Michael Linnit News

The epic musical love story CHESS starring Michael Ball as Anatoly, Alexandra Burke as Svetlana, Cedric Neal as The Arbiter, Tim Howar as Freddie, Cassidy Janson as Florence and Phillip Browne as Molokov opens tonight, Thursday 26 April 2018 (Press night on Tuesday 1 May 2018) for a strictly limited 5 week season. Check out a first look at the production in the photos below!

Chess is coming back to the West End for the first time since 1986, opening at the London Coliseum on Thursday 26 April 2018 (Press night on Tuesday 1 May 2018) for a strictly limited 5 week season. The show will come without one of its previously announced cast members, however. BroadwayWorld has just learned that Murray Head has withdrawn from the production. A show representative explained:

The first West End production of Chess since 1986 stars Michael Ball as Anatoly, Alexandra Burke as Svetlana, Murray Head as The Arbiter, Tim Howar as Freddie, Cassidy Janson as Florence and Philip Browne as Molokov. This epic musical love story will open at the London Coliseum on Thursday 26 April 2018 (Press night on Tuesday 1 May 2018) for a strictly limited 5 week season.

Lulu returns to the West End after 30 years to join the cast of 42nd Street, the dazzling and romantic homage to the world of musical theatre in the iconic role of 'Dorothy Brock' in this five star production.

Multiple sources have revealed a starry cast for the upcoming West End production of Chess at London's Coliseum. The cast is said to include Michael Ball (The Russian), Alexandra Burke (Svetlana), Murray Head (The Arbiter), Tim Howar (The American) and Cassidy Janson (Florence).

Multiple sources have revealed a starry cast for the upcoming West End production of Chess at London's Coliseum. The cast is said to include Michael Ball (The Russian), Alexandra Burke (Svetlana), Murray Head (The Arbiter), Tim Howar (The American) and Cassidy Janson (Florence).

CHESS, the epic musical love story set amid the tensions of a world championship chess match, will play at the London Coliseum for a strictly limited 5 week run from Thursday 26 April 2018.

Thousands of hopefuls turned out at Theatre Royal, Drury Lane on Monday morning (18th September) for open auditions to join the cast of 42nd STREET. Queues wrapped around the iconic London theatre as the spectacular production was inundated with a new generation of dancers wanting to join the classic Broadway show.

After touring to every corner of the world, The Simon & Garfunkel Story is now heading into London's West End from September 2017, playing at the Lyric Theatre for a special four-month season. Book tickets here from £25

The Drama League has announced the 2017 Drama League Awards Nominees for Outstanding Play, Outstanding Revival of a Play, Outstanding Musical, Outstanding Revival of a Musical, and the much-coveted Distinguished Performance Award. Scroll down for the full list of nominees!

Rodgers and Hammerstein's Carousel officially opened at the London Coliseum last night, 11 April 2017, and will continue its strictly limited five week run to 13 May 2017. Check out photos from opening night below!

The English National Opera (ENO) have been criticised in recent years for their staging of musicals. The last two years have seen the company-whose home is the London Coliseum-score huge success with their adaptations of Sweeney Todd and Sunset Boulevard (which starred Hollywood icon Glen Close) and in a recent interview with The Stage, Producer Michael Linnit claimed the ENO 'would not survive' were it not for the revenue generated by putting on more commercial musicals in the venue.

Rodgers and Hammerstein's Carousel continues at the London Coliseum, completing its strictly limited five week run on 13 May 2017.

Last night, musical 42ND STREET opened at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane in London's West End. The show received a royal seal of approval from Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, who was given a pair of golden tap shoes by the producers and writer/director Mark Bramble. The Duchess attended the show in her role as Royal Patron of East Anglia's Children's Hospices (EACH).

Former English National Opera Artistic Director John Berry has launched a new, not-for-profit company called Opera Ventures.  It will produce opera and mixed media performances, workshops, classes and training.

The cast for Rodgers and Hammerstein's Carousel, the third production in the partnership between The GradeLinnit Company and English National Opera (ENO), comprises Katherine Jenkins (Julie Jordan), Alfie Boe (Billy Bigelow), Nicholas Lyndhurst (Star Keeper), Derek Hagen (Jigger Craigin), Alex Young (Carrie Pipperidge), Brenda Edwards (Nettie Fowler), Gavin Spokes (Enoch Snow), Susan Kyd (Mrs Mullin), Amy Everett (Louise), Davide Fienauri (Carnival Boy) and Martyn Ellis (Mr Bascombe).

Nicholas Lyndhurst (Star Keeper) joins the previously announced Alfie Boe (Billy Bigelow) and Katherine Jenkins (Julie Jordan) in Rodgers and Hammerstein's Carousel, the third production in the partnership between The GradeLinnit Company and English National Opera (ENO).

Alfie Boe and Katherine Jenkins will star for the first time together in the West End as Billy Bigelow and Julie Jordan in Rodgers and Hammerstein's Carousel.

Sheena Easton - the Grammy Award winning artist who has sold over 20 million records around the world - is to make her West End debut in the forthcoming production of 42nd Street.

Pop singer, Sheena Easton, will make her West End debut in a revival of the classic musical 42nd Street. The singer will play the role of Dorothy Brock: the diva Broadway star who sustains an ankle injury just before opening night.