Sky Arts Freeview to feature Matthew Bourne's Romeo and Juliet, Hamilton: One Show To Broadway, Billy Elliot: the Musical, The Wiz Live! and The Sound of Music Live! over next week

Sky Arts has revealed further programming on its Freeview channel for theatre fans.

On New Year's Day you can see Matthew Bourne's Romeo and Juliet at 12.20 pm, together with the documentary  Fiddler: A Miracle of Miracles  a 09.55 am about  the iconic stage show. 

On January 2nd, Hamilton: One Show To Broadway behind-the-scenes will be available T 10:00 AM

On Sunday 3rd January Billy Elliot: the Musical is on  30th December  at 9:00 pm and again at on 3rd January at  12.15am, plus The Wiz Live! will be shown today at 9:00 pm and repeated on the 3rd at 11:00am, while the National Theatre's Jane Eyre will be available at 9.00 pm on that day.

Jesus Christ Superstar will be shown AT 10.00 PM on 4th January, while on the 5th The Sound of Music Live! is repeated. at 9.00 pm

News on planned reopening dates for Mary Poppins, Les Miserables, Phantom and The Book of Mormon

News of  West End Musicals planned 2021 opening dates:.

Mary Poppins has performances planned to start on 22nd May 2021 Tickets go on sale 20th December.

Les Misérables is planned to re-open at the Sondheim Theatre on Saturday 29th May once the Government has withdrawn social distancing and reached Stage 5 allowing full capacity audiences.

Previews of The Phantom of the Opera with Killian Donnelly in the title role are planned for 5th June , subject to social distancing measures being lifted. LW Theatres have already carried out extensive building work inside Her Majesty’s Theatre during the shutdown.

The West End production of The Book of Mormon is planning to reopen on 12th July 2021

Release date and featured performers on original cast recording of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cinderella

The original cast recording of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cinderella release date has been revealed as 16th April 2021

Listed as featured performers on the  recording are Sarah Brightman (The Phantom of the Opera), Helen George (Call The Midwife), Laura Baldwin (Waitress), Georgina Castle (9 to 5 the Musical), Sam Robinson (We Will Rock You), Gloria Onitiri (Hadestown), Adam Lambert (Queen + Adam Lambert) and Todrick Hall (Kinky Boots).They join the previously announced Carrie Hope Fletcher, Victoria Hamilton-Barritt and Ivano Turco.

The world premiere of Andrew Lloyd Webber's new musical adaptation of Cinderella with a contemporary twist is  due begin performances at London's Gillian Lynne Theatre on Wednesday 7th April 2021, with previews from 19th March 2021

I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change musical with all star cast streamed production announced

A new digital production of Joe DiPietro and Jimmy Roberts' hit off-Broadway show I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change will be streamed from 28th-30th January 2021

It will star Trevor Dion Nicholas (Hamilton, Aladdin), Brenda Edwards (The X Factor, We Will Rock You), Alice Fearn (Wicked, Come From Away) and Oliver Tompsett (Kinky Boots, & Juliet)

The production has orchestrations by Doug Katsaros, direction by Kirk Jameson and musical direction by Nick Barstow.

The clever and witty musical revue is about the pitfalls and joys of romantic relationships played over 5,000 performances off-Broadway and has been produced all over the world but this virtual production is the first of its kind. Following the highs and lows of first dates, first loves, marriages, babies, in-laws, and growing old together, this hilarious and poignant show pays tribute to those who have loved and lost and to those who have dared to ask someone out on a date.

 The recommended age range is 16 plus, with some scenes of sexual nature and some strong language.

Tickets are on sale now via the London Coliseum website.

KINKY BOOTS MUSICAL TO BE STREAMED ONLINE FOR FREE this weekend

Kinky Boots The Musical, filmed live at the Adelphi Theatre, will be streamed online as part of The Shows Must Go On! YouTube channel for free from this Friday at 7:00 pm GMT for 48 hours. 

 
Starring Matt Henry as Lola and Killian Donnelly as Charlie Price. With songs from Grammy and Tony award winning pop icon Cyndi Lauper, book by legendary Broadway playwright Harvey Fierstein (La Cage Aux Folles), and direction and choreography by Jerry Mitchell (Legally Blonde, Hairspray), the musical is based on the film written by Geoff Deane and Tim Firth.

