Blog / From: My Theatre Mates
Check here for the latest musical news with links to all your #StageFaves performers, shows and theatres. Also look out for our regular #GetSocial features and contributions from our syndicate media partners including MyTheatreMates.com and the Musical Theatre Appreciation Society.
Another must-watch for musical theatre fans. The latest broadcast on Andrew Lloyd Webber's lockdown The Shows Must Go On freeview YouTube channel is the award-winning Australian production of The Phantom of the Opera sequel Love Never Dies.
Another Theatreland casualty of the coronavirus outbreak, this summer's London premiere of LOCAL HERO has been cancelled at the Old Vic Theatre.
Another must-watch for musical theatre fans. Andrew Lloyd Webber is giving you an unmissable opportunity to see the spectacular 25th-anniversary Royal Albert Hall staging of THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA for free... for 24 hours only!
Bring on the champions. Queen wanted to give musical theatre fans something to look forward to so scrambled quickly to reschedule We Will Rock You's 2020 tour, which had been due to start next month, for early 2021, with several new dates added.
Another lockdown must-watch for musical theatre fans takes place on Tuesday 14 April 2020. And the producers of CURTAINS are inviting fans to get involved too with their own #ShowPeople videos. Get filming!
Here's something to look forward to - and cannily announced on National Siblings Day (10 April 2020) - Samantha Barks' Elsa has found her new little sis Anna in the form of Stephanie McKeon for the West End premiere of Frozen, due to reopen the refurbished Theatre Royal Drury Lane this autumn.
After Thriller and Waitress, we're sad to wave goodbye to another rollicking West End musical whose run has been cut short by the coronavirus crisis. But we LOVE these celebratory quotes from its #StageFaves stars including David Hasselhoff, Bonnie Langford, Louise Redknapp, Chelsea Halfpenny, Natalie McQueen and many others.
We kept hoping for a London transfer for Flowers for Mrs Harris... But, particularly during lockdown, this is probably even better. If you missed your chance to see this award-winning musical in 2018, be sure to tune in over the next month.
Something to look forward to! Hairspray has nabbed new dates for its coronavirus-cancelled run this spring at English National Opera's London Coliseum.
Which is your fave Andrew Lloyd Webber musical? If it's Joseph & the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat or Jesus Christ Superstar, you'll be able to watch it at home during lockdown over the next two weeks. And they'll be followed by another each Friday.
Don't cry for her, but Evita won't be returning to London this summer after all. We're sending all our love to the cast of #StageFaves affected.
There are some theatre productions, both big and small, that aren’t going to make it through the current shutdown and we’re sad to report that when London Theatreland gets back to some kind of normal Waitress will be missing.
The Olivier Awards are a big highlight of the theatre calendar so it was disappointing, though understandable, when the event was cancelled. Now, there’s a chance to celebrate all the ceremonies that have come before in a special programme, Olivier Awards – Greatest Moments, to be broadcast on ITV in the awards’ original slot, 10.15pm on 5 April 2020. Now, that’s something to look forward to.
It’s normally a major highlight in the theatre calendar but the fallout of the coronavirus emergency has now extended to the Olivier Awards ceremony, planned for 5 April 2020 at the Royal Albert Hall, but now cancelled. The hope is alternative arrangements will be made to ‘properly honour and announce this year’s winners’.
There’s going to be a lorra lorra laughs & maybe a few tears along the way when popular actress Sheridan Smith once again plays Cilla Black, a role which brought her much acclaim in Jeff Pope’s BAFTA award-winning ITV series. This time, though, audiences will have the chance to see her in Bill Kenwright’s touring stage production of Cilla The Musical, also written by Pope, and opening on 23 September for a four-week season.
What a range of winners there were at the 10th anniversary Offies 2020 presented by Off West End with Best Musical Production going to Gentlemen Prefer Blondes at the Union Theatre and Amour at the Charing Cross Theatre named as Best New Musical. Elsewhere Thrill Me lead actors Bart Lambert and Jack Reitman were both honoured for their performances at the Hope Theatre, while Oti Mabuse completed a victorious weekend with a prize for her choreography for Ain’t Misbehavin at Southwark Playhouse.
Andrew Lloyd Webber announces delay in the West End opening of his new musical version of Cinderella
In light of the ‘current global circumstances’ in relation to the coronavirus, the world premiere of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s new musical Cinderella, starring Carrie Hope Fletcher, has been delayed to 28 October 2020, previewing from 9 October. Originally the much-anticipated musical was due to begin previews on 28 August.
It only takes a moment to check out the latest casting for the new West End production of Jerry Herman’s Hello, Dolly at the Adelphi Theatre, opening in August 2020. So welcome Clare Halse, Tyrone Huntley and Harry Hepple who join the previously announced players Imelda Staunton, Andy Nyman and Jenna Russell.
A Doctor and a Queen, namely Waitress’ Gavin Creel and Six The Musical’s Alexia McIntosh, were on hand today to announce the 2020 Olivier Awards nominations, just a month before the ceremony takes place on 5 April at the Royal Albert Hall. So now the celebrations have begun, particularly in the & Juliet, Fiddler On The Roof, Dear Evan Hansen and Mary Poppins camps, all of which have received plenty of love from the nominating panel. So who are you hoping leaves with the big prizes on the day?
The reception for the UK premiere of Be More Chill has been anything but frosty with news announced that the fan favourite will now run in London until 14 June 2020. The extended season for Joe Iconis and Joe Tracz’s show will make it the longest-running musical at The Other Palace.