The stage musical version of Ghost, is scheduled to open at London’s Piccadilly Theatre on June 22 and is booking initially until January 28 so that holiday period theatre breaks to see Ghost can be booked well in advance. This is going to be a very popular show for all sorts of theatre goers including hen party theatre breaks, romantic theatre breaks and anniversaries. Directed by multi-award-winning Matthew Warchus, Ghost will feature music by Dave Stewart (of Eurythmics fame) and Glen Ballard, writer of Michael Jackson’s hit Man in the Mirror. The production will be designed by Rob Howell, and will feature extraordinary, magical stage effects by Paul Kieve, illusionist for the hit film Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Bruce Joel Rubin has adapted his Oscar-winning screenplay for the stage show which will also feature the unforgettable Righteous Brothers song, Unchained Melody, which featured in the film’s iconic love scene at a potter’s wheel. A story about the power of love, Ghost revolves around a man called Sam, trapped as a ghost between this world and the next. He tries to communicate with girlfriend Molly through a phoney psychic, Oda Mae Brown, in the hope of saving her from his murderer. Richard Fleeshman, recently seen on the London stage playing Warner Huntington III opposite Sheridan Smith in Legally Blonde The Musical, will play Sam in the stage musical. Fleeshman is best known on television for his roles in Coronation Street, in which he played Craig Harris for four years and, more recently, Debbie Horsfield’s All the Small Things for the BBC. Caissie Levy will play Molly. She has most recently been seen on stage on Broadway and in the West End in the leading role of Sheila in the New York Public Theatre Cameron Mackintosh production of Hair. Levy made her Broadway debut as Penny Pingleton in Hairspray, a role she recreated on tour in the US. She went on to play Maureen Johnson in the US tour of Rent and in 2008 starred as the green witch Elphaba in the Los Angeles production of Wicked. Sharon D Clarke, who will play Oda Mae Brown, has most recently been seen on stage in the West End as Motormouth Maybelle in Hairspray at the Shaftesbury Theatre. She has played Mama Morton in Chicago at London’s Adelphi and Killer Queen in We Will Rock You at the Dominion. Ghost, the highest grossing film in the UK in 1990, was directed by Jerry Zucker.
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I posted to ghostlondon.com
The Musical version of Ghost, London Theatre Breaks
http://ghostlondon.com/31/the-musical-version-of-ghost-london-theatre-breaks/
- Tags:
- west end
- uk
- Hairspray
- Cameron Mackintosh
- musical
- Sheridan Smith
- music
- piccadilly
- BBC
- Ghost London
- ghost
- piccadilly theatre
- Dave Stewart
- Eurythmics
- Richard Fleeshman
- Sharon D Clarke
- unchained melody
- bruce joel rubin
- Glen Ballard
- Coronation Street
- craig harris
- Harry Potter
- Jerry Zucker
- Mae Brown
- Mama Morton
- Matthew Warchus
- maureen johnson
- oda mae brown
- paul kieve
- Penny Pingleton
- prisoner of azkaban
- Rob Howell
- stage effects
March 25 2011, 7:13am | Comments »
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I posted to usefulwiki.com
London Weekend Breaks By Rail
http://usefulwiki.com/londontheatre/london-weekend-breaks-by-rail.html
Are you looking for more information about London weekend breaks by rail? That’s actually a very good starting point because you’ve already made the best decision as far as transport goes for arriving in London. Go by train and you’ll not have to be worrying about things like car parking, how to pay the congestion charge or long motor way traffic jams holding up coach journeys. The fast inter city trains are also the quickest way to get from most UK cities into one of the central London mainline stations. London Breaks by Rail - Express Routes Weekend breaks can be for a West-end theatre show on any Friday, Saturday or Sunday night combined with a hotel stay of one night or more, including the show date. The most popular break tends to be a one-nighter including the big Saturday night out, but getting away early on a Friday makes a lot of sense too. Traveling on a Friday and Saturday gives a clear run through but Sundays can be fine for getting home too, depending on which rail line takes you back. All I’m saying is, check for regular Sunday engineering works if the service that relays between your city and London is one that may be prone to scheduled maintenance on a Sunday. Longer Weekend Breaks If your weekend break means going home on a Saturday of course, the traditional weekend has only just begun but then again I’ve noticed that for some people around here, the weekend definitely starts to ramp up on a Thursday night! London can be a very pleasant play to stay on a Sunday with less of a hurried atmosphere but still plenty of things to see and do so staying on for the whole weekend and then booking to get back on a Monday during the daytime can make for an extremely satisfying London weekend rail break, more like a mini holiday really. You could even make it a three or four night stay with the weekend theatre trip included, especially worthwhile if you have a long distance rail journey from one of the smaller rail networks that lie beyond the core inter city services. London Shows for Weekend Theatre Breaks One of the advantages with buying a theatre breaks package is that you can get good tickets for any of the more popular shows, even on a busy Friday or Saturday night. I tried to get an impulse ticket from the famous half price ticket booth the other day and after a lot of waiting around I came away without making a purchase. That was because the shows on offer didn’t include two that I was most interested in, and because the prices offered are not anything