 

Charlie is a factory owner struggling to save his family business. Lola is a fabulous entertainer with a wildly exciting idea. With a little compassion and a lot of understanding, this unexpected pair learns to embrace their differences and create a line of sturdy stilettos unlike any the world has ever seen.

Click here for the link to watch Kinky Boots

Come From Away specially adapted staged concert.

The Producers of the multi award winning  Come From Away are  presenting  a specially adapted staged concert at London's  Phoenix Theatre from   Wednesday 10 February – Saturday 27 February 2021 (Monday to Saturday at 7.30pm/Wednesday Matinee performance on the 17 February at 2.30pm/Saturday matinee performances at 2.30pm. (There will also be an invited dress rehearsal performance of the concert, which will be free for key workers to attend on 10 February at 2.30pm Details on how to apply for free tickets to this performance will be announced in January 2021)

The international hit musical celebrated sold-out, record-breaking engagements on Broadway, in Canada, in Australia, on a 60-city North American Tour and recently opened in Sweden.

 

Come From Away: The Concert will star Jenna Boyd (Beulah and others), Tarinn Callender (Bob and others), James Doherty (Claude and others), Mary Doherty (Bonnie and others), Mark Dugdale (Kevin T/Garth and others), Alice Fearn (Beverley/Annette and others), Kate Graham (Diane and others), Alasdair Harvey (Nick/Doug and others), Jonathan Andrew Hume (Kevin J/Ali and others), Harry Morrison (Oz and others),Emma Salvo (Janice and others), and Cat Simmons (Hannah and others), with Ricardo Castro, Stuart Hickey,Sorelle Marsh, Alexander McMorran, Micha Richardson, Jennifer Tierney and Matthew Whennell-Clark.

Buy tickets for Come From Away Staged Concert

 

The Grinch musical starring Matthew Morrison confirmed for 20th December

The Grinch musical  from the Troubadour Theatre in Wembley, will air on Sky One on 20th  December starring  Matthew Morrison in the title role alongside Denis O'Hare as old Max, Booboo Stewart as young Max and Amelia Minto as Cindy-Lou Who. 

Also in the cast are  Ako Mitchell, Amy Ellen Richardson, Claire Machin, Gary Wilmot, Joseph Prouse, Lisa Mathieson, Billy Nevers, Genevieve Nicole, Bobbie Little, Callum Train, Kirsty Ingram, Idriss Kargbo, Rebecca Louis, Joe Allen, Francesca Mills, Kanon Narumi, Chantelle Tonoleti, Tafari Edwards, Alfie Murray, Erin Rushidi, Bebe Massey, Kayleen Nguema, Lyla Toplass and Louie Gray.

The Grinch Musical! has book and lyrics by Tim Mason and music by Mel Marvin and featuring the hit songs "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch" and "Welcome Christmas".

Ivano Turco cast as Prince Sebastian in ALW Cinderella

Andrew Lloyd Webber has just announced that newcomer Ivano Turco has been cast as Prince Sebastian in his new musical Cinderella which is scheduled to have its first preview on 30th April 2021 with an opening night on 19th May at the  Gillian Lynne Theatre  

Turco , a graduate of Urdang Academy in Islington,  will make his West End debut in the role.  He was due to appear in West Side Story at the Royal Exchange Manchester, but the run was cancelled due to the pandemic. He is  a Zimbabwe-born dancer who  went to his first audition back in July for an ensemble part. After getting through the first rounds, he performed in front of Lloyd Webber - who asked him to stay for further auditions and  was plucked from obscurity to play a lead role in the show.

Speaking about Turco, Lloyd Webber said: “I’m overjoyed to introduce Ivano Turco as our Prince Sebastian in Cinderella. I’m convinced audiences will fall in love with him, as we did. Straight out of college, Ivano initially came in to audition as a dancer but has a natural acting talent, a wonderful voice and an innate charm and warmth and from the day we met I just knew I’d found our Prince!”

Also starring Carrie Hope Fletcher in the titular role and Victoria Hamilton-Barritt as the Stepmother, Cinderella has music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, lyrics by David Zippel and a book by Emerald Fennell.Cinderella will be directed by Laurence Connor, with choreography by JoAnn Hunter. 

