RHYTHM OF LIFE, Celebrating Cy Coleman, Set for St. James Studio Next Month

Marti Webb, Debbie Kurup, Cedric Neal and John Barr are to star in Rhythm of Life, a brand new song cycle celebrating many of the greatest hits by master of the catchy show tune, Tony Award-winning Cy Coleman.

Rhythm of Life - which includes five new songs from the Cy Coleman Archive never performed before in London - will get its world premiere at St. James Studio, London on Friday 10 and Saturday 11 July.

Marti Webb recently starred in an acclaimed Olivier Award-nominated revival of Tell Me On a Sunday, the one-woman show written specially for her by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Don Black, at St. James Theatre and which transfered to the West End's Duchess Theatre. Debbie Kurup was nominated Best Supporting Actress in the Oliviers and Whatsonstage awards for The Bodyguard at the Adelphi and has just starred as Reno Sweeney in a UK tour of Anything Goes. Cedric Neal starred on Broadway and at Regent's Park Open Air Theatre as Sportin' Life in The Gershwin's Porgy & Bess. John Barr played the title role in the West End premiere of Batboy.

The Musical Director is Michael Webborn.

Staging by Robert McWhir.

Cy Coleman, who died aged 75 in 2004, was the Tony Award-winning Broadway composer, who rose from child classical pianist to jazz player to become master of the catchy show tune. Rhythm of Life features songs and tales from his classic stage musicals: Sweet Charity, Little Me, On The Twentieth Century, City Of Angels, Barnum, Seesaw, The Will Rogers Follies, I Love My Wife and The Life.

Songs featured Include: Witchcraft, The Best is Yet to Come, The Colours of My Life, The Oldest Profession, You Can Always Count on Me, Big Spender, Nobody Does It Like Me, and a few surprises!

Marti Webb first came to prominence as Ann in the original London production of Half a Sixpence opposite Tommy Steele. She was Nancy in the first UK tour of Oliver! and one of the original company of the London production of Godspell, opposite David Essex, Julie Covington and Jeremy Irons. She was the alternate Eva in the original West End production of Evita and took over from Elaine Paige. The album of Tell Me on a Sunday was released and a TV programme about it aired in 1980 just as Webb took over in Evita. It was a No. 2 hit in the UK Albums Chart, and saw Marti become a household name. The lead single, Take That Look Off Your Face was a similar success, reaching No. 3 in the UK Singles Chart. In the mid 1980s, she again succeeded Elaine Paige, as Grizabella in the musical Cats both in the West End production at the New London Theatre and subsequently on a UK tour. Later in 2003, she appeared in the original London stage production of Thoroughly Modern Millie as Mrs Meers. She recently starred in an acclaimed Olivier Award-nominated revival of Tell Me On a Sunday, the one-woman show written specially for her by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Don Black, at St. James Theatre and which transfered to the West End's Duchess Theatre.

Debbie Kurup created the role of Nicki Marron in the West End musical The Bodyguard, a role that saw her nominated for her three 'Best Performance in a Supporting Role' awards - in the Oliviers, What's On Stage Awards and Broadway World UK Awards. Her other notable West End credits include Velma Kelly in Chicago, KT/Doloris in Sister Act at the London Palladium, Dee Dee in Tonight's The Night at the Victoria Palace Theatre and Mimi in Rent at the Prince of Wales Theatre. Debbie most recently played Reno Sweeney in the Sheffield Crucible/UK No 1 tour production of Anything Goes.

Dallas-born Cedric Neal made his London debut as Sportin' Life in Regent's Park Open Air Theatre's Oliviernominated production of The Gershwins' Porgy And Bess. His Broadway credits include: After Midnight (original Broadway production); The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess (Broadway revival). Additional credits include: Stagger Lee, A Christmas Carol, Henry IV; It's a Bird . . . It's a Plane . . . It's Superman, Death of a Salesman, A Midsummer Night's Dream, and The Who's Tommy (Dallas Theater Center); Dreamgirls (Signature Theatre, Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor); Tours: A Midnight Cry and African Tales of Earth and Sky. TV: Friday Night Lights.

John Barr starred as Dr Parker in Batboy in the West End but he made his West End debut at the age of 12 in Oliver!. He has had a varied career, appearing on stage, TV, film, cabaret, concerts and recordings. Career highlights include in the West End & Fringe: Ed Kleban in A Class Act, for which he was nominated for Best Male Performance - Offie Awards (2013), Tateh in Ragtime, Charles Guiteau in Sondheim's Assasins, in which he was also nominated for Best Male Performance; Greta in Martin Sherman's Bent. He was an original cast member in Aspects of Love and played Feuilly in Les Miserables in the 1988 Company at the Palace Theatre. John has appeared in a number of films, including Les Miserables and The Catch. He has recorded five solo CDs, as well as featured on a number of cast recordings.

As Composer and Musical Director, Michael Webborn's The Clockmaker's Daughter, currently playing at the Landor Theatre, has been nominated for three Off West End Awards including Best Musical Production. As Musical Director his productions include: The Snow Queen (UAE Tour 2015), A Midsummer Night's Dream (UK and Middle East Tour - Shakespeare 4 Kidz), Willy Wonka (DUCTAC Theatre, Dubai), Damn Yankees (Landor Theatre), Aladdin (UAE Tour 2014), Showstoppers (Harlington Centre, Fleet), Macbeth (UK and Middle East Tour - Shakespeare 4 Kidz), Meet Me in St. Louis (UK Premiere - Landor Theatre), Pinocchio (Dubai Tour, Shakespeare 4 Kidz), [title of show] (London Premiere - Landor Theatre), Next Thing You Know (Landor Theatre), The Tempest (UK and Middle East Tour - Shakespeare 4 Kidz), Spring Awakening (Catford Broadway), Hot Mikado (Landor Theatre), The Little Mermaid (Middle East Tour - Shakespeare 4 Kidz), Curtains (European Premiere - Landor Theatre).

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