Free-to-view YouTube Channel The Shows Must Go On continues its theatre lockdown weekly schedule with another ‘live’ television broadcast of a Broadway musical, Peter Pan Live!, which aired during the 2014 Christmas season on American’s NBC channel.

For 48 hours only in the UK from 7pm this Friday 19 June 2020, fans can watch the show for free.

This musical version of JM Barrie‘s 1904 children’s classic tells the beloved story of Peter Pan, the mischievous little boy who ran away to Neverland and never grew up.

Allison Williams, best known as Marnie in TV’s Girls, stars as Peter Pan, with Christopher Walken as Captain Hook. The cast also features Christina Borle as Mr Darling, Kelli O’Hara as Mrs Darling, Taylor Louderman as Wendy, Jack Lucas as John, John Allyn as Michael and Alanna Saunders as Tiger Lily.

Moose Charlap and Carolyn Leigh‘s musical of Peter Pan premiered on Broadway in 1954, earning Tony Awards for its stars Mary Martin and Cyril Ritchard. It became the first full-length Broadway production shown on colour television in 1955. The original stars also appeared in subsequent telecasts of the show in 1956 and 1960.

The Shows Must Go On YouTube channel provides musical theatre lovers with a West End and Broadway experience in their own homes, online for free during the coronavirus crisis while theatres around the world are dark. Alongside the full-length shows, clips of famous performances and behind-the-scenes footage are uploaded regularly to the channel.

The first six screenings showcased a series of Andrew Lloyd Webber works – Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat (starring Donny Osmond), Jesus Christ Superstar, The Phantom of the Opera, Love Never Dies, Lloyd Webber’s 50th birthday concert at the Royal Albert Hall, By Jeeves and Cats (starring Elaine Paige) – which has been followed NBC Live telecast of by Rodgers and Hammerstein’s The Sound of Music and Hairspray.

Show trailer

Saturday Night Live

In the Wings, a new four-part weekly series showcasing four new musicals that were postponed by Covid19, commences tonight. The episodes were filmed live at London’s Union Theatre, in strict accordance with social distancing guidelines, from 3 to 6 June 2020.

In The Wings comprises human interest interviews – led by Olivier Award-winning composer Richard Thomas (Jerry Springer The Opera) with composers, writers, and creatives of the shows.

There will also be live performances by West End stars Dougie Carter (Les Misérables; Sunset Boulevard), Aaron Lee Lambert (Hamilton; Miss Saigon; Sweeney Todd), Steph Parry (Mamma Mia; 42nd Street) and Laura Pick (Wicked; The Sound of Music), singing songs from the new shows as well as a selection from already well-known musicals.

The featured new musicals are:

• No Limits
• Legends of Arahma
• Gretel!
• Dorian: A Rock Musical 

The series starts on YouTube and Facebook tonight at 7.30pm with No Limits, written by Sam Thomas. It’s followed by a new episode each Friday until 3 July.

In the Wings is co-produced by Justin Williams and Henry Brennan, with musical direction by Brennan, design by Williams and video design by Ben Bull.

Here’s the full statement from SOLT:

“London’s West End looks forward to welcoming audiences back into our theatres. We are working closely with the government to explore ways in which we can safely reopen.

“To give our customers clarity and help us operationally, we have been cancelling performances across the West End on a rolling month by month basis since the start of lockdown.

“Every show is now extending cancellations until Sunday 2 August. Certain shows may decide to extend this cancellation period, and producers will make their own statement as appropriate for their shows.

“Ticketholders for affected performances do not need to do anything. They will be contacted by the organisation from which they bought their tickets to arrange a refund, credit note or exchange for a later date.

“This does not mean theatres will reopen on 3 August; and further cancellations will continue to be announced on a rolling basis. The decision to reopen theatres will be made based on government and scientific advice on gatherings and events.

“Different theatres and productions are likely to reopen at different times.

“We are grateful to customers for the continued patience and kindness they are showing during this challenging time for our industry. With 300,000 people visiting West End theatres in a normal week, it remains a major undertaking to process refunds, exchanges and credit notes, particularly when many staff are working remotely.

“Please rest assured that we are all working as quickly as we can, and we appreciate the continued support and understanding of our audiences.”

Last weekend’s broadcast of Peter Pan Live! was postponed, in solidarity with #GeorgeFloydProtests in the US and around the world, but the free-to-view YouTube Channel The Shows Must Go On returns this weekend and continues its theatre lockdown schedule with another ‘live’ television broadcast of a Broadway musical, The Wiz Live!, which aired during the 2015 Christmas season on American’s NBC channel.

For 48 hours only in the UK from 7pm this Friday 12 June 2020, audiences can watch the show for free online.

With a book by William F Brown and music and lyrics by Charlie Smalls and others, The Wiz is a soul and R&B reinterpretation of on L Frank Baum’s classic tale from The Wonderful Wizard Of Oz. After a tryout in Baltimore, it premiered on Broadway in 1975 and went on to win eight Tony Awards, including Best Musical, and run for four years.

The Wiz Live! features a star-studded cast of performers and the awe-inspiring Cirque du Soleil Theatrical. Whisked away from home by a tornado, young Dorothy finds herself transported to the magical Land of Oz, where she sets off on a quest to meet the powerful Wizard and find her way back home. Crossing paths with enchanting friends and wicked foes, Dorothy’s journey is a timeless tale about friendship, courage and learning to believe in oneself.

Shanice Williams is Dorothy alongside Elijah Kelley, Ne-Yo and David Alan Grier as Scarecrow, Tin-Man and Cowardly Lion respectively. Also featured are Mary J Blige as the Wicked Witch of the West, Amber Riley as the Good Witch of the North, Uzo Aduba as the Good Witch of the South and Queen Latifah as The Wiz.

Viewers of The Wiz Live! will have the opportunity to make charitable donations to the NAACP. The mission of the NAACP is to secure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights in order to eliminate race-based discrimination and ensure the health and well-being of all persons.

About The Shows Must Go On

The Shows Must Go On YouTube channel, presented by Universal, provides musical theatre lovers with a West End and Broadway experience in their own homes, online for free during the coronavirus crisis while theatres around the world are dark. Alongside the full-length shows, clips of famous performances and behind-the-scenes footage are uploaded regularly to the channel.

The first six screenings showcased a series of Andrew Lloyd Webber works – Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat (starring Donny Osmond), Jesus Christ Superstar, The Phantom of the Opera, Love Never Dies, Lloyd Webber’s 50th birthday concert at the Royal Albert Hall, By Jeeves and Cats (starring Elaine Paige) – which has been followed NBC Live telecasts of by Rodgers and Hammerstein’s The Sound of Music and Hairspray.

Watch the trailer

Aired on @nbc in 2015, #TheWizLive is based on the soul/R&B take on The Wizard of Oz premiered on Broadway in 1975 (way before @WICKED_Musical).@Shanice_Williams is Dorothy in an all-star cast that inc @MsAmberPRiley @IAMQUEENLATIFAH @maryjblige @davidalangrier @Elijah_kelley pic.twitter.com/BjaW9Kluov

— StageFaves (@StageFaves) June 5, 2020

The Last Five Years, presented by Lambert Jackson Productions in association with The Other Palace, will be streamed for three nights on the 25, 26 and 27 June 2020 at 7.30pm, with tickets priced at £8, and only a limited number of spaces available per show to emulate a shared theatre experience.

The actors Danny Becker (who plays Jamie) and Lauren Samuels (Cathy), who also makes her directorial debut, will record their parts entirely in isolation, using only what is available to them. Their performances will be edited together into a full-length show. 

The award-winning musical, The Last Five Years, is an emotionally powerful musical about two New Yorkers who fall in and out of love over the course of five years. Written by Tony Award-winning composer Jason Robert Brown, the play has seen numerous productions around the world including a film adaptation starring Pitch Perfect’s Anna Kendrick, but it is now to be produced in an entirely new and innovative way.  

Jamie Lambert and Eliza Jackson today said:

“It is the musical’s unconventional structure which allows this new form of livestream theatre to be created. Jamie tells his story chronologically from their love-at-first-site meeting, whilst Cathy tells her story in reverse, from the end of their turbulent relationship to the start. This means the two characters do not directly interact except for one song in the middle of the show when their timelines intersect. 

