Leanne Jones & Hannah-Jane Fox Cabarets

You can see the West End stars Leanne Jones and Hannah-Jane Fox performing their own cabarets at the Charing Cross Theatre at 7:30 pm on Wednesday 9th November and Wednesday 23rd November respectively.

Leanne Jones – 9th November - made her professional debut as Tracy Turnblad in Hairspray at The Shaftesbury Theatre when she won Critics Circle Award for Best Newcomer, and The Laurence Olivier Award 2008 for Best Actress in a Musical.

Her other theatre credits include Jack and the Beanstalk at The Alhambra, Bradford, Tick Tick Boom at The Union Theatre, Hairspray at the DUCTAC, Dubai UAE, Naked Truth (UK Tour), and she can currently be seen in You're A Good Man Charlie Brown at The Tabard Theatre. She is playing Fairy Formidable in Beauty & The Beast at The Gordon Craig Theatre in Stevenage this Christmas. She has also done a range of TV, concert and radio appearances and has her own cabaret show Have You Met Miss Jones which has played at venues around London.

Hannah-Jane Fox – 23rd November - is the original Scaramouche in We Will Rock You – a role which she played for over 4 years. Her other theatre credits include Dick Whittington at the Hackney Empire, All You Need Is Love, original casts of Taboo and Rent (all West-End), Hot Stuff in the Leicester Haymarket and can currently be seen in Fings Ain't Wot They Used To Be at the Union.

Her TV credits include The Bill, Raging, Blessed and Fifteen Stories High and she has appeared on Parkinson and at the Queen's Jubilee Concert at Buckingham Palace.

Casting for Tour of Oliver!

As already announced  Brian Conley and Neil Morrissey (Men Behaving Badly) are sharing the role of Fagin in the tour of Oliver which begins in Cardiff on 12th December.

They will be joined by Samantha Barks who was one of the finalists in the Andrew Lloyd Webber "I'd Do Anything" search for Nancy and who has recently been playing Eponine in Les Miserables as Nancy (to 23rd June 2012). Iain Fletcher is Bill Sikes, Jack Edwards/Mr Bumble, Suzie Chard/Widow Corney, Stephen Moore/Mr Brownlow, David Langham/Mr Sowerberry, C J Johnson/Mrs Sowerberry, Stevie Hutchinson/Noah Claypole, Emma Dukes as Bet and Victoria Hay as Charlotte.

The members of the ensemble are: Lincoln Hudson, James Gant, Hadrian Delacey, Joe Maxwell, Kade Ferraiolo, Lee Dillon-Stuart, Matt Harrop, Ryan O'Gorman, Annie Wensak, Kara Lane, Claire Parrish, Alison Connell, Sophie Caton, Beth Davies, Mikaela Newton, Paul Farrell, Nicholas Duncan, Sarah Cortez and Mary Fox.

Matthew Bourne's "Vampiric" Sleeping Beauty

Choreographer Matthew Bourne has just announced he is creating a new version of ballet Sleeping Beauty with "vampiric influences". His version of Tchaikovksy’s Sleeping Beauty will start in 1890: the year of the Russian ballet's original performance in St Petersburg.

Bourne said: “It was an era when fairies, vampires and decadent opulence fed the gothic imagination". The heroine Aurora then grows up into "the more rigid" Edwardian era and wakes up in an age which Bourne describes as  "a world more mysterious and wonderful than any fairy story".

The new production will complete Bourne's reworking of all three Tchaikovsky ballets and will be premiered next Christmas as part of a season at Sadler's Wells marking 25 years of Bourne's company New Adventures.

Bourne is perhaps best known for staging Swan Lake with an all male ensemble. His Nutcracker is on a tour starting at Bromley on 5th November and running until May 2012 spending Christmas and New Year (6th December-22nd January) at  Sadler’s Wells.

Ramin Karimloo to take over as Jean Valjean in Les Miserables

West End star Ramin Karimloo will take over from Alfie Boe to star as Jean Valjean in Les Miserables at the Queens Theatre for a limited period from 29th November-3rd March 2012.  He has already  played Marius and Enjolras in various productions of LesMis.

Karimloo recently played the  title role in the 25th Anniversary concert of  The Phantom of the Opera.  He has also played Raoul and the Phantom in The Phantom of the Opera at Her Majesty's Theatre and originated the role of the Phantom in Andrew Lloyd Webber's Love Never Dies.

He is currently on a short concert tour with his "A Night With the Phantom".

