Cleo Laine will always be remembered for the consummate artist she was, for the range of her voice and the breadth of music she performed, and her abiding interest in musical education.
Tag Archives | A Little Night Music
A Little Night Music – Edinburgh Festival Fringe
A Little Night Music continues at the Assembly Rooms – Music Hall (alternating with Fountain of You) until 25 August 2024. Star rating: four stars ★ ★ ★ ★ Such a talented cast belies that this is a student production.
A Little Night Music – Leeds Playhouse
A Little Night Music continues at Leeds Playhouse until 16 July 2022. Star rating: five stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ What an extraordinarily generous composer Stephen Sondheim was. A little Night Music gives substantial singing roles to the young and the old, the aristocrat and the servant, the dolt and the susceptible. As the evening […]
Angela Lansbury to receive lifetime achievement award at the Tony Awards
Stage and screen legend Angela Lansbury will receive the 2022 Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre at the 75th Annual Tony Awards this month. Recognising a glittering career that spans 75 years, the London-born 96-year-old actress will be presented with her prestigious award during Broadway’s biggest night of the year at the […]
Leeds return for Playhouse and Opera North hit co-production of A Little Night Music
Leeds Playhouse and Opera North’s acclaimed production of Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler’s evocative A Little Night Music will play an encore run in Leeds this summer. Directed by the Playhouse’s artistic director James Brining, the director of Leeds Playhouse and Opera North’s celebrated 2016 production of Sondheim’s Into the Woods, A Little Night Music […]
Remembering Stephen Sondheim (1930-2021), The Ultimate Musical Man of Broadway
Stephen Sondheim rewrote the history of the Broadway musical in a career lasting over 60 years. Michael Darvell looks back, show by show, at the genius that was Stephen Sondheim. It is an unquestionable fact that Stephen Sondheim was responsible for taking the rather moribund genre of the Broadway musical and breathing new life into […]
Drag artist Divina De Campo to star in Hedwig and the Angry Inch at Leeds Playhouse
Divina De Campo will take centre stage in a major new production of the Tony Award-winning Hedwig and the Angry Inch as part of the Leeds Playhouse’s spring/summer 2022 season. The star of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK who made her musical theatre debut as Mary Sunshine in the current UK touring production of Chicago, will […]
CD Review: Sondheim Unplugged – Various Artists
SONDHEIM UNPLUGGED – Various Artists (Yellow Sound – YSL567353) Star rating: five stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ [This review was written before the death of Stephen Sondheim on 26 November 2021] With masterly musical direction and piano accompaniment by Joseph Goodrich we have a cornucopia of Sondheim. Not only the recognisable songs from the […]
‘There are giants in the sky’: The theatre community pays tribute to Stephen Sondheim
It feels pretty impossible to find the words to sum up the kind of influence composer Stephen Sondheim had on the world of musical theatre. There was of course the way he turned the genre on its head and made changes to form and content that had never been contemplated before. Then there was the […]
A Little Night Music – Leeds Playhouse
A Little Night Music continues at Leeds Playhouse until 17 July 2021. Star rating: five stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ For my first visit to Leeds Playhouse in many months I knew I was in safe hands with a joint production from the venue and Opera North, the ever reliable James Brining in the director’s chair. […]
Cast for Buxton Festival’s A Little Night Music
Stage and screen star Gabrielle Drake will play Madame Armfeldt in the Buxton International Festival’s summer production of A Little Night Music. As previously announced, the first musical to feature alongside the prestigious festival’s traditional opera and classical music concert programming will star award-winning actress Janie Dee (Follies, Carousel) as Desiree, a role the West […]
Music review: ’Send in The Clowns’ – Amanda McBroom
Golden Globe winning songwriter (The Rose), singer and actress Amanda McBroom marks the 91st birthday of composer Stephen Sondheim by releasing a single of ‘Send in the Clowns’. Star rating: five stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ It is 23 years since Amanda McBroom played Desiree Armfeldt in A Little Night Music at the Gold […]
A Little Night Music to be the Buxton International Festival’s first musical theatre production
The prestigious Buxton International Festival will feature a musical for the first time alongside its traditional opera and classical music concert programming. Presented by the Festival and Buxton Opera House, the new production of Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler’s evocative A Little Night Music will star award-winning actress Janie Dee (Follies, Carousel) as Desiree, a […]
