Jesus Christ Superstar TV talent show
January 8, 2012
It’s no secret that Andrew Lloyd Webber was pretty excited about the new production of Jesus Christ Superstar mounted by the Stratford Shakespeare Festival in Canada last year. The show then transferred to the La Jolla Playhouse in California and is now slated for Broadway, opening at the Neil Simon Theatre on 22 March starring Paul Nolan as Jesus and Josh Young as Judas.
Jesus Christ Superstar - coming to Broadway and now London?
But the Great Lord has other plans for the show.
Rumours of a London revival of this Des McAuff production have been circulating for a while, but The Sun has now broken the story that Lloyd Webber is defecting from the BBC to ITV to run another TV talent search, this time to find a Jesus and Judas for his new London production of Superstar.
Lloyd Webber’s TV talent searches have all been for the Beeb, most recently Over The Rainbow which resulted in Danielle Hope being cast in his multi-million pound production of The Wizard of Oz, still playing at the London Palladium.
But ITV is keen to poach Lloyd Webber for its own channel. ITV ran Grease talent search Grease Is The Word in 2007 to cast Danny in Sandy in David Ian’s Grease revival but it was a ratings flop. ITV’s head of programmes Peter Fincham is believed to consider a Lloyd Webber-fronted show would fare much better.
Rumours are also circulating that a UK tour of Lloyd Webb’er s1984 musical Starlight Express, which kicks off at the New Wimbledon Theatre on 10 May 2012 produced by Bill Kenwright, may also come into town at some point.
In other ALW news, excitement is mounting on Broadway for the Michael Grandage helmed production of Evita at the Marquis Theatre starring Ricky Martin and Elena Roger, which starts previews on 12 March 2012.
LINKS
Book tickets to Jesus Christ Superstar at the Neil Simon Theatre in New York
Book tickets to EVITA at the Marquis Theatre in New York
Book tickets to The Wizard of Oz at the London Palladium in London
Production photos: Des does Dreamboats at the Playhouse
October 7, 2011
Des O’Connor joins the cast of of Dremaboats and Petticoats at the Playhouse Theatre in London
Des O'Connor in Dreamboats and Petticoats. Photo: Roy Tan
British showbiz legend Des O’Connor has made his official West End debut in Bill Kenwright musical Dreamboats and Petticoats at the Playhouse Theatre.
Despite a record-breaking career that has included TV, movies and albums, he has never performed in a West End show. He will be appearing as the ‘Older Bobby’ and ‘Phil – Bobby’s Dad’, who runs the youth club around which the Olivier Award nominated production is based, until 7 January 2012.
The parts have been adapted slightly to bring in more humour between him and his son, played in the show by Scott Bruton.
Dreamboats and Petticoats is inspired by the smash hit million+ selling albums, and features some of the greatest hit songs of the Rock ‘n’ Roll era. The show is written by Laurence Marks and Maurice Gran, the team behind Goodnight Sweetheart, Birds of a Feather, The New Statesmen and Shine On Harvey Moon, and features songs from Roy Orbison, The Everly Brothers, Neil Sedaka, Eddie Cochran, Dion, Del Shannon and many more.
Photos by Roy Tan.
LINKS
DES O’CONNOR in Dreamboats and Petticoats
October 3, 2011
Much-loved British entertainer Des O’Connor has joined the cast of hit musical Dreamboats and Petticoats at the Playhouse Theatre in London.
Despite a record-breaking career that has included TV, movies and albums, he has never performed in a West End show, and so makes his London theatre debut in the musical at the Playhouse Theatre in London from 3 October 2011, appearing until 7 January 2012.
Des plays the ‘Older Bobby’ and ‘Phil – Bobby’s Dad’ who runs the youth club around which the celebrated Olivier Award nominated production is based. The parts have been adapted slightly to bring in more humour between him and his son, played in the show by Scott Bruton.
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 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.
