JemmThree to Present SCROOGE, A CHRISTMAS CAROL & More Next Week

JemmThree, the UK's first 24/7 radio station dedicated to musical theatre, is having a Musical Theatre Christmas by raising the curtain on nine musicals, with many narrated by the shows' own writing teams.

Every day from Christmas Eve until New Year's Day, JemmThree will broadcast a musical in its entirety at 7pm. The majority of these shows have a festive theme and have been created by established and up and coming composers including Alan Menken, Stiles and Drewe, Leslie Bricusse, Chris Burgess and Paul Boyd. The composers featured have won numerous awards including Oscars, Golden Globes, Tony and Olivier Awards.

Leading British musical theatre record labels JAY Records and SimG Records have worked alongside JemmThree to offer seven of the nine shows being featured with British composers Laurence Mark Wythe and Charles Miller providing the remaining two shows.

JemmThree's Musical Theatre Christmas begins on Christmas Eve with the Leslie Bricusse musical Scrooge, with Anthony Newley as the eponymous lead. It's followed on Christmas Day by the Alan Menken and Lynn Ahrens adaptation of A Christmas Carol, with an all-star cast including Kelsey Grammer, Jane Krakowski and Jennifer Love Hewitt.

British writing team George Stiles and Anthony Drewe are featured twice in JemmThree's Musical Theatre Christmas with Soho Cinders, their contemporary twist on the classic Cinderella story, and The Three Little Pigs, their latest family musical. Stiles will narrate Soho Cinders while Drewe will be the narrator for The Three Little Pigs.

Contemporary musicals Sleeping Arrangements, by Chris Burgess (based on the novel by Sophie Kinsella), and When Midnight Strikes, by Charles Miller and Kevin Hammonds, both had recent productions in London, receiving excellent reviews, while That Time of the Year, a musical revue conceived by Laurence Holzman & Felicia Needleman, is having its UK premier on JemmThree.

Bringing the curtain down on JemmThree's Musical Theatre Christmas is Molly Wobbly's Tit Factory. This titillating tale by Paul Boyd was due to be performed at the Hackney Empire in September 2013 but was unexpectedly cancelled at the last minute. Its broadcast on New Year's Day will finally introduce this satirical show to a wider audience.

Alongside this bespoke programming, JemmThree will also broadcast over 150 seasonal show tunes, the majority of which are making their JemmThree debuts this December, from shows such as Elf - The Musical, A Christmas Story, Songs For A New World, Christmas in New York, Mame, Annie, White Christmas and many more.

Stephen Beeny, head of music at JemmThree said: "Musical films like The Wizard of Oz and The Sound of Music have always played an important role in Christmas celebrations. We're building on that tradition with JemmThree's Musical Theatre Christmas and I'm proud to launch our first season with such a strong line-up of shows, featuring a mix of classic and contemporary musicals to touch the heart and raise the spirits.

"It's been a real pleasure to work with the very best British musical theatre record companies and composers to achieve this. I'm very excited to be able to bring these exciting shows, in their entirety, to a wider audience on JemmThree. Make sure you have yourself a JemmThree Musical Theatre Christmas."

Simon Greiff from SimG Records said: "SimG Records are thrilled to be included in JemmThree's exciting inaugural 'Christmas Feature'. SimG has fast become the UKs leading independent record label supporting new British writers, and having JemmThree's support and encouragement will only help bring original, fresh musical theatre to a fervent and eager new audience."

JAY Records president John Yap said: "As one of the most respected record labels in the genre of show music, it's been a pleasure to work with JemmThree on their Musical Theatre Christmas. Everyone loves a good show tune over the festive season and we're pleased and excited to introduce some familiar and less well known musical theatre recordings from the JAY catalogue to their listeners.

The shows featured in the JemmThree's Musical Theatre Christmas can be viewed in full below.

JemmThree launched on the 29 May 2013 and is the UK's first internet musical theatre radio station dedicated to stage and screen musicals, with a focus on contemporary shows. Presenters include actor and director Tim McArthur, award winning producer Robin Crowley and actress and LBC 97.3 presenter Brooke Burfitt.

You can listen to JemmThree via www.jemmthree.com or by downloading the JemmRadio or Tune In app.

JemmThree's Musical Theatre Christmas schedule:

Christmas Eve, 7pm - SCROOGE
By Leslie Bricusse, with narration by JemmThree breakfast presenter Robin Crowley
Originally written for the screen, Leslie Bricusse adapted his screenplay, music and lyrics for this stage version. The heart-warming story of how the miserly Scrooge was shown the error of his ways by his deceased partner Jacob Marley, and the three Christmas ghosts who persuade him to turn over a new leaf, is brilliantly supplemented by this wonderful score.