Musical Theatre Review critics offer their Top 5 theatre picks from 2020
As each year draws to a close, Musical Theatre Review usually pulls together a round-up of all the productions covered that have received four and five star reviews. After such an extraordinary year, during which any production staged has been a triumph over adversity, such an approach seemed inappropriate. Instead, I asked a small group […]
A Little Night Music – Opera Holland Park
A Little Night Music was performed at Opera Holland Park, London. Star rating: five stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ What could possibly keep a dedicated Sondheimite away from an outdoor, summer evening production of A Little Night Music? A global pandemic? A very limited supply of tickets that sold out nearly instantly? An actual thunderstorm being […]
Janie Dee and Joanna Riding reunite for outdoor staging of A Little Night Music
Janie Dee and Joanna Riding will star in a special outdoor version of Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler’s evocative A Little Night Music in London. The pair who previously appeared together in the National Theatre’s hit production of Follies will reunite for the socially distanced concert performance in Holland Park on 15 August 2020. They […]
A Crossword of Sondheimian Rhyme
Stephen Sondheim is probably theatre’s greatest living lyricist. This is a compliment he may or may not be sick of reading, especially after last month’s deluge of well-deserved 90th birthday encomiums. Either way, as a (somewhat less-acclaimed) musical theatre maker myself I know there is something every proud lyricist could never tire of: people noticing […]
A tribute to Harold Prince – King of Broadway
The American theatre director and producer Harold Prince, celebrated for some of the most successful musical productions on Broadway and in the West End, recently died at the age of 91. For over 60 years he produced or directed many of the most original musicals in theatre history. Michael Darvell looks back at the life […]
Broadway marks the passing of the legendary Hal Prince
The lights on Broadway were dimmed last night in memory of Harold Prince, the multi award-winning director and producer who died at the age of 91 yesterday (31 July 2019) A true Broadway legend, Harold Prince wove his magic on the Great White Way for decades, working with many of the greats and winning 21 […]
Musical Theatre Review 2018 – Five-Star Show Round-Up
Musical Theatre Review reflects on another stunning and diverse year of theatre. Here is a round-up of five-star reviews from 2018 productions in the West End, on the London Fringe, in the regions and on tour (plus a sprinkling of Broadway openings too). With thanks to all our awesome contributors. JANUARY Six – Arts Theatre, London […]
A Little Night Music – Storyhouse Theatre, Chester
A Little Night Music continues in repertory at Storyhouse Theatre, Chester until 8 July 2018. Star rating: five stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Everything about Storyhouse’s production of A Little Night Music simply oozes style. Designer Jess Curtis tells us that she was inspired by, among other things, the work of Frank Lloyd Wright, and […]
Chester Storyhouse summer season to open with A Little Night Music
Stephen Sondheim’s haunting A Little Night Music will be the opening production of the 2018 summer season at Chester’s multi award-winning arts venue Storyhouse. The first of three pieces of home-produced work in the season, A Little Night Music will play the distinctive theatre within the former 1930s Odeon cinema building from 5 May until […]
Aled Jones joins Stiles and Drewe to celebrate Watermill 50th
George Stiles and Anthony Drewe will join forces with Aled Jones next Sunday (15 October) for a special event to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Watermill Theatre. The multi award-winning writing partners will return to the venue where they worked on productions including the Olivier Award-winning Honk! and Just So early in their career, in […]
Interview – Josefina Gabrielle on the pleasure of playing her latest Sondheim role in A Little Night Music
JOSEFINA GABRIELLE is playing Desiree Armfeldt in A Little Night Music, currently playing at the Watermill Theatre in Bagnor, near Newbury. Josefina is no stranger to Sondheim’s musical style – she has played Gussie Carnagie in Merrily We Roll Along (Menier Chocolate Factory) and Dot/Marie in Sunday in the Park With George (Leicester Haymarket). Her extensive musical theatre credits also […]
Tributes paid to opera and theatre director Lee Blakeley
The international theatre community has been paying tribute to British opera and theatre director Lee Blakeley who died suddenly at the weekend. Known for his work on successful Stephen Sondheim productions at Theatre du Chatelet in Paris, Blakeley directed the French premiere of Sondheim’s Sunday in the Park With George and an acclaimed production of […]
A Little Night Music – Watermill Theatre, Newbury
