Issue9 by Christopher D. Clegg

THEATRE, LIFESTYLE AND MORE #ISSUE9 // M-ISFOR.CO.UK

THE

K C RO E U S S I

LIL’ CHRIS BRENDA EDWARDS KERRY ELLIS JOHN OWEN JONES KATHERINE KINGSLEY JAMIE MUSCATO ARLENE PHILLIPS NOEL SULLIVAN MATT WILLIS

creative director CHRISTOPHER D. CLEGG chris@m-isfor.co.uk @chrisdclegg senior editor JAMES NOWELL james@m-isfor.co.uk @jcnowell editors PETER HOLLAND REBECCA WYNTER contributors / online KIRK JAMESON PERRY JUBY MARCUS HUBBARD BEN VIVIAN JONES ANTHONY LEE MEDINA MARTINEKE FELTEN photography MATT CROCKETT @mattyc24 www.mattcrockett.com

with special thanks to STUDIO PHOTO GALLERY www.studiophotogallery.com JUST SO www.justso.eu

CONTACT US twitter @m_isfor To work with m. or to discuss advertising and press email info@m-isfor.co.uk check out M. online featuring exclusive interviews, videos and much more www.m-isfor.co.uk

L E T ’ S BO W L , L E T ’ S BO W L , L E T ’ S RO C K A N D RO L L Howdy folks, and welcome to #Issue9. W HAT a j a m p a c k e d , e x c it i n g i s s u e t h e t e a m h av e put together for you in our ROCK special. We’ v e h a d a c h a t w i t h f a c e s g r a c i n g t h e We s t E n d ’s r o c k m u s i c a l s a n d b e y o n d , a l l w i t h s o m e pretty awesome photoshoots! We’ v e a l b e e n p r e t t y b u s y, a n d h a v e b e e n s t r u c k with Olympic fever! Between the Spice Girls, medals galore, and the assortment of lycra clad hotties we are feeling very patriotic here at M towerss! L o t ’s h a s h a p p e n e d i n t h e w o r l d o f M T s i n c e o u r last issue, with some big long running shows closing, new shows opening, tours, castings and an entire reality show! Change is always good, so we look forward to what new things will pop up in the musical world over the next two months. Our next issue will be our SECOND ANNIVERSARY! Can you believe it?! Details soon of plans and parties and more. As always, we love your feedback so tweet us, spread the word, and keep reading! Best,

Chris :)

CONTENTS 08. 10. 24. 38. 50. 59. 63. 73. 76. 6. Cool/Lame // 8. Side Stagey // 1 0 . N o el S u l l i va n / / 2 2 . Yo u r 5 mi n u t e C a l l / / 24. On the Road w ith K erry Ellis a n d K a t h er i n e K i n g s l ey / / 3 6 . On T h e To w n / / 38. 63.

Lil Jam ie

C hris Musc ato

50.

//73.

Rock

Ma t t

Wi l l i s

P ro f i l es

// 76.

59. Ta l en t

R es s u rect i o n -

To m

Ha r r i e s

COOL All things Olympic/Paralympic... who knew we could like sport?! A NEW BARBRA STREISAND VAULT ALBUM! London Road. Bring it back. Again. Please. (and begonias....) Spice Girls. Viva Forever. SPICE GIRLS. NEWSIES on Broadway. Hot boys. Dancing. Alan Menken. Heaven.

LAME Bye bye Dress Circle. The closure of long runners CHICAGO & Blood Brothers (still touring though!) That Sweeney Todd has ended. We NEED more Imelda. That all of our ‘HATES’ are about things closing.... How far away the ‘Les Miserables’ movie is.... hurry up!!!

SIDE STAGE(Y) KIRK’S TOP TIPS ON WHAT ’S IN THE PIPELINE word s by K I R K JA M E S ON @james ontweets

THESE BOOTS ARE MADE FOR BROADWAY. In recent months, the closing of both La Cage and Priscilla has left a giant drag shaped hole not only in London and New York, but in our lives. Further more, young, male theatre performers everywhere are having to rediscover what it is to dance out of heels; and the rehabilitation does not come cheap! Clearly struck by guilt, the writer of La Cage, Harvey Fierstein has teamed up with 80’s icon Cindi Lauper for theatre’s next high-heeled, wig-wearing, lip-syncing offering; Kinky Boot’s. Based on the 2005 Miramax movie, it tells the story of a a man who, in order to save his late father’s shoe factory, employs the help of a drag diva named Lola (Standard). Taking no risks, the best possible team has been gathered for the mounting of this project; in addition to four-time Tony award winner Harvey Fierstein writing the book, Jerry Mitchell (Legally Blonde) will direct and choreograph and the fantastic Billy Porter will lead the company as Lola. Sensibly, the team have also opted for a four week, out-of-town try out in Chicago, before heading to Broadway early next year for, what will hopefully be, glowing reviews! Definitely one to keep an (smokey) eye on! RETURN TO OZ... AGAIN. There really is something rather wonderful about that old wizard in Oz; over one hundred years have passed since he first appeared in L. Frank Baum’s stories, yet he continues to inspire. This Autumn, whilst London may be preparing to bid farewell to Lloyd Webber’s production of the original story, both Canada and America are rolling out the green carpet to welcome the show over there, Wicked continues to dazzle on both sides of the pond and the Broadway production begins the count down to its 10 year anniversary. Not content however, with theatrical domination, our dear Wizard is now preparing for (yet another) closeup. No, sadly I’m not announcing the movie version of Wicked, but instead another prequel to Baum’s stories, this time at the hands of Disney. Released early next year, Oz: the Great and Powerful, directed by Sam Rami, will tell the story of the man who becomes Oz. Forget the slightly senile man with the white hair however, it may be a century on, but this Wizard played by James Franco looks more delicious than ever. For more information visit www.ozthegreatandpowerfulmovie.com FROM SOUTHWARK TO SYDNEY. When Sasha Regan’s all-male Pirates of Penzance opened at the Union theatre in 2009, I was lucky enough to be one of the fifty people to see the first preview. It was obvious then she had created something very special, but few could have predicted the production was be destined for international success. This Autumn, Sasha’s Pirates set sail for Australia where they will play a three month tour of some of the country’s biggest theatres and the best part is she’s taking an entirely British cast! Fear not though, you needn’t book your plane ticket quite yet; Sasha’s motley crew will be playing some pre-Oz dates at the Hackney Empire before they depart, so get booking! For tickets and more information visit www.piratesisback.com/ HELLO CAROLINE! And as our Pirates reach the shores of Oz, so will one of their most famous theatrical exports return to ours. Caroline O’ Connor has announced she will once again take to the stage at Leicester’s Curve for this year’s Christmas Season and this time as the infamous Dolly Levi. The project will reunite Caroline with Paul Kerryson, the venues artistic director, who most recently directed her as Mama Rose in Gypsy. Playing November 30 - January 12. Visit: http://www. curveonline.co.uk for more information. WHAT IF LIFE WERE MORE LIKE THEATRE? Well... we may not have to wait too long to find out. Tony award winner Alice Ripley, best known for her appearances in Side Show and Next to Normal, is to star in the brand new feature film Sing Along. Conceived by Mark Oxman, the story centres around Stephen, a young boy living in New York, with the theatres of Broadway acting as his back yard. Suffering from mild agoraphobia and an over active imagination, his love for musicals offers a world of release, where even the dinner lady shovelling fries his plate can belt out a show tune like the best of them! With a plethora of Broadways finest appearing in supporting roles, filming is scheduled to start this October with a release date set for next year! Follow developments at www.singalongmovie.tumblr.com

NOEL SULLIVAN word s JA M E S NOW E L L photog raphy M AT T C RO C K E T T

The wave of p opstars littering the stage over the last fe w ye ars has prov i d e d a g re at d e al of controversy and anger from other ac tors. B eli e v ing that thes e ‘c el ebriti es’ are tak ing the jobs of hard work ing, tr aine d ac tors many p e opl e are getting tire d w ith stunt c asting. No el Su l livan, famous for the show Popstars and it’s musi c a l cre ati on He ar ’ S ay (di d we get the ap ostrophe rig ht?!) is ab out to finish a su ccesfu l stinit play ing G a li l e o in Qu e en’s We Wi l l Ro ck You. We chat to him ab out his c are er in the atre and ........

