Madalena Alberto is a Portuguese actress, singer and composer who has developed her career in the West End. Alberto received rave reviews for her role as Eva Perón in ''
Evita Evita may refer to:
Arts
* Evita (1996 film), ''Evita'' (1996 film), a 1996 American musical drama film based on the 1976 concept album of the same name
* Evita (2008 film), ''Evita'' (2008 film), a documentary about Eva Péron
* Evita (album), ''E ...
'' in the West End (16 September - 1 November 2014), where the show arrived after a successful UK Tour. Alberto played the role of
Fantine
Fantine (French pronunciation: ) is a fictional character in Victor Hugo's 1862 novel ''Les Misérables''. She is a young '' grisette'' in Paris who becomes pregnant by a rich student. After he abandons her, she is forced to look after their chil ...
in the acclaimed 25th Anniversary production of ''
Les Misérables
''Les Misérables'' ( , ) is a French historical novel by Victor Hugo, first published in 1862, that is considered one of the greatest novels of the 19th century.
In the English-speaking world, the novel is usually referred to by its original ...
'' with rave reviews.
Career
Her professional debut was in ''Aladdin'' at the Old Vic, London, with Sir Ian McKellen (2005). She has developed her career mainly in Musical Theatre performing the roles of Lucy in ''
The Threepenny Opera
''The Threepenny Opera'' ( ) is a "play with music" by Bertolt Brecht, adapted from a translation by Elisabeth Hauptmann of John Gay's 18th-century English ballad opera, ''The Beggar's Opera'', and four ballads by François Villon, with music ...
'' (Lisbon, 2005), Carmen Diaz in ''
Fame'' (UK Tour, 2007) and Hunyak in ''
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
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, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
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, subdivision_name ...
'' (Kuala Lumpur, 2007). Alberto was part of the original cast of the West End production of ''
Zorro the Musical'' (Garrick Theatre, 2008), playing the role of Luisa.
In Summer 2009 Alberto played the role of Sam in Christopher Hamilton's new musical ''
Over the Threshold'' at the
Edinburgh Festival
__NOTOC__
This is a list of arts and cultural festivals regularly taking place in Edinburgh, Scotland.
The city has become known for its festivals since the establishment in 1947 of the Edinburgh International Festival and the Edinburgh Fe ...
. The show transferred to the
Jermyn Street Theatre
Jermyn Street Theatre is a performance venue situated on Jermyn Street, in London's West End. It is an off-west end studio theatre.
History
Jermyn Street Theatre opened in August 1994. It was formerly the changing rooms for staff at a Spaghetti ...
, London, from 22 September to 3 October 2009. From December 2009 to October 2010 she played the role of Fantine in the acclaimed 25th Anniversary production of ''Les Misérables'', that opened at the
Wales Millennium Centre
Wales Millennium Centre ( cy, Canolfan Mileniwm Cymru) is an arts centre located in the Cardiff Bay area of Cardiff, Wales. The site covers a total area of . Phase 1 of the building was opened during the weekend of the 26–28 November 2004 an ...
in
Cardiff
Cardiff (; cy, Caerdydd ) is the capital and largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Cardiff ( cy, Dinas a Sir Caerdydd, links=no), and the city is the eleventh-largest in the United Kingd ...
on 22 December 2009 and ended at the
Barbican Theatre
The Barbican Centre is a performing arts centre in the Barbican Estate of the City of London and the largest of its kind in Europe. The centre hosts classical and contemporary music concerts, theatre performances, film screenings and art exhibi ...
, London on 2 October 2010. She also took part of the
O2 Arena O2 Arena may refer to:
*The O2 Arena (London)
*O2 Arena (Prague)
*The 3Arena
The 3Arena (originally The O2) is an indoor amphitheatre located at North Wall Quay in the Dublin Docklands in Dublin, Ireland. The venue opened as The O2 on 16 Decem ...
concert of ''Les Misérables''.
Alberto played the role of Sonia in Stephen Schwartz's ''
Godspell
''Godspell'' is a musical composed by Stephen Schwartz with book by John-Michael Tebelak. The show is structured as a series of parables, primarily based on the Gospel of Matthew, interspersed with music mostly set to lyrics from traditional hymn ...
'', which ran at the
Union Theatre, London
The Union Theatre is a fringe theatre situated in the borough of Southwark in London, England. It was established in 1998 by Sasha Regan, and has a reputation for staging musicals.
Original premises
In 1998, Sasha Regan took the initiative to c ...
from 13 April to 7 May 2011 directed by Michael Strassen. She also played the role of Lucy in the first London production of Frank Wildhorn's ''JEKYLL AND HYDE'' produced by Morphic Graffiti, that ran at the Union Theatre from 16 May to 16 June 2012.
In March–April 2013 Alberto played the role of
Édith Piaf
Édith Piaf (, , ; born Édith Giovanna Gassion, ; December 19, 1915– October 10, 1963) was a French singer, lyricist and actress. Noted as France's national chanteuse, she was one of the country's most widely known international stars.