like half price at all. So supposing you’ve always wanted to grab a friend and go and see Hairspray, Dirty Dancing or Sister Act on a Saturday night but couldn’t find any available tickets except from the disreputable touts and so-called discount kiosks, well the answer is to do just a little bit of forward planning and organise a weekend break in London for just a few weeks down the line, then you can get on with life knowing there’s a fantastic treat in store for you to look forward to. London weekend breaks by rail are also perfect for really special occasions such as a big anniversary or celebration. Never mind seeing Les Miserables from the back of the upper circle, with theatre breaks packages it’s often possible to get best available seats with a competitive price guarantee, because the tour agents buy blocks of tickets way in advance and can therefore hold the best seats open for people who are booking the whole London weekend theatre package thing with the hotel stay and return rail tickets included. This is just one suggestion, but supposing you were a big fan of the Phantom of The Opera having seen it many years ago, and fancied repeating the experience in today’s West End. This gives you two possible shows for London Weekend breaks by rail because the new show with the Phantom opens in March 2010 and it’s going to be one of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s biggest shows ever, called “Love Never Dies“. By booking the rail tickets well in advance in combination with London weekend breaks, (that’s the show and hotel stay), you get the full discount on the rail tickets which can mean as much as a 70% saving off the regular return saver. If it appears as if the only shows on in London are the big musicals then that’s certainly not the case. There are always a number of serious plays also on in the West end, usually for shorter runs but not always, and these are also available for London weekend breaks by rail. In 2010 there will be more Shakespeare, Pinter and Becket as well as modern American playwrights, and some comedy plays too. So you’ve decided very sensibly to opt for London weekend breaks by rail, thought about which show you’d both like to see, and maybe opted for a Friday night or Saturday theatre ticket depending which suits you best and considered the best time and day for homewards travel. All that’s left is to balance the convenience of a central London hotel with the economy of staying a little further out, but there is always a good selection of options available when booking London weekend theatre breaks. Now let me see, what else is there to worry about? a
Related posts:Theatre breaks with discount railWeekend Breaks with BasilFriday Theatre Breaks with Dinner and Hotel
- Tags:
- Les Miserables
- Plays
- Dirty Dancing
- London breaks
- train
- Weekend Breaks
- Musicals
- Hairspray
- Phantom of the Opera
- rail
- Sister Act
- hotel stay
- London Weekend Breaks By Rail
- Weekend Break
December 8 2009, 6:31am | Comments »
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I posted to usefulwiki.com
Dolenz and Conely Hairspray Cast Changes
http://usefulwiki.com/londontheatre/dolenz-and-conely-hairspray-cast-changes.html
Hairspray Hairspray Cast Just Monkeeing Around Hairspray sees some major cast changes from Tuesday 2 February 2010. Micky Dolenz joins Hairspray in the role of Tracy’s dad Wilbur Turnblad Brian Conley will return to the role of Wilber’s wife,Edna Turnblad, taking over from Phil Jupitus Chloe Hart will remain as Tracy. Conley played the role of Edna very successfully after Michael Ball left and it is interesting to see him return to it so soon. Of course some of us think that the lure of the big frocks will get the better of Michael Ball sooner or later and he’ll be back as Edna. Till then I’m sure Brian Conley will do a great job. The role does seem to be on which the men that take it on relish and Phil Jupitus was saying on the radio the other day that he has had a great time playing Edna. Dolenz, actor, musician, writer, director is probably best remembered in the UK for his role in the first ‘made for TV’ pop band The Monkees. The show and the band were both a huge hit and (trust me on this one, I had the albums!) recorded hits like Hey Hey We’re the Monkees, I’m A Believer, Last Train To Clarksville and Daydream Believer. Micky is quoted as saying of Hairspray: “I remember going to the original premiere of the movie in the 80’s. I loved the piece then and I love it now. Having four daughters, I can certainly relate to Wilbur’s love and support for his little girl.” (source) a
Related posts:Hairspray Cast Changes in NovemberHairspray – Brian Conley New Edna from JulyHairspray – Cast Changes – Ian Talbot to play Wilbur
- Tags:
- cast changes
- Hairspray
- Brian Conley
- edna turnblad
- Michael Ball
- Chloe Hart
- last train to clarksville
- micky dolenz
- monkees
- phil jupitus
- Tracy
- Wilbur Turnblad
November 26 2009, 10:40am | Comments »
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I posted to theatrebreaksmag.co.uk
Theatre Breaks Review 2009
http://theatrebreaksmag.co.uk/theatre-breaks-review-2009/
