GET DOWN!!!! Audiences everywhere are praising over one of the hottest ultimate GIRL POWER shows ever to hit the Theater world and is in talks of heading to the Big Apple. We are talking about SIX.
For those who may not know, SIX is a musical by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss. Set as a pop concert, the show centers on the six ex-wives of King Henry VIII who come together as a girl group. On stage, they hold a contest to see who had the worst experience with Henry. The winner becomes the group's lead singer.
SIX was first conceived as a class assignment by Toby Marlow during his final year of studies at Cambridge University. Despite rocky uncertainties with Lucy Moss, the duo wrote the show while studying for their final exams.
The show originally had its world premiere in Scotland at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe back in 2017 which it won the attention of numerous industrial producers making it move Off-West End in London at the Arts Theatre. Under the direction of Lucy Moss and Jamie Armitage and choreography by Carrie-Anne Ingrouille, the original London cast consisted of….
A cast album of the London production is already out featuring this lineup.
With the success of the Off-West End run, the show embarked on a UK Tour and thanks to an overwhelming response, the show officially returned to it's Off-West End home at London's Arts Theatre where it continues to play there now through 2020.
SIX was nominated for 5 Olivier Awards this year including Best New Musical. However, it lost all the categories.
With its overwhelming response thanks to social media, SIX officially made its North American debut earlier this Spring in Chicago, IL at the Chicago Shakespeare Theater. Reuniting its original creative team, the North American Premiere cast included…
SIX is scheduled to make its way more around North America including the American Repertory Theater in Cambridge, MA where it play there from August 21st – September 27th, 2019. The cast is expecting to feature majority of the Chicago company reprising their roles and 1 newcomer consisting of…
Adrianna Hicks as "Catherine of Aragon", Andrea Macasaet as "Anne Boleyn", Abby Mueller as "Jane Seymour", Brittney Mack as "Anna of Cleves" Courtney Mack "Katherine Howard", and Anna Uzele as "Catherine Parr".
After the Cambridge run, the show will be making its Canadian Debut at the Citadel Theatre this November before officially hitting New York City!!!! No word has been said for New York City whether the show will be performed ON or OFF Broadway.
With this show, who believes that GIRLS RULE THE WORLD?!!!!
THEY STILL FELT THE LOVE! Disney's The Lion King – Musical was one of the few shows that got affected and was cancelled by yesterday's Manhattan Blackout. For the Award winning smash hit, the outage caused some water damage backstage in the dressing rooms of Minskoff Theatre and majority of the production's Tony Award winning costumes have been destroyed. However despite the costumes being ruined, THE SHOW MUST GO ON. At today's matinee, majority of the principal actors wore brief bits of their costumes, puppets, wigs, and makeup along with casual black attire.
Prior to the curtain going up, Tshidi Manye (who plays the spiritual and wisecracking mandrill "Rafiki") and L. Steven Taylor (who plays the motivational and caring "King Mufasa") explained the situation to the audience telling everyone to still use their imaginations despite not having their full costumes on and they're still going to give a great show. WHICH THEY DID!!!
Here's a clip of Manye and Taylor giving the speeches prior to the company performing the show's famous and iconic opening number CIRCLE OF LIFE.
Prayers go out to the Broadway company and hopefully things will be fixed and they'll have new costumes ready to go. This is what we call the beauty of LIVE THEATER.
DRINK WITH ME TO DAYS GONE BY! Check out the historical, bittersweet, and emotional final bows for Trevor Nunn and John Caird's first and last standing original "revolving" production of THE WORLD'S LONGEST RUNNING SHOW IN WEST END HISTORY…. Les Miserables – Musical after 34 years at the top. Following the final bows, Dean Chisnall (who stars in the iconic lead role of "Jean Vailean") and the company led the sold out crowd in a toast to celebrating the legacy of this iconic production and it's wonderful journey going from London's Barbrican Theatre to the Palace Theatre, and now the Queen's Theatre. The show closes for its home at the Queen's Theater about to go under a full-scale renovation.
During the 4 months the Queen's (soon to be renamed the Stephen Sondheim Theatre) is being renovated, LES MISERABLES will be performed next door at the Gielgud Theatre as an All-Star semi-staged concert production running for 16 weeks only from August 10th, 2019 – November 30th, 2019. Following that engagement and when the renovation is complete, the musical will reopen in the Queen's on December 18th, 2019 with Cameron Mackintosh Ltd and Laurence Connor's critically acclaimed NEW production (initially made for the show's 25th Anniversary back in 2010) that continues to play all over the world (including right now on tour across North America, the United Kingdom, and Asia).
Bravo, Congrats, Au Revoir to the iconic original production of LES MISERABLES that has inspired audiences to DREAM THE DREAM for the past 34 years. Shout out to the cast, musicians, crew, musicians (all past and present), and the creative team.
FIRST LOOK: Check out the all new trailer of the New Production of Les Miserables – Musical heading into the West End for the very first time this Holiday season. This trailer features footage of the current UK and Ireland Touring cast led by Killian Donnelly as "Jean Vailjean", Katie Hall as "Fantine", and more.
As previously mentioned, last night was a bittersweet and emotional day for Theater history as Trevor Nunn and John Caird's first and last standing original production (yup, known for its famous revolving set) ended its historical run in London's West End after 34 years and over 15,000 performances of DREAMING THE DREAM as THE WORLD'S LONGEST RUNNING SHOW IN WEST END HISTORY. Like we've said, it's not over for LES MISERABLES' time in London. The show's home at the Queen's Theatre (which by the time this new production opens, it will be renamed The Stephen Sondheim Theatre in honor of the iconic composer's upcoming 90th Birthday) will be going under a 4 month renovation expanding the lobby, building more restrooms, the backstage area, and the auditorium.
During this interim, LES MISERABLES will re-open next door at London's Gielgud Theatre with a semi-staged All-Star concert production playing for a strictly limited run of 16 weeks only from August 10th, 2019 – November 30th, 2019. With a full cast and 65 piece orchestra, this new production will be led by Alfie Boe and John Owen-Jones alternating in the role of "Jean Vailean", Michael Ball OBE as "Inspector Javert", Carrie Hope Fletcher as "Fantine", Matt Lucas, as "Thernadier", and more.
From there beginning December 18th, 2019, the new production (created by Sir Cameron Mackintosh Ltd and directed by Laurence Connor back in 2010 for the musical's initial 25th Anniversary and is now being performed all over the world including having made a stop on Broadway in 2014) will officially open. For this production, it's well known for incorporating a mix of old elements from the original staging (including certain set pieces and costumes) plus new elements (including an LED screen projections incorporating original paintings from the novel's writer himself…. Victor Hugo). No casting for the new cast debut in the West End has been announced yet.
Who is excited for a whirlwind year of MIZery and hearing the people sing?
Due to yesterday's blackout, many of Broadway's smash hit shows have been cancelled. However, just because there's no performance, THE SHOW MUST GO ON. Last night, cast members from some of the cancelled shows took to the streets of the Theater district by sharing their talents to those who initially brought tickets to at least give them something. Check out some of these highlights. How awesome is this?!!