Pia ...
in Pam Gems' ''
Piaf'', at Leicester's Curve Theatre directed by Paul Kerrison.
Alberto starred as Eva Perón in the 2013–2014 UK tour of ''Evita'' alongside Marti Pellow as Che. Produced by Bill Kenwright, the tour opened at London's New Wimbledon Theatre on 15 May. The first length of the tour concluded in Peterborough on 9 November 2013. The second length of this UK Tour, opened in Oxford on 22 January 2014, and ended in Aylesbury on 19 July 2014. Afterwards, ''Evita'' with Mark Powell replacing Marti Pellow, ran at the Kursaal Oostende in Belgium from 29 July to 10 August 2014. Alberto received rave reviews for this role.
On 27 June 2014 it was announced that EVITA was due to open on Tuesday 16 September 2014 at the recently refurbished Dominion Theatre for 55 performances only starring Alberto and Marti Pellow. After a successful run in the West End, receiving rave reviews for her role, Alberto was nominated as Best Actress in a Musical in the 15th Annual WhatsOnStage Awards.
Alberto joined the cast of ''The Vote'', a play by James Graham at London's Donmar Warehouse alongside Judi Dench, Mark Gatiss, Catherine Tate. The play, directed by Josie Rourke, run from 24 April 2015 to 7 May 2015. On 7 May the play was broadcast live on More4 from the Donmar stage.
Madalena made her solo concert debut in London ''Don't Cry For Me'' on 25 July 2015, at St. James Studio, with Alfonso Casado as MD, and with Sophie Evans, Ceilli O’Connor, Simon Bailey,
Jade Anouka
Jade Anouka (born 12 June 1989) is an English actress. She is known for her various stage roles and for her appearances in ''His Dark Materials'' on BBC One and the ITV dramas ''Trauma'' and '' Cleaning Up''.
Early life and education
Anouka w ...
and Sam Cassidy as guest artists.
In October 2015 Madalena Alberto joined the cast of Andrew Lloyd Webber's ''
Cats
The cat (''Felis catus'') is a domestic species of small carnivorous mammal. It is the only domesticated species in the family Felidae and is commonly referred to as the domestic cat or house cat to distinguish it from the wild members of t ...
'' at the London Palladium, performing the role of Grizabella. Cats ran at the London Palladium from 23 October 2015 to 2 January 2016.
Alberto has also taken part in some musical theatre concerts in London, such as the 4th and the 2nd Tim Williams Awards at the Cochrane Theatre (2009 and 2011); the Whatsonstage Awards Concert (2011), the Giggin For Good concert at the Actors Church in Convent Garden (2011), the
Mercury Musical Developments 20th Anniversary Gala Concert at West End's Novello Theatre (2012),
Scott Alan
Scott Alan is an American songwriter who has released eight albums, beginning with his debut album, ''Dreaming Wide Awake'' (2007).
Discography
* ''Dreaming Wide Awake''
* ''Keys''
* ''What I Wanna Be When I Grow Up''
* ''LIVE''
* ''Anything Wor ...
's concert at the St James Theatre (3 May 2015) and a benefit concert of
Elegies for Angels, Punks and Raging Queens
''Elegies For Angels, Punks and Raging Queens'' is a musical with music by Janet Hood and lyrics and book by Bill Russell. The work features songs and monologues inspired by the NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt and Edgar Lee Masters' ''Spoon River ...
at The Criterion Theatre (31 May 2015). In 2015 she also performed in West End Bares Concert (20 Sept.), in Scott Alan's concert at The Hippodrome (12 Sep.), in 'An Evening with Tim Rice and Friends' at the Sage Gateshead Theatre (8 Oct.2015), and in 'Broadway by the Bay' at the Cardiff Millennium Center (23-25 Oct); and performed as guest star in Ceilli O'Connor and Stewart Matthew Price solo concerts in London.
Alberto performed alongside Ricardo Afonso and Sofia Escobar at the Golden Globe Awards in Portugal on 29 May 2011.
Alberto made her Spanish debut in Barcelona on 3 December 2012, performing in an intimate concert at La Cova del Drac with Nina and Daniel Angles as special guests. She came back to Barcelona in 2015, performing at L'Auditori (Sala Alicia Larrocha) on 24 March with Joan Tena, Lucy Lummis and Anna Mateo as special guests.
She starred in the gala concert 'O Melhor dos Musicais no Coliseu' at the Coliseu dos Recreios in Lisbon, alongside Robyn North, John Owen-Jones and Henrique Feist on 22 February 2013 under the musical direction of Nuno Feist. This concert took place again on 20 November 2014 with Sofia Escobar replacing Robyn North.
