New Year Theatre Breaks 2010 New Years Eve Theatre Breaks - Big Ben New Year theatre breaks are a great way to bring in the new decade. As it falls on a Friday night this year lots of shows have performances on New Year’s Eve and London is, of course, a fantastic place to be on such an important night. I’ll go through each of the shows, suggest some central hotels, cover some of the great things on in the city centre after the shows close, and suggest some things to do on New Year’s Day. Shows for New Year Theatre Breaks All the following shows have performances on New Year’s Eve 2010 . As of today these all still have some tickets, many only as part of theatre break packages. They are going fast so if you want a New Year’s Eve Theatre Break act now. Check Availability for Your New Year Theatre Break Musicals: Billy Elliot Blood Brothers Chicago Dirty Dancing Jersey Boys Legally Blonde Les Miserables Mamma Mia Matilda, A Musical Oliver! (Matinee only) Priscilla Queen of the Desert The Lion King The Phantom of the Opera Thriller Live We Will Rock You Wicked Plays: Deathtrap The 39 Steps When We Are Married Woman in Black Yes, Prime Minister Check Availability for Your New Year Theatre Break Hotels for New Year’s Eve Theatre Breaks You really want to be central to make the most of being in the capital at New Year. I’ve seen quite a few locally organised breaks advertised where they whisk you back to an out of town hotel for a celebration after the show. This is fine but it does mean you miss out on the fun and excitement of Big Ben’s chimes and the magnificent fireworks displays. To me this is part of why you’ve come to the capital. To miss out on it stuck out of the city, no matter how nice your hotel, would be a shame. I’ll explain more about the fireworks and the New Year’s Day Parade later in the post. Ideally you want your hotel to be in the central area, say not more than 1 mile from the theatre. Sounds expensive? Actually surprisingly not too bad. I looked at good tickets for Phantom of the Opera and 2 nights and found I could get a 3* very central hotel for £250ish per person. This isn’t much different to a normal weekend rate. New Year Theatre Breaks by Rail Advice – Come By Rail if You Possible Can This is one weekend you do not want to have a car in central London. Really, it’s better to come by rail usually anyway but New Year sees vast numbers of road closures and a car is really going to cramp your style. The theatre breaks agencies usually allow you to include your train tickets and can save you up to 40% on the normal price. After the Show – the fireworks. You won’t get out of the theatre in time to grab a prime position for the displays. They will all be filled by about 10pm. However, no need to despair. Wrap up warm and get yourself to a spot where you can see the London Eye and you will be able to see a really spectacular show. The chimes of Big Ben are broadcast down the length of the river and then the display starts. If you prefer you can head for Trafalgar Square. There are no events planned but there is a huge screen which will relay the countdown and chimes and then show the fireworks. Just try to keep out of the fountain! No, really, it’s a really bad idea. Once it’s over you can smugly watch everyone head for the overcrowded tube as you stroll back to your cosy central hotel. By the way alcohol is not prohibited in the centre of London on New Year’s Eve so if you did happen to have a hip flask with you it might be a very nice way to bring in the New Year! New Year’s Day Parade After a full English breakfast, ( see hip flask above!) and a gentle potter round the hotel it’s time to head off for the parade. This has become a really fun event. It starts at 12 and goes on till 3. This year is the 25th anniversary of the parade and it looks set to be an extra special one. There are numerous marching bands, floats and performances. You can get a taster of it from this video: Click here to view the embedded video. Ideally why not book tickets for one of the grandstands. They are not too expensive with even the V.I.P. one at Whitehall only costing £20 each. These give you the best view of the parade. Check Availability for Your New Year Theatre Break New Year Theatre Breaks was originally posted at London Theatre Breaks blog
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I posted to usefulwiki.com
New Year Theatre Breaks
http://usefulwiki.com/londontheatre/new-year-theatre-breaks.html
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September 14 2010, 10:22am | Comments »
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I posted to usefulwiki.com
Theatre Breaks Agents Compared
http://usefulwiki.com/londontheatre/theatre-breaks-agents-compared.html