Theatre Breaks Reviewed for 2009 Linda looks back on 2009 for London Theatre Breaks as the top of the year approaches: Winter 2009 is here and I’m just wondering what sort of a year this has been for theatre breaks. There’s been a recent survey that assures us reality TV has actually boosted ticket sales. The box offices are claiming the credit crunch has had little effect on bookings, with most theatres usually full. But what has been the reality? The West End Shows In terms of shows one or two have closed early but the old favourites like We Will Rock You carry on. Avenue Q was saved from oblivion by popular demand and has moved to a new theatre. The Lion King is as popular as ever and proudly boasts that it is so well booked that it has NEVER released tickets to the reduced ticket agencies. Priscilla Queen of the Desert Some good shows reached the end of their natural life and wonderful though Spamalot was it really was time for it to say goodbye. It’s been replaced by Priscilla and that has been a fair swap. Carousel never really quite hit the spot and its closure wasn’t any great surprise. It was sad to see the end of Cabaret and a shame they couldn’t take a leaf out of Chicago’s book and find a constant stream of new familiar faces to keep us going back. Joseph went too and no doubt was mourned by thousands of Lee Mead’s fans but it was another how that seemed ready to go. No doubt it will be back someday. One show I thought should have done better was Spring Awakening, which I just loved. All that energy and a theatre full of young people the night we went. I felt positively ancient, and that’s a good thing! (honest!) Oliver has of course been a total triumph with Jodie Prenger making a real name for herself. Who would have thought she’d still be there doing 8 shows a week nearly a year later? What a star. I saw her at West End live this year and she has a super voice and a lovely stage presence. She managed to upstage Christopher Biggins, to great comic effect and that takes some talent for comedy! I think we’ll see more of Jodie once she moves on but for now she seems happy where she is. She’s on her 3rd Fagin and this is the one I’d really like to see. I think Griff Reese Jones will make a great Fagin and be well worth the trip. Hairspray has seen some major changes with the departure of Micheal Ball. Still Phil Jupitous is doing a grand job and Brain Connely was very well recieved in the part. I wonder how long Micheal will stay away, I’m sure I heard somewhere that he’s thinking of coming back to Edna. We hope! Wicked is going from strength to strength and is the most popular musical at this witchy time of year. Kerry Ellis is just a distant memory now and Alexia Kadhim has made her own interpreation of Elphaba. I think she has a lovely voice, quite different to Kerry’s but wonderful all the same:
New shows coming into the West End and available for theatre breaks include Legally Blonde which I was less than keen on when first announced. Since then I’ve had a good look at the videos on youtube and listened to the cast recordings and I might just change my mind. It might be fun and has the sort of casting that makes me want to see it. What to say about Love Never dies (apart from “I can’t wait!!”)? Well it’s definitely going to be a huge event and it should be a spectacular in the best Andrew Lloyd Webber tradition. The Coney Island setting should give it a great atmosphere, you know how creepy fairgrounds can be. We’ve all seen Scoobydoo It’s got two faboulous stars in Sarah Boggess and Ramin Karimaloo (I’ve been doing this so long I can now spell these names without flinching!) In the next part of this annual theatre breaks review I’ll be looking at the travel implications and prospects for London theatre breaks into 2010.
- Tags:
- Theatre Breaks
- London Theatre Breaks
- west end
- Hairspray
- Lion King
- Oliver
- phantom
- Priscilla
- wicked
- London theatre
- West End LIVE
October 30 2009, 7:03am | Comments »
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I posted to usefulwiki.com
West End Stars to Light Up London
http://usefulwiki.com/londontheatre/west-end-stars-to-light-up-london.html
On Tuesday Nov 3rd 2009 many West End Musicals favourites will be helping light up the city as part of the switch on of London’s Christmas lights. At 3 main venues in the centre of London stars from major productions will be involved in the switch on. Sister Act – Oxford Circus It’s the 50th Anniversary of the Christmas lights in Oxford St and the Sister Act cast will be there in force to make sure the ceremony goes with a swing. The switch will be flicked by Jim Carey (no really, Truman himself!), the girl group The Saturdays, Taio Cruz will also entertain the crowds. Sister Act Oliver! – Regent St Oliver! star Jodie Prenger and the London Community Gospel Choir will be at Regent St. Colin Firth (down girls!) will be doing the switch on. The Noisettes and Daniel Merriweather will also be performing. Jodie Prenger as Nancy in Oliver Hairspray – St Paul’s Cathedral The cast of Hairspray will be at St Paul’s Cathedral, along with Spandau Ballet, Little Boots, St Paul’s Cathedral Choir and Bob Hoskins doing the honours. St Paul's Cathederal, London More stars will no doubt soon be announced and I’ll keep you posted here on the Theatre Breaks blog a
Related posts:TV stars + West End Musicals= Hits?Jodie Prenger at West End LiveYet Another Nancy (YAN) gets a West End Role
- Tags:
- news
- west end
- breaks
- Musicals
- Hairspray
- Oliver
- Jodie Prenger
- Sister Act
- west end musicals
- christmas
- Bob Hoskins
- Cathederal
- Cathedral
- christmas lights
- colin firth
- Daniel Merriweather
- Jim Carey
- oxford circus
- oxford st
- regent st
- St Paul
October 30 2009, 5:53am | Comments »
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I posted to usefulwiki.com
Hairspray Cast Changes in Novemeber
http://usefulwiki.com/londontheatre/hairspray-cast-changes-in-novemeber.html
From October there will be 3 new cast members in Hairspray. Phill Jupitus, (Never Mind the Buzzcocks), 80’s pop diva Belinda Carlisle and Sharon D Clarke will join the Hairspray cast on Nov 8th 2009 just as they start Sunday performances. Jupitus will play Edna and it should be interesting to see how he copes with dragging up. Brian Conley has played the role since Michael Ball left and seems to have done well with it. Here’s a fun clip of Phill that might just give a flavour of what’s to come! Click here to view the embedded video.
