Olivier Audience Award short list announced
February 27, 2011
The short list for this year’s Olivier Audience Award was announced today by Elaine Paige on her BBC Radio 2 show.
Gareth Gates in Les Miserables - on the short list for the Olivier Audience Award
The short list of shows are Billy Elliot the Musical, Jersey Boy, Les Misérables and We Will Rock You. They received more votes than the 14 other eligible shows in the Audience Award category, and were voted for by members of the theatregoing public.
Voting has now reopened to choose the winner, until 9 March 2011. The winner will be announced at the Olivier Awards at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane on Sunday 13 March.
Queen musical We Will Rock You and Billy Elliot both made it on to the short list last year but were beaten by Wicked as the Audience Award winner 2010. Wicked was not included in the awards line-up this year. The nomination of Les Misérables follows the show’s recent win at the Whatsonstage Awards for its 25th anniversary O2 concert and UK touring production. Jersey Boys is the biographical musical telling the story and featuring the music of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, which opened at the Prince Edward theatre in 2008.
Also on Elaine Paige’s show this Sunday, a new song written by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice for the new London Palladium production of The Wizard of Oz was given its world premiere. Red Shoes Blues was sung by Hannah Waddingham, who plays the Wicked Witch of the West in the show alongside Danielle Hope as Dorothy and Michael Crawford as the Wizard.
LINKS
LISTEN: Red Shoes Blues from The Wizard of Oz, sung by Hannah Waddingham
LISTEN: Elaine Paige announces the Olivier Audience Award short list
Love Never Dies confirms cast change
February 22, 2011
Andrew Lloyd Webber confirms cast change for 7 March: Ramin Karimloo to stay as Phantom, David Thaxton joins as Raoul
David Thaxton to join the cast of Love Never Dies
Love Never Dies at the Adelphi Theatre in London has confirmed that its cast will change on 7 March, with Sierra Boggess, who plays Christine, and Summer Strallen as Meg, both leaving the show.
They will be replaced by Celia Graham as Christine, who is currently in the ensemble of the show and understudies Sierra in the role, and Haley Flaherty, who recently played Janet in the UK tour of The Rocky Horror Show, as Meg,.
Ramin Karimloo, who originated the role of the Phantom in the new show, will stay on in the musical, to be joined by David Thaxton, who will replace Joseph Millson in the part of Raoul.
Other new cast members include Tracey Penn as Fleck and Charles Brunton as Gangle. Liz Roberton and Adam Pearce will continue in the show.
Love Never Dies was recently nominated for seven Olivier Awards, including best new musical, Ramin for best actor in a musical and Sierra Boggess for best actress in a musical. Love Never Dies also did well at Sunday’s Whatsonstage Awards, with Ramin Karimloo wining best actor in a musical and Joseph Millson winning best supporting actor in a musical.
David Thaxton joins the cast after his critical success last year in Passion at the Donmar Warehouse, alongside Elena Roger. He has also been nominated for a best actor in a musical Olivier Award for his part in Passion.
Andrew Lloyd Webber said that, “I’m absolutely thrilled that Love Never Dies has finally been recognised in this way.”
The initial criticism for Love Never Dies faced by Lloyd Webber from a group of loyal Phantom of the Opera fans was also referenced by the compsoer, who thanked “our loyal ‘Phans’, who have been so supportive of the show since it opened.”
He also paid tribute to the cast and company who, “have worked so hard throughout and have embraced the changes to the show, which have proved so successful.” Since opening Love Never Dies, Lloyd-Webber has brought in Bill Kenwright to make a number of changes to director Jack O’Brien’s original staging, and has tweaked some of the book and songs.
Sierra Boggess will leave Love Never Dies and go to Broadway, to star alongside Tyne Daly in a new production of Terence McNally’s play Master Class about the great opera diva Maria Callas. Summer Strallen will star in a new production of classic movie musical Top Hat with Tom Chambers. Joseph Millson will star in the National’s new production of Clifford Odets’s Rocket to the Moon, directed by Angus Jackson, alongside Keeley Hawes.
Andrew Lloyd Webber’s new production of The Wizard of Oz is currently previewing at the London Palladium starring Danielle Hope, Michael Crawford and Hannah Waddingham. The show opens on 1 March.
LINKS
Books tickets to Love Never Dies at the Adelphi Theatre
The Wizard of Oz starts tonight
February 7, 2011
Andrew Lloyd Webber’s major new production of The Wizard of Oz starts previews tonight at the London Palladium, starring Danielle Hope and Michael Crawford.