Dirty Dancing’s Jennifer Grey to join judging panel on Strictly Come Dancing

Chief Judge Len Goodman is taking a break over the weekend of November 5th & 6th when Jennifer Grey is to appear as a guest judge on BBC1’s Strictly Come Dancing.

Grey won the last series of US equivalent show Dancing with the Stars. She said: "I'm delighted to be involved and can't wait to see what the contestants have got. I so look forward to the pilgrimage to the birthplace of the greatest dance show - the mecca of spray tans and tangos - and sit in for the great and pernickety Len Goodman."

Grey starred as Baby Houseman opposite Patrick Swayze's Johnny Castle  in the film version of Dirty Dancing and it is hoped that she will perform with one of the male professionals on the programme.

Sweeney Todd now approved by Sondheim for West End opening?

Stephen Sondheim finally shook off his back problem and got to Chichester a couple of days ago to see Sweeney Todd starring an unrecognisable Michael Ball and Imelda Staunton.

He was accompanied by Sir Cameron Mackintosh and according to certain senior cast members he loved the production.  So if he has given his approval presumably the much-mooted West End transfer will take place.

The current strong rumour is that it will open at the Adelphi Theatre after  the National Theatre production of One Man Two Guvnors starring James Corden (which opens on 8th November) ends its limited run on 25th February 2012.

If ever a musical theatre production deserved a West End opening it's Sweeney. I have seen this production a number of times and have to say this is my favourite version by a mile.  It certainly redeems the musical's reputation after the disappointing Tim Burton/Johnny Depp/Helena Bonham Carter film version.

Shakespeare in Love the Musical

The 1998 movie starred Joseph Fiennes, Gwyneth Paltrow, Ben Affleck, Rupert Everett and Dame Judi Dench and was the winner of 7 Academy Awards, and now Sonia Friedman and Disney Theatrical Productions are interested in producing a musical version of Shakespeare in Love which is reputedly opening in London's West End.

According to a report in Variety they have been holding meetings with Tom Stoppard and Jack O'Brien (who shared an original screenplay Oscar for the film with Marc Norman) as they want to collaborate with them plus designer Bob Crowley on the project. O'Brien's last direction in the West End was Andrew Lloyd's Webber's Love Never Dies.

Disney holds the rights to develop “Shakespeare in Love” which was produced by Miramax Films (at that part of the Walt Disney Company. Although Disney Theatrical would not comment on plans for the show, Variety’s Gordon Cox reports that it is targeting “a London launch”.

John Owen Jones and Earl Carpenter to play Phantom on Tour

The Phantom of the Opera Tour starts next February in Plymouth with John Owen Jones (who is currently playing the role in London's West End) and Earl Carpenter playing the role of the Phantom with Katie Hall playing Christine.

Tour dates so confirmed are: Theatre Royal Plymouth (27 February-31 March 2012), Manchester Palace (4 April-19 May), Bristol Hippodrome (22 May-30 June), Dublin Grand Canal (4 July-4 August), Leeds Grand (8 August-15 September), Edinburgh Playhouse (19 September-20 October), Milton Keynes Theatre (24 October-24 November), Cardiff Millennium Centre (4 December-12 January 2013) and Southampton Mayflower (22 January-16 February).

John Owen Jones will open the show at Plymouth and play venues up to   Edinburgh Playhouse until 29th September), after which Earl Carpenter will take over on 1st October.

Earl Carpenter recently played Javert in the West End production of Les Misérables and appeared in the 25th Anniversary tour of the show. He has already played The Phantom and Darryl Van Horne in The Witches of Eastwick in the West End. His touring credits include Joe Gillis in Sunset Boulevard and he is currently playing Khashoggi, in the tour of Queen’s musical We Will Rock You.

After appearing as a finalist in BBC’s search for Nancy in I’d Do Anything Katie Hall was cast to cover the role of Christine in The Phantom of the Opera at Her Majesty’s Theatre and is now the alternate Christine in the production. She  has also played the role of Cosette in Les Misérables at the Queen’s Theatre, on the 25th Anniversary tour and also at the O2 Concert

Cameron Mackintosh said ''After 25 phenomenal years and a glorious celebration of the show's success at the Royal Albert Hall at the start of this month, I'm delighted to announce that a spectacular new production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's legendary musical will come to Southampton in January 2013. With an exciting new design and staging, retaining Maria Björnson's amazing costumes, be the first to surrender to the music of the night and fall in love with the Phantom in his new guise all over again''

The  new production is directed by Laurence Connor, with choreography by Scott Ambler, Set Design by Paul Brown, Costume Design by Maria Björnson, Lighting Design by Paule Constable and Sound Design by Mick Potter. The production is overseen by Cameron Mackintosh and Matthew Bourne.

