Sondheim’s Road Show casting?
November 19, 2010
Excitement mounts about the UK premiere of Sondheim musical Road Show.
Champion of Sondheim, the Menier Chocolate Factory in South London, will stage the show this summer.
Originally called Bounce, Sondheim and John Weidman made a number of changes to the show and it resurfaced at New York’s Public Theatre in 2008 directed by John Doyle and starring Michael Cerveris (Sweeney Todd, Assassins).
Doyle will direct the UK premiere and Cerveris is tipped to return to the show about the real-life relationship between two, very different brothers: Addison and Wilson Mizner and their adventures across America during the Alaskan Gold rush at the turn of the 20th Century to the Florida housing boom in the 1930s.
RUMOUR CHECK-LIST
- Show: Road Show
- Theatre: Menier Chocolate Factory
- Casting: Michael Cerveris
- Director: John Doyle
- Previously staged: Public Theatre, New York, October 2008
- Opening: June / July 2011
Note: all information is unconfirmed. Source: Daily Mail (19/11/11)
Empty Space… Peter Brook Awards – Winners 2010
November 2, 2010
Awards announced: 2 November 2010
Empty Space… Peter Brook Award winner:
- Finborough Theatre
Dan Crawford Innovation Award winner:
- The Royal Court for Local Theatre
Peter Brook/Equity Ensemble Award winner:
- Dreamthinkspeak
Mark Marvin Rent Subsidy Award winner:
- New Diorama Theatre and Third Party Company
Empty Space… Peter Brook Awards – Nominees 2010
October 12, 2010
Awards announced: 2 November 2010
Empty Space… Peter Brook Award, nominees:
- Bristol Old Vic
- BAC
- Finborough Theatre
- Union Theatre
- Watch This Space – National Theatre
- Menier Chocolate Factory
Dan Crawford Innovation Award:
- Winner to be announced
Peter Brook/Equity Ensemble Award, nominees:
- Grimeborn
- Fuel
- Dreamthinkspeak
Mark Marvin Rent Subsidy Award, nominees:
- Quality Street by J.M. Barrie at Finborough Theatre
- To Hell on a Handcart at the New Diorama Theatre
- Beanfield and Magic Flute at Bike Shed Theatre
Educating Rita – Save £27.50
August 9, 2010
BOOK NOW: Educating Rita at the Trafalgar Studios – Save £27.50
Laura Dos Santos and Tim Pigott-Smith
Two of Willy Russell’s best known plays, Educating Rita and Shirley Valentine, are currently running at the Trafalgar Studios in London for a limited run.
The productions, which originally premiered at the Menier Chocolate Factory, have been a critical and audience hit since they transferred to the West End.
And now westendtheatre.com presents a very special offer on Educating Rita, which stars Tim Pigott-Smith and Laura Dos-Santos, and is directed by Jeremy Sams, who will direct Andrew Lloyd-Webber’s new production of The Wizard of Oz early next year.
Willy Russell’s much-loved play follows a young, brash hairdresser who, much to the dismay of her husband, has recently discovered a passion for English literature and enrols with the Open University. Her fresh, unschooled reaction to the classics challenges the attitudes of the university and her lecturer Frank who begins to question his own understanding of his work and himself.
Westendtheatre.com also presents a special offer on Shirley Valentine starring Meera Syal: Save £16 on top price tickets until 31 August
EDUCATING RITA REVIEWS
“Highly recommended” – Telegraph
“Willy Russell is a dramatist of exceptional warmth and humanity” – Evening Standard
“Perfect” – Times
“Memorable and Joyous” – The Independent
BOOK NOW: Educating Rita at the Trafalgar Studios – Save £27.50
Special Offer: Best seats reduced from £39.50 to £11.99 until 31 August 2010
Aspects of Love – Reviews Round-up
July 19, 2010
Phew! The Menier Chocolate Factory is back on form after the slight blip that was Paradise Found. A collective sigh was heard across the Review pit as Trevor Nunn’s unfinished business with Aspects of Love garnered largely positive reviews from the critics, who weren’t always enamoured with the lyrics but heaped much praise on Nunn’s intimate chamber staging, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s music and the accomplished cast. Given Nunn’s success with A Little Night Music, there will be much expectation that this will transfer to the West End and beyond.