O bv iou sly we need to talk about your entr y into the mu sic bu siness which was of cours e Popstars, over 11 years ago. How did you leave that exper ience? I’ve broug ht d ow n an i ron c ur t ai n ab out it to b e honest. C ame out of it a ter r ible st ate and went b a ck to C ard i f f to forge t it a l l. It was t he f irst of it’s kind and we weren’t prote c te d at a l l li ke t he y tend to b e to d ay. For tunately I have an amazing family and f r iends s o I got a lot of supp or t w hen it all f inished, I was on ly 21 s o it was s c ar y to t hink my care er was over and i’m us eless. I fou n d my ref uge i n t he at re w h i ch w a s a l ways my attent ion w hen I was younger, I appl i e d to d o a d e g re e i n it but t he b an d to ok over. The w hole p oint of us b eing toget her were t hat it was us f ive f rom t he program s o w hen Ky m lef t it stopp ed b eing t hat. Then s omeone had a br illiant ide a of f inding a ne w memb er of t he band w hich was hor rendous. We quick ly lost t he love of it, we were gett i ng s l aug htere d i n t he pre s s w hi l e we were in Sweden re cording ne w mater i al. The y were d r a g g i ng up a l l s or t s on a l l of u s and our families and we s at down and aske d ours elves if it was wor t h it just for t he s a ke of p op s ongs. It was our decision to kno ck it on t he he ad, but it was an amazing exp er ience t hat lasted for two and a half ye ars and t aug ht me s o much ab out t he industr y and we had s ome fant astic times. Thes e reality shows have spiralled since Popstars, we’ve had Pop Idol, X Factor, The Voice, Br itain’s Got Talent and countless celebr ity based prog rams. What was it like being the f irst? Re alit y shows have change d s o much. You can ne ver repl ace t hat naivety of, “w hat’s going to happ en” b e caus e t hes e programs are s o common now. The y have to br ing in s ob stor ies and crazies to make it more interesting for t he vie wers. We were t he guine a pigs for t his typ e of show, i’m gratef ul for it but I wouldn’t have done anyt hing els e.

With a wave of pop g roups refor ming, including Steps w ith a big arena tour and two Sky Liv ing ser ies, how do you feel about it especially coming f rom a well remembered band? If it’s b e e n of fere d to you and you n e e d t he mone y t hen crack on, i’m not going to cr it ic i s e anyon e t r y i ng to p ay a m or t g a ge. Pers on a l ly I wou l d r at he r che w of f my l e g to t he knee inste ad of put mys elf back in a p op g roup e nv i ron m e nt . It’s jus t tou g h , f ig ht i ng a g ainst d i f ferent e go s , but h op ef u l ly we’re all successf ul enoug h in our ow n r ig hts to not have to do t hat. Als o, t he bands t hat are refor ming were massive and had Gre atest Hit s tou rs , we h a d l i ke t h re e or fou r s i ng l e s out s o it’s hard ly t he s ame. I’m not sure how much t he y’re a c tu a l ly e nj oy i ng t he ms elve s and I t hink it’s mainly for f inancial re as ons. When t he Spice Girls refor med t he y had no che m i s t r y at a l l. Ta ke T h at a s i d e I t h i n k most of t he refor ms are for a more business re as on t han for t he love of it.

How have you found mov ing back into the world of mu sical theatre? It’s b e en amazing. Wit hin t he industr y I got quite a bit of stick, but I was us ed to t hat. The f irst gig I did was Gre as e in Jers e y and wit h t hat show you can slag it of f and t he p e opl e i n it a l l you l i ke but p e opl e st i l l l ove it. I had t he b est time wit h lovely p e ople and w hat I l ove i s t hat i n t he at re you c an l ite r a l ly s ay w hat you l i ke, it’s t he m o s t i n appropr i ate industr y in t he world. I found it ama z i ng to go f rom a f ive pie c e b an d w it h p e opl e pu l l i ng it i n d i f ferent d i re c t i ons to a comp any of p er for mers w here e ver yone is wor k i ng to t he s am e t h i ng , it re a l ly res tore d my fait h in ar tists. Ever y ne w job is gre at and I l ove m e e t i ng n e w p e opl e. S om e w i l l b e f r iends for life, s ome for t he cont rac t and s ome you wont s e e again but wit h e ver y job you le ar n s omet hing ne w.

Has it always been easy to get work or ha s your MT career been up and dow n? C oming out of He ar’Say I went to Amer ica for 18 mont hs for a bit of space. I did s ome shows including a stint in Vegas and Reno in a show called The Twelve Ir ish Tenors and none of us were ac tu ally Ir ish or tenors... I pretended my name was No el O’Sullivan. Whe n I c am e b a ck f rom t hat I h a d a p er i o d w here I just couldn’t get work w hich was a re a l ly d ar k t i m e. I t he n got F l a s h d anc e on tour, Gre as e and t hen obviously We Will R o ck You.

D o you have any theatr ical ambitions? I would love to do s ome ne w musical t he at re, p ar t of c re at i ng s om e t h i ng n e w i s re a l ly f u l f i l l i ng . You ge t s o much m ore i nput and t hat p ar t you’ve or i g i n ate d i s a lw ay s you rs e ven t houg h p e ople pl ay it af ter you. Wit h R o ck You t he y’ve g ive n m e a l ot of f re e re i g n to f in d my ow n G a l i l e o w h i ch I’ve re a l ly appre ci ate d.

How i s it being back in the West End and play ing such a well know n role? L ov i ng b e i ng s ett l e d b a ck i n tow n a lt houg h w it h t his j ob more t han s ome you re a l ly have to lo ok af ter yours elf. The or iginal te am , Br y an , R o ge r and B e n , are a l l st i l l really involved wit h t he show. I had a rehe arsal wit h just B en and I on st age at The D om i n i on w h i ch w a s re a l ly ama z i ng , h e d i d n’t re a l ly k n ow w ho I w a s at f irst w h i ch w a s to my a dv ant a ge. You c an’t h ave G a l i l e o u n l e s s you c an d o it and I’m re a l ly pl e as e d my past has not hing to do wit h it. I had a bit of s t i ck ab out it f rom a fe w p e opl e t h i n k i ng I h a d w a l ke d i nto it or t hat t he y h a d l owere d t he ke y s w h i ch jus t w a s n’t t r u e. I au d it i one d like e ver y b o dy els e and t he y are not going to change Queen’s ar rangements and a show t hat has b e en r unning for over ten ye ars for me. Unfor tunately t here are p e ople out t here w ho do get cast in roles t hat t he y can’t do but it do esn’t me an t h is always happ ens.

“I FOUND MY REFUGE IN THEATRE”

“ T H EY WA N T YOU T O B E I N YO U R SP E C I F IC P IG E O N HO L E”

And f inally, Any thoughts of retur ning to the mu sic indu str y? Yeah, I’d love to get back into it. I’ve been w r iting and I think it might be the r ight time for me to go back to mu sic. I’m not going to put pressure on it or r u sh it. The problem i s if you were Amer ican you would be allowed to do it all but over here they want you to be in your specif ic pigeon hole. I don’t think I f it into that and I want to be able to do more than shows even though I love them.

Noel is appearing in We Will Rock You at The Dominion Theatre until 6th October 2012. Go to www.Facebook.com/thenoelsullivan for more info on what Noel is up to next.

