Friday, 10 March 2017

Preview: Tango Moderno at Sunderland Empire


Tango superstars’ new show to capture the heat of the street

Vincent Simone & Flavia Cacace
return in their hottest show yet…

Tango Moderno
Sunderland Empire
Monday 20th – Wednesday 22nd November 2017
(4 PERFORMANCES ONLY)

Tango Moderno
Strictly superstars Vincent Simone and Flavia Cacace return to the stage with their most audacious and thrilling show yet, Tango Moderno. The production opens at the Waterside Theatre, Aylesbury on Thursday 7th September, ahead of a major UK Tour with a date at Sunderland Empire 20-22 November 2017 for 4 performances only.

Vincent Simone
Tango is the rhythm of the city, the heat of the streets and the pulse of life. Tango Moderno is the irresistible hot new stage spectacular from Vincent and Flavia: dance partners for over two decades, world champions, Strictly favourites and acclaimed West End stage stars, whose previous productions Midnight Tango, Dance Til Dawn and The Last Tango have all been acclaimed, sell-out hits.

Flavia Cacace
Having originally intended The Last Tango to be their farewell tour, Flavia commented: “As we were creating our last show, we developed a number of new routines with so much raw choreography. It was thrilling to still be discovering new numbers for Vincent and I to dance, but we just couldn’t accommodate them in the production. We toured the country with the show and were overwhelmed by the support from our audiences and from people asking us to continue. Vincent and I spoke at the end of the tour and we decided that we wanted to continue; we love dancing together, we are having so much fun and a year after our last UK tour, we are more excited than ever to share this new work and show with our audiences.”

The new production fuses together Ballroom, Latin, and Argentine tango to give you a performance that smoulders with desire.  With classic steps, they create a Tango for today.

Tango Moderno is directed by Olivier Award winning choreographer and director Karen Bruce and produced by Adam Spiegel Productions (Motown The Musical, The Producers, Dance ‘Til Dawn, Midnight Tango, Love Me Tender).

On The Web:
Website:         www.TangoModerno.com
Facebook:     facebook.com/vincentandflavialive
Twitter:   @vfvincentflavia


Tickets
Tickets available in person at the Box Office on High Street West, from the Ticket Centre on 0844 871 3022* or online at www.ATGtickets.com/Sunderland*
*Calls cost 7p per minute plus your plus your phone company's access charge. Booking and transaction fees may apply.

Group Bookings: 0844 871 3042
Calls cost 7p per minute, plus your phone company's access charge.

News: Theatre Royal’s New Season Announced



Theatre Royal’s New Season Announced

HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE:
Love Letters 19 – 23 Sep ‘17
Driving Miss Daisy 2 – 7 Oct ‘17
Sunset Boulevard 9 – 14 Oct ‘17
Grease 16 – 21 Oct ‘17
Northern Ballet’s The Little Mermaid 31 Oct – 4 Nov ‘17

There’s something to suit every taste with stunning drama, feel-good musicals and mesmerising dance amongst the world-class productions announced by Newcastle Theatre Royal for the Summer / Autumn 2017 season.  

Ali MacGraw and Ryan O’Neal
Hollywood legends Ali MacGraw and Ryan O’Neal star in Love Letters (Tue 19 – Sat 23 Sep ’17).  Following a critically-acclaimed Broadway run and sell-out US Tour, this stunning production about first loves and second chances comes to Newcastle for 8 performances only.

The drama continues with Dame Sian Phillips and Derek Griffiths in Driving Miss Daisy (Mon 2 – Sat 7 Oct ’17).  This heart-touching production - made famous by the 1989 Academy Award-winning film - set in Atlanta, Georgia tells of how a profound and life-altering friendship blossoms against a backdrop of prejudice, inequality and civil unrest.

Just married.  Bored already.  Hedda longs to be free…Following a sold-out run at the National Theatre, this modern production of Henrik Ibsen’s masterpiece Hedda Gabler comes to Newcastle (Mon 12 – Sat 17 Feb ’18).

It’s time to dust off your leather jackets and pull on your bobby socks as Danny and Sandy fall in love all over again in Grease (Mon 16 – Sat 21 Oct ’17).  Featuring unforgettable songs from the hit movie including You’re The One That I Want, Grease Is The Word and Summer Nights you’ll be ready to hand jive the night away!

Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Tony Award-winning masterpiece Sunset Boulevard comes to Newcastle for 1 week only (Mon 9 – Sat 14 Oct ’17).  Starring internationally acclaimed musical theatre star Ria Jones as Norma Desmond and with a much-loved score including With One Look, The Greatest Star of All and The Perfect Year, Sunset Boulevard promises to be a spectacular treat for all musicals fans.

The Gloria Tour heads to Newcastle Theatre Royal for one night only.  Local star Joe McElderry and special guests from the musical phenomenon Joseph perform smash hits form the new album Saturday Night at the Movies (Sun 30 Jul ’17).  And legends Des O’Connor & Jimmy Tarbuck will take to the stage for a spectacular evening of entertainment (Sun 5 Nov ’17).

Vincent Simone and Flavia Cacace
The ever-popular Vincent Simone and Flavia Cacace return to Newcastle Theatre Royal with hot new stage spectacular Tango Moderno (Tue 26 – Sat 30 Sep ’17).  The Strictly Come Dancing favourites and world champion tango superstars will set your heart racing with passion, thrills and incredible dance. 

Northern Ballet - The Little Mermaid
The beauty of dance continues when Northern Ballet present The Little Mermaid (Tue 31 Oct – Sat 4 Nov ’17).  This stunning original ballet, choreographed by David Nixon OBE, will transport you into a world beneath the waves as a young mermaid is willing to give up everything she knows for love.

The power of Opera North will be seen this Autumn in a season of short operas.  The Little Greats (Wed 8 – Sat 11 Nov ’17) will feature three emotionally charged double bills including Pagliacci, Trouble in Tahiti and Trial by Jury.  Opera fans will be mesmerised when Opera North returns again in 2018 with a season of operatic favourites (Tue 20 – Sat 24 Mar ’18) – Madame Butterfly, Don Giovanni and Un Ballo in Macshera.

And there are plenty of great shows to suit all tastes already on sale in the current season.  Star of stage and screen Sheridan Smith will be reprising her role as Fanny Brice when Funny Girl (Tue 16 – Sat 20 May) comes to Newcastle for 1 week only.
Young Frankenstein (Sat 26 Aug – Sat 9 Sep ‘17) will get its UK premiere when Hollywood legend Mel Brooks brings his classic movie to life on stage in an all singing, all dancing musical based on the 1974 Oscar-nominated smash hit movie,
There’s a jam-packed line up of top-class musicals which includes the feel-good spectacular Mamma Mia! (Tue 28 Mar – Sat 15 Apr ‘17) and the critically acclaimed Sister Act (Mon 19 – Sat 24 Jun ‘17) starring Alexandra Burke and directed by Craig Revel Horwood.  The fun continues when Strictly Come Dancing’s Joanne Clifton kicks up her heels in Thoroughly Modern Millie (Mon 10 – Sat 15 Jul ’17), follow the yellow brick road with NMTC’s production of The Wizard of Oz (Tue 25 – Sat 29 Jul ’17), former Strictly champions Tom Chambers and Caroline Flack star in Crazy for You (Tue 12 – Sat 16 Sep ’17) and the Olivier award-winning West End show Beautiful – The Carole King Musical (Tue 14 – Sat 18 Nov ’17) tells the inspiring story of an ordinary girl with an extraordinary talent.

Dance fans can look forward to the magic of Ballroom and Latin dance being celebrated in Keep Dancing (Tue 18 – Sat 22 Apr ’17) and the eagerly-awaited Matthew Bourne’s The Red Shoes (Tue 2 – Sat 6 May ‘17) is set to dazzle audiences in an intoxicating drama where life imitates art with fateful consequences.   
Milonga
Milonga (Fri 16 – Sat 17 Jun ’17) unites Argentinean tango dancers, contemporary dancers and live musicians to create a show that captures the unique style of celebrated choreographer Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui.
Local sisters and Mercury-nominated mavericks of British folk music The Unthanks (Sun 14 May ’17) showcase the extraordinary songs of Molly Drake in a mesmerising performance of her charming and bittersweet works.  And discover the joins of exploring the Wilderness with Ray Mears – Born to Go Wild (Sun 29 Oct ’17).
There will be laughs a plenty in Ray Cooney’s Olivier Award-winning comedy Out of Order (Mon 22 – Sat 27 May ’17) and the fun continues with Henning Wehn (Sun 22 Oct ’17) and the show-stopping 17/18 Pantomime Peter Pan (Tue 28 Nov ’17 – Sun 21 Jan ’18) starring Danny Adams, Clive Webb and Chris Hayward. 
The heart-warming and life-changing comedy Shirley Valentine (Mon 23 – Sat 28 Oct ’17) will see Jodie Prenger star in the title role as the Liverpool housewife who heads off to the sun and starts to see the world, herself and the life she let behind very differently.  This, the first major revival of the national treasure, is a must-see for anyone who adored the 1986 Oscar-nominated film by Willy Russell.
Audiences will be on the edge of their seats with spine-tingling drama coming by way of Peter James’ Not Dead Enough (Mon 20 – Sat 25 Mar ’17) starring Shane Richie and Laura Whitmore, the chilling The Woman in Black (Mon 24 – Sat 29 Apr ’17) and Ruth Rendell’s A Judgement in Stone (Mon 31 Jul – Sat 5 Aug ’17) which unravels a lifetime of deceit and brings a shocking revelation.

