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Blithe Spirit, Starring Jennifer Saunders, Will Return to the West End This Fall

by | May 28, 2021 | New Musical News Feed

The Noël Coward comedy Blithe Spirit will return to London’s West End this fall, with Jennifer Saunders confirmed to reprise her role as the outrageous clairvoyant Madame Arcati. Performances are set to begin September 16 at the Harold Pinter Theatre.

The production played the Duke of York’s Theatre in March 2020 before the theatre shutdown cut a limited run short. Additional returning cast members will include Geoffrey Streatfeild as Charles Condomine, Lisa Dillon as Ruth Condomine, Simon Coates as Dr Bradman, Lucy Robinson as Mrs Bradman, and Rose Wardlaw as Edith.

The comedy follows novelist Charles Condomine and his second wife Ruth as they are haunted by a past relationship when an eccentric medium inadvertently conjures up the ghost of his first wife, Elvira, at a seance. When she appears, visible only to Charles and determined to sabotage his current marriage, life—and the afterlife—get complicated.

The Richard Eyre-helmed production features set and costume design by Anthony Ward, lighting by Howard Harrison, sound by John Leonard, and illusions by Paul Kieve.

The play is presented by Theatre Royal Bath Productions, Lee Dean and Jonathan Church Theatre Productions.

Production Photos: Jennifer Saunders in Blithe Spirit

Playbill Vault’s Today in Theatre History: May 27

by | May 26, 2021 | New Musical News Feed

1953 John Mills is The Uninvited Guest at London’s St. James’ Theatre. Written by his wife, Mary Hayley Bell, and co-starring Cathleen Nesbitt and Joan Greenwood, the story of a man who returns home after spending 20 years in a mental institution plays just 21 performances.

1974 Derek Jacobi stars in William Shakespeare’s Pericles at Her Majesty’s Theatre in London. Toby Robertson stages the production.

1982 Well, the title was catchy: Do Black Patent Leather Shoes Really Reflect Up?. But the musical by John R. Powers (book), James Quinn, and Alaric Jans (score) shines for only five performances at the Alvin Theatre.

1984 Holly Hunter is crowned a winner in The Miss Firecracker Contest at Off-Broadway’s Manhattan Theatre Club. The play’s plot centers around a small-town family wrapped up in winning a beauty pageant. Stephen Tobolowsky directs. Hunter stars in the 1989 film version.

1998 Austin Pendleton directs a new Tom Stoppard translation of Anton Chekhov’s The Seagull, opening Off-Broadway at Theatre Four. The cast includes Angie Phillips, Mark Blum, Maria Tucci, and Greg Naughton.

2003 After development at regional theatres, Doug Wright’s I Am My Own Wife premieres Off-Broadway at Playwrights Horizons. The play transfers to Broadway in November and wins the 2004 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and Tony Award for Best Play.

2011 Zoë Wanamaker and David Suchet open in a West End revival of Arthur Miller’s All My Sons at the Apollo Theatre. The drama is directed by Howard Davies, who previously directed an award-winning production of the play at the National Theatre in 2000.

2016 Ragtime creators Lynn Ahrens, Stephen Flaherty, and Terrence McNally reunite for the world premiere musical Anastasia, opening at Hartford Stage. Based on the 1997 animated film musical, it stars Christy Altomare in the title role. The production transfers to Broadway the following year.

Today’s Birthdays: Lucile Watson (1879–1962); Harold Rome (1908–1993); Richard Waring (1910–1993); Vincent Price (1911–1993); Herman Wouk (1915–2019); Louis Gossett, Jr. (b. 1936); Richard Schiff (b. 1955).

Watch highlights from the 2017 Broadway production of Anastasia:

Moulin Rouge!, Dear Evan Hansen, More to Be Featured at Broadway’s Back Concert for NYC Public School Teachers and Students

by | May 25, 2021 | New Musical News Feed

Education non-profit Inside Broadway is giving back to NYC-area public high school students and teachers with a live concert featuring performers from Moulin Rouge!, Diana, Dear Evan Hansen, Wicked, The Lion King, and Chicago. The 70-minute concert will be held at Marseille restaurant May 26 at 11:30 AM for an audience of 25 vaccinated educators. A live stream of the event will be available to view for students and teachers across all five boroughs for 30 days.

The event will be hosted by N’Kenge (Broadway’s upcoming Caroline, or Change) and will feature performances from Tony nominee Sahr Ngaujah (Moulin Rouge!), Holly Ann Butler (Diana), Zachary Noah Piser (Dear Evan Hansen), Jennifer DiNoia (Wicked), Nteliseng Nkhela (The Lion King), Haley Swindal (Chicago), and Jeremy Stolle (The Phantom of the Opera).

The concert, titled Broadway’s Back, follows two challenging school years touched by a pandemic and distanced learning. Inside Broadway hopes this “virtual field trip” will provide entertainment for students and teachers both in schools and remotely.

Inside Broadway was created by Michael Presser in 1982 in collaboration with The Shubert Organization. The non-profit today reaches more than 70,000 students in more than 100 public schools in New York City each year. Programs include an annual musical production that tours schools, plus many educational programs that offer students a chance to interact with industry professionals.