Breaking News: Kerry Ellis to Return to 20th Anniversary Concert Tour of RENT

JP Productions today announced a third and final leg to the current UK tour of smash-hit Tony Award winning Broadway musical 'Rent'.

Celebrating 20 years since its first staged performance, West End leading lady and Broadway star Kerry Ellis will return to the role of 'Mimi' in this iconic concert version of the smash-hit musical.

The show last toured the UK in April this year, performing 10 dates to rave reviews. The show will tour again in November starring Natasha Hamilton and Rory Taylor, before its final run in January and February 2014 with Kerry Ellis.

Commenting on the show Kerry Ellis, who will be returning to the role of Mimi said: "I am thrilled to be returning to this production for its final dates. I had so much fun the first time round with this amazing cast and it's great to see that there is such demand for our show!"

Kerry Ellis: Kerry Ellis has fast become recognized as the First Lady of West End musicals from her starring roles in London and on Broadway, and has achieved chart-topping success as a recording artist signed to Universal Decca with her debut album Anthems. Kerry originated the role of Meat, in Queen's We Will Rock You and was the first British Elphaba in the West End smash, Wicked, for which Kerry won the 2008 Whatsonstage.com Award for 'Best Takeover in a Role'. She then immediately transferred to Broadway and played Elphaba at the Gershwin Theater for 6 months, where she one the Broadway.com Audience Award for Favourite Female Breakthrough Performance, before returning to

London for 6 months in 2009. Her many other leading role credits include Nancy in Oliver! at the London Palladium, Eliza Doolittle My Fair Lady, Ellen in Miss Saigon and Fantine in Les Miserables.

Kerry's first major CD release was the amazing Wicked in Rock, which is still flying high in the Dress Circle's bestseller list. Wicked in Rock was collaboration with long-time friend and Queen guitarist, Brian May. This led to her being signed to Universal as a solo recording artist and her debut album Anthems was released in 2010 on Decca Records. The success of the album, which reached No.15 in the UK album chart, and No.10 in the UK pop club charts (for Defying Gravity), led to a major tour Anthems: The Concert throughout 2011, which kicked off at the Royal Albert Hall.

Kerry headlined at the 2012 'Night of a 1000 voices' and has been performing her one woman show On The Edge which has been a huge success. Kerry has also recently been filming the Les Miserables feature film and headlining various festivals across the country. At the end of 2012 Kerry starred in the Arena tour of Jeff Wayne's War of the Worlds alongside Jason Donavan and Ricky Wilson of the Kaiser Chiefs.

In 2013, Kerry has performed as Mimi in the 20th Anniversary production of 'Rent' and has toured the UK and Europe with Brian May with their 'Born Free' tour.

RENT: Set in the East Village of New York City, RENT is about falling in love, finding your voice and living for today. Winner of the Tony Award for Best Musical and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, this musical has become a pop cultural phenomenon with songs that rock and a story that resonates with audiences of all ages. Based loosely on Puccini's La Boheme, the show follows a year in the life of a group of friends struggling to make it in the big city under the shadow of HIV/AIDS.

Rent includes songs Seasons of Love, Out Tonight, Without You, Will I and Finale B.

Previous cast members include Mel B, Denise Van Outen, Jesse Wallace, Idina Menzel and Adam Pascal. Rent last toured the UK in 2001 and was last in the West-End in 2007.

A film of the musical was released in 2005 starring original Broadway cast members Idina Menzel and Adam Pascal.

The shows composer Jonathan Larson died unexpectedly the morning of Rent's first Off-Broadway preview. Larson died of an aortic dissection believed to have been caused by undiagnosed Marfan syndrome.

The Broadway production closed on September 7, 2008 after a 12-year run of 5,124 performances, the ninth-longest-running Broadway show of all time. The production grossed over $280 million.

The full cast will be announced over the coming weeks.

TICKETS FOR THE FORTHCOMING JAN/FEB '14 TOUR GO ON SALE AT 10AM ON FRIDAY 12TH JULY 2013*

CONFIRMED UK TOUR DATES FOR JAN/FEB 2014

HACKNEY EMPIRE
Thursday 30th January to Sat 1st February
www.hackneyempire.co.uk
Box Office: 02089 852424

SOUTHAMPTON MAYFLOWER
Sunday 2nd February
www.mayflower.org.uk
Box Office: 02380 711811

ROYAL & DERNGATE, NORTHAMPTON
Monday 3rd February
www.royalandderngate.co.uk
Box Office: 01604 624811

WYCOMBE SWAN
Tuesday 4th February
www.wycombeswan.co.uk
Box Office: 01494 512000

DE MONTFORT HALL, LEICESTER
Wednesday 5th February
www.demontforthall.co.uk
Box Office: 0116 233 3111

G LIVE, GUILFORD
Friday 7th February
www.glive.co.uk
Box Office: 0844 7701 797

CORN EXCHANGE, CAMBRIDGE
Sunday 9th February
www.cornex.co.uk
Box Office: 01223 357851

ORCHARD THEATRE, DARTFORD
Monday 10th February
www.orchardtheatre.co.uk
Box Office: 01322 220000

SWANSEA GRAND
Tuesday 11th February
www.swanseagrand.co.uk
Box Office: 01792 475715

GRAND OPERA HOUSE, YORK
Wednesday 12th February
www.atgtickets.com/york
Box Office: 0844 871 3024

BOURNEMOUTH PAVILLION
Thursday 13th February
www.bic.co.uk
Box Office: 0844 576 3000

NEW ALEXANDRA THEATRE, BIRMINGHAM
Friday 14th February
www.atgtickets.com/birmingham
Box Office: 0844 871 3011

HIS MAJESTY'S THEATRE, ABERDEEN
Saturday 15th February
www.boxofficeaberdeen.com
Box Office: 0845 270 8200