David Bedella to join the cast of &Juliet

David Bedella is to join the cast of  &Juliet, it has been announced.  He will star as Lance alongside the already announced Miriam-Teak Lee, Oliver Tompsett, Cassidy Janson, Arun Blair-Mangat, Melanie La Barrie, Jordan Luke Gage and Tim Mahendran.

The two-time Olivier Award-winner's work includes roles in Jerry Springer the Opera and In the Heights. Theatre credits include: Kevin Rosario in In The Heights (King’s Cross Theatre, Olivier Award), Paul in A Chorus Line, Warm Up Man/Satan in Jerry Springer The Opera (Cambridge Theatre, Olivier Award), Roger DeBris in The Producers (UK Tour), Frank N Furter in Rocky Horror Live (Playhouse Theatre), Nell Gwynn (Chicago Shakespeare Theatre)Film credits include: Batman Begins and Alexander TV credits include: By Any Means, Inside No. 9 and Deep State.

It  has  a limited run in Manchester in September, before opening in London in November.

The new musical features songs written by pop composer Max Martin, who has written some of the biggest pop tracks of the last 30 years, including tunes performed by Backstreet Boys, Justin Timberlake, Britney Spears, Katy Perry and Ariana Grande.

Barry Manilow to headline BBC Proms in the Park

It has just been announced that Barry Manilow is to headline BBC Proms in the Park on Saturday 14th September at Hyde Park, London.  The event will be compered by Michael Ball and Barry will be joined by founding member of The Pretenders Chrissie Hynde, English-Italian singer-songwriter Jack Savoretti,  90s British pop duo the Lighthouse Family, East London-born RnB and soul singer Gabrielle, operatic soprano Aida Garifullina, Rock Choir with the BBC Concert Orchestra conducted by  Richard Balcombe. Further line up announcements are still to  follow.

The show will be broadcast live on BBC Radio 2 as part of the world-famous Last Night of the Proms.

The Grammy award-winning singer Barry Manilow has a a career spanning more than 50 years, famous for global hits including  ‘Copacabana (At the Copa)’ (1978), ‘Mandy’ (1974) and ‘Can’t Smile Without You’ (1977), will headline Proms in the Park 2019.  Manilow has recorded and released 47 Top 40 singles, including 12 numbers ones, some of which he will bring to Hyde Park for a live performance alongside the BBC Concert Orchestra. He said: I am so excited to be coming back to London’s Hyde Park for Proms in the Park in September! I always love performing with the BBC Concert orchestra, so I know we’re all in for a wonderful time.

Buy tickets for Proms in the Park 

David Hasselhoff to play Ebenezer Scrooge in a new musical arena tour

David Hasselhoff will take on the role of Ebenezer Scrooge in a new musical arena tour, Scrooge – The Family Spectacular with more casting news to follow soon. 

The tour opens   at Cardiff Motorpoint Arena from 6-8 December  before visiting the Birmingham Resorts World Arena and Nottingham Motorpoint Arena on 28th December. At every performance there will be a £3,000 cash prize for one audience member.

Hasselhoff shot to fame  in Baywatch and Knight Rider- He will play the iconic miser in the play, which will also feature a hologram of Pauline Quirke as the Ghost of Christmas Past projected on to a giant 20m x 5m screen. There will be a  horse-drawn carriage, pulled by a 16-hand white Arab stallion horse, as well as a flying four poster bed, a ghost train and over 70 performers from The Pauline Quirke Academy.

Hasselhoff said: "I've dreamt of playing Scrooge for a long time. The great thing about this production is that it's not a panto, it's a fully-fledged Christmas show. It's the Dickens classic with great music on a spectacular scale in huge arenas. But just imagine coming to see the show and then walking away with £3,000 in cash! That's pretty incredible."

Tickets for Scrooge – The Funny Family Spectacular

Sierra Boggess and Ramin Karimloo Lead TO GILLIE WITH LOVE concert

A stellar cast including  Sierra Boggess and  Ramin Karimloo are to appear in TO GILLIE WITH LOVE at  The Gillian Lynne Theatre,  Tuesday 2nd July 2019 at 7.30pm

The evening is in in celebration of the prolific and dearly-loved director choreographer, Gillian Lynne DBE will take place on  at The Gillian Lynne Theatre, Drury Lane in London. A year and a day after Gillian sadly passed away, stars of the world of dance, theatre, film and TV come together to show their admiration and thanks to this unique and remarkable individual who helped, guided and inspired so many.

Celebrating iconic moments from her lifelong and extensive career, the evening will feature Anthony Barclay; Christopher Biggins; Sierra Boggess; Greg Castiglioni; Lorna Dallas; Ben Forster; Anna Francolini; Jason Gardiner; Nickolas Grace; Linzi Hateley; Michael Howe; Ramin Karimloo; Hannah Kenna Thomas; Jeremy Kerridge; Beverley Knight; Peter Land; Emily Langham; Annabel Leventon; Iain Mackay; Robert Meadmore; New Adventures Company; Caroline O'Connor; Jonjo O'Neil; Richard O'Brien; Sergei Polunin; Stuart Matthew Price; Hugh Quarshie; Jack Rebaldi; Liz Robertson; Sir Ken Robinson; Tamara Rojo; Jamie Safir; Wayne Sleep; Scarlett Strallen; Una Stubbs and Hannah Waddingham. The evening will also feature a choir with students from Arts Ed and the Royal Academy of Music.

As well as honouring Gillian, the evening will launch the Lynne and Land Foundation, which Gillian and her husband Peter Land established to enable talented young performers to achieve their dreams by providing scholarships and grants to reach their full potential in the choreographic arts, drama and musical theatre.

Tickets are now on sale for To Gilie with Love

Miracle on 34th Street musical running at Liverpool Playhouse this December.