“Whilst nothing can replace live theatre, this production of The Last Five Years will reflect the current global situation; it is relevant, thought-provoking and innovative and will open doors to a new way of thinking about theatre and entertainment.”

Danny Becker's previous theatre credits include The Prince of Egypt (Dominion Theatre), The Light In The Piazza (Dorothy Chandler Pavilion/Royal Festival Hall), Singin’ In The Rain (Gaiety Theatre), Aladdin (Prince Edward Theatre), The Little Mermaid (UK tour) and The Who’s Tommy (Greenwich Theatre).

Lauren Samuels' previous theatre credits include The Big Corner, Love Story (Octagon Theatre), A Hundred Words for Snow (Arcola Theatre), Romantics Anonymous (Shakespeare’s Globe), La Ronde (Bunker Theatre), Bend It Like Beckham (Phoenix Theatre - for which she was nominated for a WhatsOnStage Award for Best Supporting Actress In A Musical), We Will Rock You (Dominion Theatre/ international tour), The Buskers Opera (Park Theatre), Water Babies, Peter Pan A Musical (Curve), Vampirette (Manchester Opera House), Children of Eden (Prince of Wales Theatre), The Last Five Years (Tabard Theatre) and Grease (Piccadilly Theatre).

.@LJProds continue their #lockdown brilliance with a new self-filmed virtual production of @MrJasonRBrown's #TheLast5Years, starring @Laurensamuels88 (also her directorial debut) & @DannyBeckerUK.25-27 Jun via @TheOtherPalace @LWTheatres.

Due to the current global situation and the uncertainty around the resumption of West End shows, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat will defer its dates exactly 12 months, and Jason Donovan and Jac Yarrow are both confirmed to star again in the acclaimed show next year. Performances will now begin on 1 July 2021, with a gala night on 15 July, and continue for strictly limited 10-week season to 5 September.

All existing tickets will be moved to the same seats for the equivalent performances by day of the week in 2021. Performance times remain unchanged. If you are a ticketholder you do not need to do anything as your point of purchase will be in touch with you soon to confirm the new date for your booking. Public booking reopens on Friday 19 June.

Jason Donovan will return in the role of Pharaoh. He was originally in the show when he made his defining stage performance as the title character of Joseph in the 1990s, in a sold-out 18-month run which produced a No.1 single and best-selling soundtrack album. Jason raised the roof of the London Palladium this year as Pharaoh, who rocks ‘Song of the King’ in the iconic musical.

Jac Yarrow caused a sensation when he made his professional stage debut playing Joseph, following in the footsteps of a line of stars who have previously played the title character. His portrayal of Joseph won him unanimous acclaim, with his rendition of ‘Close Every Door To Me’ regularly stopping the show with standing ovations.

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat enjoyed a completely sold-out season last year. Audiences and critics were unanimous in their acclaim for the legendary musical – the first major collaboration by Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber – as it returned to the London Palladium.

Andrew Lloyd Webber, whose LW Theatres owns the London Palladium, said today:

“The team and I are working hard behind the scenes to get the world’s most beloved theatre The London Palladium open and entertaining audiences this autumn. We will leave no stone unturned in our efforts to find a safe route to provide access both backstage and front of house. I am delighted that Joseph will be back on the London Palladium stage next summer.”

🌈A message from @JDonOfficial and @jacyarrow!🌈 Due to the current global situation and the uncertainty around the resumption of West End shows, @JosephMusical has now been rescheduled to summer 2021.  Head to our website for further information: https://t.co/Iowd8SlJhy pic.twitter.com/JunVSD74Wn

— Joseph the Musical (@JosephMusical) May 29, 2020

The hugely-anticipated new West End production of Hello, Dolly! starring Imelda Staunton, which was due to begin performances at the Adelphi Theatre in London on Tuesday 11 August 2020 for a 30-week season, has been indefinitely postponed.

Producers said today that new season details and all further information will be announced at a later date. Ticket holders do not need to do anything. The point of purchase will be in touch soon about refunds.

Michael Harrison and David Ian commented:

“Whilst we are naturally disappointed that we aren’t able to stage the show this summer, we are completely committed to Hello, Dolly! Dominic Cooke’s new production is set to have a cast of 34 and an orchestra of 18 musicians. This, coupled with Rae Smith’s stunning new designs, means we do not want to compromise the length of run, so postponing until the time is right and schedules permit is the best option. But plans are already underway for the new season which we will announce as soon as we can. Dolly will most certainly be back where she belongs.”

With music and lyrics by Jerry Herman (La Cage aux Folles, Mack and Mabel, Mame) and book by Michael Stewart (42nd Street, Mack and Mabel, Barnum), Hello, Dolly! is one of the most iconic musicals of all time. Herman’s timeless score includes ‘Put On Your Sunday Clothes’, ‘Ribbons Down My Back’, ‘Before the Parade Passes By’, ‘Elegance’, ‘It Only Takes a Moment’ and of course, ‘Hello, Dolly!’.

Multi Olivier and BAFTA Award-winning Imelda Staunton is cast to play meddlesome socialite turned matchmaker Dolly Levi, as she travels to Yonkers, New York to find a match for the miserly, unmarried ‘half-a-millionaire’ Horace Vandergelder. But everything changes when she decides that the next match she needs to make is for herself.

This production of Hello, Dolly! reunites Staunton with director Dominic Cooke, after their success with the critically acclaimed National Theatre production of Stephen Sondheim’s Follies.

It also reunites Staunton with producers Michael Harrison and David Ian. Their production of Gypsy at the Savoy Theatre was awarded the Olivier Award for Best Musical Revival, and for which Imelda also won the Olivier Award for Best Actress In A Musical for her acclaimed portrayal of Momma Rose.

We would just like to send our love and support to everyone during this difficult time. The closing of theatres and their shows is devastating.Let’s hope we'll be back where we belong very soon.Take care of each other ❤️ #hellodolly pic.twitter.com/Fy27AU5FoX

— ❤️ HELLO, DOLLY! ❤️ (@hellodollyLDN) March 23, 2020

It is with great sadness that due to the current state of complete shutdown of the British theatre by the Government because of Covid-19, Cameron Mackintosh and The Really Useful Group must announce that their new UK and Ireland Tour of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera, which had only played its opening date prior to a 14-month tour, will not re-open.

The great uncertainty around the duration of social distancing requirements and the perilous financial situation in which many regional theatres find themselves have conspired to make re-routing an entire major tour like Phantom impossible for some time as so many existing tours are needing to reschedule.

The production opened at Curve, Leicester at the beginning of March. Subsequent runs in Manchester and Dublin have already been cancelled. Following these dates, the tour was due to play Birmingham, Edinburgh, Sunderland, Cardiff, Plymouth, Southampton and Bradford.

Whilst it is heartbreaking for us as producers as well as for our wonderful cast, orchestra and crew who had all worked so hard to create this truly spectacular but tragically short-lived reinvented staging of the original production, we are determined that the disappearance of the Phantom from the British regional stage will not be forever and that, when theatre is back thrilling audiences again, the “Music of the Night” will soar once more from the orchestra pit.

Ticket holders will be contacted directly by their venue/point of sale in due course and we appreciate their patience in this unprecedented time.

Find someone who looks at you the way I look at @OfficialALW 🤍What an absolute dream I am living in. pic.twitter.com/JYSBWlxAdK

— 𝙷𝚘𝚕𝚕𝚢-𝙰𝚗𝚗𝚎 𝙷𝚞𝚕𝚕 ☼ (@HollyAnneHull) March 7, 2020

My heart is absolutely broken.Playing Christine is all I have ever dreamed of and I can’t believe it even happened to be honest! I’m so grateful for my 13 shows! ❤️I have made friends for life and met the most beautiful people and I cannot wait to FINALLY ‘come out for a drink’ pic.twitter.com/nIHoT2hBbm

— 𝙷𝚘𝚕𝚕𝚢-𝙰𝚗𝚗𝚎 𝙷𝚞𝚕𝚕 ☼ (@HollyAnneHull) May 27, 2020

Based on Victor Hugo’s The Man Who Laughs, The Grinning Man tells the story of Grinpayne, a fairground act with a hideous smile, who is helped by an old man, a lone wolf and a blind girl as he journeys to share his terrible secret with the world. Brought to life by writer Carl Grose, with a score from Tim Phillips and Marc Teitler, the production features puppetry from Gyre & Gimble, the original puppeteers of War Horse.

