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?!