In Running Wild (Tue 9 – Sat 13 May ’17), going to Indonesia with her mum isn’t just a holiday for Lilly; this epic and spectacular production tells an emotional and moving story of love, loss, loyalty and of living for the moment.  The innovative drama based on Mark Haddon’s award-winning novel, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time (Tue 30 – Sat 10 June ’17) returns to Newcastle after a sell-out run in 2015, and Jane Eyre (Mon 3 – Sat 8 July ’17) plays following a critically acclaimed season at the National Theatre.

Younger audiences will be delighted by Babe, The Sheep-Pig (Tue 13 – Wed 14 Jun ’17) and E.Nesbit’s classic novel The Railway Children (Mon 26 Jun – Sat 1 Jul ’17) is brought thrillingly to life in a stunning new stage production.  Following a smash-hit West End season, the tea-guzzling tiger is back in The Tiger Who Came To Tea (Thu 29 Jun – Sat 1 Jul ‘17).
Tickets:
Tickets for all new shows in the Summer / Autumn ‘17 season go on sale to the general public at 9am on Fri 17 Mar 2017 and can be purchased online at www.theatreroyal.co.uk or from the Theatre Royal Box Office on 08448 11 21 21 (Calls cost 7p per minute plus your phone company’s access charge).

Friends of the Theatre Royal can book new season shows online and through the box office on Mon 13 Mar 2017 and receive discounted tickets as well as other benefits – visit www.theatreroyal.co.uk/support/become-a-friend for more information.




Thursday, 9 March 2017

REVIEW: Little Shop of Horrors at Newcastle Tyne Theatre



WEBLINK: www.facebook.com/carliolphotography
 
 
 Feeding Time At The Tyne

Little Shop of Horrors
Newcastle Tyne Theatre & Opera House
Until Saturday 11th March 2017

There are a number of musicals, which pay homage to the 50s and 60s B-Movies, that have large followings. Return to the Forbidden Planet, Rocky Horror Show and, of course, The Little Shop of Horrors. The films are not perfect, but there’s a certain quirkiness that makes a trip to the theatre appealing. In fact, I will guess that a number of the people at tonight’s show will have seen previous productions of the show and wanted to see it again. I know I did!

In a world of endless juke-box musicals, this show features an original score from the songwriting team of Howard Ashman and Alan Menken. The songs are as charming as the story in this tale of death and destruction at the hands of a plant. Bizarrely the show has a feel good factor and it left me feeling happy at the end.

As for the story, Mr Mushnik (Stuart Liddle), runs a florists on Skid Row which is really struggling. After another very quiet day’s business he decides to close the show and to let his two members of staff Audrey (Amy Chapman) and young Seymour (Richard Delroy) go. Seymour persuades him to put a plant he has been cultivating in the window in order to attract business. He thinks it is a type of Venus flytrap and he recalls how it had appeared after a sudden solar eclipse. As it happens, the idea of putting a plant in the window is an immediate success but there are other consequences.

We also have a sub-plot as Audrey has a motorcycling riding dentist boyfriend Orin (Joshua Raven) has a fascination with pain. Audrey’s friends are less keen on a lad who often leaves her black and blue.