a
Related posts:Hairspray Cast on Children in NeedHairspray theatre breaks offersHairspray Theatre Breaks
- Tags:
- Hairspray
September 4 2009, 10:37am | Comments »
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I posted to flickr.com
Hairspray at the Shaftsbury Theatre _0479
http://www.flickr.com/photos/39240400@N06/3793536350/in/pool-473288@N25
fleeting glimpse2009 has added a photo to the pool:
Shaftesbury theatre - taken while I was waiting for my wife & daughter to come out ( not really my kind of thing!)
August 5 2009, 4:54pm | Comments »
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I posted to flickr.com
Louis Walsh - UK Xfactor judge
http://www.flickr.com/photos/39240400@N06/3792655143/in/pool-473288@N25
fleeting glimpse2009 has added a photo to the pool:
Louis had been to see Hairspray and was just leaving when my daughter grabbed a photo opportunity !
August 5 2009, 4:29pm | Comments »
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I posted to theatrebreaksmag.co.uk
Things To Do in June – West End Live
http://theatrebreaksmag.co.uk/things-to-do-in-june-west-end-live/
Things to do in June Flaming June comes around just after Spring has well and truly sprung, but before the main Summer holidays, which is in some ways ideal for theatre breaks with outdoor things to do in London. The river trips and topless bus tours come into their own at this time of year, as do the green spaces and parks.
West End Live
For the West End, there’s one special event which comes around each year usually around the third week and that’s West End Live. It’s a free entertainment festival put on in central London’s Leicester Square, right in the heart of theatreland, which serves to promote individual shows which take part and the West End as a whole. Participation varies, for example with Hairspray sending a full cast in costume to perform one number to kick of the show in 2009, and others such as Oliver and Wicked sending along one star to do a big number solo.
West End Live takes place over one weekend towards the end of June and I’m not suggesting anybody hangs around for the whole thing from start to finish, especially if your time in London is limited. Standing up for that length of time is exhausting enough and there’s a certain amount of waiting about between acts. It’s not really worth arriving early and queuing up to get inside the square for the start either, as the queues do build up to quite a length with people wanting to bag a place near the front but it definitely is worth dropping in for an hour or as proceedings get going and the crowds stabilise , and catching any shows you particularly want to see by keeping an eye on the programme of events. This will be found each year on the London Theatre Breaks blog in the West End Live section and they do stick very closely to the times stated because the singers and dancers need to know exactly when they will be on so they can schedule it in amongst rehearsals and even matinee performances on the Saturday. To give a sample of the happy atmosphere and the kind of performances to expect live in the square here are a few crowd videos from theatre breaks youTube.
Wicked Theatre Breaks
Alexia Khadime from Wicked sings The Wizard and I.
Priscilla Queen of The Desert
All singing All dancing All camp Priscilla
We Will Rock You
Every year the cast from We Will Rock You put on a big show with a full cast in costume doing several numbers Oliver!
Jodie Prenger from Oliver sings As Long as He Needs Me Chicago
In 2009 the cast of Chicago included none other than Jerry Springer Other Things to do in June Long light evenings are conducive to wandering about outdoors and pavement cafe meals in interesting side streets. Hyde Park and Regents Park are best known but the smaller St James Park is close by Victoria and Westminster and features a bandstand with live music sometimes, an airy Inn The Park with beautiful roof terrace, and a lake with exotic ducks geese and pelicans.
