Casting for tour of Evita

Casting has just been announced for the Tour of Evita which kicks off at Bromley on 12th January next year and currently tours until June. 

West End leading lady EMMA HATTON is playing  the iconic role of Eva Perón. She recently played the lead role of Elphaba in the West End’s production of Wicked and has also performed the  roles of Scaramouche and Meatloaf in We Will Rock You at the Dominion Theatre, and Donna in the West End production of Dreamboats and Petticoats.Emma also  performs regularly as a jazz and blues singer , with appearances including The Savoy Hotel, and Ronnie Scott's. Her one-woman show, Songbird, sold out at the Live at Zedel’s season for Crazy Coqs and was followed by Unforgettable at the Jazz Café for the London Jazz Festival. In 2015, Emma recorded her first EP with Anthony Strong entitled Merry Christmas, Darling which went straight to Number 1 in the iTunes Jazz charts and she is currently working with Anthony on her next EP.

Making his UK debut is leading Italian performer Gian Marco Schiaretti  taking on the role of Che. He most recently played the title role of Tarzan in Disney’s Musical Tarzan, in Stuttgart. Prior to this he played Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet across Italy.

 Joining them will be Kevin Stephen-Jones as Argentine President Juan Perón. He has performed extensively across the UK and Europe in over 20 different operas. His musical theatre credits include Cats, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and Love Beyond.

 The cast is completed by Oscar Balmaseda/Magaldi, Sarah O’Connor/Mistress, Natalie Langston, George Arvidson, Lewis Barnshaw, Jessica Ellen, Callum Fitzgerald, Kellie Gnauck, Dominic Adam Griffin, Kate Leiper, Joe McCourt, Jude Neill, Chrissie Perkins, Oliver Slade, Matias Stegmann and Yuval Zoref.

Dick Whittington announced as Palladium panto next Christmas.

Baz Bamigboye has announced in today's Mail  and that following on from the success of  the panto Cinderella which is running at the London Palladium until 15th January, Qdos entertainment are presenting Dick Whittington there next Christmas from Saturday 9 December 2017 to Sunday 7 January 2018

Cinderella is the first Palladium pantomime in three decades, with  ticket sales fast approaching the £6 million mark.Seats for Dick Whittington are  on sale from 10:00 am today. It  will be a brand new production, with  director and producer Michael Harrison joining writer Alan McHugh to work on the storyline.

CAST ANNOUNCED FOR 2017 INTERNATIONAL TOUR OF MARY POPPINS

Casting has just been announced for the 2017 international tour of MARY POPPINS, which will play in Switzerland and Dubai in 2017. Following the UK tour of the production which ends at the Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff on 14th January, the new cast of MARY POPPINS will open at the Theater 11 in Zurich, Switzerland on 1st  February and run until 19th March 2017. The production will then move to the  Dubai Opera in UAE from 1st to 18th May.

Leading the cast in the role of ‘Mary Poppins’ will be Lisa O’Hare in  Zurich  and Zizi Strallen in Dubai  They are joined in both Zurich and Dubai by current cast members Matt Lee as ‘Bert’, Neil Roberts as ‘George Banks’; Penelope Woodman as ‘Miss Andrew’; Wendy Ferguson as ‘Mrs Brill’; Grainne Renihan as ‘Bird Woman’ and Blair Anderson as ‘Robertson Ay’. Joining the company will be Kara Lane as ‘Winifred Banks’ with  Yves Adang; Ryan Anderson; Jeremy Batt; Abby Bebbington; Jabari Braham; Emily Bull; Sophie Caton; Danielle Delys; Glen Facey; Bradley Gibbins-Klein; Hannah Grace; Lucy Harrison; Graham Hoadly; James Hume; Jason Kajdi; Charlie Kendall; Sam Lathwood; Sean Lopeman; Bryan Mottram; Anna Shircliff; Lucie-Mae Sumner; Anu Ogunmefun; Jo-Lucy Rackham; John Stacey; Christine Tucker; Wreh-Asha Walton and Scott Waugh.

Lisa O’Hare has previously played the role of ‘Mary Poppins’ in the West End, the UK tour and in Australia. Most recently she originated the role of ‘Sibella’ in “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder” on Broadway. Her other theatre credits include Eliza Doolittle in Cameron Mackintosh’s production of “My Fair Lady” on the USA national tour and UK tour; ‘Sally Bowles’ in “Cabaret” ‘Gigi’ in “Gigi”, “Anything Goes” at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane; ‘Guinevere’ in “Camelot” and ‘Maria’ in “The Sound of Music”.