Dreamboats and Petticoats is written by Laurence Marks and Maurice Gran, and features songs from Roy Orbison, The Everly Brothers, Neil Sedaka, Eddie Cochran, Dion, Del Shannon and many more.
LINKS
Book tickets to Dremaboats and Petticoats at the Playhouse Theatre in London
The Legendary Des O’Connor Makes His West End Musical Theatre Debut In Dreamboats And Petticoats
September 2, 2011
World-renowned entertainer DES O’CONNOR will join the cast of hit West End musical DREAMBOATS AND PETTICOATS from 3 October, for a strictly limited season at The Playhouse Theatre.
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 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 will make his debut playing the multiple roles of ‘Older Bobby’ and ‘Phil – Bobby’s Dad’, who runs the youth club around which the celebrated Olivier Award nominated production is based.
Dreamboats and Petticoats is inspired by the smash hit million+ selling albums, and features some of the greatest hit songs of the Rock ‘n’ Roll era. Written by Laurence Marks and Maurice Gran, the team behind Goodnight Sweetheart, Birds of a Feather, The New Statesmen and Shine On Harvey Moon, this spectacular feel-good production will give you ‘the greatest time of your life’. It is produced by Bill Kenwright and Laurie Mansfield in association with Universal Music.
Featuring songs from Roy Orbison, The Everly Brothers, Neil Sedaka, Eddie Cochran, Dion, Del Shannon and many more, including Let’s Dance, To Know Him Is To Love Him, Shaking All Over, Bobby’s Girl, Little Town Flirt, Only Sixteen, Runaround Sue, Happy Birthday Sweet 16, Let it Be Me, Let’s Twist Again and many more hits from music’s golden era!
Release issued by: Target Live
LINKS
SPECIAL OFFER: Book tickets to Dreamboats and Petticoats at the Playhouse Theatre in London
Original Cast Members Return As The Pitmen Painters Arrive In The West End Direct From National Theatre And Broadway Triumphs
August 22, 2011
Casting has been announced for the forthcoming West End production of Lee Hall’s The Pitmen Painters, presented by Bill Kenwright. The climax of an extraordinary journey, which started at Newcastle’s Live Theatre and continued on to the National, Broadway, and all round the UK, The Pitmen Painters is highly amusing, deeply moving and always entertaining as it examines the lives of a group of ordinary men who do extraordinary things.
The cast includes Ian Kelly as ‘Robert Lyon’, Michael Hodgson as ‘Harry Wilson’, David Whitaker as ‘Jimmy Floyd’ and Brian Lonsdale as ‘Young Lad/Ben Nicholson’, all reprising the roles that they played at Live Theatre in Newcastle, at the National, on Broadway and on tour. Trevor Fox, who joined the cast on Broadway and on tour, will reprise the role of ‘Oliver Kilbourn’. Joy Brook and Viktoria Kay, who joined for the 2011 tour, will play ‘Helen Sutherland’ and ‘Susan Parks’ respectively. Joe Caffrey, who has appeared in many productions at Live Theatre in Newcastle and who played the role of Dad in the West End Production of Cooking With Elvis, and ‘Billy’s Father’ in the West End production of Billy Elliot (both also by Lee Hall), will join the cast to play ‘George Brown’.
The West End season will open at the Duchess Theatre on Wednesday 5 October with press night on the Tuesday 11 October at 7pm.
In 1934, a group of Ashington miners hired a professor to teach an art appreciation evening class. Rapidly abandoning theory in favour of practice, the pitmen began to paint – prolifically. Within a few years avant-garde artists became their friends and their work was acquired by prestigious collectors; but every day they continued to work, as before, down the mine…
Full of humour, drama and revelation, Lee Hall’s The Pitmen Painters, which won the Evening Standard Award for Best New Play, has never been so relevant, as public cutbacks take their toll and the debate about the importance of the arts reaches a crescendo.
