Jake Gyllenhaal and Annaleigh Ashford to star in Sunday in the Park with George in London next June

Academy Award nominee Jake Gyllenhaal and Tony Award® winner Annaleigh Ashford are to reprise their Broadway roles  in Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine’s Pulitzer Prize-winning masterpiece Sunday in the Park with George at the Savoy Theatre in London for a strictly limited 16 week run  from 11h June  - 5th September 2020.

They originally starred in a concert version of the show as part of the 2016 gala for New York City Center. The following year, they returned to the roles under the direction of Sarna Lapine to reopen the historic Hudson Theatre on Broadway.

Sondheim and Lapine's masterpiece follows painter Georges Seurat (Jake Gyllenhaal) in the months leading up to the completion of his most famous painting, A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte. Consumed by his need to 'finish the hat,' Seurat alienates the French bourgeoisie, spurns his fellow artists, and neglects his lover Dot (Annaleigh Ashford), not realizing that his actions will reverberate over the next 100 years.

Originating at New York City Centre in 2017 , the subsequent transfer of this musical was one of the fastest selling musicals on Broadway.

Buy tickets for Sunday in  the Park with George

Louise Dearman, Matt Ford, Mikaela Bennett and Kate Lindsey performing with John Wilson Orchestra in The Warner Brothers Story BBC Prom

Musical theatre stars including  Louise Dearman, Matt Ford, Mikaela Bennett and Kate Lindsey with the Maida Vale Singers will feature as part of this year's BBC Proms in The Warner Brothers Story  at the Royal Albert Hall on Friday 9th August at 3:00pm  and 7.30pm: it will be  broadcast live on BBC Four and BBC Radio 3. The concert will be conducted by John Wilson and will feature his  orchestra presenting an evening of scores from the Golden Age of Hollywood cinema with music from films including The Sea Hawk, The Constant Nymph, Calamity Jane, A Streetcar Named Desire and Harry Potter. 

On the night, there will be a tribute to Doris Day, with "Deadwood Stage" from Calamity Jane being performed, while the 50th anniversary of the death of Judy Garland will be marked with a complete performance of "Born in a Trunk" from the original A Star is Born film.

Tickets for The Warner Brothers Story

Tour of Once the Musical

The award-winning musical Once is to head out on a UK tour opening at Fairfield Halls in Croydon on 19 December.

The show, which opened in the West End in 2013 and won the Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in Music, is based on on the film of the same name, the musical tells the story of two lost souls – a Dublin street busker and Czech musician who fall in love unexpectedly.

The cast will be led by Daniel Healy as Guy and Emma Lucia as Girl, who return to the roles following the production's 2018 run at the New Wolsey Theatre. Further casting is yet to be announced.

Once is directed by Peter Rowe with set and costume design by Libby Watson, musical supervision by Ben Goddard, choreography by Francesca Jaynes, lighting design by Mark Dymock, sound design by James Cook, projection design by Peter Hazelwood and orchestrations by Martin Lowe. Casting is by Debbie O'Brien.

The show has a book by Irish playwright and screenwriter Enda Walsh, and music and lyrics by Academy Award winning Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová. The original production concept is by John Tiffany.

John Partridge to play Emcee in new tour of Cabaret

John Partridge will take on the role of the Emcee in the upcoming tour of Cabaret when it embarks on a new tour from 28yj August. with further casting to be announced.

Partridge was the winner of Celebrity MasterChef in 2018, is well known to TV audiences as EastEnders' Christian Clarke, and one of West End theatre's most prolific leading men (A Chorus Line, Chicago, and La Cage Aux Folles),  and the upcoming The View Upstairs at Soho Theatre

Casting news for movie of Everybody's Talking About Jamie

Initial casting has been announced for the film of Everybody's Talking About Jamie which tells the story of a 16-year-old Sheffield schoolboy who dreams of wearing a frock to his school prom and which starts shooting on on June 24th.

Richard E. Grant will play dress shop owner Hugo and his glamorous alter ego Loco Chanelle. Max Harwood, 21, a drama student from London’s Urdang Academy who has won the lead role after a 12-month search involving 3,500 applicants.

John McCrea, who originated the role of Jamie New in the hit West End musical, will join the cast playing the part of Young Loco. The  company also includes award-winning Sarah Lancashire as Margaret, Jamie’s mother; and Sharon Horgan as Miss Hedge, the careers teacher at fictional Mayfield Comprehensive who clashes with Jamie over his personal choices. Shobna Gulati will reprise her role from the theatre production as Ray, Jamie’s mum’s best friend. Lauren Patel and Sam Bottomley will play key student roles.

The story has been opened out extensively in preparation for cameras rolling:  at the Apollo, where theatre owner Nica Burns transferred it from the Crucible, there are 12 actors playing students. In the film, there will be 1,000 for big production numbers.

