|
Stephen Sondheim's Old Friends
''Stephen Sondheim's Old Friends'' is a tribute revue honoring musical theatre composer and lyricist Stephen Sondheim devised and produced by Cameron Mackintosh. Originally designed as a one-night performance, the revue premiered at the Sondheim Theatre in London on 3 May 2022. Over a year later, Mackintosh began producing a limited West End run. This run began previews on 21 September 2023 and opened on 3 October at the Gielgud Theatre. Background The idea for the concert came about during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown where Sondheim suggested to Mackintosh a follow-up of their revue productions ''Side by Side by Sondheim'' and ''Putting It Together''. During the development of the concert, Sondheim died in November 2021. Productions Gala Performance (2022) The concert was announced to be performed for one night only on 3 May 2022 at the Sondheim Theatre in London's West End. It was staged by Matthew Bourne and Maria Friedman with a 26-piece orchestra conducted by ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Stephen Sondheim
Stephen Joshua Sondheim (; March 22, 1930November 26, 2021) was an American composer and lyricist. One of the most important figures in twentieth-century musical theater, Sondheim is credited for having "reinvented the American musical" with shows that tackle "unexpected themes that range far beyond the enre'straditional subjects" with "music and lyrics of unprecedented complexity and sophistication." His shows address "darker, more harrowing elements of the human experience," with songs often tinged with "ambivalence" about various aspects of life. He was known for his frequent collaborations with Hal Prince and James Lapine on the Broadway stage. Sondheim's interest in musical theater began at a young age, and he was mentored by Oscar Hammerstein II. He began his career by writing the lyrics for ''West Side Story'' (1957) and ''Gypsy'' (1959). He transitioned to writing both music and lyrics for the theater, with his best-known works including '' A Funny Thing Happened on the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bonnie Langford
Bonita Melody Lysette "Bonnie" Langford (born 22 July 1964) is an English actress, dancer and singer. She came to prominence as a child star in the 1970s, when she had a notable role in the TV series ''Just William''. In the 1980s, she played companion Mel Bush in '' Doctor Who''. She has also been known for appearing in various musicals in the West End and on Broadway, including shows such as ''Peter Pan'', '' Cats'', ''The Pirates of Penzance'' and ''Chicago''. From 2015 to 2018, she portrayed the role of Carmel Kazemi on the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'', for which she received the 2016 British Soap Award for Best Newcomer. Early career Bonnie Langford attended the Arts Educational School, St Catherine's School, Twickenham and the Italia Conti Academy stage school. She first came to public attention when, aged six years old, she won the talent show '' Opportunity Knocks''. This led to the role of Scarlett O'Hara's daughter in the London production of Scarlett (1972), ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gavin Lee
Gavin Lee (born 15 October 1971) is an English actor who has appeared on the stage in musical theatre, notably as Bert in the musical ''Mary Poppins'', in both the West End and on Broadway, and as Squidward Tentacles in the original Broadway cast of ''SpongeBob SquarePants: The Musical''. Early life Lee is an alumnus of the Doreen Bird College of Performing Arts after which he has been involved in various musicals as a performer and choreographer. Career Lee appeared in the dance play ''Contact'' in the West End at the Queen's Theatre, opening in October 2002. In 2004, Lee auditioned to be the Bert understudy in the London production of ''Mary Poppins,'' but won the role outright. He originated the role of Bert in the original West End production. He also starred as Bert in the Broadway production of ''Mary Poppins''. He was chosen for the Broadway role because of his critically acclaimed performance as Bert in the West End production. He departed the Broadway production af ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Joanna Riding