A Little Night Music continues at the Watermill Theatre, Bagnor, near Newbury, until 16 September. Star rating: five stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ This immaculate revival of surely one of the most perfect pieces of musical theatre ever written is worth going a long way to see. It is hard to believe Stephen Sondheim’s […]
Full cast for Watermill’s A Little Night Music
Full casting has been confirmed for the first actor/musician production of Stephen Sondheim’s haunting A Little Night Music at the Watermill Theatre this summer. Part of the Watermill’s 50th anniversary season and following on from the success of previous productions of Sondheim’s work at the intimate Berkshire venue, A Little Night Music will run from 27 […]
Dillie Keane – Richmond Theatre
Dillie Keane performed at Richmond Theatre. Star rating: five stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Life’s not fair, is it, and it’s almost a sin that someone with so many talents exists, but the wonderful Dillie Keane wore her genius lightly in two hours of pure bliss at Richmond at the end of a tour […]
Watermill Theatre to stage A Little Night Music
The first actor/musician production of Stephen Sondheim’s haunting A Little Night Music will be part of the Watermill Theatre’s 50th anniversary season. Following on from the success of previous Sondheim productions at the intimate Berkshire venue, A Little Night Music will run from 27 July until 16 September. Directed by Paul Foster, with award-winning Sarah […]
A Little Night Music at Ye Olde Rose and Crown Theatre – we chat to Sarah Waddell and Jamie Birkett
Actresses SARAH WADDELL and JAMIE BIRKETT are currently appearing in All Star Productions’ staging of Hugh Wheeler and Stephen Sondheim’s A Little Night Music at the Ye Olde Rose and Crown Theatre in Walthamstow, London until 31 October. The show reunites the creative team behind last year’s critically acclaimed staging of Into the Woods. Theatre credits for Sarah Waddell, who plays Desiree Armfeldt, include: Into the Woods (Ye Olde […]
A Little Night Music – Ye Olde Rose and Crown
A Little Night Music continues at Ye Olde Rose and Crown Theatre, London until 31 October. Star rating: five stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Every so often, a production of a classic show comes along that makes you think – why have I never seen it like this before? I’m a Sondheim [A Little Night Music’s […]
A Little Night Music at the Ye Olde Rose and Crown – cast revealed
The cast has been revealed for All Star Productions’ A Little Night Music at the Ye Olde Rose and Crown Theatre in Walthamstow, London from 6 to 31 October (press night is 9 October). The show reunites the creative team behind last year’s critically acclaimed staging of Into the Woods. The line-up is as follows: Sarah Waddell (Desiree Armfeldt), Alexander McMorran (Fredrik Egerman), Jamie […]
All Star Productions brings A Little Night Music to Ye Olde Rose and Crown Theatre
The creative team behind last year’s critically acclaimed All Star Productions of Into the Woods are reuniting to bring Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler’s A Little Night Music to Ye Olde Rose and Crown Theatre in Walthamstow, London from 6 to 31 October (press night is 9 October). Based on Ingmar Bergman’s comedy of manners, Smiles of a Summer Night, […]
A Little Night Music – Pitlochry Festival Theatre
A Little Night Music continues in rep at the Pitlochry Festival Theatre until 17 October 2015. Star rating: four stars ★ ★ ★ ★ Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler’s 1973 musical about bed-hopping Swedish socialites gets an impressive revival at the Pitlochry Festival Theatre – surely one of the most beautifully located theatres in the country. And situated […]
Our Time – KT Sullivan and Jeff Harnar Sing Sondheim – Crazy Coqs
Our Time: KT Sullivan and Jeff Harnar Sing Sondheim at the Crazy Coqs, London continues until 14 February. Star rating: 4 stars **** Put two of New York’s finest, most enduring cabaret performers in the best room in town, give them 20 of Stephen Sondheim’s cleverest songs to interpret, many with a new, gender-bending twist, and the result, as you might […]
A Little Night Music – Palace Theatre
A Little Night Music 40th anniversary concert at the Palace Theatre, London. Star rating: 4 stars **** This semi-staged one-off concert version of A Little Night Music, perhaps the richest of all Stephen Sondheim’s scores in a most attractive and amusing storyline, was always likely to please and it certainly didn’t disappoint. Given that producer Alex Parker had assembled musical theatre’s creme de […]
Janie Dee will perform in cabaret at London’s Kings Place
Olivier Award-winning musical theatre actress Janie Dee will present Wake Up With Janie Dee – a selection of cabaret songs and West End hits – on 8 February 2015, 11.30am, at Kings Place in London’s King’s Cross as part of Lucy Parham’s Word/Play coffee concert series (kingsplace.co.uk). Lucy Parham is regarded as one of Britain’s finest pianists. Dee is returning by […]
