Thursday, March 28

Tag: Charing Cross Theatre

Bronco Billy The Musical – Charing Cross Theatre
London

Bronco Billy The Musical – Charing Cross Theatre

"There's a world out there that has lost its way, full of dark and hateful things to say."  The first line of Dennis Hackin's Bronco Billy - The Musical is as relatable to the current world as it is to the 1979 in which this musical is set.  Powerfully delivered and led by Karen Mavundukure as Doc Blue, the opening song, "Ride With Us" sets the scene with a wow start to the show. With music and lyrics by Chip Rosenbloom and John Torres, and based on Hackin's earlier movie, this is a wonderful triple-threat of a production. Marvellous vocals, credible characters with chemistry and a clever set that almost steals the show. Bronco Billy and his small troupe of Wild West show people are touring the US in a beat-up bus to ever-dwindling audiences. They've made it to Kansas when Bi...
Rebecca – Charing Cross Theatre
London

Rebecca – Charing Cross Theatre

There seems to be no source material nowadays which cannot be turned into a musical. However, Rebecca, having its London musical premiere at the Charing Cross Theatre illustrates that some material is really not suitable for such a treatment.  This show premiered in Vienna in 2006 and ran for 3 years. It had original German lyrics by Michael Kunze, translated for this production by Christopher Hampton, and music by Sylvester Levay.  It follows the story of the famous Daphne Du Maurier novel closely.  An unnamed young woman is swept off her feet by the enigmatic Maxim de Winter in a Monte Carlo hotel and agrees to become his wife and returns with him to his home at Manderley on the Cornish coast.   However, the memories of the first Mrs De Winter, Rebecca, are everywhere in the house, kept...
First look at the stars of the English language premiere of ‘Rebecca’ at Charing Cross Theatre
NEWS

First look at the stars of the English language premiere of ‘Rebecca’ at Charing Cross Theatre

Richard Carson, Lauren Jones and Kara Lane head the cast for the eagerly anticipated English language premiere of the critically acclaimed musical ‘Rebecca’. Based on Daphne Du Maurier’s 1938 novel, by Michael Kunze and Sylvester Levay, two of the most successful German-language musical theatre creators, ‘Rebecca’ has already captivated more than two million people worldwide in hugely successful productions in 12 countries and eight languages. ‘Rebecca’ had its world premiere at VBW’s Raimund Theater in Vienna, Austria, in September 2006, where it went on to play to sold-out houses in three seasons, and where it is currently enjoying a hugely successful revival. The rest of the cast are: Alex James-Ward, Piers Bate, Sarah Harlington, David Breeds, Amanda Minihan, Neil Moors, Nich...
Glory Ride – Charing Cross Theatre
London

Glory Ride – Charing Cross Theatre

“Good is something you do, not what you talk about”. A new musical based on the true story of a heroic conspiracy to rescue children from fascist Italy by bicycle, Glory Ride a tale of passion, friendship, grief and pride. The plot centres around the beloved Italian athlete Gino Bartali (Josh St. Clair), an Italian household name, who cycled across European countries delivering edited identity cards to fugitives to save their lives. Written by Victoria and Todd Buchholz and directed by Olivier-winner Kelly Devine, this production has been developed through workshops in New York and Los Angeles and a staged concert at The Other Palace in London last year.  The set is dimly lit and has a sombre feel to it, setting the scene for Italy in 1935, depicting the tone of the musical ...
<strong>George Takei’s Allegiance – Charing Cross Theatre</strong>
London

George Takei’s Allegiance – Charing Cross Theatre

A fantastic production, heart-warming and fulfilling, grounded in a real historic period. It highlights the strength of the human spirit against all odds and shows how things can bloom even through adversity. After the success of productions of Allegiance in San Diego and on Broadway it has arrived at the Charing Cross theatre, London. This musical is the story of Sam Kimura and his family who, like 120,000 other Japanese Americans during World War Two were forced into internment camps. Evicted from their homes and shipped across the country for the crime of being of Japanese descent during a war where Japan was considered the enemy. You could feel the love of the people involved; George Takei considers it his ‘legacy project’. The characters were inspired from his personal exper...
From Here to Eternity – Charing Cross Theatre
London

