Scrooge @ Liverpool Empire

Tommy Steele makes his stage return in the Bill Kenwright produced "Scrooge!"

Basic on the Dickens classic, Scrooge tells the tale of old Ebenezer Scrooge, an old skinflint of a man who refuses to celebrate Christmas. He is interested only in his money and will stop at nothing to earn as much of it as he can. One Christmas eve he is visited by the spirit of his old friend and business partner, Jacob Marley, who warns Scrooge that he must change his act now or face the eternity of his afterlife in chains begging for remorse. What follows, is a visit from three Christmas ghosts who show Scrooge how he must change his life.

The set, for a Kenwright production is excellent. It is extravagant - it looks, and feels like old Victorian England - with the exception of a backdrop which separates Scrooges counting house from the outside. It blows backwards and forwards during a pivotal scene in the story and is quite distracting to the audience. The costumes however are exceptional - the attention to detail is excellent, particularly to the three ghosts.

The thing that sets this apart from other Christmas shows out there are the illusions. There are tricks aplenty, from ghosts appearing and disappearing onto the stage, appearing from apparant solid walls, and quick changes that would impress David Blaine! A definate highlight of the evening - many a child will leave this show wondering how some of the tricks were done!

Tommy Steele in the leading role is good - the audience love the man who has been performing on the British stage for the past few decades. What he lacks in vocal strength, he more than makes up for in charisma, and he balances the greed with the humour very well. Other cast members are good.

Some minor flaws in the show was some lines being forgotten by some of the cast, sound problems caused by the theatres system and the lack of power in some of the casts voices. The child cast members, were also sub-par which took away from the emotion of the story.

The score, whilst not very memorable, added a new dynamic to this well-known story. The songs are written moderately well, and sang adequately. They don't really move the story along, but in a show like Scrooge, they do add to the party, Christmas atmosphere in the auditorium.

A good Christmas romp!

7/10

Rocky Horror Show

This evening, Liverpool welcomed the arrival of many a man dressed in drag, and many a woman dressed in nothing but corsets and stockings - no it wasn't the world pole dancing championships - it was the first night of Richard O'Briens Rocky Horror Show.

Set in a dark, spooky castle, the show tells the story of engaged sweethearts Brad and Janet, who are caught in a storm and are forced to take refuge in the home of Frank 'n' Furter and some of the craziest people this world has ever seen. Featuring the iconic "Time Warp" and the timeless "Sweet Transvestite", this show is definately not one for the kids.

The acting from the start is flawless, as is the majority of the singing. David Bedella in the lead role stands out, as does Haley Flaherty as Janet. The microphones on some cast members were turned up slightly too high at times, and in group numbers alot of the voices became distorted, and so the words lost some of the meaning. The band were very good, playing the rock music with gusto and exuberance. It was nice to be able to actually see the audience, perched high above the stage in plain view, rather than them being hidden away in the pit.

The atmosphere in the crowd however was as electric as the bass guitars which were providing the superb sound. The audience were on their feet throughout the show and were happily singing along and shouting out in places. It did get a tad annoying when one gentleman in the crowd felt like he had to shout out all the way through. It was also slightly off putting to see so many security men in the audience. They walked around the auditorium constantly and so were very distracting.

The humour of the show is exceptional, and everyone left having a superb evening. One feels that the weekend shows will be much more rowdier, as the crowds will be watching the show before a night out, and so I think the audience will be electric. If Michael Starkes narrator bounces off the audience as he did tonight, then everyone is in for a real treat.

Real Adults Night Out! 8/10

Sorry about lack of posts!

Sorry I've not been posting as much on here as I would like! I've started a new course and so the number of trips to the the theatre has rapidly decreased! Will try and make a special effort though to at least post the most recent news from the theatre world, as well as box office updates. I am planning on seeing a good few shows before Christmas too, so will get my reviews up! Here's just a few news worthy items I've seen these past few weeks!


Avenue Q closed on Broadway at the end of August - it will however be playing for a while in an off-Broadway theatre.

Shrek the Musical is due to close on January 4th 2010, just over a year after it opened. It wasn't selling particularly well, as you probably have seen from my weekly theatre updates!

Andrew Lloyd Webber has been diagnosed with a form of prostate cancer. It has been caught in the early stages and he is currently undergoing treatment, so we hope he will be ok! Andrew also premiered his new musical this month. Love Never Dies, the sequel to the Phantom of the Opera will open in February for previews in London's Adelphi theatre. The production will star London's current phantom, Ramin Karimloo and American Sierra Bogdess, and it is thought that the show will open on Broadway and in the far East not long after.

Legally Blonde is coming to London in December. It will star Benidorm's Sherridan Smith, Duncan James from Blue, Jill Halfpenny, and Aoife Mulholland!

Last night I watched a National Theatre production in Liverpool. The Black Album had received poor reviews on its London run, but I thought that with it being an NT production that it would still be quite good. I was quite wrong! Set in 1989, the story follows a young man with Pakistani origins who travels from Selly Oaks in Kent to London for university. There he falls into a crowd of radical muslims who want to stop the publication of The Satanic Verses. The young man doesn't believe in the radical nature of his friends and just wants to finish his course and to get together with his lecturer, but as time goes by he gets dragged more and more into their mess, with potentially fatal consequences. The acting was appauling, the story was dismal and dull, and the pace was all wrong. I wasn't suprised that more than 10% of the already small audience left during the interval. The only saving grace was the fabulous set - 3 walls which gave the illusion of a living room, which had images and words projected on it to give the illusion of different venues.

3/10

Beauty and The Beast @ Liverpool Empire Theatre

Disney’s classic love story, immortalised in the stunning 1991 Oscar nominated film, lands at the Liverpool Empire this week, and is sure to delight youngsters from all across Merseyside.

Based on the fairytale of the same name, Beauty and the Beast follows the life of Belle, a pretty girl from a small French Village who is locked in a castle by a monster who has been place under an enchanted spell. As time passes, Belle begins to grow fond of the Beast and his servants, and the spell beings to break.

The beginning of the show is visually impressive. An animated video is projected onto a screen at the front of the Empire stage. The screen then becomes transparent whilst the animated video is still playing. This effect is used again and again throughout the show and is visually stunning. It is a very clever effect and should be used in more productions.

The cast were all good in the roles they played, but particular mention must go to Ashley Oliver, whose Belle will be remembered in the hearts of children for a long time to come – she wasn’t just playing the young girl who transformed into a princess, she was that character. Ben Harlow had an excellent voice, but his Gaston a bit too camp.

The first act is good in setting the scene, but is riddled with too many songs that aren’t in the film. The songs which are well written are received well, but there were lots of restless children during some of the other songs, and one feels that some could be shortened or cut completely. I’m not completely sure whether the new songs lack the charm of the songs which are from the film, or whether it is just because people don’t recognise them, but there is a definite change in the air when a recognisable song is performed.

Of the musical numbers Be Our Guest was a highlight. It was a visual feast cabaret number, and the audience loved every second of it. The interval should have followed this song because it was such a spectacle. The following song, as a result, lacks the punch it requires and so the next few minutes seem a bit laboured. It is a shame because If I Can’t Love Her is probably the best new addition of songs in the show.

The second Act does seem much more focused. “Beauty and the Beast”, sung by Angela Lansbury in the film version is performed to perfection and many a young princess in the audience will have this scene etched in their memory for many years to come.

Simply charming!

Belle of the Ball

8/10

David's theatre trip!

Last month I packed my bags and travelled 300 miles across the country to spend a full week attending the theatre. Chichester Festival theatre, and its younger sister The Minera, are world renowned for the quality of shows they put on. During the summer months the theatre produces all of the shows they put on which is a rarety in this current economic downturn, especially when you consider the costs of producing your own plays. Additionally, Chichester puts on its shows in rep so that visitors to the area like me can watch alot of theatrics in a short amount of time. And so, 3 plays, a musical and a theatre tour later it was time to look back and reflect on my week of cultural heaven.

The first play that I watched was called Grapes of Wrath, which is directed by Chichesters Artistic Director, and based on a John Steinbeck novel of the same name. Set in the American mid-west in the 1940's, Grapes tells the story of an ordinary American familys quest to travel the country to California, where they are promised work and a better life. When they get there they realise that they, along with everyone else in the area, have been misled so that they can be manipulated into working for the lowest possible wage, and so end up being in a worse off position.

The staging of the show was excellent - the floor was a sea of wooden planks which represented the baroness of the American mid-west. The stage was raised so that during a particularly impressive storm sequence, the rain could run into a make-shift lake at the side of the stage. Otherwise, the set was quite minimalistic (a running theme throughout Chichesters productions this year, as you'll read later), although there were some clever props which descended from the ceiling which transported you from a cold, stormy evening, to a warm, cosy barn. Grapes has a very big cast, comprising of actors of varying sizes and ages. The majority were very good, although there were several dodgy accents in there. The story was compelling, even more so when you realise that this story was the same for millions of people across the region.