The Grinning Man had its world premiere in 2016 at the Bristol Old Vic, where this 'bootleg film' was captured, and then transferred to the West End's Trafalgar Studios, where Louis Maskell reprised his role as Grinpayne along with Julian Bleach. The Bristol cast also featured Audrey Brisson as Dea, Gloria Onitiri, Stuart Neal and Glorio Obianyo.

The Bristol Arts Channel brings together venues and artists from across the city to create moments of online togetherness in May and June. Founding partners include Bristol Old Vic, Watershed, Colston Hall, St Pauls Carnival, Trinity, Spike Island, St George’s Bristol, MAYK, Arnolfini, Paraorchestra & Friends and Bristol Museums with support from Bristol & Bath Creative R&D and The Space.

The programme includes streamed performances, live and archived, interactive events, carnivalesque experiments, online galleries and mini-festivals, all curated by Bristol’s cultural organisations to give audiences the pleasure and thrill of going out from the comfort of their own home.

Bristol Old Vic contributions, including The Grinning Man, will feature additional material in order to make the experience closer to ‘going out’ while actually being at home.

Artistic director Tom Morris, who also helmed the production, said:

“Watching theatre on your screen at home is not the same as experiencing a play in a beautiful auditorium with hundreds of others. That is why our ambition for this pilot season is not only to make some of Bristol’s most-loved plays accessible to a wider audience, but also to give people a little taste of the magic they may experience when they step into our theatre on King Street, from arriving at the bar to taking your seat as the lights go down. It’s that transformational feeling of surprise and delight that we want to share and celebrate.”

Watch the trailer

Selladoor Worldwide has announced that it will suspend its 2020 touring productions – shifting the majority of shows to start in 2021. Major productions including Footloose, We Will Rock You, Madagascar the Musical, 9 to 5 the Musical and Bring It On will be postponed as a result of Covid-19.

The company - who are behind productions such as Fame, Avenue Q and American Idiot, and operators of regional theatres in North Devon and Cambridgeshire - have confirmed they will temporarily close their offices during July and August to maximise government support during a period of extended inactivity.

Selladoor venues will extend the temporary closure of their venues until November with The Queen’s Theatre Barnstaple, The Landmark Ilfracombe and New Theatre Peterborough planning to reopen pre-pantomime season.

CEO David Hutchinson says:

“It’s with a heavy heart that we’ve taken the decision to postpone the majority of our productions into 2021 both in the UK and internationally. It’s taken our production team, creatives and partners years to put these productions together and we were so excited to share them with audiences this year. However, the uncertainty on when theatres will reopen, how and when we can develop audiences for our work and clarity on best practises for touring in a Covid world – we feel the odds are against us delivering shows in 2020.”

“With over 100 members of Selladoor staff to consider across our productions and venues operation, the priority at this uncertain time is to maximise our runway for relaunch and maintain as much resilience as we can to keep people within the business. At this juncture, pausing during the summer and maximising the support available is vital in sustaining a long period of inactivity. We are currently burning through our cash reserve at a very fast rate and it’s not sustainable for our organisation who are mainly reliant on box office.”

Selladoor has confirmed the following production postponements:

• Footloose the Musical, due to open in April 2020 at Wimbledon New Theatre will now open at the earliest in Zurich Maag Music Hall November 2020 – with UK dates commencing from January 2021
• We Will Rock You, due to open in August 2020 in Cape Town Artscape Theatre, South Africa will now open in February 2021 at the Solaire Resort Manila, Philippines
• Madagascar the Musical, due to open in August 2020 at the Civic Theatre in Auckland, New Zealand will now open Autumn 2021
• Bring It On the Musical, due to open June 2020 at the Birmingham Hippodrome is planning to open Autumn 2021
• 9 to 5 UK Tour, due to open May 2020 at the Aylesbury Waterside Theatre is planning to open Spring 2021

That's 5⃣ major @sell_a_door musicals that are now being postponed until 2021 in response to #coronacrisisuk:@FootlooseTour@bringitonuktour@famemusicaluk@madUKtour @wwrytourukHow many @StageFaves performers & other creatives & crew does that affect?

After last week’s airing of The Sound of Music Live, free-to-view YouTube Channel The Shows Must Go On continues its theatre lockdown schedule with another ‘live’ television broadcast of a Broadway musical, the Emmy Award-winning star-studded version of Hairspray Live, which aired on American’s NBC channel in 2016.

For 48 hours only in the UK from 7pm this Friday 29 May 2020, fans can watch the show for free – essential week recommended.

Based on the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical, with music by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, Hairspray Live! takes place in 1962 Baltimore. Plump teenager Tracy Turnblad’s dream is to dance on “The Corny Collins Show,” a local TV programme.

When, against all odds, Tracy wins a role on the show, she becomes a celebrity overnight and meets a colourful array of characters, including the resident dreamboat, Link; the ambitious mean girl, Amber; an African-American boy she meets in detention, Seaweed; and his mother, Motormouth Maybelle, the owner of a local record store. Tracy’s mother is the indomitable Edna, and she eventually encourages Tracy on her campaign to integrate the all-white the show.

The cast includes Maddie Baillio (Tracy Turnblad), Dove Cameron (Amber von Tussle), Kristin Chenoweth (Velma von Tussle), Garrett Clayton (Link Larkin), Billy Eichner (Rob Barker), Harvey Fierstein (Edna Turnblad), Ariana Grande (Penny Pingleton), Sean Hayes (Mr Pinky), Derek Hough (Corny Collins), Jennifer Hudson (Motormouth Maybelle), Andrea Martin (Prudy Pingleton), Rosie O’Donnell (Health Ed Teacher), Martin Short (Wilbur Turnblad), Ephraim Sykes (Seaweed J Stubbs), Paul Vogt (Mr Spritzer) and Shahadi Wright Joseph (Little Inez).

Hairspray Live! features a new teleplay by Harvey Fierstein. It’s directed by Alex Rudzinksi and Kenny Leon, choreographed by Jerry Mitchell and produced by Craig Zadan and Neil Meron, executive producers for all of NBC’s popular live musicals.

The Shows Must Go On YouTube channel provides musical theatre lovers with a West End and Broadway experience in their own homes, online for free during the coronavirus crisis while theatres around the world are dark. Alongside the full-length shows, clips of famous performances and behind-the-scenes footage are uploaded regularly to the channel.

The first six screenings showcased a series of Andrew Lloyd Webber works – Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat (starring Donny Osmond), Jesus Christ Superstar, The Phantom of the Opera, Love Never Dies, Lloyd Webber’s 50th birthday concert at the Royal Albert Hall, By Jeeves and Cats (starring Elaine Paige) – which was followed by Rodgers and Hammerstein’s The Sound of Music.

Meet the cast

We were worried after Andrew Lloyd Webber signed off, but The Shows Must Go On free musical theatre lockdown viewing will continue on YouTube. Rodgers and Hammerstein's The Sound of Music is next up. Watch the trailer, plus Lloyd Webber's reflection on the series, here...

After six weeks, free-to-view YouTube Channel The Shows Must Go On has concluded its series of Andrew Lloyd Webber stage musicals on the small screen. However, the lockdown line-up will continue this week with Rodgers and Hammerstein’s The Sound of Music.

For 48 hours only in the UK from 7pm this Friday 22 May 2020, fans can watch the show for free – essential week recommended.

Rodgers and Hammerstein’s musical, based on Maria von Trapp’s memoir about the family of singers during the Nazi occupation of Austria, premiered on Broadway in 1959 and was immortalised in the 1965 film starring Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer.

This live American television special, which first aired in 2013, starred Carrie Underwood as novice nun-turned-nanny Maria and Stephen Moyer as Captain von Trapp in a cast that also featured Audra McDonald, Laura Benanti and Christan Borle.

The Sound of Music‘s many well-known songs include “My Favorite Things”, “Climb Ev’ry Mountain”, “Edelweiss”, “Do-Re-Mi”, “Sixteen Going on Seventeen”, “So Long, Farewell” and the title song.

The Shows Must Go On YouTube channel provides musical theatre lovers with a West End and Broadway experience in their own homes, online for free during the coronavirus crisis while theatres around the world are dark. Alongside the full-length shows, clips of famous performances and behind-the-scenes footage are uploaded regularly to the channel.

