Chess – 2025 Broadway Cast Recording (Ghostlight Records). Star rating: four stars ★ ★ ★ ★ This latest version more than delivers on polish and modernisation.
Tag Archives | Michael Mayer
Lea Michele to play Fanny Brice on Broadway
Glee’s Lea Michele will finally get the chance to play her dream role on Broadway when the actress steps into the role of Fanny Brice in the current revival of Funny Girl in September. In a case of life imitating art, the actress whose Glee character Rachel Berry ended the hit high school-set show in […]
Ramin Karimloo, Jane Lynch and Jared Grimes to join Beanie Feldstein in the first Broadway revival of Funny Girl
Producers Sonia Friedman, Scott Landis and David Babani have announced that Golden Globe Award nominee Beanie Feldstein (American Crime Story: Impeachment; Hello, Dolly!) will be joined by Tony and Olivier Award nominee Ramin Karimloo (Les Misérables, Anastasia) as Nick Arnstein, five-time Emmy Award winner Jane Lynch (Glee, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel) as Mrs. Rosie Brice […]
‘Brilliantly captures Sheridan Smith in full bloom’: Funny Girl – the movie of the stage musical
Funny Girl – the movie of the stage musical premiered at cinemas nationwide on 24 October 2018. ‘Great’ is a vastly overused word but Sheridan Smith’s Fanny Brice in Funny Girl is indisputably one of the great performances on the British stage and is well worthy of preserving on film for posterity. It rivals Imelda […]
Cast for tenth anniversary tour of American Idiot
Waterloo Road star Tom Milner will be joined by two former X Factor finalists who will make their stage debuts in the cast of Green Day’s American Idiot when the award-winning rock musical returns to the UK in 2019 for a special anniversary tour. Milner whose stage credits include Soho Cinders (Soho Theatre) and Waterbabies […]
Head Over Heels – Hudson Theatre, New York
Head Over Heels continues at the Hudson Theatre, New York. Star rating: three stars ★ ★ ★ ✩ ✩ A lot of theatrical smarts are on view in Head Over Heels, but this new jukebox Broadway musical also has a tendency to wallow in some low-grade smirking, even as it offers a celebration of love in general, […]
Broadway season preview: Kong, Cher, a Prom and a Pretty Woman
Though in absentia, two gigantic personalities tower over the upcoming fall Broadway musical season: King Kong and Cher, writes Ron Cohen. After much huffing and puffing, King Kong, the musical featuring a 20-foot tall puppet as the mighty Kong, will finally make it to the Great White Way with previews starting 5 October 2018 for […]
American Idiot back in 2019 to celebrate double anniversary
Green Day’s award-winning rock musical American Idiot will return to the UK in 2019 for a special anniversary tour which will mark 10 years since the show debuted in the US and 15 years since the release of the Grammy award-winning album which inspired it. The UK touring production will re-launch at Dunstable’s Grove Theatre […]
God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater – New York City Center
God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater, an Encores! Off-Center production at New York City Center, continues until 30 July. Star rating: four stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater is hardly a well-known title in the musical theatre canon, but it turns out to be a terrifically entertaining gem that’s spookily relevant […]
American Idiot – Arts Theatre
American Idiot continues at the Arts Theatre, London until 25 September. Star rating: four stars ★ ★ ★ ★ America’s days of anarchy following the tragic events of 9/11 may seem long ago. A snapshot of history when torn fishnet tights and gel-sodden, gravity-defying hair became a trend for young Americans – a generation feeling as if they […]
Funny Girl to tour UK next year
Michael Mayer’s critically acclaimed re-working of Funny Girl is to embark on a national tour early next year. The record-breaking Menier Chocolate Factory production is currently playing to packed houses at the Savoy Theatre. The touring production will begin at the Manchester Palace Theatre (20-25 February) and will then play Milton Keynes Theatre (28 February-4 […]
Funny Girl at the Savoy Theatre – booking extended for further four weeks
Due to unprecedented demand, the critically acclaimed production of Funny Girl, which is fast selling out its run, has extended booking for a further four weeks at the Savoy Theatre until 8 October 2016. Tickets for the extension of Michael Mayer’s production starring Olivier and BAFTA award-winning actress and Sheridan Smith as Fanny Brice go on sale from 10am on […]