- Tags:
- Theatre Breaks
- west end
- theatreland
- Hairspray
- Oliver
- Priscilla
- wicked
- central London
- Things To Do
- bus tour
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- river trip
- Leicester Square
- West End LIVE
June 27 2009, 11:28am | Comments »
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I posted to usefulwiki.com
West End Live 2009 Running Order
http://usefulwiki.com/londontheatre/west-end-live-2009-running-order.html
West End Live 2009 Saturday 20th June 11.05 Hairspray 11.15 Been So Long 11.30 Wicked 11.40 Dirty Dancing 11.55 The King and I 12.05 Oliver! 12.15 Sister Act 12.25 We Will Rock You 12.45 Priscilla Queen of the Desert 12.50 Chicago 13.10 Jersey Boys 13.30 Thriller Live 13.50 Forbidden Broadway 14.05 The Sylvia Young Theatre School 14.25 The South Bank Centre presents ‘Tom Tom Crew’ 14.45 Little Big Club 15.10 So Jest End 15.25 Avenue Q 15.45 Zanna Don’t 16.05 The London Gay Men’s Chorus 16.30 Too Close to the Sun 16.50 Faithless Bitches 17.05 The KB Fusionnaires 17.45 La Cage Aux Folles 17.55 Stomp West End Live Sunday 21st June 12.00 Stomp 12.15 Little Big Club 12.35 West End Kids 12.55 Jersey Boys 13.15 Thriller Live 13.35 Noise Ensemble 13.55 Zanna Don’t 14.10 Honk! 14.20 SOLT – Competition 14.25 Royal Albert Hall presents ‘The Red Stripe Band’ 15.05 Chinatown Arts Space Presents ‘TheBathroomGirl’ 15.25 Bar Rumba presents ‘Salsateca’ 15.40 Players Theatre presents ‘Victorian Music Hall’ 15.55 National Youth Music Theatre 16.10 Lord Mayor of Westminster’s West End LIVE presentations 16.20 Octave8 presents ‘Yot.K’ 16.50 Dover Street Restaurant and Jazz Bar presents ‘The Blues Engineers’ 17.25 Ain’t Nothin But Blues Bar present the ‘West Western Bluesonics’
Related Posts:West End Live 2008 - running orderWest End Live 2009 - latest confirmed showsWest End LIVE 2008 - Theatre stars in Leicester SquareBrief Encounter - new dates announcedWest End Live 2009a West End Live 2009 Running Order
- Tags:
- we will rock you
- Dirty Dancing
- Jersey Boys
- west end
- Hairspray
- thriller Live
- Priscilla
- Priscilla Queen Of The Desert
- chicago
- wicked
- Sister Act
- Avenue Q
- La Cage aux Folles
- West End LIVE
- westendlive
- stomp
- Been So Long
- Too Close To The Sun
June 17 2009, 5:28pm | Comments »
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I posted to theatrebreaks.co
Hairspray Theatre Breaks
http://theatrebreaks.co/76/hairspray-theatre-breaks/
Hairspray Theatre Breaks in London Guaranteed best prices on Hairspray theatre breaks in London I wasn’t really thinking about theatre breaks in London when I watched Jonathan Ross on Friday night until Michael Ball came on. I thought he was surprisingly interesting and funny. I suppose I hadn’t thought of him as a character actor before and I was struggling to imagine him in the Divine role but I really warmed to him and by the end of the programme I was starting to think I’d quite like to see him in Hairspray. The original 1988 John Walters film starred Divine and Ricki Lake. Hairspray is set in Baltimore in 1962. It’s the story of Tracy Turnblad, a fat but beautiful girl with really big hair . She wins a spot on a local TV dance programme becomes a teen icon. But will she be able to change the world and win the boy she loves? What do you think?
It became a cult classic film, the musical version has been running on Broadway since 2002 and now it’s available for theatre breaks in London. It’s been a huge hit, won lots of awards and was made into another film recently (with John Travolta as Edna, the Mom – ooh I’ve got to see that!). Now it’s showing in the West End. Michael Ball is playing Edna and on Friday night with Jonathon Ross he said the secret would be to not play it as drag but to play Edna as a real woman. I like the sound of that so I went and had a look at the official web site. The music sounds great on the website and you can even sneak a peak of the rehearsals ! The production starts on October 11th and it looks like it should be a massive hit. If you missed Michael he covers much of the same ground in a video on the production blog. Isn’t it great that so many shows are doing this now? I love reading the ups and downs and watching cast behind the scenes footage. It’s like the extras you get with DVDS
I think this one would be great for a ‘girls’ (who are we kidding?!) weekend, a relaxing train ride down, hit the London shops, and a great, girly night out, hopefully with less of a hangover than the last one! I really prefer to book a whole package when I’m organising London theatre breaks like this because it just makes life so much easier and it’s often cheaper too! Click here for guaranteed best prices on Hairspray and other Theatre Breaks in London
- Tags:
- Theatre Breaks
- London Theatre Breaks
- London
- theatre breaks in london
- Hairspray
- Jonathan Ross
- jonathon ross
- edna
- friday night with jonathon ross
- Tracy Turnblad
June 9 2009, 9:08am | Comments »
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I posted to usefulwiki.com
West End Live 2009 - latest confirmed shows
http://usefulwiki.com/londontheatre/west-end-live-2009-latest-confirmed-shows.html
West End Live Quick Update Latest confirmed shows according to the official web site include: Avenue Q, Been So Long, La Cage Aux Folles, Carousel, Chicago, Dirty Dancing, Hairspray, Jersey Boys, Oliver!, Priscilla Queen of The Desert, Sister Act, Stomp, Thriller Live, Too Close To The Sun, We Will Rock You, Wicked OOh I can’t wait! It was great last year but this looks even better! Be there: Leicester Square on the weekend of the 20th and 21st of June 2009!