IN THE CURRENT ECONOMIC CLIMATE, WITH CUTBACKS HITTING THE ARTS, LEE HALL’S AWARD WINNING PLAY HAS NEVER BEEN SO RELEVANT
Lee Hall wrote the screenplay for Billy Elliot and adapted it for the West End in 2005, winning an Olivier Award for Best New Musical. Billy Elliot opened on Broadway in November 2008. His plays include Spoonface Steinberg (Ambassadors), Cooking with Elvis (Live Theatre, Assembly Rooms and West End), and an adaptation of Herman Heijerman’s The Good Hope for the National Theatre.
Inspired by a book by William Feaver, this is the original production directed by Max Roberts, with set and costume design by Gary McCann, lighting by Douglas Kuhrt and sound by Martin Hodgson.
Release issued by: Target Live
LINKS
Book tickets to The Pitmen Painters at the Duchess Theatre in London
Bill Kenwright receives honorary degree
July 22, 2011
Three cheers for Bill Kenwright, who collected an honorary degree from the University of Liverpool yesterday.
Bill Kenwright receiving his honorary degree
The hard-working West End theatre impresario was said to be “delighted” after picking up the honour at the city’s Philharmonic Hall. His partner, the actress Jenny Seagrove, said that she was “very proud”.
The Liverpudlian, who was born in Wavertree, started as an actor before setting up Bill Kenwright Ltd, which has become one of the world’s most prolific theatre production businesses. His production of Willy Russell’s Blood Brothers has played in the West End since 1988. He is also Chairman of Everton football club.
His other London productions include Dreamboats and Petticoats at the Playhouse Theatre, and he is co-producer of The Wizard of Oz at the London Palladium and forthcoming transfer on the National’s The Pitmen Painters at the Duchess Theatre. His company also runs a myriad of UK touring productions including Spamalot, Evita and Joseph.
Bill Kenwright. Photo © Liverpool Echo
Channel 4 News journalist Jon Snow also picked up an honorary degree at the ceremony.
Bill was awarded a CBE in 2000 for services to film and theatre, and this latest honour is justly deserved: He continues to be one of the West End’s greatest and most passionate champions.
LINKS
Book tickets to Blood Brothers at the Phoenix Theatre
Book tickets to Dreamboats and Petticoats at the Playhouse Theatre
Book tickets to The Wizard of Oz at the London Palladium
Book tickets to The Pitmen Painters at the Duchess Theatre
The Pitmen Painters Arrive In The West End Direct From National Theatre And Broadway Triumphs
June 24, 2011
Presented by Bill Kenwright, following celebrated seasons at the National Theatre and on Broadway, Lee Hall’s The Pitmen Painters will at last enjoy a West End season, opening at the Duchess Theatre on Wednesday 5 October with press night on the Tuesday 11 October at 7pm.
The climax of an extraordinary journey, which started at Newcastle’s Live Theatre and continued on to the National, Broadway, and all round the UK, The Pitmen Painters is highly amusing, deeply moving and always entertaining as it examines the lives of a group of ordinary men who do extraordinary things.
In 1934, a group of Ashington miners hired a professor to teach an art appreciation evening class. Rapidly abandoning theory in favour of practice, the pitmen began to paint – prolifically. Within a few years avant-garde artists became their friends and their work was acquired by prestigious collectors; but every day they continued to work, as before, down the mine…
Full of humour, drama and revelation, Lee Hall’s The Pitmen Painters, which won the Evening Standard Award for Best New Play, has never been so relevant, as public cutbacks take their toll and the debate about the importance of the arts reaches a crescendo.
IN THE CURRENT ECONOMIC CLIMATE, WITH CUTBACKS HITTING THE ARTS, LEE HALL’S AWARD WINNING PLAY HAS NEVER BEEN SO RELEVANT
Lee Hall wrote the screenplay for Billy Elliot and adapted it for the West End in 2005, winning an Olivier Award for Best New Musical. Billy Elliot opened on Broadway in November 2008. His plays include Spoonface Steinberg (Ambassadors), Cooking with Elvis (Live Theatre, Assembly Rooms and West End), and an adaptation of Herman Heijerman’s The Good Hope for the National Theatre.