Funny Girl – Menier Chocolate Factory
Funny Girl continues at the Menier Chocolate Factory, London until 5 March, then transfers to the Savoy Theatre from 9 April to 10 September. Star rating: four stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ✩ It’s nigh on half a century since Barbra Streisand brought Funny Girl over from Broadway and I forked out a precious two pounds […]
Funny Girl extends run at the Savoy Theatre until 10 September
Following a critically acclaimed opening at the Menier Chocolate Factory this week, the hit production of Funny Girl has extended its booking period at the Savoy Theatre due to popular demand. Michael Mayer’s production will now run from 9 April until 10 September 2016 – marking the musical’s 50th anniversary year. Tickets for the extended booking period production starring Olivier and BAFTA award-winning actress […]
Menier Funny Girl starring Sheridan Smith already set for West End transfer
Due to unprecedented demand the Menier Chocolate Factory production of Funny Girl transfers to the Savoy Theatre in London’s West End, following the sold out run at the Menier Chocolate Factory which begins later this month. Michael Mayer’s production, starring Olivier and BAFTA award-winning actress Sheridan Smith as Fanny Brice and with the cast from the Menier Chocolate Factory, will begin performances […]
American Idiot starring Amelia Lily to tour following West End run
Green Day’s Tony Award–winning Broadway musical American Idiot will now embark on a national tour from 19 March 2016, following on from its successful West End run, which is currently running at the Arts Theatre, Leicester Square until 22 November 2015. American Idiot will begin its UK tour from 19 March 2016, commencing at the Curve Theatre, Leicester, directed and […]
Full casting for Funny Girl – Darius Campbell joins Sheridan Smith
The Menier Chocolate Factory has revealed full casting for its production of Funny Girl. Joining Sheridan Smith as Fanny Brice are Valda Aviks (Mrs O’Malley), Natasha J Barnes (Emma/Mrs Meeker), Darius Campbell (Nick), Marilyn Cutts (Mrs Brice), Maurice Lane (Mr Keeney), Bruce Montague (Ziegfeld), Joel Montague (Eddie), Gay Soper (Mrs Strakosh); with Emma Caffrey, Matthew Croke, Joelle Dyson, Rebecca Fennelly, Luke Fetherston, Leah Harris, Kelly Homewood, Sammy Kelly and Stuart Ramsay completing the ensemble. The multi award-winning Michael Mayer directs the production, which opens on 2 December, with previews from […]
Harvey Fierstein brought in to rework Funny Girl at the Menier
One of Broadway’s biggest and busiest names, the inimitable Harvey Fierstein, is being lined up to take on the task of turning the classic Funny Girl into a musical fit for its new leading lady, Sheridan Smith. According to the Daily Mail’s Baz Bamigboye, Fierstein, who’s already celebrating both the West End success of Kinky […]
Sheridan Smith Funny Girl at the Menier breaks box office records
The Menier Chocolate Factory revival of Funny Girl, starring Sheridan Smith, has broken box office records, becoming the theatre’s fastest-selling production. Having gone on sale to the public today, all performances were sold out by 10.30am. The production, directed by the multi award-winning Michael Mayer, opens on 2 December, with previews from 20 November, and runs until 5 March 2016. […]
Confirmed – Sheridan Smith leads Funny Girl at the Menier in December
The Menier Chocolate Factory today announced that actress Sheridan Smith returns to the theatre to play Fanny Brice in a major new revival of Funny Girl. The multi award-winning Michael Mayer directs the production, which opens on 2 December, with previews from 20 November, and runs until 5 March 2016. Funny Girl returns to the […]
American Idiot West End premiere – Amelia Lily stars
Former X Factor contestant Amelia Lily (playing Whatshername) will star in Green Day’s award-winning Broadway musical American Idiot, as it arrives in the UK for its West End premiere from 17 July at the Arts Theatre. Running until 27 September 2015, with press night on 22 July, American Idiot – The Musical features the music […]
Preview – Tony winners aplenty in Off-Broadway season
Ron Cohen previews an Off-Broadway season packed with Broadway names. As is its custom, Off-Broadway is moving into the New Year with an eclectic array of musical offerings, packed with both revivals and new creations. Some boast prestigious names – including a batch of Tony winners from Broadway – and some are quite curious indeed. Here are some highlights […]
