Thrill Me: The Leopold & Loeb Story tickets at the Charing Cross Theatre
May 15, 2011
After rave reviews at the Tristan Bates Theatre, Stephen Dolginoff’s multi-award winning musical Thrill Me – The Leopold and Loeb Story transfers to the Chairing Cross Theatre for only four weeks. Stars George Maguire and Jye Frasca.
Thrill Me: The Leopold and Loeb Story Transfers
April 28, 2011
Following a sell-out UK premiere, Stephen Dolginoff’s multi-award winning musical, Thrill Me, transfers to the Charing Cross Theatre next month.
Based on the shocking true story of infamous thrill killers Leopold & Loeb: Chicago, 1924. Two wealthy college kids and a contract signed in blood. One is obsessed with crime, the other with love. Thrill Me: The Leopold & Loeb Story dramatises the series of events that led law students Leopold and Loeb to be forever remembered as ‘the thrill killers’. The show focuses on their obsessive relationship, which exploded into violence, and utilises Leopold’s 1958 parole hearing as a framework.
The case attracted global attention at the time due to the nature of their crimes and the duo being young, well educated and wealthy. They narrowly escaped the death penalty thanks to the arguments of lawyer, Clarence Darrow. The true events were also the basis for Never the Sinner, Compulsion, Swoon and were the inspiration for Patrick Hamilton’s Rope later made into the famous film thriller by Alfred Hitchcock.
The cast is George Maguire as Richard Loeb and Jye Frasca as Nathan Leopold. Frasca was the original Joe Pesci in Jersey Boys and regularly played Frankie Valli in the show (West End). His other credits include: Wicked, Mary Poppins (both West End) and Trevor Nunn’s Love’s Labour’s Lost and Anything Goes (National Theatre). George Maguire’s West End credits include Oliver and Fame.
Dolginoff’s Thrill Me won an ASCAP Music Award (New York 2005) and was nominated for the Drama Desk Award for Best Musical and Best Music Score and for an Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Off-Broadway Musical. The show has since been produced elsewhere in America and around the world.
Director Guy Retallack’s work for the stage includes The Secret Rapture (Lyric); Drowning On Dry Land (Jermyn Street Theatre); Liberty (Shakespeare’s Globe and National Tour); Faster (Filter Theatre at the Lyric Hammersmith and 59E59 Street Theater New York) and Future Me (London season and two national tours). Musical Direction by David Keefe, design by James Turner, lighting by Richard Williamson. Voice-overs by Les Dennis, Patricia Quinn and Lee Mead.
Press response from the UK Premiere of this production at the Tristan Bates Theatre included:
‘There is no production currently running in the capital that is more intelligent,
atmospheric and haunting than this.’ Sunday Telegraph *****
‘Thrill Me is thrilling indeed.’ The Evening Standard ****
‘Sharp and witty, full of strong songs and clever twists.’ Whatsonstage.com ****
Release issued by: Kate Gambrell
LINKS
UK Premiere of Thrill Me
March 23, 2011
Stephen Dolginoff’s multi‐award winning musical Thrill Me will get its UK premiere next month (5 April 2011) at the Tristan Bates Theatre in London.
Thrill Me at the Tristan Bates Theatre
Based on the true story of infamous thrill killers Leopold & Loeb, the show stars West End regulars George Maguire (Oliver, Fame) as Richard Loeb and Jye Frasca (Jersey Boys, Wicked, Mary Poppins) as Nathan Leopold.
The story that inspired Alfred Hitchcock’s 1948 thriller Rope, sees two wealthy college kids in 1920s Chicago who are obsessed with crime and love, make a pact in blood that sets off a murderous series of events and ‘thrill’ killings.
The show, which is directed by Guy Retallack – husband of Wicked star Rachel Tucker – won an ASCAP Music Award for the New York production in 2005 and was nominated for a Drama Desk Award for Best Musical and Best Music Score and for an Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Off‐Broadway Musical.
Tristan Bates Theatre Tuesday 5 April ‐ Saturday 30 April 2011
LINKS
CliMar Productions in association with the Tristan Bates Theatre presents the UK Premiere of Thrill Me: The Leopold & Loeb story
March 23, 2011
Tristan Bates Theatre Tuesday 5 April ‐ Saturday 30 April 2011
Press Performance Thursday 7 April 2011 at 8 pm
Book, music and lyrics by Stephen Dolginoff. Directed by Guy Retallack
The UK premiere of Stephen Dolginoff’s multi‐award winning musical, Thrill Me, is at the Tristan Bates Theatre
next month. Based on the shocking true story of infamous thrill killers Leopold & Loeb.
Chicago, 1924. Two wealthy college kids and a contract signed in blood. One is obsessed with crime, the other with love. Thrill Me reveals the series of events in that led about‐to‐be law students Leopold and Loeb to be forever remembered as ‘the thrill killers’. Focusing on their obsessive relationship, which exploded into violence, and utilizing Leopold’s 1958 parole hearing as a framework.
The case attracted global attention at the time due to the nature of their crimes and the duo being young, well educated and wealthy. The true events were also the basis for Never the Sinner, Swoon and Alfred Hitchcock’s famous 1948 thriller, Rope.