The first six screenings have showcased the work of Andrew Lloyd Webber: Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat (starring Donny Osmond), Jesus Christ Superstar, The Phantom of the Opera, Love Never Dies, Lloyd Webber’s 50th birthday concert at the Royal Albert Hall, By Jeeves and Cats (starring Elaine Paige).

The Sound of Music trailer

A message from Andrew Lloyd Webber

After 6⃣ weeks, @OfficialALW says #TheShowsMustGoOn @YouTube streams of his work has ended. It raised $500k for @TheActorsFund.'I hope you realise theatre is always going to be there. It will come back,' he says. But what next during #lockdown? #SF #STpic.twitter.com/64OyhiX0aZ

— Terri Paddock (@TerriPaddock) May 18, 2020

This year's West End Live, the world's largest outdoor theatre festival, held each summer in London's Trafalgar Square, was cancelled in March after the UK went into coronavirus lockdown. Organisers have now announced that a virtual version will go ahead.

Working with the event’s sponsor Sky, every Thursday for six weeks from 21 May, a variety of West End musicals will be showcased on Sky, with stars performing from their homes and asking viewers’ questions.

All of these resulting videos will be available for free on the Society of London Theatre social media channels on over the weekend of the festival’s scheduled dates, Saturday 20 and Sunday 21 June 2020.

As for the live event, on 23 March 2020, Westminster City Council and the Society of London Theatre said:

“When the coronavirus pandemic lifts and London revives, West End LIVE will have an even more important role to play as a curtain-raiser to the best of our fantastic West End. We look forward to being back bigger and better than ever before.”

The Virtual West End Live is part of the Society of London Theatres (SOLT)’s ongoing online efforts to keep theatregoing relevant during lockdown. There are also free acting and directing workshops for 11- to 14-year-olds, with National Youth Theatre, 60-minute live-streamed classes on Shakespeare, comedy and other genres, a ‘theatre fix’ portal for online productions and, for those in the industry, the Theatre Means Business portal for webinars and other digital learning resources.

Leave a Light On, the online concert series launched by Lambert Jackson Productions and The Theatre Café shortly after the coronavirus theatre lockdown began in London, will draw to a close on Friday 29 May 2020 at 6.30pm with a finale concert by Beverley Knight.

During lockdown since mid-March, Leave a Light On has become one of the biggest paid-for sources of theatrical entertainment in the country. By the end of the ten-week series, 72 artists will have performed 45-minute concerts from their homes, and by selling tickets to view at an average price of £7.50, over £30,000 will have been raised for those performers.

Other performers featured in the final fortnight include Miracle Chance, Katie Rowley Jones, Dave Willetts, Jarneia Richard-Noel, Adam Bailey, Scott Hunter, Joel Harper-Jackson and David O’Reilly.

Producers Jamie Lambert and Eliza Jackson said today:

“Theatre is the lifeblood of the UK. We have always believed this, and we are grateful to have worked with The Theatre Café to bring entertainment to households around the UK and the world in a way that has supported so many artists. We have been so moved by the responses from both the performers who wanted to be involved and the audience members who have supported the shows.

“It hasn’t been without difficulty – creating a streaming platform of this size during a lockdown isn’t easy, and we’d like to thank our amazing team at Gininet and all of the teams and the press who have supported this endeavour.

“We feel it’s a fitting end to the series to have Beverley Knight as the closing show, and we are going to continue working to see how we can play our part to help keep theatre alive for the foreseeable future.”

Lambert Jackson Productions and The Theatre Café have expressed gratitude to the artists involved for working hard to put on a wide variety of shows, and also the audiences who purchased tickets to keep theatre alive during “one of the most difficult and unprecedented times in history”.

And for the final week w/c #BankHolidayMonday 25 May, the #StageFaves joining @Beverleyknight in the #LeaveALightOn spotlight are:⭐ @JoelHarperJacks⭐ @AdamDavidBailey & @shhscotthunter ⭐ @davidoreilly25#GetSocial ]]>Mon, 18 May 2020 09:00:00 +0000http://www.stagefaves.com/blog/strictly-ballroom-s-uk-tour-starring-strictly-come-dancing-s-kevin-clifton-postpones-until-autumn-20http://www.stagefaves.com/blog/strictly-ballroom-s-uk-tour-starring-strictly-come-dancing-s-kevin-clifton-postpones-until-autumn-20Craig Revel Horwood's new production of Baz Luhrmann's STRICTLY BALLROOM only announced its big-name star, Strictly Come Dancing's Kevin Clifton, in mid-March, just as theatres were locking down. It's now postponed its tour, which was due to launch in late September, by a full year...

Due to the on-going Covid-19 pandemic, the 2020 UK tour of Baz Luhrmann’s Strictly Ballroom The Musical, starring Kevin Clifton and directed by Craig Revel Horwood, has been rescheduled and will now begin in Autumn 2021. 

To ensure everyone’s safety in these uncertain times, the producers of Strictly Ballroom The Musical had to take the difficult decision to reschedule the original tour dates. But the good news is that all of the shows in the touring schedule have been rearranged and tickets for each performance will be exchanged automatically, so fans will not miss out on this musical extravaganza. Details of how to exchange tickets will follow in the coming weeks. 

Based on the award-winning global film phenomenon Strictly Ballroom, which inspired the world to dance, this all-singing, all-dancing and all-glittering tour will now kick off in Plymouth on 27 September 2021. The musical will then waltz across the UK and parts of Ireland, including London area stints at New Wimbledon Theatre and Bromley's Churchill Theatre, before culminating in Blackpool in July 2022.

Kevin Clifton said:

“I’m really delighted that the Strictly Ballroom tour has been rescheduled.  As I’ve mentioned before, it’s my all-time favourite film and Scott Hastings is my dream role, so I can’t wait to bring this musical to theatres across the UK next year.  In the meantime, please stay safe and keep well everyone.” 

Craig Revel Horwood added:

“I’m thrilled that our new production of Strictly Ballroom The Musical has been rescheduled for 2021/2022.  The tour may be a year later, but you can still expect those same sexy dance moves, scintillating costumes and a simply FAB-U-LOUS show for all to enjoy, starring the one and only Kevin Clifton!” 

Craig Revel Horwood

What's the show about?

Strictly Ballroom The Musical tells the beguiling story of Scott Hastings, a talented, arrogant and rebellious young ballroom dancer. When Scott’s radical dance moves see him fall out of favour with the Australian Federation, he finds himself dancing with Fran, a beginner with no moves at all. Inspired by one another, this unlikely pair gather the courage to defy both convention and their families – and discover that, to be winners, the steps don’t need to be strictly ballroom.

Featuring a show-stopping book by Baz Luhrmann & Craig Pearce, and bringing together a sublime cast of over 20 world-class performers, Strictly Ballroom brings to life iconic songs, including Love is in the Air, Perhaps Perhaps Perhaps and Time After Time with dynamic and joyous verve. This tour will also feature some amazing new songs by internationally acclaimed artists including Sia, David Foster and Eddie Perfect. The show’s scintillating singing, dazzling dancing and eye-popping costumes will combine together to bring audiences a story of heart, comedy and drama, and promises to be an unforgettable night under the glitter ball.

This uplifting and courageous musical originated as a stage play that Baz Luhrmann devised with a group of classmates at Sydney’s National Institute of Dramatic Art in 1984. Eight years later he made his screen directorial debut with Strictly Ballroom, the first instalment in Luhrmann’s acclaimed Red Curtain Trilogy. The vibrant film enjoyed staggering success, winning three awards at the 1993 BAFTA awards and a 1994 Golden Globe nomination for Best Picture, going on to become one of the most successful Australian films of all time, earning more than $80 million at the box office. In April 2014 Strictly Ballroom The Musical had its world premiere at the Sydney Lyric Theatre.

Baz Luhrmann’s Strictly Ballroom The Musical is a fabulous, feel-good evening full of sequins, singing and salsa. This unmissable kaleidoscope of glitz and glamour is a tonic for the soul and will send your heart soaring and toes tapping long after you leave the theatre!

