It’s hard to believe but a decade has passed since Stephen Clark and Howard Goodall’s musical adaptation of Erich Segal’s novel Love Story premiered at Chichester Festival Theatre before a run at the West End’s Duchess Theatre. To mark the anniversary, original cast members Michael D. Xavier, Emma Williams and Peter Polycarpou will star in a special concert at the Cadogan Hall on 17 May 2020.
Based on the 1970 New York Times No.1 bestselling novel by Erich Segal – which was adapted into one of the highest grossing films of all time – Love Story follows Oliver Barrett IV, a Harvard jock, and Jenny Cavilleri, a gifted musician studying at Radcliffe. Michael D. Xavier played Oliver Barrett, with Emma Williams as Jenny Cavilleri and Peter Polycarpou as Phil Cavilleri.
Love Story: 10th Anniversary Concert will be directed by Samuel Hopkins with musical direction by Andrew Linnie, the team behind the acclaimed 2016 Cadogan Hall concert of Howard Goodhall’s The Hired Man, starring Jenna Russell and John Owen-Jones.
In 2010 the musical was Olivier-nominated for Best Musical, Best Actor in a Musical (Xavier) and Best Actress in a Musical (Williams). Since its West End run, the show has been performed in the USA, Russia, The Netherlands, Belgium, Brazil, South Korea, Italy, Germany and Bolton Octagon Theatre.
Bios
Michael D. Xavier (Oliver Barrett IV), has most recently been seen as Joe Gillis in Sunset Boulevard (ENO/Palace Theatre, Broadway). Other notable credits include Assassins (Menier Chocolate Factory), Into The Woods (Regent’s Park Open Air) and The Pajama Game (Shaftesbury Theatre).
Emma Williams’ (Jenny Cavilleri) West End work includes Half a Sixpence (Noel Coward Theatre), Mrs Henderson Presents (Noel Coward Theatre) and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (London Palladium).
Peter Polycarpou’s (Phil Cavilleri) extensive career includes Les Misérables (Palace Theatre), The Phantom of the Opera (Her Majesty’s Theatre), City of Angels (Donmar Warehouse), Sweeney Todd (Adelphi Theatre) and Oslo (National Theatre/Harold Pinter Theatre).