Related Posts:West End Live 2009Priscilla Queen of the Desert Cast - Zoe BirkettTheatre Breaks Unaffected by SnowWest End LIVE 2008 - Theatre stars in Leicester SquareWest End Live 2008 - running ordera West End Live 2009 - latest confirmed shows
- Tags:
- we will rock you
- Dirty Dancing
- Jersey Boys
- Carousel
- Hairspray
- Oliver
- thriller Live
- Priscilla Queen Of The Desert
- chicago
- wicked
- Sister Act
- Avenue Q
- La Cage aux Folles
- westendlive
- stomp
- Been So Long
- Too Close To The Sun
May 30 2009, 12:52pm | Comments »
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I posted to theatrebreaksmag.co.uk
Theatre Breaks Back to the 60s
http://theatrebreaksmag.co.uk/theatre-breaks-back-to-the-60s/
Theatre Breaks as time travel When you are planning which show to see for your theatre break a good start can be think about what kind of music makes you feel good. Of course you don’t have to be old enough to remember it the first time around. It’s perfectly possible to be nostalgic for a time before you were even born! The music of the 60s is full of optimism and energy. It takes us back to a time when anything seemed possible and far away from doom and gloom. Theatre breaks to shows like these are a kind of time travel so sit back and enjoy visiting a very different world.
Theatre Breaks Back to the ’60s In this post I’m going to concentrate on the 60’s and if the 60’s are your choice then there’s a couple great shows on in the West End right now that are perfect for theatre breaks. Hairspray
Has to be a contender for your 1960s theatre break. The show is full of the music, colour, costumes and feel of the ‘feel good 60’s’. The plot is uplifting and there’s lots of laughs. You’ll come out singing “Good Morning Balitmore” and feeling anything is possible.
Jersey Boys Jersey Boys tells the story of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons and their rise to fame. They wrote masses of hits in the early 60s. You’ll be singing along to songs you know and love and audience participation is positively encouraged. Just have a look at a few of the 60s classics you’ll hear.
Other 60’s Things to do on your Theatre Breaks You might want to keep to a sixties theme on your theatre break and London is just the place to do that. Check out some of these cool attractions to really get that ’60s vibe. Madame Tussauds Theatre Breaks Tussauds visit. You could spend a whole day here there’s so much to see and do but your quest is to experience the Swinging 60s. To do that you hop into a time travelling black cab and take a journey back through London’s history. The small version of London’s world famous taxis have room for just two and will drive you through the historic and cultural events that have shaped London. So sit back and enjoy the ride as you move all the way from Tudor times to Carnaby St. You can add a trip to Madame Tussauds to your theatre break when you book for only an extra £15 and there’s masses to do there. After a £1 million+ make over Tussauds is much more than a waxworks these days with several interactive exhibitions. It’s a great addition to your theatre break! If you do go you must arrive early to avoid the long queues that build up as the day goes on. Make your way there straight after breakfast and be there just around opening time (9:00am weekends, 9:30 week days). Carnaby Street Theatre Breaks - Carnaby St Carnaby Street is not quite what it once was but the spirit of the 60s is kept alive by fascinating shops like The Face. Here you can browse and explore both new reproductions and vintage 1960s items. The sixties were one of the most stylish decades of the last century and they still influence current fashions so indulge your nostalgia itch and treat yourself! Today’s Carnaby area is more than just Carnaby Street itself. The pedestrianised area just behind Regent Street has lots of new stores and a passage through to Kingly Court. Set around an open courtyard, there are three floors of one-off ‘concept’ shops and studios where it can be possible to find items not sold anywhere else in London. Original Bus Tour Theatre Breaks Routemaster bus What could be more iconic of the 60s than a red London Routemaster bus? The Routemaster still runs on a couple of routes in central London. If you want to ride one it costs the standard £2 ticket for each ride. The Routmaster runs on routes 9 and 15.
