#lizzie the musical southwark playhouse

[lavender-gayz]

Lizzie the musical at Southwark Playhouse Elephant - some little moments that I loved, part 1/?

Background: This production originated at Hope Mill Theatre in Manchester. It features Lauren Drew as Lizzie; Maiya Quansah-Breed as her neighbour, Alice; Shekinah McFarlane as Lizzie’s sister, Emma; and Mairi Barclay as the Bordens’ housekeeper, Bridget. Esteemed tumblr user thegirl20 has many lovely photosets and gifsets of the cast, including this high-definition one where you can see the faces of everyone in the main cast (and also the set!)

I was lucky enough to catch this show with the main cast in London at the Southwark Playhouse Elephant a couple of times (plus once with Emma Louise Hoey as Lizzie and Ayesha Patel as Bridget) when they went on a mini tour in Nov/Dec 2023 :)

1. The House of Borden:

Bridget ladles out impressively gloopy gruel while singing about all-purpose mutton. Both Lizzie and Emma give it a wide berth (and say no to breakfast for the rest of the show).

Emma goes, 'we’ve no personal objection BUT SHE CAN'T HAVE WHAT'S OURS' – an increasingly-concerned Lizzie rushes over and shakes her head and Emma is temporarily mollified. Fair is fair in the House of Bordennnnn!

The way their voices go up in the last ‘let us take you to an August back in 1892’ – MUAH.

2. This Is Not Love:

Lauren Drew performs the majority of this song while sitting uncomfortably in an ornate armchair where something horrifying routinely happens. It’s very effective.

She really conveys the despair and the agony Lizzie feels – there's one bit in the final verse where she gasps out, 'this is not love' and she sounds so incredibly broken.

(“I want…to see arms outstretched to hold me / wanting nothing in return / but only for me to feel safe and secure”

She’s literally next door, Lizzie.)

And at the end she tears herself out of the chair with the line ‘I don’t know what it is, but I want out of it.’

3. ‘I love you too, Father.’

4. Gotta Get out of Here:

Lizzie absently trails her hand along Alice's arms and shoulders in this one bit at the start - Alice never stood a chance tbh.

Maybe I'll do a separate Alice x Lizzie highlights thing.

LOVE the energy in this song and how Lizzie almost seems possessed when she sings about something hanging over her and how she physically throws her body around.

Alice's higher 'stay here longer' when she joins in on the chorus is what angels dream of.

5. If You Knew:

Let's have MAXIMUM YEARNING

To set the scene: we’ve just come out of ‘Gotta Get out of Here’, where Lizzie expresses her need to get out of here and is hindered by Bridget, Emma and Alice (with some very cool dance breaks). Lizzie finally breaks free and Alice chases after her but loses her. We’re now in Alice’s bedroom where she’s thinking about Lizzie.

Lizzie is just off to the side (presumably in her own home or in her yard) looking sad and letting down her hair.

Alice is singing to herself about how much she loves Lizzie and wondering how Lizzie would react if she knew about this.

(She thinks a secret’s just a lie! This may or may not come back to bite us!)

Her voice just SOARS when she sings about dreaming about having Lizzie in her arms.

I like that this song expresses the pretty relatable concern of ‘oh no if you knew I had a big gay crush on you would you still let me touch you and comfort you’ but it doesn’t come with a side of ‘oh no it’s so wrong and gross for me to have feelings for another woman’. Thanks, Steven Cheslik-DeMeyer and Tim Maner!

And good news for Alice: YES Lizzie will let you hold her close when she knows about your secret gay feelings AND she will make out with you and hold you close too! You will get to be happy for approximately seven seconds before Bad News Bridget interrupts.

6. Soul of the White Bird:

'the violence of freedom'

Emma joins in with Lizzie from the side at ‘oh if I had wings like a dove’ - the harmonies!!

Bridget knits and goes la la la in counterpoint while Lizzie slowly falls apart.

7. ‘Lizzie, don’t!!’

8. Maybe Someday:

The FIRST iteration of this song and it’s Alice singing to Lizzie about how maybe someday her heart will be open. They may not get a conventional happy ending together but by god their story is integral to this show.

It is so sweet and then they end up cuddling and falling asleep!

I was going to save this for the Alice x Lizzie highlights, but this was too cute to leave out so I guess I'll just include it twice: Lizzie is the big spoon!!!

9. ‘Her bed is freshly made, as if she hadn’t slept in it at all!’ – Bridget, relishing her role as a gossipmonger-in-chief

10. Who hasn't had to kick a girl out in the morning because your sister needs to vent about developments in your father's will and is threatening to go to Fairhaven? Sisters, amirite?

11. ‘Emma, wait! What if Mrs Borden…dies first?’

12. Sweet Little Sister:

It has been said before and it bears saying again: vocals for DAYS.

The little lyric change to “I look into your cold dark eyes” to suit Lauren’s eye colour!

Bridget and Alice pop up with mic stands to sing along.

And then Emma fucks off to Fairhaven even though her sweet little sister was begging her to stay.

13. Mairi's delivery of 'oh Miss Emma you've forgotten your book! And she asked me to pack it S P E C I A L.' is so deeply funny.

14. Also hilarious: the very un-suspicious way Bridget slides the book of household poisons over to Lizzie.

15. ‘…time for Mrs Borden’s tea!’ I love Bridget.

This feels like a good time to take a break!

[suddenlyrobin]

Lizzie Megamix at the Southwark Playhouse!

Emma Louise Hoey as Lizzie

Ayesha Patel as Bridget

Maiya Quansah-Breed as Alice

Shekinah McFarlane as Emma

[cactus-cactus-cactus]

Southwark playhouse Lizzie single-handedly reigniting my obsession with this musical. Anyways Emma Louise hoey Lizzie be upon ye

[ctpinocchio]

Creative Team Biogs

Lizzie Hopley - writer, script and songs

Lizzie Hopley was born in Liverpool and trained at Manchester University and RADA. As a writer, her sitcom pilot Green won Pozzitive Television’s’ Funny Dot Comp 2021(with Olivia Mace) and her TV series Bloody Betty is currently in development with Showem Entertainment. Radio plays include Salome (Drama on 3), The Elizabethan Beauty Law (Radio 4) and The Cenci Family (starring Sally Hawkins, nominated for a Sony Academy Award & a Richard Imerson 1stplay award). Her debut theatre play Pramface was awarded the Plat de Jour at Edinburgh Festival 2005. She took a year out in 2017 to work full time as a comedian to create a blog: Diary of a Stand Up Virgin. As an actress, her TV and film work includes S3 of Brassic, Little Boy Blue (ITV), Luther (BBC), Cary Fukunaga’s Jane Eyre, Pierrepoint with Timothy Spall, The Thirteenth Tale with Vanessa Redgrave, The Day of the Triffids (with Dougray Scott & Eddie Izzard). Notable theatre work includes an international tour of Tis Pity She’s a Whore with Cheek by Jowl and the RSC’s Roaring Girls Season.

Lizzie’s work with Creation Theatre Company began in 2004 when she appeared as Beatrice in Much Ado About Nothing. She has since written several shows including The Snow Queen, The Oxford Passion, Tales from Hans and Aladdin and in 2020, co-created digital Zoom play, The Merry Wives of WhatsApp.

Ryan Dawson Laight - Designer

Ryan studied Design at the University of Brighton he has gone on to work both nationally and internationally. Ryan works with clients from initial design concept, through to final production, and his style is born out of the unique collaborations that occur on each project. He is an Associate Designer for Creation Theatre and an Associate Lecturer in Theatre Design at the University of Chichester.

Currently: National Youth Dance Company’s new work choreographed by Alessandra Seutin, Good Youts Walk for Botis Seva, Hunchback of Notre Dame for NYMT.

Theatre includes: My Son’s A Queer But What Can You Do (Turbine Theatre), My Brilliant Friend (National Theatre, Associate Costume Design for Soutra Gilmore); Pinocchio, The Wizard of Oz, Crossing Lines, Sleeping Beauty, Beauty and the Beast, Peter Pan, A Christmas Carol, Grimm Tales, The Tiger Who Came To Tea (all for Chichester Festival Theatre). Associate Designer at Creation Theatre. Recent work for the company includes Grimm Tales, Alice: A Digital Wonderland, Don Quixote, The Tempest, The Snow Queen, Peter Pan, Brave New World, Swallows and Amazons, Dracula, A Christmas Carol, Alice in Wonderland, Hamlet, Macbeth, As You Like It, Henry IV, King Lear and Treasure Island; Torch Song (Turbine Theatre, dir. Drew McOnie); for Le Gateau Chocolat: Duckie (Royal Festival Hall), Icons (Edinburgh Festival), Black (Unity Theatre Liverpool/Soho Theatre) and Le Gateau Chocolat (Menier Chocolate Factory); HMS Pinafore, Chess, Blondel and The Mikado (Union Theatre national tours); for the Brit School: Landmines (Oval House), Sticky and Infinite Joy (Southwark Playhouse); Chip Shop The Musical (Octagon Theatre Bolton); Ice Cream Opera (Freedom Arts Studio).