The musical version of the iconic Christmas film Miracle on 34th Street will run at Liverpool Playhouse from 7th December to 4th January 2020, with cast and creative team to be announced.

Directed by the Everyman and Playhouse artistic director Gemma Bodinetz, the musical has book, music and lyrics by Meredith Willson, and is based on George Seaton's original '40s screenplay (which was re-made for the screen in 1994 starring Richard Attenborough).

Set between Thanksgiving and Christmas Day, the piece follows a man, Kris Kringle, who claims to be the true Santa Claus. It features classic festive hits including "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas".

Tickets, priced £10 to £40, are on public sale from 12noon on Monday 29 April 2019

Full cast announced for Oklahoma! at Festival 2019 Chichester Festival Theatre.

It has just been announced that Bronté Barbé, Isaac Gryn, Emmanuel Kojo and Scott Karim are to join the company of  Rodgers and Hammerstein’s OKLAHOMA!, which Jeremy Sams directs in the Festival Theatre from 15th July – 7th September.

The full company has been confirmed to join Josie Lawrence (Aunt Eller), Amara Okereke (Laurey) and Hyoie O’Grady (Curly). Making their Chichester debuts are Bronté Barbé (Beautiful, Over the Rainbow) as Ado Annie, Isaac Gryn (Bugsy Malone) as Will Parker and Emmanuel Kojo (Show Boat, Girl From The North Country) as Jud Fry, while Scott Karim (The Country Wife, Young Marx) returns to play Ali Hakim. 

The company is completed by Michelle Andrews, Georgie Ashford, Lindsay Atherton, Imogen Bailey, Jeremy Batt, Alex Christian, Nicolas Colicos, Christopher Dickins, Paige Fenlon, Alyn Hawke, Bethany Huckle, Emily Langham, Michael Lin, Rory Shafford, Jak Skelly, Rhys West and Anna Woodside.

Rylan Clark-Neal joining Nativity the Musical in London

The producers of ‘NATIVITY! THE MUSICAL’, have just  announced Rylan Clark-Neal will be playing  ‘The Critic’ alongside the previous announced Simon Lipkin as ‘Mr Poppy’ who will reprise the role for a third year when the show returns to The Eventim Apollo, Hammersmith  from 11th- 29th December 2019. Rylan and Simon are the initial London cast to be announced, with further star casting to be released at a later date.

It  will be Rylan’s London stage debut.  He  appeared on ITV’s “X Factor” in 2012 where he finished in fifth place. Since then, Rylan has rapidly established himself as a popular television and radio presenter. Following winning “Celebrity Big Brother” in 2013, Rylan went on to present “Big Brother’s Bit on the Side” and “Celebrity Big Brother’s Bit on the Side” and was a host on ITV 2’s “Xtra Factor”. 

Rylan now regularly presents on ITV’s “This Morning” and presents a show on BBC Radio 2 on Saturday afternoons. His presenting successes saw him be nominated for ‘Best Presenter’ at the 2016 and 2017 NTAs and he won the title of ‘Radio Times TV Presenter Champion’ in 2017. Most recently Rylan appeared on the BBC’s “Celebrity Apprentice” and Channel 4’s “Celebrity Bake Off”.  Rylan was mostly recently announced as a co-presenter for BBC Two’s ‘Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two’ for the 2019 season.

Rylan says ‘I’m so excited to be joining the company of “Nativity! The Musical”. The Eventim Apollo is such an iconic London venue and I am thrilled that I will be performing to thousands of people as ‘The Critic’ which is such a terrific role. Alan Carr played it in the film and Jo Brand on stage last year, I have big shoes to fill but I can’t wait to get started”.

BEAUTIFUL – THE CAROLE KING MUSICAL to tour again next year

Following a highly successful West End run/a run of two and a half years in the West End and a sell-out tour in 2017/18, Paul Blake, Sony/ATV Music Publishing and Mike Bosner in association with Michael Harrison are delighted to announce that the Olivier, Tony and Grammy award-winning BEAUTIFUL – THE CAROLE KING MUSICAL will hit the road again and tour throughout the UK and Ireland in 2020, opening at the Churchill Theatre Bromley on 11th January. Cast to be announced.

Below are the dates we have so far with more to follow:

---SATURDAY 11 JANUARY – SATURDAY 18 JANUARY
The Churchill Theatre, Bromley
---TUESDAY 21 JANUARY – SATURDAY 25 JANUARY
Hull New Theatre
----TUESDAY 28 JANUARY – SATURDAY 1 FEBRUARY
His Majesty’s Theatre, Aberdeen
---MONDAY 3 FEBRUARY – SATURDAY 8 FEBRUARY
Royal & Derngate, Northampton
---MONDAY 10 FEBRUARY – SATURDAY 15 FEBRUARY
Congress Theatre, Eastbourne
--TUESDAY 18 FEBRUARY – SATURDAY 22 FEBRUARY
New Victoria Theatre, Woking
--TUESDAY 25 FEBRUARY – SATURDAY 29 FEBRUARY
Bristol Hippodrome
--TUESDAY 3 MARCH – SATURDAY 7 MARCH
The Alhambra Theatre, Bradford
---MONDAY 9 MARCH – SATURDAY 14 MARCH
Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff
---TUESDAY 17 MARCH – SATURDAY 21 MARCH
Sunderland Empire
--TUESDAY 24 MARCH – SATURDAY 28 MARCH
New Wimbledon Theatre
--TUESDAY 7 APRIL – SATURDAY 11 APRIL
Milton Keynes Theatre
--TUESDAY 14 APRIL – SATURDAY 18 APRIL
Venue Cymru, Llandudno
--TUESDAY 21APRIL – SATURDAY 25 APRIL
Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury
---TUESDAY 28 APRIL – SATURDAY 2 MAY
Cliffs Pavilion, Southend
---TUESDAY 5 MAY – SATURDAY 9 MAY
Edinburgh Playhouse
---TUESDAY 19 MAY – SATURDAY 23 MAY
Liverpool Empire
---TUESDAY 26 MAY – SATURDAY 30 MAY
King’s Theatre, Glasgow
---TUESDAY 2 JUNE – SATURDAY 6 JUNE
Royal Concert Hall Nottingham

Alistair Brammer to take over role of Fiyero in Wicked West End

Some new casting has been announced for  Wicked at the Apollo Victoria Theatre  which is  booking until 23rd May 2020.
 

