Zorro the Musical - Emma Williams and Matt Rawle June 4, 2008
Posted by Linda in : Musicals, cast changes, garrick, zorro , trackbackEmma Williams as Luisa
Zorro the Musical will feature Emma Williams as leading lady, Luisa, according to an interview in The Evening Courier. Emma will play Zorro’s love interest, the role played by Catherine Zeta Jones in the film. Emma has impeccable West End credentials having played Johanna in Sweeney Todd at the Royal Festival Hall. She also took leading roles in Sex, Chips and Rock ‘n’ Roll, Batboy The Musical and Promises Promises. This was based on the 1960s Billy Wilder comedy The Apartment. Emma played Fran Kubelik, a role made famous by Shirley MacLaine. Her first West End performance was as Truly Scrumptious in the original Chitty Chitty Bang Bang in 2002, when she was only 19. More recently she played Madonna in the ill-fated Desperately Seeking Susan.
Matt Rawle as Zorro
Matt Rawle is Zorro. Zorro is the secret identity of Don Diego de la Vega, a wealthy caballero and master swordsman living in Spanish California, who defends the people of the land against injustice. Matt also has a host of musical credits, including Chris in Miss Siagon, the title role in Martin Guerre and Marius in the touring production of Les Miserables. Most recently he played Che Guevarra in Evita at the Adelphi in the 2006 production.
Zorro the Musical
Johnston McCulley created the the iconic character Zorro in 1919. Two blockbuster films were made in recent years, based on McCulley’s story, Mask of Zorro in 1998 and Legend of Zorro in 2005, both featured Antonio Banderas and Catherine Zeta Jones in the lead roles.
In 2005 Isabelle Allende wrote Zorro: A Novel in which she retells the tale of the original Zorro legend adding her own brand of magical realism and South American culture to McCulley’s original story. It is this book rather than the earlier one which was the inspiration for the musical.
The combination of Allende’s story, two fine leading actors, the music of the Gypsy Kings, lots of spectacular sword play, extraordinary aerial acrobatics, incredible magic trickery and genuine flamenco dancing, should make for a really stunning evening in the London theatre.
Zorro the Musical opens at the Garrick on June 30th.
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