Alberto combines her work as an actress with her career as a composer and performing her own songs. She released ''Foreign Sketches - Live Studio Recording'' - her first solo album - in March 2011; and on 5 September 2012 she released the EP ''Heart Condition'', her first collaboration with other musicians. In her songs Alberto expresses universal feelings about emancipation, dreams, drugs, sex, betrayal and jealousy. She performs her music in different London venues such as The 100 Club, The Regal Room, The Troubador, Parker McMillan or Ryan's Bar. Alberto has also offered different concerts in Lisbon, her hometown, in December 2011 (Vinyl, Braço de Prata) and in April 2012 (Vinyl).
Alberto has also taken part of different workshops in London, playing the title role in Craig Adams's THÉRÈSE RAQUIN, ''A-Z of Mrs P'' (written by Gwyneth Herbert) and ''Desperately Seeking Susan'' (dir. Angus Jackson).
Recordings include ''Les Misérables Live!– The 2010 Cast'' album, ''Les Misérables 25th Anniversary Concert at the O2'' CD and DVD, and ''The Postman and the Poet'' and ''One Touch of Venus'' released by Jay Records. Alberto can also be heard at John Owen-Jones album ''Rise'' released in March 2015. In March 2014 Alberto released her solo album ''Don’t Cry For Me'', released by BK Records, performing musical theatre classics.
Madalena Alberto offered a concert at London's St James Studio on 25 July 2015 accompanied by Alfonso Casado on the piano. In this intimate evening Madalena performed songs from shows that have marked her career – including ''Evita'', ''Les Misérables'' and ''Piaf'' – as well as her own compositions.
She performed the role of Carrie in Jeff Wayne's ''The War of the Worlds'' musical at the
Dominion Theatre
The Dominion Theatre is a West End theatre and former cinema on Tottenham Court Road, close to St Giles Circus and Centre Point, in the London Borough of Camden. Planned as primarily a musical theatre, it opened in 1929, but the following year ...
, in London's West End, from 8 February to 30 April 2016.
Then she played the role of Tina McCoy in the return of Michael Strassen's critically acclaimed production of ''The Fix'' at the Union Theatre's new venue, in London, from 13 July until 6 August 2016.
Madalena will perform the role of Nina in ''The Autumn Garden'', a play by Lillian Hellman directed by Anthony Biggs, at the Jermyn Street Theatre, in London, from 5th until 29 October 2016.
Alberto reprised her role as Eva Perón in ''Evita'' in 2018, for the UK and world tour. Notable UK venues included the
Palace Theatre, Manchester,
King's Theatre, Glasgow
The King's Theatre is located in Glasgow, Scotland. It was built for Howard & Wyndham Ltd under its chairman Baillie Michael Simons as a sister theatre of their Theatre Royal in the city and was designed by Frank Matcham, opening in 1904. ...
and
Newcastle Theatre Royal. Alberto also played in
Dubai
Dubai (, ; ar, دبي, translit=Dubayy, , ) is the most populous city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the capital of the Emirate of Dubai, the most populated of the 7 emirates of the United Arab Emirates.The Government and Politics of ...
,
Luxembourg
Luxembourg ( ; lb, Lëtzebuerg ; french: link=no, Luxembourg; german: link=no, Luxemburg), officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, ; french: link=no, Grand-Duché de Luxembourg ; german: link=no, Großherzogtum Luxemburg is a small lan ...
and
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
as part of the tour. On 2 June 2018, Alberto played her final performance as Eva Perón and was replaced by Irish singer and actress
Lucy O'Byrne who is known as being the runner-up of ''
The Voice UK
''The Voice UK'' is a British singing competition television series. Created by John de Mol, it premiered on BBC One during the spring television cycle on 24 March 2012. Based on the original ''The Voice of Holland'', and part of ''The Voice ...
'' in 2015, and for starring in ''
Les Misérables
''Les Misérables'' ( , ) is a French historical novel by Victor Hugo, first published in 1862, that is considered one of the greatest novels of the 19th century.
In the English-speaking world, the novel is usually referred to by its original ...
'' as Fantine and ''
The Sound of Music
''The Sound of Music'' is a musical with music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, and a book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. It is based on the 1949 memoir of Maria von Trapp, '' The Story of the Trapp Family Singers''. Se ...
'' as Maria.
References
External links
*
*
todoMUSICALES article regarding MMD Concert GalaMadalena Alberto's Q&AAn interview with Madalena Alberto talking about LES MISÉRABLES (Sept. 2010)Madalena Alberto releases her debut album ‘Foreign Sketches - Live Studio Recording’ Tim Rogers and Madalena Alberto uncover the bowels of JEKYLL AND HYDE’ West End Star Madalena Alberto to Make Spanish Debut at Barcelona's La Cova del Drac, 3 Dec
{{DEFAULTSORT:Alberto, Madalena
Year of birth missing (living people)
Living people
Actresses from Lisbon
Portuguese expatriates in the United Kingdom
Portuguese stage actresses
Actresses from London
Portuguese musical theatre actors
Place of birth missing (living people)