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West End Rumors

French & Saunders Provide Drury Lane Filler?

The Lord of the Rings cost £12m to produce and will take up to 10 weeks to dismantle.  Oliver! is due to open for previews in the Royal Drury Lane Theatre on 12th Dec 2008, this leaves a 7-8 week period where the whirlwind that is French & Saunders could keep the Theatre from going dark.

The recent tour called ‘Still Alive’ is directed by The Right Size’s Hamish McColl, it’s billed a “not a farewell tour but a Not Dead Yet Tour" and features various much-loved sketches from their TV shows as well as new material.

 

Sister Act is looking for a home

The producers of US screen-to-stage musical Sister Act are rumoured to be looking for a West End theatre later in the year. The musical - which premiered in Pasadena, California back in 2006 – was subsequently staged in Atlanta last year. Since then, the expected Broadway transfer has failed to materialise, with producers now apparently looking at the prospect of a London run first.

 

Barry Manilow Musical - Can’t Smile Without You?

The new compilation musical, coming soon from the stable of producer Bill Kenwright, will feature 30 songs from the American singer-songwriter’s back catalogue.

Manilow has sold more than 75 million records worldwide. At the height of his success in the late 1970s, he had five albums on the best-seller charts in the US. His many easy-listening singles include “I Write the Songs”, “Mandy”, “Looks Like We Made It”, “Weekend in New England”, “Ready to Take a Chance Again”, “I Made It Through the Rain”, “Can’t Smile Without You” and “Copacabana”.

 

Dolly Parton Works 9 to 5 on London Transfer?

Country superstar Dolly Parton is keen to bring her new musical to London. The musical, based on her 1980 film Nine to Five, had its world premiere at Los Angeles’ Ahmanson Theater in September and is tipped for a Broadway opening in spring 2009. It’s directed by Joe Mantello (Wicked)
 

Miss Parton was speaking to London’s Heart FM this week, she said of a possible West End transfer for 9 to 5: The Musical: “I’m hoping it does happen because I’ve written all the music, and it will hopefully open on Broadway in the spring of 2009.”

Miss Parton, has over 25 US Number One singles to her name, praised her UK fans for the level of support they continue to show her. "Through the years, my UK fans have kept telling me how much they appreciate me and what I do. I don't get to come over to the UK often, but I've always had wonderful times here. We've had great audiences here, so why not?"

 

Sharon Stone heading for the West End Stage?

Sharon Stone is reportedly keen to take the plunge into the West End. The actress has over 70 credits to her name, including the sexy Basic Instinct.

The actress was previously rumoured to be in the running to drop her robe as Mrs. Robinson in Terry Johnson’s 2002 stage adaptation of The Graduate, unfortunately this did happen. Could we now be in for Basic Instinct: The Musical?

 

Eurobeat
The hilarious world of the Eurovision Song Contest LIVE ON STAGE! The show is a musical banquet, a glamourfest, a beautifully-executed homage to the event that brings tears of joy and laughter to all that see it.
The show takes stereotypes to the extreme, poking fun at the contest that many a nation takes so seriously. The audience are encourages to “grab a flag and a clacker, face the front and CHEER just like a real Eurovision nutcase!”
The show is loved by Sir Terry Wogan himself, reported to becoming soon to the Novello!  

 

Legally Blonde is definitely going in to the Piccadilly with Grease closing by the end of the year.

 

Barnum plans underway to replace Sound of Music at Palladium with John Barrowman starring.

 

Phantom 2 is being written by Andrew Lloyd Webber with lyrics by Ben Elton, Tim Rice having turned down the opportunity.

 

Rights for ‘The ’Wizard of Oz’ secured by Andrew Lloyd Webber, being launched as a reality TV casting next year on ITV with Andrew Lloyd Webber on panel produced by Simon Cowell, ahead of ‘The Wizard of Oz – The Musical’

 

BBC not doing a follow up reality show to ‘Oliver’ in near future due to criticism received, hence Andrew Lloyd Webber’s defection to ITV.

 

Coming soon to the West End:

 

Dancing the Night Away

A musical based on the movies of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers and choreographed by Gillian Lynne.

 

Withnail & I
Stage adaptation of the 1987 film. Possibly starring Jude Law, more information coming soon.

 

Chicago cast for May 2008

Roxie Hart – Sarah Soetaert

Velma Kelly – Rachel McDowall

Billy Flynn – Terence Maynard

Mama Morton – Claudia Shear

Mary Sunshine – Rusty Whitehead

Amos Hart – Paul Rider

 

Cabaret - Alistair McGowan replaces Julian Clary as the Emcee in Cabaret. The rest of the cast remains the same.

 

Jersey Boys is extending its run at the Prince Edward Theatre until 14th Feb 2009

 

Into the Hoods has now been extended until 7th June 2008

 

Avenue Q has now extended until 25th April 2009.

 

Phantom of Paris composed by the late Peer Raben and librettists Volker Führer and Axel Schulß, is expected to have a West End run in 2009/10 following an internationl tour. It is 1910, ten years after the supposed death of the phantom. As well as the original characters, we are joined by Frederic, the son of Christine.

 

Fat Pig is a new show opening at Trafalgar Studios, and booking from 16th May 2008 to 6th September 2008.

When Tom (Robert Webb, from hit comedy duo Mitchell and Webb) first meets Helen there is an instant connection, but its not exactly love at first sight...

Helen (Ella Smith) is a bright, funny, sexy young woman who happens to be plus-sized - and then some - so its only so long before the insults start to fly from Tom's shallow yet shockingly funny office buddies (Love Actually's Kris Marshall and Gavin and Stacey's Joanna Page). Television's hottest young comedians star in this searing, funny and ultimately touching love story.

We wish Kris Marshall a speedy recovery from his recent accident.

 

Elaine Paige in a recent interview showed her uncertainly for the reality TV musicals “I like it but I’d love it if it pushed new writers, it’s always revivals.” Andrew Lloyds Webbers view that the shows bring more audiences to the theatre was no shared by Miss Paige “It’s not brining new audiences to the theatre, but it is great TV”

 

Don Black and David Arnold (jointly wrote Bond themes such as ‘The world is not enough’ and ‘Tommorrow Never Dies’) are writing a musical with Derren Litten (Catherin Tate and Benidorm) – watch this space for more information. Don Black is also working with Michel Legrand and  Richard Bean on ‘The Count of Monte Cristo’ due for West End opening in 2009.