7/10- a good start to the week

The theatre tour on Saturday morning was another little treat. It took us from the props room to underneath the stage to witness the mechanics that kept the shows running. It also gave us an opportunity to stand on the main stages and to give us an idea of how the actors feel with 1500, and 300 seats facing their way! It amazed me to realise how close every seat was to the action. There were also some fun facts in the way of dead spots and sweet spots - the areas on the stage where the accoustics work best. There were other nice bits of information to keep me excited, but there were also some slight disappointments - some places we couldn't go for example, but I realise that every tour is different, and that visiting the dressing rooms may not have been entirely possible with a group of 25 blue rinses, a wheelchair user and some young-uns walking round.

Enron was the next show that I got to see, and it was showcased in the Minerva theatre, a much smaller, and more intimate theatre space. Written by Lucy Prebble and directed by Rupert Goold, Enron tells the story of the collapse of the conglomerate energy company. Although slightly fabricated, the story is an interesting one, and despite having no previous knowledge of the story, or economics, I was suprised to find the story very understandable. This is because the writing is very impressive - theories and jargon is explained in terms which are easy to relate to so the story moves along at a nice pace. The acting is superb, with Tim Pigott Smith and Sam West standing out. The staging is excellent, and is utilised fully. It isn't as extravagant as one of Goolds previous shows at the Minerva - Macbeth, but it evokes so much from the imagery. Colour, and lights and singing and dance and costumes all add extra layers, which make this production stand out from the rest. The highlight of the trip, and one of the top 5 theatrical pieces I have seen. 9/10

Hairspray to tour UK with Michael Ball!

Whatsonstage.com are reporting that West End legend, Michael Ball is to tour the UK next year reprising his award-winning turn as Edna Turnblad in the smash hit Hairspray!

Ball, who opened the show in London in October 2007, will return for the start of the tour, which is due to open in Cardiff's Millenium centre on the 30th March 2010. The musical will run concurrently with the West End version of the show, and will visit cities up and down the country, including Glasgow, Southampton, Wolverhampton, Leeds, Manchester and Liverpool. Further dates are to be announced in the future. Ball will appear in Glasgow, Southampton and Manchester as well as Cardiff. Further star casting for Edna and other principal parts has yet to be announced.

The return to Hairspray also herald a new, closer working relationship between Michael Ball and the show’s UK production company, Stage Entertainment. Ball has been appointed as associate producer and will work with Stage in developing new work and roles, including ones specifically tailored to the actor. These will include a major musical revival in 2011.

Brick Up the Mersey Tunnel @ The Royal Court

With over 100,000 people coming to see the show, Scouse comedy Brick Up the Mersey Tunnels is back now for the fourth time in as many years.

Set in Liverpool, and on the Wirral Peninsular, Brick Up tells the story of three working class Liverpudlian lads who are fed up with being looked down upon by the snobs from the Wirral. Eventually, they take the law into their own hands and the Kingsway Three are born.

There are many name checks to famous Scousers in the show, and after a while it does start to get a bit dull. Saying that, there is one Anne Robinson joke which is definitely on the money.

A lot of the humour in the show is at times can be quite crude. The play is no better or worse as a result, but it does get the audience going. At times the show does overstep the mark and becomes down right offensive, and starts to harbour prejudices. Many people in the audience I am sure would understand that the jokes are tongue in cheek, but for others, one feels that it would firmly back up their thoughts and opinions on minority groups.

Ironically, some of the best humour in the show is when the jokes aren’t offensive. A joke about sun tans and a toaster had the audience in stitches. It just proves that the jokes don’t need to be offensive and crass to get the audience roaring.

The acting on the whole by the majority of the cast is sufficient. Andrew Schofield in particular brings the house down, and shows why he is the Liverpool Legend that he is. Ethnie Brown also stands out as “Wirralian” Ann Twacky, an ex-Scouser who thinks she’s moved up in the world a la Hyacinth Bucket. One of the problems with the show is that the actors don’t exactly look like they’re being stretched. When they’re singing, it seems that the voices are better than the words they’re singing, which generally shows that the substance of the show isn’t actually that great.

This play will always be welcomed by Liverpool audiences, and there is definitely an appeal. It is just a shame however, that in an era where we are trying to welcome people into the city, there are plays being put on which back up stereotypes that the city’s negative and isolated – stereotypes which aren’t necessarily true.

Ultimately though it is a good night out with laughs a plenty – a panto for big kids n the summer, if you will.

5/10

Casting News

Destiny's Child star Michelle Williams will star as Roxie Hart in the West Ends Chicago from 13th July.

X-Factor star Diana Vickers will star in West End version of Jim Cartwright's THE RISE AND FALL OF LITTLE VOICE.

It is being confirmed that Sierra Bodgess (Ariel from the Little Mermaid) and Ramin Karimloo (London's current West End Phantom) will star as Christine and The Phantom in Love Never Dies, the sequel to the longest running show in Broadway history.

Thriller - Live! Launches Worldwide tour

Following the death of global icon Michael Jackson, the West End show which is based on his life will start on a 12-month worldwide tour starting in Munich, Germany. Additional dates have been confirmed for Barcelona, Cologne, Zurich, Vienna and Frankfurt, among others. The show will then extensively tour America for the next 12 months.

Thriller - Live will continue its record-breaking West End run. Recently a further 100,000 tickets went on sale as the West End production extended its run to Sunday January 3, 2010 - the first anniversary of its opening in the West End.

Jackson and Craig to star in Broadway play together!

Actors Daniel Craig and Hugh Jackman are to star together on Broadway in a play about two Chicago policeman, it has been announced.

The Wolverine star and James Bond actor will appear in A Steady Rain, which recounts the story of a few days that changed the policemens' lives.

Jackman, 40, has appeared on the New York stage before, but Craig, 41, will be making his Broadway debut.

Previews begin on 10 September at the Schoenfeld Theatre.

Jackman won a Tony for his role in the Broadway musical The Boy From Oz in 2004. Craig has previously appeared on stage in London.

It is expected that the show will run for 12 weeks.

Broadway Grosses - Week Ending 21/06/09

The tourist season has well and truely begun! Broadway theatres were at 87% capacity this past week, the highest they have been in quite a long time! Indeed, 8 shows were sold out for the full week! Only 3 shows seen a decline in bums on seats - Mary Stewart (-4.2%), In the Heights (-2.9%) and 9 to 5 (-6.1%). The family shows are also doing much better with The Little Mermaid playing to 92% capacity this week, and Shrek the Musical taking nearly $1 million for the week. The highest grossing show on Broadway is Wicked, unsuprisingly. The show which has the highest average ticket yield, at $125 per ticket is Billy Elliott the Musical.

To see a full list of Broadway grosses from this week, click here.

West End Live!

Just a reminder to those of you who are planning to head to London this weekend! West End Live will be taking place in Leicester Square! It is a free event where the casts of hit shows such as Wicked, Jersey Boys, Mamma Mia! and so many more put on a free showcase to showcase what is on in the West End at the minute. It's a free event so if you can get down there then it's def worth a look! I'm not going myself but hope to put videos and pics online within the next week! x

High School Musical @ The Liverpool Empire

You’d have had to be living under a rock for the past few years to not have heard of High School Musical – a brand which has spawned 3 hit films, a concert tour, an ice production and now a stage show.

Based on a Disney Channel original move of the same name, High School Musical’s story is a simple one. Basketball jock Troy Bolton meets Maths club geek Gabriella Montez and both discover that they have a mutual love of singing. Not cool for the kids of East High, who’s school rules means that students shouldn’t leave the security of their cliques. They eventually break free and win the leading roles in the schools talent show, making an enemy along the way in the form of drama queen Sharpay Evans.

After a small technical delay, the show started well enough, but seemed to lack some of the charisma of the film. The dialogue is weak and lost the attention of some of the younger children in the audience. It is further devalued when a lot of on stage distractions occur. One such example is a boy who is pretending to be an earthworm travelling across the stage. Whilst incredibly funny, it is impossible to pay attention to him and to the dialogue taking place. For the majority of the children the worm took preference.

The final twenty minutes of the second act show why High School Musical is such a phenomenon, and is where the show really finds its feet. The singing, the dancing and the energy dispel any memories from earlier parts of the show and the audience ate it up. This was what they came for and boy do they enjoy it! Particular highlights included “We’re all in this Together” and “Breaking Free”, both of which had the audience cheering and singing along.

The leads in Ashley Day as Troy and Claire-Marie Hall as Gabrielle are excellent, and credit must be given to them for remaining in character and not being distracted by a very enthusiastic audience. The rest of the cast were also very good, playing students from different peer groups very well. The high-octane choreography was outstanding, and everyone worked well with it.

The set is exceptional for a touring production – slick in its design and exuberant in colour. Set pieces move swiftly across the stage meaning that scene changes can occur in a matter of seconds – very important when being watched by over 1000 young children.

Whilst this show isn’t ground breaking in any way (think Grease without the filth), it does what it sets out to do very well. It has a good message that everyone doesn’t have to conform to succeed, it has an excellent cast and it has catchy songs which you’ll be humming for a good few hours after the show.