Rescheduled tour dates

27/09/2021 - 02/10/2021                Plymouth Theatre Royal – On sale soon

04/10/2021 - 09/10/2021                Portsmouth: Kings Theatre

11/10/2021 - 16/10/2021                Northampton: Royal & Derngate

18/10/2021 - 23/10/2021                Sunderland: Empire

08/11/2021 - 13/11/2021                Ipswich: Regent Theatre

15/11/2021 - 20/11/2021                York: Grand Opera House

22/11/2021 - 27/11/2021                Bradford: Alhambra – On sale soon

29/11/2021 - 04/12/2021                Cardiff: Wales Millennium Centre

20/12/2021 - 31/12/2021                Guildford: G Live

 

03/01/2022 - 08/01/2022                Darlington: Hippodrome

10/01/2022 - 15/01/2022                Peterborough: New Theatre

17/01/2022 - 22/01/2022                Salford: The Lowry, Lyric Theatre

24/01/2022 - 29/01/2022                Llandudno: Venue Cymru

31/01/2022 - 05/02/2022                Southampton: Mayflower

07/02/2022 - 12/02/2022                Reading: Hexagon

14/02/2022 - 19/02/2022                Nottingham: Theatre Royal

21/02/2022 - 26/02/2022                Canterbury: The Marlowe Theatre

28/02/2022 - 05/03/2022                Southend: Cliffs Pavilion

07/03/2022 - 12/03/2022                Aberdeen: His Majesty’s Theatre

14/03/2022 - 19/03/2022                Glasgow: Theatre Royale

21/03/2022 - 26/03/2022                Edinburgh: Playhouse

28/03/2022 - 02/04/2022                Dublin: Bord Gais Theatre – On sale soon

04/04/2022 - 09/04/2022                Derry: Millennium Forum

11/04/2022 - 16/04/2022                Wimbledon: New Theatre

18/04/2022 - 23/04/2022                Bournemouth: Pavilion Theatre

25/04/2022 - 30/04/2022                Hull: New Theatre – On sale 15 May

02/05/2022 - 07/05/2022                Wolverhampton: Grand Theatre

09/05/2022 - 14/05/2022                Bristol: Hippodrome

16/05/2022 - 21/05/2022                Liverpool: Empire

23/05/2022 - 28/05/2022                Aylesbury: Waterside Theatre

30/05/2022 - 04/06/2022                Sheffield: Lyceum – On sale in the Autumn

06/06/2022 - 11/06/2022                Newcastle: Theatre Royal – On sale soon

13/06/2022 - 18/06/2022                Bromley: Churchill Theatre

20/06/2022 - 25/06/2022                Milton Keynes: Milton Keynes Theatre

27/06/2022 - 02/07/2022                Blackpool: Opera House

The UK tour of #StrictlyBallroom - which only announced its star, #StrictlyComeDancing's @keviclifton, just before #theatrelockdown in mid-Mar - has postponed its opening a year til Sep 2021.#bbcstrictly judge @CraigRevHorwood directs. @sbtourUK #ST #SF pic.twitter.com/QoT3pdvaQd

— Terri Paddock (@TerriPaddock) May 13, 2020

]]>Thu, 14 May 2020 09:00:00 +0000http://www.stagefaves.com/blog/open-air-postpones-carousel-until-2021http://www.stagefaves.com/blog/open-air-postpones-carousel-until-2021The Open Air Theatre has announced its third musical cancellation this year. Carousel follows news about 101 Dalmatians and its transfer of Evita to the Barbican, along with the postponement of its entire summer season until 2021.

Following announcements in March and April of first 101 Dalmatians and then Romeo and Juliet, the Open Air Theatre has today announced that their entire 2020 season in Regent's Park, which also includes a major revival of classic Rodger and Hammerstein musical Carousel, has now been postponed until 2021 in the face of the continuing coronavirus crisis.

It is the first time that renowned outdoor venue has been unable to stage any of its much-loved summer programme in nearly 60 years.

Next year’s summer season will now open on Saturday 15 May 2021 with the new musical 101 Dalmatians, followed by Romeo and Juliet and concluding with Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Carousel. MoreOutdoor events will include Jimmy Carr’s, Terribly Funny, Shakespeare for Every Day of the Year LIVE, Luisa Omielan’s God is a Woman and the Luna Cinema screenings of Pretty Woman and The Shining. During August 2021, the theatre will also host Dragons and Mythical Beasts.

Artistic Director Timothy Sheader said:

“Whilst obviously unavoidable, it is incredibly sad that we are unable to open our theatre this summer for the first time since 1961. Our thoughts are with all those who were due to work with us this summer and our loyal audience. We are so grateful for the messages of support we have received over the past weeks and I am delighted that we have been able to reschedule all of our productions in 2021.

“We are a charity which receives no public subsidy and so ticket sales in the summer months provide the vast majority of our income. Through creative programming, shrewd financial management and the backing of an ambitious audience always up for the thrilling, yet unpredictable, nature of open-air theatre, we have built a successful and resilient business which has allowed us to weather this loss of an entire season.

“However, with another whole year until we are able to welcome audiences again, if our audiences are able to do so, I would be very grateful if they would consider supporting us in one of three ways:

• Buy tickets now for our 2021 season;
• Join our Annual Membership scheme and benefit from discounts and special events; or
• Make a one-off donation, helping us re-build our resilience fund as quickly as possible.

“This support really is much appreciated by all of us at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre, and we look forward to seeing everyone again in a sunnier 2021.”

AD Timothy Sheader says thru 'creative programming, shrewd financial management & the backing of an ambitious audience', @OpenAirTheatre has the resilience to 'weather this loss of an entire season'.Full #quote ⤵️. Still, donations + other support welcomed! #theatrelockdown #ST pic.twitter.com/O3v2mTxmt0

— Terri Paddock (@TerriPaddock) May 11, 2020

]]>Wed, 13 May 2020 09:00:00 +0000http://www.stagefaves.com/blog/cats-is-next-up-on-andrew-lloyd-webbers-lockdown-lineuphttp://www.stagefaves.com/blog/cats-is-next-up-on-andrew-lloyd-webbers-lockdown-lineupNever mind the panned 2019 big-screen release. True feline fans know that the 1998 recording of CATS, featuring Elaine Paige reprising her role as Grizabella, is where's it's really at. And it's next up on Andrew Lloyd Webber's free lockdown line-up - though only for 24 hours.

The lockdown streaming schedule for Andrew Lloyd Webber‘s free-to-view YouTube Channel The Shows Must Go On will continue this Friday with a broadcast of his global blockbuster Cats. This film version of the stage musical was released straight to video in 1998/9, as opposed to the recent Hollywood feature film.

For 24 hours only in the UK (not the usual 48) from 7pm this Friday 15 May 2020, fans can watch the show for free – Friday evening/Saturday matinee viewing recommended.

Lloyd Webber‘s sung-through musical Cats, based on TS Eliot‘s 1939 poetry collection Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats, tells the story of a tribe of “Jellicle” cats who gather one night to decide which of them should ascend to the “Heavyside Layer” and a new life.

The blockbuster stage version, produced by Cameron Mackintosh and directed by Trevor Nunn, premiered at the West End’s New London Theatre (now renamed the Gillian Lynne Theatre after the show’s choreographer) in 1981 before transferring to Broadway in 1982 and other productions across the globe. 'Memory', sung by Grizabella in the show, became an instant worldwide hit.

This 1998 filmed version features Elaine Paige as Grizabella (reprising the role she created onstage after Judi Dench was injured during rehearsals), John Partridge as Rum Tum Tugger, Ken Page as Old Deuteronomy and Sir John Mills as Gus.

The Shows Must Go On YouTube channel provides musical theatre lovers with a West End and Broadway experience in their own homes, online for free during the coronavirus crisis while theatres around the world are dark. Alongside the full-length shows, clips of famous performances and behind-the-scenes footage are uploaded regularly to the channel.

Previous screenings have included Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat (starring Donny Osmond), Jesus Christ Superstar, The Phantom of the Opera, Love Never Dies, Lloyd Webber’s 50th birthday concert at the Royal Albert Hall and By Jeeves. Further productions are to be announced.

Do you remember 'Memory'?

Elaine Paige created the role of Grizabella onstage and made the show's most-famous song her own.

