If you are home tonight, check out Jonathan Ross – Andrew Lloyd Webber is set to appear as a guest and Sierra Boggess will perform the title song from new musical Love Never Dies. I wonder if the BBC will roll out the throne from the props department or if the Lord will sit on the sofa like the rest of the guests?
Lloyd Webber is going to be a pretty busy guy in the next couple of months. First off, Love Never Dies has started previewing at the Adelphi Theatre and will have its press night on the 9th March. Even though the composer has asserted that Love Never Dies is not a sequel to The Phantom Of the Opera and is a standalone piece, most theatregoers are still referring to the new musical as Phantom 2. There’s no doubt that the show is going to sell out, but will it be any good? The popular press will express their views in a few weeks’ time.
Who will win the chance to walk down the yellow brick road?
In addition to launching a brand new show, the classic story, The Wizard Of Oz is about to be resurrected, thanks to the Lord and BBC reality TV. Over The Rainbow is set to start in a few weeks time; the aim is to choose a feisty unknown actress to play the role of Dorothy. This will be the fourth incarnation of the BBC reality show, having previously broadcast the competition to cast leads in The Sound Of Music, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat, and Oliver!
The sing off format for Over The Rainbow will be the same, but I was shocked to hear that the judges panel will look very different. Denise Van Outen will not be back, having gone off and married Lee Mead (a previous contestant and eventual winner, soon to star in Wicked) and is soon to give birth to their first child. More shocking is the absence of John Barrowman. What will we do without his constant shouting of ‘fantastic, fantastic, fantastic!’ whilst jumping up out of his seat?
Instead, the judges panel will consist of Sheila Hancock, currently starring as Mother Superior in Sister Act, Charlotte Church, who will probably provide some boisterous comedic moments, and John Partridge (Christian from Eastenders) who has starred in many West End productions over the last 20 years.
My money is on John Partridge to steal the show.
If history repeats, The Wizard of Oz will follow in the success of earlier shows promoted by the reality contest and become the highest grossing musical of 2010. Keep a close eye out for when the production goes on sale; I can guarantee that the first booking period will sell out instantaneously.
Love Never Dies is now previewing and is booking until 23rd October 2010. Over The Rainbow will soon be shown on Saturday nights on BBC1.
Just stay with me for a moment….yes I am referring to the TV show.
Songs from musicals feature in the television program Glee
I had heard the buzz regarding the new show Glee, but didn’t really take much notice. Did I really want to watch another American high school show that portrayed a totally unrealistic view of the rather traumatic place that high school really is? With Gossip Girl and 90210 already occupying my time, I dismissed the idea immediately. But when I visited my sister in Canada at Christmas time, Glee was the topic on everyone’s lips - she was raving about the show. I knew that it was set to premiere in the UK soon, and when I saw the adverts on E4, I recorded some episodes for a rainy day.
I finally got around to watching some of the show this weekend…..and it is fantastic. I had no idea that every episode features songs from musicals as well as contemporary chart toppers. So far, I have heard renditions of You’re The One That I Want from Grease, Mr Cellophane from Chicago, Maybe This Time from Cabaret, and On My Own from Les Miserables. And apparently in one of the coming episodes the cast sings Defying Gravity from Wicked.
Combined with edgy humour, Glee is the perfect balance between hip comedy and musical revue. Yes the characters are stereotypes (think jock, cheerleader and primadonna) but how else do you visually portray the complexities of the high school hierarchy so easily?
Despite its comedic narrative and characters, at its core, I think Glee is a great promoter of musical theatre; just as Subo’s performances of I Dreamed a Dream managed to breathe a new life into Les Miserables, this show highlights some great musical theatre numbers that are not usually emphasised in mainstream media.
Next episode is on tonight….I can’t wait.
"Defying Gravity" from Wicked will feature in an upcoming Glee episode
Welcome back to Discount Theatre’s podcast, your source of all the latest theatre news, interviews and gossip as well as some information about great offers on West End Shows.
This month, we bring you the news and gossip, including:
- An Ibsen classic about to open at the Duchess Theatre
- The Sex and The City star returning to perform in the West End
- And the reality TV contestants who are to play the lead roles in Wicked.
- Firstly, let’s find out what’s been happening in the world of theatre over the last little while
*Click on the play Button Below to Hear the Podcast*
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We’ll be back next month with more news, reviews and interviews about all of the events happening in London’s West End. In the meantime, don’t forget to check out www.discounttheatre.com, for great offers to suit everyone. Until next time…
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As a student of literature, and theatre lover, I really get quite excited when the West End contains some classic works. There’s nothing better than studying a work of drama, dissecting it in a term paper and then having the opportunity to see the production.
As I was perusing the current list of shows the other day, there’s a fair bunch or classic plays on offer or coming soon; names like Samuel Beckett, Henrik Ibsen and Arthur Miller will always pique my interest.
Waiting For Godot at the Theatre Royal Haymarket is a no brainer, many call it the best play of the twentieth century. With Ian McKellen’s name above the title, and excellent reviews, this production shouldn’t be missed.
Henrik Iben’s Ghosts is being revived at the Duchess and stars Lesley Sharpe and Iain Glen; and Tennessee Williams’ Cat On A Hot Tin Roof, starring the great James Earl Jones is enjoying a popular run at the Novello Theatre.
Agatha Christie's The Mousetrap has been running for 58 years.
One to look forward to is All My Sons by Arthur Miller which comes into the Apollo theatre on the 19th May. Last year, A View From the Bridge, also by Miller, had patrons queuing around the block for a ticket, so it will be interesting to see if this production captures people’s interest in the same way.
And if you still haven’t seen Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap, well guess what? It’s still playing at the St. Martin’s theatre after an unprecedented run of 58 years. If you want to find out who did it, you’ll need to buy a ticket for this quintessentially English thriller.
Ghosts has discounted tickets available from just £14.50 and many others have great offers as well. For a complete list of plays and to book tickets, click here.
It came as a bit of a shock….one of the most loved shows in recent memory is now closing? How could this be?
Yes, Hairspray at the Shaftesbury Theatre is closing on the 28th March. We are in mourning at Discount Theatre towers…….sniff.
Despite the sad news, I suppose it was actually quite a successful production when you really look at it. Hairspray has been running for about 18 months, which is about 17 months longer than any other recent production at the Shaftesbury Theatre. And when it opened, the critics raved, only boosting its popularity among theatregoers.
So, what will be next to inhabit the Shaftesbury Theatre? Rumours point to the stage version of Flashdance, which could appeal to devotees of Fame and Footloose. Other sources claim that it could be Broadway hit Rock Of Ages.
Hairspray will also be remembered for the show that defied the Shaftesbury curse, and was able to put bums on seats with its fun, broad appeal.
It’s not time to say goodbye yet….top price tickets are reduced to £37.50 for the near future. However, you have been warned that this is your last chance to see a fantastic show!
Hairspray at the Shaftesbury Theatre will close on the 28th March 2010. Book your discounted Hairspray tickets here.