Route 9 -Royal Albert Hall — Hyde Park Corner — Piccadilly Circus — Trafalgar Square — Strand — Aldwych. Route 15 -Trafalgar Square — Strand — Aldwych — Fleet Street — Cannon Street — Monument — Tower Hill.
The red Routemaster is the authentic 60s way to see the city but it’s definitely not the most comfortable or the best view. For that you need The Original Bus Tour. This is a comfortable modern alternative that will let you see all the sights from a comfortable, modern, open-topped bus. You can hop on and off at several points and there’s an interesting commentary. The whole Original Bus Tour takes around two hours to complete and visits: Buckingham Palace - Piccadilly Circus -National Gallery -Downing Street - Big Ben - London Bridge - St Paul’s Cathedral - Tower Bridge - Tower of London- Westminster Abbey Your tour can be booked at the same time as your theatre break and costs £18 each for adults. (To see all these sights by Routemaster could end up costing your considerably more!) Time Travel Theatre Breaks to other Eras Of course the 60s aren’t the only times you might want to visit on your theatre break. Do you like to rock out and remember the stadium rock concerts of your youth? Maybe Tamla Motown rings your bell? Or are you a Disco Diva? I’ll be writing posts about each of these eras to help you choose the show for your perfect theatre break.
April 17 2009, 5:16am | Comments »
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I posted to theatrebreaksmag.co.uk
London Breaks for Spring and Summer 2009
http://theatrebreaksmag.co.uk/london-breaks-for-spring-and-summer-2009/
London Breaks this Spring Spring is a super time of year for a London break. The city is just warming up, the parks are full of spring flowers and the weather is mostly pretty good. Obviously you are not guaranteed sunshine but you are a lot less likely to get rained on than you are further north or west in the UK. This means you can really enjoy the sights of London without the city heat or the summer crowds. St James Park in March Days can be warm and sunny but the evenings can be quite chilly. So pack a light coat and maybe a pashmina for coming back from the theatre. You probably won’t need an umbrella. Three top shows to see on your spring London break I’m going to suggest three shows that could be good choices for your London break this spring
Priscilla - A new show but not a new production. It’s been going for several weeks now, so it’s pretty slick. It’s getting good reviews, the music is great (think 70’s disco standards We Will Rock You - still great and still packing them in. But there are persistent rumours of the show closing. Definitely worth seeing or seeing again! Hairspray - if you can act quickly you’ll be able to see Michael Ball before he leaves the production in June. I’m sure Billy Conley will make a great Edna but Michael has made the role his own and has to be worth seeing.
London Breaks this Summer London breaks in the summer can be great too. The city is generally a couple of degrees warmer than the rest of the UK and this is even more the case in summer. The city buildings hold the heat so a hot day can mean it doesn’t cool down all that much in the evening either. This makes strolling round the West End after the show soaking up the atmosphere very pleasant. Do the London thing and buy yourself some bottled water for use during the day. Use it to keep your cool, especially if you go on the tube. I also use Evian spray sometimes if it gets very sticky. Great for cooling off!
Dress in cool fabrics for the theatre as they can be quite hot, even if air-conditioned. Some of the theatres are ‘air-cooled’ rather than air conditioned. This means that the front stalls are coolest seats in Summer. Avoid the highest circle and the back rows as these are the biggest heat-traps. This won’t be an issue if you are buying your theatre break through a theatre breaks agency that guarantees you the best available seats. Anyway it’s the perfect excuse to buy that little black linen dress you’ve been eying up! A cashmere shawl or cardigan is all you’ll need on top. 3 Top Shows to see on your summer London break These 3 shows would be good choices for London breaks this summer: Sister Act - very new, not even open as I write, Sister Act should have settled down by the summer. It’s looking all set to be a hit show. Phantom of the Opera - a long running classic but still looking good. See the original production this summer before the sequel comes out in the Autumn. Jersey Boys - good fun, high energy, a feel-good show. Jersey Boys has quickly become a real favourite. They’ve just released a new batch of tickets for the summer so you should be able to get the dates you want. London Breaks at other times of year London breaks in autumn and winter have their own advantages but I’ll save them for another post later.
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April 14 2009, 5:38am | Comments »
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I posted to usefulwiki.com
Hairspray - Brian Conley New Edna from July
http://usefulwiki.com/londontheatre/hairspray-brian-conley-new-edna-from-july.html
Brian Conley will take over as Edna Turnblad in Hairspray, currently running at London’s Shaftesbury Theatre, according today’s Daily Mail. Conley will take over from Michael Ball on July 27 2009. Michael Ball says that the show “has without doubt been one of the happiest and most fulfilling experiences of my professional life.”
