As we’ve watched for the past year many Broadway, Off-Broadway, and West End productions fall silent as the coronavirus pandemic closed the door on many theaters, producers from the West End production of Tina: The Tina Turner Musical have announced that the show is anticipating a summer return on June 3rd, 2021 in the event the U.K government easing up on restrictions.

Aisha Jawando and Jammy Kasongo were set to step into the roles of Tina and Ike Turner on March 17, a day after the show abruptly closed during the shutdown.

 

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Tina was written by Katori Hall along with Frank Ketelaar and Kees Prins, directed by Phyllida Lloyd, and choreographed by Anthony van Laast. Set and costume designs by Mark Thompson, musical supervision by Nicholas Skilbeck, lighting by Bruno Poet, sound by Nevin Steinberg, projection design by Jeff Sugg, and orchestrations by Ethan Popp. set and costume designs by Mark Thompson, musical supervision by Nicholas Skilbeck, lighting by Bruno Poet, sound by Nevin Steinberg, projection design by Jeff Sugg, and orchestrations by Ethan Popp.

Due to the pandemic, Tina is also on pause at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre on Broadway where Tony nominee Adrienne Warren currently leads the company in the role of Tina Turner.

The post London’s TINA Anticipates June 2021 Return! appeared first on Broadway Black.

De Bois Band’s back on Friday 28 May

And… you can now book & Juliet tickets for 2022!

For more details and information about existing bookings and safety measures, visit https://t.co/50Ydvwdntt pic.twitter.com/JHqm36cYrA

— & Juliet (@julietmusical) January 5, 2021

In a statement released, they said, “We are thrilled to be able to let you know that we will be returning to the Shaftesbury Theatre on Friday 28 May – and we have extended bookings into 2022! This may be a little later than we had all hoped, but we would like to thank you for your ongoing patience and support and look forward to welcoming you back to theatreland in the spring.”

The show is a twist on the original star-crossed lovers, Romeo and Juliet. However, it begs to question, “what if Juliet’s famous ending was really just her beginning? What if she decided to choose her own fate? This is Juliet’s story now. So don’t tell her how it ends…”

 

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”And Juliet’s cast includes Miriam-Teak Lee, Arun Blair-Mangat , Melanie La Barrie, Jocasta Almgill, Ivan De Freitas, Danielle Fiamanya, Nathan Lorainey-Dineen, Antoine Murray-Straughan , Billy Nevers, and Kerri Norville.

Tickets may be purchased on the Shaftesbury Theatre’s website.

The post West End’s And Juliet Announces May 2021 Reopen Date appeared first on Broadway Black.

On Saturday, December 5, the cast and crew of Six the Musical in London’s West End reopened to an audience at half capacity due to government restrictions and safety protocols surrounding COVID. Their Instagram account posted a curtain call in celebration of successfully reopening the show since it’s closure earlier this year due to the pandemic.

 

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Although there are joy and celebration from their audience and followers online, the partially empty theatre is a reminder that we are still in a pandemic. It brings into question, outside of the steps the Nimax Theatres has put into place, which includes face masks, contactless ticketing, and limited capacity, what additional safety measures are in place and how successful they will be in keeping the cast and crew safe?

We need theatre, theatre is important. Art enriches our lives and provides us with a moment of comfort when there is nowhere to go, but at what cost? Don’t be confused. No one is going to sit here and lie and pretend like they are perfect. Here is hoping we are past the part of the pandemic where we constantly judge the choices that are being made based on the little we see or know. No one has been without fault and every mistake has varying degrees of costs. Some we get away with, others not so much.

COVID doesn’t leave you alone when you’re eating at a restaurant. COVID does not respect boundaries, plans, or families. A negative test today does not guarantee that you’ll remain negative the next. It simply means that at that time it could not be detected. Every contact we make with the outside, we are at risk. COVID is outside, y’all and there are people out here literally raw dogging the air while others quarantine their mail and wash their groceries. I am “others”.

The worst part is that we have choices to make. If we can’t do our jobs if we cannot perform, how do we pay rent, mortgages, feed ourselves, and our families? Not to mention the mental health toll on a community without art and a world where we are only able to come together through a device.

…all of this we already know. So, for now, we make a choice and ask ourselves if it’s worth it. Only hindsight will tell.

 

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The post Six the Musical Reopens on West End appeared first on Broadway Black.

The play, written by Lanie Robertson and directed by Lonny Price, tells the story of the legendary jazz icon’s loves and losses through a turbulent but extraordinary life. Providing the backdrop to these stories are the moving and stirring songs that Holiday is most famous for – “God Bless the Child,” “What a Little Moonlight Can Do,” “Strange Fruit,” “Crazy He Calls Me,” and “Taint Nobody’s Biz-ness.” The production will play at Wyndham’s Theater from June 25 to September 3. The official opening is scheduled for July 5. 

In Shuffle Along, McDonald will take on the role of “Lottie Gee” and Brian Stokes Mitchell will appear in the role of “F.E. Miller.” Billy Porter takes on the role of “Aubrey Lyles,” with Brandon Victor Dixon and Joshua Henry as “Eubie Blake” and “Noble Sissle.”