Alistair Brammer, known for his role as Chris in  Miss Saigon on Broadway and in the West End as well as Marius in Les Misérables and War Horse, will take on the role of Fiyero from 22nd July 2019.

David Witts, who is currently playing the role at the  will have his final performance on Saturday 20th July 2019. 

Further casting for the West End production is to be announced.

Tyrone Huntley to star in European premiere of US musical The View Upstairs

Updated 15th May; it has just been announced that  Tyrone Huntley will star as young fashion designer Wes alongside an already announced impressive cast  for the European premiere of the LGBT US musical The View Upstairs at Soho Theatre which runs from 18th July-24 August with a press night on Tuesday 23 July.

Andy Mientus, Declan Bennett, Victoria Hamilton-Barritt, Cedric Neal and  John Partridge will star as Patrick, Dale, Inez, Henri and Buddy.

Broadway and television actor, Andy Mientus will be making his UK theatre debut. He has starred in numerous musicals including Marius in Les Misérables, and Hanschen in Deaf West Theater's revival of Spring Awakening, which he also co-conceived with director Michael Arden. He played regular character Kyle Bishop on the TV show Smash opposite Debra Messing, Jack Davenport and Katharine McPhee. He can currently be seen in the new NBC/Universal/WGN America series Gone starring Chris Noth, as well as the upcoming anthology series Dolly Parton's Heartstrings on Netflix.

John Partridge is well known for his extensive TV work, including Christian Clarke in EastEnders (BBC), winning Celebrity MasterChef (BBC), participating in BBC1's gymnastics show Tumble and being a judge on Over the Rainbow (BBC). John began his career at the age of 16 in the original UK tour of Cats and subsequently went on to star as Rum Tum Tugger in both the West End production and the film opposite Elaine Paige and John Mills. John's other theatre credits include Zach in A Chorus Line (London Palladium), Robert Martin in The Drowsy Chaperone(Novello Theatre), The Fix (Donmar Warehouse) directed by Sam Mendes, Billy Flynn in Chicago (national tour), in Miss Saigon (national tour). He is currently playing Turai in Tom Stoppard's Rough Crossing (national tour).  

Declan Bennett, is best known for playing t Charlie Cotton in EastEnders from 2014 to 2017. He was in boyband Point Break before beginning his career on stage, where he has starred in shows such as Jesus Christ Superstar (Open Air Theatre), Once (Phoenix Theatre), American Idiot (St. James Theatre/Broadway), Rent (Nederlander Theatre/Broadway/US National Tour), Fatherland (Lyric Hammersmith) and Kiss of the Spider Woman (Menier Chocolate Factory).

Victoria Hamilton-Barritt's wide range of theatre credits include Kate in The Wild Party (The Other Palace), Joan in Miss Littlewood (RSC), Narrator in Murder Ballad (Arts Theatre), Daniella in In The Heights (Kings Cross Theatre/Southwark Playhouse), Diana Morales in A Chorus Line (London Palladium), Gypsy Rose Lee/Louise in Gypsy (Curve), Rizzo in Grease (Piccadilly Theatre) and Alex Owens in Flashdance (Shaftesbury theatre, No.1 Tour).

Cedric Neal was a semi-finalist in The Voice, 2019 on ITV1, as part of Team Tom. Cedric has starred in Motown the Musical (Shaftesbury Theatre), played alongside Audra McDonald in the 2012 Tony award-winning Broadway production of Porgy and Bess, and recently played  the Arbiter in Chess (London Coliseum).

Also in the cast are Carly Mercedes Dyer (Hadestown, Dreamgirls, Memphis) as Henri, Gary Lee (Flashdance, Ghost) as Freddy, Joseph Prouse (Hadestown, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, Jersey Boys) as Richard and Derek Hagen (The Twilight Zone, 20th Century Boy & Carousel) as Cops/Realtor. Casting for the role of Wes to be announced.

The musical opens in present day when Wes, a young fashion designer buys an abandoned space, not realising this had been the UpStairs Lounge, a vibrant '70s gay bar in the French Quarter of New Orleans, which, in 1973, was burned down in an arson attack, killing 32 people, and making it the worst attack on the LGBTQ+ community until the 2016 shooting at The Pulse nightclub in Orlando. THE VIEW UPSTAIRS brings to life this forgotten community and takes the audience on an exhilarating journey of seduction and self-exploration, celebrating the lives of those forgotten, while featuring a soulful, rock and jazz score.

The View Upstairs has been  written by Max Vernon and will be directed in London by Jonathan O'Boyle with choreography by Fabian Aloise, set and costume design by Lee Newby, lighting by Nic Farman, sound by Adam Fisher and casting by Will Burton.

