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).
PRINCIPAL CASTING AND FURTHER DATES ANNOUNCED FOR THE FORTHCOMING UK AND IRELAND TOUR OF
CAMERON MACKINTOSH’S
SPECTACULAR NEW PRODUCTION OF
BOUBLIL AND SCHÖNBERG’S LEGENDARY MUSICAL
OPENING AT CURVE LEICESTER ON 1 JULY 2017
FOLLOWING ITS RECORD-BREAKING LONDON RUN
AND BRILLIANT BROADWAY OPENING
Cameron Mackintosh is delighted to announce principal casting and further dates for the forthcoming UK and Ireland tour of his acclaimed new production of Boublil and Schönberg’s legendary musical MISS SAIGON, opening at Curve Leicester where it will play from Saturday 1 July – Saturday 22 July 2017.
Red Concepcion will play ‘The Engineer’, Sooha Kim ‘Kim’, Ashley Gilmour ‘Chris’, Zoë Doano ‘Ellen’ and Gerald Santos ‘Thuy’. At certain performances ‘Kim’ will be played by Joreen Bautista.
They are joined by David Allwood, Randy Chien, Vinny Coyle, Kristine Mae Diaz, Michael James Eborall, Aynrand Ferrer, Seng Henk Goh, Emily Beth Harrington, Jack Heasman, Tom Hier, Barnaby Hughes, Kamm Kunaree, David Kar-Hing Lee, Amanda Lingdren, Ela Lisondra, Winchester Lopez, Christian Rey Marbella, Jay Marsh, Tom Mussell, Thao Nguyen, Saori Oda, YoungJoo Park, Kiel Payton, Katherine Picar, Alistair So, Carl Jae-Suk Sohlberg, Eloisa Amalia Tan, Gavin Tsang, Amadeus Williams, and Gerald Zarcilla. Further casting to be announced soon.
In addition to the venues already announced, MISS SAIGON is now also confirmed to play the Manchester Palace Theatre (21 March – 12 May 2018), The Bristol Hippodrome (16 May – 23 June), Theatre Royal Plymouth (4 July – 4 August) and Norwich Theatre Royal (15 August – 15 September). Full details of the tour schedule to date are below with further venues to be announced soon.
Red Concepcion’s many theatre credits in his native Philippines include Adam/Felicia in Priscilla Queen of the Desert for which he won the ALIW Award and Gawah Buhay Award, Tommy in The Normal Heart and Alan Strang in Equus as well as the musicals West Side Story and Hairspray.
Sooha Kim made her professional debut in this recent production of Miss Saigon at the Prince Edward Theatre where she covered the role of Kim before going on to play the role in the Japanese production. Her credits whilst training in Korea include Maureen in Rent and Carmen in Fame.
Ashley Gilmour also appeared in Miss Saigon at the Prince Edward Theatre. His most recent credits include playing Link Larkin in the national tour of Hairspray.
Zoë Doano’s many West End theatre credits include Cosette in Les Misérables, Johanna in Sweeney Todd and most recently Grazia in Death Takes A Holiday. She has also appeared in the national tours of The Sound of Music and High Society.
Gerald Santos was the youngest ever winner of the biggest singing contest in the Philippines, Pinoy Pop Superstar. He has released five studio albums and has won numerous awards including winning twice Best Male Concert performer at the prestigious ALIW Awards.
Last week, this new production of MISS SAIGON opened on Broadway to nightly standing ovations following a smash-hit run in London’s West End. The New Yorker calls it a “Dynamite Broadway revival”. When this new production opened in London in May 2014 to record-breaking advance sales and critical acclaim, Dominic Cavendish in The Daily Telegraph wrote, “This thrilling new production spills out beyond the theatre and speaks directly to the times we live in”. The show swept the board at the 2015 Whatsonstage.com awards winning a record breaking nine awards, the most awards ever won by a single show in the 15-year history of the awards including: Best West End Show and Best Revival of a Musical.
MISS SAIGION tells the story of the last days of the Vietnam War, 17 year-old Kim is forced to work in a Saigon bar run by a notorious character known as the Engineer. There she meets and falls in love with an American GI named Chris but they are torn apart by the fall of Saigon. For 3 years Kim goes on an epic journey of survival to find her way back to Chris, who has no idea he’s fathered a son.
MISS SAIGON has music by Claude-Michel Schönberg with lyrics by Richard Maltby Jr. and Alain Boublil, adapted from original French lyrics by Alain Boublil, with additional lyrics by Michael Mahler. The new production is directed by Laurence Connor with musical staging by Bob Avian and additional choreography by Geoffrey Garratt. Production design is by Totie Driver and Matt Kinley based on an original concept by Adrian Vaux; costume design by Andreane Neofitou; lighting design by Bruno Poet; projections by Luke Halls; sound design by Mick Potter; and orchestrations by William David Brohn.
Since its London premiere in 1989, Cameron Mackintosh’s production of Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg’s legendary musical MISS SAIGON has become one of the most successful musicals in history. The original Broadway production of MISS SAIGON opened on April 11, 1991 with what was the largest advance sale in Broadway history ($37 million). The show went on to play for nearly ten years and 4,063 performances seen by more than 5.9 million people. MISS SAIGON has been performed in 28 countries, over 300 cities in 15 different languages, has won over 40 awards including 2 Olivier Awards, 3 Tony Awards, and 4 Drama Desk Awards and been seen by over 35 million people worldwide.
MONDAY 3 JULY – SATURDAY 22 JULY 2017
CURVE, LEICESTER
www.curveonline.co.uk – 0116 242 3595
ON SALE NOW
WEDNESDAY 26 JULY – SATURDAY 23 SEPTEMBER 2017
BIRMINGHAM HIPPODROME
www.birminghamhippodrome.com – 0844 338 5000
ON SALE NOW
WEDNESDAY 4 OCTOBER – SATURDAY 18 NOVEMBER 2017
BORD GAIS ENERGY THEATRE, DUBLIN
www.bordgaisenergytheatre.ie – +353 (1) 677 7999
ON SALE NOW
WEDNESDAY 29 NOVEMBER 2017 – SATURDAY 6 JANUARY 2018
WALES MILLENNIUM CENTRE, CARDIFF
www.wmc.org.uk – 029 2063 6464
ON SALE NOW
WEDNESDAY 17 JANUARY – SATURDAY 17 FEBRUARY 2018
FESTIVAL THEATRE EDINBURGH
www.edtheatres.com – 01315296000
ON SALE NOW
WEDNESDAY 21 FEBRUARY – SATURDAY 17 MARCH 2018
MAYFLOWER THEATRE, SOUTHAMPTON
www.mayflower.org.uk – 02380 711811
ON SALE NOW
WEDNESDAY 21 MARCH – SATURDAY 12 MAY 2018
MANCHESTER PALACE THEATRE
www.atgtickets.com/venues/palace-theatre-manchester/ – 0844 871 3019
ON SALE 18 MAY 2017
WEDNESDAY 16 MAY – SATURDAY 23 JUNE 2018
THE BRISTOL HIPPODROME
www.atgtickets.com/venues/bristol-hippodrome/ – 0844 871 3012
ON SALE 18 MAY 2017
WEDNESDAY 4 JULY – SATURDAY 4 AUGUST 2018
THEATRE ROYAL PLYMOUTH
http://www.theatreroyal.com/ – 01752 267222
ON SALE 18 MAY 2017
WEDNESDAY 15 AUGUST – SATURDAY 15 SEPTEMBER 2018
NORWICH THEATRE ROYAL
www.theatreroyalnorwich.co.uk 01603 63 00 00
ON SALE 21 AUGUST 2017