Zizi Strallen is currently playing the role of ‘Mary Poppins’ in the International tour production. Prior to this, Zizi starred as ‘Lana’ in Matthew Bourne’s “The Car Man”. Her previous West End credits include: “Cats”; the multi award-winning “Merrily We Roll Along”; “Rock of Ages”; “Dirty Dancing”; “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” and Matthew Bourne’s “Cinderella” at Sadler’s Wells. She has also appeared in “The Music Man” at Chichester Festival Theatre and as ‘Penny Pingleton’ in “Hairspray” at Leicester Curve.

Full Casting for tour of La Cage Aux Folles

The full cast has just been announced for the UK tour of La Cage Aux Folles which will be directed by Martin Connor and choreographed by Bill Deamer.

Joining the previously announced JOHN PARTRIDGE (pictured) as‘Albin’ ADRIAN ZMED as ‘Georges’ and  MARTI WEBB/‘Jacqueline’, friend to Albin and Georges, and owner of the restaurant ‘Chez Jacqueline’ are Dougie Carter as ‘Jean-Michele’, Samson Ajewole as ‘Jacob’, Su Douglas as ‘Marie/Madame Renaud’, Alexandra Robinson as ‘Anne’, Paul F Monaghan as ‘Dindon / Renaud’, and Jon De Ville as ‘Francis’. with Les Cagelles Jordan Livesey, Matthew Ives, Louie-George Daniels, Liam Paul Jennings, Micah Holmes and Richard Leavey. Completing the cast are Luke Byrne, Jane Quinn, and Rachel Cumino.

New Tina Turner Musical heading for West End

Updated 10th January: Tina the Musical is  on track for a Spring 2018 premiere in the  West End. This new production is not the first to be inspired by Tina Turner’s amazing career and often tumultuous personal life. In 2012 Soul Sister, the musical based on Tina’s rocky relationship with Ike Turner hit the stage.

News has just broken that Phyllida Lloyd (Mamma Mia!) is to direct a new musical currently under development about the life of Tina Turner.

Stage Entertainment are collaborating on this world premier with writer  Katori Hall, Frank Ketelaar and Kees Prins,with set and costume designer Mark Thompson, choreography Anthony Van Laast and musical supervisor Nicholas Skilbeck.

Turner said : "We have been working on the musical for over a year now and today I am delighted to be able to share our news as we begin the next chapter of our journey.It has been wonderful to collaborate with Katori and Phyllida and to have my story nurtured by such an amazing creative team is thrilling. London has always had a very special place in my heart and it's wonderful to be back."

Tali Pelman, Group Creative Director, Stage Entertainment said: "It's been an honour for us all to collaborate so closely with Tina Turner on this project. Tina is a music legend and her iconic songs are matched only by the power and inspiration of her remarkable and moving story. We are delighted to be working with Katori Hall, whose writing has a heart and humour that beautifully captures Tina's life story, and to have the extraordinary director Phyllida Lloyd at the helm of such a talented creative team. It's been exciting today to see the project move into its next phase."

Tina Turner, the creative and producing teams met earlier this week in the UK  to present a workshop of the piece.More details to follow.

Casting for La Ronde starring Lauren Samuels

Casting has been announced for the new production of Arthur Schnitzler's La Ronde running at The Bunker Theatre (new venue situated near London Bridge)from 13th February until 11 March with previews from 11th  February.

Lauren Samuels, who recently appeared in Vanities the Musical and Bend it Like Beckham makes a depsature from her usual musical theatre genre  to star  alongside Alex Vlahos (TV drama Versailles and Fortune's Pool). They will be joined by Leemore Marrett Jr and Amanda Wilkin.

Max Gill's new gender-neutral version sets the 1897 play in in south London in 2017. La Ronde looks at sexual morals through the story of pairs of characters in all sections of society and was originally set in Vienna. A cast of four play ten characters and each night it is decided anew which actor will play which role in each scene. Collaborative Artist's production has over 3000 different variations on how the show will play out.

Tickets for La Ronde

Full cast announced for tour of Thoroughly Modern Millie

The full cast for the UK tour of Thoroughly Modern Millie which opens at the New Wimbledon Theatre on 17 January has just  been confirmed.

Sam Barrett (The Fix) will play Jimmy Smith, Graham McDuff (Spamalot) will play Trevor Graydon, and Katherine Glover will play Miss Dorothy joining the previously announced Strictly Come Dancing finalist Joanne Clifton as Millie Dillmount and Michelle Collins as Mrs Meers (for the first six weeks of the tour).

The cast is completed by Jenny Fitzpatrick, Catherine Mort, Damian Buhagiar, Andy Yau, Emma Housley, David Muscat, Alice Baker, Lottie Summers, Laura Marie Benson, Bobby Williams, Marios Nicolaides and Laura Wilson.