More Sondheim for Menier
June 25, 2010
The award winning Menier Chocolate Factory in South London intends to produce two new Stephen Sondheim productions in the next two years, including the UK premiere of Road Show.
Alexander Gemignani and Michael Cerveris in the Public Theater (NY) production of Road Show.
The news comes following their success at this year’s Tony awards, where the theatre’s revivals of Jerry Herman’s La Cage Aux Folles and Stephen Sondheim’s A Little Night Music picked up a number of awards, including Best Revival of a Musical for La Cage.
Artistic director of the Menier, David Babani, has told Playbill that he has further Sondheim in his sights, and plans to produce Sondheim’s 2008 show Road Show, originally debuted as Bounce, in 2011 and the following year a production of Merrily We Roll Along, helmed by Maria Friedman. She has already developed an abridged version of the show that she performed in two Sondheim birthday concerts this year at the Cadogan Hall in London and Derngate Theatre in Northampton. Friedman appeared in the original UK production of the show.
Road Show is small-scale musical about the eccentric Mizner brothers and their adventures across America, and has a book by John Weidman. Merrily We Roll Along is about three friends whose story is told backwards, and has a book by George Furth.
The Menier, and Babani in particular, have a strong association with Sondheim, with their stagings of Sunday in the Park With George and A Little Night Music both transferring into the West End and on to Broadway. Babani cut his theatrical teeth on Sondheim, producing in 1997, at the age of 19, a successful revival of Assassins at the New End Theatre in Hampstead which toured the UK .
This year marks Sondheim’s 80th year and the Tony and Pulitzer Prize-winning composer and lyricist’s work and career has been celebrated in a number of shows and events staged around the world. A new production of his 1994 musical Passion will premiere at the Donmar Warehouse this summer, starring Elena Roger, Assassins will get a short run at the Union Theatre in Southwark from 30 June to 24 July, and Into The Woods is playing at the Open Air Theatre in Regent’s Park starring Hannah Waddingham from 5 August.
Tony Awards tonight
June 13, 2010
The annual Tony Awards will be announced tonight, Sunday 13 June 2010, at Radio City Music Hall in New York.
Sean Hayes, presenting this year's Tony awards
The star-studded event will be hosted by Sean Hayes, best known as Jack from Will & Grace and currently starring in Promises, Promises on Broadway.
The awards, the most important in the US arts calendar, will feature performances from current Broadway shows including American Idiot, Fela!, Memphis, Million Dollar Quartet, La Cage aux Folles, A Little Night Music and Ragtime. Star presenters will include Katie Holmes, Will & Jada Pinkett Smith, Angela Lansbury, Mark Sanchez, Daniel Radcliffe, Barbara Cook, Stanley Tucci, Idina Menzel and Laura Bell Bundy!
Other appearances and performances will include Glee’s Lea Michele and Matthew Morrison, Paula Abdul, Antonio Banderas, Cate Blanchett, Kristin Chenoweth, Michael Douglas, Scarlett Johansson, Lucy Liu, Helen Mirren, Chris Noth, Bernadette Peters, Raquel Welch and David Hyde Pierce, who will receive a special Tony Award and is slated to appear in London next month in La Bete at the Comedy Theatre.
Shows up for awards this year include a revival of August Wilson’s Fences starring Denzel Washington (10nominations); Broadway musical Fela! (11 nominations) – and which makes its UK premiere at the National Theatre in November; and nods for a number of high-profile Hollywood stars including Christopher Walken (Behanding in Spokane), Liev Schreiber (A View From The Bridge), and Scarlett Johansson (A View from the Bridge).
Glee's Lea Michele rehearsing on Friday for the Tony Awards
Recent Broadway musical The Addams Family starring Nathan Lane and Bebe Neuwirth, failed to find favour with the Tony awards committee, scoring only two nominations – best original score and best supporting actor in a musical for Kevin Chamberlin.
