Ghost The Musical And Stand Up To Cancer Announce New Collaboration As Single Is Released

FIRST-EVER THEATRICAL SINGLE TO BENEFIT CANCER RESEARCH

Led by artist and musician Dave Stewart, Ghost The Musical and the charity Stand Up To Cancer today announce a new collaboration. Stewart, whose latest project Ghost The Musical will have its world premiere in the UK this Spring, is a long standing ambassador for the international grassroots charitable movement Stand Up To Cancer. The new single will be the first-ever theatrical single to benefit cancer research.

Ghost The Musical will be working with Stand Up To Cancer on a number of initiatives to raise awareness and funding for the charity. These include the release of a new single on 22nd June 2011 from the show entitled With You, sung by Richard Fleeshman and Caissie Levy, who play the iconic roles of Sam and Molly, the proceeds of which will go to the charity. The EP will be downloadable from www.ghostthemusical.com/su2c and http://itunes.apple.com/gb/preorder/with-you-ep/id430303920

A star studded Gala performance in aid of the charity is planned for the Autumn at the Piccadilly Theatre and there will be a number of other events and fund raising activities in the coming months.

Dave Stewart said: “What better mediums than music and the theatre to convey a message, as music lovers and theatre goers contribute to cancer research and offer hope for the millions of people surviving with cancer. We can beat this disease but it takes every one of us to get involved. One in two men and one in three women will be diagnosed with some form of cancer in their lifetimes. We have all loved someone who has been touched by cancer. And by supporting Stand Up To Cancer in this way we can help change those odds.”

Colin Ingram, Producer of Ghost The Musical, said: “This is the start of a long relationship between Ghost the Musical and Stand Up To Cancer, which aims to raise awareness and funds for the charity. Many of the songs from our show speak about the loss of a loved one and with our composer Dave Stewart as a major creative force on the charity’s team and the leading man of the original film, Patrick Swayze, losing his life to cancer, the partnership between the show and the charity seemed a natural fit”.

Ghost The Musical

Richard Fleeshman and Caissie Levy will lead the cast in Ghost The Musical playing Sam and Molly in Matthew Warchus’ stage musical version of the Academy Award® winning film. Accompanied by Sharon D Clarke as Oda Mae Brown and Andrew Langtree as Carl, Ghost The Musical has new music and lyrics by Grammy® award winning Dave Stewart and Glen Ballard as well as featuring the iconic song Unchained Melody. Oscar® winning Bruce Joel Rubin has adapted his original screen play for the stage. Set and costume designs are by Rob Howell, choreography is by Ashley Wallen with musical supervision and arrangements by Christopher Nightingale, illusions by Paul Kieve, lighting by Hugh Vanstone and projection design by Jon Driscoll.

Ghost The Musical begins its West End run at the Piccadilly Theatre on 22 June 2011, with booking open for performances until 28 January 2012. Ghost The Musical will receive its premiere at the Opera House, Manchester running from 28 March – 14 May 2011 for a strictly limited 7 week season.

A timeless story about the power of love, Sam is trapped as a ghost between this world and the next trying to communicate with his girlfriend Molly through a phoney psychic in the hope of saving her from his murderer. Ghost, based on the Oscar® winning Paramount pictures film, will feature new music and lyrics as well as the classic Unchained Melody.

Stand Up To Cancer

Stand Up To Cancer is a grassroots movement created to accelerate groundbreaking cancer research that will get new therapies to patients quickly and save lives. SU2C’s goal is to bring together the best and the brightest in the cancer community, encouraging collaboration instead of competition. By galvanizing the entertainment industry, SU2C creates awareness and builds broad public support for this effort. SU2C is a program of the Entertainment Industry Foundation, the 501 (c) 3 charitable organization that is the collective philanthropic organization for the television and film businesses in the United States.

Release issued by: Premier PR

LINKS

Book tickets to Ghost The Musical at the Piccadilly Theatre in London

Stand Up To Cancer website

Richard Fleeshman to star in Ghost

Casting announced for Ghost the Musical: Richard Fleeshman and Caissie Levy to join Sharon D Clarke at the Piccadilly Theatre

Major new West End show Ghost the Musical, based on the Oscar-winning movie, has announced its full cast line-up.

Fresh from playing Warner in Legally Blonde at the Savoy Theatre, Richard Fleeshman (Coronation Street) is to take the lead as Sam in the musical, originally played on screen in the Oscar-winning  movie by the late Patrick Swayze.

Playing the Demi Moore role of Molly will be hot Broadway starlet Caissie Levy, who recently appeared in Hair in London and in New York and has also featured in Hairspray, Rent and Wicked.

The show, which opens at the Piccadilly Theatre from 22 June 2011, will be directed by Matthew Warchus, who is enjoying current success in London with his new production of Deathtrap, and on Broadway with La Bete.

Joining Fleeshman and Levy will be West End star Sharon D Clarke as Oda Mae Brown, played in the movie by Whoopi Goldberg, and Andrew Langtree as Carl.