Danielle Hope and Michael Crawford, stars of The Wizard of Oz
The multi-million pound production, which features songs from the Oscar-winning movie plus specially written new songs by Lloyd -Webber and Tim Rice, gets its official opening night on 1 March 2011.
The show stars Danielle Hope, who won the BBC talent show Over the Rainbow to become Dorothy in the new production.
Director the show, Jeremy Sams, said earlier this week that newcomer Danielle Hope is “marvellous” as Dorothy and, “she makes total sense on the stage. She is the calmest professional I have ever worked with.”
Also starring in the show is theatre veteran Michael Crawford, who is reuniting with Andrew Lloyd Webber 24 years after playing the original Phantom of the Opera to play The Wizard of Oz, Hannah Waddingham (Into The Woods) 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 cast also includes Over The Rainbow runner-up Sophie Evans covering the part of Dorothy on Tuesdays and when Ms Hope is on holiday.
The team behind the 2006 revival of The Sound of Music is creating the show, including director Jeremy Sams, designer Robert Jones and choreographer Arlene Phillips.
Book tickets to The Wizard of Oz at the London Palladium.
LINKS
Photos: The Wizard of Oz rehearsals
In the West End This Week: Wicked, Oliviers
February 7, 2011
What’s coming up in the West End this week, including The Wizard of Oz, Wicked, Shoes, the Olivier Awards and The Children’s Hour.
Monday 7 February 2011
Mark Evans in Wicked
A new cast joins Wicked at the Apollo Victoria Theatre. Lee Mead said farewell to the company on Saturday night, and a number of new cast members join the show tonight including Mark Evans as Fiyero, Zoë Rainey as Nessarose and Ben Stott as Boq, alongside current stars Rachel Tucker as Elphaba and Louise Dearman as Glinda.
The Olivier Award nominations will be announced today at 11am at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane. This year’s awards – which will be presented on 13 March at Drury Lane – promise to have upped the star and glamour quotient and will be televised by the BBC.
The Wizard of Oz starts previews tonight. This mega new production at the London Palladium, rebooted by Jeremy Sams and produced by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Bill Kenwright, sees Over The Rainbow star Danielle Hope join Michael Crawford and Hannah Waddingham.
Tuesday 8 February 2011
A big theatre day! Shoes – the hugely successful Sadler’s Wells show – opens tonight at the Peacock Theatre to give the show a much deserved West End airing.
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, starts previews at the Noel Coward Theatre on Tuesday.
Also much deserving is Clybourne Park, which gets its official opening at the Wyndhams Theatre starring Sophie Thompson and Stephen Campbell Moore. Bruce Norris’ satirical comedy, directed by Dominic Cooke for the Royal Court, has been sweeping the boards at various awards including the recent South Bank Sky Arts Awards and the Critics’ Circle Theatre Awards.
Also on Tuesday, Showstopper the Improvised Musical begins at the Ambassadors Theatre in London with the the all-singing, all-dancing cast creating a brand new musical from scratch every night in this award-winning production. Plus, the Southwark Playhouse opens its new production of Sondheim’s Company directed by Joe Fredericks.
Wednesday 9 February 2011
Elisabeth Moss in The Children's Hour
The Children’s Hour gets its official opening night at the Comedy Theatre tonight, starring Elisabeth Moss (Mad Men), Keira Knightley and Ellen Burstyn in Lillian Hellman’s controversial play.
Friday 11 February 2011
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee starts previews as the Donmar Warehouse.
And coming up
Next week sees The Woman in Black celebrate its 23rd birthday, having opened in the West End on 15 February 1989. 2011 promises to be a big year for the show, with a brand new movie version of Susan Hill’s classic horror story opening in cinemas starring Daniel Radcliffe.
Photos: The Wizard of Oz cast rehearsals
February 6, 2011
Behind-the-scenes cast photos of Andrew Lloyd-Webber’s The Wizard of Oz, previewing from 7 February 2011 at the London Palladium.
Pictures include Danielle Hope, Michael Crawford, Hannah Waddingham and Sophie Evans.
LINKS
Book tickets to The Wizard of Oz at the London Palladium
HANNAH WADDINGHAM in The Wizard of Oz
December 8, 2010
Hannah Waddingham to play the Wicked Witch of the West in The Wizard of Oz at the London Palladium.
West End star Hannah Waddingham is not through with playing evil witches.
