Carley Stenson as Elle in Legally Blonde

The show will have its final West End performance on Saturday 7 April 2012. A UK tour is currently in progress and an Australian production of the show may open later this year.

The final cast of the show, all currently starring in the musical, will be Carley Stenson as Elle, Stephen Ashfield as Emmett, Ben Freeman as Warner and Peter Davison as Professor Callahan.

Directed and choreographed by Jerry Mitchell, the show is based on the hit movie Legally Blonde.

LINKS

SPECIAL OFFER: SAVE £29 on tickets to Legally Blonde at the Savoy Theatre in London

Backbeat at the Duke of York's Theatre. Photo: Roy Tan

The show, which had been booking to March, will now close on 18 February 2012. It will be followed on 22 February by American movie star Zach Braff (Scrubs) in a ten week run of his off-Broadway comedy All New People.

Based on Iain Softley’s 1994 film, and co-written by Softley and Stephen Jeffreys, Backbeat reveals how The Beatles ‘became’ The Beatles – when John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Pete Best and Stuart Sutcliffe embarked on their journey from the docks of Liverpool to search for success in the seedy red light district of Hamburg, Germany.

Performing in the clubs of the Reeperbahn, they played rock ‘n’ roll covers night after night, with classics including Twist And Shout, Long Tall Sally and Mr Postman.

At the heart of show is the triangular relationship between Lennon, his best friend and The Beatles’s original bassist Sutcliffe, and German photographer Astrid Kirchherr, with whom Kirchherr fell in love.

Directed by David Leveaux, the show stars Andrew Knott, Daniel Healy, William Payne, Oliver Bennett, Nick Blood and Ruta Gedmintas.

The show will follow it’s West End run with a production in Toronto in Summer 2012.

LINKS

SPECIAL OFFER: Book tickets to Backbeat at the Duke of York’s Theatre in London
Backbeat: Round-up of Reviews
Backbeat: Production photos

Best Actress winner Sheridan Smith as Doris in Flare Path

Sheridan Smith, who played Elle Woods in Legally Blonde and is rumoured to be starring in the new Bridget Jones musical, took home the Best Actress award for her performance in Terence Rattigan’s Flare Path at the Theatre Royal Haymarket. She beat actresses including Kristin Scott Thomas and Samantha Spiro for the award, although Scott Thomas did not go home empty handed, winning the Lebedev Special Award for her contribution to theatre.

The Best Actor gong was awarded jointly to the stars of Danny Boyle’s production of Frankenstein at the National Theatre, in which Benedict Cumberbatch and Jonny Lee Miller shared the roles of the scientist and the creature.

In a successful night for the National Theatre, the Best Director award went to movie veteran Mike Leigh, winning his very his first theatre directing award for his play Grief at the National.

The National also saw the Best Play award go to Richard Bean for his National Theatre production of One Man, Two Guvnors, currently playing at the Adelphi Theatre before heading to Broadway, along with recognition of his new play The Heretic at the Royal Court.

Other awards went to out-goiong Donmar Warehouse artistic director Michael Grandage, who won the editor’s award. This Spring Grandage will open a Broadway revival of his London production of Evita, starring Elena Roger and Ricky Martin.

LINKS

Evening Standard Theatre Awards 2011 – Winners

Evening Standard Theatre Awards 2011 – Shortlist

Ramin Karimloo to play Jean Valjean in Les Miserables. Photo: Roy Tan

West End actor Ramin Karimloo will star as Jean Valjean in Cameron Mackintosh’s London production of Les Miserables at the Queen’s Theatre from 29 November 2011 to 3 March 2012. He will take over from Alfie Boe, who is currently playing the role until 26 November 2011.

Ramin will join a cast that includes Hadley Fraser as Javert, Caroline Sheen as Fantine, Alexia Khadime as Eponine, Craig Mather as Marius, Cameron Blakely as Thénardier, Katy Secombe as Madame Thénardier, Liam Tamne as Enjolras and Lisa-Anne Wood as Cosette.

Ramin Karimloo is best known for playing Andrew Lloyd-Webber’s ‘The Phantom’ in both The Phantom of the Opera at Her Majesty’s Theatre and its sequel, Love Never Dies, which ran at the Adelphi. He also featured in the recent 25th Anniversary celebrations for Phantom at the Royal Albert Hall.

Ramin is no stranger to Les Mis having played Enjolras in the West End – and at the show’s 25th aniversary concert at the O2 last year. His other credits include Miss Saigon.

Mackintosh is currently working on the movie version of Les Miserables with Working Title films, with Hugh Jackman as Jean Valjean, Russell Crowe as Javert, Anne Hathaway as Fantine, Helena Bonham Carter as Madame Thenardier and Geoffrey Rush rumoured to be playing Monsieur Thenardier. The movie will be directed by Tom Hooper (The King’s Speech) and written by William Nicholson.

LINKS

More News on Les Miserables

Book tickets to Les Miserables at the Queen’s Theatre in London

Ariel Dorfman and Thandie Newton in front of the newly named Harold Pinter Theatre

Antonia Fraser, the widow of legendary playwright Harold Pinter, yesterday attended the opening of the West End theatre named in his honour.

She officially opened the Harold Pinter Theatre, joined by Ambassador Theatre Group’s Joint Chief Executive, Rosemary Squire, novelist and playwright, Ariel Dorfman, whose play Death and the Maiden is currently playing at the venue, and the star of Death and the Maiden, Thandie Newton.

