Marguerite closing early - September 13th August 21, 2008
Posted by Linda in : dates, marguerite , add a commentMarguerite will close early on September 13 th. The new musical was originally scheduled to run until November 1st.
Boublil and Schönberg have issued a statement:
“Despite high praise from audience members, critically acclaimed performances and the release of the much anticipated cast recording, we have made the difficult decision to close the show in London a few weeks earlier than originally planned. Both the knock on effect of the current economic climate, as well as disappointing ticket sales throughout the summer months have contributed to our decision to close early.”
They went on to express their gratitude to everyone from cast members to the loyal following the production has gained. the said they are very proud of what has been achieved.
Rehearsals for a Japanese production will start in January and the show will play the Akasaka ACT Theatre in Tokyo in February, followed by performances in Osaka. There are also plans for a Spanish production in 2009 and a French production in 2010.”
I am really sad about this. Marguerite was magnificent and Ruthie Henshall and the rest of the cast were stunning. I was really hoping it might find a new home in the West End after November but it just couldn’t survive the summer lull. What a shame!
I just like to send our commiserations and say Good Luck to all the cast and production team who worked so hard on Marguerite.
Jodie Prenger in Les Miz Chorus August 20, 2008
Posted by Linda in : Les Miserables, news, theatre breaks , add a commentIf you book Les Miserables theatre breaks for anytime in the next few weeks there could be a star bonus in store.
As a preparation for her part in Oliver! Jodie Prenger will be playing a variety of small parts in the London production of Les Miserables. The Stage confirmed today in an exclusive that Jodie will be in the show for some performances from August the 26th for three or four weeks.
Rumours of Jodie’s West End debut have been rife in various online theatre forums for the last couple of weeks so it is good to have it confirmed. It will be Jodie’s first chance to see what it’s like to perform as part of a huge cast in a hit West End show. She’ll see how the ensemble works together on a daily basis and get a feel for the way cast members have to pace themselves. This should help her tremendously in her preparations for playing Nancy.
Of course Jodie Prenger isn’t a complete novice. Still, her experience working on Disney cruise ships and in shows in her native Blackpool are on a different level to day to day life in a West End production. It seems like a very sensible idea to let her experience it in a fairly quiet way first before the spotlight falls on her Nancy.
I know some of our readers are going in the next few weeks so if you do spot Jodie please leave us a comment. We’d love to hear from you! I only hope ‘Jodie spotting’ won’t prove too much of a distraction for those of you who have Les Miserables theatre breaks booked for August or September!
Zorro the Musical - Reviews August 19, 2008
Posted by Linda in : reviews, zorro , add a commentZorro the Musical
My Zorro review: Great Entertainment!
Zorro! was on our list of must-see shows this summer and last week we settled our selves down into our seats and waited to be entertained. I’d heard a lot about fancy sword work, acrobatics and effects but wondered if all of this would get in the way of the story. Well, I needn’t have worried. The show is a great romp through a simple story and I just found it all incredibly enjoyable from start to finish.
Families go to see Zorro
As I looked round the audience I saw a huge mix of ages with families of young children, teenagers and much older people. I was a little concerned about the large number of quite young children but that turned out to be unfounded. They were all just as entranced as everyone else and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Zorro as the perfect show for families.
Zorro as a musical with dance
The lively hot passionate and at times heartbreakingly tragic flamenco songs and guitar music added hugely to the magical theatre atmosphere. personally, I would have been happy to hear more from the flamenco performers, but this complex and at times challenging music is used fairly sparingly, which is perhaps easier for an unaccustomed audience. There are some great original songs and also some from the Gypsy Kings’ own repertoire are woven into the plot quite cleverly.
I particularly enjoyed some of the chorus pieces, and overall the mix of singing and dancing was full of energy and exuberance to the point of creating a wonderfully inviting festival atmosphere by the end of the show.
The cast of Zorro
My absolute favourite was Lesli Margherita as Inez, the Gypsy Queen. She was smart and funny, playing the role with an archness that connected her beautifully with the audience. Her singing and dancing were brilliant.
Matt Rawle made a superb Diego, feckless and charming with an edge of steel. He’s got a lovely sense of comic timing and some of my favourite scenes were between him and Lesi. He’s also very athletic and we were treated to some fine stunt work at which I could only gasp in amazement.
Adam Levy was a stunningly vile Ramon, the villain of the piece. His acting was excellent and his singing very fine. In the end he made the odious Ramon a believable character, a tortured soul, more to be pitied than hated.
Nick Caveliere was very good as Garcia, playing the role with a lovely mix of comedy and pathos.
Emma Williams as Luisa glowed with light and looked lovely from the start, then rose to the occasion of singing the set piece solo and a couple of nice duets. My only small reservation about this casting was that she just seemed to look and act slightly out of place against the colourful hispanic flavour of everything else. Like a moonflower in a bed of hibiscus.