DANIELLE TARENTO AND BRONIA BUCHANAN PRESENT

#### #### #### TIME OUT

WHATSONSTAGE 2012

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‘SUCH A CRACKING MUSICAL’ CHARLES SPENCER, DAILY TELEGRAPH 2002

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Neil Eckersley for Speckulation Entertainment in association with Jason Haigh-Ellery & Jonathan Power presents

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THIS IS YOUR 5 MINUTE CALL word s by PET E R H OL L A N D

“S or r y you have not b e en successf ul in your applicat ion for L ondon 2012 tickets” A f te r t r y i ng for t i cke t s i n a l l t he e ve nt s , op e n i ng c e re m ony, d iv i ng , c ycl i ng t r a ck , 1 0 0 m f in a l, cl o s i ng ceremony, all s e emed lost and t hat it was unlikely t hat I was going to make it to t he Olympic Park for L ondon 2012. Sat at my desk covere d in he adshots, and a pi le of casting admin to do, an emai l came t h roug h f rom my hous emate wit h t he subjec t line… “B e in L ondon 2012”. A link in t he emai l op ened up to audition for one of t he t hous ands of roles in t he Olympic op ening and closing ceremonies. F i l l i ng out a c ompre h e nsive on l i n e appl i c at i on for m , m a k i ng s m a l l l i e s ab out my abi l it i e s to h ors e r i d e, f ire e at and rol l e r bl a d e… oh c om e on we’ve a l l d on e it , I cl i cke d s en d and w aite d. I h a d “re t i re d” f rom p er for ming but I t houg ht it would b e s elf ish to hide away w hen t he countr y needs me, I me an I w a s t he g i r af fe t hat c ou l d n’t d an c e i n “Gi r af fe’s C an’t D an c e”, * t a ke s a b ow and of fers autog r aphs * . Af ter wait ing a long time, and tr ying to desp erately encourage s ome of my f r iends to give it a go to o, in w hich none to ok my of fer, I had my f irst audition. Rummaging t h roug h an old b ox of Pine apple d an c e we ar ( I’m j ok i ng – or am I ? ? ! ) I w a s m or t i f i e d t hat t he au d it i on wou l d b e 2 5 s top s on t he d i s tr ic t line away f rom my hous e in Brom le y-by-B ow, and w hat a nice pl ace t hat is. Howe ver w hen you’re h ol d i ng m a s s au d it i ons for a proj e c t on t hi s s c a l e t he e pi c f i l m s tu d i o s at T h re e Mi l l s w he re t he w hole L ark hall Pr is on was cre ate d for B ad Girls, is just t he kind of t hing you need. F ive h ou rs l ater, w it h a l ot of f re e s t y l e d an c i ng e mu l at i ng my b es t s we at y clu b m ove s w it hout t he aid of alcohol, b e coming b est f r iends wit h a gag g le of middle aged women w ho t houg ht my hair was adorable w hilst reminding t hem of t heir ow n b oy at home, I was back on t he tub e home and in my element. S e cond round, and I can’t quite b elie ve it, gone are all my mumsy f r iends and I f ind mys elf in a ro om of younger yout h… it’s hard to make crap jokes w hen sur rounded by p e ople w ho were b or n in t he 90’s. To make it wors e t he rout ine has jump ed f rom a simple b ox step and a grap e v ine to moves I have on ly s e en Diversit y do on Br it ain’s got Ta lent… r ig ht at t h is moment I can he ar Amanda Holden st amping big re d cross es across my face. Up on le av ing t he studios wit h s ome 400 ot hers, I make a call to t he parents to s ay t hat my Olympic Dre am is probably over and I don’t exp ec t to he ar f rom t hem again…. A l l I w ante d to d o w a s w ave a f l a g ! A go o d six to eig ht we eks pass, in t his time I’ve applied to b e a Games maker, L ondon Ambass ador, G eneral Olympic Fluf fer!! t he ide a of not b eing involved has o d dly b e come a bit of an obs ession but t he rejec tion felt to o raw, t he f inal nail in t he cof f in of my big comeback t hat on ly we eks ago wasn’t an opt ion. Then I re ceive d an emai l… “we’d like to of fer you a role in t he L ondon 2012 Op ening C eremony in t he role of Amazing D ancer”. I must stress t hat Mr B oy le wrote “Amazing” I didn’t make t hat up. Ar med wit h my leg war mers, dance sho es, and jo ck strap – to o much?, I to ok mys elf of f to my f irst rehe ars a l. PANIC!!!!!!

Up on ar r ival, and wait ing in a queue t hat stretched ne arly as far as t he long walk f rom t he st at ion I app e ared to b e a go o d 12 ye ars older t han t he children around me. Af ter s ending s e veral texts to f r i e n d s s ay i ng t he re’s b e e n a huge m i s t a ke I re a l i s e t hat a c tu a l ly I’ve b e e n s to o d i n t he w rong qu e u e and of cours e I wouldn’t necess ar i ly b e working wit h a group of young “sup erst ars”. A quick sideline to ok me into a ro om w here I was one of t he oldest…. but not a w hole decade older. 5 punishing hours later, w hen I’m usually s at wit h a g l ass of vino watching t he Oliv ier’s I fe ar t here has b e en a mix up of numb ers at t he audition and s ome ot her p ers on should b e in my pl ace. C ast as a s t re e t d an c e r and h av i ng a te am of “ub er” c o ol d an c e c apt ains w it h n am e s I c ou l d n e ve r pu l l of f s p e n d i ng t he af te r no on t r y i ng to ge t t h i s g i nge r h ai re d l a d to l o o s e n up and t h row aw ay any i n h i bi t i ons of ge tt i ng my “g ro ove on” i n ord e r to p e r for m for t he Q u e e n and t he re s t of t he wor l d. D espite t he fe ar, and many f r iends asking me “w hat t he hell are you doing”, I kept on trek king out at t he we ekend to Brom le y-by-B ow, t hen to t he s e cret outd o or rehe ars a l venue in D agenham, s e cret b ecaus e you wouldn’t want anyone to know t hat’s w here you were sp ending your we ekends, b efore f inally j oi n i ng forc e s w it h t he e nt i re g roup, s om e 1 0 , 0 0 0 volunte e rs for re h e ars a l s i n t he O ly mpi c St a d iu m . Sp e n d i ng my d ay s wor k i ng i n a pro du c t i on of f i c e, I couldn’t help but t hink ab out t he sheer s c ale of t his projec t, t his Olympic op eration. 10,000 p e ople, 10,000 C ostumes, 10,000 p e ople to te ach a routine to, 10,000 to tell how to exit, and t hat’s just t he p er for mers let alone t he t hous ands of at hletes, a h e l i c opte r w it h a s k ydiv i ng Q u e e n i n it , t he huge l i g ht i ng d e s i g n and a huge t he at re s e t w it h i n t he temp orar y st age. It all st ar ts to get a bit to o much. 128 hours of rehe ars a l later, on top of t he day job and jug g ling moving hous e, I’m s at in costume in t he Olympic Park wit h ne w f r iends t hinking it’s likely af ter t h is p er for mance I’ ll b e t he ne w G e orge Samp s on. The 30 minute walk f rom our holding are a to t he st age felt extremely over w helming, tr iumphant almost, t he site of all t hes e nor mal p e ople in a var iety of wacky costumes ab out to p er for m for over a billion p e ople… it was here, it was ab out to happ en. The energ y of walking back st age of t he Olympic St adium, listening to 80,000 p e ople cheer ing , laug hing and appl auding t he s cene b efore, it’s unlikely t hat I’ ll e ver have t hat fe eling again, as t he c ur t ain f le w op en and t he “voice” in our he ads ets c ued our group we stepp e d out into an arena wit h an at mosphe re w h i ch , i f c ou l d h ave b e e n c ol l e c te d wou l d h ave p owere d L on d on for t he n e x t 2 ye ars . A bl i n k of t he e ye, and 2 0 m i nute s felt l i ke 2 0 s e c on d s . Pe opl e of a l l b a ckg roun d s and n at i ona l it i e s , L aw ye rs , Stu d e nt s , Proj e c t Man a gers , Nurs e s , Pol i c e Of f icers, Char it y Workers, we were all here and under direc tion of D anny B oy le, a man w ho made e ve r yon e fe e l a p ar t of t he w hol e pro c e s s w it h h i s d ow n to e ar t h p ers ona l appro a ch t hat broug ht t he w hol e g roup to get he r and fe e l prou d to repre s e nt t he i r c ou nt r y. It s ou n d s h or r if ic a l ly che e s y, and it’s t he stuf f Amer ican T V is f uelled up on, but t he fe eling of euphor ia as we lef t t he st adium, s e eing t he faces of t he crowd as we exite d t hroug h t he st and b e came over w helming, and as a f r iend w ho t hre e mont hs ago our pat hs would have ne ver of cross e d hug ged me, t he te ars just st ar te d to fall. I qu i ck ly re a l i s e d t hat s t re e t d an c e rs d on’t c r y and s o re a djus t i ng my p ant s I got my s w a g ge r on to j oi n t he rest of t he cre w for a nig ht out of celebrat ion. We had done it and f rom t he re ac tion of twitter and t he ne wspap ers, t he world had love d it. The nig ht involved a group of us re cre ating our moves to t he delig ht of commuters at Oxford Circ us, a f l ash mob I would ne ver of t houg ht I’d b e a par t of. I als o re c e ive d m any a te x t and phone c a l l of e xc it abl e f r i e n d s w ho h a d s cre ame d at t he T V a s a g l i mp s e of my backside had made t he broadcast… not quite t he side I wanted to show wit h t he world, but broadcast all t he s ame. T h re e d ay s l ate r I am s at b a ck i n t he of f i c e chair, w ait i ng for t he c a l l to b e i n t he n e x t D i z z e e R as c a l v i d e o, or for D ive rs it y to of fe r m e a pl a c e i n t he i r c re w… t he y h aven’t r ung ye t , but I k n ow t he y w i l l.

