Thursday 3 November 2022
Disney's Winnie the Pooh The Musical to open at London's Riverside Studios ahead of UK & Ireland Tour
Disney’s Winnie the Pooh will be coming to the UK and Ireland stage for the first time in Spring 2023, with preview performances at London’s Riverside Studios (Hammersmith) from 17 March and an official opening on 26 March. It will then tour the UK and Ireland until September 2023. Tickets for Riverside Studios on sale at 10am on Monday 7 November, with Tour tickets on sale now.
The UK premiere will be presented by Rockefeller Productions, in partnership with ROYO, and in association with Disney Theatrical Productions. The role of Winnie the Pooh will be played by Jake Bazel, who originated the role on Broadway. Further casting to be announced.
Jake Bazel is a puppeteer, voice actor, writer and coach with over a decade of experience working in children’s media. Credits include Sesame Street (HBO/PBS), Disney’s Winnie the Pooh: The New Stage Adaptation (Disney Theatrical), Sesame Workshop’s Helpsters (Apple TV+), The 90th Annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade with Disney’s Muppets (Disney/NBC), The 93rd Annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade with Sesame Street (Sesame Workshop/NBC), Duncan the Skunk and the Big Costume Trunk (Hellosaurus), The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show, Paddington Gets in a Jam, Paddington Saves Christmas, Sandra Boynton’s Frog Trouble, Jim Henson’s Dinosaur Train Live! and Sesame Street in Communities. As a writer, he helped to craft Disney’s Winnie the Pooh: The New Stage Adaptation.
Deep in the Hundred Acre Wood, a new adventure is about to happen. A.A. Milne’s beloved characters, Winnie the Pooh, Christopher Robin and their best friends Piglet, Eeyore, Kanga, Roo, Rabbit and Owl (and Tigger too!), will all arrive on stage in a beautifully-crafted musical stage adaptation.
In a new story from the Hundred Acre Wood, this fresh stage adaptation is told with impressive life-size puppetry, exciting new stories and featuring characters that have played iconic roles in the lives of children for generations. Accompanying the modern narrative is an original score by Nate Edmondson, featuring some of the Grammy award-winning songs written by the Sherman Brothers for the original animated features, including Winnie the Pooh, The Blustery Day, The Wonderful Thing About Tiggers and Whoop-De-Dooper Bounce, plus A.A. Milne’s The More It Snows (featuring music by Carly Simon) and Sing Ho in a new arrangement.
Winnie the Pooh: The New Musical Adaptation is developed and presented by renowned family entertainment creator Jonathan Rockefeller (whose spectacular puppetry is omnipresent in the acclaimed productions of The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show and Paddington Gets in a Jam).
Inspired by the beloved books by A. A. Milne and the classic Disney featurettes, the production was welcomed in New York in 2021, where it broke theatre box office records for the largest advance, with rave reviews where it was called “Enchanting!” (Time Out); “Winnie the Pooh: The New Musical Stage Adaptation is magical, sweet as honey, and full of humor. It's a wholesome, delightful, enchanting piece of theatre,” (BroadwayWorld); “A perfect reintroduction to live theater. It’s a captivating adventure with spectacular puppetry,” (Mommy Poppins); “Charming and whimsical stage show that Pooh surpasses every expectation I had for it,” (The Laughing Place); “Winnie the Pooh is delightfully first-rate,” (Theatre Pizzazz); “Irresistible. ‘Winnie the Pooh’ is sweeter than honey,” (DC Metro Arts); “An hour of bountiful joy,” (New York Theatre Guide); “Mesmerizing and lifestyle puppets and original Sherman Brothers tunes, the beautiful new Winnie the Pooh musical is must-see,” (Theatrely); “The wonderful thing about musicals is that musicals are wonderful things. The New ‘Winnie the Pooh’ Musical Is Sweeter than Honey,” (Toy Insider).
Wednesday 2 November 2022
Jayme-Lee Zanoncelli on Taking Rock and Roll On Tour | Bat Out Of Hell | Interview
It’s wild, it’s fun, it has everything
Bat Out Of Hell is rocking its way across the UK with its larger than life production values and stellar cast. Swing and Assistant Dance Captain Jayme-Lee Zanoncelli tells us about her experience in the show and why you should take a trip to see it!
For anyone that hasn’t seen Bat Out of Hell, can you explain a little bit about the show?
