Rachel Tucker (a former Nancy contender from I’d do Anything) is currently starring as Elphaba the wicked witch in Wicked The Musical, which is a prequel to The Wizard of OZ. Here’s Rachel Tucker singing “The Wizard and I” at the “West End Live 2010″ festival in London’s Leicester Square last weekend:

Wow!

Rachel Tucker – The Wizard and I

Wicked is continuing to build after its most successful year ever and is bringing in not one but two new witches! Current witches Alexia Khadime (Elphaba) and Dianne Pilkington (Glinda) leave the show on a record breaking high note and will play their final performances on Saturday 27 March 2010. Bound to be a very emotional evening! (If you want tickets for this one you must act fast – Click through to see if there are Wicked theatre breaks available for Alexia and Diane’s final performance. By the way there’s a Free Hotel Offer on weekday Wicked Theatre Breaks until the end of March) Wicked

Rachel Tucker as Elphaba I’m a big fan of Rachel Tucker. I thought she had a great voice when she was in I’d Do Anything and I absolutely loved her in We Will Rock You. She was playing Meat the night I saw her but I believe she made a great success of the lead role, Scaramouche, on the few occasions she got to play it. Rachel will join Wicked as the new Elphaba and I can’t wait to hear her sing “Defying Gravity”. The voice and the song should combine beautifully and give us yet another interpretation of a great standard. So as one Nancy (Jodie) bows out the West End will see another graduate of the I’d Do Anything programme take centre stage. Perhaps this will convince the critics that reality casting shows do actually uncover worthwhile talent. Don’t hold your breath! Like Kerry Ellis, a previous much loved Elphaba, Rachel will bring her own loyal fan base to the show and no doubt to this post. Hi all
Oz Trivia – Rachel is no stranger to Oz having played Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz at Belfast’s Lyric Theatre. Louise Dearman as Glinda Louise joins the cast of Wicked as Glinda. She’s been widely acclaimed in her lead role in the touring production of Evita. It will be interesting to see what she makes of the role of Glinda and how she stamps her own personality on it. Louise’s voice is described by her agents as: pure, melting soprano voice, with a surprisingly strong belt. Having listened to a sample I have to agree, lovely! But don’t just rely on my judgment have a listen for yourself:

Book Wicked Theatre Breaks a

Related posts:Alexia Khadime in Wicked Theatre Breaks New Wicked Cast but Without Desmond Barrit Wicked Theatre Breaks – the new cast

A Little Night Music in the West End Stephen Sondheim’s A Little Night Music is an elegant waltz time musical which transferred to the West End’s Garrick Theatre in April after an acclaimed run at the Menier Chocolate Factory. Based on Ingmar Berman’s film, Smiles of a Summer Night, A Little Night Music the musical is set in Sweden at the turn of the century. A romantic and heartfelt piece of theatre, A Little Night Music contains the much-loved song Send in the Clowns.

The cast includes

Maureen Lipman as Madame Armfeldt an elderly lady who has had a highly successful career as a courtesan and Desiree’s mother. Hannah Waddingham as Desiree a young and fairly self-absrobed actress who largely neglects her own duty as a mother. Jessie Buckley as Anne, the pretty young wife of Fredrick who is naive and obsessed by material trinkets and new dresses.

Jessie Buckley Jessie Buckley was a popular contestant on the BBC’s I’d Do Anything, coming second in the contest to find the new Nancy for Oliver. A Little Night Music marks Jessie’s professional debut. A Little Night Music Theatre Breaks Theatre Breaks to see A Little Night Music are available up until September 5th 2009 ** book A Little Night Music Theatre Breaks **

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Well it’s Saturday night and West End Live is half way through. There were some great shows on today in Leicester Square all to promote the West End and provide some free entertainment for the London crowd at the same time. Highlights sp far have been a good three song set from a big cast from We Will Rock You , always a high energy show, the lovely duet from The King And I and this performance from Jodie Prenger as Nancy from Oliver! who sang as if she thought she needed to win I’d do Anything all over again! Click here to view the embedded video. If you keep an eye on the Theatre Breaks youtube stream you’ll catch a glimpse of Patina Miller and sisters from Sister Act and also Jerry Springer in Chicago!

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Mamma Mia! MAMMA MIA! at the Prince of Wales Theatre will have major cast changes from Monday 15 June 2009. The Mamma Mia Cast list

Sally Ann Triplett as Donna Sheridan, Katy Secombe as Rosie Jane Gurnett as Tanya. Norman Bowman as Sam Carmichael, Paul Ryan as Harry Bright, Christopher Hollis as Bill Austin, Niamh Perry as Sophie Sheridan, Oliver Hembrough as Sky, Jodie Read as Ali, Laura Selwood as Lisa, Ben Heathcote as Pepper Sam McKay as Eddie. Melissa Jacques as alternate Donna Sheridan

Some of the new cast members (Sally Ann Triplett, Katy Secombe and Norman Bowman) have good West End credentials. Christopher Hollis is better known for his TV work (EastEnders, The Bill, A Touch of Frost) Of course we’ll all recognise Niamh Perry as she was a finalist on I’d Do Anything on BBC One. She didn’t win the role of Nancy but she was very, very good. I think she’ll be excellent as Sarah.

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