Kyle DeSantis, President of Drury Lane Theatre, announces today that the Broadway-bound production, BEACHES will replace DEATHTRAP from June 24 through August 16 during the 2015-2016 season. Presenting the first new work on the Drury Lane stage in 21 years, BEACHES signifies the theater's renewed dedication to develop new works.
The critically acclaimed production of Shakespeare in Love will begin rehearsals with a new cast on 8 December, taking over at the Noel Coward Theatre from 12 January 2015. The production, which has one of the biggest ever casts for a play in the West End, has twice extended its run due to popular demand and is now booking until April 2015.
Tony Award-winning Best Musical Billy Elliot: THE MUSICAL is out on Blu-ray in the UK today following the live worldwide presentation of the final West End performances being broadcast in movie theaters around the world.
Today, 19 November 2014, eleven year-old Brodie Donougher from Blackpool, gives his first performance in the title role of the internationally award winning Billy Elliot the Musical
Today, 19 November 2014, eleven year-old Brodie Donougher from Blackpool, gives his first performance in the title role of the internationally award winning Billy Elliot the Musical. Brodie joins a cast lead by Ruthie Henshall who plays Mrs Wilkinson, Billy's dance teacher and Deka Walmsley who plays Billy's dad, and becomes the thirty-ninth boy to perform the iconic role at the Victoria Palace Theatre and the seventy-sixth boy to perform the role worldwide, including Jamie Bell who played Billy Elliot in the award-winning film. Also joining the cast today will be 10 year old Connie Fisher from Northallerton, North Yorkshire, who will play Mrs Wilkinson's daughter Debbie. In addition 19 girls from London and surrounding counties aged 9 - 14 join the cast as Ballet Girls. Billy Elliot the Musical is currently booking at the Victoria Palace Theatre to 19 December 2015.
Today in 2008, Billy Elliot opened at the Imperial Theatre, where it ran for 1312 performances. Billy Elliot the Musical is a musical based on the 2000 film Billy Elliot. The music is by Elton John, and book and lyrics are by Lee Hall, who wrote the film's screenplay. The plot revolves around motherless Billy, who trades boxing gloves for ballet shoes. The story of his personal struggle and fulfillment are balanced against a counter-story of family and community strife caused by the UK miners' strike in County Durham, in North Eastern England. It won ten Tony Awards and ten Drama Desk Awards, including, in each case, best musical.
D.E.M. Productions presents Philip Ridley's critically acclaimed play in a bold new interpretation by director Max Barton. This new production of Piranha Heights follows the recent revival of Ridley's Ghost From A Perfect Place (Arcola, September 2014). Piranha Heights also launches Stewart Pringle's first season as artistic director at the iconic Old Red Lion Theatre.
Today we are talking to one of the most powerful directors on Broadway, in the West End and in Hollywood all about the breathtaking screen-to-stage-to-screen adaptation of his Tony Award- and Olivier Award-winning Best Musical BILLY ELLIOT: THE MUSICAL, coming to Fathom movie theaters nationwide this week, the affable and gifted Stephen Daldry. Discussing originally adapting the hit British indie alongside composer Elton John and screenwriter/lyricist Lee Hall into the worldwide sensation that the musical eventually became, Daldry reflects on how many iconic elements of the original production came to be as well as comments on the enduring impact of the musical since its debut more than 10 years ago. Additionally, Daldry sheds considerable light on how the Fathom filming of BILLY ELLIOT was designed to showcase the exceptional entertainment value of the enterprise and its incredible cast of actors, as well as overseeing the unforgettable finale staged especially for this special 10th anniversary performance, including an awe-inspiring dance sequence involving 26 actors who have notably essayed the title role over the course of the show's run on Broadway, in the West End and around the world since its debut. Additionally, Daldry also touches upon his other two recent Fathom Events seen in movie theaters worldwide, SKYLIGHT and THE AUDIENCE, both of which will also be arriving on Broadway later this season in new productions. Plus, Daldry comments for the very first time on the feature film adaptation of stage sensation WICKED and working with Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman on bringing it to the screen, as well as offers his thoughts on the importance of properties such as BILLY ELLIOT and WICKED targeting the youth demographic in general. All of that, his early career success directing Caryl Churchill's remarkably prescient and powerful A NUMBER and FAR AWAY as well as an update on his new Peter Morgan TV series collaboration created especially for Netflix titled THE CROWN and much, much more in this quick yet compelling chat with one of the industry's best!