]]>Tue, 12 May 2020 09:00:00 +0000http://www.stagefaves.com/blog/lockdown-extends-west-end-theatres-remain-closed-until-at-least-28-june-2020http://www.stagefaves.com/blog/lockdown-extends-west-end-theatres-remain-closed-until-at-least-28-june-2020When will be able to see our fave West End musicals again? The rolling cancellations continue as the National Theatre artistic director Rufus Norris and Nimax Theatres' owner Nica Burns warn that many theatres may not survive...

The latest statement from the Society of London Theatre (SOLT) – on behalf of the major commercial West End theatre operators – was issued this week, confirming that theatres will remain closed until 28 June 2020, with updates on subsequent cancellations issued on a rolling basis.

Here’s the full statement:

“London’s West End looks forward to welcoming audiences back into theatres as soon as performances can safely resume. To give our customers some clarity, we have been cancelling performances across the West End on a rolling basis, in line with the latest advice from the Government. We are now extending those cancellations until Sunday 28 June 2020.

“This does not mean theatres will reopen on 29 June; if further cancellations are necessary they will continue to be announced on a rolling basis. Different theatres and productions are likely to reopen at different times.

“Ticketholders for affected performances do not need to do anything. They will be contacted by the organisation from which they bought their tickets to arrange a refund, credit note or exchange for a later date.

“We are grateful to customers for the patience they are showing during this challenging time for our industry. With 300,000 people visiting West End theatres in a normal week, it’s a major undertaking to process refunds, exchanges and credit notes, particularly when many staff are working remotely. Please rest assured that we are all working as quickly as we can and we appreciate the on-going support of our audiences.”

How many theatres won’t survive #coronacrisisuk? ‘If no govt support, most of them,’ says @NationalTheatre AD Rufus Norris.@NimaxTheatres’ Nica Burns says S Korean safeguards could work but not distancing. Your thoughts/fears?@itvlondon @RagsMartel pic.twitter.com/g6MwKu8l2b

— Terri Paddock (@TerriPaddock) May 7, 2020

]]>Thu, 07 May 2020 10:00:00 +0000http://www.stagefaves.com/blog/sunday-in-the-park-with-george-cancels-its-london-season-until-further-noticehttp://www.stagefaves.com/blog/sunday-in-the-park-with-george-cancels-its-london-season-until-further-noticeHow gutted are you? As the Society of London Theatre (SOLT) confirms that all West End performances are now cancelled until at least 28 June 2020, the Broadway transfer of Sondheim's SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE, due to run 11 June to 5 September 2020 at the Savoy Theatre, has postponed its season until some point in 2021.

The highly anticipated Broadway transfer of Sunday in the Park with George, starring Academy Award nominee Jake Gyllenhaal and Tony® Award winner Annaleigh Ashford, has postponed its season in the West End until further notice, following the temporary closure of theatreland due to the coronavirus crisis.

Presented by Ambassador Theatre Group Productions, Riva Marker and Jeanine Tesori in association with New York City Center, this celebrated production of Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine’s Pulitzer-winning masterpiece, directed by Sarna Lapine, will rebook performances at the Savoy Theatre, London next year, with specific dates and details to be confirmed in due course.

Current ticket holders for the postponed 2020 engagement of Sunday In The Park With George will be contacted shortly by their ticket provider with regard to priority access to the future engagement.

This revival of Sondheim’s 1984 musical began at New York City Center in 2016, it then transferred in 2017 for a sold-out limited season at Hudson Theater on Broadway, where it was met with universal critical and public acclaim.

Sunday in the Park with George follows French painter Georges Seurat (Jake Gyllenhaal) in the months leading up to the completion of his most famous painting – A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte. Consumed by his need to “finish the hat”, Seurat alienates the French bourgeoisie, spurns his fellow artists, and neglects his lover Dot (Annaleigh Ashford), not realising that his actions will reverberate for the next 100 years.

On Sunday 26 April 2020, stars Annaleigh Ashford and Jake Gyllenhaal took part in an all-star concert to celebrate the 90th birthday of Stephen Sondheim which was streamed live on Broadway.com. The concert also raised money for the arts charity, ASTEP (Artists Striving to End Poverty), which seeks to helps underserved communities in the US access the performing arts. It raised over 260,000 dollars and the concert received over 1 million views in just 24 hours. The 2017 Broadway Cast Recording featuring Gyllenhaal and Ashford is available to buy, download and stream now.

Quotes

Jake Gyllenhaal said:

“We are, of course, disappointed to postpone our upcoming season, but know that safety is a top priority and science must lead the way. London’s West End is incredibly special to me, and it will be an absolute honour to return to the stage so we can eventually share Sunday In The Park With George with audiences in 2021.”

Annaleigh Ashford said: “As we all do our part to make the world a safe place for ourselves and our neighbours, it is with a heavy heart that this production of Sunday In The Park With George is postponed. I believe at the end of this storm, we will be together again in “our perfect park” on a beautiful Sunday. ”

James Lapine and Stephen Sondheim write: “We are happy that despite having to postpone the imminent production of Sunday In The Park With George, London audiences will eventually get to see Jake Gyllenhaal and Annaleigh Ashford reprising their wonderful performances alongside a terrific British company.”

Meanwhile, here's a #lockdown sampler of #JakeGyllenhaal & #AnnaleighAshford singing @SundayWestEnd for @broadwaycom's online concert celebrating #StephenSondheim's 90th bday last week. When will we #MoveOn from #theatrelockdown? #Sondheim90Concert #SF pic.twitter.com/5owDoFfiku

— Terri Paddock (@TerriPaddock) May 5, 2020

]]>Thu, 07 May 2020 09:00:00 +0000http://www.stagefaves.com/blog/tune-in-andrew-lloyd-webber-alan-ayckbourn-s-by-jeeves-streams-this-weekhttp://www.stagefaves.com/blog/tune-in-andrew-lloyd-webber-alan-ayckbourn-s-by-jeeves-streams-this-weekIt was last in the West End more than twenty years ago so this may be the first opportunity for many to see Andrew Lloyd Webber and Alan Ayckbourn's sole collaboration. Their musical comedy BY JEEVES, inspired by PG Wodehouse's classic Jeeves and Wooster stories, streams for 48 hours for free on YouTube from this Friday 8 May 2020. Watch two of the show's songs here...

The lockdown streaming schedule for Andrew Lloyd Webber‘s free-to-view YouTube Channel The Shows Must Go On will continue this Friday with a broadcast of By Jeeves, his musical comedy collaboration with Alan Ayckbourn, inspired by the stories of PG Wodehouse.

For 48 hours from 7pm this Friday 8 May 2020, fans can watch the show for free – more essential weekend viewing.

By Jeeves follows one of the adventures of the hapless Bertie Wooster (played by American actor John Scherer), a young gentleman about town with a penchant for getting himself into personal difficulties, particularly with women. It is inevitably left to his unflappable manservant Jeeves (played by Martin Jarvis) to provide tidy and elegant rescues and guide Bertie through the improvised chaos.

By Jeeves, originally titled simply Jeeves, premiered at the West End’s Her Majesty’s Theatre in 1975 but flopped, running for just one month. Lloyd Webber and Ayckbourn revisited it, substantially revising and renaming it, in 1996, when it opened at Ayckbourn’s Stephen Joseph Theatre in Scarborough and then transferred to the West End, with a cast led by Steven Pacey and Malcolm Sinclair as Bertie and Jeeves.

This filmed version was recorded in Canada in 2001, before the musical’s brief Broadway premiere season. Songs include Banjo Boy, Wooster Will Entertain You, Travel Hopefully, The Hallo Song, It’s a Pig!, What You Have You Got To Say, Jeeves? and the title number.

The Shows Must Go On YouTube channel provides musical theatre lovers with a West End and Broadway experience in their own homes, online for free during the coronavirus crisis while theatres around the world are dark. Alongside the full-length shows, clips of famous performances and behind-the-scenes footage are uploaded regularly to the channel.

Previous screenings have included Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat (starring Donny Osmond), Jesus Christ Superstar, The Phantom of the Opera, Love Never Dies and Lloyd Webber’s 50th birthday concert at the Royal Albert Hall. Further productions are to be announced.

Watch songs from the show

Here are two of the kookier numbers from By Jeeves: enjoy It's a Pig! and Banjo Boy.

