West End Live Timetable: Sunday 24 June 2012, Trafalgar Square

Back for its 8th year,  West End Live – the spectacular celebration of West End theatre – returns to Trafalgar Square and for the first time will feature every single West End musical over the two days of the event.

WEST END LIVE TIMETABLE

Sunday 24 June 2012, Trafalgar Square

Time on Stage	Show
12.00PM	STOMP
12.15PM	THE WIZARD OF OZ
12.25PM	SHREK THE MUSICAL
12.35PM	HAVANA RUMBA!
12.50PM	DISNEY’S THE LION KING
13.00PM	THRILLER LIVE
13.25PM	ROCK OF AGES
13.35PM	BILLY ELLIOT THE MUSICAL
13.40PM	MATILDA THE MUSICAL
13.50PM	HORRIBLE HISTORIES
14.05PM	EVERYTHING’S ROSIE
14.10PM	MAMMA MIA!
14.25PM	LOUISE DEARMAN
14.40PM	MARK EVANS
14.55PM	ALEX GAUMOND
15.05PM	DANIEL BOYS
15.15PM	JERSEY BOYS
15.40PM	ANGELINA BALLERINA THE MOUSICAL
15.55PM	BIG ZUMBA DANCE
16.10PM	MARK JERMIN STAGE SCHOOL
16.25PM	WEST END KIDS
16.40PM	THE IN-BETWEEN
16.55PM	NATIONAL YOUTH MUSIC THEATRE
17.10PM	WEST END GOSPEL CHOIR
17.30PM	CONGO FAITH HEALERS
18.00PM	SHOW ENDS

LINKS

West End Live 2012 – Timetable for Saturday 23 June 2012

Photos of last year’s West End Live event

West End Live Timetable: Saturday 23 June 2012, Trafalgar Square

Back for its 8th year,  West End Live – the spectacular celebration of West End theatre – returns to Trafalgar Square and for the first time will feature every single West End musical over the two days of the event.

WEST END LIVE TIMETABLE

Saturday 23 June 2012, Trafalgar Square

Time on Stage	Show
11.00AM	TOP HAT
11.10AM	RAGTIME
11.20AM	WICKED
11.35AM	BILLY ELLIOT THE MUSICAL
11.45AM	SWEENEY TODD
11.50AM	SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN
12.00PM	THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA
12.10PM	LES MISERABLES
12.25PM	GHOST THE MUSICAL
12.35PM	CHICAGO
12.50PM	WE WILL ROCK YOU
13.10PM	MAMMA MIA!
13.25PM	JERSEY BOYS
13.45PM	ROCK OF AGES
14.05PM	THRILLER LIVE
14.25PM	BLOOD BROTHERS
14.35PM	DREAMBOATS & PETTICOATS
14.45PM	MONTY PYTHON’S SPAMALOT
15.00PM	THE IN-BETWEEN
15.10PM	ANGELINA BALLERINA THE MOUSICAL
15.25PM	HORRIBLE HISTORIES
15.40PM	BIG ZUMBA DANCE
15.55PM	EVERYTHING’S ROSIE
16.05PM	SYLVIA YOUNG THEATRE SCHOOL
16.20PM	NATIONAL YOUTH MUSIC THEATRE
16.35PM	DAN AND LAURA CURTIS
16.50PM	BIG DANCE
17.05PM	DRAG DIVAS
17.15PM	THE SUNNY SIDE OF THE STREET
17.30PM	ONE MAN, TWO GUVNORS – THE CRAZE
17.45PM	STOMP
18.00PM	SHOW ENDS

 LINKS

West End Live 2012 – Timetable for Sunday 24 June 2012

Photos of last year’s West End Live event

West End Live 2012 timetable of performances announced

The timetable has been published for West End Live, the free annual theatre event that returns to London next weekend, on Saturday 23 and Sunday 24 June 2012.