Tickets for The View Upstairs

Pet Shop Boys announce new musical MUSIK starring Frances Barber

Writer Jonathan Harvey and Pet Shop Boys Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe are to present the world premiere of a new cabaret show at the 2019 Edinburgh Fringe. MUSIK is a 50-minute, one-woman show with an outrageous book by Jonathan Harvey and six songs by Tennant and Lowe including four new ones written for this show. Outrageous club hostess Billie Trix is set to return with multi-award-winning Frances Barber reprising the role she first played 18 years ago in Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe’s West End musical Closer To Heaven

‘MUSIK’ will run from 5th to 24th August at Assembly Rooms (Bijou venue), 54 George Street, Edinburgh, EH2 2LR. Tickets go on sale at 10:00 Thursday 18th  April atwww.assemblyfestival.com

The Pet Shop Boys said: “When we wrote ‘Closer to Heaven’ almost 20 years ago, we loved the compelling outrageousness of the character Bille Trix as written by Jonathan and performed by Frances Barber. We have all discussed for many years the idea of creating her own one-woman show which would give us the chance to write more songs for her as she looks back on her incredible career. We’re thrilled that this show is finally happening.”

Jonathan Harvey said: “It has been such a treat reconnecting and working with Chris and Neil on this, 20 years after our first foray into musical theatre writing. In ‘MUSIK’ Billie, dried up, drug-addled icon and rock star, tells us about her life and sings her biggest hits. I can’t wait to see Frances Barber inhabit her again as she did so hilariously and so touchingly all those years ago.”

Frances Barber is an award-winning star of stage, screen and TV. Her extensive credits include the films ‘Prick Up Your Ears’, ‘We Think the World of You’, ‘Dead Fish’ and ‘Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool’. Her numerous TV credits include ‘The Street’, multiple guest starring episodes of ‘Doctor Who’ as Madame Kovaria and ‘Silk’. In the West End she recently played Mrs. Cheveley in ‘An Ideal Husband’.

Fleur East, Joe McElderry and Matthew Croke part of line up in concerts for charity Children With Cancer UK.

Fleur East, Joe McElderry, Flawless, BGT illusionist Marc Spelmann, Aladdin's Matthew Croke and  X Factor’s Lauren Platt are among the artists  providing you with an evening of  entertainment suitable for the whole family to celebrate the success of the charity Children With Cancer UK at the following venues:

15th Sept - Nottingham Royal Concert Hall
22nd Sept - Birmingham Symphony Hall
29th Sept - Liverpool M&S BANK Arena
13th Oct - Fairfield Halls Croydon 

Since 1987, Children with Cancer UK has raised over £230 million to support research into the causes and treatment of childhood cancers, and to provide better facilities for caring for children and their families. The founder, Eddie O’Gorman won a lifetime achievement award at this year’s Pride of Britain.

Buy tickets for Bravery to the Bell Concerts

Bill Kenwright and Paul Taylor-Mills to premiere Cruel Intentions: the 90s Musical

Bill Kenwright has again joined forces with Paul Taylor-Mills (the last time was on the hit Heathers Musical) to premiere a new musical based on the 1999 cult movie Cruel Intentions  in Edinburgh from 1st-25th  August at  the Palais du Variété Spiegeltent at Assembly George Square Gardens , marking the 20th anniversary of the original film which was an adaptation of Pierre Choderlos de Laclos’ 1782 novel Les Liaisons dangereuses directed by Roger Kumble, and  starred Sarah Michelle Gellar, Ryan Phillippe, Reese Witherspoon, and Selma Blair.

Set among a group of wealthy teenagers at school in New York City, the musical is the  story of two of Manhattan’s ‘most dangerous liaisons’, Sebastian Valmont and Kathryn Merteuil who live in a manipulative world seduced by revenge and fuelled by passion as the step-siblings bet on destroying an innocent girl. Weaving a web of secrets and temptation, they become entangled in the cruellest game of all... love.

The action of the piece will be played out to a sound-track of some of the most iconic hits of the 90’s including Natalie Imbruglia’s Torn, I Saw the Sign by Ace of Base, Boyz II Men’s I’ll Make Love to You, NSYNC’s Bye Bye Bye, Britney Spears’ Sometime, REM’s Losing My Religion, Bittersweet Symphony by The Verve and many more.

Tickets go on sale Thurs 18 April  at 10:00 am 

Kerry Ellis joins Queen Machine for April 2020 Symphonic tour

The music of rock legends Queen is to be celebrated like never before as West End leading lady Kerry Ellis joins Scandinavian tribute stars Queen Machine for a fully orchestrated UK tour.

The all-new tour Queen Machine Symphonic featuring Kerry Ellis will see Queen’s greatest hits performed by leading European tribute band Queen Machine accompanied by the London Symphonic Rock Orchestra conducted by Matthew Freeman, creating an unforgettable night of rock anthems.

Bjarke Baisner fronts Queen Machine, sounding and looking like a young Freddie Mercury, joined by Peter Møller Jeppesen on guitar, Henrik Østergaard on keys, Jens Lunde on bass and Paolo Romano Torquati on drums. Joining them will be the UK’s leading lady of musical theatre Kerry Ellis, who originated the role of Meat, in Queen musical We Will Rock You. Since then, she’s forged a long-standing musical relationship and friendship with Queen guitarist Brian May, who describes the stage star as having “Britain’s most beautiful voice”. He produced her debut album Anthems, and they jointly released the follow up Golden Days in 2017, as well as extensively touring the UK and Europe together.

The April 2020 tour dates are:

Wed 15th EDINBURGH Usher Hall

Thu 16th GLASGOW Royal Concert Hall

Fri 17th DERBY Arena

Sat 18th MANCHESTER O2 Apollo

Tue 21st LONDON Hammersmith Eventim Apollo

Wed 22nd CARDIFF, St David’s Hall

Sat 25th LEEDS Arena

 Tickets go on sale at 10:00 am on Thursday, April 18th

Six, Waitress, John Owen Jones & Louise Dearman added to performers at Magic at the Musicals

Magic at the Musicals with Celebrity Cruises returns to  London’s Royal Albert Hall on Friday 10th May at 7:30 pm , with a brand new line-up of leading cast member performances from the West End’s most celebrated shows.
 

