.co.uk

Casting information for Umbrellas of Cherbourg

As previously mentioned, Grammy and Oscar winning composer Michel Legrand (Yentl, Windmills of your Mind) romantic musical The Umbrellas Of Cherbourg is transferring into the West End's Gielgud Theatre in March following a run at Leicester Curve. Umbrellas of Cherbourg previews at the Gielgud Theatre on 2nd March opening on the 22nd March with booking open for performances until 1st October 2911

Joanna Riding will lead the cast as Madame Emery, the mother of Geneviève and owner of a chic umbrella shop. She was recently seen in Billy Elliott The Musical.   She is joined  by cabaret artist Meow Meow (Lola) who specialises in kamikaze cabaret and performance art exotica and won the 2010 Edinburgh International Festival Fringe Prize for her show Feline Intimate. Carly Bawden (Genevieve) and Andrew Durand (Guy) make their West End debuts as the fated lovers. Bawden has appeared on tours of Whistle Down The Wind and Evita, while American actor Durand has appeared on Broadway in Spring Awakening.

The cast is completed by Gareth Charlton (Sailor) , Cynthia Erivo (Madelaine), Dominic Marsh (Cassard), Aki Omoshaybi (Sailor) and ensemble members Laura Brydon and Matt Wilman.

Jonathan Wilkes playing Khashoggi in We Will Rock You Tour at Glasgow

Earl Carpenter is playing Khashoggi (Killer Queen's second-in-command and head of Globalsoft’s police) in the tour of Queen’s We Will RockYou.  But when the show arrives in Glasgow next week Jonathan Wilkes will take on the role and play it from 18th January- 19th February.

Rhydian Roberts takes over when it leaves Glasgow and arrives at the Cardiff Millennium Centre (18th March-11th April) and he also appears at Birmingham Hippodrome from 5th July-6th August.

Cast list for Betty Blue Eyes

Betty Blue Eyes is due to open at the Novello Theatre on 14th April (previews from March 19th)

The cast is led by Reece Shearsmith playing the  hen-pecked chiropodist Gilbert Chilvers and Sarah Lancashire as his wife. Ann Emery who played Billy’s gran in the musical Billy Elliott is playing Mother Dear with David Bamber (Swaby), Jack Edwards (Allardyce), Mark Meadows (Lockwood) and Adrian Scarborough (Wormold).

They will be joined by cast members Ian Conningham, Claire Machin, Kirsty Hoiles, Annalisa Rossi, Rachael Archer, Laura Medforth, Andy Mace, Gemma Wardle, James Barron, Dan Burton, Neil Ditt, Chris Howell, Hollie Taylor, Howard Jones, Holly Dale Spencer, Veronica Hay and Rebecca Louis.

Helena Blackman, Paul Spicer and Michael Bruce Delfont Room Concerts

It has just been announced that West End performers Helena Blackman, Paul Spicer and Michael Bruce are due to perform in cabaret in the Delfont Room at the Prince of Wales Theatre.

Michael Crawford on creating his Wizard of Oz

Andrew Lloyd-Webber’s latest musical The Wizard of Oz is well into rehearsal and due to open at the London Palladium on 1st March (previews start on 7th February).  He is transforming the theatre into the Emerald City and it certainly promises to be a spectacular production with a very strong cast led by West End star Michael Crawford in what is a small role compared to those of  Barnum and The Phantom.

In an interview in the Sunday Mail Crawford says that when he was offered the part the role intrigued him because the Wizard appears in so many guises as a doorman, carriage-driver and the fortune-telling Professor Marvel.  Each of them morphs out of the Wizard's character during fantasy sequences with their own distinct personality. In his inimitable style he has made the parts his own with the carriage-driver as a spiv, the doorman brass buttons and white gloves efficiency, Professor Marvel is a dear old fellow and the Wizard himself is all sorts of marvellous things.