For many children across the region, this will be their first theatrical experience, and if they enjoyed it as much as they seemed to, then the future of the theatre is in very safe hands indeed.

7/10

High School Musical is at the Liverpool Empire until Saturday 13th June 2009

Broadway Grosses - Week Ending 7/06/09

The last week has been quite steady on Broadway in terms of the money generated ($19.7 million compared to last weeks $19.6 million) and in terms of the number of people going to see a show (78.9% of seats filled compared to last weeks 78.75% of seats filled. Some shows did much better than others however. August: Osage County has finally filled more than 50% of its seats for a full week! My friends visiting New York couldn't save Avenue Q from seeing a 5.9% drop in ticket sales. Joe Turners Come and Gone seen the biggest increase amongst any show - up 21.3%. Shrek the Musical seen an increase of 12.3%, at the expense of The Little Mermaid (-13.5%) and Mary Poppins (-8.1%). Most shows did remain quite steady.

For a full list of the Broadway Grosses this past week click here

Tony Award Videos

Opening Number at the 2009 Tony Awards



Closing number by host Neil Patrick Harris

Billy Elliot sweeps the Tony Awards!

The Broadway production of the British hit musical Billy Elliot has taken 10 Tony Awards at a ceremony in New York, including best musical.

The three young actors who share the title role got a unique best actor prize. Its director also won a Tony, but Sir Elton John missed out in the Best Score category to Next to Normal.

The show about a miner's son from northern England who dreams of dancing has taken Broadway by storm.

Sir Elton helped accept the best musical Tony, telling the audience: "Thank you for accepting us so beautifully on Broadway.

"We came here at a hard time economically. You opened up your wallets and you opened up your hearts to us. And we love you for it, thank you."

The musical is based on the film of the same name which became a world-wide hit in 2000 and starred Julie Walters and Jamie Bell.

The musical opened at the Victoria Palace in London in 2005, and a Sydney production opened in 2007 in Australia.

FULL LIST OF WINNERS

Best Play: "God of Carnage."
Best Musical: "Billy Elliot, The Musical.”
Book Of A Musical: Lee Hall, "Billy Elliot, The Musical."
Original Score (Music And/Or Lyrics) Written For The Theatre: "Next to Normal."
Revival Of A Play: "The Norman Conquests."
Revival Of A Musical: "Hair."
Special Theatrical Event: "Liza's At The Palace."
Performance By A Leading Actor In A Play: Geoffrey Rush, "Exit The King."
Performance By A Leading Actress In A Play: Marcia Gay Harden, "God Of Carnage."
Performance By A Leading Actor In A Musical: David Alvarez, Trent Kowalik, And Kiril Kulish, "Billy Elliot, The Musical."
Performance By A Leading Actress In A Musical: Alice Ripley, "Next To Normal."
Performance By A Featured Actor In A Play: Roger Robinson, "Joe Turner's Come And Gone."
Performance By A Featured Actress In A Play: Angela Lansbury, "Blithe Spirit."
Performance By A Featured Actor In A Musical: Gregory Jbara, "Billy Elliot, The Musical."
Performance By A Featured Actress In A Musical: Karen Olivo, "West Side Story."
Direction Of A Play: Matthew Warchus, "God Of Carnage."
Direction Of A Musical: Stephen Daldry, "Billy Elliot, The Musical."
Scenic Design Of A Play: Derek Mclane, "33 Variations."
Scenic Design Of A Musical: Ian Macneil, "Billy Elliot, The Musical."
Costume Design Of A Play: Anthony Ward, "Mary Stuart."
Costume Design Of A Musical: Tim Hatley, "Shrek The Musical."
Lighting Design Of A Play: Brian Macdevitt, "Joe Turner's Come And Gone."
Lighting Design Of A Musical: Rick Fisher, "Billy Elliot, The Musical."
Sound Design Of A Play: Gregory Clarke, "Equus."
Sound Design Of A Musical: Paul Arditti, "Billy Elliot, The Musical."
Choreography: Peter Darling, "Billy Elliot, The Musical."
Orchestrations: Martin Koch, "Billy Elliot, The Musical"; Michael Starobin And Tom Kitt, "Next To Normal." Special Tony Award For Lifetime Achievement In The Theatre: Jerry Herman.
Regional Theatre Tony Award: Signature Theatre, Arlington, Va.
Isabelle Stevenson Award: Phyllis Newman.
Tony Honor For Excellence In The Theatre: Shirley Herz.

Special Congratulations must go to Angela Lansbury who has won her 5th Tony Award!!

I'm in London!!

I've just got back from London! Unusually though, I didn't go and see a show! I was in the capital to see the European Premiere of Britney Spears new concert tour and it was spectacular! Much has been said about Britney's singing abilities in the press - does she mime or does she sing live? Whilst I think that most of her vocals - if not all - were pre-recorded and definately not live, I don't believe that most fans expected her to sing live! They were there for the dancing, the performance and to witness the comeback of Britney herself. After a nightmare year and a half, it seems that Britney has had the mother of all comebacks. Some people in the audience I'm sure were there hoping that she would fail, but the vast majority wanted to see her strutt her stuff and deliver something on these shores that she's not done in over 5 years!

She didn't seem as alert as I remember from her last tour, and whether that's down to her nerves or her medication, I don't know or care. The spectacle of the show was put on to possibly hide the fact that it may be a little early for her to return to the limelight, but it was done very well and the general positive reviews from people will hopefully mean that she will take this forward into the next tour in a few years time (if she wants to), and deliver a better performance! This was the first steps of a comeback and it was definately a success!!

Casting News

Whatsonstage.com are reporting that Sally Ann Triplett is returning to the West End stage to star as Donna Sherridan in the Abba blockbuster musical Mamma Mia! Sally Ann has previously starred in Anything Goes alongside John Barrowman, for which she won the 2004 Whatsonstage.com award for Best Actress in a Musical. Some of her other West End credits include Chicago, Cats and Cabaret.

From the 16th June Sally Ann will be joined by I'd Do Anything finalist Niamh Perry as her onstage daughter Sophie.

18 year old Liam Doyle from Coventry will star as Troy Bolton after winning the GMTV search for Troy competition to be the star of High School Musical 2 Live on Stage!. Liam beat out thousands of other lads from all over the country in the open auditions held in London last month, before being chosen from the final three by GMTV viewers.

There will be a rush of people out to buy tickets in the next few days after the new cast for Calendar Girls was announced today. Jill Halfpenny, Jerry Hall, Gemma Atkinson, Anita Dobson, and no less than June Brown herself (Eastenders Dot Cotton) will be taking over the roles from Patricia Hodge and co on 28th July 2009, where they will play a limited run until October 17th 2009 at the West Ends Noel Coward Theatre.

David Tennants Hamlet to be filmed!

The BBC has today confirmed that the David Tennant helmed production of the RSC's Hamlet will be filmed for BBC2 later this year.

Tennant and all the key members of the company including Patrick Stewart have signed up and filming will begin next month at an undisclosed location.

The production was directed by Gregory Doran

BBC Two controller Janice Hadlow said that the film was “a wonderful opportunity to bring one of the great stage successes of last year to a wider audience.” Doran added: “The Hamlet cast and the RSC are all really delighted that we now have the chance to share this show with audiences around the world.”

The news must come as a nice suprise for Tennant who was unable to perform for much of the London leg of the run due to a back injury.

Liverpools Neptune Theatre to be refurbished?!

The Liverpool Daily Post is reporting that the owners of the Neptune Theatre on Hanover Street in the city have said that they will refurbish the venue inside and out and return it to its "all-singing and dancing former glory."

Says the Daily Post...

"The news comes after Hanover and Liverpool city council ended a four-year deadlock over how much rent the council should pay to lease the building.

It will be music to the ears of the city’s amateur theatre groups who lost their much-loved home when it closed.

The venue was mothballed in 2005, needing massive refurbishment. Then the landlord and tenant fell out over the rent.

Hanover reportedly wanted to up the tenancy from £6,000 a year to nearer £60,000.
But, after a prolonged arbitration, the two sides agreed a “mutually acceptable” figure.
Last week, senior Liverpool councillors voted to sign a new five-year tenancy.

They also said there was a “six figure-sum” available to fix up the inside of the building, which first opened in 1913."

Click here to read the full article

Editors opinion: This could be excellent news for the culture in Liverpool. Since the venue closed a few years ago many people who could have gone into Amateur Dramatics would have either gone somewhere else or wouldn't have got started full stop. One feels however that the council missed another trick - it could, and should have been sorted for the Capital of Culture year in 2008 to show off how diverse our theatre heritege is in the city. Better late than never though eh?!

Round up of News!

Sunset Boulevard is to be the third show in the West End to close on Saturday 30th May after putting up closing notices this week. It was hoped that the show would extend its booking period until September, but a lack of sales has meant that it will follow Joseph starring Gareth Gates, and Spring Awakening in closing at the end of the month.

Another new West End show, Shout! which stars Sue Pollard and is running at the Arts Theatre will also close on May 31st after only a months run! The duke-box musical had a successful UK tour prior to its opening on the West End.

