Stephen Schwartz Archives - North West End UK

19Apr

By Paul ClarkeNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

Wicked – Bradford Alhambra

If you’ve ever wondered how those red shoes came to be sticking out from under Dorothy’s house in The Wizard of Oz this prequel to that classic movie will give you the answer. It goes back to before Dorothy crash landed in the land of Oz ruled by a mysterious wizard to reveal the backstory of Elphaba – better known to us The Wicked Witch of the West - and her nemesis Glinda the Good. Based on Gregory Maguire’s revisionist novel ‘Wicked – The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of West’ rather than L. Frank Baum’s original text we firstly meet Elphaba and Glinda as they start life at Shiz University as sworn enemies. The brilliant twist in this version is that Elphaba's skin is green thanks to an accident of birth so is the outsider and blonde rich brat Glinda is her exact opposite. B...

8Mar

By Peter KinnockNo Comments

West Midlands

Wicked – Birmingham Hippodrome

“There’s No Place Like Brum!” There’s certainly no place Brum for the next few weeks as the international green-faced, broomstick-wielding, hit-stuffed mega-musical drops its house on the stage of the Birmingham Hippodrome which it will be calling no place like home until the 7th April. “Wicked” erupted on Broadway in a flume of green smoke 21 years ago and has been dazzling us with a rainbow of pizzazz ever since. Stemming from Gregory Maguire’s 1995 revisionist exploration of the characters from L.Frank Baum’s 1900 novel “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” itself adapted into the cloyingly sentimental and techo-surrealist 1939 movie starring Judy “Slippers” Garland, “Wicked” has become the mainstay of both West End and Broadway with many an actress donning the Shrek-hued make-up and defy...

14Jul

By Brian MaddenNo Comments

North West

The Hunchback of Notre Dame – Z Arts

Based on the 1831 novel by Victor Hugo, the Hunchback of Notre Dame has been transcribed into a musical with a little help from the 1996 Walt Disney production. The play itself has been written by Peter Parnell, with music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz. The Manchester Musical Youth group have decided to tackle this classic as their latest production. It must be said it’s been a good few years since I’ve seen the Hunchback of Notre Dame and this production is certainly a lot darker than I remember the Disney movie. There’s also the addition of new songs. Even though the play is set in Paris, it almost has a Greek feel to it. The numerous statues and gargoyles almost act as a chorus that is quite typical of many Greek plays such as Suppliant Women. From that point of v...

Wicked celebrates turning 15 in London’s West End

28Sep

By Caroline WorswickNo Comments

NEWS

Wicked celebrates turning 15 in London’s West End

Wicked, the West End and Broadway musical phenomenon that tells the incredible untold story of the Witches of Oz, tonight (28th September 2021) celebrates 15 years at London’s Apollo Victoria Theatre. The award-winning production will play a celebratory performance attended by the composer and lyricist Stephen Schwartz together with a host of former cast members. Composer and lyricist Stephen Schwartz said: “I'm thrilled to be in London and in the audience at the Apollo Victoria Theatre as Wicked celebrates its 15th anniversary. The amazing emotion and euphoria from the audience on the night the show resumed performances on Broadway made clear to us all the magic that only the shared experience of live theatre can deliver. I am so excited to feel the response from London...

15Jul

By Eugene GriffinNo Comments

London

Pippin – Charing Cross Theatre

The Charing Cross Theatre was the perfect venue for this latest revival of Pippin. Written in 1972 with Music and Lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and a Book by Roger O.Hirson. The piece itself is very interesting as it follows a mystery performance group who tell the story of Pippin who longs to find something to fulfil his life. This piece can be interpreted in different and interesting ways. Director Steven Dexter has placed Pippin in a 60’s, flower power environment, where you are immediately transported to somewhere in the middle of nowhere where the performance group are. As soon as you walk into the space you are engulfed by 60’s tapestries hanging all over the theatre walls. And incense burning which further transported the audience away from London in July to somewhere in America in...

Clive Rowe to Star as Jethro in The Prince of Egypt

15May

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

NEWS

Clive Rowe to Star as Jethro in The Prince of Egypt

THE PRINCE OF EGYPT, the hit musical based on the classic DreamWorks Animation film, is delighted to announce that Olivier Award-winner and ‘Tracy Beaker’ star Clive Rowe will join the company as ‘Jethro’ for a limited engagement from Thursday 1st July to Saturday 16th October 2021. “A huge popular hit” (LBC), the Grammy® Award nominated musical will resume performances at London’s Dominion Theatre on Thursday 1 July 2021 with tickets on sale until Saturday 8 January 2022. Performances between Thursday 1st July and Saturday 4th September 2021 are currently expected to take place under UK Government Step 3 protocols (social distancing). Tickets for all performances are available now via www.ThePrinceofEgyptMusical.com From his celebrated debut performance as ‘Mr Snow’ in Nicholas Hy...

27Apr

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

NEWS

WICKED – The Musical Phenomenon Returns

Wicked, the West End and Broadway musical phenomenon that tells the incredible untold story of the Witches of Oz, will return to London’s Apollo Victoria Theatre later this year, with performances resuming on Wednesday 15th September 2021. Tickets for this booking period, which runs through to Sunday 22nd May 2022, go on sale at 10am on Monday 17th May 2021. Wicked will play a Tuesday-Sunday performance schedule, with matinees on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday. Visit www.WickedTheMusical.co.uk for all information. Wicked will mark its 15th anniversary at the Apollo Victoria Theatre later in the year and will host a celebratory performance on Tuesday 28th September 2021. The music and lyrics in Wicked are by the legendary composer Stephen Schwartz (whose enduringly popular musical...

The Prince of Egypt Reopens at the Dominion Theatre on 1st July

12Mar

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

NEWS

The Prince of Egypt Reopens at the Dominion Theatre on 1st July

THE PRINCE OF EGYPT, the hit musical based on the classic DreamWorks Animation film, will resume performances at London’s Dominion Theatre on Thursday 1st July 2021 with public booking now extended until Saturday 8th January 2022. Tickets will be on sale from 12 noon (GMT) today (Friday 12th March 2021) and are available via www.ThePrinceofEgyptMusical.com For the safety of audiences and The Prince of Egypt company, and out of an abundance of caution in allowing for delays in the current steps set out in UK Government’s roadmap, performances between Thursday 1st July and Saturday 4th September 2021 will take place under Step 3 protocols (social distancing)*. Performances from Monday 6th September 2021 onwards will operate under Step 4 protocols (all legal limits on social contact re...