Elaine Paige to sing I’m Still Here in new US production of Follies; new album Elaine Paige and Friends out Monday; new EP concert tour announced.
More news on the new American production of Stephen Sondheim’s Follies (see our August piece, Fantasy Casting). Sadly, speculation that Kim Cattrall would be joining Bernadette Peters (who is playing Sally) to perform the role of Phyllis was just that, speculation! Instead Jan Maxwell will take the role at Washington’s Kennedy Center in May and June next year.
Jan is a Broadway stage regular whose recent turns in The Royal Family and Lend Me a Tenor in New York earned her Tony Award nominations for both parts.
Perhaps even more exciting is that First Lady of British Musical Theatre Elaine Paige (for that is her full name) is continuing her US offensive by taking the part of Carlotta Campion. She’s too OLD we hear you cry! But Elaine playing the seen-it-all-before ex-Follies girl and fading film star, who belts out show-stopper “I’m Still Here”, will be something to behold and follows a long line of gutsy broads who have played the part including the late Eartha Kitt in London.
Other cast include Terrence Currier as Theodore Whitman, Rosalind Elias as Heidi Schiller, Florence Lacey as Sandra Crane, Linda Lavin as Hattie Walker, Régine as Solange LaFitte, David Sabin as Dimitri Weismann, Susan Watson as Emily Whitman and Terri White as Stella Deems. The show will be directed by Eric Schaeffer with choreography by Warren Carlyle.
MORE ELAINE NEWS
Elaine has announced her UK concert tour to follow her new album, Elaine Paige and Friends.
The tour starts in February 2011 and covers much of the country’s A-list venues including Cardiff’s Wales Millennium Centre, the Royal Festival Hall in London, The Edinburgh Playhouse and Symphony Hall in Birmingham. Tickets go on sale tomorrow, 28 October.
Her album will be released this Monday, 1 November 2010 and features duets with a host of big stars. Watch videos with her duet stars John Barrowman, Olivia Newton John and Billy Ocean here.
Buy Elaine Paige and Friends here.
ELAINE PAIGE CONCERT DATES
IPSWICH: Regent Theatre – 23 Feb, www.ipswichregent.com
BLACKPOOL: Opera House – 25 Feb, www.blackpoollive.co.uk
GATESHEAD: The Sage – 26 Feb, www.thesagegateshead.org
EDINBURGH: The Playhouse – 28 Feb, www.edinburghplayhouse.org.uk
GLASGOW: Royal Concert Hall – 1 March, www.glasgowconcerthalls.com
EASTBOURNE: The Congress Theatre – 3 March, www.eastbournetheatres.co.uk
LONDON: Royal Festival Hall – 4 March, www.southbankcentre.co.uk
MANCHESTER: Bridgewater Hall – 6 March, www.bridgewater-hall.co.uk
BIRMINGHAM: Symphony Hall – 7 March, www.thsh.co.uk
CARDIFF: Wales Millennium Centre – 9 March, www.wmc.org.uk
TORQUAY: Princess Theatre – 11 March, www.princesstheatre.org.uk