UK creatives or shows have garned 28 nominations this year. The Menier Chocolate Factory in South London will be awaiting news on two of its successful productions that have transferred to Broadway and received 15 Tony nominations: La Cage Aux Folles opened at the Longacre Theatrein April to enormous critical acclaim. The show features original London star Douglas Hodge and US actor Kelsey Grammer, both of whom have been nominated in the best actor in a musical category. In total the show has picked up 11 nominations, including best revival of a musical, scenic design (Tim Shortall), costume design (Matthew Wright), lighting design (Nick Richings), sound design (Jonathan Deans), direction (Terry Johnson), choreography (Lynne Page), orchestrations (Jason Carr) and best supporting actor (Robin De Jesus).
Also A Little Night Music, which started life at the Menier in 2008 before transferring to the Garrick theatre in the West End, opened on Broadway at the Walter Kerr theatre in December 2009. It has picked up 4 nominations, including competing against La Cage in the best musical revival category, and nods for Catherine Zeta-Jones (best actress in a musical), Angela Lansbury (best supporting actress in a musical), and sound design (Dan Moses Schreier and Gareth Owen).
Douglas Hodge and Kelsey Grammer in La Cage Aux Folles
Other nominated UK shows include the Donmar Warehouse’s transfer of Red which enjoys 7 nominations including best play, best actor for Alfred Molina, best supporting actor for Eddie Redmayne, and best scenic design (Christopher Oram), lighting design (Neil Austin), sound design (Adam Cork) and direction (Michael Grandage). The Donmar production of Hamlet sees a nod for Jude Law and best lighting design of a play for Neil Austin. And the Royal Court’s production of Enron, which failed on Broadway but continues to sell well in London is nominated for best original score (music by Adam Cork and lyrics by Lucy Prebble), best supporting actor for Stephen Kunken, best sound design (Adam Cork) and best lighting design (Mark Henderson). Also veteran UK actress Rosemary Harris also received a best supporting nod for The Royal Family and one of the UK’s greatest living playwrights, Alan Ayckbourn, will receive a lifetime achievement award.
US viewers can watch the awards on CBS from 8pm ET. Selected countries are also airing the awards over the next week, although not in the UK. TonyAwards.com will only be featuring live footage of the red carpet arrivals and Creative Arts Awards from 6pm until 8pm ET.
See a list of Tony Award 2010 nominations here
Dave Willets cast in Aspects of Love
June 9, 2010
Musical theatre veteran Dave Willets has been cast as George in the new Menier Chocolate Factory production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Aspects of Love.
With book and lyrics by Don Black and Charles Hart, Aspects of Love will see the return of director Trevor Nunn to the Menier after his enormous success with A Little Night Music, currently starring Catherine Zeta-Jones and Angela Lansbury on Broadway. Nunn also directed the original West End production of the show in 1989 at the Prince of Wales Theatre.
Willets has worked with Trevor Nunn before, notably playing Jean Val Jean in Nunn’s RSC production of Les Miserables at the Palace Theatre. He is also no stranger to Andew Lloyd Webber’s work having covered most major roles including the Phantom in The Phantom of the Opera at Her Majesty’s, Jesus in Jesus Christ Superstar at the Barbican, Old Deuteronomy in Cats and was Olivier award nominated for his recent performance as Max von Mayerling in Sunset Boulevard at the Comedy Theatre. Other roles include Major Lee in Someone Like You at the Strand Theatre, Zero Janvier in Tim Rice’s Tycoon, Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde in Jekyll, Adam Pontipee in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Julian Marsh in 42nd Street and numerous national and international concert tours.
Joining Willets will Michael Arden and Katherine Kingsley in the lead roles of Alex and Rose, alongside Rosalie Craig as Giulietta, Martyn Ellis as Marcel, Rebecca Brewer as Jenny, and Jill Armour, Louisa Lydell, Ian McLarnon, David Roberts, Savannah Stevenson, Dominic Tighe and Rebecca Trehearn.