Everybody's Talking About Jamie is currently booking at London's  Apollo Theatre until 5th January and is also due to head out on tour opening in Sheffield on th January next year, 

Adam Cooper to star in Singin' in the Rain in London and on tour

Adam Cooper is reprising his role as Don Lockwood in Jonathan Church’s production of Singin’ In The Rain at Sadler’s Wells before heading off on a tour. Performances begin on Friday 24th July 2020 with a Press Night on Thursday 30 July. Tickets go on General Sale on Monday 8th July 2019.  Singin' in the Rain will also reunite the original director Jonathan Church with choreographer Andrew Wright.

Cooper played Lockwood (the Gene Kelly role in the film) for director Paul Kerryson in 2004; and in the Church version at the Palace Theatre in 2011.

He also  performed in Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake there 25 years ago and is working with Bourne again in The Red Shoes playing grand impresario Boris Lermontov opposite Ashley Shaw  at the Theatre Royal Plymouth and Salford Lowry plus the Christmas season at Sadler’s Wells from December 3rd.

Priority booking for Singin' in the Rain is open to Sadler's Wells members from Monday 1st July. It goes on general sale on 8th July. 

Running order and presenters announced for West End Live 2019

West End LIVE returns to London’s Trafalgar Square on Saturday 22nd and Sunday 23rd June. The full line-up of award-winning shows and acts has been released and is now available to view on the West End LIVE website.
 

Joining a host of previously announced musicals including  Come From Away, On Your Feet!, Six, Only Fools And Horses The Musical, 9 To 5 The Musical, Wicked and The Phantom Of The Opera, are new shows and acts including Brooklyn The Musical, Falsettos, The Illusionists, The Barricade Boys and Nadine Benjamin.
 

Faye Tozer and Layton Williams from Everybody’s Talking About Jamie will be sharing a stage with  Amber Davies from 9 To 5 The Musical and Lucie Jones from Waitress, who will also be performing her own songs on the Sunday with Nathan Amzi.

Producer will curate an exclusive segment celebrating new musical writing, featuring excerpts from musicals first workshopped at MT Fest UK earlier this year.

Presenters sharing hosting duties on the West End LIVE stage, includes comedian, actor and musical theatre performer Jason Manford, who hosted the Olivier Awards in April.West End LIVE continues its partnership with Magic Radio, with presenters Emma B, Tom Chambers, Tom Price and Harriet Scott all co-hosting the stage across the weekend.

Louise Dearman and John Owen Jones, who are both performing this year, will also be hosting.
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First casting news for tour of Dolly Parton`s 9 to 5 Musical

The producers of the tour of 9 TO 5 THE MUSICAL today announced casting for the second production of the show when it embarks on an 11 city tour of the UK and Ireland from 6th September 2019. Full casting for each venue will be announced soon.

Louise Redknapp and Amber Davies will appear in the UK and Ireland tour:  Redknapp will appear as Violet Newstead in Manchester, Milton Keynes, Liverpool, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Dublin. Davies will play Judy Bernly in Birmingham, Manchester, Milton Keynes, Liverpool, Glasgow, Woking, Aberdeen, Cardiff, Sunderland, Edinburgh and Dublin. Caroline Sheen will play Violet Newstead in Cardiff, and Brian Conley has been confirmed to play Franklin Hart in Milton Keynes.

The London production at the Savoy Theatre currently stars Louise Redknapp as ‘Violet Newstead’ (until 29 June 2019) and Caroline Sheen as ‘Violet Newstead’ (from 4 July 2019), alongside Amber Davies as ‘Judy Bernly’, Natalie McQueen as ‘Doralee Rhodes’, Bonnie Langford as ‘Roz Keith’ and Brian Conley as ‘Franklin Hart’ until 31 August 2019. Casting for the London production from 2nd September 2019 onwards will be announced in due course. The production at the Savoy Theatre is currently booking until April 2020.

 

9 TO 5 THE MUSICAL opened in the West End in February, where Dolly Parton attended the premiere and joined the cast on stage at the finale. The musical features a book by Patricia Resnick, the legendary film’s original screenwriter, and an original Oscar, Grammy and Tony award-nominated score by multi Grammy Award winner, country legend and pop icon Dolly Parton.

Samantha Mumba to share the role of Teen Angel with Peter Andre and Ore Oduba in the new tour of Grease

It has just been announced that Samantha Mumba is to share the role of Teen Angel with Peter Andre and Ore Oduba in the upcoming tour of Grease, it has been announced. Her  previous work includes a pop career and a Grammy nomination for her track "Baby, Come on Over". Her debut album Gotta Tell You was released in 2000 and reached number nine on the UK and US charts.

Samantha Mumba will play Teen Angel from 17 to 23 September in Dublin, alongside Ore Oduba who stars in the role on 24 and 25 June and from 29 June-16 July at Leeds Grand. , Oduba will also perform at Birmingham Hippodrome on 19, 20 23 and 24 August and King's Theatre, Glasgow from 27 -31 August.

Peter Andre's dates are 19 to 22 June, 26 to 28 June and 17 to 20 July at Leeds Grand Theatre, 24 to 26 July at Cliffs Pavilion, Southend, 30 July to 3 August at Sunderland Empire, 13 to 17 August and 21 and 22 August at Birmingham Hippodrome, 10 to 14 September at Curve, Leicester, 24 to 28 September at Bord Gáis Energy Theatre, Dublin, 2 to 5 October at New Theatre, Oxford and 8 to 12 October at Churchill Theatre, Bromley.