Back for its 8th year,  this spectacular celebration of West End shows returns to Trafalgar Square and for the first time will feature every single West End musical over the two days of the event.

West End musicals taking part in the weekend include new shows Top Hat, Ragtime, Singin’ in the Rain, Spamalot, Horrible Histories, One Man, Two Guvnors, Matilda The Musical and Sweeney Todd.

They will be joined by long-running shows including Rock of Ages, Ghost The Musical, The Wizard Of Oz, Shrek The Musical, Stomp, Mamma Mia!, Disney’s The Lion King, Billy Elliot, Jersey Boys, Thriller Live, Chicago, Wicked, The Phantom of the Opera, Les Miserables, Blood Brothers, Dreamboats and Petticoats, and We Will Rock You.

Stars will be out in force for the event, with performances promised by some of the West End’s top talent including Ghost’s Mark Evans, We Will Rock You’s Alex Gaumond, West End favourites Louise Dearman and Daniel Boys, and the casts of all the top shows.

There will also be performances from the West End Gospel Choir, the National Youth Music Theatre, Drag Divas and much more.

Organised by Westminster City Council and the Society of London Theatre, in association with MasterCard, this year’s event will run from 11am to 6pm on Saturday 23 June and 12pm to 6pm on Sunday 24 June.

 WEST END LIVE TIMETABLE

Saturday 23 June 2012, Trafalgar Square

Time on Stage	Show
11.00AM	TOP HAT
11.10AM	RAGTIME
11.20AM	WICKED
11.35AM	BILLY ELLIOT THE MUSICAL
11.45AM	SWEENEY TODD
11.50AM	SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN
12.00PM	THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA
12.10PM	LES MISERABLES
12.25PM	GHOST THE MUSICAL
12.35PM	CHICAGO
12.50PM	WE WILL ROCK YOU
13.10PM	MAMMA MIA!
13.25PM	JERSEY BOYS
13.45PM	ROCK OF AGES
14.05PM	THRILLER LIVE
14.25PM	BLOOD BROTHERS
14.35PM	DREAMBOATS & PETTICOATS
14.45PM	MONTY PYTHON’S SPAMALOT
15.00PM	THE IN-BETWEEN
15.10PM	ANGELINA BALLERINA THE MOUSICAL
15.25PM	HORRIBLE HISTORIES
15.40PM	BIG ZUMBA DANCE
15.55PM	EVERYTHING’S ROSIE
16.05PM	SYLVIA YOUNG THEATRE SCHOOL
16.20PM	NATIONAL YOUTH MUSIC THEATRE
16.35PM	DAN AND LAURA CURTIS
16.50PM	BIG DANCE
17.05PM	DRAG DIVAS
17.15PM	THE SUNNY SIDE OF THE STREET
17.30PM	ONE MAN, TWO GUVNORS – THE CRAZE
17.45PM	STOMP
18.00PM	SHOW ENDS

 

Sunday 24 June 2012, Trafalgar Square

Time on Stage	Show
12.00PM	STOMP
12.15PM	THE WIZARD OF OZ
12.25PM	SHREK THE MUSICAL
12.35PM	HAVANA RUMBA!
12.50PM	DISNEY’S THE LION KING
13.00PM	THRILLER LIVE
13.25PM	ROCK OF AGES
13.35PM	BILLY ELLIOT THE MUSICAL
13.40PM	MATILDA THE MUSICAL
13.50PM	HORRIBLE HISTORIES
14.05PM	EVERYTHING’S ROSIE
14.10PM	MAMMA MIA!
14.25PM	LOUISE DEARMAN
14.40PM	MARK EVANS
14.55PM	ALEX GAUMOND
15.05PM	DANIEL BOYS
15.15PM	JERSEY BOYS
15.40PM	ANGELINA BALLERINA THE MOUSICAL
15.55PM	BIG ZUMBA DANCE
16.10PM	MARK JERMIN STAGE SCHOOL
16.25PM	WEST END KIDS
16.40PM	THE IN-BETWEEN
16.55PM	NATIONAL YOUTH MUSIC THEATRE
17.10PM	WEST END GOSPEL CHOIR
17.30PM	CONGO FAITH HEALERS
18.00PM	SHOW ENDS

LINKS

Photos of last year’s West End Live event

Theatre Rich List: Mackintosh tops London Theatre rich list

Sir Cameron Mackintosh, producer and West End theatre owner, has held his top position on the 2012 Sunday Times Rich List based on influencers in UK theatre.

