Judi Dench, Paul McCartney, Whoopi Goldberg and Steve Martin are among a glittering group of stars who have joined a host of West End favourites in a very special musical video tribute to servicemen and women around the world.
Aimed at raising funds for UK charity Help The Heroes, The Hero – A West End & Friends Tribute features the kind of A-list line-up usually reserved for the most prestigious red-carpet event.
Released this weekend the star-packed packed video features contributions from star names including: Dan Brown, Jack Black, Henry Cavill, Bryan Cranston, Kelsey Grammer, David Jason, Brian May and William Shatner.
Nearly a year in the making, the labour of love for husband and wife writing team Daniel and Laura Curtis, started life in the valleys of South Wales. The couple had intended to enlist a few friends from London’s West End to help them produce the song they had written in honouring the service and bravery of the Armed Forces.
As word of the project spread more and more performers contacted the couple eager to get involved and the project developed into a truly star-studded fundraiser.
Revealing details of the video, Laura Curtis said: “In between writing new musicals or cabaret for Broadway and West End performers we try and raise money for good causes.
“We were in Florida during the Invictus Games in 2016 and we met some true heroes and their amazing families who were staying at the same hotel as us. We decided then and there we wanted to do something but it took us a little bit of planning before we came up with the idea of writing this song.”
Daniel Curtis added: “It became quickly clear that this project was bigger than our previous ones, people really engaged with the song, which is about a female recruit and her journey.
“Soon we had artists from Broadway signing on, we even had to change the name from A West End Tribute, to A West End and Friends Tribute. Then, when some of the biggest names in Hollywood came on board to record spoken contributions, it was clear to us that so many people shared our vision to make a fitting theatrical tribute for these heroes.”
The full list of those providing spoken contributions to the video: Paul Bettany; Jack Black; Dan Brown; Simon Callow; Craig Cash; Henry Cavill; Bryan Cranston; Dame Judi Dench; Stephen Fry; Josh Gad; Whoopi Goldberg; Kelsey Grammer; Richard E. Grant; Kerry Howard; Jeremy Irons; Sir David Jason; Carole King; Steve Martin; Brian May; Sir Paul McCartney; Kevin McKidd; Alan Menken; Piers Morgan; Matthew Morrison; Wendi Peters; Sir Tony Robinson; Jonathan Ross; William Shatner; David Suchet; Zoë Wanamaker; Levison Wood.
West End and Broadway performers included on the video include: Stephen Ashfield (The Book of Mormon Broadway); Sam Bailey (Chicago); David Bedella (Rocky Horror Show); Norman Bowman (42nd Street West End); Christina Bianco (Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat); Alan Burkitt (Kiss Me, Kate West End); Sophia Anne Caruso (NBC Sound Of Music Live!); Rodney Earl Clarke (On The Town West End); Collabro (Britain’s Got Talent winners); Maria Coyne (Wicked West End); Louise Dearman (Wicked West End); Killian Donnelly (Les Misérables West End); Samantha Dorsey (Les Misérables West End); Kerry Ellis (Wicked West End); Alice Fearn (Wicked West End); Ben Forster (Phantom of the Opera West End); Emma Hatton (Wicked West End); Kara Lily-Hayworth (Cilla UK tour); Matt Henry (Kinky Boots West End); Rob Houchen (Les Misérables West End); James Monroe Iglehart (Hamilton Broadway); Charlotte Jaconelli (Heathers The Musical West End), Emma Kingston (Evita international tour); Luke McCall (Phantom of the Opera West End); Jai McDowall (Britain’s Got Talent winner); Nadim Naaman (Phantom of the Opera West End); Trevor Dion Nicholas (Aladdin West End and Broadway); Siân Phillips (Cabaret West End); Laura Pitt-Pulford (Seven Brides For Seven Brothers West End); Joe Aaron Reid (Dreamgirls West End); David Ribi (Dreamboats and Petticoats West End); Oliver Savile (Wicked West End); Cleve September (Hamilton West End); Charlie Stemp (Hello, Dolly! Broadway); Savannah Stevenson (Wicked West End); Marisha Wallace (Dreamgirls West End); Emma Williams (Mrs Henderson Presents West End); Michael Xavier (Sunset Boulevard Broadway).
Filmed only with mobile devices and their own basic camera, the video which is now available to watch online includes a link to a Just Giving Page for Help For Heroes.
All proceeds from the digital sales of the single will be donated to Help For Heroes. The songwriters are also appealing to people overseas who view the video to donate to their local armed forces’ charities.
Angela Thomas
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