Theatre Breaks Agents Theatre breaks agencies come in many shapes but here at the London Theatre Breaks blog we like to work with three in particular. We get a small commission from each reader who books a theatre break through our links and that helps to fund our blog. The theatre breaks agents offer somewhat differing services and the best one for you depends on what you are looking for when you start searching for a theatre break package. You need to decide what your priorities are first before you look at the various deals on offer because you are not really comparing like with like. (If you need help with this have a look at this post on our sister site Theatre Breaks Magazine.) The agencies specialise and offer various options, they often work with particular hotels or a particular level of ticket. Some agencies have offers on rail fares which you can bundle in with the cost of your tickets, other optional extras like meals can also be added. Often agencies offer discounts on London attractions when they are booked with your theatre break. We only work with reputable agencies where we can be sure that not only will you get a good deal but that your tickets and hotel room will be honoured. Some of the other theatre breaks companies add lots of hidden extras, like booking fees, on to your final bill. We think this is not acceptable so we only recommend the following package deals: Show and Stay Theatre Breaks
Show and Stay is a long-established theatre package company. They are part of the larger Holiday Extras group and we have been working with them for the last 2-3 years. Feedback from customers has been very positive and we continue to recommend them. Show and Stay really specialise in getting you top quality tickets at a good price and combining them with a good choice of 3 or 4* hotels. They also offer a very good deal on rail tickets, with up to 40% discount as standard. Show and Stay often has the hot tickets that no one else has. For example when Jodie first appeared and Oliver! London was the hottest ticket in town, Show and Stay was able to offer Saturday night, best seats, when there was no other way to get them and everyone else said the show was sold out. Now despite what I’ve said about them offering top quality tickets don’t assume that Show and Stay only do expensive theatre breaks. Their breaks are very competitive. For example someone just booked a midweek evening at Oliver! and 1 night in a 3* hotel for 2 people for only £213.96.
Superbreak Theatre Breaks
Superbreak is where you go for bargains. They offer a range of ticket prices so if you don’t mind being in the Upper Circle you can get a very good price indeed. They have more limited availability sometimes, than Show and Stay but if you are looking for particular dates rather than a specific show they can be very good value. The hotels they work with are just as good as Show and Stay and are usually 3 or 4*. Superbreak are a large company and they do all sorts of London breaks and breaks to other cities too. They are less specialised than Show and Stay but they still offer a good service. Their web site can be a bit harder to find your way around, as it is so large, but if you persevere you can definitely get some great deals. TheatreBreaks.com
TheatreBreaks.com is a smaller company established thirty years ago. They’ve been online for over ten years. They have pretty good availability, work with good 3 and 4* hotels but where they really excel is in their personal touch. They are they people to go to if your needs are at all outside the ordinary. Maybe you want to do a large group with an odd number to see Dirty Dancing on a specific weekend. Perhaps you have limited mobility and need to know that your hotel, and your theatre seats, are fully accessible. They are the best people to help you. You just phone them up quoting your reference number from the website and they will go out of their way to make sure your problems are sorted out. a
Related posts:Friday Theatre Breaks with Dinner and Hotel Hotel and theatre deals Hairspray Theatre Breaks
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December 30 2009, 5:01am | Comments »
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I posted to theatrebreaksmag.co.uk
Oliver! London
http://theatrebreaksmag.co.uk/oliver-london/
Today I’m looking at Oliver! the hit West end musical, as I continuing my series for the magazine of my top 5 classic shows. These are the shows that I think everyone could enjoy whatever their musical taste, and I feel that should definitely hold true for Oliver! London today is still in some ways related to the brutal city that Dickens portrays, but Oliver’s magic comes from more than just the story. It is the heart, passion and spectacle of the production that keeps Oliver! London’s own popular choice for musical theatre breaks. Oliver! London Theatre At It’s Best I think Oliver! is a great choice for a theatre break. The elements of an emotional story from the master storyteller, a superb cast and wonderful songs we all already know and love is hard to beat. Add in some delightful urchins, a backdrop of semi-familiar London sights and you have got a real treat! The Story, Oliver! London musical The musical version of Oliver! is not quite as bleak a vision as that of the book. Fagin is transformed and although still a rogue he does have moments of being almost lovable. We are treated to some marvelous set pieces like the scene in the orphanage and of course Fagin’s Den with his band of ragamuffins. What happens to Nancy is still a shock but in the end good triumphs over evil and we all have the feeling we’ve just enjoyed a wonderfully satisfying meal with all the trimmings. The Cast of Oliver!