Theatre Needed for Bridget Jones Musical

Helen Fielding and Lily Allen who are responsible for the book and score for Bridget Jones The Musical are in discussions about finding the right-sized theatre to accommodate the production which is due to star Sheridan Smith in the title role.

The show was recently workshopped and  is expected to open in London’s West End just before Christmas  next year.

New Director for Spice Girls Viva Forever Musical

As reported yesterday,  auditions start today for the new Spice Girls Musical Viva Forever and a workshop is pending, but not under the control of award-winning director Marianne Elliott who is no longer working on the production.  As also reported yesterday,  The Light Princess with a score by Tori Amos which Elliott was also due to direct has been postponed indefinitely at the National.

Ms Elliott co-directed War Horse in London and on Broadway and had been signed by Mamma Mia! producer Judy Craymer to direct Viva Forever and been ‘approved’ by Geri Halliwell and other members of the Spice Girls.

Last night representatives for Craymer and Elliott declined to comment. Paul Garrington, resident director on Mamma Mia!, will now direct the Viva Forever workshop.

The musical is due to open in London’s West End next autumn.

Matthew Bourne National Theatre Platform

Matthew Bourne has a new tour of The Nutcracker which opens at the Churchill Theatre Bromley on 5th November,  plays at Sadler’s Wells in London over Christmas from 6th December-22nd January 2012 and runs until 19th May when it ends at the Theatre Royal Newcastle.

He is doing a platform in the Lyttelton Theatre at the National at 6:00 pm on Monday 21st November when he is in discussion with David Benedict. Running time: 45 minutes. Tickets: £4 (£3 concessions) at https://ticketing.nationaltheatre.org.uk

Bourne celebrates the 25th Anniversary of his company with the publication of a new edition of his book Matthew Bourne’s Adventures in Dance which is available from 17th November 2011. In the book Bourne discusses his work with Alastair Macaulay, talks about his upbringing, training, influences and his distinctive creative methods. Bourne's notebooks, sources and collaboration with dancers all form part of the discussion in this book. This event is followed by a book signing.

Verity Rushworth & Emma Barton appearing in Annie

The West Yorkshire Playhouse are presenting a revival of the 1977 Broadway musical Annie this Christmas. The production will open in the Quarry Theatre in Leeds on 30th November (previews from 21st November) where it will run until 21st January 2012.

The cast includes Duncan Preston, Verity Rushworth (Emmerdale, Departure Lounge, Hairspray, The Sound of Music) , Sarah Ingram (Flashdance, My Fair Lady, Singin' In The Rain ) and Emma Barton (EastEnders, Chicago).

They will be joined by Darren Bennett, Wayne Fitzsimmons, Keri Flanagan, Paul Hazel, Kirby Hughes, Philip Marriott, Martin Neely, Sevan Stephan, Alwyne Taylor and Vicki Lee Taylor.

Set in America during the Depression Annie tells the story of red haired orphan Annie and her dog Sandy who are desperate to escape an oppressive orphanage run by child-hating Miss Hannigan (Sarah Ingram). When millionaire Daddy Warbucks (Duncan Preston), his ever-helpful secretary Grace (Verity Rushworth) decides to adopt Annie her dreams start to come true with a few hitches.

Annie has toured extensively in the UK and America and was last seen in the West End in 1998 starring Lesley Joseph and Lily Savage as Miss Hannigan.  Annie is also on tour until the end of the year starring Su Pollard and David McAlister.

Buy tickets for Annie

John Barrowman, Danielle Hope & Lion King cast at Macmillan Charity Gala

Macmillan Cancer Support is celebrating their centenary this year by holding a charity gala at the London Palladium on Monday 28th November 2011.The evening will be produced by David Ian who is behind West End hits including Grease, Flashdance and The Sound of Music.

The gala will be hosted by Graham Norton and the line-up so far includes: John Barrowman who is currently on a new concert tour:  Danielle Hope who is playing Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz at the Palladium: the cast of The Lion King: comedienne Miranda Hart:  Jimmy Osmond: Fearne Cotton: The Nolans: Robin Windsor and Kristina Rhianoff from BBC’s Strictly come Dancing plus some special guests.

Buy tickets direct from Macmillan on 020 7840 4747. The lines are open Monday-Friday: 9:00 am-5:00 pm.

Ticket prices: £325 for a ticket to the show plus pre and post show party/£225 for a ticket to the show and post show party/£35/£65 for a ticket to the show only.