Christmas Day, 7pm - A CHRISTMAS CAROL
By Alan Menken and Lynn Ahrens, with narration by JemmThree afternoon presenter Stephen Beeny
A musical is based on Charles Dickens' 1843 novella of the same name. The show was presented annually at the Paramount Theatre in Madison Square Garden from 1 December, 1994 to 27 December, 2003. The version we are playing is the all-star cast from the 2004 television film with Kelsey Grammer, Jason Alexander, Jesse L Martin, Jane Krakowski, Geraldine Chaplin and Jennifer Love Hewitt.

Boxing Day, 7pm - THE LOST CHRISTMAS
By Laurence Mark Wythe, with narration by Laurence Mark Wythe
A festive family musical that was most recently seen in London at the Waterloo East Theatre in 2011. It has also been staged by youth groups including Maidstone Youth Theatre at the Hazlitt Arts Centre. The story is about the true meaning of the Christmas spirit and is suitable for all the family with fun, catchy songs, an intriguing plot and great, funny characters including time travelling robots from the future and of course Santa Claus himself! The Lost Christmas appears courtesy of Perfect Pitch Musicals Ltd.

Friday 27 December, 7pm - SOHO CINDERS
By George Stiles & Anthony Drewe, with narration by George Stiles
Cinderella re-imagined - a modern musical fable with a story centred around the complications of love, with a catchy contemporary new score. In aid of Teenage Cancer Trust, this one-night-only concert was recorded live at the Queen's Theatre London on Sunday 9 October 2011 and featured an all-star West End cast including David Bedella, Clive Carter, Sharon D Clarke, Amy Lennox, Beverly Rudd, Jos Slovick, Hannah Waddingham, Michael Xavier and Sandi Toksvig.

Saturday 28 December, 7pm - THAT TIME OF THE YEAR
Concept and lyrics by Laurence Holzman & Felicia Needleman
A musical revue of 25 all-original Christmas, Hanukkah, and New Year's songs. Running the musical gamut from show tunes to rock, blues and jazz, the songs range from funny numbers highlighting the joys and anxieties of the holiday season to beautiful, touching ballads about the meaning behind the holidays.

Sunday 29 December, 7pm - THE THREE LITTLE PIGS
By George Stiles & Anthony Drewe, with narration by Anthony Drewe
A family-friendly 'very curly musical tail' based on the universally famous fairy tale performed by a stellar West End cast including Alison Jiear as the Piglets' put-upon Mother who is "too old and too tough to eat", Olivier Award winner Clive Rowe as The Big, Bad but Misunderstood? Wolf, and Gareth Gates, Amy Lennox and Lewis Barnshaw as the three pigs.

Monday 30 December - SLEEPING ARRANGEMENTS
By Chris Burgess (based on the novel by Sophie Kinsella), with narration by Chris Burgess
This farcical yet heart-felt story explores the theme of 'second chances' and 'missed opportunities' with a sizzle of sensuality and lashings of Sangria. In the heat of the Spanish summer old passions flare up once more for two ex-lovers - now remarried and holidaying with their families. When a Spanish holiday villa turns out be double-booked, Chloe and Hugh are forced to spend a week together... and it is a week neither will ever forget!

New Year's Eve, 7pm - WHEN MIDNIGHT STRIKES
By Charles Miller and Kevin Hammonds, with narration by JemmThree afternoon presenter Stephen Beeny
New York, New Year's Eve 1999 - the dawn of a new millennium - and Jennifer West's intimate dinner party for close friends and family begins to fall apart upon the discovery that her husband has been having an affair. To make matters worse, she realizes that the unknown mistress is one of eleven party guests. As the hosts confront their unravelling marriage, new resolutions, past mistakes, and an uncertain future merge into an explosive and life-altering evening.

New Year's Day, 7pm - MOLLY WOBBLY'S TIT FACTORY
By Paul Boyd, with narration by Paul Boyd
An original titillating musical tale of three very ordinary couples who live on MamMary Lane. When a mysterious stranger appears in the town of Little Happening the local men suddenly find themselves plotting to get rid of their wives, whilst the women of the town are left with no option but to get one or two things off their chests! This hilariously graphic musical adventure takes a satirical swipe at a society that considers beauty to be only skin deep.

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