Final thoughts
By the end of an evening I could hardly keep still. The Gypsy King’s music and this exuberant production had got right under my skin and I, and just about everyone else, danced my way out of the theatre. Grinning at each other from ear to ear whilst reluctantly exiting the theatre, the audience left no doubt that they had been well and truly entertained, a great night out having been enjoyed by all. I would thoroughly recommend Zorro the musical to anybody.
Other Zorro Reviews
Three stars from What’s on Stage : Zorro
Four from Michael Billington in the Guardian : Zorro
“Lacklustre First Night ” by the Independent - aw, shame for them.
“a whale of a time” : West End Whingers
Zorro - West End run extended August 14, 2008
Posted by Linda in : dates, zorro , add a commentZorro took £255,000 in the first week of August! Not surprising then that the producers have extended its booking period until September 2009. The Bristol Evening Post says:
Star of the show Matt Rawle has described the action packed musical as “a family show”. He said: “There are loads of little lads sitting there with Zorro hats and Zorro masks on. Sitting there, not breathing, trying to take it all in. And they love it, they absolutely love it and they come round to the stage door.”
This sounds about right to me. The evening we saw it as we left there were lots of little boys quoting chunks of dialogue and sword fighting their way out of the theatre 
This makes Zorro the perfect entertainment for the whole family and ideal for family theatre breaks.
Cheap Theatre Tickets with Meal - Summer Offer August 7, 2008
Posted by Andy in : cheap theatre tickets, offers, theatre breaks , add a commentGet Cheap Theatre Tickets with a Restaurant Meal
One way to get cheap theatre tickets is to buy a Dinner & Show package for up to £10 less than the face value of the Theatre Ticket!
Great shows such as Marguerite, Grease, The Sound Of Music, Spamalot, Zorro and many others are available, some with a choice of pre-theatre restaurants all in this fantastic summer Dinner and Show Offer for August 2008.
Add a Hotel Stay to your Cheap Theatre Tickets?
A smart meal out in London’s West End with cheap theatre tickets all included will make for a memorable evening out without breaking the bank and all that’s left to organise is a means of getting home afterwards if you’re coming from the London area. Of course you could always make a weekend of it and stay overnight. Try checking these latest top 10 London Hotel Offers
Six Characters In Search Of An Author transfers to the Gielgud August 4, 2008
Posted by Linda in : Plays, Six Characters In Search Of An Author, dates , add a commentPirandello’s Six Characters In Search Of An Author, will transfer from Chichester to the Gielgud Theatre. The play will preview from the September 10th for a limited run until November 8th.
Priandello Updated
Pirandello’s 1921 classic has been ‘re-imaged’ by Ben Power and Rupert Goold. The play has been updated and adapted for a modern audience. I’d really like to see this. This new production has been very well received at Chichester. It is a play I know well in its original form and have enjoyed in the past. I am sure it will be interesting to see what this team have made of it.
Six Characters in search of a film editor?
The play still tells the story of six strangers but now they arrive unannounced during the editing of a documentary film. As their chilling story unfolds it becomes clear that they are fictional characters and they want the film maker to make their story into a documentary. The play questions both fiction and reality and I can see how this could work well for our media-obsessed age.
The Chichester Cast
Ian McDiarmid
Noma Dumezweni
Jamie Bower
Eleanor David
Dyfan Dwyfor
Christine Entwisle
Denise Gough
Jake Harders
Jeremy Joyce
John Mackay
Freya Parker
Robin Pearce
Hairspray’s Michael Ball “I’m staying until next April” August 2, 2008
Posted by Linda in : Hairspray, news , add a comment
Hairspray star Michael Ball has gives really interesting interviews. I wrote about the one he did on Jonathan Ross a while ago (Michael Ball Gives Jonathan Ross Interview). Yesterday I read a new one that he’s done for The Scotsman. It’s an excellent read. He talks a bit about his personal life, including his relationship with Cathy McGowan (Yes, that one, Ready Steady Go etc!) . Usually he keeps very quiet about the personal stuff but this is a much more relaxed, happier Ball and he credits Hairspray with having done that for him:
I’m having a Ball - Michael Ball interview - The Scotsman
Ball is clear that a certain Mrs Turnblad transformed his career. If you were to ask what it takes to become a leading man in the West End you might be surprised to hear it involves high heels, a pair of 46EEE boobs and a wardrobe of frocks that would put the gaudiest drag queen to shame. But for Ball that’s what has worked. “When I was cast people said I wouldn’t pull it off and then when I did and I won the Olivier Award, I can’t tell you the satisfaction,” he says, still savouring the triumph. “Everyone says, ‘Oh, awards don’t matter.’ Rubbish! That one meant everything for me. It meant, ‘all right, you can be in our club.’ It was so satisfying. I took it into work the night after the ceremony and it appeared in every scene. When I burst out of the hairspray can at the end I was dusting it!