Dance includes: Botis Seva's BLKDOG (Sadler’s Wells, Olivier Award Best New Dance 2019); Blak Whyte Gray (Boy Blue/Barbican, Olivier Award Nomination 2018); REDD (Boy Blue/Barbican Theatre); Madhead(NYDC/Sadler's Wells); Wasteland, Coal (Gary Clark Company, UK Theatre Award for Achievement in Dance); Toro, Mariposa, Ham and Passion (DeNada Dance Theatre); Drew McOnie's Drunk (Leicester Curve/Bridewell Theatre) and Good Morning Midnight (Jermyn Street Theatre); Genius (Anjali); New Ways Of Living (Pink Fringe Brighton); Je Suis (Aakash Odedra Company/Lillian Baylis Studio, Sadler’s Wells); Ruffle (Carlos Pons Guerra/Rambert Dance/Lowry Theatre); Hear Hear (Deaf Men Dancing, Sadler’s Wells).

Education: Ryan has been a visiting designer and lecturer at BRIT School (Croydon), University of Chichester, Aiglon College (Switzerland), ALRA, London Studio Centre, Northern School of Contemporary Dance, Trinity Laban, Tring School of Performing Arts, as well as delivering workshops for the Victoria and Albert Museum, Working Title Films, Chichester Festival Theatre, and his own workshops from his studio (Backstage Design Workshop).

Olivia Mace - Song Arrangements and Musical Director

Olivia is an actor, dramatist and composer. Composer credits include: Right Swipe (Amazon Prime), Dirty Word (Crazy Coqs Cabaret Theatre), Caravantomime (Robin Linde Productions). Writer-Composer credits include: Bleak House (Creation Theatre), Playing the King (Creation Theatre) The Emperor’s New Clothes (Small Truth Theatre) and Fresco (rehearsed reading recital, the Waterloo East Theatre). Olivia co-created and performed in musical improvisation cabaret show Blinkface (Crazy Coqs and Hoopla Theatre) and her satirical music videos (Hipster Hop, You Know All The Signs, Ring Out The Bell Ends, Alexander Johnson and Alt Right ladies) can be found on YouTube.

Kate Webster - Movement Director

Kate trained at RWCMD and Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance. Movement and choreography for theatre includes; Twelfth Night (Orange Tree Theatre), Beauty and the Beast (Key Theatre), Mushy (Watford Palace and tour), Henry V (Barn Theatre), Peter Pan (Key Theatre), Diminished (Hampstead Theatre), Daisy Pulls it Off (The Park Theatre), Vanity Fair (Middle Temple Hall) A Christmas Carol, Wind in the Willows and Oh What a Lovely War! (Haymarket, Basingstoke), T5 (Roundhouse Theatre for DryDance).

Movement for Opera: The Unravelling Fantasia of Miss H (festival tour), Orpheus in the Underworld (Blackheath Halls).

Movement for Screen; Corrupted (music video), 2/10 (music video) and Heavy Shoes (music video) for Rebecca Levy.

Performance includes; Travelling Light (National Theatre), The Double Falsehood (Charing Cross Theatre), The Sea (Theatre Royal, Haymarket), Lear (The Sheffield Crucible) and The Soul of Ch’ien-nu Leaves Her Body (The Young Vic).

[londontheatre]

Bananaman The Musical – Matthew McKenna (Bananaman) Photo by Pamela Raith

Bananaman is flying to London to save the world! The most brainless superhero ever to grace the skies is going to make his live action debut in an all-singing, all-flying must-see new British musical.

Bananaman, the Man-of-Peel, is a unique member of the superhero ranks. Our handsome hero may have a jaw line you can see from space and sport the snazziest of tight lycra outfits, but this superhero has ‘the muscles of 20 men and the brain of 20 mussels.’ Which isn’t much.

With supervillains Doctor Gloom and General Blight attempting world domination who can we call? Superman’s on holiday, Spiderman’s not picking up – our only option, our very very last option is – Bananaman.

For the first time ever, Bananaman will be live on stage in Bananaman the Musical.

Bananaman the Musical, written and composed by Leon Parris, directed by Mark Perry, will run at Southwark Playhouse from December 15th 2017 to January 20th 2018. Press night is Thursday January 4, 2018 at 7.30pm

Bananaman began life in the Nutty comic in 1980, and was a flyaway success, transferring to The Dandy before joining the world’s longest-running comic, The Beano in 2012 and he is now one of The Beano’s flagship characters. A send-up of the likes of Superman and Batman, he was the subject of the hugely popular TV cartoon that ran between 1983 and 1986 for three series and 40 episodes on the BBC and featured the voices of Tim Brooke-Taylor, Graeme Garden and Bill Oddie from The Goodies.

Fans of the the TV series will remember the iconic opening sequence, “This is 29 Acacia Road. And this is Eric Wimp. He’s a schoolboy who leads an amazing double life. For when Eric eats a banana an amazing transformation occurs. Eric is Bananaman. Ever alert for the call to action.”

[See image gallery at http://ift.tt/1FpwFUw]

  With a useless hero and some equally clueless villains, Bananaman’s winkingly clever, delightfully silly humour has been sealed into the memories of those who saw him first, and will now spark the imagination of a new bunch of Bananafans.

It won’t be long before we all ‘Peel the Power’ of Bananaman. Matthew McKenna is unmasked today as the star and “handsome hero” of Bananaman the Musical. Matthew has appeared in many major West End musicals, including The Phantom of the Opera, Sunset Boulevard, Legally Blonde the Musical, We Will Rock You, Starlight Express (as Elektra), and The Rocky Horror Show (Riff Raff) and both Singing in the Rain and 42nd Street at the Theatre Du Chatelet, Paris.

Also starring, as Bananaman’s arch nemesis Doctor Gloom, the super villain seeking world domination, will be Marc Pickering. Marc Pickering returns to Southwark Playhouse where he appeared in the European premiere of Toxic Avenger The Musical. He recently starred as Finch in the musical How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (Wiltons Music Hall), Joseph Merrick in The Elephant Man (Trafalgar Studios), Merchant of Venice (Arcola) and The Glee Club (Hull Truck). His film work includes Sleepy Hollow, Calendar Girls, Kill Keith, I Want Candy, The Darkest Day and Montparnasse in Tom Hooper’s 2012 film of the celebrated musical Les Misérables. On TV he has appeared in the new series of Josh and Homeboys & Dalziel & Pascoe (BBC), played R Wayne in Peter Kay’s talent show parody Britain’s Got the Pop Factor, Ippolito D’este in Borgia III (for Netflix), and the young Enoch “Nucky” Thompson in the fifth and final season of the HBO series Boardwalk Empire.

Bringing the rest of the residents of Acacia Road to life are a stellar West End cast.

Jodie Jacobs (Broadway World Award Best Supporting Actress for Rock Of Ages) is Eric’s loyal sidekick, Crow. Jodie Jacobs has played Fantine in Les Misérables, Grizabella in Cats, Florence in Chess, Serena Katz in Fame and she understudied the lead roles of Scaramouche & Meatloaf in We Will Rock You (Dominion), Audrey in Little Shop of Horrors (Duke of York’s) and Eva Peron in Evita (Adelphi Theatre). Jodie has most recently been seen in The Lionel Bart Story as Judy Garland and Georgia Brown. She received an Off West End Award and a West End Wilma nomination for Lizzie (Greenwich Theatre and Denmark transfer), she won a Broadway World award for Best Supporting Actress for Rock Of Ages (West End). She was recently nominated Best Actress in a Musical as Atropos in the brand new musical 27 (Cockpit).

Mark Newnham (Eric Wimp) recently played Dave Davies in the Kinks musical Sunny Afternoon and the young Steve Marriott in the new musical All Or Nothing. His other roles include Cookie in Return to the Forbidden Planet, John Lennon in Lennon at Liverpool Royal Court Theatre, Jamie in The Last 5 Years, and Hot Stuff.

Carl Mullaney (General Blight) has appeared in Les Misérables, (West End), Chicago (West End & international tour as Mary Sunshine), Saucy Jack and the Space Vixens (Booby Shevalle), West Side Story, Jest End and Fashion Victim The Musical.

CHIEF O’REILLY – TJ Lloyd T J Lloyd’s previous musicals include playing Nicely Nicely Johnson in Guys & Dolls, The Baker in Into The Woods, Charley Kringas in Merrily We Roll Along and Ray in Elegies for Angels, Punks & Raging Queens.

MRS WIMP – Lizzii Hills Lizzii Hills is returning to Southwark Playhouse after starring there as Mayor Babs Belgoody & Ma Ferd in the European premiere of The Toxic Avenger The Musical. Her other musicals include Hedy LaRue in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (Wilton’s) Sarah Brown in Guys & Dolls, The Rat Pack Live from Las Vegas, Chicago, High Society, Me and My Girl,and Crazy for You.