From Here to Eternity – Charing Cross Theatre

Set on a Hawaiian island, in 1941, in the two weeks prior to the Pearl Harbour attack, ‘From Here to Eternity’, is a new revival of Tim Rice's 2013 musical. With book by Bill Oakes and Donald Rice and based on the James Jones’ novel of the same name, is the first mainstream re-working of the musical since the original West End production which came under criticism for a book and narrative that was unnecessarily complex and drawn out, and that it lacked relevance at the time it was produced. It received mixed reviews, and closed in 2014, after a run of only six and a half months. This much smaller production, offered up by the usually brilliant Aria Entertainment production team, and making maximum use of the compact Charring Cross theatre, with a re-ordering of some of the musical numb...
Ride: A New Musical – Charing Cross Theatre
London

Ride: A New Musical – Charing Cross Theatre

In 1894, Annie Londonderry set off on a solo circumnavigation of the world by bike. That her name and this radical accomplishment is almost entirely unknown is as big a mystery as is the real story of her travels. She was born in Latvia, emigrated to the US as a child and suffered the loss of her parents, leaving her at just 16 to care for her younger siblings. She married in an attempt to achieve financial stability and had three children. But it seems it was the death of her younger brother that was the seminal moment that propelled her towards her pioneering ride around the world. There's talk of a wager, adventures with the myriad people she meets along the way, relationships developed and abandoned.  On her triumphant return to the US in 1895, following an initial wave of media ...
Rita – Charing Cross Theatre
London

Rita – Charing Cross Theatre

“Marriage is bliss…” An entertaining opera about marital strife, Rita tells the story of a married couple, Rita (Laura Lolita Perešivana) and Beppe (Brenton Spiteri) who appear to be in marital bliss while running a hotel together. Unfortunately for Rita, a spanner in the works is thrown at her when her believed-to-be-dead husband, Gasparo (Phil Wilcox) finds himself in the couple’s hotel. For both Rita’s and Gasparo, this causes overwhelming denial and confusion and makes for a comedic operatic interaction. Needless to say, a love triangle ensues, but not the most typical to be seen on stage! Both Beppe and Gasparo are present when the audience arrive. The set is minimal but intriguing; displaying three doors which become a key element of the show, a single table and two chairs. Th...
The Throne – Charing Cross Theatre
London

The Throne – Charing Cross Theatre

With ‘Prince’ Andrew embroiled in rape and sex trafficking criminality, while his brother, Charles, the future king, battles a ‘cash-for-honours’ scandal involving bags of cash, the monarchy has never looked so unworthy of our respect. As working families struggle to feed their kids, using food banks and benefits to survive, the gilded wealth of Buckingham Palace seems less like a glittering distraction and more like an insult to the moral fabric of society. There are many who’d disagree with this assessment, perhaps even the Queen herself. The Throne, a new comedy, by John Goldsmith, steps into this debate, using farce and satire to explore some of the questions around ‘monarchy Vs republic’. The play is set in a ‘sink comprehensive’ school, as it prepares for a visit from the Quee...
The Jubilee isn’t over… the Queen is coming to Charing Cross!
NEWS

The Jubilee isn’t over… the Queen is coming to Charing Cross!

From one jubilee to another... majestic new comedy THE THRONE by John Goldsmith takes us back to the Golden Jubilee year of 2002. Starring Charlie Condou (Coronation Street, Charlotte Gray, Nathan Barley) and Mary Roscoe (Ted Lasso, Unrelated), THE THRONE runs at Charing Cross Theatre from 23rd June. 2002: the year of the Golden Jubilee, and everyone at Dudley Goring Comprehensive School is in a state of eager anticipation about the arrival of a very important visitor. Her Majesty the Queen is due to open the new Science block. Everyone, that is, apart from Derek Jones, the school’s Head of Science, an unreconstructed socialist and staunch republican. In a moment of madness, Derek decides to use the temporary 'facilities' – a Portaloo which has been specially installed for the Q...