Performances this year include include  Six, the sell-out  Tudor take-off!, smash hit musical comedy Waitress and  John Owen Jones & Louise Dearman accomanied by a 60 piece orchestra.

Already announced performances for this night of musical theatre include:  Disney’s Aladdin, Jesus Christ Superstar, SCHOOL OF ROCK, 2019 Olivier Award winning Come From Away, Fiddler On The Roof, Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, TINA – The Tina Turner Musical, Royal Shakespeare Company’s Matilda The Musical, Disney’s Lion King and MAMMA MIA! The Musical.
 

The event will be hosted  by West End lading lady Ruthie Henshall and star of Disney’s Aladdin, Trevor Dion Nicholas, the dazzling show.

Tickets  are on sale now from £30.53

Casting for Falsettos at the Other Palace

Selladoor Productions (producers of 9 to 5 The Musical, Big Fish, American Idiot and Avenue Q) are to bring Falsettos to London for the very first time running at The Other Palace from 30th August - 23rd November for a strictly limited season with press night on Thursday 5th September.

Casting so far includes Daniel Boys and Oliver Savile as Marvin and Whizzer, two of the central characters. Marvin tries to navigate life with his lover Whizzer and his ex-wife Trina (played by Laura Pitt-Pulford) and her new partner (played by Matt Cardle). Then there are the lesbians next door, one of whom is a doctor trying to deal with the as yet unnamed illness, played by Natasha J. Barnes and Gemma Knight-Jones. Albert Atack, George Kennedy, Elliot Morris and James Williams will share the role of Jason  Marvin and Trina’s ten-year-old son

The double Tony Award musical, by William Finn (Music, Lyrics & Book) and James Lapine (Book), is a hilarious and poignant look at a modern family revolving around the life of a gay man Marvin, his wife, his lover, his soon to be bar mitzvahed son, their psychiatrist, and the lesbians neighbours.

Originally created under the spectre of the AIDS crisis, this ground-breaking musical about family dynamics manages to remain buoyant and satirically perceptive even as it moves towards its heartbreaking conclusion.

Buy tickets for Falsettos

More casting announced for movie of Lin-Manuel Miranda and Quiara Alegría Hudes’ musical In The Heights.

More casting has just been announced for  the screen adaptation of Lin-Manuel Miranda and Quiara Alegría Hudes’ musical In The Heights.

As previously reported, the Jon M. Chu-directed movie will also feature Hamilton alum Anthony Ramos as Usnavi and Tony nominee Corey Hawkins as Benny with Melissa Barrera and Leslie Grace playing Vanessa and Nina.   Featuring a screenplay by Hudes, production on The Warner Bros project will begin on location uptown this summer. It is set to arrive in theatres June 26th, 2020.

Barrera is best known for her performances on the Mexican telenovelas Siempre Tuya Acapulco and Tanto Amor (she also performs the theme song for the latter with Kalimba). Bronx-born Grace is a three-time Latin Grammy nominee, earning nods for for the single "Como Duele el Silencio," the album Lloviendo Estrellas, and her 2013 self-titled release, which appeared in the top five on Billboard's Latin Albums and Tropical Albums charts.

Leading actors announced for Evita at Regent's Park Open Air Theatre

Initial casting has been announced for  Evita at the Open Air Theatre  which plays at Regent's Park over the summer from 2nd August - 21st September 2019. Jamie Lloyd will direct with Fabian Aloise  providing  the choreography

Samantha Pauly a Puerto Rican-Native American from Chicago, will portray Argentinian first lady Eva Peron with Ektor Rivera as Juan Peron, Trent Saunders as Che with  Mayli McCann  as The Mistress.

Chicago-based Samantha Pauly makes her UK debut in the role of Eva Peron, direct from her performance in SIX (Chicago Shakespeare Theatre) and as Valkyrie in Bat Out Of Hell (US Tour). 

Ektor Rivera is also making his UK debut, having recently played Emilio Estefan in On Your Feet! on Broadway and US Tour. In addition to lead roles in Rent, Hairspray and High School Musical, Ektor was selected by Jennifer López to be one of the lead singers in the US Television and Live show Q’Viva! The Chosen, which was seen by over 30 million television viewers.

An original Broadway cast member of Disney’s Aladdin – where he has been performing on and off for the last 5 years – Trent Saunders returns to the UK in the role of Che following his appearance as St. Jimmy in Green Day’s American Idiot (Hammersmith Apollo).

Nominated for an Olivier Award for her role as Kylah in Our Ladies of Perpetual Succour, Frances Mayli McCann plays the role of The Mistress

Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber's EVITA has more than 20 major awards to its credit including the Olivier and Tony Awards for Best Musical, a Golden Globe and an Oscar for the film version starring Madonna and Antonio Banderas.

Featuring some of their  best loved songs including 'Don't Cry For Me Argentina', 'On This Night of a Thousand Stars', 'You Must Love Me' and 'Another Suitcase in Another Hall', EVITA charts the story of Eva Peron, wife of former Argentine dictator Juan Peron, from her humble beginnings through to the extraordinary wealth, power and status which ultimately led her to be heralded as the 'spiritual leader of the nation'.
 

Full cast announcement for Open Air Theatre's Jesus Christ Superstar at the Barbican

Updated 31st May: Joining the previously announced cast below are  Samuel Buttery as Herod, who most recently appeared in Fat Blokes (Southbank Centre/HOME/UK/Ireland Tour), Tim Newman who reprises his performance as Simon, and Matthew Harvey as Peter.