]]>Tue, 05 May 2020 09:30:00 +0000http://www.stagefaves.com/blog/the-shows-must-go-on-andrew-lloyd-webber-s-50th-birthday-concert-is-next-on-the-shows-must-go-onhttp://www.stagefaves.com/blog/the-shows-must-go-on-andrew-lloyd-webber-s-50th-birthday-concert-is-next-on-the-shows-must-go-onAnother weekend must-watch for musical theatre fans. The latest broadcast on the lockdown line-up for The Shows Must Go On freeview YouTube channel is the star-studded 50th birthday concert for composer Andrew Lloyd Webber, recorded live at the Royal Albert Hall.

The lockdown streaming schedule for Andrew Lloyd Webber‘s free-to-view YouTube Channel The Shows Must Go On will continue this Friday with a broadcast of the star-studded concert held at London’s Royal Albert Hall in 1998 to celebrate the composer’s 50th birthday.

For 48 hours from 7pm this Friday 1 May 2020, fans can watch the show for free – more essential weekend viewing.

In this large-scale concert, recorded live on 7 April 1998, stars including Sarah Brightman, Michael Ball, Glenn Close, Antonio Banderas, Elaine Paige, Donny Osmond, Kiri Te Kanawa and Boyzone paid tribute to Lloyd Webber and his musicals.

Highlights include Glenn Close singing from Sunset Boulevard, Elaine Paige singing Memory from Cats, Sarah Brightman singing from The Phantom of the Opera, Donny Osmond singing from Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat, Antonia Banderas singing from Evita (having appeared in the film version with Madonna) and Boyzone singing No Matter What from Whistle Down the Wind, a number one hit for the band at the height of their 1990s’ popularity.

The Shows Must Go On YouTube channel provides musical theatre lovers with a West End and Broadway experience in their own homes, online for free during the coronavirus crisis while theatres around the world are dark. Alongside the full-length shows, clips of famous performances and behind-the-scenes footage are uploaded regularly to the channel.

Previous screenings have included Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat (starring Donny Osmond), Jesus Christ Superstar, The Phantom of the Opera and Love Never Dies. Further productions are to be announced.

Watch concert highlights

]]>Wed, 29 Apr 2020 09:45:00 +0000http://www.stagefaves.com/blog/nicole-raquel-dennis-gets-her-dream-role-as-effiehttp://www.stagefaves.com/blog/nicole-raquel-dennis-gets-her-dream-role-as-effieShe got to perform 'And I Am Telling You' with Jennifer Hudson on The Voice... and soon Nicole Raquel Dennis will get a chance to sing all of Effie White's songs every night as she is cast to lead Dreamgirls' first-ever UK tour. Watch her in action here.

Nicole Raquel Dennis will play the role of Effie White in the first-ever UK tour of Dreamgirls. Dependent on government guidelines around coronavirus, the production will launch from Bristol Hippodrome on 12 September 2020.

A finalist on ITV’s The Voice in 2019, Nicole wowed viewers and judges at her blind audition, performing Dreamgirls mega-hit ‘And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going’ alongside team mentor Jennifer Hudson. Hudson won an Oscar (Best Supporting Actress) for her portrayal of Effie White in the 2006 Oscar-winning motion picture adaptation of Dreamgirls, which also starred Beyoncé Knowles, Eddie Murphy and Jamie Foxx.

Before opening in the UK Tour of Dreamgirls, Nicole remains in the original West End company of Dear Evan Hansen (Nöel Coward Theatre) in which she plays the role of Alana Beck. Nicole’s other London stage credits include The Book of Mormon (Prince of Wales Theatre), Waitress (Adelphi Theatre) and the West End production of Dreamgirls (Savoy Theatre).

This sensational, multi-award-winning new production of Dreamgirls had its critically acclaimed West End premiere in December 2016 at London’s Savoy Theatre, 35 years on from opening on Broadway. The UK tour will begin this autumn and visit Bristol, Milton Keynes, Blackpool, Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Birmingham, Sunderland, Hull, Nottingham, Liverpool, Norwich, Canterbury and Leeds. Further venues and dates are to be announced.

Nicole Raquel Dennis said:

“I am so thrilled that I can finally speak about something I’ve been holding onto for the LONGEST time!  I will be playing Effie White in the first-ever UK tour of Dreamgirls. Also, I cannot wait to be back with my Dear Evan Hansen Fam on the stage at the Noel Coward once theatres reopen and so thrilled that following that, I will be going on tour in this mammoth role! Effie has been a dream of mine since I was a little girl and now I will get to share her with audiences around the UK. To say I’m excited is an understatement.”

Producer Sonia Friedman said: “We are delighted to be able to announce that having wowed viewers on ITV’s The Voice, as well as audiences in the West End, the incredibly gifted Nicole Dennis will be re-joining the Dreamgirls family to play Effie White on tour throughout the UK. The multi-award-winning Broadway classic Dreamgirls is an empowering and hugely entertaining story of hope, redemption, sisterhood, and resilience with an uplifting and extraordinary score of now-classic hit songs from the golden era of American soul, R&B, and disco. It is a shining example of the best of American musical theatre, and the escapism that we will all need soon.”

Nicole Raquel Dennis will play the role of Effie White in the Dreamgirls UK tour at certain performances with further casting to be announced soon.

This award-winning production is directed and choreographed by Olivier and Tony Award-winning Casey Nicholaw (The Book of Mormon, Mean Girls, Disney’s Aladdin and Something Rotten!), with Set and Costume Design by Tim Hatley, Lighting Design by Hugh Vanstone, Sound Design by Richard Brooker, Hair Design by Josh Marquette and Music Supervision by Nick Finlow.

She is changing

Here's Nicole getting to grips with her dream role care of one of Effie's signature songs, "I Am Changing".

Dreamgirls in lockdown

And speaking of Dreamgirls, have you seen what many of the original West End cast members - including previous Effie, Amber Riley - have been up to in lockdown? This is a "One Night Only" as you've never seen it before.

Here's a BIG treat. The original cast of @Dreamgirls_UK with a #LockdownLive version of #OneNightOnly. Inc composer Henry Krieger, @OlivierAwards winner @MsAmberPRiley + @Ibinabo_Jack_ @Lee_seee @misskimmye @joeaaronreid & co! Full 🎥: https://t.co/uTZEhS0N61 @StageFaves #SF pic.twitter.com/1hmFaMVwT2

— Terri Paddock (@TerriPaddock) April 19, 2020

]]>Tue, 28 Apr 2020 09:00:00 +0000http://www.stagefaves.com/blog/sister-act-reschedules-london-run-for-2021http://www.stagefaves.com/blog/sister-act-reschedules-london-run-for-2021Sadly, it's getting to be a habit announcing coronavirus postponements and cancellations. SISTER ACT, including the much-anticipated return of Whoopi Goldberg to the role of Deloris Van Cartier, has been delayed a year until next summer.

Due to current government guidelines resulting in a delay to the production, the producers of Sister Act have announced that performances in London and on tour have now been rescheduled.

Sister Act was due to open at Curve, Leicester this month with a London run at the Eventim Apollo from 21 July 2020 to 30 August 2020. The London run is now rescheduled to open 20 July 2021 at the Eventim Apollo, where it will play until 29 August 2021, with a press night on 27 July 2021.

Current ticketholders for the London run have been moved into the same seats for equivalent performances by day of week for the 2021 run. Patrons will be able to use their current ticket for performances next year. Performance times remain unchanged.

The Eventim Apollo Box Office and tickets agents will be in touch with patrons in the next 14 days. If you are a ticketholder you do not need to do anything. Your point of purchase will be in touch with you to confirm the new date for your booking.

All the latest tour news, along with full details of future productions, will be announced in the coming weeks and ticketholders for the tour will be contacted by the venue they purchased tickets from. Casting for the tour will be announced soon.

In London, the show will star the previously announced Whoopi Goldberg as ‘Deloris Van Cartier’ and Jennifer Saunders as ‘Mother Superior’. Further casting for the London run will be announced soon.

Whoopi Goldberg, who is also one of the producers of Sister Act, said:

“We are thrilled with the overwhelming support from people all over the world who have been buying tickets for Sister Act. We are all disappointed not to be able to do the show this summer, but Jennifer and I can’t wait to see you all next year.”

