Blog / Off-West End
Check here for the latest musical news with links to all your #StageFaves performers, shows and theatres. Also look out for our regular #GetSocial features and contributions from our syndicate media partners including MyTheatreMates.com and the Musical Theatre Appreciation Society.
Sonia Friedman Productions has announced that more tickets will be available for the run of Dreamgirls at the Savoy Theatre starring Amber Riley. It has now been confirmed that Dreamgirls is now booking at the Savoy Theatre until 6 May 2017.
2016
Mac is Back! After George Maguire in The Buskers Opera and Rory Kinnear in The Threepenny Opera, newcomer Sherwood Alexander takes on the notorious role of highwayman Macheath in the original musical that started it all. The full cast is announced today - exclusively with #StageFaves - for Lazarus Theatre's all-new staging of John Gay's THE BEGGAR'S OPERA, which opens at the Jack Studio Theatre next month...
2016
We've rounded up our favourite fan (or rather Phan) and performer tweets from last night's incredible #Phantom30th gala, marking the thirtieth anniversary of THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA at the West End's Her Majesty's Theatre. We think these thirty tweets really capture how special this milestone event was for actors and audience alike. Have we unmasked one of your tweets? See also official gala pics in our gallery...
Following The Wild Party and Whisper House, the third offering in The Other Palace inaugural season is a world premiere musical stage adaptation of Fellini's Oscar-winning Italian film masterpiece LA STRADA. It comes to London after a 16-week national tour, directed by Sally Cookson. Full details and ensemble cast now announced here...
"A role she was born to play," said a Twitter fan about the casting of Frances Ruffelle in The Other Palace's inaugural offering: the first major London production of Michael John LaChiusa's gin-soaked 2000 Broadway musical THE WILD PARTY. We couldn't agree more. Plus, the production is directed and choreographed by Drew McOnie. Pure class....
We can hardly contain ourselves with excitement over today's news about the St James Theatre's rebirth as 'The Other Palace'. Under the ownership of Andrew Lloyd Webber and the artistic direction of Paul Taylor Mills, this is undoubtedly a new mecca for musical lovers. We think #StageFaves fans will be spending an inordinate amount of time here in the months and years to come. It officially launches in February 2017 and the inaugural season is announced today...
2016
This is the first official photo of The Dreams - played by Amber Riley, Liisi LaFontaine and Ibinabo Jack - for the upcoming West End premiere of Broadway classic DREAMGIRLS. Now watch the behind-the-scenes video of the photoshoot to see just how this stunning new image was created...
2016
Our #FirstNightTakeover series continues with Perry O'Bree attending the UK premiere of MURDER BALLAD at the Arts Theatre. This deadly new rock musical is written by Julia Jordan and Juliana Nash with a killer cast including Kerry Ellis, Ramin Karimloo, Norman Bowman and Victoria Hamilton-Barritt. Don't forget to enter our competition too...
Good things come to those who wait. After more than 15 years in development (did we really read that right?), homegrown musical MY LAND'S SHORE at last receives a full-scale, world-premiere production with a run in the new year at Walthamstow's Ye Olde Rose & Crown, care of All Star Productions...
The tiny, 50-seat Hope Theatre in Islington is best known for its acclaimed play productions. But, as its artistic director Matthew Parker turns his attention to the rarely seen Bryony Lavery musical HER ACHING HEART and brings onboard a West End co-producer, we wonder: could there be more musicals, and more transfers on the cards?
You don't have to tell us here at #StageFaves what an absolutely amazing job understudies do. They're as big as the stars they cover, as far as we're concerned. So we wholeheartedly second the case that Dries Janssens makes here, care of our friends at the Musical Theatre Appreciation Society...
Join #StageFaves founder Terri Paddock at Lazarus Theatre's THE BEGGAR'S OPERA on Tuesday 15 November 2016 for a post-show debate on John Gay's ground-breaking, 18th-century musical satire and its enduring political and artistic legacy to this day...
Oh what a sad night. The New York production of JERSEY BOYS, which tells the story of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons, recently announced that it will be closing in January after more than 11 years on Broadway. And now the London production has confirmed that it will follow suit, closing in March after nine years in the West End...
Following this week's #Wicked10, THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA will be the next long-running West End musical blockbuster to mark a major milestone. The Andrew Lloyd Webber classic celebrates its 30th anniversary with a gala at Her Majesty's Theatre on 10 October...
2016
We've rounded up our favourite fan tweets from last night's incredible #Wicked10 gala, marking the tenth anniversary of WICKED at the West End's Apollo. We think these ten tweets really capture this milestone event from the audience perspective...
2016
Can you believe it? Tonight (Tuesday 27 September 2016), WICKED marks ten thrillifying years in the West End! The team behind the show have been painting the town green this week, and we're feeling pretty green with envy that we aren't lucky enough to be in tonight's swankified audience to wildly applaud this achievement. But in the spirit of #Wicked10, we are delighted to share these 10 milestone facts about the show with you. Do be sure to check out WICKED's #StageFaves page too. For tonight's gala, in addition to the show's official Twitter feed, we're pulling in all of your fan tweets on the #Wicked10 hashtag for posterity - and later this week, we'll be awarding #StageFaves prizes to our Top 10 #Wicked10 fan tweets!
Londoners only have a few more weeks to see Sheridan Smith in her acclaimed turn as Fanny Brice in FUNNY GIRL, but audiences across the country can rest easier. Sheridan will be reprising the role for selected dates on the UK-wide tour launching in February 2017. And further #StageFaves casting is still to be announced...
Here come THE GIRLS! What a wonderful assemblage of #StageFaves divas who will be strutting on and stripping off in Gary Barlow and Tim Firth’s new British musical. Based on the true story, the film and the award-winning play by Tim Firth, Calendar Girls, THE GIRLS opens in the West End in the new year. Full casting now unveiled...
A role in the London premiere of David Bowie's posthumous musical is a pretty good way to follow up an Olivier Award nomination. Amy Lennox (nominated for Kinky Boots, pictured with her then co-star Killian Donnelly) is amongst the Brits #StageFaves who will complete the cast of LAZARUS, which starts performances next month at King's Cross Theatre...
HALF A SIXPENCE and SHOW BOAT are both in the running for UK Theatre Awards as are #StageFaves Charlie Stemp, Emmanuel Kojo, Rebecca Trehearn, Clare Burt, Jennifer Saayeng, Nina Toussaint-White and Allyson-Ava Brown. Full shortlists for the 2016 awards, presented at a ceremony on Sunday 9 October, are announced today...