Crawford says he will need to be on top form because the songs are demanding. Andrew and Tim Rice have got together again after 30 years to reunited to write a great song for Professor Marvel about the wonders of the world, which he says he is looking forward to performing but because Tim's lyrics are clever they can be difficult to learn. Apparently he has them written on a piece of paper that I carries everywhere so that he can rehears at every opportunity, being  both terrified and exhilarated by the challenge.

Crawford says that his Wizard is just a little bit more physical than the one in the 1939 film because he wants to play characters who express their personalities through physical quirks.

I heave heard some amazing things about this production from friends working on the show and am really looking forward to it.

Buddy the Musical Tour Dates and Cast

Buddy the Musical tells the story of Buddy Holly with  story with two hours of his greatest hits including That’ll Be The Day, Peggy Sue, True Love Ways, Oh Boy and Heartbeat. It also features  the Big Bopper’s Chantilly Lace and Ritchie Valens’ La Bamba .

The next tour of Buddy the Musical kicks off at the Orchard Theatre in Dartford on 1st February and embarks on a UK tour which currently ends at the Cliffs Pavilion on Southend on 25th June.

The  touring cast of Buddy includes: Buddy Holly: Glen Joseph/Oliver Seymour Marsh sharing the role: Big Bopper: Colin McGregor: Richie Valens: Pedro Reichert: Vi Petty: Catherine Henderson: Norman Petty: Steve Simmonds and Maria Elena: Carla Freeman

We Will Rock You – the Movie

Brian May has confirmed that he is  planning to bring the successful Queen musical We Will Rock You to the big screen as a new movie.

The stage show is currently playing at the Dominion Theatre in London’s West End and is also on a UK tour unil 2012. It written by Ben Elton in conjunction with May and Roger Taylor and  is based on Queen’s music.

May is working with Elton to transform the show into a film  and they already have a script in place. 

The musical opened  in London in 2002 and has played all over the world with productions in Las Vegas, Australia, Russia, Spain and Japan.

Su Pollard's tour of Annie extended

More dates have been added for the tour of Annie starring Su Pollard as the awful Miss Hannigan and David McAlister as Daddy Warbucks.

The next tour date is at the Waterside Theatre in Aylesbury where it runs for a week from 1st February and then tours the UK until it currently ends at the Broadway Theatre in Peterborough on 7th May.

Joanna Riding starring in Umbrellas of Cherbourg at Gielgud in March

Grammy and Oscar winning composer Michel Legrand (Yentl, Windmills of your Mind) romantic musical The Umbrellas Of Cherbourg is transferring into the West End's Gielgud Theatre, with previews from March 5th and the opening night set for March 22nd. .

It will star Joanna Riding (Carousel, A Little Night Music, Witches of Eastwick, Bill Elliott) and cabaret performer Meow Meow and premieres next month at Leicester Curve where it runs from 11th-26 February 2011.

"Les Parapluies de Cherbourg" was originally a 1964 musical film staring Catherine Deneuve and Nino Castelnuovo. The story centres on the doomed romance of young lovers Genevieve and Guy, which goes horribly wrong when Guy is called up for a two-year tour of duty in the Algerian War. The musical features  two of Legrand’s greatest songs “Watch What Happens” and “I Will Wait For You”.

The stage version features new orchestrations by Legrand, is designed by Lez Brotherston and directed by Kneehigh artistic director Emma Rice

Me and My Girl Doing the Lambeth Walk at Shaftesbury?

The West End transfer of Sheffield Theatres’ hit revival of the "Lambeth Walk musical" Me And My Girl is about to be confirmed with the Shaftesbury Theatre mooted for March. 

The show has been receiving rave reviews and closes at the Crucible Theatre on 29th January.  It currently stars Daniel Crossley (Mary Poppins), Miriam Margolyes (Harry Potter) and Jemima Rooper (Lost in Austen).

Me and My Girl is full of classic numbers including Leaning On A Lamppost, The Sun Has Got His Hat On and the Lambeth Walk.