Follow Peter on Tw itter @peter jholland

GIRLS ON TOUR photo g raphy MAT T CRO CKET T shoot direc tion CHRIS CLEGG & JAMES NOWELL v i sual assi stant JOEL HARTHILL Styling FAY E H É R A N http://epinettef i les.tumbl r.com Assi stants A l i c e Munte anu and Mi l l a Tray l e n M Magazine in collaboration w ith MCM MCM, the G e r man luxur y leathe r good s f ir m, have created a luxur y Brand E xpe r i e nce in the shape of a cl a ssi c L ondon Route ma ste r bu s a s par t of the ir Gl obal Mobilit y Projec t, f itted out to the hig hest standard to show ca s e the ne w AW12 coll e c t i on a s w ell a s to cel ebrate the ir ar r iv al at Har rod s on 31st Aug u st. With produ c ts rang ing f rom the ir cl a ssi c He r itage cog nac v i s e to s line to the ir col our f ul backpacks and stunning handbag and trav el lug g age coll e c ti on s on-board , MCM teamed up w ith M Magazine to showca s e the best of L ondon’s in spirat ional and inf lue nt ial theat r i cal tale nt w ith t w o of the We st End’s top l eading l adi e s .

Kathryn wears: Dress - Jasper Garvida www.jaspergarvida.com Necklace - Anthropologie www.anthropologie.eu Earrings and rings - St Erasmus www.st-erasmus.com Clutch - MCM Worldwide www.mcmworldwide.com

Kerry wears: Dress - House of Dagmar www.houseofdagmar.se Clutch - Anthropologie www.anthropologie.eu Bracelet and earrings - St Erasmus www.st-erasmus.com Shoes - Very.co.uk www.very.co.uk Shoe Clips - Cleo B. www.cleob.com

Kathryn wears: Dress - Goddiva www.goddiva.co.uk Pillbox hat - Louis Mariette www.louismariette.com Bracelet and ring St Erasmus www.st-erasmus.com Clutch MCM Worldwide www.mcmworldwide.com

Kerry wears: Dress and clutch - MCM Worldwide www.mcmworldwide.com Ring - St Erasmus www.st-erasmus.com

For an exclusive look at a behind the scenes video of the day with Katherine and Kerry check out our website. Singinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; in the Rian plays at the Palace Theatre, London starring Adam Cooper, Scarlett Strallen and Katherine Kingsley. Visit www.katherine-kingsley.com/ for more info on the show, and Katherine. Kerry Ellis will be touring with Jeff Wayneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Musical Version of The War of The Worlds, visiting arenas all over the UK and regularly appears in concert. Go to www.kerryellis.com/ for more details. PR for MCM handled by www.justso.eu

ON THE TOWN T H E V IC TOR IA E DI T ION word s R E B E C C A W Y N T E R We g ive you the lowdow n of places to v i sit pre, and post-show when v i siting the West End.

P R E - SHOWS TILES Wit h w i n e - a c c omp a n i e d t w o c ou r s e pre - t h e atre d i n ners from £16.95, you’ l l b e dancing on the ti l es at this qu aint e ater y. The li kes of salt and p e pp er s qui d and h on e y e d g r i l l e d g o at’s c h e e s e s a l a d k e e p t a s te - bu ds t a nt a l i s e d, w h i l e c an d l e s a n d rou g e d w a l l s m a k e for an intimate s e tting. The w ine b ar is w ithin e a sy re ach of t h e Vi c tor ia th e atres and s e ts th e rig ht ton e for preover ture romance. http : / / w w w. t i l e s w i n e b ar.c o. u k / PA L AC E R E STAU R A N T Aptly name d for its royal proximity, this haunt sits on a bu dget-pl e asing throne, w ith its cre am te as crow ne d top for a sp ot of afterno on laa d e e daa. Yes it’s a c afé, a nd l o o ks n ot hi ng sp e c i al from the outsi d e, but the fo o d stands up for its elf. C a kes and other go o di es are fresh ly b a ke d, w ith the o d d vegetarian dish ensuring a l l g u e s t s fe e l l i k e k ing of t h e c as t l e. h ttp : / / w w w. a l l i n l o n d o n . c o. u k / d i r e c t o r y / 1 1 5 0 / 2 5 4 2 6 . php B BA R A N D R E STAU R A N T Ok, s o L i on King is far aw ay in C ovent G ard en, but if you fanc y s ome fo o d w ith an Af ri c an In f lu ence in Vi c toria, mix things up at this littl e tre a sure trove of a restau r ant . Demu re p aintings and wo o d en Af ri c an cr afts are s c attere d in a Ha kuna Matata fashi on w hi l e springb ok and b o ere wors sausages get in the game on the menu. C re ative co cktai ls ke ep things in hig h spirits for that pre-the atre buzz, but pl e as e d on’t take it to o far as to enac t the op ening s e qu ence. http : / / w w w. bb ar l ond on . c om/