Inspired by a book by William Feaver, this is the original production directed by Max Roberts, with set and costume design by Gary McCann, lighting by Douglas Kuhrt and sound by Martin Hodgson, and featuring many of the actors who starred at the National Theatre and on Broadway.
Release issued by Target Live
LINKS
Book tickets through the National Theatre website
Love Never Dies to close at the Adelphi Theatre
June 17, 2011
Love Never Dies, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s multi-million pound sequel to The Phantom of the Opera, has announced its closure in the West End.
Rumours have circulated for some time that the show, which is produced by Lloyd Webber’s Really Useful Group and is housed in one of the company’s theatres, jointly owned with the Nederlanders, was losing a significant amount of money and would struggle to continue unless it saw a sharp rise in box-office receipts.
The National Theatre’s hit new show One Man, Two Guvnors starring Gavin and Stacey’s James Corden will move in to the venue from mid-November 2011.
It is unclear whether Love Never Dies will continue with its international roll-out, including a production in Toronto and a Broadway opening.
The show did open last month in Melbourne to fair reviews, with the Herald Sun giving the show four stars but saying that, “While Love Never Dies sets a visual design standard that will be difficult to surpass, it is disappointing that the narrative and music fail to reach the same lofty heights”. Australian National newspaper The Age said that, “An inspired, often ravishing production for sure, though of a sequel that doesn’t make a strong enough musical or narrative argument for its own existence.”
Lloyd Webber wanted to the show to be completely revisited for the Melbourne opening, recruiting New Zealand director Simon Phillips to work on the show. The hope was that a good production in Melbourne could act as the template for future international productions.
Love Never Dies got off to a decidedly shaky start in the UK, with creative differences between the director Jack O’Brien and Lord Lloyd Webber, prompting the composer to close the show for four days in November 2010 to allow friend and producer Bill Kenwright to make a number of changes.
It had been rumoured that the show would close again for two weeks in September 2011, when the current cast was to change, to incorporate some of the changes made by Simon Phillips from the Melbourne production.
In May, Baz Bamigboye reported in the Daily Mail that Really Useful Group were struggling with £4 million loses from the show despite significant cost cutting.
Other shows that had been thought to be lining up for the Adelphi included a Robert Lindsay-led revival of Camelot directed by David Leveaux.
LINKS
SPECIAL OFFER: Book tickets to Love Never Dies at the Adelphi Theatre in London
RUMOUR CHECK-LIST
- Show: Love Never Dies
- Theatre: Adelphi Theatre
- Date closing: 27 August 2011
- Stars: Ramin Karimloo, Celia Graham, David Thaxton
- Composer: Andrew Lloyd Webber
- Director: Jack O’Brien / Bill Kenwright
Source: Daily Mail (17/06/11)
Caroline Sheen returns to the West End in Favourite Things and Les Miserables
May 6, 2011
West End actress Caroline Sheen is to return to London this summer following a year-long tour of the USA starring in Cameron Mackintosh’s production of Mary Poppins.
Caroline Sheen
The actress, who is a cousin of actor Michael Sheen, will return to Les Miserables at the Queen’s Theatre in June to play the role of Fantine. Caroline originally played Eponine in the show ten years ago. She will join some high-profile new starters on the show this summer including Alfie Boe and Matt Lucas.
Ahead of returning to Les Mis she will sing musical interludes to accompany These Are A Few Of My Favourite Things at the Jermyn Street Theatre, where theatre critic of The Stage, Mark Shenton, will interview a host of well-known theatre names.