MAD MAGICIAN – Brian Gilligan Brian Gilligan starred as Guy in Once (Dublin), Deco in The Commitments (UK and Irish Tour), Cornelius/1st Cover Faustus, Doctor Faustus (West End), Bruno in Piaf (Charing Cross Theatre), and Michael Collins in Michael Collins: A Musical Drama, (Tivoli Theatre, Dublin).

FIONA – Emma Ralston Emma Ralston was Pluto in the UK premiere of Sondheim’s The Frogs (Jermyn Street Theatre), Little Red Riding Hood, Into the Woods (Ye Olde Rose & Crown), and Eve Meet Me In St. Louis (Landor Theatre).

Chris McGuigan (Ensemble) Chris McGuigan was in Candide (Cadogan Hall), Norman Jewison in JUDY! (Arts Theatre), Herakles, Sondheim’s The Frogs (UK premiere, Jermyn Street), All My Sons (Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre), Marcel Dusoleil (the lead), Amour (European premiere, Royal Academy of Music).

Amy Perry (Ensemble) Amy Perry was Millie Dillmount in Thoroughly Modern Millie (Adelphi Theatre), Myra Yerkes, Road Show (Union Theatre), Ursula March, Sweet Charity (Cadogan Hall).

Bananaman the Musical is produced by Sightline Entertainment in association with Cahoots Theatre Company and Beano Studios.

Leon Parris (Writer and Composer) Leon Parris is an award winning writer and composer for musicals including Wolfboy, Enid Blyton’s The Famous Five, Stig of the Dump and Monte Cristo. He was winner of the Vivian Ellis Best Musical Award and The Really Useful Group Award for Most Promising Writer.

Mark Perry (Director) Founder of Sightline Entertainment, Mark’s production credits include The Famous Five, Honk, The Country, The Picture of Dorian Gray, You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown, Just So, Bent and Stiffed. Directing credits include A Comedy of Arias, The Caretaker, Little Shop of Horrors, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Sleuth, Cinderella Boom or Bust, A Slice of Saturday Night. As an actor, Mark has worked extensively in TV and theatre both in the West End and on national tour.

Alan Berry (Musical Supervisor) Alan is currently the Musical Director for The Girl From The North Country at The Old Vic. Previous shows include Groundhog Day, Matilda The Musical, The Commitments, Ghost The Musical, Avenue Q, Shrek, Hairspray and Spamalot. Future projects include Big Fish at The Other Palace.

Mike Leopold (Set and Costume Designer) Michael’s recent credits include, Thoroughly Modern Millie 48 Hour (Adelphi Theatre), King Lear (The Cockpit), and The Wasp (Jermyn Street Theatre), Journey’s End (Charles Cryer Theatre). He designed Proof (Tabard Theatre) and Chummy (The White Bear Theatre) which both received Off West End nominations for Best Design in 2015 and 2017. Associate credits include Love Me Tender, The Last Tango, Death Trap, Tango Moderne, Son of a Preacher Man (All UK Tours), Top Hat (Kilworth House).

Grant Murphy (Assistant Director/Choreographer) Creative credits include: Joseph (Jersey Opera House); Yas Jungle Cirque (Yas Island Abu Dhabi); Legally Blonde (Stanwix Theatre); Forever Plaid (St James Theatre London); Guys and Dolls (Cadogan Hall); Aladdin (Salisbury Playhouse); Pinocchio (Greenwich Theatre); Rags (Lyric Theatre); Avenue Q (Ovation Productions); 18 Stone of Idiot – The Johnny Vegas Show (UMTV); He assisted Baayork Lee on A Chorus Line (London Palladium); and was tap coach to the Billy Elliot boys.

Sightline Entertainment – Producer Sightline Entertainment is an independently owned production company based in London Sightline produces commercial new work and revivals of both plays and musical theatre productions.

Beano Studios – Original Producer Beano Studios is a new global multimedia company established to create, curate and deliver mischievous entertainment for kids aged 6-106, all over the world. They produce diverse entertainment across multiple platforms including TV, digital, theatrical projects, consumer and the much-loved comic and annual.

LISTINGS INFORMATION BANANAMAN THE MUSICAL Southwark Playhouse THE LARGE 77-85 Newington Causeway London SE1 6BD

Friday December 15th 2017 to Saturday 20th January 2018

http://ift.tt/2C3Ofo9 London Theatre 1

[filmstarspace-blog]

Lizzie Cundy in Gray Dress for Promises Promises: The Musical at London’s Southwark Playhouse, Jan 2017

Lizzie Cundy in Gray Dress for Promises Promises: The Musical at London’s Southwark Playhouse, Jan 2017 Lizzie Cundy in Gray Dress for Promises Promises: The Musical at London’s Southwark Playhouse, Jan 2017 Source by [Lola] Get your daily fix of the hottest celebrity photos shoot on Fil .. Read More

[lavender-gayz]

Lizzie the musical at Southwark Playhouse Elephant - some little moments that I love, part 2/?

Previously: [Part 1]

We left off with Bridget announcing that it was time for Mrs Borden’s tea :)

Shattercane and Velvetgrass:

THIS IS MY JAM

Bridget brings in a tray with a teapot and associated accoutrements and starts singing about making tea while Lizzie reads aloud from a book on household poisons and forms a bright idea

Their voices are so gorgeous together

The last(?) time they do the chorus, Lizzie brings down the teapot dramatically and it hits the beat just right and it’s super satisfying

Bridget gives it her ALL in the last verse. FIRE BURN and TOIL.

A fun thing I notice on the final night in London sitting in the right-hand balcony: while Bridget and Lizzie perform this educational masterpiece about poisons and teas, a shadowy figure stands in the aisle separating the middle section of the audience from the left section and leaves after a little bit. It’s Emma! There is no spotlight on her so I only realise it is her because she lets in a little light when she opens the door to enter and leave the theatre.

(Tbh my initial interpretation was that Bridget was cheerfully planting the idea of poisoning the Bordens in Lizzie’s head of her own volition, but I’m not mad about this revelation)

2. ‘To...clean a stain?’

Lizzie x Lying is a close second to Lizzie x Alice for me.

Quick break for me to gush about Lauren Drew’s performance as Lizzie because this feels as good a time as any! I just love the physical ways in which she conveys how deeply awkward Lizzie is – her posture is terrible and she blinks a lot when she’s nervous. It’s in her manner of speech as well and I just find it so compelling. At the same time, we obviously get these powerhouse vocals when she’s singing about her feelings – the contrast is fascinating.

3. Alice makes good on the invitation from this morning and comes over to hang out! Lizzie says she’s sorry but she must go to Benson’s Pharmacy.

‘Why?’ – Alice sounds so unguardedly baffled and offended and I personally find this hilarious.

4. ‘Are you well?’ is Alice’s first reaction to Lizzie freaking out about Alice calling Mrs Borden Lizzie’s mother

She cares about her so much, I wail

5. Lizzie in Kronk mode is one of my favourite things. The milk, the milk that comes in a can, the milk that leaves behind an empty can. The canned milk.

6. That awkward moment when the girl next door – in a kindhearted attempt to ease your mind! because she loves you! – casually pokes holes in your plot to poison your stepmother and you have to pivot and talk about your struggles with sleeping at night. 

7. Will You Stay:

So! Much! Anticipation!

How does one sing these suggestive lyrics about gathering ripening pears in skirts and biting through skin to the sweet flesh within while smiling (and sounding) like an angel? How?!

Alice sings, ‘let me bring back your smile’ and it does actually bring a tiny smile to Lizzie’s face :)

Lizzie says she has to go and things escalate rapidly

IT’S JEALOUS PEAR TIME

Maiya’s delivery of ‘she’s always eaten ingreathaste’!!!

And also the vocal acrobatics in ‘will you bite through the skiiiiiiiiiiiin’

Alice literally guides Lizzie’s hands down her neck and her torso and the whole time I panic while gay.

(NOT to be mistaken for the strategy of legal defence where a straight person argues that they found a purported same-sex advance so horrifying that they reflexively reacted violently!)

Alice promises to keep Lizzie safe while she sleeps. She has this cute smile when she ducks her head and says she’ll keep one eye open half the time

8. AND THEN THEY ARE CONSUMED WITH PASSION AND KISS FOR SEVERAL SECONDS AND THEN BREAK APART AND KISS AGAIN

I have Notes from watching this from multiple angles

Hands-down the funniest view was when I was in the front row in the central block but at the last seat from the right and so could not see the actual kissing and just admired the braids in Alice’s hair the entire time

I have seen some clips from other productions on Youtube where it kind of looks like Alice is pushing Lizzie into the kiss? Happy to report that this is not the case here! They both lean in. Maybe Alice leans in a tiny bit more / first but Lizzie is definitely enthusiastic and wraps her arms around Alice. HA.