Full cast for The Bridges of Madison County at the Menier Chocolate Factory

With rehearsals starting today, the full cast has been announced for The Bridges of Madison County which runs at the Menier Chocolate Factory from 13th July-14th September 2019 (press night Tuesday 23rd July).  Joining the previously announced Jenna Russell is Edward Baker-Duly/Robert who last appeared at the Chocolate Factory in Rookery Nook.  His other theatre credits include The King and I (Broadway and Palladium), South Pacific (National Theatre), Kiss Me Kate (Sheffield Crucible), Peter and the Starcatcher (Off-Broadway), The Wizard of Oz (Palladium), Gone With the Wind (New London) and West Side Story (Prince of Wales) with Shanay Holmes /Marian (theatre credits include Rachel Marron in The Bodyguard (Adelphi), Jesus Christ Superstar (Open Air Theatre, Regent’s Park), Thriller (Lyric), Close to You- Bacharach Re-imagined (Criterion) and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Kilworth House) and Gillian Kirkpatrick/Marge (theatre credits include Sweeney Todd (Chichester and Adelphi), Blood Brothers (Phoenix), Billy Elliot (Victoria Palace), Spring Awakening (Hope Mill), Sunny Afternoon (Pinter), American Psycho (Almeida), Into the Woods (Royal Opera House), The Rink (Orange Tree) and for Opera North: Paradise Moscow and Sweeney Todd) and Paul Monaghan/Charlie who has just appeared in Man of La Mancha at the Coliseum.  Other credits include: Cats (Palladium and UK tour), Les Misérables (Palace and 10th Anniversary Concert), The Phantom of the Opera (Her Majesty’s), La Cage aux Folles (UK tour) and A Man of No Importance (Arts) and Dale Rapley/Bud whose theatre credits include: Mamma Mia! (Prince Edward), Richard III and Romeo and Juliet (Shakespeare’s Rose, York), The Addams Family (UK tour), Wicked (UK tour), The Merchant of Venice (Shakespeare’s Globe), Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (Playhouse), King John (Rose Theatre, Kingston) and A Midsummer Night’s Dream and High Society (both at the Open Air Theatre, Regent’s Park).

Jenna Russell has appeared in the Menier Chocolate Factory productions of Sunday in the Park with George (West End and Broadway; Olivier Award for Best Actress and Tony nomination) and Merrily We Roll Along (Olivier nomination); most recent theatre credits include Fun Home (Young Vic); Di and Viv and Rose (Vaudeville), Grey Gardens (Southwark Playhouse), Season’s Greetings (National), Into the Woods (Regent’s Park) and Guys and Dolls (Piccadilly; Olivier nomination).  On television she has been a regular on EastEnders, Minder, Born and Bred and Picking Up the Pieces.

They are joined by Georgia Brown/Chiara/Ginny/State Fair Singer, Maddison Bulleyment/Carolyn and David Perkins/Michael.

Bernadette Peters UK Concert Tour Dates cancelled

Broadway star Bernadette Peters  UK tour dates due to take place later this month have been cancelled.

A statement released by the promoter said:"We regret to announce that we are unable to present our planned UK Tour with multi award-winning actress Bernadette Peters, as a result of Speckulation Entertainment Ltd's unforeseen inability to fulfil our contractual obligation.We apologise for any inconvenience that this may cause. Online bookings will be refunded automatically. Patrons who booked via others methods should contact their point of purchase for a full refund."

Bill Ward To Join The Cast of EVERYBODY'S TALKING ABOUT JAMIE

Bill Ward, who is best known for his roles Charlie Stubbs in Coronation Street and James Barton in Emmerdale with musical theatre credits including Million Dollar Quartet, Legally Blonde and Viva Forever!   is to join the company of Everybody's Talking About Jamie for a limited run from  1st July.

Ward will  portray the character Hugo and his drag alter ago, Loco Chanelle replacing RuPaul's Drag Race Winner,  Bianca Del Rio, in the role, who leaves the show at the end of June.

He will join current cast members: Layton Williams (Jamie New), Faye Tozer (Miss Hedge), Alex Anstey (Laika Virgin), Luke Baker (Dean Paxton), Courtney Bowman (Fatimah), Marvyn Charles (Swing), Marlon G Day (Dad), Momar Diagne, Zahra Jones (Becca), James Gillan (Tray Sophisticay), Ryan Hughes (Mickey), Daniel Jacob (Sandra Bollock), Melissa Jacques, Emily Kenwright (Vicki), Sejal Keshwala (Ray), Luke Latchman (Sayid), Jordan Laviniere (Cy), Rebecca McKinnis (Margaret New), Harriet Payne (Bex), Rachel Price (Swing), Sabrina Sandhu (Pritti Pasha), Biancha Szynal (Swing), Adam Taylor (Swing) and Ziggy Tyler Taylor (Levi).