Music and lyrics for the show have been composed by legendary pop and rock writers Dave Stewart (Eurythmics) and Glen Ballard (writer of Michael Jackson’s Man in the Mirror). The show will also feature the classic song from the movie, Unchained Melody. Ghost The Musical will be designed by Rob Howell, with illusions and stage effects by Paul Kieve (Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban) and a script by the original Oscar-winning screenplay writer Bruce Joel Rubin.

Ghost is about Sam, who is trapped as a ghost between this world and the next trying to communicate with girlfriend Molly through a phoney psychic, in the hope of saving her from his murderer.

The opening night for the show is set for Tuesday 19 July. The show will try out first at the Opera House, Manchester from 28 March to 14 May 2011. Other cast members include Ivan de Freitas, Adebayo Bolaji, Mark Pearce, Lisa Davina Phillip and Jenny Fitzpatrick.

Grease is currently playing at the Piccadilly Theatre, closing on 30 April 2011 to make way for Ghost The Musical.

VIDEO: Watch a trailer for Ghost The Musical

BOOK TICKETS to see Ghost The Musical at the Piccadilly Theatre in London

MORE ABOUT THE CAST

Richard Fleeshman
Richard has most recently been seen on stage playing Warner Huntington III opposite Sheridan Smith in Legally Blonde The Musical. He is best known on television for his roles in Coronation Street in which he played Craig Harris for four years and, more recently, Debbie Horsfield’s All the Small Things for the BBC. As a musician Fleeshman was the youngest contestant to win ITV’s Stars in Their Eyes Celebrity Special. Later, in 2006, he won ITV’s Soapstar Superstar. In 2008 he accompanied Elton John on his Summer Stadium and Red Piano tours. His album Neon was released in 2007 followed by singles Coming Down, Hold Me Close, Back Here and Can You Hear Me?

Caissie Levy
Caissie has most recently been seen on stage on Broadway and in the West End in the leading role of Sheila in the New York Public Theatre Cameron Mackintosh production of Hair. Levy made her Broadway debut as Penny Pingleton in Hairspray, a role she recreated on tour in the US. She went on to play Maureen Johnson in the US tour of Rent and in 2008 starred as Elphaba in the Los Angeles production of Wicked.

Sharon D Clarke
Sharon has most recently been seen on stage in the West End as Motormouth Maybelle in Hairspray at the Shaftesbury Theatre. She has played Charity in Mother Goose at the Hackney Empire, Mama Morton in Chicago at the Adelphi Theatre, Killer Queen in We Will Rock You at the Dominion Theatre and Rafiki in The Lion King at the Lyceum Theatre as well as roles in The Vagina Monologues at the Hackney Empire and Once on This Island for Nottingham Playhouse, Birmingham Rep and the Hackney Empire. Clarke was a judge on the BBC’s The Last Choir Standing and has performed regularly as Lola Griffin on Holby City also for the BBC.

Andrew Langtree
Andrew has previously been seen on stage in the leading role of Sky in the original London production of Mamma Mia! He has worked extensively at Manchester’s Royal Exchange Theatre in productions including The Glass Menagerie, London Assurance and Six Degrees of Separation. At the National Theatre he has been seen in The Rose Tattoo, at Glasgow Citizens Theatre in The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui and in the West End in Blood Brothers and Fame. On television his credits include Doctors, Heartbeat, Cutting It and Coronation Street and he has most recently been seen playing Justin Gallagher on Emmerdale. On film he has been seen in De Lovely.

BOOK TICKETS to see Ghost The Musical at the Piccadilly Theatre in London

Ghost The Musical tickets at the Piccadilly Theatre starring Richard Fleeshman, Caissie Levy and Sharon D Clarke

Dazzling new musical based on the Oscar-winning movie, starring Mark Evans, Siobhan Dillon and Sharon D Clarke and featuring music by The Eurythmics’s Dave Stewart.

Sharon D Clarke to star in Ghost the Musical

New show Ghost The Musical, based on the Oscar winning film, is set to make its West End debut next year; Sharon D Clarke to play Whoopi Goldberg role of Oda Mae Brown.

A major new musical adaptation of the multi-award winning movie Ghost will premiere next summer in the West End.

Ghost The Musical, which will try out at the Opera House in Manchester in March 2011, will start previews at the Piccadilly Theatre in London on 22 June 2011, with its opening night on 19 July.

Casting so far includes musicals star Sharon D. Clarke as Oda Mae Brown, in a part originally played by Whoopi Goldberg in the movie.  No further casting details have been announced.

Based on the movie starring Patrick Swayze, Demi Moore and Whoopi Goldberg, Ghost is about Sam, who is trapped as a ghost between this world and the next trying to communicate with girlfriend Molly through a phoney psychic, in the hope of saving her from his murderer.

The romantic musical features a heavy-weight creative team including direction by Matthew Warchus (Deathtrap, La Bete) and music and lyrics by legendary pop and rock writers Dave Stewart (Eurythmics) and Glen Ballard (writer of Michael Jackson’s Man in the Mirror). The show will also feature the classic song penned for the movie, Unchained Melody. Ghost The Musical will be designed by Rob Howell, with illusions and stage effects by Paul Kieve (Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban) and a script by the original Oscar-winning screenplay writer Bruce Joel Rubin.