Oliver London We all followed the story of Jodie Prenger as she fought her way through each round of I’d Do Anything but few of us realised what a great Nancy she would actually be. Since the show started back in December 2008 Jodie has consistently given stunning performances. She has provided the chore around which a number of Olivers and Fagins have been able to weave their own interpretations of Dickens’s heart-breaking story. Without a totally believable, warm and lovable Nancy the whole story would fall flat. Jodie has filled that role with a passion. Soon, though, Jodie is moving on and the next few months will give us our last chance to see her in the role. That alone would be enough to make this a ‘must see’ show but the exciting news is that the wonderful Kerry Ellis is going to take over in the role. Kerry has a very different quality to her voice and I think she will give us a much more waif like Nancy. In some ways her fragility with that inner steel that she showed so well in her performances as Elphaba (Wicked) will be much closer to Dickens’s vision. It’s going to be an interesting transfer and one that will definitely be worth seeing. The newest member of the cast at the moment is Griff Rhys Jones who has just taken over as Fagin. He will be in the show for at least the next 6 months and seems to be relishing the part of the wily, old scoundrel. Jones has a good strong voice and plenty of West End experience having won a double Olivier award for his roles in Charlie’s Aunt and An Absolute Turkey Also new in the current cast is Stephen Hartley, though he is far from new to the role of Bill Sikes. He played Sikes in the Palladium production of Oliver in the 1990s. Physically he is closer to Dickens’s description of Sikes than the role is sometimes played and none the worse for that. The Music I think I’ll just let the music speak for itself!
Hotels for Oliver! London Theatre Breaks As Oliver! plays at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane I’d go for a central hotel, somewhere like the 4* Strand Palace would be ideal. It is definitely a bit of affordable luxury and is close to the theatre and to the shops, restaurants and bars of Covent Garden. If you are on a slightly tighter budget the 3* St Giles Hotel is only 1/2 a mile away and is jolly nice. So there you have it, a quick guide to Oliver! London, one of my top 5 choices for theatre breaks. You can click through to read more about Oliver! London.
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December 17 2009, 12:42pm | Comments »
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I posted to theatreinlondon.blogspot.com
Oliver theatre breaks
http://theatreinlondon.blogspot.com/2009/12/oliver-theatre-breaks.html
I was thinking that Oliver Theatre breaks for the New Year would make a not shabby at all present for Jenny and the girls. Why not?Oliver! theatre breaksGriff Rhys Jones takes over from Omid Djalili as Fagin from Dec 14th 2009. Kerry Ellis (Wicked, We Will Rock You) is lined up to take over from Jodie Prenger as Nancy in the current West End production of Oliver! at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane.