The Panton Street venue, which was formerly known as the Comedy Theatre, was built by J. H. Addison and originally opened in 1881 as the Royal Comedy Theatre, designed by Thomas Verity.

The theatre has become synonymous with Pinter’s plays, having hosted seven Pinter productions over the last 21years including The Homecoming, No Man’s Land, Moonlight, The Hothouse, The Caretaker, The Lover The Collection and recently Betrayal starring Kristin Scott Thomas.

Death and the Maiden is running at the Harold Pinter Theatre until 21 January 2012.

LINKS

Book tickets to Death and the Maiden at the Harold Pinter Theatre in London

Ugly Betty's America Ferrera to star in Chicago

Chicago The Musical returns to the West End with a bang this Autumn as the star of international hit TV show Ugly Betty makes her West End theatre debut.

From 7 November for eight weeks only, America Ferrera will perform as  Roxie Hart in the show, alongside current star of the Broadway production of Chicago, Amra-Faye Wright, asVelma Kelly.

Chicago’s return to London will herald its record-breaking 15th year in the UK. The show is already the most successful Broadway export ever and notched up the accolade as the West End’s longest running revival ever when it played at the Cambridge Theatre until earlier this year.

America Ferrera is one of the most well known TV actresses in the world and has won Emmy, Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Awards for her role as Betty in the hit ABC show.

LINKS

SPECIAL OFFER: Save on tickets to Chicago at the Garrick Theatre in London

Susan Boyle and Elaine C Smith

International singing star Susan Boyle, who found fame through TV talent competition Britain’s Got Talent and has gone on to sell millions of records worldwide, is set to appear in the stage musical about her life.

I Dreamed A Dream will chart the rise of Boyle and will play an 11 week tour across the UK & Ireland, opening at the Newcastle Theatre Royal in March 2012.

There are no specific details of her role within the show, but it is believed that she will make a cameo appearance and sing. The part of Susan in the musical will be played by Scottish comedienne and actress Elaine C Smith (Calendar Girls, Rab C Nesbitt).

Susan Boyle said; “I am thrilled to be a part of the musical about my life story and very much looking forward to stepping on stage and performing with the cast. It is an honest portrayal of my life and has been a cathartic process to be involved in.”

Over 300 million people watched Susan Boyle on YouTube perform I Dreamed a Dream from Les Miserables and she has gone on to release two albums which have sold over 14 million copies worldwide.

LINKS

Press Release for I Dreamed A Dream, including Tour Dates

When it opened at the Apollo Victoria Theatre in London on 27 September 2006 the reviews for Broadway musical Wicked were decidedly lukewarm, with Paul Taylor of the Independent declaring that “I enjoyed very little…”

Rachel Tucker in Wicked

Fast-forward five years and the show’s reign as one of the most successful musicals in London theatre history continues unabated, having taken over £145m at the box office and about to welcome its four millionth visitor in the next couple of months.

The show premiered on Broadway in 2003, where it also continues to pack them in and appear week after week at the top of the box office charts. Stephen Schwartz’s musical is based on Gregory Maguire’s best-selling novel, which in turn is inspired by L Frank Baum’s classic story Wizard of Oz, which is also running in the West End at the Palladium Theatre.

The book and musical tell the “untold” story behind Baum’s classic, envisioning the Wicked Witch starting life as a good, green-skinned girl who turns evil due to the prejudice of those around her, notably her spoilt sister Glinda, who later becomes the Good Witch.

The show enjoys enormous levels of support from a loyal fanbase, many of whom have seen the musical countless times.

A new cast will join the show from 12 December this year, including Gina Beck as Glinda and and Matt Willis as Fiyero, plus Desmond Barrit returning to the show to play The Wizard, alongside current Wicked stars Rachel Tucker as Elphaba and Julie Legrand as Madame Morrible.

Wicked recently played its 2000th performance at the Apollo Victoria Theatre and has won numerous awards including the 2010 Olivier Award for Most Popular Show. Long may the success continue.

Book tickets to Wicked at the Apollo Victoria Theatre in London

OTHER ANNIVERSARIES COMING UP

Autumn is always a big time for theatre anniversaries, being prime season for the opening of new shows. Already this month we’ve seen The 39 Steps celebrate its 5th birthday at the Criterion Theatre on 20 September and STOMP celebrate its 9th birthday on 25th September, having opened in the West End in 2002.

Coming up, Les Miserables at the Queen’s Theatre turns 26 on 8 October 1985 and is still riding on a massive high following its 25th anniversary celebrations last year and continuing news and gossip about the upcoming Hollywood movie version of the show.

Last year may have been all about Les Mis but this year it’s The Phantom of the Opera’s turn to bask in the spotlight as the show turns 25 on 9 October. The show, which has played continuously at Her Majesty’s Theatre since 1986, and subsequently all around the world, will celebrate with a special The Phantom of the Opera 25th anniversary concert at the Royal Albert Hall.

Also in October Disney’s The Lion King at the Lyceum Theatre turns 12 on 19 October.

LINKS

Book tickets to Wicked at the Apollo Victoria Theatre in London

Lisa Stokke (Guys and Dolls, Mamma Mia!) and Michael Matus (Lend Me A Tenor) star in Wicked composer Stephen Schwartz’s The Baker’s Wife at the Union Theatre in London, until 15 October 2011.

With a book by Joseph Stein (Fiddler on the Roof), based on La Femme du Boulanger by Marcel Pagnol and Jean Giono, this musical love story is set in 1935 in a small French village and explores the nature of marriage and relationships.

Direction is by Michael Strassen.

Photos by Roy Tan.

LINKS

Union Theatre website