Joanna Riding (born Joanne Riding; 9 November 1967) is an English actress. For her work in West End musicals, she has won two Laurence Olivier Awards, and has been nominated for three others. Early life Riding was born in Preston, Lancashire, England, growing up on a farm, where her father ran a successful cheese-making business. She received theatre training at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School The Bristol Old Vic Theatre School is a drama school in Bristol, England. The institution provides training in acting and production for careers in film, television and theatre. BOVTS is an affiliate of the Conservatoire for Dance and Drama. ... from 1986 to 1989. Career After leaving school, Riding worked at Chichester Festival Theatre for a season, playing Anne Page in ''The Merry Wives of Windsor'' and Dorothy in ''The Wizard of Oz (adaptations), The Wizard of Oz''. She met her former husband, actor Peter O'Brien, at Chichester. She was next cast as a replacement Sally in t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Janie Dee
Janie Dee (born 20 June 1962) is an English actress and singer. She won the Olivier Award for Best Actress, Evening Standard Award and Critics' Circle Theatre Award for Best Actress in a Play, and in New York the Obie and Theatre World Award for Best Newcomer, for her performance as Jacie Triplethree in Alan Ayckbourn's '' Comic Potential''. She also won the Olivier Award for Best Supporting Performance in a Musical for her performance as Carrie Pipperidge in Nicholas Hytner's acclaimed production of Rodgers & Hammerstein's ''Carousel'' at the National Theatre. In 2013, Dee won the TMA Theatre Award UK for Best Performance in a Musical for her performance as Dolly Levi in '' Hello Dolly'' at Curve, Leicester. Early life and education Janie Dee was born in Old Windsor, Berkshire. She is the daughter of John Lewis and Ruth Lewis (née Miller) and the eldest of four sisters. She trained at the Arts Educational School in Chiswick, London. On leaving ArtsEd, Dee began her career ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lea Salonga
Maria Lea Carmen Imutan Salonga (; born February 22, 1971), known professionally as Lea Salonga, is a Filipino singer, actress, and columnist. Nicknamed "Pride of the Philippines," she is best known for her roles in musical theatre, for supplying the singing voices of two Disney Princesses ( Jasmine and Mulan), and as a recording artist and television performer. Throughout her career, she has achieved numerous accolades and honors, becoming an internationally-recognized figure in music and entertainment. At age eighteen, Salonga rose to international recognition when she originated the lead role of Kim in the musical ''Miss Saigon'' in the West End and won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical. She then reprised the role on Broadway, winning the Drama Desk Award, Outer Critics Circle Award, and Theatre World Awards before making history as the first Asian actress to win a Tony Award and the second-youngest actress to win for Best Performance by a Leading A ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
2023 WhatsOnStage Awards
The WhatsOnStage Awards, founded in 2001 as the Theatregoers' Choice Awards, are a fan-driven set of awards organised by the theatre website WhatsOnStage.com, based on a popular vote recognising performers and productions of English theatre, with an emphasis on London's West End theatre. The 2023 WhatsOnStage Awards, the 23rd iteration of the ceremony, is scheduled to take place on Sunday 12 February 2023 at the Prince of Wales Theatre. The ceremony is to feature several category changes from the 2022 WhatsOnStage Awards, retiring the eight acting awards (WhatsOnStage Award for Best Actor in a Musical, Best Actor in a Musical, WhatsOnStage Award for Best Actress in a Musical, Best Actress in a Musical, WhatsOnStage Award for Best Actor in a Play, Best Actor in a Play and WhatsOnStage Award for Best Actress in a Play, Best Actress in a Play, Best Supporting Actor in a Musical, Best Supporting Actress in a Musical, Best Supporting Actor in a Play and Best Supporting Actress in a Pl ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
WhatsOnStage Award
The WhatsOnStage Awards (WOS Awards), formerly known as the Theatregoers' Choice Awards, are organised by the theatre website WhatsOnStage.com. The awards recognise performers and productions of British theatre with an emphasis on London's West End theatre. Nominations and eventual winners are selected by the theatre-going public's vote. The awards are held each February. In 2012, they were staged at the West End's Prince of Wales Theatre. History In early 2001, WhatsOnStage.com published the shortlists for that year’s Laurence Olivier Awards and invited site visitors to vote online for who they thought should win. In a fortnight, 5,000 people took part – and their results differed wildly from the Olivier judges. For the 2002 Awards, the editors compiled their own shortlists and in 2003, they held their first Launch Party to announce the shortlists to about 200 industry guests. The first Awards Concert and ceremony was introduced for the 2008 Awards. Judging Each year, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