9. Alas, Bridget comes in bearing bad news and a bagful of dead pigeons.

10. Why Are All These Heads Off:

Somehow, another banger!

‘Wait, wait, wait! Everything is fine Lizzie, we will find a better way’ – there is audible laughter from the audience at this on the last night and, well, I get it.  

A fleeting moment of peace as Alice presses her forehead to Lizzie’s

A tug-of-war between Alice and Bridget before Lizzie strides forward in the middle and makes her choice

‘I'm standing looking forward in the dark / A feeling brushes past me / And I know the wind has changed’ – it’s like Lizzie's carving these words into stone. CHILLS.

11. Mercury Rising: the lyrics are so archaic and poetic. More chills.   

12. Somebody Will Do Something:

!!!!!!!!!!!!

Bridget whips out her microphone to announce that Mrs Borden is ‘ALL…BY…HERSELF’

‘AXE FALL RIVER RUNS RED’ is amazing to witness up close (the upshot of missing the kiss!)

‘My eyes they never saw it / But my hands they found the axe’ – BRIDGET is the one to hand Lizzie the axe – I don’t know if this is how they do it in all productions, but I love how integral she is to everything here.

There’s also something about the practised way in which Bridget shifts her grip on the axe just a little bit when giving it to Lizzie that has stuck with me!

Lizzie darts offstage to look for her stepmother

(A quick note on the staging: there’s a doorway with sliding…doors at the centre of the stage. For this scene, the doors are open and there are PVC strip curtains hanging from the doorway. You can see this in the eighth picture in thegirl20’s lovely collection of production photos here: [link])

Lizzie attacks Mrs Borden with her axe behind the PVC strip curtains while the 40 whacks rhyme is projected onto the wall

Another fun thing I notice while sitting upstairs: Shekinah and Maiya pop up in the balcony and sing about being afraid somebody will do something and that somebody will dieeeeeee! Such rockstars!

‘OOH Miss Lizzie you startled me’ is Bridget’s v chill response to Lizzie when she emerges from the murder curtains with blood all over her. Bridget’s reactions and harmonies are always top-notch.

Lizzie sounds so exhausted and on the edge when she says she might go out too. I know she's just violently killed her stepmother, but I do also want someone to wrap her in a blanket and give her some cookies (maybe no coffee).

Anyway, one final push! ‘HE’LL WISH HE’D HAD THAT SON,’ Lizzie declares to the balcony while holding aloft her axe.

Lizzie murders her father as well and immediately asks Bridget to summon Miss Russell because she does not want to be alone.

13. Lauren Drew looks really, really good covered in fake blood.

It’s time for the interval!

[lavender-gayz]

Part 2 of Lizzie the Musical commentary – responses to @thegirl20 comments

Responses to @thegirl20’s comments on Part 2 of Lizzie the Musical at Southwark Playhouse Elephant – Some Little Moments That I Love

Here’s a link to my Part 2 again: Part 2!

@thegirl20’s very thoughtful comments are copied in black below

responses from me are set out in this shade of purple below

tg20: Living for these commentaries. I’ve added some thoughts.

tg20: (When I reference the script below, you can access it on the Lizzie Broadway Licensing page and click on ’Read for Free’. It’s not the full script, unfortunately, but it’s interesting to see what’s in there as stage directions and what isn’t.) gayz: This is such a handy resource, thank you! I cannot believe Alice is canonically described as a luscious pear in the character intros.  tg20: This got very long so…. gayz: Oh no, a long post about Lizzie the musical!! How awful :)

tg20: THIS IS MY JAM - Shattercane and Velvet Grass was the song that stayed with me after I saw the show for the first time. That melody haunted my dreams. It’s still a fave. tg20: (Fun fact - one time Lauren brought the teapot down so hard it broke one of the legs off.) gayz: This was an early fave for me too! Lauren noticeably damaging a teapot midway through the song is hilarious. I also witnessed a prop mishap at a show – one of the coat racks doubling as a corpse fell apart while Mairi was moving it to a standing position. She kept her cool and just fixed the base back onto the coat rack and went, ‘There we go. Where were we? Right, I was so sorry to hear about your father – ’ and just continued her conversation with Shekinah / Emma. The professionalism!

tg20: I didn’t know that Emma was hanging around in the aisle! In Manchester, I think both she and Alice were in the little alleys that ran up the sides of the stage giving the atmospheric backing vocals (I could only see Alice from my seat but I assume Emma was on the other side). So is it possible that Alice was in the other aisle at the same time? gayz: Oh that is cool to know! Yes, in that case it is entirely possible that Alice was downstairs in the other aisle directly beneath me. On the other hand, Emma just seemed to be standing in the aisle and not singing along? Or maybe I just missed it!

tg20: I go back and forth about what my interpretation of who is influencing who is to be honest. Did Emma leave the book purposefully to help Lizzie along with her ‘what if Mrs Borden dies first’ idea? Did Bridget purposefully not pack it so that she could give it to Lizzie? Bridget does seem to be the background antagonist at various points, but when Emma returns from Fairhaven, it’s clear she had expected Mrs Borden to be dead, but not the father. So it’s a hard one. gayz: I agree, it’s a hard one. My interpretation from the first show was that it was Bridget, rather than Emma, who wanted to show Lizzie the book of household poisons – it just seemed like such a weird thing for someone to want to take with them on a trip. But then again, as you say, Emma did seem like she had expected Mrs Borden to die at some point during Emma’s trip…

tg20: Alice makes good on the invitation from this morning and comes over to hang out! - One of my favourite things is Alice standing to the side of the stage, straightening out her skirt and fixing her hair, waiting for Lizzie and their date. So cute. Also, sometimes MQB really leaned into the flirting of ‘Shall we go upstairs?’ And sometimes she played it quite innocently and sweet. And both were valid. gayz: Yes, I loved that too!!! So cute and both so valid!!

tg20: The milk, the milk that comes in a can - That bloody milk speech. I assume the cast must hate that speech. It amuses me that the writers took that almost wholly as is from the court records and just dropped it in. I am glad they didn’t make it into a song, though. gayz: The milk speech! It’s just so hilariously long-winded. I love it.

tg20: I do enjoy Lauren expressing her increasing frustration at Alice’s very sensible responses to the poisoned milk claims. She turns away and frowns.

tg20: One of the things I noticed in London that I hadn’t in Manchester (again, I could only see down one of the side stage bits) was that Bridget was listening to this conversation while sweeping up. So she heard the ‘We were all sick, all but Maggie’ and she didn’t look happy about it. gayz: Yes! At the first show I went to, Ayesha was playing Bridget and she looked extremely offended by this.

tg20: IT’S JEALOUS PEAR TIME - I love the sexy pear song. It gave me a lot of feelings the first time I saw it, front row centre. A lot of feelings. Alice’s metaphor of Lizzie as a rose is interesting though. Lizzie consistently likens herself to birds, wanting to fly away to freedom. Birds and trees go together, so Alice could have stuck with the bird thing, but she didn’t. She wants Lizzie rooted firmly to the ground. gayz: Oh my gosh, the first time I saw it I hadn’t listened to the soundtrack yet so you can only imagine my mounting excitement: ‘is she constructing an elaborate story where she’s a pear?’ ‘gathering up in skirts, you say?’ ‘will you lay next to me??’ ‘WILL YOU BITE THROUGH THE SKIN TO THE SWEET FLESH WITHIN???’ ‘SHE’S LUSCIOUS TO THE TASTE AND IS ALWAYS EATEN IN GREAT HASTE????’ I was absolutely under the impression that they had a friends-with-benefits situation and that Alice wanted Lizzie to engage more with her feelings, lol. And ooh, that is an interesting point about Lizzie seeing herself as a bird and Alice seeing her as a rose…I guess with the rose we get the duality of it being something beautiful and something dangerous so we get the progression from Will You Stay to Will you Lie, whereas birds, um, probably eat pears? I suppose Alice could have chosen to be something other than a pear…

tg20: (A weird thing that I noticed is after their initial near kiss, Lizzie gets up and should say ‘I have to be on my way’ (because it rhymes with ‘will you stay’) but Lauren routinely said ‘I have to go’. Idk why it stuck out to me so much. ELH said the correct line.) gayz: Oh yes, I also noticed that Lauren says ‘I have to go’ instead (I listened to the soundtrack a lot between shows so any differences really jumped out)! I figured she was just modernising it, but it’s quite odd that she says this and ELH doesn’t. Hmm. Perhaps an aversion to extra syllables?! I hadn’t noticed that ‘on my way’ rhymes with ‘will you stay’ but you are correct of course! I guess ‘I have to go’ sort of goes with ‘hear of all your woes’.

tg20: Alice during this whole song manages to be vulnerable, sweet, commanding, cute, powerful, protective, alluring, sexy, masterful, seductive and innocent. And that’s impressive. Huge kudos to MQB. gayz: Yes, these excellent adjectives all apply here!!! All the awards for MQB, honestly.