P O ST- SH OWS DU K E OF YOR K Ke eping things tr aditi onal, this Vi c torian pub is the epitome of the ‘L ond on b o oz er ’, w ith its d e cor s el d om change d since its bui l ding in 1850. Rubbing s h ou l d er s w it h t h e Vi c tori a Pa l a c e T h e atre, w hat b e t ter place is there to stay nostalg i c after watching Bi lly E l li ot than on a wo o d en b ench al cove in the watering-hol es w ind ows? Pub g r ub is als o in fine fare w ith c as k a l e s to b o ot . http://w w w.tay l or-wal ker.co.u k/pub/du ke-of-yorkv i c tori a / c 0 6 2 2 / BA L L S B ROT H E R S Once you’ ve gotten over the immature g igg l es of the name, you find a s ophisti c ate d hub that is sur prising ly not over pri ce d. With the li kes of the May f air E xchange and The Sterling among its city b ar siblings, you k n ow a go o d nig ht is on the c ards. C o ordinate your the atre b o ok ing for the b ar ’s mi dwe ek sp ec i als an d take adv ant age of the li kes of thei r ‘Wi ne We dn es day s’ promoti on . http : / / w w w. b a l l s brot h e r s . c o.u k / l e w i s - a n d - c l a r k / v i c tor i a PA R K P L A Z A Id e a l ly situ ate d for thespi ans w ho’ ve had a Wi cke d nig ht at the Ap ol l o Vi c toria, JB’s Bar ke eps g r av ity d efi e d unti l the mi dnig ht hour w ith a s ophisti c ate d v ib e from this astute hotel. C hrome-topp e d r ai ls and sli ck marbl e tabl es g listen in the ambi ent b ar, w here champ ag ne co cktai ls c an ke ep pin k i es r ais e d in tr u e “G a - l i n d a” f a s h i on . http : / / w w w. p a r kpl a z a . c om / l ond on - h otel - g b - s w 1 v 1e q/gbv i c tor/hotel/dining

NOT SO LIL’ CHRIS At 21 Chr i s Hardman, best know as Lil’ Chr i s, has had hi s ow n T V ser ies and two albums af ter making hi s name in Gene Simmons’ “Rock S chool”. We catch up w ith Chr i s in Leed s where he has ju st f ini shed play ing Francis in Loser v ille, pr ior to it’s West End opening.

photo g raphy M AT T C RO C K E T T word s JA M E S NOW E L L

Timeline 14: 15: 16: 17 - 18: 19 - 20: 21:

Au d it i one d for R o ck S ch o ol St ar te d f i lming Ro ck S cho ol wit h G ene Simmons F i rs t a l bu m “L i l’ C h r is” and tou r S e cond album “What’s it all Ab out” DJi ng and Pers ona l App e aranc e s L o s er v i l l e, L e e d s fol l owe d by t he G ar r ick T h e at re, L on d on.

‘I D O N ’ T WA N T T O It was gre at but s ometimes dif f ic u lt. At 15 G ene wanted me to go to Amer ica and re cord an album G Eab out T mTe lHAT but my p arent s were nF 't O to o R h appy e av i ng t he I’M c ou nt r y w it h a ro ck s t ar. It w a s d e f i n itely t he r ig ht t hings to do, mig ht not have b e en t he b est t hing care er wis e but it was r ig ht, I was to o Db eing O Iaway N Gf romTmyHfamily IS B E ifCI’mAU SE young. I str ug g le e ven down in L ondon. Af ter t he s er ies R ay He d ge s and Nigel But l e r aske d me to re c ord an a lbu m w h i ch i nclu d e d “C he ck i n’ it O ut” s o I st i l l I L OV E I T ’ got to d o an a l bu m ! How was it dealing w ith stardom s o young?

Marc G ee Finch

What has been your solo ar ti st highlight? The McFly tour was amazing as t he music is similar s o t he fans were gre at. It was p er fec t for me to supp or t on . B es t t wo m ont hs of my l i fe d oi ng t he “Up C l o s e and Pers ona l” tou r. G ett i ng up and s i ng i ng you r ow n s ong s to p e opl e w ho’ve p ai d to s e e it i s ama z i ng .

How have you found your f irst exper ience of being in a mu sical? Mus i c a l s are c ompl e te ly d i f ferent to w hat I’ve d on e b efore. I h ave to re a l ly w atch w hat I d o b e c au s e it e f fe c ts ot her p e ople. When you’re p er for ming as a musician on your ow n you have a bit more f reedom w here a s i n t he at re ot h e r p e opl e are d e p e n d i ng on you for you r l i n e s . It’s b e e n re a l ly s c ar y and d i f f ic u lt but g re at f un.

Would you do another show? It would have to b e t he r ig ht one. I did t his b e caus e of James (B our ne) and t he p op ro ck t heme. S o we’ l l s e e...

L o s e r v ille, a ne w mu si cal by Elliot D av i s and James B our ne, ope n s at the G ar r i ck Theatre on O c tobe r 1st. For more info go to http://los e r v ille mu sical .t v/

@publicreviews

BLOOD BROTHERS Wit h t he announcement t hat t he West End pro duc tion at The Pho enix The atre is closing, t he UK tour of t his cl ass i c mus i c a l is st i l l goi ng st rong . In f a c t ne x t ye ar w i l l s e e t he 30t h annivers ar y of Blo o d Brot hers. The t a le of L iverpud l i an t w i ns s ep ar ate d at bir t h s h ow s n o s i g ns of s l ow i ng d ow n , Wi l ly Russ el l’s h it mus i c a l is st i l l goi ng st rong out on t he ro a d. Wit h a tou r i ng c omp any h e a d e d by Mau re e n Nolan just rememb er to t a ke a tissue wit h you as t he f inal rendit ion of Tell Me It’s Not Tr ue ne ver fails to get t he audience in f lo o ds of te ars. w w w. ke nw r i g ht . c om

C H IC AG O “Mu rd e r, g re e d, c or r upt i on , v i ol e n c e, e x pl oit at i on , a du l ter y and t re ache r y - a l l t ho s e t h i ng s we h ol d n e ar and d e ar to ou r h e ar t s” Not you r t r a d it i ona l op e n i ng to a mus i c a l but one t hat’s s er ve d C h i c a go wel l ove r t he ye ars . T h i s s exy and s assy lo ok at 1930s Amer ican obs ession wit h cel e br it y s e e ms h i g h ly topic a l g ive n c ur re nt n e w s . Sung and d an c e d w it h i n ch pre c i s i on , it’s a l l s o e as y to f a l l i n l ove wit h t hes e mer r y murderess es, and as anot her long r unner to b e le av ing t he West End it me ans t he tour is t he pl ace to h ang out w it h R ox i e and Vel m a ! w w w. ch i c a got h e mus i c a l. c o. u k

LOSERVILLE Following a successful and critically acclaimed run at The West Yorkshire Playhouse earlier this year, Elliot Davis and James Bourne’s hit musical based on Son of Dork’s debut album of the same name, moves into the Garrick Theatre in the glittering West End. They may have lost Gareth Gates to the tour of Legally Blonde but the vast majority of the original cast return to the production, including a show stealing performance from Lil’ Chris (featured in this months magazine). Who would have thought a musical about tech geeks could be so cool, so funny and so endearingly touching, get along to the Garrick and witness one of this years freshest and vibrant new musicals. loservillemusical.tv

ON THE ROAD D R E A M B OAT S A N D P E T T IC OAT S A s e r i e s of a l bu ms t hat h ave s ol d ove r t wo m i l l i on copies must b e doing s omet hing r i g ht and s o it was on ly a m atte r of t i m e b efore D re amb o at s and Pett i coats came to t he st age. It’s 1961 and r ivalr y to win a b an d c omp e t it i on and of c ou rs e w i n a g i r l prov i d e s t he p e r fe c t b a ckd rop for a c e l e br at i on of ro ck ‘n’ rol l s b a ck c at a l o g u e. R e g ard l e s s of you r a ge, go a l ong ; e n ter into t he spir it and by t he end of t he nig ht you’ ll b e ro ck in’ in t he aisles! w w w. ke nw r i g ht . c om