The Andrew Lloyd-Webber musical will premiere at the venue from7 July, with designs by David Farley, choreography by Lynne Page, lighting by Paul Pyant, musical supervision by Caroline Humphris, orchestrations by David Cullen and sound by Gareth Owen.
The show is based on David Garnett’s novel and tells the story of passion, love and loss across three generations of a family and their companions set against the background of 1940′s France and Italy. Alex Dillingham, a young student travelling through France, falls in love with the alluring actress Rose Vibert. As the pair embark on a passionate affair, the unexpected arrival of Alex’s uncle changes their lives forever. A love story spanning twenty years binding six people and three generations as they come to appreciate that love changes everything.
Young American actor Michael Arden has appeared in Big River and The Times They Are A-Changing on Broadway, and off Broadway productions of Swimming in the Shallows, Bare, Ace, God of Vengeance, As You Like It, The Winter’s Tale and The Secret Garden. TV roles include Bones, Numbers and Grey’s Anatomy.
UK actress Katherine Kingsley is currently starring in the UK tour of The 39 Steps, and other credits include Piaf (Olivier Award nomination), The Truth Will Out, The Black and White Ball, Hobson’s Choice, High Society and The Canterbury Tales. On-screen work includes The Bill, Hollyoaks and Casualty.
Book tickets to Aspects of Love at the Menier Chocolate Factory
KATHERINE KINGSLEY in Aspects of Love
May 20, 2010
Katherine Kingsley to star in Trevor Nunn’s new Menier production
Katherine Kingsley
Currently touring the UK in the hilarious The 39 Steps, Katherine Kingsley has spent the last few years rising onwards and upwards.
Her accomplished list of credits cover drama, comedy and musical, all of which reflect her training: the Bristol Old Vic, Mountview and English National Opera. Past productions include an Olivier nomination for the recent Donmar production of Piaf, The Trojan Women, High Society, The Truth Will Out, The Black and White Ball, Hobson’s Choice, Habeas Corpus, The Canterbury Tales, The Memory of Water, Suddenly at Home, Go Back for Murder, The Hollow, Verdict and And Then There Were None. TV work includes The Bill, Hollyoaks and Casualty.
She will star as Rose Vibert in Aspects of Love alongside Michael Arden as Alex Dillingham. This will be the first major London revival of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical Aspects of Love will premiere at the Menier Chocolate Factory from 7 July. With book and lyrics by Don Black and Charles Hart, Aspects of Love will see the return of director Trevor Nunn to the Menier after his enormous success with A Little Night Music, currently starring Catherine Zeta-Jones and Angela Lansbury on Broadway. Nunn also directed the original West End production of the show in 1989 at the Prince of Wales Theatre.
Links:
Book tickets to Aspects of Love at the Menier Chocolate Factory
MICHAEL ARDEN in Aspects of Love
May 20, 2010
Broadway hotshot seeks Love in London
Michael Arden
Young American actor Michael Arden will be winging his way to London shortly to start rehearsals for his starring role in Trevor Nunn’s new, slimmed-down production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Aspects of Love.
Arden’s career so far has covered a lot of ground. He appeared in Big River and The Times They Are A-Changing on Broadway, and off Broadway productions of Swimming in the Shallows, Bare, Ace, God of Vengeance, As You Like It, The Winter’s Tale and The Secret Garden. He also His TV and film credits include Bones, Numbers and Grey’s Anatomy as well as Bride Wars and The Good Shepherd. And if that wasn’t enough he caught the eye of Barbra Streisand and supported her on her European tour in 2007.
The first major London revival of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical Aspects of Love will premiere at the Menier Chocolate Factory from 7 July. With book and lyrics by Don Black and Charles Hart, Aspects of Love will see the return of director Trevor Nunn to the Menier after his enormous success with A Little Night Music, currently starring Catherine Zeta-Jones and Angela Lansbury on Broadway. Nunn also directed the original West End production of the show in 1989 at the Prince of Wales Theatre.
Michael will star as Alex Dillingham alongside Katherine Kingsley as Rose Vibert.
Links:
Book tickets to Aspects of Love at the Menier Chocolate Factory
