Opening Night: A New Musical Tickets

A video has dropped for new musical Opening Night at the Gielgud Theatre, starring Sheridan Smith. The video sees actor Sheridan Smith, the show's composer - acclaimed singer songwriter Rufus Wainwright, and celebrated director Ivo van Hove (A Little Life), checking out the Gielgud Theatre in London, where the show opens in March next year, and discussing the new musical. https://youtube.com/shorts/R_O9G2bLDps Opening Night was announced earlier this month, and has music and lyrics by Rufus Wainwright, and a book by Van Hove, based on the movie by John Cassavetes. The show follows a theatre company's preparations to stage a major new play on Broadway. But drama ignites behind the scenes when their leading lady Myrtle (Sheridan Smith) is rocked by tragedy, and her personal turmoil forces everybody to deliver the performance of their lives.  The creative team of the show will also includes Set, lighting and video design will be by Jan Versweyveld, with Costume Design by An D’Huys and Sound Design by Tom Gibbons and Alex Twiselton. Orchestrations are by Rufus Wainwright, with Musical Supervision and Musical Direction by Nigel Lilley. Movement and Choreography is by Polly Bennett, Casting by Julia Horan CDG and the Associate Director is Daniel Raggett. [ngg src="galleries" ids="1418" display="basic_slideshow"] Producers of Opening Night include Wessex Grove, (An Enemy of the People, Macbeth), Playful productions (A Little Life, Dr. Strangelove, The House of Bernarda Alba, MJ The Musical, Moulin Rouge!) and Gavin Kalin Productions (Cabaret, Sunset Boulevard, Plaza Suite).  Currently playing at the Gielgud Theatre is Stephen Sondheim's Old Friends starring Bernadette Peters and Lea Salonga, until 6 January 2024. Opening Night will premiere at the West End's Gielgud Theatre in London from 6 March 2024 for a strictly limited season to 27 July 2024. Book tickets to Opening Night at the Gielgud Theatre in London

Award-winning star of stage and screen Sheridan Smith is returning to the West End next year in the world premiere of new musical Opening Night: A New Musical. Opening Night has music and lyrics by internationally acclaimed singer songwriter Rufus Wainwright, and is conceived and directed by celebrated director Ivo van Hove (A Little Life). Van Hove has also written the book for the musical. Opening Night is based on the legendary movie by John Cassavetes, and follows a theatre company's preparations to stage a major new play on Broadway. But drama ignites behind the scenes when their leading lady Myrtle (Sheridan Smith) is rocked by tragedy, and her personal turmoil forces everybody to deliver the performance of their lives.  Promising to be a beautifully rich new musical, Opening Night will premiere at the West End's Gielgud Theatre in London from 6 March 2024 for a strictly limited season to 27 July 2024. Set, lighting and video design will be by Jan Versweyveld, with Costume Design by An D’Huys and Sound Design by Tom Gibbons and Alex Twiselton. Orchestrations are by Rufus Wainwright, with Musical Supervision and Musical Direction by Nigel Lilley. Movement and Choreography is by Polly Bennett, Casting by Julia Horan CDG and the Associate Director is Daniel Raggett. [ngg src="galleries" ids="1418" display="basic_slideshow"] Sheridan Smith and Rufus Wainwright both teased the new production yesterday, 9 November, on social media, and Sheridan announced the news today on Zoe Ball's BBC Radio 2 breakfast show. Also on the show was David Baddiel, who talked about his new musical The Parent Agency with musician and songwriter Dan Gillespie Sells Sheridan last performed in the West End earlier this year in Shirley Valentine at the Duke of York's Theatre, where her performance was celebrated by critics and audiences alike. Her other West End credits include Funny Girl, and Legally Blonde The Musical. Sheridan's TV work includes forthcoming drama The Castaways, plus Gangsta Granny Strikes Again, Rosie Molloy Gives Up Everything, Cilla, Mrs Biggs, The C word, Two Pints of Lager & A Packet of Crisps, The Royle Family, and Gavin and Stacey. On film, her credits include The Railway Children Return, Hysteria, Tower Block, Quartet, Powder Room and The Huntsman: Winter’s War. Ivo van Hove recently directed A Little Life at the Harold Pinter Theatre and Savoy Theatre in London, starring James Norton. Ivo van Hove originally directed a drama called Opening Night, based on John Cassavetes's movie, in March 2006 for the Toneelgroep Amsterdam theatre company, of which he was artistic director. The play travelled internationally, including to the Brooklyn Academy of Music in New York in 2008, and the Melbourne Festival in Australia in 2010. Producers on Opening Night include Wessex Grove, (An Enemy of the People, Macbeth), Playful productions (A Little Life, Dr. Strangelove, The House of Bernarda Alba, MJ The Musical, Moulin Rouge!) and Gavin Kalin Productions (Cabaret, Sunset Boulevard, Plaza Suite).  Currently playing at the Gielgud Theatre is Stephen Sondheim's Old Friends starring Bernadette Peters and Lea Salonga, until 6 January 2024. Opening Night is playing at the Gielgud Theatre from 6 March 2024, booking to 27 July 2024. Actor Sheridan Smith said today in a statement: "The chance to work with the musical genius that is Rufus Wainwright and one of the world’s greatest stage directors Ivo van Hove was a once in a life time opportunity, and quite frankly if they’d asked me to read out the back of a cereal packet I’d have been there! But, I couldn’t be more thrilled to be cast in this fantastic original musical and to play the complex and challenging character of Myrtle”. Director Ivo van Hove said: “After the success of A Little Life I am thrilled to return to the West End together with Wessex Grove to create a new musical. It is a dream come true to collaborate with the wonderful Rufus Wainwright, whose work I have been a fan of for so many years. We connected over our shared love of the incredible John Casavettes film Opening Night and it has long been an ambition of ours to bring a musical version to the stage. Opening Night not only gives us an insight into the trials and tribulations behind the scenes of the theatre, but it is also the heartbreaking story of a woman fighting for hope and self-determination in a world that doesn’t want to listen”. Songwriter Rufus Wainwright said: “For me John Cassavetes’s movie Opening Night has long been a shining beacon representing both excellence in cinema and the might of live theatre. An intense marriage of film and stage it is about a very personal mental and creative survival that I think we can all relate to on a very deep human level. I’ve been waiting for ages to write my first musical and with this fantastic story plus the incomparable Sheridan Smith, not to mention the incredible Ivo van Hove, I don’t think I could have aimed any higher”. Producers Benjamin Lowy and Emily Vaughan-Barratt said: “Deep in the early lockdowns of 2020, just after forming our company, we zoomed with Ivo and Rufus about turning Opening Night into a musical. It was a thrilling idea they had, and that conversation turned into the first commission Wessex Grove made. Rufus has written the most extraordinary original music and it is a joy for us to be reuniting with Ivo after the success of A Little Life earlier this year. Opening Night is a show about making theatre in all its forms; the heartbreaks, the turmoil, and the pure joy of it. We couldn’t be luckier to have one of our great theatrical stars, Sheridan Smith, leading the cast of this new musical”. Book tickets to Opening Night at the Gielgud Theatre in London