The show, in aid of charity the Theatrical Guild which supports backstage and front of house theatre workers, will feature Shrek The Musical and Anna Christie director Rob Ashford, director and choreographer Craig Revel Horwood, Blood Brothers and Dreamboats and Petticoats producer Bill Kenwright, producer Michael Codron, the National Theatre’s director Nicholas Hytner, West End actress and current Shakespeare’s Globe star Janie Dee, veteran theatre school director Sylvia Young, and Betty Blue Eyes and Mary Poppins songwriting team George Stiles and Anthony Drewe.
The show will run at the Jermyn Street Theatre from 29 May to 4 June 2011.
Caroline Sheen has appeared in numerous West End shows including Grease, Into the Woods, Mamma Mia!, The Witches of Eastwick, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. Last month she played a cabaret show alongside Evita and Zorro star Matt Rawle at the Battersea Barge in London. She is married to actor Michael Jibson, who will star alongside David Bedella this summer in the Menier Chocolate Factory’s premiere of new Stephen Sondheim’s latest musical, Road Show.
LINKS
Book tickets to Les Miserables at the Queen’s Theatre in London
The Jermyn Street Theatre website
New this week: Oz, Blithe Spirit, Flare Path
February 28, 2011
Some big-hitting West End shows open this week in London, including The Wizard of Oz, Million Dollar Quartet, Flare Path and Blithe Spirit.
Monday 28 February 2011
Million Dollar Quartet, the musical that recreates the historic day when Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins and Jerry Lee Lewis all made music together, opens tonight at the Noel Coward Theatre starring a multi-talented cast including Bill Ward (Coronation Street).
Tuesday 1 March 2011
The Wizard of Oz cast, left - right Edward Baker-Duly, David Ganly, Paul Keating and Danielle Hope
It’s the premiere tonight of the musical that has received more publicity, hype and good old-fashioned audience anticipation than any other show for years as Andrew Lloyd Webber’s sparkly new production of The Wizard of Oz opens at the London Palladium. Rebooted by Jeremy Sams and produced by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Bill Kenwright, the show sees Over The Rainbow star Danielle Hope make her West End stage debut joined by Michael Crawford as the Wizard and Hannah Waddingham as the Wicked Witch.
Also today, tickets go on sale for the Olivier Awards at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane. The 13th March ceremony is open to theatregoers for the first time and promises a starry night of West End celebs and excerpts from the shows.
Wednesday 2 March 2011
Noel Coward’s blissful comedy Blithe Spirit starts previews at the Apollo Theatre featuring an all-star cast including Alison Steadman (Gavin & Stacey), Ruthie Henshall (Chicago), Hermione Norris (Spooks) and Robert Bathurst (Hattie). The revival is directed by the award-winning Thea Sharrock (After the Dance).
Thursday 3 March 2011
Previews starts for Hurly Burly at the Garrick Theatre, featuring the luscious Miss Polly Rae in an all singing, all dancing burlesque-inspired revue with a contemporary twist.
Alison Steadman as Madame Arcati in Blithe Spirit
Also tonight, In A Forest, Dark and Deep starts previews at the Vaudeville Theatre with Lost star Matthew Fox and Olivia Williams (The Ghost Writer) in Neil LaBute’s new psychological thriller.
Friday 4 March 2011
Trevor Nunn begins his artistic directorship of the Theatre Royal Haymarket tonight with the start of previews for Flare Path. Terence Rattigan’s Second World War romance sees Sienna Miller, James Purefoy and Sheridan Smith star.
Saturday 5 March 2011
Kneehigh theare company, who scored a huge hit in London and on Broadway with their stage take on Noel Coward’s Brief Encounter, are back with a brand new production. The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, based on the classic French film, begins previews at the Gielgud Theatre tonight starring Joanna Riding, Meow Meow and Andrew Durand.
Also on Saturday, A Flea in Her Ear closes at the Old Vic Theatre starring Tom Hollander and Ordinary Days starring Daniel Boys ends at the Trafalgar Studios.