John Barrowman is to add to CV in September when he stars as Albin in the current West End revival of La Cage Aux Folles at the Playhouse in London. He will start his performances in mid-September and will continue for a strictly limited 9-week run.

Alan Cummings is rumoured to be in talks with the producers of the Spiderman musical, due to open on Broadway next year. It is thought he will play The Green Goblin.

Chace Crawford has been confirmed to star in the new movie version of Footloose. The role which was made famous by Kevin Bacon in the original was initially offered to Zac Efron, who declined due to fears of being type cast. The Gossip Girl star will start filming within the next few months.

And finally... An Inspector Calls is due to open at the Novello theatre in September after the demise of Spring Awakening. The show, which has played over 4000 performances around the world is directed by Stephen Daldry.

Broadway Grosses - Week Ending 17/5/09

It seems like the tourist season has properly began with a 6% increase in the total amount of people going to see a Broadway show. As a result, most shows stayed steady or saw a small increase in attendance. Most shows didn't see a drastic increase - in fact, only 4 shows saw an increase of 10% of more. Avenue Q (+18.5%) was the biggest gainer, followed by The Norman Conquests (+13.1%), The 39 Steps (+12.3%) and The Philanthropist (+11%). Only 5 shows saw a decrease in the visitor numbers, but none of the drops was significant. August: Osage County saw its first increase in a while (+7.3%), but it still has nearly 60% of its seats empty throughout the whole week. Musicals are still pulling the crowds in and Wicked once again was the show which brought in the most money - with just over $1.4 million.

To see all the figures click here.

2009 Drama Desk Awards!

Billy Elliot the Musical led the winners with 10 Drama Desk awards, including Outstanding Musical. Ruined took home the award for Best Play and Hair and The Norman Conquests were named Best Revival of a Musical and a Play, respectively.

The ceremony was hosted by Harvey Fierstein. Presenters included Stockard Channing, John Cullum, Jim Dale, Jason Danieley, Andre De Shields, Jane Fonda, Victor Garber, Cheyenne Jackson, Carson Kressley, John Lithgow, Marin Mazzie, Audra McDonald, Rex Reed, Michael Rupert, and Tom Wopat.

Acting winners included Angela Lansbury (Blithe Spirit), Geoffrey Rush (Exit the King), Allison Janney (9 to 5), Brian d'Arcy James (Shrek the Musical), Janet McTeer (Mary Stuart), Gregory Jbara (Billy Elliot), Haydn Gwynne (Billy Elliot), and Pablo Schreiber (reasons to be pretty).

The casts of The Norman Conquests and The Cripple of Inishmaan received awards for their ensemble performances, with additional special awards presented to Liza Minnelli, Forbidden Broadway, the Atlantic Theater Company, and TADA! Youth Theater.

A full-list of winners can be found here.

Susan Boyle "to be given West End Musical role"

The Daily Telegraph is reporting that Britain't Got Talent sensation Susan Boyle is to be given a role in a West End Musical, courtesy of Andrew Lloyd Webber.

Lord Lloyd Webber, who is famous for being the creative force behind Joseph, Cats and Phantom of the Opera, recently met miss Boyle at a recording studio in London.

“She is a terrific sport and she’s a great fan of my shows,” he said.
“If she wanted to be in one, well it could happen. It would have to be the right role. Maybe I know what it could be, but I’m not telling. She’s got a great future”

Susan has been turned into a global phenomenon ever since she first stunned judges Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden and Piers Morgan with her rendition of I Dreamed A Dream from the musical Les Misèrables. Over 50 million people have watched her performance on Youtube.

Anna Friel makes West End Debut

A new stage adaptation of Breakfast at Tiffanys is due to open later this year with Pushing Daisies star Anna Friel staring as Holly Golightly in her West End debut. The part was made famous in the 1961 film staring Audrey Hepburn.

The show will open on 29th September 2009, where it is booking until 9th January 2010 at the Theatre Royal, Haymarket.

Directed by Sean Mathias, who acts as artistic director of the entire season, Breakfast at Tiffany’s is adapted by Samuel Adamson. Though Adamson draws more on the original source of Truman Capote’s 1958 novella, “Moon River”, Henry Mancini and Johnny Mercer’s Oscar-winning song from Blake Edwards’ film, will be included in the stage version.

In 1940s New York, a struggling young writer moves into a Manhattan apartment building and soon becomes captivated by his charming and beautiful neighbour, Holly Golightly, whose public persona differs from her vulnerable private self. With her string of rich suitors, will the penniless writer “Fred” succeed in capturing the heart of this good-time girl?

Breakfast at Tiffany’s returns Anna Friel to the London stage for the first time since Lulu at the Almeida at King’s Cross in 2001. Her other stage credits include Closer on Broadway. She’s best known for her screen credits in the likes of Pushing Daisies, Rogue Trader, Land Girls and Brookside. Her Breakfast at Tiffany’s co-star will be, making his London stage debut, American Joseph Cross, whose credits include Milk and Running with Scissors on film and Landscape of the Body and Mourning Becomes Electra on stage.

Speaking about her new role, Anna Friel said: “Truman Capote's Breakfast at Tiffany's has always been one of my favourite novels, and I am delighted to have been given both the opportunity to play one of my all-time favourite heroines, Holly Golightly, and to be returning home to the London stage.”

Trailer for "Nine" online!

The Weinstein Company has released the first trailer for Rob Marshall's Nine, a musical based on Federico Fellini's autobiographical film, 8½. This first debuted on Broadway in 1982, and has been adapted for film, much like Chicago, which Marshall also directed. Starring Dame Judi Dench, Nicole Kidman, Daniel Day-Lewis, Kate Hudson, Penelope Cruz, Marion Cottilard and Sophia Loren, Nine follows the life of the famous film director Guido Contini as he reaches a personal and creative crisis beyond epic proportions whilst balancing a number of women in his life. The musical originally won 5 Tony awards, including Best Musical, and has enjoyed success with a number of revivals.

Planning Permission @ Unity Theatre

David Hutchinson, writer and director of Planning Permission at the Unity Theatre this week, came up with the idea for this new farce whilst on a series of train trips back and forth between Scotland and Liverpool, where he studied at LIPA. The co-founder of Sell a Door Theatre Company, who have produced this piece, says that it had been simmering in his mind for a while and once he started the actual writing he just couldn’t stop. Thank God he didn’t because this is an exquisite play which keeps you gripped from the beginning to the end.

Set during a Parish Council meeting at a local church in Cumbria, Planning Permission tells the story of a group of residents who are to decide the fate of a piece of land owned by one of the older members of the community.

Each must put their opinions across about why they want to keep it as it is, a hang-out for teenagers, or why they want to let it be concreted over so that a new video store can be built on it. During the course of the one Act play, the audience learns a lot about each of the characters – their flaws, their emotions and their prejudices; some of which turn out to be true, whilst others remain unfounded.

The play is very much an ensemble piece with each young actor bringing something new to the fore. Because each character has such a different background and is at a different stage in their lives, everyone has their own view points, and the cast generally get this across well. One minor point is that some of their accents maybe weren’t consistent throughout the play. Having said that, they all do a wonderful job, and some of the comic timing displayed is excellent, as are the character progressions.

Jessica Buxton, as the elderly Mrs Battersby, is the strongest member of the cast. The physical performance is so excellent that you do not doubt that she is the local battleaxe she portrays. The range of emotions she brings to her performance is great – showing tenderness which juxtaposes her harsh demeanour.

The highlight of the play is undoubtedly the writing. The story comes alive through the individual monologues which reveal each characters most inner thoughts and feelings. A stained glass window, which adorns the back wall of the set, is also used to project videos of individual characters inner thoughts. These are the emotional tools that drive the story forward, and what turns the play from being good to being great.

This play deserves be seen on a larger scale and the future is potentially very good for the writer/director and the young cast.

8/10

Planning Permission is at the Unity Theatre until Friday 15th May 2009.

Spring Awakening Posts Closing Notices

So the rumours are true. Spring Awakening the alt-rock musical which opened to rave reviews only two months ago has this week announced that the show will come to an end on 30th May 2009. A smash on Broadway, where it ran for over two years, Spring Awakening came to London in early January where it has a pre-West End run at the Lyric Theatre in Hammersmith. The show was a sell out at that theatre and it was announced that on the back of amazing critical sucess that the show would transfer to the Novello theatre, where it would open its initial booking period up until October 31st 2009.

I was lucky enough to see the show whilst it was at the Lyric and really enjoyed it. The music was catchy, despite the lyrics not being up to scratch. The cast was fantastic, the set was nicely designed and the lighting was some of the best I've seen in any show. The atmosphere in the auditorium was electric, and whilst I hate people talking during the show, one can't deny that everyone was enjoying themselves and the show which was being put on in front of them.

Spring Awakening was something that the West End needed; it was new, edgy, refreshing, shocking - many of the qualities which are associated with youth, and I feel that here lies one of the problems. The young people of London haven't taken to the show like they did in New York, and when your target audience doesn't flock to the theatre in droves, then you are always fighting an uphill battle. It was always going to be risky opening up this show in another country, and it is a real shame that this show wasn't a commercial success because it is relevant to the youth of today and it has substance.