Full cast announced for tour of The Addams Family

The full cast has just been announced or the UK and Ireland tour of the musical comedy, The Addams Family. The following will join the already announced, Samantha Womack, Les Dennis, and Carrie Hope Fletcher as Morticia, Uncle Fester and Wednesday Addams.

Cameron Blakely joins as Gomez Addams, with previous theatre credits including Thenardier in Les Miserables in the West End, Smme in Stiles and Drewe’s Peter Pan at the Adelphi Theatre and Fagin in Oliver! at The Watermill Theatre.

Grandma Addams will be played by  Valda Aviks, whose previous theatre credits include Mrs Meeker in Funny Girl (Savoy Theatre/Menier Chocolate Factory), Barushka in Once (Dublin/Phoenix Theatre) and Granny in Into the Woods (Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre).

Charlotte Page will play Alice Beineke, her theatre credits include Christine in The Phantom of the Opera in the West End and A Little Night Music at the Menier Chocolate Factory.

Dale Rapley will play Mal Beineke with theatre credits including King John (Rose Theatre Kingston), Richard III (West Yorkshire Playhouse) and Women on the Verge of A Nervous Breakdown (West End).

Grant McIntyre will play the role of Pugsley Addams in his first UK tour.

Dickon Gough will play Lurch and Oliver Ormson will play Lucas Beineke.

The ensemble will include Kathryn Barnes, Jessica Buckby, Perola Congo, Gavin Eden, Jacob Fisher, Christopher D Hunt, Kirsty Ingram, Rhona McGregor, Scott Paige and Jak Skelly.

Mark Inscoe replaces Maxwell Caulfield with Zoe Doano and Chris Peluso in premiere of Death Takes a Holiday

Updated 11th January: Due to unforeseen circumstances, Maxwell Caulfield had had to pull out of this production and the part of Duke Vittorio Lamberti will now be played by Mark Inscoe. He has an impressive list of theatre credits playing Hugh Dorsey in Thom Southerland’s acclaimed production of Parade at Southwark Playhouse. His many musical theatre credits include William Desmond Taylor in Mack & Mabel (Chichester), Emile de Becque in South Pacific and Professor Higgins in My Fair Lady (Kilworth House), Captain Von Trapp in The Sound Of Music (Leicester Curve), Bernadette in Priscilla, Queen Of The Desert (Palace)  and Tabarro in La Cage Aux Folles (Menier Chocolate Factory).

Thom Southerland is directing the UK premiere of Death Takes a Holiday at the Charing Cross Theatre from 16th January-4th March next year . It has music and lyrics by Maury Yeston and book by Peter Stone and Thomas Meehan:  it is the European premiere of the follow-up to Titanic by its Tony Award-winning composers.

Death Takes A Holiday was nominated for 11 Drama Desk Awards when it premiered Off Broadway in 2011.

Based on the 1928 Italian play of the same name which went on to inspire the movie, Meet Joe Black, starring Brad Pitt, and a lush, romantic score by multi Tony Award winner Maury Yeston (Titanic, Nine), this is a soaring story of the preciousness of life and the overwhelming power of love.In Northern Italy, shortly after World War One, Death disguises himself as a handsome young prince to try to understand why life is so precious and death so feared. But when he unexpectedly falls in love with a newly engaged young woman, this mysterious stranger discovers that love may in fact be stronger than death.

Leading the cast are Maxwell Caulfield (Grease, The Colbys, Little Night Music, Rocky Horror, Chicago, Singin' in the Rain) , Zoe Doano (Cosette in LesMis) and Chris Peluso (Miss Saigon, MammaMia!, Assassins, Beautiful, Showboat) until 11th  February when the role will be taken over by James Gant. They will be joined by Kathryn Akin,Anthony Cable,Trudi Camilleri, Ken Christiansen, Scarlett Courtney, Sophie-May Feek, Matthew McDonald, Gay Soper, Ashley Stillburn, Samuel Thomas and  Helen Turner.

Tickets for Death Takes a Holiday

Musical Theatre Stars at Christmas Charity Concert

Rufus Hound (who is due to appear as Toad in The Wind In the Willows next Summer) is hosting charity concert in aid of Children with Cancer UK on Sunday 18th December 2016 at The Actor’s Church in Covent Garden.

Teh concert features an impressive  line up of musical theatre stars including Ramin Karimloo, Peter Polycarpou, Sandra Marvin, Jordan Shaw, Emmanuel Kojo, Carole Stennett, Norman Bowman, Chris Johnson, Ben Forster, Cassidy Janson,Emma Kingston, Emmanuel Kojo, Jordan Shaw and Michael Xavier.

The concert will also feature the Musical Theatre Masterclass Choir students from the London performing arts school run by Michael Xavier.

Tickets are now on sale.