With a fortune estimated at £725 million, up £50m on last year, Mackintosh keeps his Number One position in the theatre list,  and 108 in the overall list of Britain’s 1,000 wealthiest people.

The producer is currently working on a big screen adaptation of his most successful musical, Les Miserables, starring Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway and a who’s who of West End stars in smaller roles. His production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera celebrated its 25th anniversary last year and continues to do good business at Her Majesty’s Theatre. His theatre venue business, Delfont Mackintosh, owns 7 West End theatres including the Prince of Wales’ Theatre and Prince Edward.

Andrew Lloyd Webber, in the number two spot, has slipped by £90m to an estimated fortune of £590m. The composer and theatre owner announced last month that he is selling his Palace Theatre, currently home to Singin’ in the Rain, to Nimax Theatres.

At number three we have added Simon Fuller, the entertainment mogul who has made his fortune from the Pop Idol format and also managing pop acts such as the Spice Girls. He is working with Mamma Mia! theatre producer Judy Craymer (see 10)  on the new Spice Girls musical Viva Forever!

Elton John comes in at number four with £220m, and whose music features in long-running West End shows Billy Elliot The Musical and Disney’s The Lion King.

At five, we have included Daniel Ek. Whilst the Swedish software programmer has no direct connection to London Theatre, his Spotify company is revolutionising the way we listen to music, which includes the way we consume theatre soundtracks and music from West End performers (see our new Free Music section).

Tim Rice comes in at number six with £144m. Rice was honoured this month by the Society of London Theatre with a special Olivier Award for his contribution to theatre. His musicals Evita and Jesus Christ Superstar have both recently opened in new revivals on Broadway, and Lloyd Webber plans another TV talent show later this year to cast a new arena production of Jesus Christ Superstar.

The influence of rock group Queen continues to extend across the theatre rich list, with their musical We Will Rock You about to celebrate its 10th birthday on 14 May 2012 at the Dominion Theatre – and with Brian May, Roger Taylor and  John Deacon all appearing in the list.

The Rich List is in contrast to The Stage newspaper’s annual list of the 100 most powerful people in UK theatre, which pegs Ambassador Theatre Group’s Howard Panter and Rosemary Squire in the top spot, and Andrew Lloyd Webber and Cameron Mackintosh in joint fourth place.

LONDON THEATRE RICH LIST

1. Cameron Mackintosh – £725m

2. Andrew Lloyd Webber – £590m

3. Simon Fuller – £375m

4. Elton John – £220m

5. Daniel Ek – £190m

6. Tim Rice – £144m

7. Brian May – £90m

8. Roger Taylor – £85m

9. John Deacon – £70m

10. Judy Craymer – £63m

LINKS

Sunday Times Rich List

 

 

Alex Gaumond to return to We Will Rock You at the Dominion Theatre

Canadian musicals star Alex Gaumond is to return to the cast of We Will Rock You a the Dominion Theatre in London.

Gaumond, who was nominated for a Best Actor in a Musical gong at this year’s Olivier Awards for his performance in Legally Blonde at the Savoy Theatre, will play Galileo in the show from 8 August 2011.

Current Galileo, Ricardo Afonso, will leave the production to join Summer Strallen, Tom Chambers, Martin Ball, Vivien Parry and Stephen Boswell in the UK tour of the new stage version of Irving Berlin’s Top Hat.