Goldberg plays Deloris Van Cartier for the first time on stage having played the part in the hugely successful films Sister Act and Sister Act 2 – Back in the Habit. Based on the iconic movie, Sister Act is a sparkling tribute to the universal power of friendship, sisterhood and music tells the hilarious story of the disco diva whose life takes a surprising turn when she witnesses a murder. Under protective custody she is hidden in the one place she won’t be found – a convent! Disguised as a nun and under the suspicious watch of Mother Superior, Deloris helps her fellow sisters find their voices as she unexpectedly rediscovers her own.

Sister Act has direction by Bill Buckhurst, choreography by Alistair David, Set and Costume Design by Morgan Large, Lighting Design by Tim Mitchell, Sound Design by Tom Marshall and Musical Supervision by Stephen Brooker. Casting is by Stuart Burt.

.@sisteractsocial, which was to due to open this month at @CurveLeicester before transferring to @EventimApollo, has been postponed till 2021. It will now run same dates - 20 Jul-29 Aug - next year.Stars @WhoopiGoldberg & @ferrifrump send this message to audiences. #ST #SF pic.twitter.com/T7XBeIhQ8A

— Terri Paddock (@TerriPaddock) April 24, 2020

]]>Mon, 27 Apr 2020 09:00:00 +0000http://www.stagefaves.com/blog/on-hope-digital-trilogy-brings-together-over-60-composers-and-100-performershttp://www.stagefaves.com/blog/on-hope-digital-trilogy-brings-together-over-60-composers-and-100-performersWill a brand-new digital song cycle bring you hope in dark times? The casting alone is raising ou hopes. Over 100 performers, recording in lockdown isolation, will bring to life this new musical trilogy composed by over 60 composers and broadcast by The Other Palace.

Casting has been announced for MPTheatricals & The Other Palace’s on hope: a digital song cycle – an unprecedented outpouring of new musical theatre pieces designed to spark hope during this global crisis. The trilogy will be live-streamed on Wednesday 29 April, 6 May and 13 May 2020 at 7:30pm.

Curated by Matt Powell and Victoria Saxton, the trilogy blends together pre-recorded and live performances of songs written by over 60 international composers and features a cast of over 100 performers while in isolation. 

The cast for on hope: a digital song cycle includes: 

• Christina Bennington (Bat Out of Hell)
• Rebecca Caine (Les Miserables, Preludes)
• Joanne Clifton (Strictly Come Dancing, Rocky Horror Show)
• Liam Doyle (Ghost)
• Lauren Drew (Six, Heathers)
• Alice Fearn (Come From Away, Wicked)
• Scott Folan (Be More Chill)
• Russell Grant (Strictly Come Dancing)
• Jessica Gomes-Ng (The King & I)
• Sophie Issacs (Six, Heathers)
• Waylon Jacobs (Hamilton)
• Sasha Latoya (Little Shop of Horrors, Flashdance)
• Kirsty Maclaren (Our Ladies of Perpetual Succour)
• Carolyn Maitland (The Woman in White)
• Chris Peluso (Showboat, The Woman in White)
• Jodie Steele (Six, Heathers)
• Danielle Steers (Six, Bat Out Of Hell)
• Tosh Wanogho-Maud (Dreamgirls)

Joining previously announced songwriters who have written original music for the digital song cycle are Jim Barnes (Stiles + Drewe Mentorship Award Winner, The Season) and Pippa Cleary and Jake Brunger (The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13 ¾ - The Musical).

The trilogy will be streamed live on The Other Palace’s YouTube channel, broadcasting on Wednesday 29th April, 6th May & 13th May 2020 at 7:30pm. Performances are free to watch, however, MPTheatricals have launched a fundraising initiative to support the creative talent involved in the project during this challenging time. 

Tune in on 29 Apr, 6 & 13 May here 👉 https://t.co/xKxJKhRGsC 👈 for @OnHopeSongCycle trilogy c/o @TheOtherPalace.Stars performing include @christinabenn @RebeccaCaine @joanneclifton @alice_fearn @TheRussellGrant @sophie_isaacs_ @WaylonJ04 @JodieSamSteele @DanielleSteers. #ST pic.twitter.com/vo5u91w8qh

— Terri Paddock (@TerriPaddock) April 22, 2020

]]>Fri, 24 Apr 2020 12:49:00 +0000http://www.stagefaves.com/blog/downloaded-yet-watch-the-stellar-les-miserables-staged-concert-raise-funds-for-covid-charitieshttp://www.stagefaves.com/blog/downloaded-yet-watch-the-stellar-les-miserables-staged-concert-raise-funds-for-covid-charitiesTickets to the star-studded special staged concert of Les Miserables were like gold-dust last year when the West End's longest-running musical moved temporarily to the Gielgud Theatre while its home at the Queen's Theatre was refurbished. Now's your chance to see it - or see it again... and help out those suffering during coronavirus...

Cameron Mackintosh has announced the debut of the hugely successful Les Misérables –The Staged Concert on digital download in the UK and Australia, which will also raise much-needed funds for performers, musicians and the NHS.

For every digital download (RRP £9.99), The Mackintosh Foundation will separately donate £5.00 to be shared amongst the charity Acting for Others, the Musicians Union Coronavirus Hardship Fund and Captain Tom Moore’s Walk for the NHS fund.  In addition, Mackintosh has launched the fundraising today by donating £100,000 from his Foundation. Anyone who purchases the download will also have the opportunity to donate.

Mackintosh said:

“I am delighted that UPHE Content Group is releasing Les Misérables -The Staged Concert as a digital download at this time of crisis as it also allows my Foundation to help raise much-needed funds for particular charities that are under such pressure at the moment. Alongside the concert, we will also be releasing a specially created mini-documentary Bringing It Home which includes footage of the stars at their homes talking about their experiences both of live theatre and the show plus never seen before backstage footage that wonderfully captures the humour, camaraderie and thrill of performing to live audiences in these hauntingly beautiful and exciting historic buildings.

“In these extraordinary times, we hope that fans and everyone who loves the theatre will be reminded of how special a theatrical experience can be, going to the very heart of our British culture, which make our nation so special and unique.  I am exceptionally proud of everyone involved in the making of the Concert and very much hope my Foundation will be able to help a raise a considerable amount of money for these deserving charities.”

The spectacular sell-out staging of this legendary concert, with a company of over 65, ran last year at the intimate Gielgud Theatre while the home of Les Misérables at the re-named Sondheim Theatre was undergoing major refurbishments in time for a thrillingly acclaimed re-opening that took place in December last year.  Plans are in place for Les Misérables to re-open in the West End in the Autumn once the Government lockdown has ended and the social distancing regulations relaxed, continuing its world record-breaking 35-year run.

The cast for the concert stars Michael Ball as Javert, Alfie Boe as Jean Valjean, Matt Lucas as Thénardier, Carrie Hope Fletcher as Fantine, Rob Houchen as Marius, Bradley Jaden as Enjolras, Katy Secombe as Madame Thénardier, Shan Ako as Éponine, Lily Kerhoas as Cosette and John Owen-Jones, who also played Jean Valjean at certain performances.

The Company also includes Rosanna Bates, Adam Bayjou, Ciarán Bowling, Oliver Brenin, Earl Carpenter, Vinny Coyle, Samantha Dorsey, Tamsin Dowsett, Nicola Espallardo, Celia Graham, Holly-Anne Hull, Oliver Jackson, Christopher Jacobsen, Gavin James, Will Jennings, Ciaran Joyce, Katie Kerr, Sarah Lark, Joanna Loxton, Craig Mather, Stephen Matthews, James Nicholson, Rosa O’Reilly, Claire Parrish, Sophie Reeves, Grainne Renihan, Leo Roberts, Niall Sheehy, Raymond Walsh, Gemma Wardle and Andrew York. 

Les Misérables’ legendary score includes numerous classics including I Dreamed a Dream, On My Own, Stars, Bring Him Home, Do You Hear the People Sing?, One Day More, Empty Chairs at Empty Tables, Master Of The House and many more.

Les Misérables, produced on stage and screen by Cameron Mackintosh, is conceived by Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg and is based on the novel by Victor Hugo.  It has music by Claude-Michel Schönberg, lyrics by Herbert Kretzmer and original French text by Alain Boublil and Jean-Marc Natel with additional material by James Fenton and adaptation by Trevor Nunn andJohn Caird.

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