I would describe Bat out of Hell as a gothic love story. Shown musically, by the intricate and theatrical song writing by Jim Steinman as well as visually on stage. It’s unapologetically “out there.” There’s nothing else like it.
What do you think makes the show appeal you both old and new fans of Jim Steinman/Meatloaf?
I think for the old fans, the show gives them a chance to reminisce and enjoy the music they love so much. Even for the newer fans, Jim & Meatloaf’s music is exciting and unique. The characters are vibrant, the set is epic of course, fire, lighting and explosions all add to the experience.
What’s your favourite song to sing and what’s your favourite song that you don’t sing?
So many to choose from! I love All Revved Up. It’s intense and fast paced; a great opening for this show. I think my favourite song in the show is What Part Of My Body Hurts The Most. It’s song-writing at its finest.
Is there a Meatloaf song that isn’t in the show, that you wish was?
Midnight At The Lost and Found! It’s a great song!
What’s your favourite tour memory so far? Are you keeping track of the places you visit in any way?
There have been so many great memories on this tour! Our Bat Halloween party was really cool! Everyone put so much effort in.
I have kept a log of the places we have travelled to over the last 14 months. Plymouth and Edinburgh have both been memorable places for me.
In one sentence, why should people come and see the show?
Everyone should see this show. It’s wild, it’s fun, it has everything; you will not leave bored that’s for sure!
Bat Out of Hell plays at the New Victoria Theatre until November 5th and then continues it's tour
Tuesday 1 November 2022
Cory English to Play 'Doctor Emmett Brown' in Back To The Future the Musical for 6 Weeks Only
Lead producer Colin Ingram, together with Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale, the creators of the Back To The Future film trilogy, are delighted to announce that celebrated theatre actor, Cory English, will join the cast of Back To The Future The Musical at the Adelphi Theatre, playing the role of ‘Doctor Emmett Brown’ from 23 November 2022 until 3 January 2023. Tony Award winner, Roger Bart, who is currently playing the role, will return to the show on 5 January 2023. His final performance in London will be 20 March 2023 after which he will lead the cast of the Broadway production, which begins performances at Winter Garden Theatre (1634 Broadway) on 30 June 2023 with an official opening on 3 August 2023.
The critically acclaimed Olivier, WhatsOnStage and Broadway World Award-winning Best New Musical had its opening night in London on Monday 13 September 2021. Last week the musical broke box office records at the Adelphi Theatre for the highest gross sales in one week.
Cory English played Max Bialystock in the West End and UK Touring productions of The Producers, directed by Susan Stroman. His other credits include Sleepless at Troubadour Theatre Wembley Park, She Loves Me at the Menier Chocolate Factory, Igor in Young Frankenstein on Broadway and in the West End and Benny Southstreet in Michael Grandage’s West End production of Guys & Dolls.
Back To The Future The Musical currently stars Tony Award-winning Roger Bart and Ben Joyce as ‘Dr Emmett Brown’ and ‘Marty McFly’ respectively, with Amber Davies as ‘Lorraine Baines’, Oliver Nicholas as ‘George McFly’, Jordan Benjamin as ‘Goldie Wilson’, Harry Jobson as ‘Biff Tannen’, Sophie Naglik as ‘Jennifer Parker’, Gary Trainor as ‘Strickland’, Will Haswell as alternate ‘Marty McFly’ and ‘Dave McFly’ and Emma Lloyd as ‘Linda McFly’. Also in the cast are Amy Barker, Simeon Beckett, Sia Dauda, Tyler Davis, Glen Facey, Dylan Gordon-Jones, Adam Margilewski, Cameron McAllister, Alessia McDermott, Bryan Mottram, Laura Mullowney, Anna Murray, Jon Reynolds, Melissa Rose, Georgia Tapp, Justin Thomas, Charley Warburton and Tavio Wright.
The Original Cast Recording, released on Sony Music’s Masterworks Broadway label, is now available on all formats, including vinyl, and has had over 3 million streams. It features the new music by multi-Grammy Award-winners Alan Silvestri and Glen Ballard alongside classic songs from the movie including The Power of Love and Johnny B. Goode.
Back To The Future The Musical won the Olivier Award for Best New Musical, four WhatsOnStage Awards, including Best New Musical, and the Broadway World Award for Best New Musical. The productions in London and Manchester have so far been seen by half a million people and the musical has broken box office records at the Adelphi Theatre.
