WhatsOnStage Awards will feature performances from Pixie Lott and Jenna Russell

Pixie Lott will perform during the WhatsOnStage Awards concert. Pictures: Roy Tan

WhatsOnStage has revealed that Pixie Lott, soon to be seen on stage in Breakfast at Tiffany’s, will perform ‘Moon River’ at the 16th annual WhatsOnStage Awards concert on 21 February at the Prince of Wales Theatre. There will also be performances from hosts Mel Giedroyc and Steve Furst, who will kick off the show with an original song ‘The Greatest Show of All’, Jenna Russell with a number from musical Grey Gardens which has ben recently staged at Southwark Playhouse, a duet from Mrs Henderson Presents stars Emma Williams and Tracie Bennett, and there will also be performances from Alison Jiear (Xanadu, Britain’s Got Talent), Amelia Lily (American Idiot, The X Factor), and Alexis Gerred (American Idiot).

Matt Henry closes the show with a rendition of ‘Hold Me in Your Heart’ from Kinky Boots, which leads this year’s shortlist with nine nominations alongside In the Heights and Benedict Cumberbatch’s Hamlet, closely followed by Gypsy with eight nominations.

A number of high profile actors dominate the Best Actor and Actress categories. Bradley Cooper (The

Elephant Man), James McAvoy (The Ruling Class), Benedict Cumberbatch (Hamlet), Alex

Hassell (Henry V) and Mark Rylance (Farinelli and the King) compete for Best Actor in a Play; while the best Actress in a Play category sees nominations for Nicole Kidman (Photograph 51), Rosalie Craig (As You Like It), Denise Gough (People, Places and Things), Harriet Walter (Death of a Salesman) and Lia Williams (Oresteia).

Presented by Mel Giedroyc and Steve Furst, the 16th Annual WhatsOnStage Awards concert is directed by Russell Labey with musical supervision by Alex Parker, choreography by Nick Winston, lighting design by Derek Anderson, sound design by Dan Samson and production management by Chris Fisher. The concert is produced by Stuart Piper and Jason Haigh-Ellery with general management by Cole Kitchenn.

The 16th Annual WhatsOnStage Awards will be held in aid of adopted charity The Kevin Spacey Foundation (www.kevinspaceyfoundation.org).

www.whatsonstage.com

THE 16TH ANNUAL WHATSONSTAGE AWARDS NOMINEES IN FULL:

Best Actor in a Play sponsored by Radisson Blu Edwardian:

·         Benedict Cumberbatch, Hamlet

·         James McAvoy, The Ruling Class

·         Bradley Cooper, The Elephant Man

·         Mark Rylance, Farinelli and the King

·         Alex Hassell, Henry V

Best Actress in a Play:

·         Nicole Kidman, Photograph 51

·         Denise Gough, People, Places and Things

·         Lia Williams, Oresteia

·         Rosalie Craig, As You Like It

·         Harriet Walter, Death of a Salesman

Best Actor in a Musical:

·         Killian Donnelly, Kinky Boots

·         Michael Ball, Mack & Mabel

·         Matt Henry, Kinky Boots

·         Sam Mackay, In The Heights

·         Ben Forster, Elf the Musical

Best Actress in a Musical sponsored by STAR:

·         Imelda Staunton, Gypsy

·         Beverley Knight, Cats

·         Kimberley Walsh, Elf the Musical

·         Lily Frazer, In The Heights

·         Katie Brayben, Beautiful

Best Supporting Actor in a Play:

·         Ciaran Hinds, Hamlet

·         Mark Gatiss, Three Days in the Country

·         Bertie Carvel, Bakkhai

·         Johnny Flynn, Hangmen

·         Kobna Holdbrook-Smith, Hamlet

Best Supporting Actress in a Play:

·         Sian Brooke, Hamlet

·         Anastasia Hille, Hamlet

·         Imogen Doel, The Importance of Being Earnest

·         Patsy Ferran, As You Like It

·         Judi Dench, The Winter’s Tale

Best Supporting Actor in a Musical:

·         Lucas Rush, American Idiot

·         Alexis Gerred, American Idiot

·         David Bedella, In The Heights

·         Jack Edwards, Mack & Mabel

·         Peter Davison, Gypsy

Best Supporting Actress in a Musical:

·         Lara Pulver, Gypsy

·         Jennie Dale, Elf the Musical

·         Amy Lennox, Kinky Boots

·         Lauren Samuels, Bend It Like Beckham

·         Victoria Hamilton-Barritt, In The Heights

Best New Play:

·         Hangmen

·         Oppenheimer

·         Photograph 51

·         People, Places and Things

·         Farinelli and the King

Best New Musical sponsored by Autograph:

·         Kinky Boots

·         Bend It Like Beckham

·         Elf the Musical

·         Beautiful

·         In The Heights

Best Play Revival:

·         Hamlet

·         The Importance of Being Earnest

·         The Ruling Class

·         Death of a Salesman

·         Oresteia

Best Musical Revival sponsored by R&H Theatricals Europe:

·         Gypsy

·         Cats

·         High Society

·         Mack & Mabel

·         American Idiot

Best Direction sponsored by Managed Networks:

·         Hamlet, Lyndsey Turner

·         In The Heights, Luke Sheppard

·         American Idiot, Racky Plews

·         Kinky Boots, Jerry Mitchell

·         Gypsy, Jonathan Kent

Best Choreography sponsored by Capezio:

·         Kinky Boots, Jerry Mitchell

·         In The Heights, Drew McOnie

·         High Society, Nathan M Wright

·         Gypsy, Stephen Mear

·         American Idiot,  Racky Plews

Best Set Design sponsored by Feast Creative:

·         Hamlet, Es Devlin 

·         American Idiot, Sara Perks

·         Kinky Boots,  David Rockwell

·         In The Heights, Takis

·         Gypsy, Anthony Ward

Best Lighting Design sponsored by White Light:

·         Hamlet, Jane Cox

·         In The Heights, Howard Hudson

·         American Idiot, Tim Deiling 

·         Kinky Boots, Kenneth Posner

·         Gypsy, Mark Henderson

Best Off-West End Production:

·         Shock Treatment, King’s Head Theatre

·         Carrie, Southwark Playhouse

·         You Won’t Succeed on Broadway If You Don’t Have Any Jews, St James Theatre

·         Grand Hotel, Southwark Playhouse

·         Assassins, The Menier Chocolate Factory

Best Regional Production sponsored by Travelzoo:

·         Mack & Mabel, Chichester Festival Theatre and tour

·         Mary Poppins, tour

·         Anything Goes, Sheffield Crucible and tour

·         Hairspray, tour

·         Henry V, RSC

Best West End Show:

·         Wicked

·         Les Misérables

·         Kinky Boots

·         Miss Saigon

·         Matilda