Corrie's Street of Dreams Postpones Tour

The Coronation Street musical Street of Dreams has postponed its tour, with the producers claiming they are “are far from happy with the show artistically and are not prepared to take it out again in its present form. We will be re-working the show for dates later in the year”.

The show opened to mixed reviews in Manchester on May 9th and was due to tour  to Dublin, Belfast and Newcastle later this month.

John Ward from Reckless Entertainment stressed the show has not been cancelled but admitted that it has “been a very rocky ride”.

Kym Marsh & Jodie Prenger playing Elsie Tanner in Corrie Musical

Kym Marsh who plays Michelle Connor in Coronation Street is transforming herself into Weatherfield’s scarlet woman and street siren Elsie Tanner.

Marsh will play Elsie in her younger years, while West End diva Jodie Prenger will play her as an older woman (during the 1980s).  The musical will premiere in Manchester at the MEN Arena on May 9th and 10th and then visit the Dublin 02 Arena (18th & 19th May): Belfast Odyssey Arena (21st & 22nd May) and Newcastle Metro Radio Arena (29th & 20th May).

Elsie was played by the late Pat Phoenix for more than 20 years. Talking about her new role Miss Marsh said: ‘The strong, determined and indomitable women have always defined Coronation Street right from the very first episode to the present day and Elsie Tanner will go down in history as one of the most gossiped about women in Weatherfield. She’s left some rather big stiletto shoes to fill but to have the opportunity to represent such an iconic character of yesteryear on a stage of this scale is an absolute honour."

Miss Marsh began her career as a singer and joined pop group Hear’Say after winning the ITV reality show Popstars in 2001.

The new musical will be hosted by Paul O’Grady and also appearing in Street of Dreams will be Coronation Street veterans Julie Goodyear who played Bet Lynch on TV, Kevin Kennedy who was Curly Watts and Bill Roache, who plays Ken Barlow.

Songs included in the show are Tony Warren's iconic Opening Episode featuring Ena Sharples, Elsie Tanner and Annie Walker, Woman Stanley Woman - Hilda and Stan Ogden's posh second honeymoon at the Savoy Hotel, He's My Man - a catfight on the cobbles between love rivals Elsie Tanner and Bet Lynch, Norman Bates With A Briefcase - featuring serial killer Richard Hillman, Cunning Clever Crafty - Jack and Vera's "blind date" with Jack as the suave 'Vince Fontaine' and spectacular Moulin Rouge homage and Sweet Butterfly featuring lovelorn knicker factory worker Sean Tully.

Buy Tickets for Street of Dreams

We Will Rock You Kevin Kennedy in Corrie Musical

Former Coronation Street star Kevin Kennedy is currently playing the role of Pop in the Queen hit musical We Will Rock You at London’s Dominion theatre.  But he is preparing to revive soap character Curly Watts in the musical Street of Dreams.

The new musical will be hosted by Paul O'Grady andhave its world premiere at the Manchester MEN Arena on 9th and 10th May and then go Dublin 02 Arena (18th & 19th May): Belfast Odyssey Arena (21st & 22nd May) and Newcastle Metro Radio Arena (29th & 20th May).

It will feature some Corrie greats including Julie Goodyear (Rovers landlady Bet Lynch) re-enacting some of the soap's most famous scenes. Kym Marsh and Jodie Prenger will play the younger and older Elsie Tanner.

Songs included in the show are Tony Warren's iconic Opening Episode featuring Ena Sharples, Elsie Tanner and Annie Walker, Woman Stanley Woman - Hilda and Stan Ogden's posh second honeymoon at the Savoy Hotel, He's My Man - a catfight on the cobbles between love rivals Elsie Tanner and Bet Lynch, Norman Bates With A Briefcase - featuring serial killer Richard Hillman, Cunning Clever Crafty - Jack and Vera's "blind date" with Jack as the suave 'Vince Fontaine' and spectacular Moulin Rouge homage and Sweet Butterfly featuring lovelorn knicker factory worker Sean Tully.

We Will Rock You have released Kevin especially to take part in the premiere of Street of Dreams and he says audiences are in for a treat. “It's big, it's spectacular, that's why it's got to be in an Arena setting.  It's just a beautiful piece of work and very complimentary to what Coronation Street is all about. They couldn't have had the world premiere anywhere else but Manchester, could they?  And I think a Manchester audience takes things really to their hearts.”

Kevin will sing Curly's Song which harks back to the storyline where he adopts a star in honour of his great love, Raquel. There is no word yet as to whether Sarah Lancashire (last seen in Betty Blue eyes) who played  Raquel may be among the scores of “special guests” expected to return for the musical.

Buy online Tickets for Street of Dreams   or call: 0844 847 8000.

Paul O’Grady narrating Coronation Street the Musical

Paul O'Grady will join past and present cast members of Coronation Street on stage to narrate the Corrie musical called Street Of Dreams at Manchester's MEN Arena on 21st and 22nd March 2012.

ITV’s Coronation Street will be turned into an all-singing, all-dancing stage musical featuring some of the show's best-loved stars with Julie Goodyear reprising her role as Bet Lynch; Kevin Kennedy (who is currently appearing in We Will Rock You) is back as Curly Watts plus Brian Capron who played serial killer Richard Hillman. Current cast members include Katy Cavanagh who plays Julie Carp and William Roache who plays Ken Barlow.

There will be a 25 piece orchestra and the cast will perform songs based on famous scenes from the soap's 51-year history taking part in song and dance routines. The tunes include Woman Stanley Woman/ based on Hilda and Stan Ogden's second honeymoon: He's My Man/about a catfight between Elsie Tanner and Bet Lynch and Norman Bates With A Briefcase which is about murderer Richard Hillman. Former favourite characters such as Ena Sharples, Elsie Tanner and Hilda Ogden will also be featured.

The show is choreographed by Stephen Mear who has won Olivier Awards for his work on the stage versions of Mary Poppins and Hello Dolly.

Paul O'Grady is a massive fan of the soap and said he had "chunks of script from 30 years ago engraved in my memory. To relive it all alongside unforgettable characters and talent on the stage, revisiting such iconic scenes from across the years, is just brilliant. I can't wait to watch it all come together and the reaction it receives."