You can hear him sing the second track Only You, Lonely You – from the forthcoming album from the show.

Tickets now on sale for Phantom opening in London in June starring Killian Donnelly

Andrew Lloyd Webber and Cameron Mackintosh have  announced the return of THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA to Her Majesty’s Theatre in London. Performances are scheduled to begin on 5th June 2021, assuming that government audience restrictions are lifted.

The new  production will star double Olivier Award nominee, Killian Donnelly as The Phantom. He  played the title role in what impresario Cameron Mackintosh called 'a completely new version' of the  original, which was 'tried out' at the Curve in Leicester back in February. 

 

Killian Donnelly will perform Music Of The Night on It Takes Two on BBC2 tonight ahead of Strictly Musicals tomorrow. Andrew Lloyd Webber will also be on the show.

 

Cameron Mackintosh said:  there were some 'very spectacular sequences' created by the late Maria Bjornson for the original Andrew Lloyd Webber Phantom that were never used, such as 'a horse that she dreamt of', which will now feature in the show. And there will be a brand new chandelier.

 

He added: We're still in the hands of the Government's ever-changing rules and regulations,but the Phantom will be fully non-distanced. We're doing all this, predicated on the fact that we are going to be playing to full capacity — otherwise we couldn't possibly afford to do it.

 

Tickets are now on sale  with more news to follow.

 

Leicester Curve to stream Sunset Boulevard in Concert with Ria Jones and Danny Mac later this month

Leicester Curve is  to stream a captured performance of Sunset Boulevard between Tuesday 22nd  December and Saturday 9th  January (tickets will cost from £20) with up to three different performance times daily. Tickets are on sale now via the Curve's website.

A captured performance will be streamed or audiences in the UK while the show's live run has been cancelled With  concert staging will see the  stalls cleared of seats to accommodate the  socially distanced 16-piece orchestra.

Set over a turbulent New Year’s Eve in 1940s Hollywood, Sunset Boulevard is a compelling story of romance and obsession. Directed by Nikolai Foster, the performance will see Ria Jones reprise her role as silent-screen goddess Norma Desmond, with Danny Mac returning as penniless screen writer Joe Gillis.  

The show will also star  Molly Lynch as Betty Schaefer, Adam Pearce as Max Von Mayerling, Dougie Carter as Artie Green and Carl Sanderson as Cecil B DeMille. The Sunset Boulevard company also includes Benjamin Chambers, Owen Chaponda, Joanna Goodwin, Kristoffer Hellström, James Meunier, Gemma Naylor, Joanna O'Hare, Jessica Paul, Sam Peggs and Barney Wilkinson.

42nd Street Streaming on YouTube this weekend

42nd Street will be streamed for free on YouTube this weekend  from Friday 4th December at 7.30pm GMT. It will be available for 48 hours.

The show opened in March 2017 at Theatre Royal Drury Lane and ran until January 2019.  42nd Street focuses on the efforts of famous director Julian Marsh to mount a successful stage production of a musical extravaganza during the Great Depression. It is the timeless and inspiring tale of small town girl Peggy Sawyer's rise from the chorus line to Broadway star.

42nd Street is full of classic hit songs including "Lullaby of Broadway", "We're in the Money", "Shuffle Off To Buffalo", "Keep Young and Beautiful" and "I Only Have Eyes For You" as well as the title number.

The cast includes Bonnie Langford playing Dorothy Brock, the tough Broadway star who fractures her ankle on the eve of the opening night. Clare Halse (Marjorie May in Gypsy) plays ingénue Peggy Sawyer — who is plucked from the chorus line to take over from the injured Dorothy and Tom Lister (Carl King in Emmerdale, Calamity Jane and The Water Babies) is Julian Marsh the demanding director racing against time to put on the fictional show titled Pretty Lady with  Philip Bertioli as Billy Lawlor.

The 60-strong cast features Jasna Ivir (Maggie Jones), Christopher Howell (Bert Barry), Matthew Goodgame (Pat Denning), Graeme Henderson (Andy Lee), Bruce Montague (Abner Dillon), Mark McKerracher (Mac/ Doc / Thug), Emma Caffrey (Annie), Ella Martine (Lorraine), Clare Rickard (Phyllis) and Paul Knight (Oscar).

Click here for the link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGsGmceTg9w