42ND STREET It’s e ver y chor us girls dre am t hat one day she’ l l ge t t he chance to step into t he limelig ht in a le ading role and for Peg g y S aw ye r, t hat d re am c om e s t r u e. 4 2 n d St re e t is t he u lt i mate b a ck st age mus i c a l p a cke d w it h u n forgett abl e s h ow bi z ant he ms Lu l l aby of Bro a dway, We’re in t he Mone y, Shuf f le Of f To Bu f falo, Ke ep You ng and B e aut i f u l and of c ou rs e t he s p e c t a c u l ar tit le nu mb er. This ne w tour, direc te d by t he show’s aut hor and st ar ing D ave Willets and Mar t i Webb, prom is es to kindle t he hop e of st ardom in us all. w w w. u kpro duc t i ons . c o. u k

F o r more info, review s and ne ws of shows around t he UK, go t o w w w.th e publisc re vie ws.c om

MAT T WILLIS Rocking it up 8 shows a week in WICKED, the for mer King of the Jungle and now ver y much Mu sical Theatre cum family Man, Matt Willis talks exclusivly to M. about life in the West End. photo g raphy M AT T C RO C K E T T word s C H R I S C L E G G

Is there a difference from being Matt the singer/ song writer/ in the band, to now playing a character in Wicked? Yeah, massively. Playing Fyiero in such a big show, the fans know every word, every move, so it was full on. I went to see the show two days before my audition and saw Mark Evans in the role and just thought ‘there’s no way I’m getting this’, you couldn’t have got two more different dudes. And then I saw him dance and I thought ‘I’m DEFINITELY’ not getting this job!’. But then I read the script and did how I thought I would want to see it! How did the job opportunity come about? Well I did Flashdance, then Footloose on tour for a little while. I Loved Flashdance! I went to Sylvia Young’s theatre school so I always intended to be in Musical Theatre, but then it just so happened I wrote some songs with a mate of mine and Busted happened, so after 10 years of that it was time to get a real job and theatre was my first port of call, and Flashdance came along. Then footloose, I had another show lined up before Wicked but things changed, luckily, and here I am. Did you receive any backlash coming from the music industry to performing in theatre? There is all that ‘stunt casting’ talk and labels thrown around at first, but I auditioned for Wicked 7 times. There was no sure-fire ‘he’s

from Busted, he’s got the job’. If I wasn’t as good as the next person I don’t think they would’ve cast me- and it’s not as if they need a ‘name’. I’m not on any of the advertising or posters, this is a show that sells tickets on its own. Of course it helps with a bit of press here and there, but I felt good about it. I worked with my singing and acting coach and worked hard for it. I didn’t feel as if I got the job just because of that. You mention your coaches, now that you’re in the show, do you think it’s important to keep up that training and to push yourself? I always tried to progress, especially on the acting side of things. I want to get better and better and better! I do vocal exercises every day, and do the boring stuff to look after my voice. I go on courses to improve myself and learn different techniques and skills. What is it about Wicked that makes it such a phenomenon? I think there are a lot of things about the show that make it so special. The story. You don’t expect it to be so good or make as much senseuntil you see it you think ‘a back story to The Wizard of Oz!? As if it needs it’ and then when you see it you’re just like ‘WOW!’. And the story of the girls and their friendship is so well written. A lot of girls, and guys, can relate to Elphaba. She’s a misfit and relatable.

It does connect with the fans in a way many shows can’t. Oh, totally. It seems to have an effect on people. At stage door I see the people time and time again who it’s obviously moved a massive amount. So now you’re in a long running show, how do you the find the 8-show-a-week schedule?

Do you miss the music? Yeah man, I miss playing shows, making records and writing songs. Well, I’m always writing songs but I never do anything with them. You could do what your band mate James Bourne did with Loserville and write a musical!

Haha, you never know. Saw Loserville in Leeds Do you know what? I like the structure. I’ve al- and loved it. I think it’s going to be brilliant in the ways been missing it throughout my entire life West End. That said, I don’t think I could write and so I like the fact I can plan my day. That said, musicals. I write a verse, a pre chorus, a chorus, nothing works out like I plan!! I don’t mind the a verse, a pre chorus, a chorus, a middle eight, a workload, but I do miss my evenings with AGENT my chorus, chorus, chorus, end. That’s how I’ve been kids- the bed times, bath times and storybelfi times. eld &trained. ward James is a different kind of song writer, I make up for it on Sundays, but it’s not quite the he’s a very special dude! He’s seen wicked 3 times same. I miss watching telly- I don’t watch any TV now. He’s such a muso though, he picks up on AGE anymore, except maybe Daybreak if I’m up with the most random shit and sounds. the kids, which is more punishment. But I’m in a20 bubble, with the show and family life, I’m chilled Loserville, and indeed Wicked, have that rock out and I love it. edge to them. Do you like hearing that fresh sound HEIGHT 6’1’’in theatre. Do you think it has a place? Is it nice to be ten years on from the start of busted and have the family, career and be settled? Oh of course. I think anything that brings a new SHOWS young crowd, and brings a bit of fun and makes Rain Yeah I mean, I feel comfortable. I don’tSingin’ want toin the it less snobby is going to make it better in the sound all wanky, but I feel like where I’m suplong run. Wicked posed to be! I’m good doing this and having this A Chorus Line life.

TWITTER @Jack_Wilcox

How do you find working with such a large, and incredibly talented cast? Well, Rachel (Tucker) blows my mind every single night, she’s incredible, and I’m in awe of every night. And she’s such fun, we have a laugh. We only actually see each other twice backstage during the show. We have a little chat and she throws her pins at me. Gina (Beck) and I started together, she’s brilliant. We began rehearsals on the same day so we went on this amazing journey. I’ve learnt so much from these guys. [We then pause as Matt’s gorgeous wife Emma pops in, says hello and compliments my leopard print shoes. Good times.] And your ensemble is crazy talented too. Before the show, I couldn’t give a shit about dance. I had no interest. Now I am fascinated. They are fucking incredible people, how they move their bodies and how it’s so expressive. I would never have known or paid attention to that were it not for theatre. There are some dancers on this show that are really bloody special. The guys on this show. There’s Rob who’s just an amazing guy to watch dancewhich I never thought I’d say.

It took me so long. I really jumped in, I just thought ‘here we go, this is a fucking challenge’. I really embraced it, and worked on it. The first two months of the show I held back a bit and wasn’t that comfortable with my body, but now I really look forward to it every nightone of my favourite parts of the show! So, we’ll see you in Cats next year then? Haha, totally. But don’t get me wrong, I’m still not any good, but I enjoy doing it and the challenge. But you go for it, you’re not apologetic about it. Exactly, and with the first little while of the show I think that’s what came across a bit, that I was feeling a bit nervous. And finally how do you find the close-knit community of the West End? I love it, I go and see as much as I can. At first I thought it would be a very hard, bitchy and two faced place to work, but it’s totally the opposite. It’s the most awesome place to work. And I love it and I love everyone I work with. But, to be honest, at the end of the day I love nothing more than going home to my family and my kids.

How’re you finding the dancing?

You can follow Matt @mattjwillis on twitter, and for more news/info on the smashhit musical WICKED visit http://www.wickedthemusical.co.uk/

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R E S S U R E C T IO N task Kirk James on tal k s to L aure nce C onnor about the d auntin g of direc ting the Jesu s Chr i st Supers tar arena tour word s K I R K JA M E S ON

tour at L ondon’s O2. And our Jesus Chr ist Sup erst ar has just kicks of f a massiv e arena t he latest ressur e c t ion of one Kirk James on t alks exclus ively to t he man charge d wit h er to facilit ating p er forof L loyd Webb er’s gre atest s cores, L aurenc e C onnor . No strang h Anniv ers ar y C oncer ts for mance s on t his enor mous s c ale, L aurenc e direc te d t he 25t s Mis e r abl e s ( O 2 A re n a ) . But b ot h P h antom of t he O p e r a ( T h e R oy a l A l b er t Ha l l ) and L e grand s c ale? Sure, a fant astic is s omet hing lost w hen t hes e stor ies are st aged on such a he ar t is a love stor y b etween ro ck s core prov ides t he backb one to Sup erst ar, but at it’s Jesus. Are we s acraf icing Mar y and Jesus and (more imp or t ant ly), b etween Judas and of an exp ensive lig ht show? elemen ts of human intera c tion and subt le emot ion in pl ace ident t han e ver t hat an arena In his latest under t a king , L aurenc e C onnor s e ems more conf c an s er ve b ot h t he pro du c t i on and t he s tor y of a mus i c a l.