Award-winning star of stage and screen Sheridan Smith and internationally acclaimed singer songwriter Rufus Wainwright have teased a new project. Rufus Wainwright sent a tweet last night on X, teasing that "Something exciting coming this Friday with Sheridan Smith... any guesses?" Rufus and Sheridan are pictured with Dan Gillespie Sells, frontman of The Feeling, and composer of music for shows including Everybody's Talking About Jamie - which is back in London next year at the Peacock Theatre, and recent @sohoplace show Brokeback Mountain. It is unclear whether Gillespie Sells is involved in the project. Assuming it's a musical, then bringing together Rufus Wainwright's music with the singing and acting chops of Sheridan Smith sounds like an incredible combination. Possibly related to this project, major West End producer Playful Productions (A Little Life, Dr. Strangelove, The House of Bernarda Alba, MJ The Musical, Moulin Rouge!) also put out a new photo of Sheridan on their socials, teasing the announcement of a new project; as did theatre owner Delfont Macktintosh Theatres, who own the Gielgud, Sondheim, Victoria Palace, Noel Coward, Novello, Prince Edwar, Wyndham's and Prince of Wales Theatres. Sheridan Smith will be appearing on Zoe Ball's Radio 3 Breakfast Show tomorrow (10 November 2023), with the website teasing that "Sheridan Smith has an announcement!" Sheridan Smith - Playful Productions Sheridan Smith last performed in the West End earlier this year in Shirley Valentine at the Duke of York’s Theatre, where her performance has celebrated by critics and audiences alike. Her other West End credits include Funny Girl, and Legally Blonde The Musical. Sheridan’s TV work includes forthcoming drama The Castaways, plus Gangsta Granny Strikes Again, Rosie Molloy Gives Up Everything, Cilla, Mrs Biggs, The C word, Two Pints of Lager & A Packet of Crisps, The Royle Family, and Gavin and Stacey. On film, her credits include The Railway Children Return, Hysteria, Tower Block, Quartet, Powder Room and The Huntsman: Winter’s War. Rufus Wainwright's new album ‘Folkocracy,’ is out now. We can't wait to bring you news of their new project tomorrow - stay tuned for details. CONFIRMED: This project has now been confirmed as OPENING NIGHT: A New Musical. Book tickets to Opening Night at the Gielgud Theatre in London Sheridan Smith - New Project Teaser Video