I'm not sure the marketing campaign has been as direct as it could have been, but saying that I don't live in London and am slightly older than the target audience. I will say that I was one of the few people who was aware of this show before it came to the UK, but since it's arrival I have only seen reviews in high brow national newspapers. I'm not sure of the marketing strategies or budgets the producers for this musical had, but I certainly didn't see the cast on Jonathon Ross or Paul O'Grady - something which I have seen the cast of Wicked, Hairspray and more recently, Sister Act appear on. Now I know that Spring Awakening may not appeal to Jonathon Ross' or Paul O'Grady's key demographics, however I also didn't see the cast of Spring Awakening appear on T4 or in some teen mags which I'm sure would have got people talking. The only radio I've heard about this show was on Elaine Paige last weekend where Aneurin sang a song and answered a few questions about the show. It wasn't even a good song and the interview was quite frankly boring - there wasn't an energy there, and I still can't quite work out whos fault it was.

Someone has said that Spring Awakening is, at the moment "the right show, at the wrong time", and I completely agree with this comment. Kids need to see shows like this - they need to see that their problems are universal . They need to see a show that they can relate to. Spring Awakening is one such show, and it is just a shame that at the minute we are weathering an economic storm. As far as I am aware, most shows are struggling at the minute. There are empty seats for the majority of shows across the West End, and discount ticketing is now common place. It is a way of trying to coax people back to the theatre. At the minute I'm not sure if it is working completely.

If people are now seeing one or two shows a year as opposed to three or four, and if there are less tourists around then people are going to see shows they are familiar with. They will go and see the Phantoms and the Lion Kings, the Wickeds and the Hairsprays - in other words, they will go and see the already established shows. The vast majority will not go and see the smaller shows, however critically acclaimed they were. They want to know that they are getting something for their money. They want to go and see shows where they already know the story and the score. They want escapism while we steer our way out of this crisis, and until things get better then the West End will continue to only show conglomerate shows. The basic fact is that people at the minute would rather pay £60 per ticket to a show they know than go and see a show they know nothing about. And if they can't afford that price for a ticket then they simply wont go.

I would have hoped that the producers would have given this show more time to find its feet. By the time it will close on the West End, it will have only been running for 10 weeks. The simple fact is though that everything boils down to money, and it is clear that the producers don't want to take another risk, which isn't a bad thing because one risk has already failed, but it's definately not a good thing, because I now feel that other producers will look at this and think "if Spring Awakening can't succeed, then how the hell can our show?!" This is indeed a step backwards for West End theatre. A step which will take many years to recover from.

Broadway Grosses - Week Ending 10/05/09

It seems that this is the first week in quite a long time that there has been no huge decrease in the amount of people a show has pulled into a theatre. There is not one show which has seen a drop of more than 10%. Chicago seen the steepest drop (-9.5%). August: Osage County also seen a drop. It was less than Chicagos drop, but considering that last week it was showing at less than 45% capacity a drop is still not healthy. This week the show has dropped to 33.3% capacity (-8.8%) The show cannot be making money and I still feel that it will close soon. Most family musicals remained steady (The Little Mermaid -0.1%), as did most musicals is general (Jersey Boys +0.7%, Billy Elliott +2.1%). Alot of plays seemed to see a big resurgence in visitors with Norman Conquests (+15.7%) and Waiting for Godot (+14.9%) the biggest gainers. Overall there were more people watching Broadway shows this week - 72.05% of seats were sold compared to 70.45% last week.


For full Broadway Grosses click here

Sister Act Nuns abseil down Palladium!

The Producers of the new Sister Act Musical which started previews in the London Palladium last night caused the traffic to stop and thousands of tourists to gather around yesterday when they abseiled six nuns down the front of the theatre!

The stunt was pulled by producers Stage Entertainment and Whoopi Goldberg. The nuns were dressed in their full habits, complete with black painted stilettos.

Bill Taylor, producer of Sister Act, commented, "We're hoping Sister Act fever will be taking the capital by storm, and we're celebrating our first preview by stamping our mark on the wonderful London Palladium with our fearless sisters. The nun fun is just beginning!"

Sister Act has taken around $6 million in advanced ticket sales and should run a while.

Wolverine rakes in the cash!

X-Men Origins: Wolverine, the first comic book prequel about the adventures of the X-Men has clawed its way to the top of the American and UK box office. In the US, the film took $85 million (£57 million) in the first three days, which was above expectations, especially because the film had been leaked online weeks in advance. The figure is slightly lower than the last 2 X-Men films, but considering that this film is a spin-off it has performed exceptionally well. In the UK the film has opened to £6.6 million, but that figure includes two days of previews. This figure is 3 times as much as the closest film rival - the big screen adaptation of the Disney Hannah Montana series. The sucess of Wolverine may be short lived however with next Fridays release of the new Star Trek film starring Simon Pegg.

I went to the cinema to see Wolverine over the weekend. Whilst I didn't love the film, I couldn't see why some critics have mauled it. The characters except for Wolverine aren't that well developed and it is hard to actually care for them, but the action sequences were pretty impresive. The storyline was a bit flimsy, but it was always going to be because everyone knew going into the film that nothing drastic could happen to the character because he was in the following 3 X-Men films. It's not one of the greatest comic book films, not even close, but it is an enjoyable Sunday afternoon popcorn fest when all you feel like doing is watching something thaat doesn't require any brain power.

Little Shop of Horrors @ Liverpool Empire

It’s not often that you leave a theatre after watching a musical wanting never to visit the dentist ever again! But that is how you might feel after watching Orin Scrivello inflict torture on his patients during the first act of Little Shop of Horrors.

Little Shop of Horrors is set in Skid Row, an imaginary street in the 60’s, where Seymour, an assistant in a flower shop discovers a new breed of plant. Soon Seymour discovers that this plant has a taste for blood and it isn’t long before this carnivorous creature promises the downtrodden man a life of fame and fortune in exchange for fresh human flesh.

Claire Buckfield as Seymours love interest Audrey is particularly good. The character goes on a big journey throughout the show and Claire shines as she displays the characters emotions, going from the silent domestic abuse victim, to beginning a genuinely cutesy relationship with Seymour.

Alex Ferns was also very strong as the psychopathic dentist. He played the wife beating character well, but one feels that if he wants to avoid being typecast in the future then he must try and avoid roles like this. His comic timing however, was impeccable.

The real revelation of the show however was Damien Humbley who played Seymour. His acting was every bit as good as his singing which was crystal clear.

The three ladies who provided the narration had excellent vocal talent when singing individually, but when they sang together it was very hard to decipher the words. Perhaps this was due to their strong American accents, or perhaps there were some technical issues on the night.

The star of the show was undoubtedly the plant! The fact that it’s all singing and all dancing makes you sort of forget that it’s murderous and ruins everyone’s lives around it. The man behind the voice, Clive Rowe is particularly good.

The set comprised of a back alley which had brick buildings on either sides of the stage. These buildings folded out to reveal the interiors of the shop and the dentist surgery. It was very well utilised and it was good to see that there wasn’t much dead space on the space.

Overall this is a good production, having starting its life as The Menier Chocolate Factorys revival in 2006. Whilst nothing about the show is lavish, everything is executed well. The score isn’t particularly memorable, but it is noticeable that the songs were written by future Disney composers – Howard Ashman and Alan Menkin who went on to write the scores for Aladdin and The Little Mermaid.


7/10


The Little Shop of Horrors runs at the Liverpool Empire until Saturday 9th May, before continuing its UK tour in Milton Keynes (11th-16th May) and in Woking (18th-23rd May).

Tony Award Nominations Announced!

This years Tony Award nominations have been announced and the Broadway production of Billy Elliott leads the pack with a total of 15 nominations. It's 3 young stars are jointly up for Best Actor whilst Sir Elton John is nominated for Best Original Music. The show is also in the running in the Best Musical category, where it is up against Shrek the Musical, Rock of Ages and Next to Normal.

In nominations for plays, Jane Fonda is nominated in the Best Actress category, whilst Geoffrey Rush and James Gandolfini are both nominated for Best Actor. 33 Variations, Dividing The Estate, Reasons To Be Pretty and and God of Carnage are the best play candidates. Angela Lansbury has also garnered her 6th Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actress in a play, for Blithe Spirit.

The Tony Awards will be awarded at The Radio City Music Hall in New York City on Sunday 7th June 2009. www.tonyawards.com

For a full list of nominees click here

Broadway Grosses - Week Ending 03/05/09

Another not so good week for August: Osage County. Less than 45% of the seats were sold during this past week. It must be on the brink of closing unless the running costs are very, very low! Joe Turners Come and Gone also had a 33% drop in seats sold. This was the biggest decrease however, as generally most shows had a small increase or decrease. Guys and Dolls was the biggest musical casualty, off 16% this week. The family musicals had a biggest drop than other musicals, with Shrek the musical and Mary Poppins both seeing drops of around 10%. Wicked continues to be the musical which is taking the most amount of money, in a trend which has continued pretty much since it opened in 2003.