Alex Gaumond is an actor and songwriter who has lived and worked in the UK since 2002. He played Galileo in the 2009 tour of We Will Rock You.

Also rejoining the cast of We Will Rock You will be Mazz Murray, who is the show’s longest serving Killer Queen and will make a final, two week farewell appearance in the role from 8 to 20 August 2011.

The Queen and Ben Elton musical is in its tenth year at the Dominion Theatre, where it holds the record for the longest-ever running show.

LINKS

More news on We Will Rock You

Book tickets to We Will Rock You at the Dominion Theatre in London

Alex Gaumond Joins We Will Rock You

OMG! Alex Gaumond to star in We Will Rock You. And Mazz Murray returns to say farewell to Killer Queen role.

Nominated as Best Actor in a Musical in both the Oliver Awards and Whatsonstage.com Awards for his performance as Emmett in the original London cast of Legally Blonde, actor, singer Alex Gaumond is to take over the leading role of Galileo in the Queen & Ben Elton hit West End musical, We Will Rock You. The announcement was made today by show producers Phil McIntyre Entertainment, Tribeca and Queen Theatrical Productions.

Gaumond begins rehearsals with the WWRY cast August 1st to take on the role of Galileo full time at London’s Dominion from August 8th.

Playing Legally Blonde’s shy and charming fellow law student Emmett opposite first Sheridan Smith and then Susan McFadden in the role of Elle, Gaumond proved hugely popular with audiences as well as receiving his two Best Actor nominations. Gaumond ended his eighteen month stay with the production June 18th.

Joining We Will Rock You, Gaumond takes over from WWRY’s current Galileo, Ricardo Afonso, who moves to join the cast of the stage version of Irving Berlin’s Top Hat, due to open in August.

Trading those unflattering Harvard corduroys for jeans and t’s, Gaumond is set to enter the leather clad, guitar-thrashing futurist world of Queen and Ben Elton in which originality and individualism are outlawed and only one man, Galileo, can fulfil a prophecy that will bring about the overthrow of the mighty Killer Queen and enable the return of rock ‘n roll.

It is a return to familiar territory for Gaumond – the dystopian world of Ga Ga girls, Bohemian rebels and Marks & Spencer smoothies; the Canadian actor/singer/songwriter, resident and working in the UK since 2002, gained his first major leading role when he was cast as Galileo in the 2009 UK touring production of We Will Rock You. Gaumond triumphed in the show for seven months before joining Legally Blonde.

Gaumond is presently contracted to play Galileo in the WWRY London Dominion production until end of January 2012.

The show’s co-creator Brian May welcomed Gaumond saying: “Alex is a superb actor, and his interpretation of Galileo on tour in the UK was a huge hit with audiences. We look forward to a new triumph in the Dominion, in WWRY’s 10th year.”

We Will Rock You’s producers today also announced that actress/singer Mazz Murray, the show’s longest serving Killer Queen until her departure on maternity leave last year, is to make a return to the show for a special two week farewell season. Mazz who played Killer Queen between May 2004 – June 2010, will return to say goodbye to her nemesis role August 8 -20, nicely coinciding with Alex Gaumond’s opening in the show. We Will Rock You’s current Killer Queen, Brenda Edwards, is on break during this period, returning to the show immediately after.

We Will Rock You is into the start of its tenth year at the Dominion Theatre where it holds the record for longest-ever running show. The touring production continues to break box office records throughout the UK.

September 5 will see a special performance of We Will Rock You at the Dominion to mark the 65th birthday of former Queen front man Freddie Mercury whose statue towers above the theatre entrance. Proceeds of this special performance will be directed through the Freddie For A Day campaign to The Mercury Phoenix Trust, the charity set up in Freddie’s name to fight HIV AIDS worldwide. See: www.freddieforaday.com

We Will Rock You is presented by Phil McIntyre Entertainment, Queen Theatrical Productions and Tribeca Theatrical Productions. Book and direction by Ben Elton. Music supervisors Brian May and Roger Taylor.