Completing the cast are: Daniel Bailey, Bernadette Bangura, Robert Bannon, Cyrus Brandon, Melanie Bright, Georgia Carling, Dale Evans, Rosie Fletcher, Luke Hall, Simon Hardwick, Zac Hawkins, Dayle Hodge, Stevie Hutchinson, Cleopatra Joseph, Rachel Moran, Billy Nevers, Tinovimbanashe Sibanda and Elliotte Williams-N'Dure.


An impressive initial casting line up has just been announced  for Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre's production of  Jesus Christ Superstar which plays at the Barbican Theatre  for just 60 performances  from 4th July – 24th  August.

Robert Tripolino will play  Jesus, with Sallay Garnett as Mary Magdalne, Cavin Cornwall as Caiaphas (Judas) , Matt Cardle as Pontius Pilate, and Nathan Amzi as Annas.

Originally from Australia, Robert Tripolino (Jesus) recently played Sal Russo in RAGS (Hope Mill, Manchester). His previous credits include: Omar in Disney’s Aladdin (Australian Tour), Chino in West Side Story (State Theatre, Arts Centre Melbourne) and The Addams Family (Capitol Theatre, Sydney).

Ricardo Afonso (Judas) previously appeared as the Taxi Driver in Women On The Verge Of A Nervous Breakdown (Playhouse), as Alberto Beddini in Top Hat (Aldwych/UK Tour), Lead Vocalist in Thriller Live (Lyric), Galileo in We Will Rock You (Dominion), and as a lead vocalist in The Classic Rock Show (European/UK Tour).

Irish-Sierra Leonean artist Sallay Garnett (Mary) also performs and records under the name Loah. With her unique blend of Afro-soul, she released her debut album This Heart in 2017. She has toured in Ireland, the UK, Sierra Leone and the USA.

Matt Cardle (Pilate) is a multi-platinum selling recording artist who has sold over 2.2 million records since he won The X Factor in 2010. He has released four studios albums including 2011’s Letters, featuring the single When We Collide, and most recently 2018’s Time To Be Alive; both on Sony Music. In 2015 he joined the cast of Memphis (Shaftesbury) as Huey Calhoun, winning him the WhatsOnStage Award for Best West End Debut, and he returned to the stage in 2018, appearing as Wally Strand in Strictly Ballroom (Piccadilly).

Currently appearing in Rip It Up (Garrick) Cavin Cornwall (Caiaphas aka Judas Iscariot) originated the role of Caiaphas in the Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre production of Jesus Christ Superstar, reprising the role at the Lyric Opera of Chicago in 2018. On film credits include, for the Star Wars franchise: Han Solo A Smuggler’s Trade, Star Wars VII The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi.

Nathan Amzi (Annas) most recently appeared in Heathers (Theatre Royal Haymarket). Other theatre credits include: One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest (Sheffield Crucible), Prom Queen (The Other Palace), In The Heights (Southwark Playhouse) and Urinetown (Apollo).
 

With direction by Timothy Sheader, design by Tom Scutt, choreography by Drew McOnie, musical direction by Tom Deering, lighting design by Lee Curran and sound design by Nick Lidster for Autograph, the production won the Olivier Award for Best Musical Revival and the Evening Standard Award for Best Musical. 

Buy tickets for Jesus Christ Superstar at the Barbican

Casting announced for tour of Grease starring Peter Andre as Teen Angel

The producers of the the first new production in 25 years of Jim Jacobs & Warren Casey's  GREASE the musical  2019 UK and Ireland tour have just announced that Dan Partridge, Martha Kirby, Louis Gaunt and Rhianne-Louise McCaulsky will star as Danny, Sandy, Kenickie and Rizzo respectively. They join the previously announced Peter Andre playing Teen Angel at most performances.

Dan Partridge most recently played Rum Tum Tugger in Cats (International Tour), Link in Hairspray (UK Tour) and Pepper in Mamma Mia! (Novello Theatre). 

Martha Kirby will be graduating for the Guildford School of Acting this

summer, 2019, and makes her professional debut as Sandy. 

Louis Gaunt recently played Will Parker in Oklahoma! (Grange Park Opera), for which he won the 2018 The Stage Debut Award for Best Actor in a Musical, and Manfred in Sweet Charity (Nottingham Playhouse). 

Rhianne-Louise McCaulsky most recently appeared in Bat Out of Hell - The Musical (Dominion Theatre). Prior to that, she appeared in The Book of Mormon (Prince Of Wales Theatre).

Also in the cast are Jordan Abey as Doody, Ryan Anderson as Roger, Damian Buhagiar as Sonny, Eloise Davies as Frenchy, Natalie Woods as Jan, Tara Sweeting as Marty, Dale White as Eugene, Jessica Croll as Patty Simcox, Corinna Powlesland as Miss Lynch, Abigail Climer as Cha Cha, Darren Bennett as Vince Fontaine and Will Haswell as Johnny Casino. Completing the cast are Thea Bunting as Cynthia, Emily Beth Harrington as Carly, Jonathan Hermosa Lopez as Bobby, Dom Hutcheson as Mickey, Ruby May Martinwood as Sofia and Lindsay McAllister as Donna Sue.

Beverley Knight, Adrian Lester, Clive Rowe to guest star in Sweet Charity at the Donmar

Beverley Knight, Adrian Lester, Clive Rowe are to guest star in Sweet Charity at the Donmar Warehouse

Josie Rourke's final production at the Donmar Warehouse will feature a host of different actors playing Daddy Brubeck throughout the run (they sing gospel number "The Rhythm of Life" after Oscar and Charity get stuck in a lifet), with stars including Shaq Taylor (6 to 13 April), Adrian Lester (dates to be confirmed), Beverley Knight (week beginning 6 May), Clive Rowe (week beginning 13 May) and Le Gateau Chocolat (week beginning 29 April) taking on the role plus more stars are to be confirmed. 

