Friday, December 27

Tag: Keala Settle

Fly More Than You Fall – Southwark Playhouse Elephant
London

Fly More Than You Fall – Southwark Playhouse Elephant

Just opened at the Southwark Playhouse Elephant, ‘Fly More Than You Fall’ is a new musical by Eric Holmes (Book/Lyrics) and Nat Zegree (Music/Lyrics).  We meet Malia (Robyn Rose-Li) a 15-year-old writer with big dreams of going to camp this summer and finishing her first book about a bird, Willow (Maddison Bulleyment) who will finally reach the top of the mountain despite her broken wings. Malia’s parents warn her that life isn’t always as positive as she experiences it right now and surely enough, her mother Jennifer (Keala Settle) is diagnosed with stage 4 cancer that summer and rather than spending it at camp, Malia must stay home and spend her last moments with her mum. Death is universal and everyone in the audience has some relation to it, one way or another. It is important ...
West End and The Greatest Showman star Keala Settle will lead the cast in the UK premiere of the musical Fly More Than You Fall
NEWS

West End and The Greatest Showman star Keala Settle will lead the cast in the UK premiere of the musical Fly More Than You Fall

Tony nominated Broadway star Keala Settle is to lead the cast in the UK premiere of the new US musical Fly More Than You Fall at Southwark Playhouse Elephant from 18th October- 23rd November. Based on lived experiences the uplifting and inspiring show navigates grief with some incredible songs that are bound to get stuck in your head! This isn’t just a musical, it’s a journey that will break your heart and mend it all in one night. Keala achieved global fame as the bearded lady Lettie Lutz in the film The Greatest Showman. Her moving rendition of the anthem ‘This is Me’ was a standout song in the movie, going on to win the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song, and a video on YouTube has now been watched 82m times. Sh...
Sister Act: A Divine Musical Comedy – Eventim Apollo
London

Sister Act: A Divine Musical Comedy – Eventim Apollo

This latest revival of Alan Menken, Glenn Slater, Cheri Steinkellner and Bill Steinkellner’s divine comedy has been a long time coming. Initially conceived as an opportunity to return Whoopi Goldberg to the role she created in the hit nineties film, the planned second coming fell foul of the pandemic. So, two years after its planned debut Beverley Knight is rocking the habit, and the Eventim Apollo, in Bill Buckhurst’s revised production. The production is not short of spectacle with Knight and the singing nuns bringing enough glitz to hold their own amongst the long list of performers who have graced the Eventim Apollo stage over the years. The musical is fairly faithful to the film’s plot - having witnessed a murder Deloris Van Cartier is forced to hide out in a convent helping her ‘s...
Sister Act – Palace Theatre, Manchester
North West

Sister Act – Palace Theatre, Manchester

30 years ago, Whoopi Goldberg played potentially her most iconic role of Deloris Van Cartier in the blockbuster classic; Sister Act. The movie has since been transferred to the stage as a musical. Despite being postponed two years due to the pandemic, it was definitely worth the wait and is of course, ‘Fabulous Baby’! In a cast that boasts many well-known faces including Jennifer Saunders, Keala Settle and Lesley Joseph, in comparison it is the relatively unknown ‘Sandra Marvin’ who plays the leading role. She certainly brought the sass needed to play the iconic role of Deloris. However, if I am being constructive, she does have a great voice, but it’s not that wow start quality that I would have expected from the leading lady. Saunders was hilarious in the role of Mother Superior. S...
& Juliet – Shaftesbury Theatre
London

& Juliet – Shaftesbury Theatre

“What if Juliet didn’t kill herself?” is the premise of & Juliet, a fun, feminist retelling of Shakespeare’s famous love story. David West Read’s book reimagines what would happen when Shakespeare is persuaded by his wife Anne Hathaway to re-write the ending, bringing Juliet back to life for a whirlwind journey of self-discovery. With music and lyrics by Max Martin, Luke Sheppard’s production takes everything we know about Romeo and Juliet and gives it a glittery, pop-fuelled makeover that on paper sounds crazy but in reality, is quite the opposite. With Max Martin and his collaborator's extensive catalogue of songs, from Katy Perry to Ariana Grande, each number is carefully thought out, adding a new dimension as the plot moves along, which other jukebox musicals often struggle with...