Click here for the full list of grosses

Sound of Music Tour casting..

It seems that Margaret Preece will be reprising her role as Mother Abbess. Margaret took over from Lesley Garrett in the role at The London Palladium in the city's West End and ended up closing the show alongside Summer Strallen who played Maria Von Trapp, who on tour will be played by another returning star. Connie Fisher is to play Maria and Kirsty Malpass will play Maria at certain performances. Michael Praed will star as Captain Von Trapp. Michael has appeared in the West End versions of Pirates of Penzance and Aspects of Love alongside Sarah Brightman.

http://www.thesoundofmusictour.com/news/newsitem_michaelpraed.php

Broadway Grosses - Week Ending 26/04/09

This week is seems that most shows have seen a small decline in business after the Easter holidays. The influx of touriss though has, I'm sure, meant that the drops are a lot smaller than what usually occur after other holidays periods throughout the year. There are some exceptions though - Avenue Q sees a near 18% drop in business and Shrek the musical is off nearly 15%. Some plays have also seen a big drop with The 39 Steps (-23%), Impressionism (-16%) and Reasons to be Pretty (-18%) being the worst affected. August: Osage County will have to consider closing soon if it continues to sell at less than 40% capacity. Some plays did much better this week though than the last week. Most notably are Mary Stuart (+13.6), Joe Turners Come and Gone (+16%) and The Norman Conquests (+11.5)The bigger shows generally didn't see as much of a change - Wicked (-1%), West Side Story (-1%) and The Lion King (-3%).

http://www.broadwayworld.com/grosses.cfm

Next week I will try and compare the total audience members going to watch shows with last year and see if the Credit Crunch has had a direct affect on theatre visitor numbers.

Brian Conley takes over from Michael Ball in Hairspray!

BroadwayWorld is confirming the rumour that one of the biggest UK entertainers, Brian Conley is to take over the role of Edna Turnblad in the West Ends Production of Hairspray.

Mr Conley will take over the role on Monday 27th July 2009, following the departure of Michael Ball, who has been in the role since the production opened in the Shaftsbury Theatre in October 2007. Speaking about playing Edna, My Conley said "I've done a lot in my career, but wearing a dress and heels every night and being married to Nigel Planer weren't things I was expecting to be doing all at the same time, and in front of thousands of people! I'm absolutely delighted to be back in the West End and joining one of the most uplifting, happy and, not to mention, successful shows in town. Being part of something that brings a smile to people's faces, especially in these troubled times, is a real treat and I can't wait to get on stage at the Shaftesbury."

Brians last major stage role was in the revival of The Music Man in Chichester in 2008, where he played con man Harold Hill alongside Broadways current Mary Poppins, Scarlett Strallen.

The show will also be saying hello to newcomer Chloe Hart, who will be taking over the role of Tracy Turnblad.

Broadway Grosses - Week Ending 19/04/09

Most shows have generally held up very well this week. The majority of the shows aimed at children saw a drop in business by 5-10%, but since last week was the week preceeding Easter, this isn't too much cause for concern. The real question is whether they will be able to maintain this business next week, once all the children have gone back to school. This is the time where tourist numbers to New York rise though, so maybe audience numbers for most Broadway shows will be maintained. 9-5 is the one of the new shows in town, and was completely sold out during its first week of previews. Plays are also doing quite well at the minute, but last years big hit - August: Osage County is showing signs of fatigue, with less that 50% of its seats sold.

http://www.broadwayworld.com/grosses.cfm

Broadway Grosses - Week Ending 12/04/09

The week leading up to Easter seemed to have a positive effect on the amount of people going to watch a show. The majority of shows saw an increase in both the amount of people coming to theatre, and in the average ticket price. The biggest winners were by far family shows. Mary Poppins, Shrek and The Little Mermaid all went over $1m - the last time this happened for all three shows was the week after Christmas. The show with the biggest income was, as it has been for the past five years, Wicked!

http://www.broadwayworld.com/grosses.cfm

Chicago @ The Empire Theatre, Liverpool

It is a rare thing in the UK to have a touring production of a big musical running at the same time as the sit-down West End production, but Chicago is one such show which keeps the audience returning time-after-time.

Set in the city the show is named after, Chicago is a story of murder, passion, treachery and a hunger for fame. It originally opened on Broadway in the 1970’s and London’s current revival has just celebrated its 10th year. In 2002 it was made into a film starring Catherine Zeta Jones, Renee Zellweger and Richard Gere.

Jimmy Osmond, as Billy Flynn is a huge draw for the tour, and he doesn’t disappoint the legion of fans who have come out to see him. His voice is pitch perfect and very clear, but he seems too much of a nice guy to carry off the mean streak that the character demands. It wouldn’t have been too hard to imagine Osmond playing the “nice guy” character – Amos Hart, especially after you see him dance awkwardly around the stage.

Emma Barton as Roxie Hart is a true leading lady. Her voice is excellent and her mannerisms, particularly in “We Both Reached For The Gun” are excellent. Twinnie-Lee Moore as her counterpart Velma Kelly is not as strong. There are moments where she steals the limelight from Emma, but these moments are few and far between. She talked slightly too fast during some parts and other times her voice was inaudible (could be due to technical issues which were a problem on Monday night). Ms. Moores dancing skills however were excellent.

Wendy-Lee Purdy, as matronly Mamma Morton had a very powerful voice, but didn’t have the “attitude” that the role required. As a result, the character was over shadowed by the rest of the company. Adam Stafford however, as Roxie’s put-upon husband addressed the balance just right. His main solo number “Mr Cellophane” gained a good reaction from the audience. Stafford’s comic timing was also perfectly utilised and gained many a laugh.

The choreography, originally by Bob Fosse is sexy, suave and sophisticated, and dazzled everyone. The costumes added to the dark, smoky effect of being inside a jazz club, and the songs were fabulous. The ensemble were excellent - the dancing was particularly impressive.

Chicago is a musical were many of the songs are instantly recognisable and you can leave the theatre singing or humming to some of the tunes. The Cell Block Tango is one such tune. The 10 piece band who sit in a box on the stage, were outstanding. Sometimes, when watching other musicals, it is easy to forget that there is a full orchestra in the pit playing the music to the show, and so it was wonderful to seem them get the accolades they deserved.

As a show this production works very well. The production is on quite a small scale, which is perhaps one of the reasons why it has been running so long. If you are going to see the show to compare it to the film then you may be slightly disappointed – there is less colour and razzmatazz in the stage show. The songs and the choreography however, remain, and they are after all, what makes Chicago one of the most popular musicals.


7/10


Chicago is currently playing at the Empire theatre in Liverpool until Saturday 11th April, when it continues its UK tour

A Spellbinding Delight!

It is a rare and wonderful thing these days to know before the show begins that the 'celebrity' who is headlining the performance show can actually sing. And boy, can Marti Pellow sing!

Directed by Nikolai Foster, The Witches of Eastwick is a slick and fast paced production based on the John Updike novel and the 1987 film version of the same name. The story centres around the lives of three bored surburban woman who unbeknownst to themselves, are witches. Over a few martinis one day they make a wish for their dream man to appear. That is where Darryl Van Horne arrives, bringing with him a racy and sexual presence that the small, conservative town of Eastwick had never experienced before.

Marti Pellow was adequate as Van Horne. His singing was much better than his acting. At times it was hard to work out exactly what was being said, and he also seemed to slip in and out of his American accent. Another problem was that there were alot of fans of Pellow in the audience. Whilst this is to be expected due to his previous success, it was a constant reminder that it was Marti Pellow acting as Van Horne, rather than actually believing in the character.

The three female leads playing the witches were outstanding. Rebecca Thornhill in particular as Sukie Rougemont was phenominal. All three ladies had powerful voices that hit the right notes, and they were all utterly believeable as they transformed from bored singletons to seductive sultresses. Rachel Izen was also excellent in a supporting role as the matriarchal Felicia Gabriel who doesn't quite fall under Van Hornes charms.

Whilst the songs were very entertaining and very witty, they weren't, for the most part, songs which you would go away humming. Generally they were quite forgettable, but this doesn't mean that they were bad songs. On the contrary, many were very well written and suited the piece exceptionally well. Memorable songs from the show include the very much ensemble driven piece "Dirty Laundry" and "Words, Words, Words".

The set, by Peter McKintosh was very nicely utilised. The clapperboard houses which changed to suit each of the ladies who lived inside, was a nice touch, as was the town hall which when was turned around revealed Van Hornes devilish den. A Bill Kenwright scaled down production this definately was not!

This is one of the best touring productions out there at the minute. It may not be perfect, but the high energy performances from the cast and the witty one liners make you forgive the imperfections. This is not one for the kids, but definately one for the older women - especially if you want to see Marti Pellows sex-face!

Devilishly good - 8/10

The Witches of Eastwick runs at the Liverpool Empire until Saturday April 4th.

Captain Jack to appear in La Cage?!