tg20: And I agree the kissing is definitely mutual in this production. I have heard people saying that Lizzie is already thinking of manipulating Alice by using her feelings at this point, but I don’t take that away from it at all. I think it’s genuine attraction and affection on both sides, regardless of what happens later on. gayz: Yay and yes, I’m so glad we both saw this the same way!

tg20: Somehow, another banger! - Genuinely, a song about decapitated pigeons should not go this hard, but it does. gayz: It really does! Why ARE all these heads off?!

tg20: I didn’t notice laughter at the final show, but it is understandable. Everything is so very far from fine. gayz: Maybe it was just the mean people in the balcony!   tg20: Mercury Rising - For me, this is the weakest song in the show. It’s sung beautifully and the staging is suitably dramatic, but it feels like the only filler song. I mentioned elsewhere I wish Bridget had got a funny solo rather than this. (Although in the script it is implied that Bridget is supposed to be a banshee, and that’s why she’s always doing the banshee wails and why she is involved in the precipitation of the deaths. Which is an interesting idea.) gayz: For me, Mercury Rising is a slow song where they give us a little space to breathe while ramping up the tension even more after Why Are All These Heads Off. Sort of like that bit in rollercoasters where you’re just coming off a really steep downward bit and you’re very slowly climbing up again and you know it’s going to be even more insane when you eventually reach the peak. That being said - justice for Bridget! Banshees can want people to have breakfast, too.

tg20: I love the chaos of Somebody will do something. There’s so much going on and it’s another full on banger. gayz: It really is!

tg20: (I didn’t love the choice they made in London to project Lizzie’s face onto the back wall during this number though. They didn’t do that in Manchester and I’m not sure it worked. Especially with Lauren’s blonde hair, it blended in with the set too much. I blame Sunset Boulevard.) gayz: I think I only noticed it at the first performance – it didn’t leave much of an impression on me! For the subsequent productions I was focused on the (real-life) Lauren running around with her axe. What are they doing on Sunset Boulevard?

tg20: BRIDGET is the one to hand Lizzie the axe – I don’t know if this is how they do it in all productions - It is in the script, so she’s definitely supposed to be integral. gayz: That is so cool to know, thank you!

tg20: ‘OOH Miss Lizzie you startled me’ - I adore this line, and I adore that Mairi delivered it just a little bit differently every time I saw it. I love it when actors play around with delivery and try different things. Bridget just coolly getting a wee fright when Lizzie barges out and then making no mention of the fact that she’s covered in blood and holding a dripping axe just delights me. gayz: I know, right! Hear no evil, see no evil etc.  

tg20: ‘HE’LL WISH HE’D HAD THAT SON,’ - One of my favourite line deliveries. Both Lizzies nail it with the right combination of unhinged, angry and just a little bit gleeful. gayz: Yes! That sense of triumph! You go, Lizzies.

tg20: Can’t wait for act 2!! gayz: Thank you so much! I really appreciate that you took the time to share your thoughts with me as well :)

[londontheatre]

Six Cast

The cast and creative team is announced today for the London premiere of the new British musical SIX that sees the 6 wives of Henry VIII singing their way out of the history books and into the West End spotlight.

From Tudor queens to pop princesses and with songs including Ex Wives, Haus of Holbein and Don’t Lose Ur Head, this pop concert remixes 500 years of historical heartbreak into one hour of 21st century sass. If you thought this show was all about one man – you thought wrong!

Cast: Aimie Atkinson (Katherine Howard) was Daniela in In The Heights, Elizabeth the lead in Dirty Dancing and won the BBC Voice of Musical Theatre contest.

Izuka Hoyle (Catherine Parr) was Selena in the musical Working at Southwark Playhouse. She was Stephen Sondheim Society Student Performer of the Year 2017.

Renée Lamb (Catherine of Aragon) was Roz Keith in the musical 9 to 5.

Genesis Lynea (Anna of Cleves) is best known as series regular Maddie Harper in The 4 O’Clock Club, the CBBC series about hip hop and homework.

Christina Modestou (Anne Boleyn) was Nina in In the Heights, she was also in Shrek and Urinetown and covered and played Killer Queen in We Will Rock You.

Natalie Paris (Jane Seymour) was Louise in Sunday in the Park with George at the Menier Chocolate Factory and appeared in West End musicals Billy Elliott, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Les Miserables, as young Cosette.

Creative team: Director Lotte Wakeham, Choreographer Cressida Carré, Musical Director Joe Beighton, Orchestrations Tom Curran, Sound Designer Andy Graham, Lighting Designer Rebecca Fry, Costume Designer Roberto Surace, Associate Director Jamie Armitage.

SIX started life with Cambridge University Musical Theatre Society at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2017, where it was nominated for the inaugural Musical Theatre Review Best Musical Award. The original production, directed by Jamie Armitage, attracted the attention of producers Kenny Wax and Global Musicals, who are presenting this all-new production for the show’s professional premiere at the Arts Theatre in London on 18 December, 8, 15 and 22 January.

Writers Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss said: “This really is a dream come true. We’d like to thank Prince Harry and Meghan for announcing their engagement this week and helping raise interest in Royal brides to fever pitch – although they haven’t got back to us after we offered to provide entertainment at the wedding!”

Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss – Writers Toby and Lucy met at university, where they spent three years making theatre together and neglecting their degrees. In January 2017, they made their first foray into writing as a duo with the musical, SIX. Following the show’s success in Edinburgh, they are incredibly excited for its debut at the Arts Theatre. The team also make up two-thirds of the award-winning theatre company Hot Gay Time Machine, whose show, Hot Gay Time Machine, enjoyed considerable success at the fringe this year, and a sold out run at The Other Palace in November.

Lotte Wakeham – Director Productions as director include: The Hound of the Baskervilles (English Theatre Frankfurt/Jermyn Street), Di and Viv and Rose (Stephen Jospeh/New Vic), The World Goes Round (Stephen Joseph), Wonderland (UK tour), The Buskers Opera (Park Theatre), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Guildford Shakepeare Company), Upper Cut (Southwark Playhouse – nominated for the Alfred Fagon Award), Lizzie Siddall (nominated for 2 Off West End Awards), The Kissing-Dance (Jermyn Street – nominated for ‘Best Director’, Off West End Awards). Associate director: Matilda the Musical (RSC/West End/Broadway).

Cressida Carré – Choreographer Credits as Choreographer include: The Woman in White (Charing Cross Theatre) Jersey Boys (International Tour); Promises, Promises (Southwark Playhouse); Sweeney Todd (Mercury Theatre & Derby Theatre); Eurobeat (Edinburgh Fringe); Titanic (Charing Cross Theatre, Southwark Playhouse & Toronto); Laila the Musical (Watford Palace Theatre/UK Tour); Beyond the Fence (Arts Theatre); Avenue Q (Greenwich Theatre & UK Tour). Awards: Off West End Awards for Best Choreography for Titanic (Southwark Playhouse), Whatsonstage Awards for Best Off West Production Titanic (Southwark Playhouse).

Kenny Wax Ltd – Producer Kenny has produced three of Mischief Theatre Company’s hit shows, the Olivier award-winning The Play That Goes Wrong (in its fourth year at the Duchess theatre, and currently the longest running play on Broadway), the Olivier-nominated Peter Pan Goes Wrong at the Apollo Theatre and Olivier-nominated The Comedy About A Bank Robbery at the Criterion Theatre. Kenny produced the world-premiere production of Top Hat, which was the recipient of three Laurence Olivier Awards including Best New Musical from its seven nominations, and the Evening Standard Award for Best Night Out and Once On This Island which won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Musical in 1995 from its four nominations. This year Kenny produced Sally Cookson’s adaptation of Francesco Fellini’s Oscar winning masterpiece La Strada which ran at The Other Palace following a regional tour and Around the World in 80 Days, a co-production with the Stoke New Vic Theatre. He was honoured to be nominated as ‘Producer of the Year’ at the 2017 Stage Newspaper Awards and in June 2017 Kenny was appointed President of the Society of London Theatre which provides a collective voice for the theatreowners, producers and managers of all the major commercial and grant-aided theatres across London.

Global Musicals Ltd – Producer Global Musicals Ltd is a brand new theatre company established in 2017 by producers Andy and Wendy Barnes. The company aims to focus on innovative new musical theatre, to discover and produce exciting musicals that will appeal to a younger generation of theatre goers. Andy and Wendy are also the producers of non-profit theatre company Perfect Pitch, a company founded in 2006 and dedicated to developing new British musicals by emerging writers through workshops, readings and showcases. Having worked exclusively with new British musicals over the last 11 years, Andy and Wendy hope their new company will be able to provide the much needed funds to take young shows to that next step, from development to full commercial production and longer term life.