Based on the Universal Pictures/Amblin Entertainment film, Back To The Future The Musical has a book by Bob Gale and new music and lyrics by Emmy and Grammy Award-winning Alan Silvestri and six-time Grammy Award-winning Glen Ballard, with additional songs from the film including The Power of Love and Johnny B. Goode.
Marty McFly is a rock ‘n’ roll teenager who is accidentally transported back to 1955 in a time-travelling DeLorean invented by his friend, Dr Emmett Brown. But before he can return to 1985, Marty must make sure his high school-aged parents fall in love in order to save his own existence.
Back To The Future The Musical is directed by Tony Award-winning director John Rando (Urinetown, On The Town), alongside the multi Tony and Olivier Award-winning design team of Tim Hatley (set and costume design), Tim Lutkin (lighting), Hugh Vanstone (lighting consultant), Gareth Owen (sound) and Finn Ross (video), with choreography by Chris Bailey, musical supervision and arrangements by Nick Finlow and Illusions by Chris Fisher. Orchestrations are by Ethan Popp and Bryan Crook, with dance arrangements by David Chase. Casting is by David Grindrod Associates.
Back to the Future the movie was released in 1985, starring Michael J. Fox as Marty McFly and Christopher Lloyd as Dr Emmett Brown. The film grossed $360.6 million (£279 million) at the box office worldwide and the total box office for all three films in the Back to the Future franchise was $936.6 million (over $1.8 billion in today’s money).
Back To The Future The Musical is produced by Colin Ingram, Donovan Mannato, Frankel/Viertel/Baruch/Routh Group, Hunter Arnold, Gavin Kalin Productions, Playing Field, Crush Music, CJ ENM, Teresa Tsai, Ivy Herman/Hallee Adelman, Robert L. Hutt, Universal Theatrical Group, Ricardo Marques, Augury, Robert Zemeckis, Bob Gale, in association with Kimberly Magarro, Stage Entertainment, Glass Half Full Productions/ Neil Gooding Productions.
The ENO presents the UK premiere & operatic adaptation of the festive favourite film, It’s a Wonderful Life
This November, opening the festive season at the London Coliseum, the English National Opera (ENO) presents the highly anticipated UK premiere of It’s a Wonderful Life. Composed by Jake Heggie in 2016 with the libretto by Gene Scheer, this is an operatic adaptation of the 1946 Frank Capra Christmas classic film, sung in English.
A blended tale of fantasy and drama loosely based on Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol, It’s a Wonderful Life tells the story of George Bailey, a humble man of humble origins in a humble small town. Having sacrificed many of his own dreams to help others around him, George is driven to breakdown, only to be shown by his guardian angel how his life enriches his community in ways he could never imagine.
It’s a Wonderful Life is a family friendly opera, perfect for first-time opera goers of all ages. It is an all-singing, all-dancing tale of hope and redemption sprinkled with a smattering of festive magic. Tickets start from £10 for everyone, under 21s can access free tickets to all performances, and under 35s can sign up for huge discounts.
Jake Heggie is an American composer influenced by multiple styles; he often infuses gospel, jazz, and pop elements into his work making his operas accessible to audiences while challenging their understanding of what a traditional opera can be. Heggie is known as one of modern operas most exciting contemporary composers, describing himself as primarily concerned with exploring character. With George Bailey at the centre of It’s a Wonderful Life, it’s clear to see why this nuanced story appealed to Heggie where the banker’s emotional turmoil is at the heart of the story and key to the music.
Jake Heggie says:
‘I am over the moon that the ENO has assembled such an extraordinary cast and creative team for this fabulous new production at the London Coliseum. When creating It’s a Wonderful Life, Gene Scheer and I wanted to give audiences a memorable holiday experience, packed with lyrical singing, big ensembles, and the powerful emotions that opera can explore like no other art form. This show brings people together - especially during this festive season - and London audiences of all ages are in for a magical, moving, and astonishing evening of music and dance.’
Directing and Choreographing It’s a Wonderful Life is Aletta Collins, making her ENO directorial debut. A former Associate Artist at the Royal Opera House, Collin’s has directed and choreographed for opera houses across the UK and internationally, as well as theatres in the West End and Off-West End. Collins recently choreographed the BAFTA Award-winning British coming-of-age drama film, Belfast (2021), written and directed by Kenneth Branagh.
