Westend Box Office | London Tickets and Attractions » Uncategorized

‘Dirty Dancing – The Classic Story on Stage’

Alan — Fri, 13 May 2011 03:19:21 +0000

There can’t be more than a handful of females in the civilized world over the age of, oh, say twelve, and under 112 who haven’t felt the impact of ‘Dirty Dancing’. The same is probably true of quite a few males who won’t admit it. The low-budget film, released in 1987 and starring Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey, created a sensation in every sense of the word. It is quite simply one of the sexiest movies ever made, with barely a hint of frontal nudity or profanity but a veritable firestorm of that ‘spark’ the critics talk about.

‘Dirty Dancing – The Classic Story on Stage’ has been playing at London’s Aldwych Theatre for almost five years, and due to popular demand the producers are about to take it on the road. The touring show will open at the Bristol Hippodrome in September this year and go on from there. Meanwhile, tryouts are being held for the most talented and dedicated, not to mention lucky would-be Baby Housemans and Johnny Castles. There are, incidentally, a lot more trying out for Baby than for Johnny.

Auditions have been held in London, Edinburgh, Birmingham and Cardiff with similar reports from all vicinities. Young (and not so young) dancers with skills from strictly amateur to stage professional are lining up in the early morning to throw their hearts and souls into the chance to have the time of their lives. Requirements for a role in the show include both dancing and singing; those who aren’t eliminated during the dance routines usually fall by the wayside in the vocal tryouts.

Another criterion, though not stressed in the audition requirements, is some serious acting ability. According to reporters on the scene in Birmingham and Edinburgh, the acting talents of these hopefuls are put to the test as much in dealing with rejection and disappointment as they are in the auditions - and the large majority will be rejected. The final cast will consist of only 26 of the thousands who tried, but most of them will try again, and again.

Manchester to welcome Dirty Dancing As previously announced the hit West End musical Dirty Dancing,...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Keira Knightley scores in the West End

Alan — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 05:37:33 +0000

The 25-year-old, British actress, Keira Knightley has received good reviews as she has come back to the West End once more. One review said that she has finally earned her respect among the theatrical community.

When she finished her performance at London’s Comedy Theatre, it could be seen that Gurinder Chadha, director for Bend It Like Beckham, along with Danny DeVito were applauding her.

She will be performing along side Elizabeth Moss, known for US Mad Men. They will star together in Lillian Hellman’s The Children’s Hour, a play written in 1934 about a secret lesbian love affair between teachers.

Knightley’s last performance, her debut at West End, was not well received. She tried her hand in a 2009 modernized The Misanthrope by Moliere.

Although the play starts out quite slow, after the first act the action kicks in and the actors appropriately reveal it.

Knightley from time to time comes across a bit self-focused, perhaps because of her Americanism, but this has turned out to be a significant notch in her acting belt. She gave an emotional and dedicated performance.

There were only two men among the actors, but Tobias Menzies shows himself quite well as the physician torn between his commitment to the main character and the conflicting growing secret that is about to be blown wide open.

Byrony Hannah’s mouth won’t quit. She is the pupil who is ready to let the world know anything she learns about others’ secrets. Her physicality and dexterity of voice steals the stage. “She is terrifying, but unforgettable, in the role of the child trouble seeker,” Spencer admitted. Letts refers to the child as “a goldmine.”

This week Knightley appears in Kazuo Ishiguro’s novel in film, Never Let Me Go, but The Children’s Hour plays until April 30th at the Comedy Theatre.

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Robbie Williams’ the musical

Alan — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 03:41:50 +0000

Word is out that Robbie Williams’ life will be made into a musical. The Sun reports that Take That singer discussed with Sally Greene, Old Vic Theatre’s owner, the usage of Williams’ songs as a way to show Robbie’s difficult struggle. Williams gave the approval for a show at the West End.

“He’s excited about the musical and looks forward to the excitement. West End shows always go over well with him and he is flattered they’ll produce a show about him,” the newspaper was informed by an unnamed source.

Billy Elliot was Ms. Greene’s brainchild musical and she is seeing two performers who are competing for the role as Williams.

The show is sure to cover his trek from member of a boy band at 16 to his launch as a famous solo artist, not to mention his struggle to escape the pit of drugs.

The show will not leave out his return to Take That, nor his triumph over the drugs prior to marrying Ayda Field in 2010.

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Hollywood needs the West End for ‘respect’

Alan — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 03:37:51 +0000

You can often find stars from Hollywood poking their faces in at the West End, especially when they are tired of the movie scene and need some fresh air or they want to reconnect with their classical training.

Jude Law performed as Hamlet in 2009. In 2007, Josh Harnett played at the Apollo theatre in Rain Man and Orlando Bloom, from Lord of the Rings and Pirates of the Caribbean, performed in In Celebration. Going back further, David Williamson’s Up for Grabs starred Gwyneth Paltrow and Madonna in 2002.

2010 saw Damian Lewis and Keira Knightley together in The Misanthrope. She was nominated in the Evening Standard Awards after awing audience and critics.

Again in 2011 she will come back in the stage performance of The Children’s Hour, by Lillian Hellman. The story takes place in New England in the 1930′s. Elisabeth Moss, nominee for the Golden Globe, is set to play in it as well.

A 1930′s boarding school for girls is operated by Martha Dobie, played by Moss, and Karen Wright, played by Knightly. The story revolves around a schoolgirl’s whispered rumour, tracking the disastrous results.

It was originally forbidden in many American cities and London as well, but premiered on Broadway in 1934. William Wyler made two movies that drew from the play. The first was an adaptation to a story about a love triangle, 1936, and the 1961 movie starred Shirley McLaine, Audrey Hepburn, and James Garner. The 1961 movie was nominated for five Oscars.