Release issued by PR Contact

LINKS

Book tickets to We Will Rock You at the Dominion Theatre in London

West End Live 2011: Mamma Mia!, Million Dollar Quartet, Shrek The Musical and We Will Rock You

West End Live 2011 photos the casts of Mamma Mia!, Million Dollar Quartet, Shrek The Musical and We Will Rock You

LINKS

More News on West End Live

Book tickets to Mamma Mia! at the Prince of Wales Theatre

Book tickets to Million Dollar Quartet at the Noel Coward Theatre

Book tickets to Shrek The Musical at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane

Book tickets to We Will Rock You at the Dominion Theatre

View West End Live photos of Rock of Ages and Betty Blue Eyes

View West End Live photos of The Wizard of Oz and Crazy For You

View West End Live photos of Ghost The Musical, Wicked and Jersey Boys

View West End Live photos of Legally Blonde and Lend Me A Tenor

View West End Live photos of Billy Elliot and Love Never Dies

View West End Live photos of Chicago, The Lion King, Priscilla Queen of the Desert

 

 

We Will Rock You Celebrates 9th Anniversary: Storms Towards A Decade In The West End

Special (Belated) Celebration Performance Tuesday May 31.

Victorious at the recent Olivier Awards, taking the vote for the nation’s most popular musical – the BBC Radio2 Audience award – Queen and Ben Elton’s We Will Rock You this weekend reaches the ninth anniversary of its West End opening.

The show opened at The Dominion on May 14, 2002, and has continued to pack houses since.

Its triumph at the Oliviers saw the show beating a shortlist including Billy Elliot, Jersey Boys and Les Miserables in the only category decided entirely by members of the public.

But celebrations marking the show’s move into its decade year are having to be delayed two weeks – while show co-creator Brian May completes his Anthems tour of the United Kingdom with singer Kerry Ellis. Ellis created a starring role in the original cast of We Will Rock You, nine years ago, and May has worked with her since then, producing and writing her debut Anthems album.

Instead, May will roll into town Monday May 31 to join fellow Queen band member Roger Taylor on stage at the Dominion for a belated ninth anniversary celebration. Already warmed up from his tour, May is promising to tune up for a special guest appearance on stage that night.

May and Taylor and co-creator Ben Elton have further reason to celebrate.

Not only is the re-release of “Keep Yourself Alive” currently sitting at number one in the physical music charts, but the recent Theatreland records listing of the top ten longest running West End shows (published by officiallondontheatre.co.uk ) places We Will Rock You at No.9. In a list which is headed by The Mousetrap (58 years), Les Miserables (25 years) and Phantom of the Opera (24 years), We Will Rock You is the only show from the year in which it opened which continues to run in the West End – and in the same theatre that it was born.

Entering its tenth year this weekend, May 14, We Will Rock You is presently booking through to October 22.

The current Dominion cast of We Will Rock You includes former Coronation Street star Kevin Kennedy in the role of Pop, X Factor finalist Brenda Edwards as the Killer Queen and Ricardo Afonso and Sarah French in the roles of the rock rebels set to change the world, Galileo and Scaramouche.

In addition to various productions on foreign soil, a further British production of the show is now in its second record-breaking year touring the UK.

WWRY is a Phil McIntyre, Tribeca Theatrical Productions and Queen Theatrical Productions presentation. Book and direction by Ben Elton. Music by Queen. Music Supervision by Brian May and Roger Taylor. Dominion Theatre, Tottenham Court Road, London, W.1. Presently booking until October 22, 2011.

Release issued by: Phil Symes PR

LINKS

More news on We Will Rock You

Olivier Awards: National, Legally Blonde

In a star-studded awards ceremony last night, Sunday 13 March, at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane in London, the Society of London Theatre held their 35th annual theatre awards ceremony.

