Andrew Lloyd Webber’s roller-skating musical makes a UK comeback this year as Bill Kenwright takes the show on tour.

Originally performed at the Apollo Victoria in London in 1984, the show ran for over 7,000 performances – and is still running in Bochum, Germany after 25 years.

Starring Kristofer Harding and Mykal Rand, this new production is directed and choreographed by Arlene Phillips based on Trevor Nunn’s original, and has kicked off its tour at the New Wimbledon Theatre (until 19 May) and is then rolling off around the UK.

Photos by Roy Tan.

LINKS

For tickets visit the website

VIDEO

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKWZ7a-SO_g

In association with Paulden Hall Productions, Plug in the Lead on Sunday 17 June will be a celebration of Rock music performed by some of the West End’s leading performers. All profits from the event will go to St. Christopher’s Hospice.

Paul Gambacinni will host the evening with headline performers including veteran singer Tony Christie, who recently starred in Dreamboats & Petticoats alongside Alexis Gerred, and Lucie Jones (Les Miserables), Lauren Samuels (We Will Rock You), Jimmy Johnston (The Phantom of the Opera), Lorna Want (Footloose), Liam Doyle (Mamma Mia!), Steph Feron (Over The Rainbow finalist), AJ Dean  (Dreamboats & Petticoats), Bradley Clarkson (Grease) and Daniella Bowen (Scrooge).

The talented cast will sing some of the world’s biggest Rock songs by artists such as Queen, Rod Stewart, Journey, The Kinks and of course Tony Christie.

Visit the Plug in the Lead website for details.

LINKS

Plug in the Lead website
Leicester Square Theatre

Despite a record-breaking career that has included TV, movies and albums, Des had never performed in a West End show until his starring role last year in Dreamboats and Petticoats at the Playhouse Theatre.

And now Des is on a West End roll as he returns to the London Palladium – a venue that he has played hundreds of times over his career but never as an actor – to star as the Wizard in the Wizard of Oz from 22 May 2012.

Star of stage, screen and music, Des was awarded the CBE in 2008 for his services to Entertainment and Broadcasting and is widely regarded as one of the UK’s best loved and most respected stars.

Since his first TV appearance in 1963 he has starred in his own shows for over 45 years – longer than anyone else anywhere in the world.

His most recent titles include the Des O’Connor Tonight specials, the award-winning ITV talk show Today with des and Mel and his interview this year on Piers Morgan’s Life Stories, which was the highest rated of the series.

He is also a hugely successful music and recording artist, having produced no less than 36 albums, selling over 16 million copies to date, and spending a staggering 117 weeks in the top ten of the charts.

On stage, Des has appeared at the MGM Grand Las Vegas, The Sydney Opera House and over 1,000 times at the London Palladium, but his appearance in Dreamboats will mark his first time ever in a West End musical.

Des O’Connor stars in The Wizard of Oz alongside Over The Rainbow runner-up Sophie Evans as Dorothy.

LINKS

Book tickets to The Wizard of Oz at the London Palladium

The Wizard of Oz at the London Palladium

Presenting a great ticket offer on Andrew Lloyd Webber’s major new production of The Wizard of Oz at the London Palladium. Starring Over The Rainbow finalist Sophie Evans and legendary British entertainer Des O’Connor (from 22 May 2012), Westendtheatre.com readers can save up to £25 on tickets to see the show this winter.

The multi-million pound production, which features songs from the Oscar-winning movie plus specially written new songs by Lloyd -Webber and Tim Rice, opened on 1 March 2011 and continues to delight audiences of all ages at the Palladium.

The show stars Sophie Evans, finalist of the BBC talent show Over the Rainbow, as Dorothy in the new production. Also starring in the show is legendary entertainer Des O’Connor (from 22 May) as The Wizard of Oz, Marianne Benedict (Crazy for You) as the Wicked Witch of the West, Paul Keating (Tommy) as Scarecrow, Edward Baker Duly (Copacabana) as Tin Man, David Ganly (Chicago) as Cowardly Lion and Emily Tierney (All the Fun of the Fair) as Glinda.

