From Dirty Dancing to Wicked: a look-ahead to London's 2006 musical highlights

From Dirty Dancing to Wicked: a look-ahead to London's 2006 musical highlights

Wicked, Avenue Q, Caroline or Change, Evita and Spamalot join a long list of musical productions opening in 2006...

Show: Whistle Down The Wind
Venue: Palace Theatre
First preview: 15th March
Opening night: 28th March
Closes: 12th August (limited season only)
Prices: £10 - £45
Cast includes: Tim Rogers (The Man), Clare Marlowe (Swallow)
Creative: Andrew Lloyd Webber (music), Jim Steinman (lyrics), Bill Kenwright (director and producer), Paul Farnsworth (design) Trivia: The originAl West End production of Whistle Down The Wind ran at the Aldwych Theatre from July 1998 – January 2001. This revival production, not to be confused with the original, has been touring the UK extensively since 2002. Whistle Down the Wind actually replaces another Lloyd Webber - The Woman in White – and precedes the Broadway import Spamalot (see below for more information).
Website: www.kenwright.com/index.php?page=shows&id=82

Show: Movin' Out
Venue: Apollo Victoria
First preview: 28th March
Opening night: 10th April
Closes: 17th July (limited season only)
Prices: £16 - £55
Cast includes: James Fox (the Piano Man), Holly Cruickshank (Brenda), Ron Todorowski (Eddie), David Gomez (Tony), Matthew Dibble (James), Laura Costa-Chaud (Judy), plus alternates
Creative: Billy Joel (music and lyrics), Tywla Tharp (director, choreographer and conceiver)
Trivia: Playing on Broadway for 1300 performances, Movin' Out visits London as part of an international tour. It was nominated for ten Tony Awards in 2003, winning two for orchestrations and choreography. James Fox was the British entrant into the European Song Contest in 2004 after appearing on BBC's Fame Academy in 2003.
Website: www.movinout.co.uk

Show: Mack and Mabel
Venue: Criterion Theatre
First preview: 5th April
Opening night: 10th April
Closes: 22nd July (limited season only)
Prices: £15 - £45
Cast includes: David Soul (Mack), Janie Dee (Mabel)
Creative: John Doyle (director), Jerry Herman (music and lyrics), Michael Stewart (book), Francine Pascal (revised book), Mark Bailey (design)
Trivia: John Doyle is the acclaimed director behind current Broadway hit Sweeney Todd (which originated at the same venue as Mack and Mabel). He is currently directing Company with Raúl Esparza in Cincinnati. His unique style sees the actors playing musical instruments as well as acting and singing.
Website: www.mackandmabel.co.uk

Show: Footloose
Venue: Novello Theatre (formerly the Strand)
First preview: 8th April
Opening night: 12th April
Booking to: 9th September
Prices: £15 - £45
Cast: Tour cast includes Cheryl Baker, Johnny Shentall and Lorna Want, who are expected to go into the West End with it Creative: Karen Bruce (director and choreographer), Tom Snow (music), Dean Pitchford (lyrics), Morgan Large (set design) Trivia: Based on the 1984 film starring Kevin Bacon, the musical has been touring the UK extensively for two years. A different production to that seen on Broadway in 1998, this Footloose is directed by Karen Bruce, an Olivier winner for her work on Pacific Overtures at the Donmar.
Website: www.footloosethemusical.co.uk

Show: Daddy Cool
Venue: Shaftesbury Theatre
First preview: 2nd May (formerly 26th April – cancelled six previews)
Opening night: 16th May
Prices: £17.50 - £45
Cast: Harvey from So Solid Crew, Javine from Pop Idol, Michelle Collins
Creative: Boney M (music and lyrics), Amani Naphtali (book), Andy Goldberg (director), Jon Morrell (designer), Sean Cheesman (choreographer)
Trivia: Based on the hits of Boney M ('Daddy Cool', 'Mary's Boy Child', 'Rivers of Babylon', 'Ma Baker'), the musical - set in multi-cultural London – echoes Romeo and Juliet. Javine – like James Fox from Movin' Out - was another Eurovision Song Contest entrant, representing Britain in 2005.
Website: www.daddycoolthemusical.com