Conducting the award-winning ENO Orchestra and making her ENO debut in the pit is regular collaborator Nicole Paiement. Paiement has gained an international reputation for conducting contemporary works. She has served as the Artistic Director of the BluePrint Project at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music where she has commissioned, premiered, and recorded works for many living American composers; and she is the founder and Artistic Director of San Francisco's Opera Parallèle where she has conducted many new productions.
‘Opera’s coolest soprano’ (The New York Times Magazine) and Australian-American actress Danielle de Niese makes her ENO operatic debut performing the role of Clara, George’s guardian angel. De Niese regularly appears on the world’s most prestigious opera and concert stages, and is a prolific recording artist and TV personality. She recently starred in the feature film of Poulenc’s one-women opera, La Voix Humaine, alongside Sir Antonio Pappano which premiered in Spring 2022 on BBC Two along with international cinematic release.
American tenor Frederick Ballentine will be making his role debut as George Bailey. He made his ENO debut as Sportin’ Life in Porgy and Bess and is returning to the ENO after performing as a soloist in the concert staging of Seven Last Words where he was ‘strong-voiced and ardent’ (Seen and Heard International), and performing the role of Nick in The Handmaid’s Tale during the 2021/22 Season. He will be making his second role debut this 2022/23 Season performing the role of Loge in Wagner’s The Rhinegold, for Richard Jones’ Ring Cycle.
British soprano Jennifer France returns to the ENO for her role debut as Mary Hatch Bailey. France made her ENO debut in Orphée during the 2019/20 Season. She recently performed as a soloist in concert for In This Brief Moment at Symphony Hall, Birmingham with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra where she ‘stole the show’ with ‘her impeccable diction and laser precision’ (The Guardian). France has performed at many of the leading opera houses both in the UK and internationally, including Bayerische Staatsoper Munich, Aix-en-Provence Festival and the Royal Opera House.
American bass baritone Donovan Singletary will be performing the role of Harry Bailey. Singletary is a recent graduate of the Lindemann Young Artist Programme and he has been praised by Opera News for his ‘bright baritone’. He is returning to the ENO following performance singing Jake in the 2018 staging of Porgy and Bess. Joining him on stage is South African soprano Segomotso Shupinyaneng who is making her ENO debut performing the role of Harry’s wife, Helen Bailey.
Tenor Roland Samm, born in Trinidad and Tobago, is performing the role of Uncle Billy Bailey. Returning to the London Coliseum, he previously made his ENO debut in the 2018 production of Porgy and Bess in the role of Peter.
Bringing her ‘expressive’ and ‘sumptuous voice’ (The Guardian) to the role of Mother Bailey is British soprano Gweneth Ann Rand. Rand is currently an Associate Artist at Wigmore Hall and she was previously a Vilar Young Artist at the Royal Opera House. She is returning to the ENO following her performance as Serena in the ENO’s 2018 staging of Porgy and Bess, the title role in Aida, the Mother in Hansel & Gretel at Regent's Park Open Air Theatre, and the Hen/Innkeeper’s Wife in 2022 production of The Cunning Little Vixen.
Making his ENO debut is American baritone Michael Mayes as Mr Potter. Mayes made an explosive international debut singing the role of Joseph de Rocher in Heggie’s Dead Man Walking to international acclaim in 2018 for Teatro Real and at The Barbican in London. He has performed for many of the leading opera houses both in the UK and internationally, including Houston Grand Opera House, Staatsoper Stuttgart, Seattle Opera, and Boston Lyric Opera.
As the Angel Quartet, British soprano Keri Fuge, who is making her ENO debut, will be joined on stage by current ENO Harewood Artists; German mezzo-soprano Idunnu Münch, South African tenor Zwakele Tshabalala, and British bass-baritone Ossian Huskinson. British baritone and former ENO Harewood Artist Alex Otterburn will be returning to the London Coliseum in the role of Ernie. The stellar cast will be joined on stage by the ENO Chorus.
Giles Cadle is the Set Designer, Gabrielle Dalton is the Costume Designer, Andreas Fuchs is the Lighting Designer, and Nick Lidster is the Sound Designer.
It’s a Wonderful Life opens on Friday 25 November for 10 performances: Nov 25, 29, 30 and Dec 3, 7, 9 at 19.30. Nov 27 and Dec 3, 10 at 15.00.
A fully staged Relaxed Performance will be on Wednesday 7 December at 11.00.
British Sign Language performance: Wednesday 7 December, 19.30.
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