The team behind the 2006 revival of The Sound of Music has created the show, including director Jeremy Sams, designer Robert Jones and choreographer Arlene Phillips.

BOOK NOW

The Wizard of Oz Ticket Sale – save £25 on top price tickets to see The Wizard of Oz starring Des O’Connor 

Produced by the stage show’s producer Cameron Mackintosh and Working Title Films, with distribution by Universal, the movie is directed by The King’s Speech Oscar-winner Tom Hooper and stars  Hugh Jackman as Jean Valjean, Russell Crowe as Javert, Sacha Baron Cohen as Thernardier, Eddie Redmayne as Marius, Aaron Tveit as Enjolras, Amanda Seyfried as Cosette, Samantha Barks as Eponine, and Helena Bonham Carter as Madame Thenardier.

Awards to be announced: 11 June 2012

NOMINATIONS

Best play
Clybourne Park
Other Desert Cities
Peter and the Starcatcher
Venus in Fur

Best musical
Leap of Faith
Newsies
Nice Work If You Can Get It
Once

Best revival of a play
Death of a Salesman
The Best Man
Master Class
Wit

Best revival of a musical
Evita
Follies
The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess
Jesus Christ Superstar

Best direction of a play
Nicholas Hytner, One Man, Two Guvnors
Pam MacKinnon, Clybourne Park
Mike Nichols, Death of a Salesman
Roger Rees and Alex Timbers, Peter and the Starcatcher

Best direction of a musical
Jeff Calhoun, Newsies
Kathleen Marshall, Nice Work If You Can Get It
Diane Paulus, The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess
John Tiffany, Once

Best performance by an actor in a leading role in a play
James Corden, One Man, Two Guvnors
Philip Seymour Hoffman, Death of a Salesman
James Earl Jones, The Best Man
Frank Langella, Man and Boy
John Lithgow, The Columnist

Best performance by an actress in a leading role in a play
Nina Arianda, Venus in Fur
Tracie Bennett, End of the Rainbow
Stockard Channing, Other Desert Cities
Linda Lavin, The Lyons
Cynthia Nixon, Wit

Best performance by an actor in a leading role in a musical
Danny Burstein, Follies
Jeremy Jordan, Newsies
Steve Kazee, Once
Norm Lewis, The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess
Ron Raines, Follies

Best performance by an actress in a leading role in a musical
Jan Maxwell, Follies
Audra McDonald, The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess
Cristin Milioti, Once
Kelli O’Hara, Nice Work If You Can Get It
Laura Osnes, Bonnie & Clyde

Best performance by an actor in a featured role in a play
Christian Borle, Peter and the Starcatcher
Michael Cumpsty, End of the Rainbow
Tom Edden, One Man, Two Guvnors
Andrew Garfield, Death of a Salesman
Jeremy Shamos, Clybourne Park

Best performance by an actress in a featured role in a play
Linda Emond, Death of a Salesman
Spencer Kayden, Don’t Dress for Dinner
Celia Keenan-Bolger, Peter and the Starcatcher
Judith Light, Other Desert Cities
Condola Rashad, Stick Fly

Best performance by an actor in a featured role in a musical
Phillip Boykin, The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess
Michael Cerveris, Evita
David Alan Grier, The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess
Michael McGrath, Nice Work If You Can Get It
Josh Young, Jesus Christ Superstar

Best performance by an actress in a featured role in a musical
Elizabeth A Davis, Once
Jayne Houdyshell, Follies
Judy Kaye, Nice Work If You Can Get It
Jessie Mueller, On A Clear Day You Can See Forever
Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Ghost the Musical

Best book of a musical
Douglas Carter Beane for Lysistrata Jones
Harvey Fierstein for Newsies
Joe DiPietro for Nice Work If You Can Get It
Enda Walsh for Once

Best original score written for the theatre (music and/or lyrics)
Bonnie & Clyde (music: Frank Wildhorn; lyrics: Don Black)
Newsies (music: Alan Menken; lyrics: Jack Feldman)
One Man, Two Guvnors (music and lyrics: Grant Olding)
Peter and the Starcatcher (music: Wayne Barker; lyrics: Rick Elice)