They join a cast including Anne-Marie Duff ( Charity) Arthur Darvill ( Oscar) with  Lizzy Connolly, Lauren Drew, Jo Eaton-Kent, Will Haswell, Charlotte Jaconelli, Stephen Kennedy, Debbie Kurup, Martin Marquez, Ryan Reid, Amy Ellen Richardson and Danielle Steers.

The 1966 musical, which opens on 17 April, is Cy Coleman, Neil Simon and Dorothy Field's piece based on the black-and-white Fellini film Nights of Cabiria. It tells of the romantic ups and downs of the titular dancer-for-hire, and features classic numbers such as "Big Spender", "If My Friends Could See Me Now", "Rhythm of Life" and "I'm a Brass Band".

All tickets at every Friday performance of Sweet Charity between 19th April to 31st  May will be free to those aged 25 and under. Sweet Fridays free tickets will be allocated by ballot and on these performances the Donmar will invite schools from every London borough to see Sweet Charity for free.

Patricia Routledge joins Janie Dee Joanna Riding and Hadley Fraser Carousel at Cadogan Hall

Updated 3rd May: Dame Patricia Routledge will join the cast as the Narrator. She has won an Olivier Award for Candide and a Tony Award for Darling of the Day, previously starred alongside Riding and Dee in the 1992 National Theatre production of the show.

Janie Dee and Joanna Riding won Olivier Awards for their performances in Carousel at the National Theatre in 1992 and will now  return to the roles of Julie Jordan and Carrie Pipperidge in a special concert production of Carousel at the Cadogan Hall this summer.They  are currently appearing together in the National's hit production of Follies and will be joined  by Hadley Fraser (Young Frankenstein)playing  Billy Bigelow.

The will be joined by Gavin Spokes as Enoch Snow, Chizzy Akudolu as Mrs Mullin, Stewart Clarke as Jigger and Lucy Schaufer as Nettie Fowler. The GSA singers from the Guildford School of Acting will also be joining the production

The 1945 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, follows carousel barker Bigelow's  budding romance with millworker Jordan, featuring classic  numbers including "You'll Never Walk Alone", "Mr Snow" "June Is Bustin' Out All Over" and "If I Loved You".

The special one off concert at Cadogan Hall will run on Sunday 19 May at 6.30pm and will feature a 31-piece orchestra conducted by Alex Parker. 

Tickets for Carousel at Cadogan Hall are available now

Adrian Mole Musical coming into West End.

The hit Curve Leicester and Menier Chocolate Factory production of The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole aged 13¾ the Musical will run in the West End at the Ambassadors Theatre this summer, opening  on 15th June and running until 12th October. It originally ran in Leicester in 2015 and again at south London's Menier Chocolate Factory in 2017.

The musical is based on Sue Townsend's series of novels about the young intellectual Adrian Mole as he grows up in the 1980s.  Set in 1980s Leicester The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13 ¾, follows the daily dramas and misadventures of Adrian’s adolescent life. With dysfunctional parents, ungrateful elders, a growing debt to school bully Barry Kent and an unruly pimple on his chin, life is hard for a misunderstood intellectual who is only 13 ¾…

Directed by Luke Sheppard, the musical has book and lyrics by Jake Brunger and music and lyrics by Pippa Cleary. Choreography is by Rebecca Howell, set and costume design by Tom Rogers, lighting design by Howard Hudson, musical direction by Mark Collins, musical supervision and orchestrations by Paul Herbert and children's casting by Jo Hawes.Casting for the West End run is to be announced.

Tickets for the show go on general sale on Friday 5 April.

Casting announced for Gloria Estefan's On Your Feet.

Gloria and Emilio Estefan's smash-hit musical On Your Feet is coming  to London direct from Broadway for a strictly limited season at London's Coliseum from 14th June- 31st August 2019, after completing seven performances at the Curve, Leicester from 3rd-8th June 2019. When it ends its run in London the show will go on a short UK tour to Nottingham Theatre Royal (16-21 September ), Sunderland Empire (30 September-5 October), Edinburgh Festival Theatre (7-12 October), Manchester Palace Theatre (28 October-2 November), Belfast Opera House (11-16 November), and Wales Millennium Centre (21 October 2019 – 26 October ).

Casting news so far is that Christie Prades will play Gloria Estefan/Philippa Stefani at certain peformances: George Ioannides is Emilio Estefan and Madalena Alberto will play Gloria Fajardo with Karen Mann as Consuelo. 

Completing the cast will be Hollie Cassar, Francisco Del Solar, Katie Dunsden, Eduardo Enrikez, Laura Friedrich Tejero, Denzel Giskus, Francesca Lara Gordon, Yonly Leyva Desdunes, Elia Lo Tauro, Martin McCarthy, Alicia Mencía, Ciro Lourencio Meulens, Carl Patrick, Clayton Rosa, Julia Ruiz Fernandez, Shanna Michelle Slaap, Dawnita Smith, Frank van Hengel, Despina Violari and Alain Zambrana Borges.

Klaudia Gjergji, Holly McDonagh, Emily Perra will share the role of ‘Little Gloria’ and Santiago Huertas Ruiz, Jonathan Naranjo, Alejandro Puentes Motato will share the role of Nayib/Young Emilio/Jeremy.

Christie Prades played the role of ‘Gloria Estefan’ in “On Your Feet!” on Broadway and can currently be seen in the same role on the US tour of the show. Christie’s other credits include ‘Vanessa’ in “In the Heights”and “West Side Story”.

George Ioannides has appeared in the West End productions of “Annie” and “Mamma Mia!” and was most recently seen as ‘Eduardo Cortez’ in “An Officer and a Gentleman” at Curve, Leicester and on national tour.

