Conley Set to Replace Ball in West End 'HAIRSPRAY' 7/27

WhatsOnStage.com reports that UK comedy star Brian Conley will make his return to the West End this summer when he takes over from Michael Ball as the 'Mama of all Mamas', Edna Turnblad in the multi award-winning Broadway import Hairspray at the Shaftesbury Theatre. 

Conley is on tour until May 3rd with his new live variety show The Best of Brian Conley. He will play his first performance as Edna in Hairspray on July 27th, 2009. After many extensions, Michael Ball, winner of Best Actor in a Musical at both the Whatsonstage.com and Laurence Olivier Awards last year for his role in Hairspray, ends his celebrated run on July 25th.

Brian Conley is one of the UK's most versatile and popular performers. He has become a household name thanks to such diverse characters as Dangerous Brian, Nick Frisby "It's a puppet", Doug Digby and the legendary Al Jolson.

On stage in the West End Brian spent a year starring in Me And My Girl at the Adelphi Theatre. At the Victoria Palace he originated the title role, in the Olivier award winning Jolson, which opened to rave reviews. The Mail on Sunday said it was "the performance of the decade" and the Daily Express commented "it takes a star to play a star". He also had a successful run in the play Elton John's Glasses at the Queens Theatre, Shaftesbury Avenue. Recently he starred as Caracticus Potts in the West End musical Chitty Chitty Bang! Bang! In 2006 he is looking to recreating the role in Manchester and Birmingham on the National Tour of Chitty.

Over the years Brian has also had success with his first love, singing. He has recorded three albums "Stage to Stage" with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, "Let The Good Times Roll" and "Brian Conley Sings". To read the full report on WhatsOnStage.com go here.

Current and original lead performers Michael Ball, Leanne Jones and Ben James-Ellis have all extended their contracts to remain with the show and will now perform until Saturday 25 July 2009. The role of ‘Edna Turnblad' is the longest continuing part that Michael has ever played in the West End. Nigel Planer and Verity Rushworth recently joined the cast of Hairspray the musical as Penny Pingleton and Wilbur Turnblad.

The smash hit award-winning musical "HAIRSPRAY" at the Shaftesbury Theatre in London recouped its entire £3.5 million capitalisation in a record-breaking 29 weeks. The show opened on 30 October 2007 to universal critical acclaim and smash hit business. At the 2008 Olivier Awards, "HAIRSPRAY" won ‘Best Musical', as well as ‘Best Actor in a Musical' for Michael Ball, ‘Best Actress in a Musical' for Leanne Jones. The show has also won ‘Best Musical' at the Evening Standard Awards, the Whatsonstage.com awards, the Critics Circle Awards and the Variety Club Showbiz Awards.

Adam Spiegel, from UK producers Stage Entertainment, sad in a statement, "Hairspray goes from strength to strength and I am so pleased to welcome Nigel and Verity to the family. With these two supremely talented actors joining our cast, added to the news that Michael, Leanne and Ben are all staying with the show, we hope that the Shaftesbury Theatre will remain the place to be for West End audiences throughout 2009."

"HAIRSPRAY" is produced in the West End by Stage Entertainment with Margo Lion, The Baruch/Viertel/Routh/Frankel Group and New Line Cinema in association with others from the Broadway producing team.

"HAIRSPRAY" opened at the Neil Simon Theatre in New York in August 2002 to rave reviews and public acclaim. "HAIRSPRAY" subsequently swept the board at the 2003 Tony Awards, winning 8 including ‘Best Musical', the Drama Desk Awards, winning 10 including ‘Best Musical', and the Outer Critics Circle Awards, winning 5 including ‘Best Broadway Musical'. "HAIRSPRAY" also won the New York Drama Critics Circle Award for ‘Best Musical' and the Drama League Award for ‘Outstanding Musical Production'. The show has also played two hugely successful US tours as well as seasons in Toronto and Las Vegas, and further afield in South Africa, Brazil and Scandinavia.

"HAIRSPRAY" has a book by Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan, music by Marc Shaiman and lyrics by Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman. The musical is based on the New Line Cinema film, written and directed by John Waters.

The musical is directed by Jack O'Brien and choreographed by Jerry Mitchell. The scenic design is by David Rockwell, the costumes by William Ivey Long, the lighting by Kenneth Posner and the sound by Steve C. Kennedy. With orchestrations by Harold Wheeler and arrangements by Marc Shaiman, the musical direction is by Lon Hoyt. The West End production of "HAIRSPRAY" is staged by the entire original Broadway creative team.

Performances times at the Shaftesbury Theatre are Mondays to Saturdays at 7.30pm, with Thursday and Saturday matinees at 3.00pm.

Tickets, priced from £22.50 - £62.50, are available from the Shaftesbury Theatre Box Office on 0207 379 5399 or by visiting www.hairspraythemusical.com.

 

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