BBC Two
BBC Two is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It covers a wide range of subject matter, with a remit "to broadcast programmes of depth and substance" in contrast to the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio channels, it is funded by the television licence, and is therefore free of commercial advertising. It is a comparatively well-funded public-service network, regularly attaining a much higher audience share than most public-service networks worldwide. Originally styled BBC2, it was the third British television station to be launched (starting on 21 April 1964), and from 1 July 1967, Europe's first television channel to broadcast regularly in colour. It was envisaged as a home for less mainstream and more ambitious programming, and while this tendency has continued to date, most special-interest programmes of a kind previously broadcast on BBC Two, for example the BBC Proms, no ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Prince Edward Theatre
The Prince Edward Theatre is a West End theatre situated on Old Compton Street, just north of Leicester Square, in the City of Westminster, London. History The theatre was designed in 1930 by Edward A. Stone, with an interior designed by Marc-Henri Levy and Gaston Laverdet.Earl and Sell (2000) pp. 132 Named after Prince Edward (at the time Prince of Wales, briefly Edward VIII and later Duke of Windsor), it opened on 3 April 1930 with a performance of the musical '' Rio Rita''. Other notable events in its opening years included the London debut of famed cabaret artiste Josephine Baker, who performed her famous 'Bananas Dance'. In 1935, Stone converted the theatre to a dance and cabaret hall, being renamed the "London Casino". As the London Casino, it was badly damaged and all its windows lost on 10 May 1941, in London's worst air raid of the Second World War. All neighbouring buildings directly across Greek Street were destroyed. Stage alterations were undertaken by Thomas ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Imelda Staunton
Imelda Mary Philomena Bernadette Staunton (born 9 January 1956) is an English actress and singer. After training at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, Staunton began her career in repertory theatre in 1976 and appeared in various theatre productions in the United Kingdom. Staunton has performed in a variety of plays and musicals in London throughout her career, winning four Laurence Olivier Awards; three for Best Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical for her roles in the musicals ''Into the Woods'', ''Sweeney Todd'', and ''Gypsy'', and one for Best Performance in a Supporting Role in a Play for her work in both '' A Chorus of Disapproval'' and ''The Corn is Green''. Her other stage appearances include ''The Beggar's Opera'', '' The Wizard of Oz'', ''Uncle Vanya'', ''Guys and Dolls'', ''Entertaining Mr Sloane'', and '' Good People''. She has been nominated for 13 Olivier Awards. On film, Staunton starred in ''Antonia and Jane;'' in several supporting roles in Kenneth Brana ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Clive Rowe
Clive Mark Rowe (born 27 March 1964) is a British actor, best known for his role as Norman "Duke" Ellington in BBC Children's drama ''The Story of Tracy Beaker''. He also starred as Mayor Doyle in the Disney show '' The Evermoor Chronicles''. Biography Born in Oldham, Lancashire, Clive Rowe grew up in Shaw, Lancashire, in the parish of East Crompton and attended St. James Primary School and Crompton House School. As a teenager he was a member of Crompton Stage Society. He is a graduate of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. Rowe has appeared in many pantomimes. Television Rowe has appeared on television in ''Dalziel and Pascoe'' and ''The Bill'', and had a main role as "Duke" in ''The Story of Tracy Beaker'' in Series 1 to 4. He appeared in the 2007 Christmas special of '' Doctor Who'' — "Voyage of the Damned" as "Morvin Van Hoff". More recently, he appeared on the BBC1 drama '' All The Small Things'', portraying "Clifford Beale", a homeless caretaker, more commonly ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