LISTINGS The London premiere of SIX by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss

ARTS THEATRE 6-7 Great Newport Street London WC2H 7JB artstheatrewestend.co.uk Running time: 70 mins (approx) no interval 18-12-2017to22-01-2018

Social media: Facebook: sixthemusical Twitter: @sixthemusical http://ift.tt/2niDSG4

http://ift.tt/2zAXmav London Theatre 1

[londontheatre]

Declan Bennett as Jesus. Photo Johan Persson

Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre has today announced that four cast members from the 2016 Olivier and Evening Standard Award-winning production of Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Jesus Christ Superstar will be reprising their performances this summer. The theatre has also added additional dates, with Jesus Christ Superstar now playing 11 August to 23 September 2017.

Ahead of his appearance at Magic at the Musicals at the Royal Albert Hall tonight (4 May, broadcast on Mellow Magic on Sunday 7 May), it is announced that Declan Bennett will return to the role of Jesus in the Open Air Theatre production. Also returning this summer are Tyrone Huntley with his award-winning performance as Judas, and David Thaxton and Peter Caulfield as Pilate and Herod.

Declan Bennett was the original lead in the London cast of Once (Phoenix), and has also appeared in Boy George’s musical Taboo (Venue Theatre), RENT (US tour and Broadway), American Idiot (Broadway) as well as on BBC’s EastEnders as Charlie Cotton. As a solo singer-songwriter, his album Record: BREAKUP was released as a live acoustic version in 2013. He achieved five UK Top 20 singles and a UK Top 20 album with Brit Award nominated band Point Break.

Tyrone Huntley won the Evening Standard Emerging Talent Award for his performance as Judas in 2016, as well as an Olivier Award nomination for Best Actor in a Musical. He previously appeared in the Open Air Theatre production of The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess, Memphis (Shaftesbury), Hairspray (Curve), The Book of Mormon (Prince of Wales) and most recently as C.C.White in Dreamgirls (Savoy).

David Thaxton won the Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical for Passion (Donmar) and has appeared as both Enjolras and Javert in Les Misérables (Queens), Raoul in Love Never Dies (Adelphi), Maximillian in Candida (Menier) and Only The Brave (Wales Millennium Centre). He is a founder member of the band Divisions.

Peter Caulfield recently appeared in Doctor Who, and as Ariel in The Tempest (Southwark Playhouse). He has also appeared in One Man, Two Guvnors (National and Theatre Royal Haymarket), Into the Woods (Royal Opera House), Enron (Chichester and Noel Coward) and, on television, Cucumber (Channel 4) and Banana (E4).

With direction by Timothy Sheader, design by Tom Scutt, choreography by Drew McOnie, musical supervision by Tom Deering, lighting design by Lee Curran and sound design by Nick Lidster for Autograph, Jesus Christ Superstar was a sell-out in 2016, and went on to win the Evening Standard Award for Best Musical and the Olivier Award for Best Musical Revival. It also received a further five Olivier Award nominations, for Best Theatre Choreography, Best Lighting, Best Sound, Outstanding Achievement in Music and Best Actor in a Musical (for Tyrone Huntley).

Tyrone Huntley as Judas and Ensemble. Photo Johan Persson.

The production opens at the Lyric Opera of Chicago in April 2018.

The 2017 Open Air Theatre season opens with On The Town, (19 May – 01 Jul) directed and choreographed by Drew McOnie. The cast includes Danny Mac, Fred Haig, Samuel Edwards (replacing Jeremy Taylor who has withdrawn due to injury), Siena Kelly, Lizzy Connolly, Miriam-Teak Lee, Naoko Mori, Mark Heenehan, Rodney Earl Clarke and Maggie Steed.

The season continues with Dickens Uncovered, celebrating the greatest storyteller of London life, Charles Dickens: Artistic Director Timothy Sheader directs A Tale of Two Cities (7 July – 5 August), a new play by Matthew Dunster adapted from the original Dickens novel and, developing their programme of work made especially for families, Caroline Byrne directs Oliver Twist created for everyone aged six and over-adapted by Anya Reiss (17 July – 5 August).

Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre was voted London Theatre of the Year in the Stage Awards 2017, and recently announced a collaboration with English National Opera for their 2018 season, with Timothy Sheader directing Benjamin Britten’s The Turn of the Screw (22 – 30 Jun 2018).

Jesus Christ Superstar Lyrics by Tim Rice Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber Director Timothy Sheader Designer Tom Scutt Choreographer Drew McOnie Musical Supervisor Tom Deering Lighting Designer Lee Curran Sound Designer Nick Lidster for Autograph Fight Director Kate Waters Season Associate Director (Voice & Text) Barbara Houseman Casting Director Will Burton CDG & David Grindrod CDG

Friday 11 August – Saturday 23 September Performances: Monday – Saturday @ 7.45pm (gates 6.15pm) Thursday & Saturday @ 2.15pm (gates 1.15pm) No matinee 12 or 17 August

http://ift.tt/2p9hSce LondonTheatre1.com

[londontheatre]

Alfie Boe (Billy Bigelow) and Katherine Jenkins (Julie Jordan), photo Tristram Kenton

After the sensation of Oklahoma Rodgers and Hammerstein pushed the dramatic boundaries even further with their next production Carousel. The contrast with some of the bland story-lite jukebox musicals around London and Broadway today could not be greater. In many ways, certainly in respect of the book, Carousel has more in common with opera than it does with conventional musical theatre. But that was the Rodgers and Hammerstein way. They never took the easy route and all of their works were original and most tackled difficult themes. Here suicide, the afterlife, spouse abuse and serious crime. There is feeling galore but no sentiment. Mamma Mia it is not!

There is no comfort zone in Carousel. The beautiful songs are placed in the context of dysfunctional characters and a challenging plot line. Billy Bigelow is an anti-hero with some of the macho bravado we were later to see with Brando in On the Waterfront and the Jets and the Sharks in West Side Story. The Bernstein masterwork owes much to the earlier ground-breaking book and lyrics works of Oscar Hammerstein – from Showboat onwards and above all in his partnership with Richard Rodgers. Stephen Sondheim – lyricist of West Side Story – learned his craft at the feet of Hammerstein.

This new production of Carousel by the English National Opera at the Coliseum is excellent in every way. It is “semi-staged” which means only, I think, that there are no complex sets. It’s the first production of the musical I have seen which doesn’t have an actual carousel on the stage at any point! But it is represented well with the clever use of the revolve and props. The absence of clever tricks actually makes one concentrate more on the music, the drama and the performances. The latter are very good. Katherine Jenkins was quite superb as Julie Jordan. Her voice is perfect for the part; she acts well and looks lovely. Alfie Boe’s Bigelow was powerful and lyrical and he also looked good. It was a surprise when after Act One there was an announcement that he had a fever and couldn’t continue. His understudy Will Barrett filled in well in Act Two in which the character only has one solo anyway.

The Prologue is enhanced by a beautifully choreographed and danced routine which is an early reminder that one of the innovations of Rodgers and Hammerstein early musicals was dance – often on the cusp of modern dance and ballet. Josh Rhodes choreography is superb throughout with, I think, references back to Agnes de Mille’s work on the original 1945 production. One of the benefits of an opera company doing musical theatre is that you can be sure that the chorus will sing and act well – and they certainly do here. Richard Rodgers’ score and Oscar Hammerstein’s lyrics have to shine through the action, so good are they. Here they do with the voice amplification – de rigueur in musicals always absent in opera – effective and adding clarity to the sound. The distinction between musical theatre and opera has always been blurred – where does one end and the other begin?

Here we have a skilled theatre and musical theatre director, Lonny Price, working with an opera company and it seems seamless. Add in the fact that while Alfie Boe has a solid background both in musical theatre and opera for Katherine Jenkins this was her theatre debut. Her voice we knew to be wonderful but her talent in character on the stage had been hidden. This will, I’m sure, be the beginning of a stage career which could perhaps cross the divide between musical theatre and opera. Why not?

Centre Alfie Boe (Billy Bigelow) and Company, photo Tristram Kenton

Carousel does not need to be a “star vehicle” – although the presence of Boe and Jenkins and Nicholas Lyndhurst (in a fairly minor non-singing role) as “names” will no doubt bring the punters in. If for many customers this is their first exposure to Carousel or even to Rodgers and Hammerstein (The Sound of Music perhaps excepted) then I hope that they got a feel for how good the genre is. And if so I hope that we will regularly see more of the great Rodgers and Hammerstein musicals on the London stage. The production of the rarely performed Allegro at the Southwark Playhouse last year showed that there are hidden gems in the oeuvre which can benefit from revival.

Carousel has a limited run to 13th May 2017. Try and see it if you can!

Review by Paddy Briggs

When the charming Carousel Barker, Billy Bigelow falls in love with Julie Jordan, little do they realise that their relationship will end in tragedy. Fifteen years after getting caught up in an armed robbery, Billy gets the chance to redeem his past and restore pride to his family.

Lonny Price (Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Sunset Boulevard) returns to the Coliseum to direct a strictly limited run of 41 performances.