Brian Conley started out at Pontin’s and used to be warm-up man for Terry Wogan, Noel Edmonds and Kenny Everett. Since then he’s gone on to have his own TV shows “Brian Conley: This Way Up” and “The Brian Conley Show,. He’s probably best known for presenting The National Lottery Show Live. His West End credits include ‘Me and My Girl’ where he took the lead role of Bill Snibson in the Adelphi Theatre production. More recently he played Caractacus Potts in “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” at the London Palladium in 2005.
Related Posts:Hairspray's Michael Ball "I'm staying until next April"Hairspray - Cast Changes - Ian Talbot to play WilburWe Will Rock You - sequel planned says Brian May.Hairspray theatre breaks offersZorro the Musical - Emma Williams and Matt Rawlea Hairspray - Brian Conley New Edna from July
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April 10 2009, 11:10am | Comments »
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I posted to usefulwiki.com
Friday Theatre Breaks with Dinner and Hotel
http://usefulwiki.com/londontheatre/friday-theatre-breaks-with-dinner-and-hotel.html
Fridays are a good choice for Theatre Breaks with Dinner and Hotel. Here’s why:
You can easily travel to London on a Friday afternoon Once you get to your hotel all you have to do is book in Go to you room to relax and freshen up Next stroll down to the hotel restaurant. Then you have your delicious pre-theatre dinner in the restaurant of a classy 4* London hotel. You get to your chosen show in nice time Blood pressure remains within normal range as you’ve had none of the stress or hassle of wondering when and how you are going to eat.
Stress Free Theatre Breaks. Show and Stay’s latest Friday Dinner, Theatre and Hotel Offer lets you have a totally stress-free break and even save money. What they’ve done is put together an inclusive package. You’ve got the choice of 27 top shows and 4 great *4 hotels, all with good restaurants. Just as an example we all know that Priscilla Queen of the Dessert is the latest hot ticket. Prices for Priscilla for a Friday in May.
Stay at the 4* Holiday Inn Bloomsbury (handy for the theatre) 3 Course Dinner in the Junction restaurant Cost per person only £148
The list of participating show also includes:
Spring Awakening Blood Brothers Billy Elliot Hairspray Oliver Jersey Boys Sister Act Dirty Dancing Wicked The Lion King We Will Rock You
All you have to do is select your favourite musical and a Friday date then look for the “Hotel with Dinner” packages at the top of the results. Not only that but with the Show and Stay deal you can book your rail fare at the same time and save up to 40% on that too. This is really the best way to get into London for a stress free theatre break. You can bring your car but don’t forget you’ll need to pay the congestion charge if you bring it into central London and also hotel parking rates are not cheap (allow £17 - £20 a day for hotel parking). Limited Offer This is a limited offer. There are only a limited number of these Friday deals available so you’ll need to be quick to grab the best shows and be sure of getting your dates. Last date to book May 31st 2009 Last Stay date June 26th 2009 Act now to book your Dinner, Theatre and Hotel Stay Participating Hotels and Restaurants
Holiday Inn London Kensington Forum’s Consortia Cafe/Bar. Choice of 2 courses from set menu. Holiday Inn Bloomsbury’s Junction Restaurant. Choice of 3 courses from set menu. Crowne Plaza London St James’ Brasserie Restaurant. Choice of 2 courses. Crowne Plaza London City’ Spicers Restaurant. Choice of 2 courses.
Related Posts:Book Zorro and get a free hotel!Buddy theatre breaks with free hotelStomp with Free Hotel in AugustMarguerite - theatre breaks from £60!Cheap Theatre Tickets with Meal - Summer Offera Friday Theatre Breaks with Dinner and Hotel
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April 5 2009, 12:22pm | Comments »
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I posted to usefulwiki.com
Hairspray Cast on Children in Need
http://usefulwiki.com/londontheatre/hairspraycast-childreninneed.html
Click here to view the embedded video. I missed this wonderful extract from Hairspray when it was shown on Children in Need. It looks like it was a great night and it gives a real flavour of the show. Hairspray starring Michael Ball playing Edna, with Ian Talbot as Wilbur Turnblad, Charlotte Riby as Tracy, Liz Robertson as Velma, Paul Manuel as Corny Collins, Elinor Collett as Penny, Ben James-Ellis as Link and Sandra Marvin as Motormouth Maybelle. This performance was part of the BBC Children in Need Telethon broadcast Live on the 15th November 2008 - on the night over £20,000,000 was raised. You can still donate. As the person who posted it says you can still donate to Children in Need! Hairspray is still going strong in the West End and shows no sign of flagging. One of our clever readers bagged themselves a Hairspray Theatre Break for New Year’s Eve! Now that’s my idea of celebrating New Year in style! The show finishes in nice time to stroll down and see the fireworks, then off back to your hotel to finish celebrating. Perfect.
a Hairspray Cast on Children in Need
December 16 2008, 11:46am | Comments »
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