After wowing audiences in Regent’s Park this summer playing the Witch in Stephen Sondheim’s Into the Woods at the Open Air Theatre, she will return to fairytale nastiness this winter playing the Wicked Witch of the West in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s blockbuster new production of The Wizard of Oz, which opens at the London Palladium this February.
Hannah has enjoyed a successful stage career, including Olivier Award nominations for the Lady of the Lake in Spamalot and Desiree Armfelt in Trevor Nunn’s production of A Little Night Music at the Menier Chocolate Factory and the Garrick Theatre.
Her other roles include Suzanne Valadon in Lautrec at the Shaftesbury Theatre, Christine Warner in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Beautiful Game at the Cambridge Theatre) Satan in Rod Stewart’s Tonight’s The Night, Bad Girls The Musical at the West Yorkshire Playhouse, A Chorus of Disapproval for Theatr Clywd and Rizzo in Grease at the Victoria Palace Theatre.
The Wizard of Oz previews from 7 February 2011 at the London Palladium starring Over the Rainbow winner Danielle Hope as Dorothy, Michael Crawford as the Wizard, Paul Keating as Scarecrow, Edward Baker-Duly as Tin Man, David Ganly as the Cowardly Lion and Emily Tierney as Glinda, The Good Witch.
Book tickets to The Wizard of Oz at the London Palladium
PAUL KEATING in The Wizard of Oz
December 6, 2010
Andrew Lloyd Webber casts Paul Keating as Scarecrow in The Wizard of Oz.
Paul has been twice nominated for Olivier Awards – and we think this next project could be the one.
The multi-talented actor has been cast as the Scarecrow in Lord Lloyd Webber’s great big revival of musicals classic The Wizard of Oz – to open at the London Palladium in February.
Paul’s impressive list of stage credits includes the lead role in Tommy at the Shaftesbury Theatre, Tick… Tick… BOOM! at the Duchess Theatre, Seymour in Little Shop of Horrors with Sheridan Smith at Menier Chocolate Factory and in the West End, the Pet Shop Boys musical Closer to Heaven, the Balladeer in Assassins, La Cava at the Piccadilly Theatre and Victoria Palace, the Full Monty at the Prince of Wales Theatre, Prince of Palma in Don Carlos directed by Michael Grandage, Buttons in Cinderella at the Old Vic Theatre and Blowing Whistles at the Leicester Square Theatre.
On-screen appearances include Metrosexuality and Bring Me The Head Of Mavis Davis.
The Wizard of Oz previews from 7 February 2011 at the London Palladium starring Over the Rainbow winner Danielle Hope as Dorothy, Michael Crawford as the Wizard, Paul Keating as Scarecrow, Edward Baker-Duly as Tin Man, David Ganly as the Cowardly Lion and Emily Tierney as Glinda, The Good Witch.
Book tickets to The Wizard of Oz at the London Palladium
The Wizard of Oz: Further casting
November 29, 2010
Andrew Lloyd Webber announces further casting for The Wizard of Oz
Andrew Lloyd Webber’s blockbuster new production of The Wizard of Oz, which opens at the London Palladium this February, has announced further casting details.
A Little Night Music star Hannah Waddingham to play the Wicked Witch in The Wizard of Oz
After wowing audiences in Regent’s Park this summer playing the Witch in Stephen Sondheim’s Into the Wood, Hannah Waddingham is to play the Wicked Witch of the West in the blockbuster new production, alongside Over the Rainbow winner Danielle Hope as Dorothy and Michael Crawford as the Wizard.
Dorothy’s companions on the yellow brick road to Oz will feature Paul Keating as the Scarecrow, Edward Baker-Duly as Tin Man and David Ganly as the Cowardly Lion. Glinda, The Good Witch, will be played by Emily Tierney.
Hannah Waddingham’s credits include Olivier Award nominations for the Lady of the Lake in Spamalot and Desiree Armfelt in Trevor Nunn’s production of A Little Night Music at the Menier Chocolate Factory and the Garrick Theatre.
Paul Keating has appeared in a number of stage roles including the lead role in Tommy at the Shaftesbury Theatre, Tick… Tick… BOOM! at the Duchess Theatre and The Little Shop of Horrors with Sheridan Smith at Menier Chocolate Factory and in the West End.
Edward Baker-Duly’s credits include Gone With The Wind and West Side Story in the West End and Rookery Nook at the Menier; David Ganly has featured in the Young Vic’s recent production of The Beauty Queen of Leenane, Chicago at the Cambridge Theatre and The Full Monty at the Prince of Wales Theatre; Emily Tierney recently appeared in David Essex musical All The Fun Of The Fair at the Garrick Theatre.