The cast for Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Carousel, the third production in the partnership between The GradeLinnit Company and English National Opera (ENO), comprises Katherine Jenkins (Julie Jordan), Alfie Boe (Billy Bigelow), Nicholas Lyndhurst (Star Keeper), Derek Hagen (Jigger Craigin), Alex Young (Carrie Pipperidge), Brenda Edwards (Nettie Fowler), Gavin Spokes (Enoch Snow), Susan Kyd (Mrs Mullin), Amy Everett (Louise), Davide Fienauri (Carnival Boy) and Martyn Ellis (Mr Bascombe).

Lonny Price will direct the season of 41 performances at ENO’s London Coliseum. Beginning on 7 April 2017, with press night on 11 April 2017 at 7pm, the final performance in this strictly limited five-week run takes place on 13 May 2017. ENO award-winning 40-piece orchestra and chorus, conducted by David Charles Abell, will accompany the cast in this semi-staged version. Tickets for Carousel are £12 – £110, with over 100 available at £12 for every performance.

Further cast members are Bruce Aguilar Rohan, Thomas Audibert, Will Barratt, Jay Bryce, Danielle Cato, Jacob Chapman, Nolan Edwards, Alexander Evans, Lizzi Franklin, Alice Jane, Tessa Kadler, Hannah Kenna Thomas, Jasmine Leung, Molly Lynch, Leisha Mollyneaux, Rachel Muldoon, Saori Oda, Kane Oliver Parry, Daniel Perry, Alastair Postlethwaite, Joseph Poulton, Verity Quade, Genevieve Taylor, James Titchener, Adam Vaughan, Matthew Whennell-Clark and Anna Woodside.

London Coliseum St Martin’s Lane, London, WC2N 4ES Booking From: 7th Apr 2017 Booking Until: 13th May 2017

http://ift.tt/2psOCit LondonTheatre1.com

[londontheatre]

On The Town – Photo Hugo Glendinning

Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre announce casting for the opening production of their 2017 season, On The Town (19 May – 01 July 2017).

Danny Mac, Fred Haig and Jeremy Taylor take the roles of the three sailors, Gabey, Chip and Ozzie, originally played in the film version by Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra and Jules Munshin. Siena Kelly, Lizzy Connolly and Miriam-Teak Lee take the roles of Ivy, Hildy and Claire, originally played in the film version by Vera-Ellen, Betty Garrett and Ann Miller. Also joining the cast are Maggie Steed as Madame Dilly, Naoko Mori as Lucy Schmeeler, Rodney Earl Clarke as The Workman and Mark Heenehan as Judge Pitkin.

Danny Mac (Gabey) was a finalist in Strictly Come Dancing 2016 and, with dancing partner Oti Mabuse, has recently completed the Strictly Come Dancing Live arena tour. Following his training at Arts Educational Schools he played Mark ‘Dodger’ Savage in Hollyoaks, and went on to join the cast of Wicked (Victoria Apollo).

Fred Haig (Chip) is a recent graduate of LAMDA. Jeremy Taylor (Ozzie) recently played Fiyero in Wicked (Victoria Apollo), and has previously appeared in We Will Rock You (Dominion), The Sound of Music (Palladium and UK tour) and Evita (UK tour).

Siena Kelly (Ivy) and Miriam-Teak Lee (Claire) are both recent graduates of Arts Educational Schools and make their professional West End debuts. Lizzy Connolly (Hildy) is currently appearing in The Wild Party (The Other Palace) having previously appeared in Once In A Lifetime (Young Vic) and as Ellie Goulding in the TV series The Windsors.

Maggie Steed (Madame Dilly) has enjoyed an extensive career on film, television and stage. Film and television highlights include Florence Foster Jenkins, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassis, The Painted Veil, Larkrise to Candleford, Jam and Jerusalem, Pie in the Sky, Victoria Wood’s As Seen On TV and the E4 series, Chewing Gum. Her stage career includes roles at the National Theatre, RSC and Royal Court, and recent credits include Richard II (Trafalgar Transformed), The Birthday Party (Manchester Royal Exchange), The School for Scandal (Bath Theatre Royal) and Trelawney of the Wells (Donmar Warehouse).

Naoko Mori (Lucy Schmeeler) played the role of Kim in Miss Saigon (Theatre Royal Drury Lane) and Christmas Eve in Avenue Q (Noel Coward). Her extensive TV credits include Toshiko Sato in Torchwood, Sarah (aka Titikaka) in Absolutely Fabulous, Doctor Who, Humans, Vexed, and Yoko Ono in Lennon Naked. Her film credits include Everest, Topsy Turvy, Spiceworld, and the upcoming film Life.

Rodney Earl Clarke (The Workman) has appeared in productions of The Marriage of Figaro, Cosi fan Tutte and in the title role of Don Giovanni. He has appeared as Jake in Porgy and Bess for the Berlin Philharmonic under the baton of Sir Simon Rattle, debuted the role of Crown with The Royal Danish Opera, Copenhagen, and took the title role with the Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Sante Cecilia, Rome. In the UK he has performed the Bernstein Mass with the London Symphony Orchestra under Marin Alsop and Carmen Jones at the Royal Festival Hall.

Mark Heenehan (Judge Pitkin) most recently played Gyp in Jersey Boys (Piccadilly), with previous credits including Fiddler on the Roof (Grange Park Opera), Guys and Dolls (Chichester Festival Theatre) and Kiss Me Kate (Chichester Festival Theatre/Old Vic).

Completing the cast are: Michelle Andrews, Myles Brown, Matthew Caputo, Edward Chitticks, Lavinia Fitzpatrick, Cristina Hoey, James Leece, Jacob Maynard, Rachel Muldoon, Melissa Nettleford, Emily Ann Potter, Mollie Melia Redgrave, Lisa Ritchie, Barnaby Thompson, Sam Salter and Brandon Lee Sears.

Playing 19 May to 1 July 2017, On The Town is based on a concept by Jerome Robbins with music by Leonard Bernstein and book and lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green, including the hit song “New York, New York (it’s a helluva town)”. It is directed and choreographed by Drew McOnie who won the Olivier Award for Best Theatre Choreography for In the Heights before scoring a hit with his choreography for Jesus Christ Superstar in 2016, for which he is nominated in The Olivier Awards 2017. He has also choreographed Jekyll and Hyde and The Lorax (Old Vic), Bugsy Malone (Lyric Hammersmith) and Hairspray and Chicago (Curve, Leicester), as well as directing and choreographing Strictly Ballroom (West Yorkshire Playhouse) and The Wild Party (The Other Palace).

On The Town is designed by Peter McKintosh, whose previous credits for Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre include Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, The Sound of Music, Hello, Dolly! and Crazy for You (Olivier Award for Best Costume Design). Musical Supervision is by Tom Deering (Jesus Christ Superstar, Open Air Theatre / wonder.land, National / In the Heights, Southwark Playhouse and King’s Cross Theatre) and, completing the Creative Team, are: Lighting Designer Howard Hudson (Romeo and Juliet, Kenneth Branagh Theatre Company / Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Linbury Studio/ In the Heights, Southwark Playhouse and King’s Cross Theatre); Sound Designer Nick Lidster for Autograph (Olivier Nominated for Jesus Christ Superstar, Open Air Theatre); Fiona Dunn (Associate Director); Ebony Molina (Associate Choreographer); Kevin Amos (Associate Musical Director); Barbara Houseman (Associate Director, Voice and Text) and James Orange (Casting Director).

The season continues with Dickens Uncovered, celebrating the greatest storyteller of London life, Charles Dickens: Artistic Director Timothy Sheader directs A Tale of Two Cities (7 July – 8 August), a new play by Matthew Dunster adapted from the original Dickens novel and, developing their programme of work made especially for families, Caroline Byrne directs Oliver Twist created for everyone aged six and over adapted by Anya Reiss (17 July – 5 August). Completing the 2017 season, Jesus Christ Superstar returns for just 41 performances (11 August – 16 September), giving audiences one last chance to see the production in its original home. The musical, directed by Timothy Sheader, won the Evening Standard Award for Best Musical, and is currently nominated for six Olivier Awards.

Buy Tickets for On The Town

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[londontheatre]

After the resounding success of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s State Fair (Cadogan Hall November 2016) and the sell-out concert of Alan Menken & Lynn Ahrens’ A Christmas Carol (Lyceum Theatre, December 2016), with numerous five star reviews for both performances, The London Musical Theatre Orchestra is delighted to announce the full casting for its first concert of the 2017 season, the hit Broadway musical Honeymoon in Vegas.

Joining previously announced principal cast members Samantha Barks (Betsy) and Arthur Darvill (Jack) will be Maxwell Caulfield (Tommy), Rosemary Ashe (Bea), Nicolas Colicos (Johnny) and Simon Lipkin (Buddy), with supporting roles played by Daniel Amity, Maisey Bawden and Hywel Dowsell.

Following the huge success of A Christmas Carol, Shaun Kerrison will be returning to direct the production (biog at end of release).