He says he used to have issues with his size and his self-image but he feels comfortable with himself these days. I suspect playing in a show like Hairspray and getting all those positive messages every night must have helped! He talks a bit about the past and the panic attacks that caused him to pull out of Les Miz when he was younger. That was a dark time for him and he was hardly able to leave his flat at the peak of it. He knows that he’s still vulnerable and says:
“I know the danger signs. And I know to talk about it,” he says. “Cathy knows the signs for me and she’s very clever at pulling me up and also knows when I just need a bit of stroking.”
The best news is that Michael Ball is staying in Hairspray till at least April! He says:
I don’t think it’s been announced yet, but I’m staying until next April. They’ve made me an offer I can’t refuse.
So book your Hairspray Theatre Break now and see one of the happiest men in one of the funniest shows in town!
Exclusive Saturday Night Theatre Breaks August 2, 2008
Posted by admin in : Dirty Dancing, Grease, Hairspray, Musicals, Oliver, Special Offers, jersey boys, offers, theatre breaks , add a commentExclusive Saturday night theatre tickets
A new offer from Superbreak gives you the chance to choose Saturday night tickets for one of a range of popular shows with two nights in a London hotel for a very reasonable price. There’s also a fantastic bonus pack but more about that later. The top London show Saturday night tickets for these particular dates can be hard to find which is part of what makes this exclusive theatre break deal particularly attractive. You can not only choose from a range of 3* and 4* hotels but also specify from a range of theatre ticket price bands.
For example, two could stay 2 nights in a 3* hotel and see Oliver! (with Jodie!) in January from as little as £252 ! Or go in November and see Lee Mead in Joseph before he finishes, 2 nights in a 3*hotel plus tickets for 2 from £262
Not only that you get a VIP Theatre Pack full of goodies including a special exclusive CD and loads of valuable discount vouchers. But just wait until you see which West End Musicals are included in this exclusive offer.
Want to be sure of getting tickets? Book now
Shows and Dates
The offer is for specific dates in the autumn and winter of 2008. You could even book more than one.
Dirty Dancing Saturday 18 October 2008
do I see a girls’ night out in your future? Plus these weekends in London would be perfect for anyone planning a Hen Night.
November
Feeling like a musical November to chase away the winter chills?
Grease - Saturday 08 November 2008
Is this the one that you want?
Dirty Dancing - Saturday 15 November 2008
Wedding not till November? No Problem!
Joseph - Saturday 22 November 2008
Yes, see Lee before it’s too late!
Hairspray - Saturday 29 November 2008
Top show, what can I say, these are class shows! check availability
December
What about a shopping break in London combined with a show?
Jersey Boys - Saturday 06 December 2008
Dirty Dancing - Saturday 13 December 2008
January 2009
Oliver! - Saturday 24 January 2009
Oh yes, would you believe it? Tickets to see Jodie on a Saturday in January could be yours!
Act Fast - Book Now
You are going to have to act fast to grab these. It’s such a good offer the shows will book up fast.
So act now to book your Saturday Night Exclusive Theatre Break in London
What’s in the VIP Theatre Pack?
- An Exclusive Directors Choice CD
- A free subscription to Passport of the Arts (worth £20)
- A host of discount vouchers for London Attractions
Further details and check availability of tickets on the Exclusive Saturday Peformance Offer page
Never Forget London Hotel Deals August 1, 2008
Posted by Andy in : Never Forget, midweek, theatre breaks , add a commentNever Forget - London theatre breaks
Great news for Take That fans who haven’t had a chance yet to see Never Forget or anybody who wants to plan a nineties music night out. It’s one of the shows qualifying for the free hotel offer with midweek London theatre breaks in August 2008.
This means you can get an inclusive theatre and hotel deal with top tickets to see Never Forget at the Savoy Theatre for as little as £54.50 per person, and this includes a one night stay in a three star hotel in London.
For more details, read the London Hotel Deals page here at London theatre breaks or else head straight on over to book now.
Never Forget is a musical show based on the greatest hits of reformed Nineties boyband Take That. It will run at the Savoy Theatre until 15 November 2008, when it transfers to another West End venue for Christmas followed by an open-ended run in the new year.
Cast members from Never Forget performed at West End Live
Never Forget transfer- new theatre announced August 1, 2008
Posted by Linda in : Never Forget, dates , add a commentProducers of Never Forget, the Take That musical, have ended speculation by announcing that the show will transfer to the Lyric Theatre on November 20.
The show is currently playing at the Savoy Theatre, but will move out to make way for the new production of Carousel starring Lesley Garret, which starts previews on November 22. The Stage says producers have described this as a “permanent transfer”, so that’s one mystery solved.
The final performance at the Savoy will be on November 15.
