Theatre
What’s Up Wilma?
So much has been going on in the last couple of weeks that I don’t know where to start. For Valentine’s Day I treated myself to a trip to Miss Saigon (for the eighth time) and had the most incredible time. It was the best I have ever seen it and sounded amazing!
On Sunday, the 15th annual WhatsOnStage awards took place at the Prince of Wales Theatre (current home to Book of Mormon). Miss Saigon took home an incredible 9 awards including Best Actor (Jon Jon Briones), Best Actress (Eva Noblezada), Best Musical Revival and Best West End Show! Shakespeare In Love won Best New Play and Memphis was voted Best New Musical. West End leading lady Kerry Ellis (currently playing Grizabella in Cats the Musical) won the award for Best Takeover in a Role for her reprised performance of Elphaba in Wicked last year.
Exciting news this week is that Carrie the Musical will make its London premiere in May at the Southwark Playhouse. The 1988 Broadway musical was a disaster when it opened, closing after just 21 performances. The 2012 off-Broadway production did slightly better and played a limited engagement for a couple of months. Despite all this, I actually love the cast recording from Carrie and so am excited to see it finally on stage in London.
After a successful run at the Arts Theatre in 2013, Beautiful Thing is heading out on a UK tour in March and returning to the West End for five weeks in June. The play, based on the 1996 film will star EastEnders bad girl Janine Butcher (Charlie Brooks). Beautiful Thing has teamed up with the charity Stonewall to raise money on the tour.
The Tony award-winning musical, written by ’80s pop star Cyndi Lauper, Kinky Boots has officially announced it will open at the Adelphi theatre on August 21 2015. Based on the 2005 film, it tells the story of a man who inherits his fathers shoe factory, and with the help of a drag queen, transforms the failing business into a niche factory making specially crafted shoes for transvestites.
Andrew Lloyd Webber has confirmed a Broadway transfer of Cats the Musical will happen and has expressed his hopes that Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger will play the role of Grizabella. The show is also rumoured to be returning to the West End this Christmas after a hugely successful limited run since Christmas, which ends in April.
Elf the Musical will play for ten weeks this Christmas at the Dominion Theatre starring Ben Forster, Kimberley Walsh and Joe McGann. After a successful run in Dublin last Christmas the show is now coming to London! Based on the 2003 film starring Will Ferrell, Elf tells the story of Buddy the Elf who set out on a journey to find him birth father.
I saw a wonderful fringe production of The Elephant Man at the Brockley Jack Studio recently. It will be interesting to see what the big transfer from Broadway is like when it comes to the West End this spring with its all American cast, including Bradley Cooper. The show will play at the Theatre Royal Haymarket from 19 May for a limited run until August.
Do you wanna build a snowman?! Sing-Along Frozen starts playing on 19 February at the Dominion Theatre. I’m a little bit excited! The Scottsboro Boys closes at the Garrick Theatre on 21 February after a four month run. The Beatles tribute show Let It Be will return to the Garrick theatre to play from 28 February.
Speak to you next week dears!
Wilma xx
www.westendwilma.com