What do you look for in a piece of theatre? D r am a . I l ove t he at re t hat d e a l s w it h t he hum an c on d it i on and e m ot i on . Mus i c c an b e a wonder f u l and manipu lative to ol to heig hten t hat emot ion and hig hlig ht t he passion you are t r y i ng to c onve y. What i s you favour ite mu si cal? That is a hard question. I love Miss Saigon; t he music, t he s o cial and histor ical asp e c t s st i l l t h r i l l me e ve r y t i me I s e e t he show, no matte r w hat l angu age I s e e it i n . Jesus Chr ist Sup erst ar is t he f irst musical I e ver listened to howe ver and is probably my most pl ayed. My f irst memor y (of t he show) is buying t he album and pl ay ing it in my b e dro om . My f at he r wou l d go m a d at m e b e c au s e I wou l d s i ng a l ong w it h e ve r y char a c ter at t he top of my voi c e. I’m t hr i l l e d to b e d i re c t i ng it. In y our opini on, w hat i s the show about? I t hink t he show makes a s o cial comment on fame. It’s interesting to s e e how we as a s o c i e t y l ove to c re ate s up erst ars u s i ng t he m e d i a on ly to c r u c i f y t he m w he n we re a l i s e t he y dont entirely f it t he image t hat we have cre ate d for t hem. What do you hope to achi e v e w ith your re v ival of JCS? I want t he audience to embrace a f resh, mo der n t a ke on t he piece and to celebr ate it’s fant astic s c ore in s ome of t he b est music venues t he countr y has to of fer. Why the deci si on to stage thi s ve rsion in are na s rathe r than a traditional theatre? Well, it’s a ro ck show and t he arenas will retur n it to its ro ck ro ots. JCS st ar te d out as a g roun d bre a k i ng a l bu m s t ar r ing D e e p P u r pl e’s Ian Gi l l an a s Jes u s and it w a s a lw ay s Andre w L loyd Webb ers intent ion t hat it should b e s e en as a ro ck show. We’re delig hted to have a gre at s et designer, Mark Fisher - w ho’s st age s et at t he Queen’s Jubi lee prac tically stole t he show! B eing in arenas gives us t he chance to t a ke JCS back to it’s or iginal conception, w hich was a more concer t sty le for mat. The piece is made for t h is environment.

Are n’t y ou conce r ned it mig ht l o s e s ome intimac y by be ing staged on su ch a l arge s cal e? No. Mo d e r n te chn ol o g y a l l ow s for up cl o s e and p ers ona l. Wit h cl e ve r c am e r a ang l e s , we can ke ep t he le vel of p er for mances re al and amplif y t hem for t he audience to s e e. Andre w L loyd Webb er has s aid t hat putt ing JCS into t he atres has felt like s quashing s om e t h i ng huge i nto a s m a l l b ox , and n ow, t he are n a tou r w i l l g ive t he pro du c t i on t he space to grab t he audience and b e an e ven more p otent exp er ience - just like a ro ck show w hen you’re blow n away by t he sheer s c ale and magic of t he p er for mance. T he re i s quite a l ot of controv e rsy sur rounding the announced ca sting, w hat are y our thoug hts? Tim (Minchin) is a fant astic p er for mer. He did an amazing audition and ble w us away w it h h i s voi c e. I k n e w h e c ou l d s i ng , but I w a s s u r pr is e d h ow wel l t he m ater i a l s u ite d h i m . He a l s o m a ke s g re at a c t i ng choi c e s ; I t h i n k h e’ l l b e ter r if i c . We’re a l s o d e l i g hte d to have Melanie C as Mar y Magd alene, she was br illiant in Blo o d Brot hers and has prove d h e rs e l f to b e a g re at a c t re s s a s wel l a s a g re at s i nger. A n d of c ou rs e C h r is Moy les as King Hero d - he’s going to sur pr is e p e ople, in a ver y go o d way! What are your opinion s about realit y T V ca sting? It’s not my are a, but I t hink Andre w L loyd Webb er has made a gre at success of t he genre and many of t he f inalists f rom pre v ious shows have de velop e d ver y successf ul t he atre c are e rs . B e n Forste r ha s now bee n chos e n by the Br it i sh public to play Je su s. We’re you ne r v ou s at hav ing no contol ove r who play s the lead in your produc tion? Not at all. The pro cess of putt ing t hat T V show toget her is incredible and t he contes t ant s h a d s om e ver y d i f f ic u lt cha l l e nge s . I k n e w a l l of t he m c ou l d s i ng it , w hat’s interesting is w hat we le ar n ab out (t he contest ants) over t he cours e of t he programme. You get to know t hes e p er for mers far more t han you would if you were just auditioning t hem for a show, I t hink t hat’s w hy t he audiences, s o far, have always got r ig ht.

Jesus C hrist Sup erstar ; the Arena Tour op ens at L ond on’s O2 arena on Friday 21st S e ptemb er 2012 then tours the UK. For fur ther d e tai ls go to w w w. sup erstar. itv. com

P E R F O R M A N C E | E D I TO R I A L | P O RT R A I T

W W W. M AT T C R O C K E T T . C O M

JAMIE MUSCATO Spr ing Awakening g raduate, Les Mi s re volutionair y, and now 80â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Rock of Ages kid, w e ink up Jamie Mu s cato on a s oho roof top. Ju st for f un . photo g raphy M AT T C RO C K E T T word s JA M E S N OW E L L

Age: 22 Training: No of f i c i a l t r ai n i ng , d i d l o a d s of amate u r t he at re a s a kid, and le ar nt most by watching and le ar ning f rom more e x p e r i e n c e d c ol l e ag u e s i n t he j o b s I ' ve got . First professional job: Spr ing Aw a ke n i ng

What are your Career Highlights so far? Spr ing Aw a ke n i ng w i l l a lw ay s h ol d a s p e cial pl ace for me as it was my f irst profess i on a l t he at re g i g and m any of t he p e opl e I me t f rom it are re a l cl o s e f r i e nds st i l l. But re ally, e ver y ne w job t hat I've done has of fere d me s omet hing sp ecial and unique t hat t he ot hers haven't, I've b e en ver y lucky w it h opp or tu n it i e s I ' ve b e e n g ive n .

You've had a quite a diverse career so far. Which do you enjoy more? Is there a particular genre of mu sical theatre you think you're more suited to? I most ly like doing ne w stuf f, w hich again I've b e en lucky enoug h to b e able to do a lot of. I'm not sure w hat genre I'm more s u ite d to, I l i ke it a l l !

You've worked pretty consistently, why do you think that i s? I t h i n k I ' ve b e e n i n t he r ig ht pl a c e at t he r ig ht time for a lot of stuf f, als o having a go o d aud it i on s ong i s pre tt y i mp or t ant . What's next for you? Not sure w hat's going to happ en af ter Ro ck of Age s ye t h op ef u l ly s om e t h i ng w i l l c om e a l ong s o on!

What role or show would you love to do? A ny t h i ng t hat I c an s i n k my te e t h i nto a c t i ng w i s e re a l ly, I ' d l ove to s om e d ay wor k at t he D onmar Warehous e but t hen, w hat ac tor wou l d n ' t !