Best scenic design of a play
John Lee Beatty, Other Desert Cities
Daniel Ostling, Clybourne Park
Mark Thompson, One Man, Two Guvnors
Donyale Werle, Peter and the Starcatcher

Best scenic design of a musical
Bob Crowley, Once
Rob Howell and Jon Driscoll, Ghost the Musical
Tobin Ost and Sven Ortel, Newsies
George Tsypin, Spider-Man Turn Off the Dark

Best costume design of a play
William Ivey Long, Don’t Dress for Dinner
Paul Tazewell, A Streetcar Named Desire
Mark Thompson, One Man, Two Guvnors
Paloma Young, Peter and the Starcatcher

Best costume design of a musical
Gregg Barnes, Follies
ESosa, The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess
Eiko Ishioka, Spider-Man Turn Off the Dark
Martin Pakledinaz, Nice Work If You Can Get It

Best lighting design of a play
Jeff Croiter, Peter and the Starcatcher
Peter Kaczorowski, The Road to Mecca
Brian MacDevitt, Death of a Salesman
Kenneth Posner, Other Desert Cities

Best lighting design of a musical
Christopher Akerlind, The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess
Natasha Katz, Follies
Natasha Katz, Once
Hugh Vanstone, Ghost the Musical

Best sound design of a play
Paul Arditti, One Man, Two Guvnors
Scott Lehrer, Death of a Salesman
Gareth Owen, End of the Rainbow
Darron L West, Peter and the Starcatcher

Best sound design of a musical
Acme Sound Partners, The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess
Clive Goodwin, Once
Kai Harada, Follies
Brian Ronan, Nice Work If You Can Get It

Best choreography
Rob Ashford, Evita
Christopher Gattelli, Newsies
Steven Hoggett, Once
Kathleen Marshall, Nice Work If You Can Get It

Best orchestrations
William David Brohn and Christopher Jahnke, The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess
Bill Elliott, Nice Work If You Can Get It
Martin Lowe, Once
Danny Troob, Newsies

Special Tony award for lifetime achievement in the theatre
Emanuel Azenberg

Regional theatre award
The Shakespeare Theatre Company, Washington DC

Isabelle Stevenson award
Bernadette Peters

Special Tony award
Actors’ Equity Association
Hugh Jackman

Tony honour for excellence in the theatre
Freddie Gershon
Artie Siccardi
TDF Open Doors

Tony Nominations by Production
Once – 11
The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess – 10
Nice Work If You Can Get It – 10
Peter and the Starcatcher – 9
Follies – 8
Newsies – 8
Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman – 7
One Man, Two Guvnors – 7
Other Desert Cities – 5
Clybourne Park – 4
End of the Rainbow – 3
Evita – 3
Ghost the Musical – 3
Bonnie & Clyde – 2
Don’t Dress for Dinner – 2
Gore Vidal’s The Best Man – 2
Jesus Christ Superstar – 2
Spider-Man Turn Off The Dark – 2
Venus in Fur – 2
Wit – 2
The Columnist – 1
Leap of Faith – 1
The Lyons – 1
Lysistrata Jones – 1
Man and Boy – 1
Master Class – 1
On A Clear Day You Can See Forever – 1
The Road to Mecca – 1
Stick Fly – 1
A Streetcar Named Desire – 1

Outstanding Achievement in association with The Dorchester:
Michael Frayn

Classical Music:
Llŷr Williams – Beethoven’s Piano Sonata Cycle

Comedy:
Fresh Meat, Channel 4

Dance:
The Metamorphosis, Arthur Pita, Linbury Studio Theatre

Film:
We Need to Talk About Kevin

Literature:
Charles Dickens: A Life, Claire Tomalin

Opera:
The Damnation of Faust, ENO

Pop:
Kate Bush, 50 Words for Snow

Theatre:
Matilda, Royal Shakespeare Company, Cambridge Theatre

TV Drama:
Sherlock, BBC1

Visual Art:
Grayson Perry: The Tomb of the Unknown Craftsman, British Museum

Times Breakthrough Award, as voted by readers of The Times:
Sophie Bevan