It is being rumoured that John Barrowman (performer, actor, singer, panellist) will be appearing in La Cage Aux Follies sometime this Autumn. Nothing has been confirmed yet, due to Barrowmans ever changing schedule, but it appears that he may sign a three month contract which will end just before the panto season which he loves. Watch this space.

Legally Blonde confirmed!

It has been confirmed this morning that Legally Blonde will indeed be coming to the West End at the end of this year. Sheridan Smith will star as Elle Woods and Duncan James will be appearing as Warner. The show will open on December 5th at the Savoy Theatre. General tickets are not yet on sale, however it is possible to book group tickets now!

Legally Blonde heading to the West End?!

Strong rumours are abound on whatsonstage discussion board today signalling that the Broadway hit show, Legally Blonde will be heading to the Savoy Theatre in London's West End. The show will open on December 5th 2009 and will star Sheridan Smith (Jonathon Creek) as Elle and Duncan James (Blue) as Warner. Expect an official announcement sometime in April which confirms this.

The show ran on Broadway for a year and a half before closing towards the end of last year. It has just embarked on a US nationwide tour.

The Savoy holds around 1150 people which means it's a pretty good size for a show like Legally Blonde - it shouldn't have any problems filling it for a while! The current show at the Savoy is the revival of Carousel staring Leslie Garrett.

Broadway Grosses

It seems like most Broadway shows are seeing a slight recovery in their ticket sales! Whether this is a brief window, or the start of a new trend during these tough times we will have to wait and see. It is interesting to see however, that the majority of shows have seen an increase in the amount of bums on seats over the past week. Notice also, the amount of revival shows - particulary musicals - which have opened in the past few weeks!

http://www.broadwayworld.com/grosses.cfm

Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse announce Part Two of the 2009 season!

The Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse Theatres have this week announced part two of their 2009 season.

The highlight of the spring/summer season is another Moliere adaption by Liverpool poet Roger McGough. This follows on from the success of 2008's season where McGough adapted Tartuffe, to very big houses and critical success. The Hypochondriac, which is directed by Everyman and Playhouse Artistic Director Gemma Bodinez will run from mid June to mid July before touring the country in Autumn.

Part Two will be opened by J.B. Priestley's classic comedy, When We Are Married. The production stars Les Dennis and runs at the Playhouse for three and a half weeks from 30th April. The production is co-produced with The West Yorkshire Playhouse, and is directed by Ian Brown.

Another highlight of the season will be the Laurence Wilson play, Lost Monsters. Receiving its World premiere at the Everyman, and directed by Matt Wilde, the production runs from 22nd May.

The season also includes a one night only performance by Chris Addison at the Everyman as part of Liverpools comedy week, a touring production of "The Moon The Moon", a heartbreakingly optimistic new play from Unlimited theatre at the Everyman, and a touring production of The Playboy of the Western World at the Playhouse.

And the Everyman's season will end in traditional style with the Everyword festival which is for anyone who has an interest in writing for theatre, seeing a new play in development, or for anyone who has a genuine interest on how shows are formed.

The autumn season, which will be fully announced in due course, will be highlighted by the return of Jonathon Pryce to the Everyman, in the Pinter classic "The Caretaker".

Looks like a pretty good season to me!

List of Shows I will review in future...

Here is a non-exhaustive list of shows which I am hoping to see and then to review on my blog over the next few months. As you can see, some shows are fairly local to where I live in Liverpool and some are a bit of a distance away! I am looking forward to the majority of these shows and am looking forward to the smaller shows as well as the big touring productions.

The Witches of Eastwick - March 31st @ Liverpool Empire Theatre
Chicago - Beginning of April @ Livepool Empire Theatre
A Sign of the Times - April 7th @ The Playhouse Theatre, Liverpool
Little Shop of Horrors - Beginning of May @ Liverpool Empire Theatre
A Man of No Importance - 14th May @ LIPA
The Hypochondriac - June @ The Playhouse Theatre, Liverpool
Enron - 19th July @ Minerva Theatre
Oklahoma - 21st July @ Chichester Festival Theatre
House of Special Purpose - 22nd July @ Minerva Theatre
Grapes of Wrath - 24th July @ Chichester Festival Theatre
Beauty and The Beast - August @ Liverpool Empire Theatre
The Sound of Music - December @ Manchester Palace
Avenue Q - West End - no date planned at the minute
Oliver! - West End - no date planned at the minute
Priscilla, Queen of the Dessert - West End - no date planned at the minute
The Phantom of the Opera - West End - no date planned at the minute

The List will be updated as more shows are announced and as I become more aware of what shows are being put on around the city, and indeed the country.

An amazing new website!

Check out this website for video clips of musicals performed on tv over the past 70 years! You can see Ethel Merman singing a song from Anything Goes in 1934 or Idina Menzel and the cast of Wicked in 2004! Amazing website!

Broadway Grosses

Most shows on Broadway are still posting disappointing numbers! This probably has something to do with the time of the year - people tend to go to the theatre less during the first few months of the year - but it almost certainly has something to do with the current economic situation. There seems to be a great number of plays around at the minute and less musicals! So far this year, musicals which have closed on Broadway include Hairspray, Spring Awakening, Gypsy, Spamalot, Young Frankenstein and Grease.

It is slightly frustrating that The West End don't publish their figures. It would be interesting to see how shows are doing during the difficult period, and it would also be interesting to see what shows people are going to see - are they more likely to go to the cheaper shows in general, or are they more likely to save their money and go and see the one show that they know they will enjoy? Only time will tell...

Avenue Q stays in the West End!!

The puppet musical is still going to close at the Noel Coward theatre as planned at the end of March, but a surge in ticket sales has meant that the show is being given a repreive! It is now due to open again at the Gielgud theatre on 1st June 2009. I wonder is this means that there won't be a tour now?!

Practically Perfect.. in most ways anyway!

It has been over a year since Mary Poppins stopped captivating audiences in its original home in The Prince Edward theatre in London's West End. Now everyones favorite nanny is out on the road and is touring throughout the UK in a year long venture, and last night I had the delight of going to see the show in Manchesters Palace theatre.

The musical is based on the 1964 film starring the wonderful Julie Andrews and the book that inspired it. Fans of the film will be thrilled to know that many of songs featured in the film, and written by the Shermann Bros, remain in the stage show. New songs have also been written in a similar style by Styles and Drew.

The staging of the show is very much like it was in London. The scenery is spectacular - much better than any touring show I've seen. The lighting is particularly good, transporting you from the bank to the rooftops of London to Mary Poppins wonderland in a matter of seconds! The house has been slightly scalled down from the London production and appears to fold out now rather than appear as one solid set like it did in London, were it was set on three levels - the top most level dropping to ground level when it was in use. There are some nice new props though with Mary Poppins bed appearing from a pull out drawer in "Practically Perfect" - a lovely song that wouldn't be out of place in the film.

The new additions to the film generally fit in quite nicely. Mrs Andrews is a particularly nasty character who wants to poison the children with her "Brimstone and Treacle". Mrs Correy adds some colour to the famous Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious scene and the show is frightened up with the chilling "Temper, Temper!" when all the toys in the nursery come alive to give the children a telling off! The finale of the show centres around a new songs called "Anything can happen", which adds even more spectacle to the show, whilst hitting the audience over the head with another morale, but it works quite well and the tune is a catchy little number!

The choreography of the show is delightful. Matthew Bourne has created complex routines which give extra oumph to the piece and help move the story along. It is a highly energetic show. One such highlight is in an early park scene where all the statues come to life.

The performances are to be commended all around. Lisa O'Hare brought out a cheekyness to Mary Poppins which is much needed. She added life to the character who, if you think about it, is quite a rude person! After all, she never brings references because she thinks they're "old fashioned". And she dictates her evenings off! Lisa's vocals were also very good - you could hear every syllabel that she was singing. The lady who played the bird woman was also very good - she evoked alot of emotion from the character and sang "feed the birds" incredibly. The children playing Jane and Michael were good - their acting in particular was outstanding - much better than their voices. They had a natural chemistry with eachother which made it incredibly easy to believe that they were siblings.

There were however, elements which maybe didn't work so well. The show is, at 2h 45 mins including the interval, slightly long and so smaller children may get slightly restless. But having said that, there are several set pieces which will keep most children enthralled throughout the show - not least Bert walking around the procenium arch or the finale, which I wont spoil if you've yet to see the show. All in all, the show was supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!!

8/10

musical talk

If you enjoy your musicals then why not subscribe to this podcast on itunes! It has been running for over 2 years and has featured lots of stars from the musical world including Alan Menken, Summer Strallen, Bonnie Langford, Simon Callow, Oliver Thompsett and much more! Check out their website at http://www.musicaltalk.co.uk/ or search for their podcast in itunes! The site is run by Nick Hutson, a composer and lyricist from London.

OSCAR results!