Hosted by musicals star Michael Ball and actress Imelda Staunton, the awards celebrate the best of the year’s London theatre.

Big winners last night included the National Theatre, which swept up seven awards for two of its productions: Thea Sharrock’s revival of Terence Rattigan’s After the Dance, which won awards including best revival, best actress for Nancy Carroll and best actor in a supporting role for Adrian Scarborough; and its production of Mikhail Bulgakov’s The White Guard, including best director for Howard Davies and best set design for Bunny Christie.

In other subsidised venues the Royal Court picked up three awards, including best new play for Bruce Norris’s comedy Clybourne Park, which is now playing at the Wyndham’s Theatre in the West End, and two awards for the Donmar Warehouse, including David Thaxton picking up best actor in a musical for Passion.

Roger Allam won best actor for his performance as Falstaff in Shakespeare’s Globe’s production of Henry IV Parts 1 & 2, beating stiff competition from Rory Kinnear, Derek Jacobi, David Suchet and Mark Rylance.

The most successful musical of the night was Legally Blonde at the Savoy Theatre, which picked up three major awards: best new musical, best actress in a musical for Sheridan Smith and best performance in a supporting role in a Musical for Jill Halfpenny.

Other musicals rewarded at the event included We Will Rock You, which won the Olivier Audience Award voted for by members of the theatregoing public, and the Open Air Theatre’s summer production of Stephen Sondheim’s Into the Woods.

Stephen Sondheim was presented with an Olivier Special Award for his enormous contribution to theatre, with the award presented by Sir Cameron Mackintosh and legendary actress Angela Lansbury.

Big shows to miss out on awards this year included Andrew Lloyd Webber’s sequel to The Phantom of the Opera, Love Never Dies, which failed to pick up any awards despite seven nominations, and End of the Rainbow at the Trafalgar Studios, which was nominated for four awards including best actress for Tracie Bennett in her performance as Judy Garland.

Notable performances during the ceremony included a star turn by legendary American singer Barry Manilow, who also sang a duet with Wicked and Oliver! star Kerry Ellis; current and former stars of The Phantom of the Opera and Love Never Dies – Ramin Karimloo, John Owen-Jones and Sierra Boggess; Emma Williams and Michael Xavier singing Everything We Know from Love Story; Alfie Boe, who is soon to star in Les Miserables at the Queen’s Theatre, singing Some Enchanted Evening from South Pacific; Susan McFadden and the current cast of Legally Blonde; and Adrian Lester paying tribute to Stephen Sondheim by singing Being Alive from Company, along with Angela Lansbury singing a moving rendition of Liaisons from A Little Night Music and 400 students from national drama schools singing Our Time from Merrily We Roll Along.

LISTEN & WATCH AGAIN

BBC iPlayer – Radio 2 coverage

BBC iPlayer – BBC News

LINKS

Olivier Awards – list of winners

Olivier Awards microsite

Olivier Awards – news

Olivier Awards – Binkie Blog’s Picks and Pans

We Will Rock You ticket offer – Save up to 38%

Save up to 38% on tickets to WE WILL ROCK YOU – the Olivier Awards Audience Award winner

Valid select performances

The Audience Award winner at the 2011 Olivier Awards, voted for by members of the theatregoing public, We Will Rock You has had the West End on its feet since it opened in 2002 at the Dominion Theatre in London.

With standing ovations every night, this spectacular show combines the very best music from legendary band Queen with a brilliant script by Ben Elton. Seen by over 5 million people, the show includes 32 of Queen’s classic hits including Killer Queen, Bohemian Rhapsody, Radio Ga Ga, and more.

Westendtheatre.com readers can now enjoy a special ticket offer of up to 38% off seats to see the show. Also great We Will Rock You theatre and dinner deals are available.

BOOK NOW

Save up to 38% on tickets to WE WILL ROCK YOU

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