December 9 2009, 7:56am | Comments »
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I posted to theatrebreaksltb.co.uk
Kery Ellis to be Nancy in Oliver
http://theatrebreaksltb.co.uk/221/kery-ellis-to-be-nancy-in-oliver/
Kerry Ellis will succeed I’d Do Anything victor Jodie Prenger as Nancy in Cameron Mackintosh’s production of Oliver!. According to the Daily Mail, Prenger will give her last performance on 27 March, with Ellis taking over from 29 March 2010. Kerry Ellis (Wicked, We Will Rock You) has being lined up to take over from Jodie Prenger as Nancy in the current West End production of Oliver! at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane. Kerry Ellis as Elphaba in Wicked
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November 27 2009, 6:14am | Comments »
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I posted to usefulwiki.com
Theatre Breaks 2009 Roundup
http://usefulwiki.com/londontheatre/theatre-breaks-2009-roundup.html
Theatre Breaks Roundup for 2009 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 theatre usually full. So what’s been the reality? Theatre Breaks 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. 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 fans but it was another one 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 seeing. Hairspray has seen some major changes with the departure of Micheal Ball. Still Phil Jupitus is doing a grand job and Brain Connely was very well received 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 interpretation of Elphaba. I think she has a lovely voice, quite different to Kerry’s but wonderful all the same: Click here to view the embedded video. New shows coming in 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 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 fabulous stars in Sarah Boggess and Ramin Karimloo (I’ve been doing this so long I can now spell these names without flinching!) In the next part of this series of posts I’ll look at the travel aspects and prospects for theatre breaks in London 2010. a
Related posts:Alexia Khadime in Wicked Theatre BreaksJodie Prenger at West End LiveJersey Boys Theatre Breaks
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November 25 2009, 6:32am | 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.
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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
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October 30 2009, 5:53am | Comments »
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I posted to usefulwiki.com
Griff Rhys Jones to be Fagin
http://usefulwiki.com/londontheatre/griff-rhys-jones-to-be-fagin.html
Oliver! will have a new Fagin from Dec 14th 2009. Griff Rhys Jones will take over from Omid Djalili and is committed to play the role until at least June 2010. Griff will join Jodie Prenger who is also contracted till at least March 2010. Steve Hartley replaces Burn Gorman as ‘Bill Sikes’, a role he played in the 1990’s production. Oliver! seems to have really established itself as a firm favourite for theatre breaks and Griff’s Fagin promises an extra treat for anyone who fancies a Christmas theatre break to see Oliver!
a
Related posts:Oliver! Good Luck to the New FaginFagin as played by Mr Bean?Oliver! another new Fagin
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September 17 2009, 5:13pm | Comments »
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I posted to usefulwiki.com
New Olivers needed
http://usefulwiki.com/londontheatre/new-olivers-needed.html
The New Oliver! – Could it be you? The original Oliver!’s from the current production Laurence Jeffcoate, Gwion Jones and Harry Stott were chosen last year as part of I’d Do Anything. Now some other lucky boys will get the chance to follow them onto the West End stage. It’s not just Oliver – the show is also looking for a potential Artful Dodger and other members of Fagin’s gang, so girls are in with a chance too. Who are they looking for? Actors should be aged eight to 13, under five foot tall, with unbroken voices and strong singing, dancing and acting skills.
Auditions Initial auditions will be held on 10 August, and children should be available to appear in the show from October 2009 to April 2010. For more information about the auditions please contact Jo Hawes at jo.hawes@virgin.net Click here to view the embedded video. And, yes, that’s Ruthie Henshall not Jodie!
a
Related posts:Stomp! Regional Auditions DatesOliver! I’d Do AnythingBilly Elliot auditions
July 29 2009, 12:47pm | Comments »
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I posted to usefulwiki.com
Oliver! Good Luck to the New Fagin
http://usefulwiki.com/londontheatre/oliver-good-luck-to-the-new-fagin.html
Omid Djalili takes over as Fagin at tomorrow night’s (July 20th 2009) performance of Oliver! There’s a super interview with him in The Sunday Independent. In it we learn that Omid is not Muslim, as many people assume, but a member of the Bah’ai faith. He talks about playing a Jewish character and says: “I think that if you’re playing a Jewish character, and if you can find the truth of something in that character, then that’s OK,” It sounds like his Fagin will be quite different to Rowan Atkinson’s interpretation. The interviewer says: it is a genuine shock when Fagin himself walks into the dressing-room. As Lionel Bart’s musical take on Dickens’s most ‘orrible villain, he is sullen, scowling and deeply scary. “I’m so pleased you like the look!” he says as I recoil from his handshake and the make-up lady begins to wipe away the bruised circles under his eyes. I wouldn’t say I “like” it: the look is chilling. It will frighten children. I think this bodes very well for the production. Fagin should slightly give you the chills, he’s not a cosy character and he should make us uneasy. So if you go to Oliver! and see Omid Djalili please leave us a comment and tell us what you think of the new Fagin.