Dirty Dancing Tour at Christmas

The cast of the tour of Dirty Dancing will be taking part in switching on the Christmas lights for Manchester City Centre, the Trafford Centre and Cheshire Oaks Shopping Centre at the following times:

Thursday 27th October: Trafford Centre, Manchester between 6:00-7:15pm
Thursday 10th November: Albert Square, Manchester between 6:00-8:00pm
Friday 11th November: Cheshire Oaks Outlet Village, Liverpool between 6:00-7:00pm

Auditions start for Viva Forever Spice Girls Musical

Viva Forever is a new musical which Jennifer Saunders is scripting based around the music of the Spice Girls.  It is due to open in London's West End next autumn.

Judy Craymer who is producing has just said that the new show is about to be workshopped and top West End casting director David Grindrod (who also worked on Mamma Mia! for her) is overseeing auditions which start tomorrow.

Frances Ruffelle, Tyne Daly and Linzi Hateley in Kander and Ebb tribute

UPDATED 1st FEBRUARY 2012: Chita Rivera, Janie Dee, Maria Friedman and Marvin Hamlisch are being lined up to appear in a gala performance paying tribute to John Kander and Fred Ebb at the Victoria Palace Theatre  on April 29th, 2012

Other performers expected to take part include Frances Ruffelle, Tyne Daly, Linzi Hateley, Clive Rowe  and Sally Anne Triplett, . The event will raise funds for an ovarian cancer charity and more celebrity performers will be announced shortly. 

Donald Pippin will conduct the BBC Big Band and the concert will feature numbers from Kander and Ebb shows including Cabaret, Chicago, and Kiss of the Spiderwoman.

Box office opens next week :  0844 248 5000 

Cast list for Pippin at Menier Chocolate Factory

The Menier Chocolate Factory is presenting the Stephen Schwartz and Roger O Hirson musical Pippin from 7th December to 25th February 2012. (Previews from 22nd November).

Rehearsals start today and the cast has just been announced:  Harry Hepple (The 25th Annual Puttman Country Spelling Bee at the Donmar) will be playing Pippin. Ian Kelsey (Chicago, Blue Murder, Where the Heart Is, Down to Earth, Casualty and Emmerdale) is Charlemagne: Matt Rawle ( Zorro at the Garrick and Che in Evita at the Adelphi) will be the Leading Player: Frances Ruffelle plays Fastrada ( created the role of Eponine in Les Miserables).

The cast also includes Carly Bawden, (The Umbrellas of Cherbourg Gielgud): Stuart Neal (La Cage Aux Folles - Playhouse Theatre, Piaf - Donmar and The Lord of the Rings - Theatre Royal, Drury Lane) and David Page (Chicago - Cambridge Theatre).

The will be joined by Ben Bunce, Bob Harms, Holly James, Anabel Kutay, David McMullan and Kate Tydman.

Pippin uses the premise of a mysterious acting troupe (via its leading player) to tell the story of Pippin who is a young prince and heir to the throne of Charlemagne as he searches for beauty, glory and fame.  On his journey he has to come to grips with lust, sex, war, politics and religion. Numbers include Corner of the Sky, Welcome Home, No Time at All,With You, Spread a Little Sunshine and Morning Glow.

Sharon D Clarke, Caissie Levy & Alexia Khadime Divas Sing Scott Alan

Following the sold out “Just Me & Them” and “Simply the Music of Scott Alan”, there are two very special concerts the Arts Theatre London on Sunday 13th November 2011 at 4:00 pm & *7:30pm (*when Sharon D Clarke and Caissie Levy not able to perform).

The concert will feature a host of West End and International guests performing songs from Scott Alan’s catalogue of work including  Sharon D Clarke (Ghost, We Will Rock You), Caissie Levy (Ghost, Hair), Alexia Khadime (Wicked, Les Miserables) Ashleigh Gray (Wicked, Betwixt), Chloe Hart (Hairspray, Les Miserables), Natalie Weiss (Wicked US, Les Miserables US), Cassie McIvor (Wicked Japan) plus a very special appearance by Scott Alan.  (All artists subject to availability)

Tickets are £22.50 available in person at the Box Office, by calling 0207 907 7092 or online Tickets for Divas Sing Scott Alan

An Audience With Barry Manilow

ITV1 is presenting An Audience with Barry Manilow on Friday, 28th October between 9:00 - 10:00 pm

Manilow has sold more than 80 million records worldwide will perform  this special one off show in front of a star studded audience. His career has spanned more than four decades, with his many hits including Mandy, Could it be Magic and Copacabana.