You can follow Jamie @Jamiemuscato on twitter, and for more news/info on the rock sensation ROCK OF AGES, visit www.rockofagesmusical.co.uk

4 UR EARS We’ve had a little li sten to a couple of CD’s thi s month, and we think you should too....

IDINA ME N Z E L LIVE; BAREFO OT AT THE SYMPHONY Live recordings have come a long way since bootlegs and scratchy sounding preservations, in recent years they’ve even become preferred for some cast albums. The ‘LIVE BAREFOOT AT THE SYMPHONY’ recording with everyone’s “Rent a Wicked Witch” Idina Menzel is a great example of why these work. Its crisp, it’s lush and it’s fresh. The vocals are strong and Miss Menzel sounds as if she’s having a blast, the reception of the Canadian audience gives her a great energy and brings this whole CD to life. The arrangements and orchestra really showcase the songs in a fun and new way, without taking away from what the writers intended. And it’s wonderful to have thee, now late, great Marvin Hamlisch is at the helm with the Kitchner Waterloo Symphony orchestra. It’s nice, too, that the show never strays too far away from what we love. The show is firmly grounded in musical theatre, but with fun modern twists cleverly thrown in here and there. Miss Menzel references the hits of her career and gives you new ones to lust over. If you’re already a fan then you will love this CD, if you’re not yet, it will turn you. It’s fun, you can sing along, and it has enough of the camp factor to put a spring in your step, without being worried about people over hearing you on public transport. A definite must have… especially for the awesome ‘Love for Sale’ and ‘Roxanne’ mash up. If this is what’s to come from the UK tour, then I’ll be there! Go to www.idinauk.com for more info on the CD and Idina’s UK Tour and West End run.

LYSISTR ATA JON E S OR I G I NA L B R O A DWAY C AST R E C OR DI N G This quirky little show began it’s life Off Broadway and gained a nice little bit of momentum, eventually taking it to Broadway (with the Off Broadway cast... no ‘names’!). Lewis Flinn provides the score, and while it’s not as catchy as ‘Legally Blonde’ or ‘Hairspray’, it has that fun, pop factor and puts you in a damn good mood. The book is provided by master book writer Douglas Carter Beane who ties together the (occasionally long winded) score with humour and compassion, bringing the characters to life and ensuring you laugh your way through to the end. The show tells the Greek myth of ‘Lyistrata’, but brought up to date and now set in Athens University. The cheerleading team decide to withhold sex until the boys win a game, and in doing so learn a lot about each other, themselves, and relationships. It’s a light, fun storyline and seeing it live was greatly enjoyable. The music flows through various styles, but never becomes pastiche and cleverly keeps it’s pop feel even when emulating other genres so you know what you‘re getting. The small cast do a great job, provided great vocals (which they managed to keep up throughout the basketball choreography filled routines) and keep that quirky element that made the show so enjoyable. Even though the show didn’t exactly fly on Broadway, this recording proves that it’s a brilliant new musical and deserves a life elsewhere. Highlights include ‘No More Giving it Up’ and ‘You go your way’ Go to http://www.lysistratajones.com/ for more info.

M. opens the f iles on three of the West Endâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leading Rock Theatr ical s word s K I R K JA M E S ON

NAME: Arlene Phillips AGE: 69 TWITTER: @arlenephillips ROCK CONNECTION: In the 80's, when Rock was at it's height and MTV gripped an entire generation, there was one woman you would call to choreograph your music video and that woman was Arlene Phillips. As well as working with ACDC, Kiss and Joan Jett, she also worked closely alongside Freddie Mercury and Queen on their now iconic music videos. It's little wonder then, when Queen began work on "We Will Rock You", Arlene was introduced as choreographer. Now, ten years on WWRY continues to sell out the Dominion and recently won the people's choice award at the Olivier's. ROCK INFLUENCES: " I worked regularly on music video's in the 80's when the (Rock) genre was at it's height. MTV was just breaking and it was a very exciting time. I regularly collaborated with David Mallet to work on Queen's videos, which would often end up being very theatrical; in "I was born to love you", for example, we used 350 dancers. This all came from Freddie, he was very theatrical and loved big production numbers. When WWRY came along, I jumped at the chance to do it." ROCK ICON: "Freddie Mercury, without a doubt. He was so involved and creative. Unlike some other artists I'd work with at the time, Freddie would come to every production meeting and would often demonstrate what he wanted in the videos or routines. He was so passionate." FAVOURITE TRACK: "I can't get no Satisfaction by The Rolling Stones. I love the constant pulse throughout the song and to me, it says everything about Rock; there is no satisfaction in Rock, you're always searching for more, for the next thing..." SHAMELESS PLUG: "I have a very busy Autumn ahead. I'm heading over to Toronto for the Canadian version of "Over the Rainbow", where I'm acting as head judge. Once a Dorothy is cast, we'll then be mounting the show out there before heading back to the UK for further projects"

NAME: Brenda Edwards AGE: ??? TWITTER: @brenda_edwards ROCK CONNECTION: Brenda is currently serving up her Killer Queen eight shows a week in Rock You at the Dominion. Joining the West End cast straight after the show’s first national tour, she has now been rocking the part for over three years. Brenda was also a finalist on the X Factor where her mentor was none other than “Rock’s Queen of Mean”, Sharon Osbourne. ROCK INFLUENCES: “I grew up listening to Freddy Mercury and Tina Turner, they both had such soulful voices and sung from the gut. I had all of Queens albums so when I started the audition process for WWRY the material was already there on my iPod. Meeting and working with Brian May has been such a massive honour for me and peforming with him at the Oliviers is something I will never forget”. R ROCK ICON: “Freddy Mercury, that mans voice is beautiful” F FAVOURITE TRACK: “Don’t stop me now by Queen. I sung this song at boot camp on the X Factor, it got it all; a beautiful, soulful opening and then it just goes crazy. I defy anyone not to tap along in it it’s some whay to that song, it’s just such a feel good track.” SHAMELESS PLUG: “I’m currently working on an album which I’m hoping will be out next later this year/early next. My debut single “You know how to love me” is now available on iTunes”

NAME: John Owen Jones AGE: 41 TWITTER: @johnowenjones ROCK CONNECTION: Best known for dominating the Phantom/Jean Val Jean market in the West End, on tour and on Broadway, John is currently on the road with the 25th Anniversary production of Phantom of the Opera. A massive Rock fan, he listens to the music as part of his pre show routine and nightly singles out a favourite track to his followers on twitter, in an item he calls, “The Music of Tonight” (clever). ROCK INFLUENCES: “People are often surprised that I’m an extreme metal fan. Because of my sound they expect me to listen to more legit music but artists like Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin and Geoff Tate of Queensryche have been huge influence to me. I find Rock the perfect way to sike myself up before a show; a character like the Phantom has to arrive onstage totally geared up and ready to go; Rock is perfect for this. I also incorporate the vocal style within my performances where possible; with the Phantom, for example, wearing the mask he is more composed and so the sound is controlled, but toward the end of the show, when he loses his mask, I use a rocky belt, which sounds much more dangerous; this way the vocals match the image a little better.” ROCK ICON: “Geoff Tate and Queensryche are a fantastic band; their music has a real theatricality to it. One of their albums, Operation: Mindcrime is a concept recording of a rock opera about the assassin of political leaders; it’s great story telling!” FAVOURITE TRACK: “The whole Operation: Mindcrime album. It would easily be my desert island disk” SHAMELESS PLUG: “My album, Unmasked is out now and available on iTunes. There’s quite a mix of styles on this album; obviously there are some musical tracks but I’ve also recorded a Queen track “The Love of my Life”, for which Brian May, despite being unable to play for me, gave me his blessing.”

TALENT TOM HARRIES photog raphy M AT T C RO C K E T T

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