Show: Evita
Venue: Adelphi Theatre
First preview: 2nd June
Opening night: 21st June
Prices: £15 - £55
Cast: Elena Rogers (Eva), Phillip Quast (Peron), Matt Rawle (Che)
Creative: Andrew Lloyd Webber (music), Tim Rice (lyrics), Michael Grandage (director), Christopher Oram (designer), Rob Ashford (choreographer)
Trivia: The creative team is that of the recent Olivier winning production Guys and Dolls. Believe it or not, this is the first production of Evita in the West End since the original in 1978. Though unknown in Britain, Elena Rogers is a star in Argentina whilst Phillip Quast is a three-time Olivier Award winner.
Website: www.evitathemusical.com

Show: Avenue Q
Venue: Noel Coward Theatre (formerly the Albery)
First preview: 1st June
Opening night: 28th June
Prices: TBC, tickets go on sale on 13th March
Cast: Jon Robyns (Princeton/Rod), Julie Atherton (Kate Monster/Lucy The Slut), Simon Lipkin (Nicky/Trekkie Monster), Clare Foster (Mrs T – new London character) Creative: Robert Lopez (music), Jeff Marx (lyrics), Jeff Whitty (book), Jason Moore (director), Rick Lyon (puppet design) Trivia: Winner of the 2004 Tony Award for Best New Musical, beating off strong competition from Wicked. For the London production the character of Gary Coleman has been cut to avoid confusion for British audiences. Cameron Mackintosh said 'I'm not going to spend much on ads, there's no point - it's purely word of mouth'.
Website: www.avenueqthemusical.co.uk

Show: Wicked
Venue: Apollo Victoria
First preview: 7th September
Opening night: 27th September
Prices: £15 - £55
Cast: TBC, though rumours have suggested Elaine Paige as Madame Morrible
Creative: Stephen Schwartz (music and lyrics), Winnie Holtzman (book, based on Gregory Maguire's novel), Eugene Lee (set designer), Susan Hilferty (costume)
Trivia: Despite mixed reviews on Broadway, Wicked has proved to be a runaway success and plays almost every week at 100% capacity. Producers are keen to adapt the show for UK audiences and are looking for British talent to match that of original cast members Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth.
Website: www.wickedthemusical.co.uk

Show: Spamalot
Venue: Palace Theatre
First preview: 2nd October
Press night: 16th October
Opening night: 17th October
Prices: £15 - £60
Cast: Tim Curry (King Arthur until January 2007), Simon Russell Beale (from January 2007), David Birrell (Patsy), Tom Goodman-Hill (Sir Lancelot), Robert Hands (Sir Robin), Hannah Waddingham (The Lady of the Lake) Creative: Eric Idle (book, lyrics and score), John Du Prez (score), Mike Nichols (director), Casey Nicholaw (choreography), Trivia: Winner of the 2005 Tony Award for Best Musical, Spamalot has been praised for attracting a predominantly young male audience to the theatre. Simon Russell Beale replaced Tim Curry on Broadway and will do so here from January 2007.
Website: www.dewynters.com/spamalot

Show: Dirty Dancing
Venue: Aldwych Theatre
First preview: 29th September
Opening night: 24th October
Prices: £25 - £59.50
Cast includes: TBC
Creative: Eleanor Bergstein (book, based on her screenplay), MarK Wing-Davey (director), Kate Champion (choreographer) Trivia: Dirty Dancing, based on the 1987 film of the same name, has been touring in Australia since November 2004. The production there stars former Neighbours actress Kym Valentine, who may possibly come to London with the production.
Website: http://www.dirtydancinglondon.com/

Show: Caroline or Change
Venue: National Theatre
First preview: TBC, October
Press night: TBC, October
Prices: Current prices at the National range from around £10 - £36
Cast: TBC
Creative: Tony Kushner (book and lyrics), Jeanine Tesori (music) George C Wolfe (director) – if same creative as Broadway then Hope Clarke (choreographer) and Riccardo Hernandez (set designer) Trivia: Such was the determination to transfer Caroline or Change to Broadway from The Public Theater that twenty producers formed 'the Caroline Company' in order to do so. It was nominated for six Tony awards.
Website: www.nationaltheatre.org.uk (no Caroline or Change details yet)

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