Danielle Hope and Michael Crawford, stars of The Wizard of Oz
The Wizard of Oz will star Danielle Hope, 18, who won the BBC talent show Over the Rainbow to become Dorothy in the new production. Over The Rainbow runner-up Sophie Evans will cover the part of Dorothy on Tuesdays and when Ms Hope is on holiday. The show will also star Michael Crawford as the Wizard, who returns to the London Palladium after his triumphant run there in the 1980s in Barnum, for which he won an Olivier award. Michael is also well known for originating the role of the Phantom in Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera in both London and New York, winning Tony and Olivier Awards for his performance.
The major musical starts rehearsals in December featuring songs from the original Harold Arlen film score plus new songs penned by a reunited Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice. Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Really Useful Group will produce the show, with performances starting from 7 February 2011 at the London Palladium. The creative team behind the 2006 revival of The Sound of Music, including director Jeremy Sams, designer Robert Jones and choreographer Arlene Phillips, will work on the show.
Book tickets to The Wizard of Oz at the London Palladium
MORE OZ NEWS
Danielle Hope will perform at this year’s Royal Variety Performance in the presence of Their Royal Highnesses, The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall.
The annual show, which will take place on 9 December 2010, is to be held at the London Palladium – home of forthcoming musical The Wizard of Oz – to help the venue celebrate its 100th anniversary.
Love never dies but does take rests
October 22, 2010
Are Andrew Lloyd Webber and Bill Kenwright best buddies or what? It’s like a true West End bro-mance.
Andrew Lloyd Webber and Bill Kenwright with Sophie Evans
Bill and Andy have been commercial partners for a while now, with Bill producing national tours of Andrew’s shows, notably Evita and Joseph – which has made millions for the two men.
Plus Bill is helping Andrew out producing his next biggie, The Wizard of Oz at the London Palladium next February, starring Danielle Hope. Their announcement that Sophie Evans will be Dorothy First Reserve for the show at Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff in July, was a nice two-hander that demonstrated how close the two rivals have become (see photo).
And now we hear that Bill is assisting the Lord in doing a bit of light tinkering with Love Never Dies at the Adelphi Theatre. Most who’ve seen the show seem to enjoy it, but Andrew has been unhappy since the opening and his creative team – Hairspray’s Jack O’Brien and Jerry Mitchell – have fled back to Broadway to work on Catch Me If You Can (quite apt!)
So ALW has pressed on with some changes of his own – including some revised lyrics by Phantom lyricist Charles Hart, Ben Elton has been involved in adding his thoughts, and Bill is going to have a stab at making the ending more satisfying.
The show will take a four day break from 22 November for the changes to take place.
Will the critics be invited to review the show all over again we ask?
SPECIAL OFFER: Save on tickets to Love Never Dies at the Adelphi Theatre in London
MICHAEL CRAWFORD in The Wizard of Oz
October 1, 2010
MICHAEL CRAWFORD FINISHES IN THE WIZARD OF OZ ON 5 FEBRUARY 2012
They don’t come much bigger than Michael “original Phantom” Crawford, star of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Wizard of Oz
If you wanted to cast someone with star power, a long heritage of musicals success, a name well-known to American tourists and someone you’ve worked with before, then Andrew Lloyd Webber made the right choice in casting Michael Crawford in his blockbuster new production of The Wizard of Oz – coming to the London Palladium this February.
Crawford,68, has spent over five decades treading the boards, with his first professional stage appearance in 1955 as Sammy the Little Sweep in Benjamin Britten’s Let’s Make an Opera at the Scala Theatre in London.
In February he will return to the London Palladium after his triumphant run there in the 1980s in Barnum, for which he won an Olivier award. Michael is also well known for originating the role of the Phantom in Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera in both London and New York, winning Tony, Drama Desk, Olivier, Outer Critic’s Circle, Dramalogue and Drama Critic’s Circle Awards for his performance.
His other numerous stage credits include Billy, Flowers for Algernon, Black Comedy, Dance of the Vampires and a host of concert tours in the UK, United States, Canada and Australia. His last appearance in the West End was seven years ago, as Count Fosco in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Woman In White at the Palace Theatre.
In Film and TV he is still remembered fondly for his role as Frank Spencer in BBC sitcom Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em. Other credits include Hello, Dolly! with Barbra Streisand, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, The Knack, The Jokers, How I Won the War, Hello and Goodbye and Condorman.
Book tickets to The Wizard of Oz at the London Palladium