The results are in! And for the most part I was relatively accurate! I correctly guessed most of the major awards! I guessed that Kate and Penelope would win in the actress categories.. I guessed that Heath Ledger would win Best Supporting Actor, and I guessed that Slumdog would win Best Film and probably alot of other awards! I was wrong however with my prediction that Mickey Rourke would win Best Actor! I was very wrong in fact! Sean Penn won the award with a late surge in votes! Now that may be that the academy thought he gave a better performance in Milk, but I have a cheeky suspicion that background politics played a part! I believe that Mickeys BAFTA and Golden Globes winning speeches turned off the more conservative voters among the academy. It also shows that the academy can, and will vote independently of any other awards show. I just feel that in years to come people will look back and say that 2009 was Mickey Rourkes year and that Oscar was robbed from him! I also didn't guess that Danny Boyle would win for Best Director. This was because I knew that Slumdog would win Best Film and felt that the academy wouldn't let another award go to the Brits - especially after Kate won Best Actress! Dannys awards speech was lovely though! I really enjoyed the whole theme to the night! It was slightly forced and contrived (the bits I've seen on Youtube anywayz!), but I really enjoyed the musical element! It gave the Oscars that Wow factor that you just can't get when Chris Rock or Steve Martin are throwing insults and one liners at the nominees in the audience. It was lovely to see so many stars - old and young - turn out for the show! My highlight of the night was definately Miley Cyrus' answer to the question - Who is your favourite person in history? Her answer.. Angelina Jolie! x

Oscar preds continued!

The stars have started arriving at the 81st Academy Awards and the anticipation is building! The whole oh Hollywood will be turning out for the most prestigious night in the motion picture calender. Even the child stars from Slumdog Millionaire have been flown over to enjoy the evening! And what an evening it will be! The Brad Pitt helmed vehicle The Curious Case of Benjamin Button leads the field with 13 nominations, closely followed by Slumdog which is nominated for 10 awards, and Dark Knight which is up for 8. Other films which are hoping to win big tonight include Milk, Doubt, The Reader, the Wrestler, Wall-E and Revolutionary Road.

As I have said earlier, my full list of predictions is saved onto another computer which I can't access at the minute, but I will predict the winners here and now of the big awards and some of the smaller awards of which I can remember!

First of all, I think that Slumdog Millionare will win Best Film. I don't necessarily think that it should win because I enjoyed Button much more - I feel that the hype however will ensure that the academy votes in favour of the smaller film which has steadily gained more media attention over the past few months. I feel that David Fincher will win Best Director to ensure that Button doesn't go home empty handed! It would be silly to vote for anyone else other than Mickey Rourke and Heath Ledger for the Best Actor and Supporting Actor. The academy loves comeback stories and Mickey Rourke personifies this completely! There would be a huge backlash if Heath didn't win - hes won every other supporting actor award in the awards season so far so I reckon that it is a dead cert he'l win. the actress categories are slightly more open I feel. I still think Kate will win Best Actress for her role in the Reader, but I just feel that its silly that her role in Revolutionary Road has been overlooked. I still can't understand either why Cate Blanchett hasn't been nominated for her role in Benjamin Button! The Supporting Actress category is quite open I feel, but expect Penelope Cruz to win on the momentum of her BAFTA win a few weeks ago.

I think that of the smaller awards most are quite open. Expect Slumdog to win best screenplay and cinematography, but button to win best visual effects. I reckon The Duchess will win a few awards for costume and scenery. I feel that the smaller awards will be split evenly between Button and Slumdog, and believe that Doubt, milk and Frost/Nixon will go home empty handed. Whilst I feel that these films are probably very good (iv seen only Frost/Nixon, which I loved), I also feel that they haven't really been very commercially sucessful and feel that this will go against it at the Oscars!

it will be a very good night, but I dont necessarily think that all of the winners will be the ones who deserve the awards! It seems to me that there are alot of background politics in Hollywood (wow, theres a suprise) and films that win big do so on the fact that they are build on a media bandwagon. At the end of the day I feel that it is just one big popularity contest, but that I supose is one of the reasons why I love it so much! Long may it continue, and congratulations to all nominees!

Oscars tonight!

Okies, we have finally arrived at the Oscars evening! Over the next few hours I will post my predictions of who I think will win the Oscars tonight! I did a full prediction earlier today but have left them on another computer and wont be able to access them until tomorrow so will try and remember who I am voting for! I have a few pondering thoughts at the minute though! Will Mickey swear lots and get the network taken off the air?! Will Kate gush again at her acceptance speech and make everyone cringe?! How many (or how few!!) awards will The Curious Case of Benjamin Button come away with?! Will Wall-E win the few awards it deserves, and finally.. can the film which was made in India for such little cash come away with the big acolade of best film?! Find out my thoughts and then the results here later on tonight!

Whats On Stage Awards!

I feel like a celebrity!!!

Walking into the foyer of the Prince of Wales theatre in central London on Sunday night was such a surreal experience! The sheer number of people surrounding the theatre was crazy! And the Paps! I've not seen anything like it in real life! I mean I've watched the videos of Britney and other celebs being followed by people with big lenses, and I've watched several series of Big Brother where housemates get snapped as they walk out of the house, but I've never seen so many of them, so up close and personal as I did at the weekend! I liked it!

The reason that half of London and the press were waiting outside of the theatre on a cold, miserable Sunday night was to see their favorite stars and celebs entering to watch the Whatsonstage.com awards show. They are the only theatre awards show voted for by the public, who can pay for a ticket and go and watch them being presented inside - the only one of its kind that I'm aware of in the UK.

And so into the theatre we went along with 1130 other people including many a celeb including Eddie Izzard, Sheila Hancock, Suzanne Shaw, Connie Fisher and lots of actors, directors, producers and general bodies from the theatrical world. James Corden and Sheriden Smith were presenting the awards.

I was slightly disappointed to learn that the cast of Spring Awakening weren't going to be performing as advertised and that no one else was going to be filling in their place. I still enjoyed the show however and was mesmerised during many of the performances. Two of the girls from "I'd do Anything" kicked off the proceedings along with Niki Evans who was in X-Factor last year and is now staring as Mrs. Johnstone in Blood Brothers. They sang 9 to 5 quite adequately but weren't the highlight of the evening in my opinion. It was a nice start though!

The awards were given out sporadically throughout the evening between performances which was good. I liked the fact that they were spaced out so that it didn't ever get tiresome or boring. I didn't like the fact that the awards were announced in lots of different ways e.g. James would say something like "Wow that Jersey Boys has been nominated alot - and it's won Best Actor". I like the formalities of award shows were they mention the award, read out the nominees and then the winner. It means that there is a build up of anticipation.. and that was duly lacking on Sunday night. Having said that, James and Sheridan were very good hosts. They were funny throughout, if sometimes bordering on rude (especially to Lee Mead, Daniel Boys and the poor crew member he continuously beat on!).

As it isn't that often that I get a chance to come to London to see most of the plays and musicals, I wasnt rooting for one particular show to do well. I was pleased to see the Donmar get so many awards because I've heard that the quality of their shows is second to none. I expected Jersey Boys to win everything it was nominated in purely because it was the biggest show up in the categories it was in. The only show I wanted to do well was a small show which was nominated in the Best Regional Production. I work as an usher at the Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse theatre in Liverpool and so had seen one of the plays nominated in this category around 10 times and absoloutely loved it! I was thrilled to hear it was nominated at the WhatsonStage awards! It didn't have a chance of winning however seeing that it was up against the David Tennant/Patrick Stewart version of Hamlet from Statford! I was extremely happy to hear that 2 of the stars - Tom Oakley and Julie Atherton would be singing some of the songs from the show - Once Upon A Time At The Adelphi!

I don't think that many people in the audience had heard either songs which were performed from the show, but that fact didn't come across at the end of the performance when they received a huge round of applause. I love Julie Atherton - her voice is crystal clear and so strong! And she sang probably my favorite song from the show - "Just the next 10 seconds". Tom Oakley was ok - nothing special (I'll be honest) but it was nice to hear to "cheesy showtune" song sung live for probably the last time!

The rest of the performances were hit and miss really. There was a medley of Broadway songs performed at the beginning of the 2nd act of the awards show. Jimmy Johnston sang a beautiful song from Shrew the musical that touched everyone in the audience! The emotions and the sentiment washed over the audience so that the majority of people were affected! Kim Criswell sang a wonderful song from The Little Mermaid. Her powerful voice pushed you back against your seat and the her army of male dancers had everyone laughing with their fishy choreography! Bend and Snap from Legally Blonde on the otherhand had everyone wishing that they could bend and snap the writers and performers of that song! It was awful! The mics were turned up way too loud on Leila Benn Harris and Ramin Karimloo for their version of "When You're Gone" from In The Heights. I was so looking forward to hearing Ramin as well but was disappointed because I couldn't really distinguish the words. Elena Rogers and the cast of Jersey Boys were definately the highlights of the show! The Jersey Boys medley had lots of people up on their feet! It was wonderful but one feels like they may have given too much! I don't feel I can justify paying £60 to go and see the show when I have paid £15 for a medley of the best bits from the best songs! They were incredible!

The show was definately a highlight of my year so far and I will definately go back next year! Just to be sitting in the same room and sharing the same bar as all the celebs was an ego boost! I loved it! And it was all in aid of charity which was probably the best part!