Quadrophenia Tour Goes Well July 2, 2009
Posted by Linda in : Quadrophenia , add a commentQuadrophenia seems to be doing really well, with good tickets sales and excellent audience reactions. It even seems to be appealing to a wider range than might have been expected. One of the cast members has described it as being like the cult TV show Skins and if the show can pull in that audience everyone will be very happy!
I found a couple of interesting videos that should give you an idea of what it’s like:
I hope it manages to get a West End theatre after the tour.
Wouldn’t it be great to have two new British rock musicals on in the West End next year?
Duet For One July 2, 2009
Posted by admin in : Duet for One , add a comment
30th June – 1st August 2009
Stephanie Abrahams, a brilliant concert violinist, who seemingly has it all, is forced to re-evaluate her life when struck down by an unforeseen tragedy. Faced with a truth too difficult to comprehend she consults psychiatrist Dr Feldmann and through a series of highly charged encounters is led to examine her deepest emotions and finally to consider a future without music.
Matthew Lloyd’s production stars Juliet Stevenson and Henry Goodman.
Come Dancing UK Tour Announced June 30, 2009
Posted by Linda in : come dancing , add a commentRay Davies’ wonderful musical Come Dancing, which we loved so much we saw it twice at Stratford last year, has just announced a UK tour! The tour starts in January at the Churchill Theatre, Bromley, Kent from from Thursday 21 January 2010 to Saturday 30 January 2010 and tickets are already on sale.
The cast is said to be substantially unchanged but there’s no sign of our favourite, Gemma Salter, on the introduction to the new, currently unfinished, Come Dancing web site. It will be a bit of a shame if she isn’t going to play the lead as she really made that part her own.
Meanwhile here’s the lovely Gemma Salter and the rest of the cast doing their thing at Statford East Theatre Royal last year:
Hopefully the UK tour will lead to a transfer to the West End, where Come Dancing surely belongs.
A Little Night Music June 28, 2009
Posted by admin in : A Little Night Music, I'd do anything , 1 comment so farA Little Night Music in the West End
Stephen Sondheim’s A Little Night Music is an elegant waltz time musical which transferred to the West End’s Garrick Theatre in April after an acclaimed run at the Menier Chocolate Factory. Based on Ingmar Berman’s film, Smiles of a Summer Night, A Little Night Music the musical is set in Sweden at the turn of the century. A romantic and heartfelt piece of theatre, A Little Night Music contains the much-loved song Send in the Clowns.
The cast includes
- Maureen Lipman as Madame Armfeldt an elderly lady who has had a highly successful career as a courtesan and Desiree’s mother.
- Hannah Waddingham as Desiree a young and fairly self-absrobed actress who largely neglects her own duty as a mother.
- Jessie Buckley as Anne, the pretty young wife of Fredrick who is naive and obsessed by material trinkets and new dresses.
Jessie Buckley
Jessie Buckley was a popular contestant on the BBC’s I’d Do Anything, coming second in the contest to find the new Nancy for Oliver. A Little Night Music marks Jessie’s professional debut.
A Little Night Music Theatre Breaks
Theatre Breaks to see A Little Night Music are available up until September 5th 2009
** book A Little Night Music Theatre Breaks **
Alexia Khadime in Wicked Theatre Breaks June 27, 2009
Posted by admin in : theatre breaks, wicked , add a commentWicked Theatre Breaks
Anybody in London for a Wicked theatre break in the past three weeks will have had the opportunity to see Alexia Khadime as Elphaba, the green witch with the big songs. Alexia replaced Kerry Ellis who went to play the role on Broadway until December when she returns to the West End. Now Kerry Ellis was a big act to follow, having gathered a huge pack of devoted fans during her time in London, but Alexia is proving to have unique qualities which bring a fresh approach to the acting and she’s rapidly building a loyal support base of her own. The two tribes will each advocate for their favourite at any given opportunity and the result can be anything from unkind to insightful.
Alexia Khadime as Elphaba
Here’s the popular video from theatre breaks youTube which shows what Alexia can do, out of costume, solo and live at West End Live 2009, the popular theatre festival event in London’s Leicester Square
(it takes a few moments to get going)
Alexia’s a really good singer and and a really good actress, she has the best Elphaba interpretation I’ve seen.
She is amazing! Cute yet powerful voice! Very well done! I am also a big fan of Kerry’s? and her! So amazing!
** Book Wicked theatre breaks in London **
Thriller Live Tribute to Michael Jackson RIP June 26, 2009
Posted by admin in : thriller Live , add a commentMichael Jackson fans everywhere are still shocked at the news of the death of the creator of Thriller, but those in London are confused by headlines in the Evening Standard claiming that close friends and family of the King of Pop “blame London” for the star’s demise. Friend Uri Geller is supposed to have said that the stress of preparing for the series of London O2 concerts was too much for the ailing celebrity although a huge comeback tour was absolutely necessary for financial and career reasons.