a Oliver! Good Luck to the New Fagin
Related posts:Oliver! The New Fagin to be Omid DjaliOliver! extends booking through to 2010Oliver! another new Fagin
July 19 2009, 7:01am | Comments »
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I posted to theatrebreaks.co
Jodie Prenger from Oliver Interview
http://theatrebreaks.co/91/jodie-prenger-from-oliver-interview/
Jodie Prenger from Oliver sings a full on rendition of “As long as He Needs me” at the West End Live event in London followed by a short interview about winning I’d Do Anything.
Video by Theatre Breaks
July 19 2009, 6:22am | Comments »
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I posted to usefulwiki.com
A Little Night Music
http://usefulwiki.com/londontheatre/a-little-night-music.html
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 **
Related Posts:A Little Night Music - West End TransferSondheim's 'A Little Night Music' coming to the Menier Chocolate Factory?Oliver - Jodie Prenger wins I'd Do AnythingShe's not Nancy but she is Eponine!Sound Of Music Summer Offera A Little Night Music
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June 28 2009, 7:49am | 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
- things to do in london
- 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 - 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 usefulwiki.com
Mamma Mia - new cast
http://usefulwiki.com/londontheatre/mamma-mia-new-cast.html
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.
Related Posts:Cast Changes for Mamma Mia!Mamma Mia - the film trailer is here!Oliver! Cast Burn GormanMeryl Streep on Mamma MiaMamma Mia! Theatre Breaksa Mamma Mia - new cast
- Tags:
- cast changes
- mamma mia
- west end
- Oliver
- June
- Ben Heathcote
- Christopher Hollis
- donna sheridan
- Harry Bright
- Id do anything
- Jodie Read
- mammamia
- Melissa Jacques
- Nancy
- niamh
- Niamh Perry
- Oliver Hembrough
- Paul Ryan
- Prince of Wales
- prince of wales theatre
- rosie jane
- sally ann triplett
- Sophie Sheridan
May 27 2009, 8:49am | Comments »
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I posted to theatrebreaksmag.co.uk
Theatre Breaks to Classic Shows
http://theatrebreaksmag.co.uk/theatre-breaks-to-classic-shows/
Planning your Theatre Break When you are planning a theatre break often the safest option is to pick a classic show that you know will deliver a good night out. These are the shows that have been running the longest and have the best established productions. Theatre breaks to these shows are often a little bit easier to get for specific dates (like half-term or during the school holidays). Sometimes these classic shows can also be very good value for theatre breaks as they are not quite as much in demand as new shows like Priscilla or Oliver! You still get a wide range of shows to choose from, from the more operatic style of show to rock classics. There’s something to suit most tastes and I’m going to make a few suggestions to help you decide. 5 Classic Shows for Theatre Breaks
Les Miserables - huge, epic score, big cast, amazing almost operatic songs. Les Mis is still going strong after all these years Phantom of the Opera - smaller cast, less complex plot, but high production values, great score and another ‘operatic’ show. Blood Brothers - another long running show but this one has a very different feel. Willy Russel’s story of a pair of Liverpool brothers and the twists and turns of their lives has a depth that’s kept it amongst the best loved musicals for theatre breaks many years. Billy Elliot - another epic story with great ensemble set pieces. Billy is heart-rending but ultimately uplifting.You’ll come out feeling amazing! A perfect choice for theatre breaks. We Will Rock You - if you were a Queen fan or even if you weren’t this is the ultimate rock opera. It has all the fun of a rock concert without any of the unpleasantness!
Any of these shows could form the centre piece of a theatre break anyone in the family could enjoy.
- Tags:
- Theatre Breaks
- Billy Elliot
- Musicals
- Oliver
- phantom
- Phantom of the Opera
- Priscilla
- rock opera
- blood brothers
- les mis
- queen fan
- shows
- willy russel
April 14 2009, 9:03am | Comments »
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