The celebrity audience will be able to get up close and personal with the international singing superstar, as he performs some of his classic hits and some new tracks, and  will be invited to ask Barry questions about his life and music career.

Barry Manilow said:"I’m so excited to have been asked to do “An Audience With…”. The list of hosts that have appeared on An Audience With... reads like a who’s who of great talent. It’s an honour to have been asked to host the show.”

Alfie Boe at Lytham Proms Festival Weekend

Alfie Boe will headline a “Last Night of The Proms” concert on Saturday 4th August 2012 at Lytham Proms Festival Weekend.  He will be joined by some special guests and the evening ends with a spectacular firework finale.

Alfie Boe continues to play the lead role of Jean Valjean in Les Miserables at the Queens Theatre until the end of November and them embarks on his “Bring Him Home Tour” until next February.

His new album “Alfie” is released on 31st October and includes duets with Michael Ball and rock legend Robert Plant.

Tickets for Lytham Proms go on sale at 09:00 on Friday 14th October 2011, and for one week only will be at the special discount price of £32.50.

Tickets are available from Ticketline by visiting www.ticketline.co.uk  or by calling 0844 888 9991. Lines are open Monday-Friday  08:30-21:00 and Saturday-Sunday  09:00 -21:00

New Burlesque Musical at Jermyn Street Theatre

Burlesque is a new musical which is being presented at the Jermyn Street Theatre from 8th November to 18th December.

It has been written by Adam Meggido (Showstopper) and Roy Smiles and pays homage to the golden age of the great American book-musical set in 1952 America in a run-down Burlesque Theatre. It is funny, sexy and full of quick fire gags and snappy songs.

Cast: Linal Haft, Buster Skeggs, Jon Paul Hevey, Chris Holland, Alicia Davies, Victoria Serra, Sinead Mathias and Jeremiah Harris Ward

Tickets for Burlesque

Susan Boyle in Tour of I Dreamed A Dream

Britain’s Got Talent Susan Boyle will be making guest appearances on an 11 week tour of the musical about her life story -  I Dreamed a Dream -  which opens at Newcastle Theatre on 23rd March next year and visits Aberdeen, Bradford, Liverpool, Dublin, Bristol, Southend, Cardiff, Birmingham, Inverness and Manchester where it ends on 23rd June.

This will be Susan’s first performance on the UK stage since the 2009 Britain's Got Talent tour. She said: "I am thrilled to be a part of the musical about my life story and very much looking forward to stepping on stage and performing with the cast. It is an honest portrayal of my life and has been a cathartic process to be involved in."

Taking the lead role of Susan Boyle is Elaine C Smith (Calendar Girls and Mary Doll in Rab C Nesbitt). She said: "It's obviously an amazing challenge as a performer to be asked and involved in a project as fantastic as this. There's a lot of pressure to get it accurate and to honour Susan's life story but to do it in a way that is funny, moving and magical and, as the writers, producers and performers, we're doing our best to achieve that. We've been working towards this for the last 18 months but it's now really exciting to see the whole thing come to fruition and to be working with Susan on such a wonderful event."

Ugly Betty to play Roxie in Chicago

American actress America Ferrera makes her West End stage debut next month playing Roxie Hart in Chicago the musical when it re-opens at the Garrick Theatre. She is the Emmy Award-winning actress who played TV’s Ugly Betty which ended in April last year after four seasons.

She will play the role for a limited 8 week run from 7th November and will be joined by Amra-Faye Wright as Velma Kelly who is currently starring in the Broadway production and played the role in the West End opposite Christie Brinkley before the show closed earlier this year.

After her run in Chicago, Ferrera will make her Broadway debut next spring in a revival of Beth Henley’s The Miss Firecracker Contest playing a Mississippi woman who enters a beauty pageant

Chicago opened at London's Adelphi Theatre in 1997, transferring to the Cambridge Theatre in 2006 where it closed in August of this year to make way for Roald Dahl’s Matilda. Ferrera will help celebrate the start of the show's 15th year in London on its anniversary on November 18th.

As well as the Garrick Theatre production, Chicago the musical is going on a UK tour in 2012.  It opens at the Bradford Alhambra on 10th February and has announced dates for Hull, Manchester, Sunderland, York and Edinburgh between February and April next year. Casting still to be announced.

