The hit West End musical Everybody's Talking About Jamie will have its North American premiere in Los Angeles at the Ahmanson Theatre as part of the venue's 2022 season. The production, directed by Jonathan Butterell, will play January 16-February 20, 2022.
Everybody's Talking About Jamie has music by the Feeling's Dan Gillespie Sells, book and lyrics by Tom McRae, direction by Jonathan Butterell, set and costumes by Anna Fleischle, choreography by Kate Prince, lighting by Lucy Carter, sound by Paul Groothuis and video by Luke Halls. Theo Jamieson is the musical supervisor, Richard Weeden the musical director, Will Burton the casting director and George Richmond-Scott the associate director.
The show, which has been in the West End for three years, is inspired by a documentary about Jamie Campbell, who wanted to be a drag queen at the age of 16. Casting for the American production is still to be announced.
While not ‘perfect art’. The show has a heart and a very very entertaining/catchy opening number (Don’t Even Know it). As well as a powerful 11 o’clock number that an American actress should do great work with (He’s My Boy), and a couple of flashy supporting roles that are great fun. Can’t wait to see who they cast and I wish the show success!
"You can't overrate Bernadette Peters. She is such a genius. There's a moment in "Too Many Mornings" and Bernadette doing 'I wore green the last time' - It's a voice that is just already given up - it is so sorrowful. Tragic. You can see from that moment the show is going to be headed into such dark territory and it hinges on this tiny throwaway moment of the voice." - Ben Brantley (2022)
"Bernadette's whole, stunning performance [as Rose in Gypsy] galvanized the actors capable of letting loose with her. Bernadette's Rose did take its rightful place, but too late, and unseen by too many who should have seen it" Arthur Laurents (2009)
"Sondheim's own favorite star performances? [Bernadette] Peters in ''Sunday in the Park,'' Lansbury in ''Sweeney Todd'' and ''obviously, Ethel was thrilling in 'Gypsy.'' Nytimes, 2000
This may be just one of a small handful of current West End productions that could find their way to B'way (or North America at least) in the coming years. Back to the Future? Lloyd Webber's Cinderella? Will the Toronto premiere of & Juliet still happen sometime next year?
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Just put some definitions in the playbill and call it a day. With stuff streaming and whatnot, I think audiences can figure it out! I’ve watched 2 seasons of UK drag race and enjoyed them both without even knowing one person on the snatch game.
Exciting news: Layton Williams and Roy Haylock (aka The Bianca Del Rio, winner of "RuPaul's Drag Race" will reprise their roles in the hit West End musical "Everybody’s Talking About Jamie" when it makes its North American premiere with us at Ahmanson Theatre this season! Tickets are currently available as part of an Ahmanson 2021/22 subscription: AhmansonSeason.org
jacobsnchz14 said: "Exciting news: Layton Williams and Roy Haylock (aka The Bianca Del Rio, winner of "RuPaul's Drag Race" will reprise their roles in the hit West End musical "Everybody’s Talking About Jamie" when it makes its North American premiere with us at Ahmanson Theatre this season! Tickets are currently available as part of an Ahmanson 2021/22 subscription: AhmansonSeason.org
I saw Layton as Jamie in London. He's very good. They cast a Black actor as the father so with the white mother which was great. I actually saw Layton's first performance in London as Billy Elliot. I didn't like that they had him grow up to be a blond white guy.
Supposedly Michelle said she has first refusal for Broadway but I don't see her ever locking into a 6-month run producers would want. She's now constantly filming Drag Race, All Stars, UK, and Down Under and I don't see her giving up that money just to do Broadway. I know she wants to do theatre but I see more her doing it in LA for the couple months in the winter before filming UK4 in the spring.
I also hope if they use her they just have the teacher be American. The accent was embarrassing and there's no reason the teacher can't be an ex-pat the same way Bianca plays Coco American.
I don't think the script needs as many changes as Billy Elliott and I don't have it in front of me but maybe a reference or two could be American-ized more than any overhauling.
Phantom of London said: "I wonder if this is playing Los Angeles so early, just after theholidays, whether they’re looking to go to New York for the Spring?
Also will be a shame to play the West Coast and not play San Francisco, where it would go down a storm?"
The LA production is part of the UK tour. It goes back to Nottingham after LA.
nasty_khakis said: "I also hope if they use her they just have the teacher be American. The accent was embarrassing and there's no reason the teacher can't be an ex-pat the same way Bianca plays Coco American."
They probably offered that to her, but Michelle is a bit too much of an anglophile to admit her accent sucks...