Hannah Waddingham to Lead SONDHEIM: WOMEN Concert on September 28

West End Musical Theatre legend Hannah Waddingham (three times Olivier Award nominated star of Spamalot, Kiss Me Kate and A Little Night Music, WhatsOnStage Award winner for The Wizard of Oz) headlines KiwiFruits Productions 'SONDHEIM: Women' returning to The St James Theatre for an exclusive second concert on the 28th September 2013.

Hannah leads a cast of eight West End Leading Ladies in this glamorous tribute to Broadway composer and lyricist Stephen Sondheim, celebrating over five decades of great anthems with songs from musicals including: A Little Night Music, Sweeney Todd, Company, Gypsy, Follies, Into The Woods and more...

Throughout her career, Hannah has had the opportunity to portray a long line of powerful, assured women of the musical stage, from the gloriously fiery Kate in Kiss Me Kate, to the Divine Diva herself, the Lady of the Lake in Spamalot and not one but two iconic witches, the emerald-green Wicked Witch of the West in The Wizard Of Oz and of course her unforgettable turn as The Witch from Sondheim's own Into The Woods. However, it was her Olivier-nominated portrayal of another Sondheim woman, Desiree Armfeldt in A Little Night Music that led to her being told by Stephen Sondheim himself: "Sorry my dear, I couldn't help adding my own accompaniment to your rendition of Send in the Clowns. You made me sniffle like a little boy!"

Hannah adds that: "(this) has to be my greatest critique of my career, and with that in mind, I couldn't be more honoured to take part in this glorious celebration. Sondheim informs us, more than any other composer, about the joys, passion and pain of being a woman living in various social conditions through the ages with frightening accuracy. Playing a variety of his characters has always made me feel like I'm having a free therapy session through his words and music!"

Featuring a live band led by acclaimed pianist Terence Penk, and directed by Johnathan Peter, 'SONDHEIM: Women' is guaranteed to be an unforgettable night of outstanding musical theatre performance by some of the greatest female voices of the West End stage.

Hannah most recently starred in A Little Hotel On The Side at the Theatre Royal, Bath after a hugely successful run as the lead in Trevor Nunn's production of Kiss Me Kate at The Old Vic Theatre and Chichester Festival Theatre (Olivier Award nomination and Whatsonstage Award nomination for Best Actress in a Musical).

Other theatre credits include; The Wicked Witch of the West/Miss Gulch in The Wizard of Oz (London Palladium. 2012 Whatsonstage Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Musical), The Witch in Into the Woods (Open Air Theatre Regent's Park. Whatsonstage Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Musical nomination), Desiree in A Little Night Music (Garrick Theatre, West End and Menier Chocolate Factory. Olivier Award and Whatsonstage Award for Best Actress in a Musical nominations), The Lady of the Lake in Spamalot (Shubert Theatre Broadway and Palace Theatre, West End. Olivier Award and Whatsonstage Award for Best Actress in a Musical nominations and Broadway.com Award for Best Newcomer on Broadway 2008), Fay Hubbard in A Chorus of Disapproval (Clwyd Theatr Cymru), Rose in The Likes of Us (Andrew Lloyd Webber Sydmonton Festival) Satan in Tonight's the Night and Rizzo in Grease (Victoria Palace Theatre), Christine Warner in The Beautiful Game (Cambridge Theatre. Critics' Circle Award nomination), Suzanne Valadon in Lautrec (Shaftesbury Theatre. Awards for Best Actress in a Musical and Best Newcomer), Shimmy Girl in Smokey Joe's Café (UK tour), Chesty Prospects in Saucy Jack and the Space Vixens (Queen's Theatre), Inez in In Camera and Hecuba in The Trojan Women.

International concert work includes; Paris, Barcelona, Hong Kong, Barbados, New York and Scandinavia. Television includes; Not Going Out, My Family, Miss Marple - The Mirror Crack'd, MI High, Doctors, Bewitched, My Hero, William and Mary, The Only Boy for Me, Easy Peasy, Brookside and Coupling. Films include; LES MISERABLES and How to Lose Friends and Alienate People. Radio includes; most recently Friday Night is Music Night, Sacred Hearts and Number 10. Original cast recordings include; The Wizard of Oz, Soho Cinders, Tonight's the Night and The Beautiful Game (including the single Our Kind of Love). Hannah is a patron of LIPA, The London Gay Men's Chorus and the Macmillan Cancer Trust. Hannah will next be seen as part of the new family on ITV's Benidorm.

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