Rhinestone Mondays Tour to finish early and Steps reform

Following my recent blog that the tour of Rhinestone Mondays had cancelled its 2012 dates, the show's producers have now announced that the Country & Western musical comedy starring Lyn Paul and Shaun Williamson will play its final performance on 22nd October at Newcastle Theatre Royal.

The show had been rescheduled to run to 26th November at venues including Dartford, Coventry, Dundee, Dublin and Wimbledon.

The show's producers said: "We are devastated at having to take the decision to bring the tour of Rhinestone Mondays to a premature end, especially as we have such a wonderful cast and creative team who have given this show 1000% every night and audiences who have enthusiastically embraced us and taken us to their hearts.

We have fought hard to keep us from this point but despite our best efforts, we recognise that a new show is always a risk and unfortunately we are beginning to see that the prevailing economic conditions mean that people don’t always have the ability or economic confidence to support new work as they once might have done."

Ex Steps stars Faye Tozer and Ian Watkins also appear in the show and they have today appeared on ITV's This Morning to announce that the group is reforming …

Michael Ball on Sweeney Todd

Sondheim’s Sweeney Todd with Michael Ball playing the Demon Barber of Fleet Street and Imelda Staunton as pie-making Mrs Lovett has been playing to packed houses and received rave reviews at Chichester Festival Theatre with Andrew Lloyd Webber commenting  “this is the best Sweeney I have ever seen” according to Peter Polycarpou who plays he Beadle.

A West End transfer must surely be on the cards early next year with Cameron Mackintosh rumoured to have interested in being involved.

Stephen Sondheim has been suffering from back problems and I believe is due to fly to the UK to see the production as soon as he can.  Hopefully he will give it the final seal of approval.

In an interview with Michael Ball in the Daily Express he said: “I first had the idea of doing it three years ago and mooted it, but what is exciting and unnerving is the speed with which it has come together I couldn't be more proud and thrilled. It's just been a joy to do from beginning to end. It’s the King Lear of musical theatre, which is why I wanted to do it.

On the back of Hairspray it has taken me to both ends of the extreme, having to change myself in every way. Hairspray gave me the courage to do this. The fact that I was able to immerse myself in that and be convincing was brilliant. It was a gag there that no one recognised me but here at Chichester we are genuinely getting complaints every day that I’m not appearing! I don’t think there can be a greater compliment for an actor.

I wanted to change myself physically and I went through a lot of different ideas. I thought of a shaven headed look at one time. I have dimples and curly hair, which is not your typical Sweeney Todd but I wanted to give him a sharpness and an edge. I grew a goatee beard and I wear a hairpiece so that he has straight hair which he can flick to hide his face. I’m a big guy and wanted Todd to move very quickly and suddenly but most of the time be totally contained and closed in. He’s simmering under the surface. He doesn’t show his emotions until he has his breakdown.

I’ve never sung better in my life. I have a high baritone voice but I’ve awakened this bass baritone and can flip into the higher one when I need to. This score requires the biggest vocal range I have ever had to use behind the scenes here.

Doing the show was my idea and I got it going. It happened three years ago on my BBC Radio 2 Sunday Brunch show. Imelda Staunton came on and in between records I asked her if she fancied playing Mrs Lovett and she said “All right then” but it has taken all of this time for us to get together. There was never anybody else considered or wanted.”

Million Dollar Quartet closure leaves room for Sweeney Todd?

As I tweeted last night,  Million Dollar Quartet had its notices yesterday  and will close ten months earlier than planned on 14th January instead of 27th October 2012.

The show's producers said: "We've enjoyed a fantastic year in the West End and audiences have been amazing. The musical has been seen by over 200,000 people, played over 250 performances and grossed in excess of £5 million at the box office. We’d like to thank our cast of extraordinarily talented actors and musicians as well as the great company and crew who have all helped raise the roof of the Noël Coward Theatre night after night."

Good theatre and perfect timing for Sweeney Todd with Michael Ball and Imelda Staunton which is receiving rave notices at Chichester to move into the West End?

Wicked! Day

The musical Wicked! has announced its sixth annual Wicked Day which is a free afternoon of family fun to raise funds for environmental causes in and around the local community.

This year's event will take place between 12 noon and 4:00 pm on Sunday 30th October at the London Film Museum on the South Bank.

For the second year proceeds will be donated to The Woodland Trust's Heartwood Forest Appeal, planting England's largest new continuous native forest near St Albans.

Wicked Day will feature a host of WICKED and Halloween-themed events based around Shiz University Class of 2011. There are activities for all ages including Monkey Workshops, a Storytelling Classroom in association with the production's Wicked! Young Writers' Award, SHIZ Karaoke, Face Painting and “Galinda-fying” Parlours, an interactive SHIZ Playground area, roaming magicians plus cast performances.