 Philippa Stefani played ‘Mimi’ in the recent national tour of “Rent”. She has also played ‘Daniela’ in “In The Heights” at King’s Cross Theatre. Her other theatre credits include the original London casts of “Wicked” at the Apollo Victoria and “I Can’t Sing” and “Sister Act”, both at the London Palladium. She has also appeared in “High Society at the Old Vic and ”Ghost” at the Piccadilly Theatre.

Madalena Alberto’s West End credits include the title role in “Evita” at the Dominion Theatre and ‘Grizabella’ in “Cats” at the London Palladium. She has also appeared as ‘Fantine’ in the 25th Anniversary tour of “Les Miserables” and was most recently seen as ‘Giulietta’ in “Aspects of Love” at the Southwark Playhouse.

Karen Mann’s many credits include ‘Golde’ in the national tour of “Fiddler on the Roof” opposite Paul Michael Glaser, ‘Marley’ in “Scrooge” at Curve and ‘Mother Superior’ in “Sister Act” also at Curve and on national tour. Her extensive work at the Watermill Theatre in Newbury includes ‘Gladys’ in “Copacabana”, ‘Viv’ in “Spend Spend Spend” and ‘Mrs Lovett in “Sweeney Todd”, which transferred to both the New Ambassadors Theatre and Trafalgar Studios.

Carrie Hope Fletcher, Ramin Karimloo, Celinde Schoenmaker and Mazz Murrray special guests at Ben Forster: Me, Myself and Musicals solo concert

Presented by Fane Productions as part of the ‘Sunday Encounters at the Haymarket’ Ben Forster brings his solo show  Ben Forster: Me, Myself and Musicals  to  the Theatre Royal Haymarket, London  on  23rd June 2019. He will be joined by special guests Carrie Hope Fletcher, Ramin Karimloo, Celinde Schoenmaker and Mazz Murray with the London Musical Theatre Orchestra conducted by Freddie Tapner.

Me, Myself and Musicals is filled with the best songs from classic shows, past and present, from the West End and Broadway. With interesting and fun anecdotes from his diverse career, listen to the stories and hear the music.

The show captures Ben’s journey from Sunderland schoolboy to the West End’s Phantom of the Opera. He gained  international fame after winning ITV’s and Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Search for a Superstar, winning  the role of Jesus and starring in the World Arena Tour of Jesus Christ Superstar which was also recorded and broadcast in cinemas worldwide.

This  led him to a multitude of roles in shows such as The Rocky Horror Show, Elf and Phantom of the Opera (where he played the title role in the 30th Anniversary Production).

Tickets for Ben Forster, Me, Myself andMusicals


.

Joe McElderry, Marisha Wallace, Jamie Muscato and Danielle Hope Sunday Favourites at the Other Palace

Lambert Jackson Productions are  presentinga new series of intimate concerts called Sunday Favourites at The Other Palace, featuring exclusive, intimate solo concerts from some of the biggest names in theatre.  The first four concerts in May and June feature Joe McElderry, Marisha Wallace, Jamie Muscato and Danielle Hope

Tickets for Joe McElderry Sunday 5th May - Joe  won the sixth series of ITV’s The X Factor in 2009 and was also the winner of the second series of Popstar to Operastar in 2011.

Apart from his television achievements, Joe has had a very successful career on stage. Notably, playing t Joseph in the touring production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Tommy in The Who’s: Tommy and Thriller – Live! alongside Macy Gray.

He has released five top 20 albums – three of which have reached top three in the UK. He has sold over 2 million records worldwide.

Tickets for Marisha Wallace on Sunday  19th May - has  just finished starring as Effie White in the west end hit, Dreamgirls and is now starring in Waitress as Becky.  On Broadway, Marisha has starred in shows including  Disney’s Aladdin, The Book of Mormon and Something Rotten.

Marisha has  performed in concerts at venues including the Royal Albert Hall, The London Palladium and  Cadogan Hall with international artists such as Seal, James Blunt and Gregory Porter. She was featured vocalist on TV shows Strictly Come Dancing and This Morning.

She is appearing new live action version of Disney’s Aladdin, which will be in theatres in May this year. Inspired by the likes of the late, great Aretha Franklin, Etta James and Ella Fitzgerald, Marisha infuses jazz, gospel and R&B styles with a healthy dose of soul music.

Tickets for Jamie Muscato Sunday 9th June - Jamie  has just finished starring as Jason Dean (JD) in Heathers on the West End, but is  perhaps best known for his role as Rory Storm in the TV mini-series Cilla on ITV.

Other lead role stage credits include: Big Fish at The Other Palace alongside Kelsey Grammar, Joe in Bend It Like Beckham, Anthony in Sweeney Todd and Eddie Birdlace in Dogfight, Les Miserables, Lazurus, Blitz, The Light Princess, But I’m a Cheerleader!, Rock of Ages, Spring Awakening and Lift.  

Tickets for Danielle Hope Sunday 30th June -  Danielle  was the winner of the BBC talent contest Over The Rainbow and played the part of Dorothy in the Andrew Lloyd Webber production of The Wizard of Oz at the London Palladium in 2011 and  has gone on to play more  starring roles in he  West End and touring the UK.

Some of her most famous roles include: Eponine in Les Miserables, the Narrator in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Maria in The Sound of Music and Sandy in Grease.

Birmingham return date added to tour of Les Miserables

Cameron Mackintosh has just announced that his acclaimed production of the tour of Les Misérables will return to Birmingham Hippodrome from Tuesday 30th Jun – Saturday  18th  Jul 2020. Birmingham Hippodrome Friends and Patrons scheme members will enjoy priority booking from 11am, Friday 5th  Apr 2019. 
Groups on sale 11am, Monday 8th April/ General on sale 11am, Friday 12th April.

The musical opens its near sell-out run for its first visit to  the theatre today where it will play until Saturday  11th May, check the box office daily for returns and single seats.