As temperatures soar outside, things are also hotting up inside Manchester's Hope Mill Theatre as audiences enjoy sizzling performances on stage courtesy of the sultry new 5 star production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's classic Aspects of Love - one of the hottest tickets in town.
But the show, which tells the tale of the lives and loves of a group of family and friends in 1940's France and features the classic 'Love Changes Everything', must close on Thursday 9 August!
From Olivier Award nominees and West End regulars to young talent making their professional debuts - an exciting cast of 10 performers have brought the musical to life under the direction of Hope Mill Theatre favourite Jonathan O'Boyle.
The hotly-anticipated, intimate revival has lived up to hopes with critics and audiences alike declaring the show a 5 star 'must see' hit.
It is the third of five in-house musicals in 2018 from the successful and ambitious collaboration between Joseph Houston and William Whelton, co-founders of Hope Mill Theatre and producer Katy Lipson, from Aria Entertainment, resident producer and co-Artistic director of Hope Mill Theatre, and follows the hit revival of Spring Awakening, which played to standing ovations earlier this year.
Katy Lipson said: "We can't believe there are only a handful of performances left of our intimate revival of Aspects of Love. We have been overwhelmed with the critical responses, which all echo this is our most ambitious production to date. Come and join us in Manchester so you can say you saw it first!"
Aspects of Love is based on the novel by David Garnett, with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, lyrics by Don Black and Charles Hart and is directed by Jonathan O'Boyle (Hair, Pippin), and features the iconic song Love Changes Everything, which became a huge hit for Michael Ball, who starred in the original production in London and on Broadway. It tells the story of passion, love and loss across three generations of a family and their artistic companions, against a background of 1940's France and Italy.
Aspects of Love was first produced at the Prince of Wales Theatre in London on 17th April 1989, where it ran for 1,325 performances before finally closing in June 1992. Since then it has toured the UK and recent productions include the Menier Chocolate Factory (2010 and more recently in Holland (2013).
It has never been professionally produced regionally in the North West making the premiere of this production a landmark theatrical event in the region, and beyond, this summer.
Making up the cast is Kimberly Blake (Half a Sixpence, Barnum) who plays Giulietta, Jason Kajdi (Our House, Assassins), in the role of Hugo, Felix Mosse (The Rocky Horror Show) as Alex, Julia J Nagle (An American in Paris) as Elizabeth/ensemble, Minal Patel (The Secret Garden, Bend it Like Beckham) as Marcel, Jerome Pradon (Jesus Christ Superstar, Pacific Overtures - Olivier Award Nominee 2003) as George and Kelly Price (That Day We Sang, A Little Night Music - Olivier Award Nominee 2010) in the role of Rose. Making their professional debuts in the production are Rosie Cava-Beale, ensemble, Jack Churms, as Jerome/ensemble and Eleanor Walsh as Jenny/ensemble.
Director Jonathan O'Boyle's recent credits include Pippin (Hope Mill Theatre/ Southwark Playhouse), London, Hair (Hope Mill Theatre/The Vaults, London) and Resident Director of An American in Paris (Dominion Theatre, London)
The production has musical direction by Gareth Bretherton, set and costume design by Jason Denvir, choreography by Sam Spencer-Lane, Lighting design by Aaron J Dootson, sound design by Calum Robinson and casting by Jane Deitch.
Aspects of Love is produced by Katy Lipson of Aria Entertainment, William Whelton and Joseph Houston of Hope Mill Theatre. And co-produced with Neil Eckersley and Jim Kierstead.
Following Aspects of Love at Hope Mill Theatre is The Return of the Soldier that runs from Thursday 6 to Saturday 29 September.
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