A spokesman for Thriller – Live said today ( 26th June 2009 )
After much deliberation it has been decided that tonight’s performances of Thriller Live at the Lyric Theatre in the West End and the Manchester Opera House would go ahead as planned, but the lights outside the theatres would be dimmed in tribute to his passing at 7.30pm and a minute’s silence will be held in the auditorium.”
Thriller – Live was conceived and created by Adrian Grant, a long time associate of Michael Jackson, executive director of the stage show and author of “Michael Jackson – The Visual Documentary.” Grant said:
Words cannot express my deep sense of loss and sadness. I am shocked beyond belief that Michael has died. My full condolences go out to his family – his children, parents, brothers and sisters. The Jackson family have lost a son and a father, and the world has lost one of the greatest entertainers of all time, a true legend. Michael Jackson has been a massive influence in my life – inspiring me to get into the entertainment industry and to produce the best work that I can. I have supported Michael for the past 21 years through my magazines, books and now Thriller – Live, and I will continue to support and promote his legacy via this musical celebration.
Thriller Live Video
This is from West End Live last weekend:
More about Thriller Live at the Lyric Theatre
Jodie Prenger at West End Live June 20, 2009
Posted by admin in : Oliver, theatre breaks, westendlive , add a commentWell it’s Saturday night and West End Live is half way through. There were some great shows on today in Leicester Square all to promote the West End and provide some free entertainment for the London crowd at the same time. Highlights sp far have been a good three song set from a big cast from We Will Rock You , always a high energy show, the lovely duet from The King And I and this performance from Jodie Prenger as Nancy from Oliver! who sang as if she thought she needed to win I’d do Anything all over again!
If you keep an eye on the Theatre Breaks youtube stream you’ll catch a glimpse of Patina Miller and sisters from Sister Act and also Jerry Springer in Chicago!
West End Live 2009 Running Order June 17, 2009
Posted by Linda in : westendlive , add a commentWest End Live 2009 Saturday 20th June
11.05 Hairspray
11.15 Been So Long
11.30 Wicked
11.40 Dirty Dancing
11.55 The King and I
12.05 Oliver!
12.15 Sister Act
12.25 We Will Rock You
12.45 Priscilla Queen of the Desert
12.50 Chicago
13.10 Jersey Boys
13.30 Thriller Live
13.50 Forbidden Broadway
14.05 The Sylvia Young Theatre School
14.25 The South Bank Centre presents ‘Tom Tom Crew’
14.45 Little Big Club
15.10 So Jest End
15.25 Avenue Q
15.45 Zanna Don’t
16.05 The London Gay Men’s Chorus
16.30 Too Close to the Sun
16.50 Faithless Bitches
17.05 The KB Fusionnaires
17.45 La Cage Aux Folles
17.55 Stomp
West End Live Sunday 21st June
12.00 Stomp
12.15 Little Big Club
12.35 West End Kids
12.55 Jersey Boys
13.15 Thriller Live
13.35 Noise Ensemble
13.55 Zanna Don’t
14.10 Honk!
14.20 SOLT – Competition
14.25 Royal Albert Hall presents ‘The Red Stripe Band’
15.05 Chinatown Arts Space Presents ‘TheBathroomGirl’
15.25 Bar Rumba presents ‘Salsateca’
15.40 Players Theatre presents ‘Victorian Music Hall’
15.55 National Youth Music Theatre
16.10 Lord Mayor of Westminster’s West End LIVE presentations
16.20 Octave8 presents ‘Yot.K’
16.50 Dover Street Restaurant and Jazz Bar presents ‘The Blues Engineers’
17.25 Ain’t Nothin But Blues Bar present the ‘West Western Bluesonics’
London Breaks to the ENB June 12, 2009
Posted by Linda in : london breaks , add a comment
London Breaks to the ballet on Theatre Breaks Magazine
Over on our sister site Theatre Breaks Magazine there’s news of a great offer if you are interested in London Breaks to the English National Ballet.
The English National Ballet are doing a wonderful winter season at the London Colliseum. The ballets on offer are The Nutcracker, The Snow Queen and Giselle. Tickets will go fast so people need to book early!
If you’re interested pop over the the London Breaks section of the magazine and have a look.
The Susan Boyle Effect and Les Miserables June 11, 2009
Posted by Linda in : Les Miserables , 1 comment so farAccording to yesterday’s Telegraph sales of tickets for Les Miserables have gone up by 46 per cent since Susan Boyle sang I Dreamed a Dream in the first round of Britain’s Got Talent.
It’s certainly true that tickets have become much scarcer and you need to book a few weeks ahead to be sure of getting them, even when you are booking a theatre break. At the moment you can’t just decide that you want to see Les Mis next week. Still if you can be patient and wait until July there does seem to be a bit more availability for mid week performances.
I Dreamed a Dream is a solo sung by Fantine in Act 1 in the musical. Susan Boyle’s version has attracted more hits than any other You Tube clip. It would be so easy to include that clip but I thought you might enjoy a more authentic taste of Les Miserables so here’s Gunilla Backman back in 1999, she was a gorgeous Fantine. Although it’s hard to be compared to stars like Ruthie Henshall ,current Fantine, Allyson Brown seems to be getting lots of praise.
