Jenny Ell - Page 13

Hairspray seems to have been doing the rounds in the UK since it closed in the West End in 2010. It is a very popular show among audiences and although the last national tour is still fresh in our mind, the Curve's Artistic Director Paul Kerryson has decided his venue would do a brand new production. Some may say a good idea and others bad but regardless, the Curve is notorious for its phenomenal production values so personally I am very excited about this new offering.

Due to open on Friday at the Charing Cross Theatre, Ushers: The Front of House Musical is also being released by SimG Records on Monday so a busy week for this new British musical! The show was one of the finalists in last year's 'Search for a Composer' competition by West End Producer and following a try-out run at the Hope Theatre, the production is hoping to recreate its success in town.

Adapted from crime thriller novelist Peter James' incredibly successful book, The Perfect Murder has already taken over £1 million at the box office. Best known for his Roy Grace series of which he has sold over 15 million copies, this is the first time that his work has been produced for the stage.

The last time I saw Seven Brides for Seven Brothers was during the 2006 UK Productions tour which starred Dave Willetts and Shona Lindsay; a production that is close to my heart as it is one of the shows that made me want to pursue a career in theatre.

Having seen Priscilla Queen of the Desert in the West End a few years ago, I was very interested to see how the production had been adapted to tour. A technical tour de force; there have been mishaps aplenty along the way due to the bus automation issues and flying (or not-flying) divas in visiting venues. However, the show seemed very slick last night during its opening performance at the Wolverhampton Grand Theatre.

From the Olivier & Ivor Novello award-winning comedy by Peter Nichols, the original London cast recording of Privates on Parade is being released today; the latest CD from Stage Door Records. The show focuses on the fictional Song And Dance Unit South East ASIA (SADUSEA) who are stationed in Singapore and Malaysia during the late 1940s.

You are Home: The Songs of Anderson & Petty is Barry Anderson and Mark Petty's debut songbook album and like their transatlantic working relationship, the recording also showcases talent from both sides of the pond. A range of genres are performed meaning there is something for everyone. The recording is a preview of their work that will be performed at the St James Studio in London in March, prior to a concert in New York in August. As well as writing the musical numbers, Anderson & Petty also co-produced the album alongside Dennis Michael Keefe from record label, Great White Wax.

Yesterday Sim G Records released their latest recording, The Bakewell Bake Off - a new British musical that premiered at the Landor Theatre in October. It features a selection of MA students from the Guildford School of Acting - aptly named the Baking Committee - and is directed by their course leader, Julian Woolford. The book, lyrics and music are devised by the students, making it a very exciting project.

Last night marked five years to the day since Her Majesty The Queen opened the Curve Theatre in Leicester. To celebrate this, the wonderful team at the theatre put on a showbiz evening to remember.

Louise Dearman is one busy lady and an incredibly in-demand performer. Only last week, she finished her run as Elphaba in the West End production of Wicked and has a series of concerts around the country lined up in the coming weeks before Christmas. Not only this, she is also embarking on her debut UK tour, 'It's Time', between February and April next year.

Van Winkle - A Folk Musical is a retelling of Washington Irving's classic American tale 'Rip Van Winkle' with music and lyrics by Caroline Wigmore and musical arrangements by Jen Green. Folk is very much an acquired taste and SimG Productions have certainly taken a risk by taking on a recording which is hugely different to anything they have released before.

Last week saw the release of SimG Productions' latest recording, Sleeping Arrangements by Chris Burgess. Based on the best-selling novel of the same name by popular author Sophie Kinsella, the London premiere was showcased at the Landor Theatre back in April to rave reviews.

With only 92 shopping days until Christmas, that means it's only 86 days until the opening of Britain's biggest pantomime at Birmingham Hippodrome. This was kindly reinforced to us by Michael Harrison, the Managing Director of the pantomime division at Qdos Entertainment and ultimately the Director of this year's Snow White and the Seven Dwarves at the venue. A frightening thought for many but not for pantomime lovers!

Collaborations - The Songs of Elliot Davis is the latest offering from SimG Records, who are at the forefront of championing new musical theatre. This album features songs from the Olivier-nominated 'Loserville', 'Out There' and 'Best Friends and Butterflies' and are written by the aforementioned Davis with assistance from other esteemed writers such as his 'Loserville' partner James Bourne, Anthony Drewe, Adam Bard and Sam Kenyon.

Written by Dan Looney & Sam Champness, The Confession Room began as one song. When studying at Southend College, they realised the song had legs and therefore began to add more numbers and develop a show with a strong concept behind it. What has been achieved since then is an extraordinary piece of original writing about a room where people go to reveal their secrets and embarrassing stories to strangers rather than facing humiliation in front of their peers.

The roof got lifted off the Birmingham Hippodrome last night with the rapturous audience reaction to Stage Entertainment's UK touring production of Hairspray. With big hair and fun aplenty, you will not find a show with so much energy and attack as this one. With wide appeal across the board due to the 2007 film starring John Travolta as the loveable Edna Turnblad, Hairspray has something for everyone. It is great to see a younger audience drawn to the theatre; very few shows these days have such power. Hairspray is topical, has good morals, catchy music by Marc Shaiman and brilliantly choreographed dance routines by Jerry Mitchell - the show has everything!

Vintage Hollywood graced the Birmingham Hippodrome stage last night as High Society is in town for one week only. Adapted from the 1956 film, Cole Porter's classic has been turned into a fully staged musical which continues to tour the UK until July.

Following its premiere at the New Wimbledon Theatre last year, Speckulation Entertainment have released a live recording of the well-received concert. The album features fondly regarded musical numbers sung by professional musical theatre stars.

Since 2004, there have been several other productions of The Hired Man; all of which have achieved similar resounding success. This Curve Theatre Leicester and Mercury Theatre Colchester Co-Production is no different and is nothing short of a masterpiece.

Last night, Starlight Express was celebrating 29 years to the day when it opened at the Apollo Victoria Theatre in the West End. Since ending an incredibly successful 18-year run in London, the production has not been very far from our stages. With one of the most impressive set designs in a resident venue, taking it out on tour was never going to be quite as lavish. H