Linda John-Pierre Archives - North West End UK

22Jul

By Paddy Darnell-WalshNo Comments

North West

Chicago – Blackpool Opera House

Dubbed “the sexiest musical ever” (Metro), Chicago returns to Blackpool this week, with a huge sprinkle of razzle-dazzle with it! Set with the decadent backdrop of the 1920s Chicago jazz scene, the story follows Roxie Hart who murders her lover when he threatens to leave her. In a desperate attempt to avoid conviction, Hart hires renowned lawyer Billy Flynn to assist her in deceiving the media, public and rival cellmate, Velma Kelly. With show-stopping songs a plenty, the sultry, sassy, sensational Chicago is back at the Seaside with a bang. With lyrics from Fredd Ebb and music by John Kander, blasted out by a live band onstage (under the superb musical direction of Neil MacDonald), it’s easy to understand Chicago’s appeal. I must admit, having seen the show various times over the years...

Chicago – Hull New Theatre

Ten very talented musicians, led by fun-loving maestro Neil MacDonald, opened Chicago the Musical at Hull New Theatre on Monday evening – or at least, one of the three trumpeters did. But all ten played an enraptured audience out at the show’s end, with the aforementioned maestro encouraging us to wave our arms in the air to the music. Such talents are often hidden away in a theatre’s orchestra pit, so for these musicians to be on stage for the duration was a joy. All the action takes place in 1920s Chicago, Illinois, mostly in the women’s block of the Cook County Jail, after unfaithful housewife and nightclub dancer Roxie Hart (Janette Manrara, of Strictly Come Dancing fame) is held there pre-trial for murdering her lover. The stage designers of this amazing production cleverl...

MAMMA MIA! The Party Extends Booking Period to February 2023

MAMMA MIA! THE PARTY, London’s premier dining experience, has extended its booking period due to extraordinary demand and is now playing to Sunday 26th February 2023. Tickets for the new booking period at The O2 London are on sale this Friday 22nd July. Created by ABBA’s Björn Ulvaeus, MAMMA MIA! THE PARTY is a unique and magical experience in a class of its own, bringing all ABBA’s hits to life more vividly than ever before: over the course of four glittering hours, guests can immerse themselves in a spectacular musical extravaganza, a four-course Greek feast and an ABBA disco, all in one unforgettable evening of dancing, dining and singing! MAMMA MIA! THE PARTY is set in a taverna on the beautiful Greek island of Skopelos, where most exteriors of the first MAMMA MIA! film were shot...