Former EastEnder Rita Simons, Lucie Jones (who is representing the UK in the Eurovision Song Contest with ‘Never Give Up On You’ on Saturday May 13), and Coronation Street and Emmerdale actor Bill Ward are to star in a major new UK tour of the smash-hit Broadway and West End show, Legally Blonde The Musical.
Legally Blonde The Musical also has two dogs in the cast, a Chihuahua called Bruiser and another called Rufus, a big, brutish, dog that only its mother could love! Bruiser is already cast and will be on the road but producers have decided to hold auditions for ‘Rufus’ in every town and city on the tour – more details to follow.
Legally Blonde The Musical is an all singing, all dancing romantic comedy, a fun-filled, feel-good pink fest. College sweetheart and homecoming queen Elle Woods, doesn’t take no for an answer. When her boyfriend dumps her for someone more serious, Elle puts down the credit card, hits the books and heads for Harvard Law School. Along the way, Elle proves that being true to yourself never goes out of style.
Based on the Reese Witherspoon film, Legally Blonde The Musical earned seven Tony nominations and 10 Drama Desk Award nominations during its Broadway run. In the UK it was nominated for 5 Laurence Olivier Awards winning 3 including Best New Musical, and was nominated for 8 WhatsOnStage Awards winning 4 including Best Musical.
Legally Blonde The Musical, with music and lyrics by Laurence O’Keefe and Nell Benjamin and book by Heather Hach, based on the novel by Amanda Brown and the MGM motion picture, will open at the Churchill Theatre, Bromley (18 – 23 Sept) then tour the UK and Ireland until June 2018.
Rita Simons (Paulette Bonafonte) is best known for playing Roxy Mitchell in BBC’s EastEnders for which she has won numerous awards and is one of Britain’s best loved actresses. She won Most Popular Newcomer at the National Television Awards and other awards and nominations include Best Newcomer at the Digital Spy Soap Awards, Best Onscreen Partnership for her character partnership with Ronnie Mitchell played by Samantha Womack (who is about to star in The Addams Family Musical), Best Newcomer at the TV Now Awards, a nomination for Best Newcomer at the 2008 British Soap Awards and Best Newcomer at the 2008 Inside Soap Awards. Rita has also appeared on TV in Mile High as Hannah, Dream Team as Julie and London’s Burning. In Spring 2012, Rita was the subject of a major documentary film Rita Simons: My Daughter, Deafness and Me made by Leopard Films for BBC1. Rita actively supports the charity RNID.
Lucie Jones (Elle Woods) is currently playing Maureen in the 20th anniversary UK tour of Rent. Her previous theatre credits include: Elle Woods in Legally Blonde (Leicester Curve); Molly in Ghost (Asian Tour); Victoria in American Psycho (The Almeida); Meatloaf in We Will Rock You (International Tour); Kelly Byrne in The Prodigals (Edinburgh Festival); Cosette in Les Miserables (Queens Theatre, West End and O2 Arena). Her TV acting credits includes: Melody Carver in Midsomer Murders (ITV); Louise in The Sarah Jane Adventures (BBC). Lucie was a finalist in the 2009 series of The X Factor.
Bill Ward (Professor Callahan) is best known for his work on two of the country’s leading soaps. He has just finished 3 years in Emmerdale, playing farmer James Barton (Ross, Pete and Finn’s Dad) for over 300 episodes, who met a gruesome, death at the hands of his emotionally volatile partner, Emma, in one of the biggest storylines of the year. Previously, he played the builder Charlie Stubbs in Coronation Street, also for 300 episodes, who was murdered by his emotionally volatile partner, Tracy Barlow, in one of the soap’s biggest storylines of the year. In addition to his many and varied TV and film credits Bill is no stranger to the stage and has worked on everything from Sophocles to The Spice Girls at Bristol Old Vic, Manchester Royal Exchange, Northern Stage, Clwyd Theatr Cymru, and The National Theatre Studio amongst others. He’s played Prospero in The Tempest in Guildford, Lancelot in Spamalot in the West End, and Kevin the Gnome in a muddy field in Glastonbury.
Also in the cast are: David Barrett (Emmett), Liam Doyle (Warner), Laura Harrison (Vivienne), Helen Petrovna (Brooke), Ben Harlow (Kyle), Nancy Hill (Enid), Rebecca Stenhouse (Margot), Delycia Belgrave (Pilar), Rachel Grundy (Serena), Lucyelle Cliffe (Elle’s Mom), Rosie Needham (Kate Chutney), Alexandra Wright (Leilana), Sally Frith (Gaelen), Mark Peachey (Elle’s Dad/Winthrop/Dewey), Michael Hamway (Aaron), Felipe Bejarano (Sundeep/Nikos), Brett Shiels (Grand Master Chad), Connor Collins (Carlos), Emma Prosser (Swing), Craig Tyler (Swing) and Bruisey (Bruiser).
The BBC has announced today that Lucie Jones is one of the six artists chosen to perform the songs competing for the UK’s entry into the Eurovision Song Contest. Lucie will perform the song on Eurovision: You Decide, a show to be held at the Eventim Hammersmith Apollo on 27 January 2017 and broadcast live on BBC Two, presented by Mel Giedroyc. The winner, who will be revealed on the night after a combined expert jury and live public vote, will then represent the UK at Eurovision, with the Grand Final on Saturday 13 May in Kyiv, Ukraine.
The ballad that Lucie is singing, Never Give Up On You, is the work of composers and lyricists The Treatment, Emmelie de Forest and Lawrie Martin, and can be heard now
Lucie is currently starring as Maureen Johnson in the new 20th Anniversary production of Jonathan Larson’s ground-breaking Pulitzer Prize- and Tony Award-winning musical RENT. The show is currently playing a sold-out season at St. James Theatre, London until 28 January and will then embark on a major UK tour until 27 May 2017. RENT has been nominated for Best Regional Production at the 17th Annual What’s on Stage Awards, taking place in London next month.
“I’m absolutely thrilled to be invited to take part in Eurovision: You Decide. Never Give Up On You is an incredibly powerful song, especially when sung live! I can’t wait to perform it live on BBC Two on Friday night.”
Producer Robert Mackintosh said “On behalf of the producers of RENT, we are delighted that Lucie Jones has been selected to sing one of the six songs in the running to compete for UK’s entry in the Eurovision Song Contest. Lucie is one of the UK’s brightest young talents and a valued company member. We wish her every success for Eurovision: You Decide this Friday.”
Lucie was a finalist on The X Factor in 2009 and has most recently starred as Elle Woods in Legally Blonde (Curve, Leicester). Her other theatre credits include Molly Jenson on tour in Ghost the Musical, Victoria in American Psycho at The Almeida, Meatloaf in the International Tour of We Will Rock You and Cosette in Les Miserables at Queens Theatre, London’s West End and O2 Arena. Lucie also toured the UK in The X Factor Arena Tour.