Grease is currently playing at the Piccadilly Theatre, closing on 30 April 2011 to make way for Ghost The Musical.

Book tickets to Ghost the Musical at the Piccadilly Theatre in London

Apollo Victoria celebrates 80 years

A charity gala is being held at the Apollo Victoria this October to celebrate the West End theatre’s 80th birthday.

Opened on 15 October 1930, the Art Deco theatre was designed by E. Wamsley Lewis with W.E. Trent and originally built as a super cinema.

To celebrate its 80th birthday, a special gala concert will be held on 10 October 2010 featuring the cast of the venue’s current show, Wicked, alongside a number of musicals stars from shows including Saturday Night Fever, Bombay Dreams, Movin’ Out and Jersey Boys. Also a reunion of some of the cast of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Starlight Express, which played at the theatre from 1984 for 18 years, is also promised. Celebrities to appear include Wicked’s Lee Mead and Oliver Thompsett, Sharon D Clarke and Patina Miller from Sister Act.

All proceeds from the evening will go to Cancer Research UK, plus a raffle will be held in aid of the Entertainment Artiste’s Benevolent Fund.

The gala is being put together by Wicked’s UK Associate Director Petra Siniawski and Dance Supervisor Adam Murray. Other events at the theatre on 10 October include talks, tours and a curated display of the theatre’s history.

Tickets are on sale from tomorrow, Friday 13 August 2010, on 0844 847 2288.

Belinda Carlisle to join Hairspray

It’s all change at Hairspray as the producers announce another cast change starting 26 October. Pop star Belinda Carlisle will join the big-budget, big-hair show as Velma Von Tussle, alongside the Never Mind The Buzzcocks comedian Phill Jupitus, who will take the role of Edna Turnblad, formerly played by Michael Ball and currently by Brian Conley.

Also musicals stalwart Sharon D Clarke , who has played many of the West End’s big shows, will take the role of Motormouth Mabel.

Other cast members remain in place including Chloe Hart (Tracy Turnblad), Verity Rushworth (Penny) Liam Tamne (Link Larkin), Adrian Hansel (Seaweed) and Raquel Jones (Little Inez) all remain with the show and are joined by new cast members Tony Timberlake (Wilbur Turnblad), Nicola Brazil (Amber Von Tussle) and Gavin Alex (Corny Collins).

Hairspray has won numerous awards including the Olivier Award Best Musical gong and Best Musical at the Evening Standard Awards.

Hairspray starts Sunday performances from Sunday 8 November, running Tuesday to Saturday at 7.30pm, with matinees on Thursday, Saturday and Sunday at 3.00pm.

Hairspray discount tickets: Save £27.50 on tickets with westendtheatre.com

BACKGROUND

Belinda Carlisle is a Grammy Award nominated singer and actress.  As lead singer of the groundbreaking band The GoGo’s she was part of the first ever girl group who wrote and played their own music to top the Billboard Charts in the US.  Following extensive touring with The GoGo’s, her solo career was hugely successful with global hits including Circle In The Sand, Leave A Light On For Me, I Get Weak, We Want The Same Thing, Live Your Life Be Free and the international number one Heaven Is A Place On Earth.  Screen credits include the movie “Swing Shift” and appearances on “Dancing With The Stars” (ABC) and “Hell’s Kitchen” (ITV1).  Based in France, Belinda still performs around the world.

Phill Jupitus is a broadcaster, writer and actor who has appeared on British television & radio and the stage for over 20 years.  His career began at record label Go Discs where he was press officer for The Housemartins and directed videos for Billy Bragg and Kirsty McColl.  He also worked as a performance poet and compered for acts like Madness, The Who and Paul Weller before becoming a regular fixture on the UK comedy circuit.  He has appeared on many television and radio panel shows including “QI” and “News Quiz”, as well as being a regular team captain on the hit BBC 2 show “Never Mind The Buzzcocks”, and has toured extensively with his one man shows.  As a DJ, Phil played the first ever record on BBC 6Music as host of the “Breakfast Show”, which he presented for five years.  He is also a columnist (and sometime cartoonist) for The Times’s football supplement The Game and regularly records very successful football and music podcasts.

Sharon D Clarke is a prolific West End, television and radio star and recording artist.  Her stage credits include “Chicago”, “We Will Rock You”, “The Lion King”, “Rent” and “Guys & Dolls” as well as many productions at the Hackney Empire.  On television she has appeared in “The Singing Detective”, “Waking The Dead”, “The Crust” and she played Dr Lolo Griffin on BBC 1′s “Holby City” for more than three years.  She also appeared as a judge on the hugely successful “Last Choir Standing” for the BBC in 2008.  She has appeared on many chart singles as a guest vocalist, including Going Back To My Roots (with FPI Project) and I Wanna Give You Devotion (with Nomad).

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