The cast is George Maguire as Richard Loeb and Jye Frasca as Nathan Leopold. Frasca was the original Joe Pesci in Jersey Boys and has regularly played Frankie Valli in the show (West End). His other credits include: Wicked, Mary Poppins (both West End) and Trevor Nunn’s productions of Love’s Labour’s Lost and Anything Goes (National Theatre). George Maguire’s West End credits include Oliver and Fame.
Dolginoff’s Thrill Me won an ASCAP Music Award for the New York production in 2005. It was nominated for
the Drama Desk Award for Best Musical and Best Music Score and for an Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Off‐Broadway Musical. The show has since been produced elsewhere in America and around the world. Stephen’s other work includes Most Men Are, One Foot Out the Door (Backstage Bistro Award for Outstanding Book, Music & Lyrics); and Journey to the Center of the Earth.
Director Guy Retallack’s work for the stage includes Drowning On Dry Land (Jermyn Street Theatre); Liberty
(Shakespeare’s Globe and National Tour); Faster (Filter Theatre at the Lyric Hammersmith and 59E59 Street
Theater New York) and Future Me (London season and two national tours). Musical Director David Keefe’s
credits include The Human Comedy (Young Vic); and Company (Pleasance).
Design by James Turner, lighting by Richard Williamson and musical direction by David Keefe. Voice‐overs
recorded by Les Dennis, Patricia Quinn and Lee Mead.
Release issued by: Kate Gambrell
LINKS
OLIVIER AWARDS – Best Actor Winners
June 18, 2010
OLIVIER AWARDS – Best Actor Winners
Best Actor
2011 Roger Allam for Henry IV Parts 1 & 2
2010 Mark Rylance for Jerusalem
2009 Derek Jacobi for Twelfth Night
2008 Chiwetel Ejiofor in Othello
2007 Rufus Sewell for Rock ‘N’ Roll
2006 Brian Dennehy for Death Of A Salesman
2005 Richard Griffiths for The History Boys
2004 Matthew Kelly for Of Mice And Men
2003 Simon Russell Beale for Uncle Vanya
2002 Roger Allam for Privates On Parade
2001 Conleth Hill for Stones In His Pockets
2000 Henry Goodman for The Merchant Of Venice
1999 Kevin Spacey for The Iceman Cometh
1998 Ian Holm for King Lear
1997 Antony Sher for Stanley
1996 Alex Jennings for Peer Gynt
1995 David Bamber for My Night With Reg
1994 Mark Rylance for Much Ado About Nothing
1993 Robert Stephens for Henry IV (Parts 1 and 2)
1992 Nigel Hawthorne for The Madness Of George III
1991 Ian McKellen for Richard III
1989/90 Oliver Ford Davies for Racing Demon
1987 Michael Gambon for A View From The Bridge
1986 Albert Finney for Orphans
1985 Antony Sher for Richard III and Torch Song Trilogy
Actor of the Year in a New Play
1988 David Haig for Our Country’s Good
1984 Brian Cox for Rat In The Skull
1983 Jack Shepherd for Glengarry Glen Ross
1982 Ian McDiarmid for lnsignificance
1981 Trevor Eve for Children Of A Lesser God
1980 Roger Rees for Nicholas Nickleby
1979 Ian McKellen for Bent
1978 Tom Conti for Whose Life Is It Anyway?
1977 Michael Bryant for State Of Revolution
1976 Paul Copley for King And Country
Actor of the Year in a Revival
1988 Brian Cox for Titus Andronicus
1984 Ian McKellen for Wild Honey
1983 Derek Jacobi for Cyrano De Bergerac
1982 Stephen Moore for A Doll’s House
1981 Daniel Massey for Man And Superman
1980 Jonathan Pryce for Hamlet
1979 Warren Mitchell for Death Of A Salesman
1978 Alan Howard for Coriolanus
1977 Ian McKellen for Pillars Of The Community
1976 Alan Howard for Henry IV (Parts 1 and 2) and Henry V
Best Actor in a Musical
2011 David Thaxton for Passion
2010 Aneurin Barnard for Spring Awakening
2009 Douglas Hodge for La Cage aux Folles
2008 Michael Ball for Hairspray
2007 Daniel Evans for Sunday In The Park With George
2006 James Lomas, George Maguire and Liam Mower for Billy Elliot – The Musical
2005 Nathan Lane for The Producers
2004 David Bedella for Jerry Springer – The Opera
2003 Alex Jennings for My Fair Lady
2002 Philip Quast for South Pacific
2001 Daniel Evans for Merrily We Roll Along
2000 Simon Russell Beale for Candide
1999 The cast of Kat and The Kings
1998 Philip Quast for The Fix
1997 Robert Lindsay for Oliver!
1996 Adrian Lester for Company
1995 John Gordon Sinclair for She Loves Me
1994 Alun Armstrong for Sweeney Todd
1993 Henry Goodman for Assassins
1992 Alan Bennett for Talking Heads
1991 Philip Quast for Sunday In The Park With George
1989/90 Jonathan Pryce for Miss Saigon
1988 Con O’Neill for Blood Brothers
1987 John Bardon and Emil Wolk for Kiss Me Kate
1986 Michael Crawford for The Phantom Of The Opera
1985 Robert Lindsay for Me And My Girl
1984 Paul Clarkson for The Hired Man
1983 Denis Lawson for Mr. Cinders
1982 Roy Hudd for Underneath The Arches
1981 Michael Crawford for Barnum
1980 Denis Quilley for Sweeney Todd
1979 Anton Rodgers for Songbook