McDonald made Broadway history with a record-setting sixth Tony Award for her perfomance in Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill. She also has the distinction of being the first person to receive awards in all four acting categories. She has also won Tony’s for Carousel, Master Class, Ragtime, A Raisin in the Sun, and Porgy and Bess. We’ll cross our fingers and hope that her performance in the West End production will wow British audiences as much as it did those on Broadway and bring her an Olivier Award.

For tickets and more information about the West End production of Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill visit here.

BREAKING! @audraequalitymc will take a break from #ShuffleAlong to do @LadyDayWestEnd! #br… https://t.co/ud5ogDQFZn pic.twitter.com/IYpDc6lh1n

— Broadway Black (@BroadwayBlack) January 15, 2016

The post Audra McDonald To Make West End Debut In Lady Day appeared first on Broadway Black.

Aladdin will begin previews at the Prince Edward Theatre on May 27, 2016 and open on June 9. So, far no other cast members have been announced.

Nicholas began his career in high school and while attending West Virginia University. He’s appeared in several regional musical theatre productions, including The Wizard of Oz, Ragtime, and Rent. He’s also no stranger to Disney-produced theatre, having performed at Walt Disney World in Festival of the Lion King and Finding Nemo: The Musical. Nationally, Nicholas performed in Big River as “Jim.”

In addition to his stage career, Nicholas is also a singer, musician and songwriter who’s appeared with the bands Fake Eddie, The Ascension, and Modern Mutiny, who are currently awaiting the release of their debut album.

Aladdin opened on Broadway in March 2014 and more than one million people have seen the Disney show so far. The musical, based on the 1992 animated film, received five Tony nominations in its opening year. James Monroe Iglehart won the Tony award for best performance by an actor in a featured role in a musical, for his performance as “Genie.”

Currently, there’s a Japanese version of the musical running in Tokyo and the European premiere is set for December in Hamburg. After the London opening, the production is set to open in August at the Capitol Theatre in Sydney, Australia.

Aladdin is directed and choreographed by Casey Nicholaw and composed by Alan Menken. It features lyrics by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice, with book and additional lyrics by Chad Beguelin.

The post Trevor Dion Nicholas to Star in West End’s Aladdin appeared first on Broadway Black.

West End producer and theatre owner Sir Cameron Mackintosh told the Standard, “I think there’s every intention for it to come to London.”

Mackintosh is no stranger to bringing shows from New York over to London. He previously worked with Hamilton’s lead producer Jeffrey Seller to bring Avenue Q across the pond, as well as shows like Les Miserables and The Phantom of the Opera. 

How does Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda feel about all of this? “We’re hoping it will happen sooner rather than later,” he told the paper. “My wife is always trying to get me to other countries so I would be honored to open the show in London.”

Directed by Thomas Kail and inspired by Ron Chernow’s biography Alexander Hamilton, Hamilton explores the life of the American founding father and first Secretary of the Treasury, as well as his experiences as an orphan of the British West Indies who migrated to the 13 Colonies and helped shape the United States of America. It began Broadway previews July 13, with opening night on August 6 at the Richard Rodgers Theatre, which Broadway Black had the honor to attend. Hamilton had its world premiere at the Public Theater.

On the way to its Aug. 6 opening, the hyped musical came within spitting distance of earning $1.5 million, earning the No. 4 slot in the Broadway top 10. The Lion King, Wicked, and Aladdin take the top 3, respectively.

The musical, which opened with rave reviews, has already been seen by President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama as well as Vice President Joe Biden and White House hopeful Hillary Clinton. Other early guests have included comedian Jimmy Fallon and actresses Julia Roberts, Whoopi Goldberg, Laverne Cox and Olivia Wilde.

Do you think Hamilton would be a hit overseas?

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“We are thrilled and deeply honored to be bringing Kinky Boots back home to British shores, where this inspirational story is set,” said producers Daryl Roth and Hal Luftig in a statement.

Based on the film of the same name, and inspired by true events, the show tells the story of a struggling Northampton shoe factory that turns its fortunes around by catering to drag queens.

Struggling with changes in fashion and competition from abroad, Charlie (Killian Donnelly) starts to look for new markets and is persuaded by Lola (Matt Henry) to consider an expansion into “kinky boots” — women’s shoes in men’s sizes for transgender people and crossdressers.

Henry recently competed as a finalist in the UK edition of television’s “The Voice.” Some of his theatre credits include Avenue Q (National Tour), The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe (Northampton), and The Harder They Come (Theatre Royal Stratford East).

At the 2013 Tony Awards, Kinky Boots won Best Musical and Best Original Score for its writer, pop star Cyndi Lauper. The New York Times referred to it as “a shameless emotional button pusher,” but praised its “zip and zeal”.

In the original film, based on the BBC documentary, Trouble at the Top: The Kinky Boot Factory, Chiwetel Ejiofor plays the drag queen who forms an unlikely business relationship with the owner of a shoe factory.

Kinky Boots will run from August 21 to September 14 at the Adelphi Theatre.

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