IVOR NOVELLO - THE GREAT BRITISH MUSICAL Plays Hippodrome Nov 16

Musical Director and former member of Classical BRIT Award-winning choir Only Men Aloud Ross Leadbeater invites you to a 'Glamorous Night' in celebration of Ivor Novello - the most successful British musical theatre composer of the first half of the 20th century.

Following two SELL-OUT and critically acclaimed performances at London's St James Theatre earlier this year and a mini-tour of the UK, 'Ivor Novello - The Great British Musical' now transfers to the heart of the West End to play the historic London Hippodrome for one night only on Saturday 16th November at 8pm.

2013 marks the 120th anniversary of the birth of the Welsh-born composer, who now gives his name to both a West End theatre and the internationally respected Ivor Novello Awards. There is no finer setting for a celebration of Ivor Novello than this landMark London venue where in 1945, Ivor Novello's iconic musical Perchance to Dream played for over 1000 performances.

Inspired by the man and his music, this is a not-to-be-missed opportunity to enjoy an intimate evening of Ivor Novello in the glamorous Matcham Room of the London Hippodrome with a host of West End Singers, dancers and special guests from the worlds of theatre, opera and television.

Performers include the Olivier Award Nominee Sophie-Louise Dann (Lend Me A Tenor, Sunday in the Park with George) and West End leading man Robert Meadmore (Oklahoma, Brigadoon, Dear World) with special guest narration by TV Favourite Russell Grant (Strictly Come Dancing, The Wizard of Oz, Midnight Tango).

Sophie-Louise Dann's extensive career has encompassed the worlds of opera, musical theatre, radio and film, from Lend Me a Tenor - the musical for which she received the 2012 Olivier Award nomination for Best Supporting role in a musical - to the eponymous role of Gay Daventry in Ivor Novello's Gay's the Word, Dot in Theatre du Châtelet's Sunday in the Park with George, and innumerable leading roles for D'Oyly Carte Opera at the Savoy. On the concert platform, she has headlined at Royal Albert Hall, Royal Festival Hall, Bridgewater Hall and Birmingham Symphony Hall. She is a regular guest on Radio 2's Friday Night is Music Night.

Sophie will be joined on stage by Robert Meadmore who is recognised as one of the country's finest musical theatre artists. He starred in many of the biggest hit shows in the West End, including Phantom of the Opera, Brigadoon. My Fair Lady, The Gondoliers, Oklahoma, Camelot and most recently Dear World directed by Gillian Lynne. His extensive performing and recording career spans theatre, opera, television, radio and has seen him appearing in concert with some of the world's leading orchestras. In 2005, he recorded his first classical album After a Dream, which reached Number 2 in the Classical Charts and was nominated for an 'Album of the Year' Classical Brit Award.

The evening is hosted by Russell Grant, who toured in the last major production of Novello's King's Rhapsody. Russell's dream came true when he was given the chance to dance on BBC 1's Strictly Come Dancing. Following this, Russell was invited by Andrew Lloyd Webber to star in The Wizard of Oz where he returned to the Palladium after 34 years - the last time with Tommy Steele in Hans Andersen. West End credits include: Slogger Williams in Tom Brown's Schooldays (Cambridge), the Snake in Children of Eden (Prince of Wales) and Carlos in Midnight Tango (Phoenix Theatre).

The evening will be musically directed and produced by Ross Leadbeater who has a versatile career as a musical director, conductor, pianist, singer and vocal coach. He was recently Musical Supervisor for Ivor Novello's Gay's the Word (Jermyn Street Theatre) and Novello's Perchance to Dream (Finborough Theatre). West End credits as Musical Director: Talent 2012 (Garrick Theatre), West End Eurovision 2012: Phantom of the Opera (Dominion Theatre) and Betwixt! (Trafalgar Studios). Ross was rehearsal pianist for South Pacific (Barbican Centre) and répétiteur for The Mikado, HMS Pinafore and The Pirates of Penzance (Buxton Opera House). Television includes: Last Choir Standing, The Classical Brit Awards and BBC Proms in the Park.

Saturday 16th November @ 8pm

Tickets: £25, £28, £30, £35.

Box Office: 020 7769 8866 (10am - 8pm daily)

or http://www.hippodromecasino.com/ivor-novello

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