Idina Menzel & Marvin Hamlisch on BBC Radio3 today

You can hear Tony Award winning Broadway singer Idina Menzel performing live in the studio today with legendary Broadway composer and conductor Marvin Hamlisch from 16:30 on BBC Radio 3. 

Marvin Hamlisch is appeaaring with Idina Menzel tomorrow night at the Royal Albert Hall and also performing his own concert at the Playhouse Theatre in London's West end on Sunday 9th October.

Jesus Christ Superstar Confirmed for Broadway opening next March

The acclaimed Stratford Shakespeare Festival production of the musical Jesus Christ Superstar which was directed by Des McAnuff with lyrics by Tim Rice and music by Andrew Lloyd Webber will open at the Neil Simon Theatre on Broadway on Thursday, March 22nd 2012 (previews from March 1st).

Dodger Properties and the Really Useful Group will present the Stratford Shakespeare Festival production which features Paul Nolan/Jesus, Chilina Kennedy/Mary Magdalene, Josh Young/Judas, Brent Carver/Pontius Pilate, Bruce Dow/King Herod and Mike Nadajewski as Peter.

The full creative team includes Des McAnuff/Director: Lisa Shriver/Choreographer: Rick Fox/Musical Director: Robert Brill/Set Designer: Paul Tazewell/Costume Designer: Howell Binkley/Lighting Designer: Jim Neil/Sound Designer and Sean Nieuwenhuis/Video Designer.

Lee Mead – The Love Tour

Lee Mead is currently starring in Legally Blonde the Musical at London’s Savoy Theatre playing the part of Emmett until 8th October. 

He is then due to go on a tour of Japan until 18th December but returns to the UK for his Lee Mead’s Merry Christmas Concert at the Barbican on Thursday, 22nd December.

Lee has a new album which is due for release in January 2012 and he is going on The Love Tour with his band during February performing a collection of songs from it. Numbers will include:  Any Dream Will Do : I Believe When I Fall In Love (It Will Be Forever) : Falling Slowly : Your Song : Fix You : Close Every Door: She : If I Can Dream and Anthem (from Chess).

The venues the Love Tour will visit from 11th-26th February 2012  include Bournemeouth Pavilion, Manchester Bridgewater Hall,  Cliffs Pavilion Southend, Cardiff St David’s Hall , Bristol Colston Hall, Liverpool Philharmonic Hall and Birmingham Symphony Hall

Scarlett Strallen is Australian Mary Poppins

Scarlett Strallen was due to perform with Ramin Karimloo at his A Night With the Phantom Concerts which start at Bristol on 13th October, but she has had to pull out as she is now in Australia taking over the role of Mary in Mary Poppins in Sydney for 8 weeks from October 5th to November 27th commencing tomorrow.   

This limited run is to allow the Australian Mary (Verity Hunt-Ballard) to take a break before she begins the Brisbane season of Mary Poppins in January. Strallen has already played the role in London and on Broadway.

Scarlett then returns to the UK to reprise her role as Kathy Selden (the role made famous in the film by Debbie Reynolds) which she played during the summer Singin’ in the Rain at Chichester as the show is now due to start previews at the Palace Theatre in London’s West End from 4th February and opens on 15th February 2012.

Celia Graham will now be joining Ramin on his tour. She most recently played opposite his Phantom as Christine in Love Never Dies.

Billy Elliott to Close on Broadway in January

The hit musical Billy Elliot is to close in New York on 8th January, three years after it began its Broadway run. With music written by Sir Elton John the production has been seen by an estimated 1.65 million people in New York and won 10 Tony Awards in 2009.

The musical proved an early success on Broadway regaining its initial £11.6m outlay after a year and it regularly turned over weekly box office receipts of around £647,425. But in recent weeks the audience has been at around 70%, with discounted tickets cutting box office potential to around 50%.

Variety said that the show's young and constantly rotating cast had created a sustained expense, which it described as "an unusual cost for a Broadway show to bear". They also said that some people in the theatre industry have speculated that Billy Elliot's setting in 1980s England beset with industrial strife had prevented it from becoming a long-running hit in the US.

Its US tour is due to continue, and Billy Elliott is still running in London’s West End at the Victoria Palace where is it currently booking to 8th December 2012.