Following the best-selling year in Drury Lane Theatre history, which resulted in 21 Joseph Jefferson Award nominations for excellence and featured the hit blockbuster LES MISERABLES, Kyle DeSantis, President of Drury Lane Theatre, has announced the 2015-2016 season that will include two Regional Premieres and two classic American musicals.
D.E.M. Productions presents Philip Ridley's critically acclaimed play in a bold new interpretation by director Max Barton. This new production of Piranha Heights follows the recent revival of Ridley's Ghost From A Perfect Place (Arcola, September 2014). Piranha Heights also launches Stewart Pringle's first season as artistic director at the iconic Old Red Lion Theatre.
Fathom Events brings top theater from London's iconic West End to the big screen with 'Billy Elliot the Musical Live' which will be screened in select U.S. cinemas for three showings only: November 12 at 7 p.m., November 15 at 12:55 p.m. and November 18 at 7 p.m., all local times. This unique performance was previously captured live when it was broadcast to eight countries from the show's West End home at the Victoria Palace Theatre, hitting number one at the UK box office. It has been dazzling audiences in London since it opened in 2005, and has gone on to captivate audiences across five continents, winning more than 80 theater awards globally including 10 Tony Awards®.
Adapted from the Academy-Award winning 1998 film, Shakespeare in Love tells the imaginary story of how a young William Shakespeare was inspired to write the greatest love story of all time, Romeo and Juliet. In addition to transporting audiences to Elizabethan London and the famous Rose Theatre, the story also brings to life real-life historic and literary figures including Queen Elizabeth, Christopher Marlowe, Richard Burbage and Edmund Tilney.
This weekend saw a record breaking twenty-five former and current Billy Elliots come together on stage in a specially choreographed mash-up finale of Billy Elliot the Musical. This unique performance was broadcast live to eight countries from the show's West End home at the Victoria Palace Theatre. All three original Billy Elliots - James Lomas, George Maguire and Liam Mower - took part in a spectacular finale as the broadcast, the widest ever cinema release of a live event, hit number one at the UK box office.
Gary Naylor sees his first Billy Elliot and marvels at a tremendous central performance while wondering if the show is just a little too manipulative for his tastes.
This weekend saw a record breaking twenty-five former and current Billy Elliots come together on stage in a specially choreographed mash-up finale of Billy Elliot the Musical. At a unique performance, broadcast live to eight countries from the show's West End home at the Victoria Palace Theatre, all three original Billy Elliots - James Lomas, George Maguire and Liam Mower - took part in the spectacular finale. Two special screenings of Billy Elliot the Musical Live also took place at the historic Easington Social Welfare Centre, formerly the Easington Colliery Miners' Institute, one of the settings for Billy's inspiring story.
Based on the 1987 film of the same name, Dirty Dancing tells the classic coming of age story documenting a teenage girl's relationship with a dance instructor whom she encountered during her family's summer vacation.
This week 11 year old Todd Bell from Whitehaven, Cumbria, joins the cast of Billy Elliot the Musical at the Victoria Palace Theatre to play Billy Elliot's best friend Michael, alternating the role with current Michaels Zach Atkinson (12 years old from Manchester) and Tomi Fry (11 years old from Swindon). Todd Bell will join the adult cast led by Ruthie Henshall (Mrs Wilkinson), Deka Walmsley (Dad), Chris Grahamson (Tony), Ann Emery (Grandma), Howard Crossley (George) and Barnaby Meredith (Older Billy) alongside current Billy Elliots Elliott Hanna (11 years old from Liverpool), Ollie Jochim (12 years old from Chelmsford, Essex Bradley Perret (12 years old from Juan les Pins, France) and Matteo Zecca (12 years old from Buckinghamshire) who alternate the title role.
Twenty-seven former and current Billy Elliots will unite on stage in a specially choreographed mash-up finale onSunday 28 September when Billy Elliot the Musical is broadcast live from the Victoria Palace Theatre to cinemas across the UK and around the world. All three original Billy Elliots - James Lomas, George Maguire and Liam Mower - will take part in the spectacular finale. In addition, as previously announced, Liam Mower will play the role of Older Billy at this performance.
The critically acclaimed production of Shakespeare in Love announced today that it has extended its booking period to 10 January 2015. The production is extending its run due to popular demand, releasing almost 76,000 extra tickets. Tickets will go on sale to the general public from 1 September.