The last time it was produced in London was 1994 in the National Theatre. Harriet Walter and Clare Higgins were the stars. The latest production is being produced by Scott Landis and Sonia Friedman, directed by Ian Rickson, who is the ex-Royal Court artistic director. His other successes include Jerusalem.

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Nicki Minaj Tweets the world her flight times

Alan — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 03:03:09 +0000

While celebrities in general experience the mass of cameras and enthusiastic fans seeing them off on their next flight, many of them prefer to miss out on it by dashing into their car and vanishing to the stronghold of their homes.

Nicki Minaj, though, prefers to take in the excitement of the situation. That should come as no surprise, considering she actually twitted the details of her arrival time.

Flip a coin as to whether she did it to get a full on British welcome as she stepped off the plane at Heathrow or whether she as simply oblivious to her popularity in the UK.

It is highly likely she anticipated a huge crowd, considering the content of her twits with some fans of hers.

This singer was more than pleased at the crowd that came to great her, as she cat-walked her way through them.

Yesterday she wrote a laugh about a note from a fan who had been at Heathrow camping out, waiting for her. The fan wrote, “I’m going to get ousted by the airport security any minute now. Hurry up and get here to London!” Nicki replied, “In no more than 14 hours.”

Just prior top boarding her plane, Nicki wrote, “Well, I’m still 10hrs out, then I belong to you. Martha and Roman have offered their place. That’s better than the alternative.”She was ready with her pen in hand, looking for more to sign.

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Spiderman’s endless problems on Broadway

Alan — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 08:38:43 +0000

Arachne the spider goddess is leaving Spiderman, according to the latest reports. Natalie Mendoza, the actress who has been playing arch-villain Arachne in the accident-prone Broadway production of ‘Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark’, is said to be leaving the show, but there is no confirmation or other information as to the reason.

The role requires Natalie as Arachne to do some aerial manoeuvrings, but in fact she was injured not during a performance but by a weighted rope that hit her while she stood in the wings. Natalie suffered a concussion from that incident and was out of the show on doctor’s orders for two weeks. She resumed her role December 15th, but on the 20^th she took a ‘leave of absence’. That was the night that Christopher Tierney, stunt-double for Spiderman, was critically injured when his safety rope failed to stop him from a 30-foot fall.

‘Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark’ is a very expensive production, and a lot of resources both human and financial have gone into it so far. Substantial money has been lost due to postponement of the opening date, due in turn to bedevilling accidents involving injury to four of the cast members. Ms. Mendoza may have decided that the undoubted boost to her career is not enough offset the potential pain.

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Flashdance The Musical fizzles out

Alan — Fri, 26 Nov 2010 04:21:32 +0000

“Flashdance The Musical” will end its current performances on 15 January, it has been reported. Anyone who has tickets scheduled for performances thereafter should notify the box office for refunds. “Flashdance The Musical” has been on the Shaftesbury Theatre stage since 25 September 2010.

The production will be ending, unfortunately, ahead of schedule.

The musical stage production was based upon the successful Paramount film, “Flashdance.” It followed the struggles of a girl named Alex, who is a welder on her day job and a “Flashdancer” by night. The dream about achieving one’s dreams tells the tale of Alex’s struggles for acceptance into the esteemed Shipley Dance Academy.

The musical featured a score including, “Manhunt,” “I Love Rock and Roll,” “Gloria,” “Maniac,” and the award winning, “Flashdance – What a Feeling.”

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Lost star Matthew Fox makes a West End date

Alan — Fri, 26 Nov 2010 04:20:12 +0000

The very popular Matthew Fox (Doctor Jack Sheppard in Lost) will be coming to old London town next year to act in a play by Neil LaBute. He will be playing in the role of estranged brother to actress Olivia Williams. In the story, the two are brought together on a rainy evening to collect items and clean out a family owned cabin. From there, strange and ominous things begin to happen to them.

The play entitled, “In a Forest Dark and Deep,” is set to run at Vaudeville Theatre from 14 March 2011 to 4 June 2011. During an interview done earlier this year Sheppard had commented that he would like to land a role on London’s stage. Since then, this opportunity has obviously come to fruition.

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Ellen Burstyn’s West End début

Alan — Thu, 25 Nov 2010 04:16:45 +0000

Ellen Burstyn will make her first ever London stage appearance opposite an all-star cast next year in the play, “The Children’s Hour.”

The 78-year old actress will act the role of a grandmother of one of the pupil’s in the 1934 play by Lillian Hellmann. Kieran Knightly and Elisabeth Moss (Mad Men) portray two teachers accused of being lesbian lovers in an adaptation also starring the actress, Carol Kane of U.S. television and movie fame and Tobias Menzies (Brutus in television’s Rome).

The Ian Erickson revival is the first time the play has been done on the London stage since 1994.

Burstyn is famous for her outstanding portrayals in the films, “The Exorcist” and “Requiem for a Dream.” She won an Academy award for her part in the 1975 movie, “Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore.”

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Elton John retires from song writing, but will still tour

Alan — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 05:09:38 +0000

Elton John is admitting that he is no longer capable of writing pop songs. He says that he cannot compete with young stars for chart position any longer. He suggests that at his age, 63, he isn’t going to be writing anything new for MTV or VH1.

He says that he is not going to try and compete against Lady Gaga or JLS.

He goes further and comments that he will continue projects such as Scissor Sisters and other fun things, but he isn’t going to be producing any pop singles. Maybe, he commented, when he was younger, but no longer.

His iconic career is distinguished by nearly 70 UK top forty hits and the best selling single in the world, which was the dedication of “Candle in the Wind” to Princess Diana.

His latest album, Union, which is a collection of duets with Leon Russell, came on the charts at number 12.

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.