Cast announced so far: TOMMY: Maxwell Caulfield – UK Theatre includes: Guys and Dolls and Singin’ In The Rain, Sir Peter Hall’s Bedroom Farce (UK National Tours), Chicago (London, West End). In America: La Cage Aux Folles, My Fair Lady, A Little Night Music , Pirates of Penzance, Sweet Bird of Youth, Inspector Calls (Broadway), My Night with Reg, Mysterious Mr.Love, Salonika (Public Theatre), Class Enemy and Entertaining Mr. Sloane. Television and Film Includes: Grease 2, Empire Records, The Real Blonde, The Boys Next Door, Casualty, Emmerdale, The Colbys (ABC) and The Elephant Man.

BETSY: Samantha Barks – Samantha is best known for playing Eponine in Les Miserables, a role she played in the West End, the 25th Anniversary Concerts at the O2, and in the 2012 film adaptation. Recent theatre credits include: Cathy Last Five Years (St James Theatre); the title role in the world premiere of Amelie – A New Musical (Berkeley Repertory Theatre), Mallory/Avril in City of Angels (Donmar Warehouse), Velma Kelly in Chicago (Hollywood Bowl) and Sally Bowles in Cabaret (UK Tour). Recent film credits include: Interlude in Prague (Stillking Films), Bitter Harvest (Devil’s Harvest Productions), The Canary (Pioneer Pictures), the voice of Miss Acacia in Jack & The Cuckoo-Clock Heart (EuropaCorp) and The Christmas Candle (Pinewood Studios).

Arthur Darvill

JACK: Arthur Darvill – Training: RADA. Theatre includes: Treasure Island (National Theatre), Once (Bernard B.Jacobs Theatre NYC and Phoenix Theatre UK), Our Boys (Duchess Theatre), Soft Cops (RSC), Doctor Faustus (Shakespeare’s Globe), Swimming With Sharks (Vaudeville), Terre Haute (Trafalgar Studios, National Tour), Stacey (Arcola), Terre Haute (Assembly Rooms, Edinburgh). Television and Film Includes:Legends of Tomorrow (Berlanti Productions), Danny and The Human Zoo (BBC), Broadchurch (Kudos for ITV), The White Queen (BBC), The Paradise (BBC), Doctor Who (BBC), Little Dorritt (BBC), He Kills Coppers (Ecosse), The Verdict (RDF), Robin Hood (Imagine Entertainment), Sex, Drugs, Rock N Roll (Lipsync Productions), Pelican Blood (Ecosse). Other work: Arthur is also a composer, his credits include: Fantastic Mr Fox (Nuffield/Lyric/Curve), I Want My Hat Back (National Theatre), Been So Long (Young Vic, Traverse), Lightning Child (Globe), The Frontline (Globe), Stoopud Fucken Animals (Traverse), Crazy Love (Paines Plough), Is Everyone Ok? (Nabokov), Artifacts (Bush).

BEA: Rosemary Ashe – Rosie has just completed a national tour of Sister Act playing Sister Mary Lazarus. West End Theatre Includes: Carlotta, the Prima Donna Les Miserables (Queen’s Theatre – original Cast), Widow Corney in Oliver!, Cunegonde in Candide, Manon in Bitter Sweet, Forbidden Broadway, Felicia Gabriel in The Witches of Eastwick (for which she was nominated for a Laurence Olivier Award for Best Supporting Performance in a Musical, Miss Andrew, the nasty nanny in Mary Poppins, & Lottie Grady in When We Are Married. Recently she has been performing her one woman tribute to Ethel Merman: ‘Call Me Merman’, to great acclaim, played Betty in the Great American Trailer Park Musical (Waterloo East Theatre) and has created roles in 2 new British musicals: Grandma Mole in The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13 & ¾ (Leicester Curve) & Miss Bleacher in Crush (The Belgrade). She has appeared with English National Opera, Opera North, Scottish Opera, Sadlers Wells Opera, Opera Northern Ireland & Carl Rosa in many different roles including Musetta in La Boheme, Helene in La Belle Helene, Frasquita in Carmen & Despina in Cosi Fan Tutte.

JOHNNY: Nicolas Colicos – UK theatre includes: Buffalo Bill in Annie Get Your Gun (Sheffield Crucible), Joe in I’m Getting My Act Together… (Jermyn St. Theatre), The Soldier in Sunday In The Park with George (Royal National Theatre), Mitch in Streetcar Named Desire (Bristol Old Vic), Curly in Oklahoma(National Tour), Wreck in Wonderful Town! (Queen’s Theatre). Originated roles in The Bodyguard (Adelphi), Sister Act (Palladium), The Producers (Drury Lane), Mamma Mia! (Prince Edward), Whistle Down The Wind (Aldwych), Sunset Boulevard (Adelphi), Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat (Palladium). Television and Film work includes: Kingsman 2, Strasberg in Rude Boy (BBC), Mackenzie in Hot Metal (LWT), The New Statesman, The Detectives (LWT), Henry Savage in Wodehouse On Broadway (BBC), David Kessler in Not A Penny More, Not A Penny Less (BBC), Hugh Clegg in Bomb Story (BBC), Hank in That’s Love (TVS), Lt. Green in Young Indiana Jones Chronicles, Reuben in Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat, Paul in Superman IV, Connors in Iron Eagle II.

BUDDY – Simon Lipkin – Theatre includes: Nathan Detroit in Guys and Dolls (West End); Bill Sykes in Oliver! (Grange Park Opera); Lou Lubowitz in Miss Atomic Bomb (St James Theatre); The Lorax in The Lorax (Old Vic Theatre); The Proprietor in Assassins (Menier Chocolate Factory); Touchstone in As You Like It (Southwark Playhouse); Barlow in I Can’t Sing (London Palladium); Lonny in Rock Of Ages (Original West End Cast); Galahad in Spamalot (Original West End Cast); I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change (Arts Theatre, London); The Wedding Singer (Original UK Cast); Willard in Footloose (UK Tour); A Christmas Carol (West End); Alice In Wonderland (Nuffield Theatre); Austentatious (The Landor); News Revue (Canal Café) and Leopold in Never The Sinner at the Kenneth Moore Theatre. Film and TV include: Show Dogs, Muppets Most Wanted for Disney, The Harry Hill Movie, That Puppet Game Show and Nativity III, Harry Hill’s Alien Fun Capsule, Doctor Who, Harry Hill’s Tea Time, The Bill, Casualty, The Royal Variety Performance, Children In Need.

Other roles in the production will be played by members of the LMTO chorus, including: Will Arundell, Lizzie Bea, Austen Garrett, Alice Gruden, Charlotte Kennedy, Richard James King, Emma Kingston, Lauren Lockley, Laura Messin, Oliver Stanley and Sam Thomas

Synopsis Based on the hit 1992 film starring Sarah Jessica Parker, and Nicholas Cage, Honeymoon in Vegas tells the story of mild-mannered Brooklynite, Jack, who haunted by the fear of a promise to his dying mother never to get married, avoids proposing to his new girlfriend Betsy. He finally summons the nerve and takes Betsy to Las Vegas only to have his plans compromised by a dashing gambler with an eye for luxury and Jack’s new fiancée.

The New York Times called the Broadway production “[a] bright and bouncy…real-live, old-fashioned, deeply satisfying Broadway musical in a way few new shows are anymore.”

Honeymoon in Vegas— book by Andrew Bergman and score by Tony-Award winning Jason Robert Brown (Parade, Songs For A New World, The Last Five Years and The Bridges of Madison County) — ran on Broadway at the Nederlander Theatre –this concert will see it performed in London for the very first time.

The 30-strong London Musical Theatre Orchestra will take to the London Palladium stage on 12th March 2017 under the baton of its first guest conductor, the show’s composer Jason Robert Brown, to honour the stylish and swinging score of Honeymoon in Vegas which marks another much anticipated UK Premiere for the orchestra.

Jason Robert Brown said: “Honeymoon in Vegas is the show I always aspired to write. All of these sounds – the swing, the samba, the disco, the boogie, the rock’n’roll – make up what I hear in my head when I think of what a ‘Broadway musical’ should be. I’m so gratified to have actually written it, and thrilled to get a chance – finally! – to present it in London. And to know that the music will be brought to life by the sterling musicians of the LMTO and a glorious cast is such a delight and a privilege. I’ve had so many sensational experiences in the British theater that it feels like coming home. I cannot wait to get started!”

In keeping with the long term aim of the LMTO, the fully orchestrated concerts aims to not only make orchestral performances accessible to brand new audiences, but also to bring the exciting repertoire of musical theatre to a more classical audience.

Listings:

Show: Jason Robert Brown and Andrew Bergman’s HONEYMOON IN VEGAS Venue: London Palladium Date: Sunday 12 March 2017 Time: 7:30 pm Tickets: £75, £45, £30, £24.50, £20, £16.50. Booking: 0844 412 4657 / / http://ift.tt/2kndnxh

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