No doubt about it, Lea Michele is the Greatest Star, singlehandedly salvaging a train wreck of a revival and tuning it into a white hot hit. Not seen on Broadway since its original 1964 production, Funny Girl returns with a redesign of the 2016 London production, retaining direction by Michael Mayer and updates to Isobel Lennart’s original book by show-doctor Harvey Fierstein.
‘Suffused with joy’: HAIRSPRAY LIVE! – The Shows Must Go On (Online review)
Hairspray Live! is such a joyous show it should perk up many a flagging spirit. It proves far superior to the previous week’s NBC Live offering of The Sound of Music.
The Shows Must Go On: Hairspray Live!, featuring Ariana Grande & Jennifer Hudson, is next up on lockdown musicals channel
Free-to-view YouTube Channel The Shows Must Go On continues its theatre lockdown schedule with another ‘live’ television broadcast of a Broadway musical, the star-studded 2016 version of Hairspray Live!
REVIEW ROUND-UP: Torch Song at the Turbine Theatre
Love London Love Culture rounds up the reviews for Drew McOnie’s revival of Harvey Fierstein’s play Torch Song at the Turbine Theatre.
‘Emotional & uplifting production’: TORCH SONG – Turbine Theatre ★★★★
The Turbine Theatre opens with an assured revival of Harvey Fierstein’s Torch Song. This is the revised 2017 version, packing the original trilogy of plays into just over two and a half hours.
NEWS: Paul Taylor-Mills will lead the new Turbine Theatre at Battersea Power Station
Presented by Bill Kenwright and founded and led by artistic director Paul Taylor-Mills, the Turbine Theatre is a brand new theatre on the banks of the Thames next to the iconic Battersea Power Station.
NEWS: Killian Donnelly & Matt Henry return for filming of West End Kinky Boots
Original West End cast members Killian Donnelly and Matt Henry will return to the London production of Kinky Boots when it is filmed later this month for future worldwide screening.
NEWS: Kinky Boots launches UK tour from Northampton in September 2018
A new UK touring production of Kinky Boots will open on 19 September 2018 at Royal & Derngate in Northampton, returning to the home of this British story, whilst the West End production continues at the Adelphi Theatre.
LA CAGE AUX FOLLES – Touring
High kicks and high camp dominate La Cage Aux Folles, at the Playhouse, as it explodes in a glorious melange of sequins, feathers and a timely political message wrapped up in an over-sugared package.
KINKY BOOTS – West End
It takes seasoned performer Matt Henry (Olivier award winner, Best Actor In a Musical) as feisty drag queen Lola to kick Kinky Boots back into high gear. Ultimately this musical works best when allowed to go the whole hog, camp as Christmas and twice as fabulous.
NEWS: John Partridge plays Zaza in first-ever UK tour of La Cage aux Folles
Bill Kenwright presents the much loved musical LA CAGE AUX FOLLES with John Partridge as ‘Albin/Zaza’ and American TV star Adrian Zmed as ‘Georges’, opening at New Oxford Theatre on Thursday 5 January 2017 before embarking on its first-ever nationwide tour, with further dates to be announced.
FUNNY GIRL – West End
“People”, who didn’t manage to nab their seats fast enough for the Menier Chocolate Factory’s Funny Girl can most definitely rest easy in the knowledge that this acclaimed and triumphant revival is an even bigger and better show following its transfer across the river to the Savoy. Sheridan Smith’s Fanny Brice simply oozes star quality.
NEWS: Kinky Boots extends to 24 Sep at West End’s Adelphi
Kinky Boots, Broadway’s huge-hearted, high-heeled hit, today announces the opening of a new booking period, with tickets now available until Saturday 24 September 2016. Tickets for this extended period will go on sale from Monday 1 February 2016.
Press pass: All the reviews and pics of Sheridan Smith in Funny Girl
In musical theatre happenings, the big news last night was London’s first major revival of Jule Styne’s Broadway classic Funny Girl. The big question: could Sheridan Smith lay to rest the ghost of Barbra Streisand, who originated the role of Fanny Brice on stage and (Oscar-winning) screen? And the big answer: a resounding yes.
FUNNY GIRL – Menier Chocolate Factory
Imelda Staunton may have just wowed in Styne and Sondheim’s Gypsy, but hard on her heels is Sheridan Smith’s take on Fanny Brice. In a role that famously demands an unconventional beauty – and which, from both Broadway and Hollywood launch pads Barbra Streisand was rocketed into the highest of stellar orbits – Smith has enormously famous shoes to fill.
NEWS: Darius Campbell joins Sheridan Smith in Funny Girl, Full cast
The Menier Chocolate Factory today announces full casting for their production of Funny Girl. Joining Sheridan Smith as Fanny Brice are Valda Aviks (Mrs O’Malley), Natasha J Barnes (Emma/Mrs Meeker), Darius Campbell (Nick), Marilyn Cutts (Mrs Brice), Maurice Lane (Mr Keeney), Bruce Montague (Ziegfeld), Joel Montague (Eddie), Gay Soper (Mrs Strakosh); with Emma Caffrey, Matthew Croke, Joelle Dyson, Rebecca Fennelly, Luke Fetherston, Leah Harris, Kelly Homewood, Sammy Kelly and Stuart Ramsay completing the ensemble.
Weekly Theatre Podcast: Photograph 51, Casa Valentina, People, Places and Things
This week the London theatre bloggers discuss Nicole Kidman in Photograph 51, Headlong’s People, Places and Things at the National, and Harvey Fierstein play Casa Valentina at Southwark Playhouse.
FEATURED SHOW: Casa Valentina, Reviews are in + £15 tickets before 10 Oct
Have you seen the raft of rave reviews for our Featured Show? The European premiere of Harvey Fierstein‘s Casa Valentina, which is now running at London’s Southwark Playhouse, has wowed critics and has also been nominated for four OffWestEnd.com Awards, including Best Play. Scroll down for links and excerpts from some of our favourite reviews, plus some top-value Valentina videos… DON’T MISS THIS SHOW! Casa …
Weekly Theatre Podcast: Kinky Boots, Dusty, Dispatched, Luck and Nightjars
On this week’s bumper podcast, the London theatre bloggers discuss West End musicals Kinky Boots and Dusty, as well as Off-West End plays Hatched ‘n’ Dispatched, The Man Who Had All the Luck and And Then Come the Nightjars.
CASA VALENTINA – Southwark Playhouse
Harvey Fierstein’s second London opening this week after Kinky Boots is Casa Valentina, which makes its European premier at the Southwark Playhouse and proves a remarkable piece of theatre.
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