No more reality TV casting for Andrew Lloyd Webber

Last weekend Andrew Lloyd Webber was involved with three special gala performances of The Phantom of the Opera which was celebrating its 25th Anniversary at the Royal Albert Hall 

He  is refusing to return as a television judge to cast his new shows because he says reality TV is finished. How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria?, Any Dream Will Do and Over The Rainbow were television shows created to cast the leads in his shows The Sound of Music, Joseph and The Wizard of Oz, but he now believes that talent shows have reached saturation point saying "It's great to do telly and I love working with young people. I absolutely adore it. It's terrific to feel there are all sorts of kids who have been influenced to go to musical theatre. But I think the reality shows are at saturation point and probably what proves that is what has happened to X Factor in America."

He added:"I'm rather glad I didn't get involved in American TV, which I was asked to do. I just think it is all going to simply go wrong and I would quite like to come back and do something when I really feel there is a role I would want to cast."

Rock of Ages Children in Need Gala

The 80's hit rock musical Rock of Ages which stars Shayne Ward and Justin Lee Collins is teaming up with Pudsey to raise money for Children in Need at a gala performance at London's Shaftesbury Theatre on 16th November which will be introduced by Gaby Roslin, Tony Blackburn and Vanessa Feltz.

Rock of Ages  transforms the theatre into a bourbon bar serving alcohol to customers at their seats. The fundraising event is two days before the BBC's main charity appeal on 18th  November and all proceeds will help disadvantaged children and young people in the UK.

Last year Jersey Boys raised more than £60,000 for Children in Need in one evening.

Tickets from £20 can be purchased from the Shaftesbury Theatre or by calling the box office on 020 7379 5399.  The face value of all tickets (minus VAT) will be donated to Children in Need.

Phantom of the Opera Tour Confirmed

In the official programme and before the live screening of the Phantom's 25th Anniversary Concert last night the tour of the Phantom of the Opera was confirmed.

The Phantom of the Opera Tour will start at the Theatre Royal Plymouth on February 25th and run until March 31st 2012 (booking opens on Thursday 27th October 2011) and then go on a UK tour which will extend into 2013. 

The venues and booking details will hopefully be confirmed at the end of this week.

Michael Crawford & Sarah Brightman joins Phantom's 25th celebrations

The Phantom of the Opera has been celebrating its 25th Anniversary this weekend with three shows at the Royal Albert Hall plus the live show was screened at certain cinemas in the UK and USA.

Ramin Karimloo and Sierra Boggess played the Phantom and Christine but there was a special finale with Sarah Brightman singing accompanied by Phantoms Karimloo, Colm Wilkinson, Anthony Warlow, John Owen Jones and Peter Joback (who takes over as Phantom from Owen Jones at Her Majesty's next March). At the final show last night Michael Crawford was free from his Wizard duties and joined the line up at the curtain call.

The Royal Albert Hall concert  of Phantom will be released on November 14th on DVD, Bluray, CD and digital download. It will be released in Australia and New Zealand on December 8th. A four-CD and DVD Collectors' box set is also planned.

Marti Pellow in Blood Brothers for four months

Former Wet, Wet, Wet front man Marti Pellow now seems to  be  pursuing a career in musical theatre.  He finished a tour of Jekyll & Hyde playing both personalities earlier this year: he has appeared in the concert version of Chess: played Billy Flynn in Chicago in London and on tour and  recently played the leading role of the devilish Daryl Van Horne in a touring revival of the musical The Witches of Eastwick.

He is now joiing Willy Russell's long running musical Blood Brothers at the Phoenix Theatre in London's West End for a limited run.playing the narrator from 1st November until 3rd March 2012.

Les Miserables Movie in 3D?

In a recent interview with Hugh Jackman (who is playing Jean Valjean in the forthcoming film of Les Miserables), he confirmed that shooting begins next March and that filming in 3D is being considered. It is currently under discussion and some tests will be done soon to see if it is viable.

Jackman said: "We shoot in March. I am going in the next couple of weeks to do my first tests there. I auditioned for it and had about a 3-hour audition for it about 3 months ago. I'm really pumped about doing this. I've done a lot of musicals and I've done a lot of movies, so this feels like something that I've been waiting to do.

It's always interesting - how do you actually convey thought through song? We're used to the convention on stage. In film, we used to be used to it, and now sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. You need to be fresh and really look at the material. 

The director Tom Hooper is basically gonna do it, screen it, look at it, and see if it adds something genuinely or not. I mean, the strength of Les Mis is in its characters and the emotion, so if it aids that, fantastic. If it doesn't I'm sure we won't. It is not like there are massive special effects in Les Mis."

The film of Les Miserables is due to open on December 7th, 2012.