The show is a fun production which features a fairly small cast. Before the show begins the drunk, performed by Chris Rushmere-York, comes off the stage and tries to get involved in some selfies with the audience. The show proper begins with the singing trio of Ronette (Chloe Copas), Chiffon (Rebecca Mackett) and Crystal (Bridget Marsh) performing the opening number. They frequently pop up and the songs they sing help narrate the story. Adding to the downtown attitude are three young actors playing some street-wise kids and Rebecca Howland, Holly Spreadbury and Holly Skiggs appear to enjoy their roles too.

The main cast do well under Dee Wood’s debut as director. Amy Chapman and Richard Delroy are charming and work well together. Joshua Raven is suitably unhinged as the nitrous oxide sniffing dentist. A mention too for the unseen operator (David Patrick) and voice of Audrey (Chris Rushmere-York) who also had their funny moments as the plant.

Once again, Tyne Theatre Productions, performs the show with a great live band, this time under musical director Jenni Winter.   

This was first night and we had the occasional unscripted laugh as the props didn’t quite behave as planned but the cast recovered well. My only niggle was with the sound which I hope resolves itself in future performances. Occasionally it lacked the balance needed between the cast and the band.

The profits from the show is being reinvested into restoring the Grade 1 Victorian Opera House. Since the opening Tyne Theatre Productions show of The Pirates of Penzance there has been a gradual improvement of the theatre’s facilities. The bar area has had a well needed bit of tlc and the number of seats that have been refurbished has been increased. The Preservation Trust should be praised for the work that has been carried out despite the lack of funding of the arts in the North East.

Little Shop of Horrors is a popular musical that has been produced with a sense of fun and love.  A great cast and a crazy plant did a good job of entertaining the audience.

Review by Stephen Oliver.

Tickets: £13.50, £10 Concessions, £8 Limited View. Groups 10+ get 1 free (plus booking fees when booking online and over the phone)
The Tyne Theatre & Opera House Box Office is open 10am-3:30pm Monday to Friday and event days
Booking and Information Line: 0844 2491 000 (10am – 6pm Monday to Friday)
Tickets also available now from: www.tynetheatreandoperahouse.uk




News: Regional Talent Search



''CALLING ALL TALENT ON THE TYNE''

Chris Cross the Magician Announces a Regional Talent Search for Tyneside's Next Big Act
Audition: Saturday 29th April 2017

Tyne Theatre and Opera House celebrates its 150th Anniversary this year, and
Newcastle’s very own Chris Cross and his The Greatest Show on the Tyne will play a major part in the theatre’s celebrations.

2016's The Greatest Show on the Tyne was undoubtedly the biggest variety show that the North East had seen for years, featuring world-class acrobats, magicians, musicians, contortionists, comedians and more dazzling the theatre's packed audience.

Such was its success that The Greatest Show on the Tyne will be back in 2017, taking place on Friday 6th October. It will be even bigger than last year, starring the cream of the cabaret & variety crop - both the very best local and national talent.

The line-up is almost fully confirmed for this year's entertainment extravaganza, though one act is still to be decided. To find this final act, Chris Cross is giving the people of the North East the chance to audition to be part of his show. Not only is a slot in the show up for grabs, but there will also be a cash prize of £100.

The auditions are open to anybody who has a talent, and all ages and talents are welcome, whether you have a dancing dog, can do the splits, can burp the alphabet, can hula a hundred hoops, can spin on your head or can juggle chainsaws – Chris Cross and the judges want to see the North East’s talents!

Chris Cross the Magician / Artistic Director of The Greatest Show on the Tyne says:
‘’I’m really excited to see what wonderful talents we have hiding amongst us in the North East! This opportunity could be the start of a dazzling career in show business – this really is YOUR time to shine folks! The other judges and I are looking forward to seeing what you’ve got to show us!’’

Theatre Director Joanne Johnson says: “I’m thrilled that Chris Cross has asked me to be involved in the audition process and I’m intrigued to see what will be in store! The Greatest Show on the Tyne is part of our 150th Anniversary celebrations, so it’s great to be involved in picking someone who will become a part of the theatre’s history. “


Photo: Lena @ Casablanca Photography, Jarrow

*THE JUDGES* from left to right:
Jo Johnson – Director of Tyne Theatre & Opera House
Chris Cross - Newcastle's favourite magician, daring escapologist & Artistic Director of the show
Cal Halbert - Comedy impressionist & one half of BGT semi-finalist double act The Mimic Men
Bobby Pattinson - The North East's undisputed King of comedy & legendary local entertainer

Audition Information

Auditions will take place on a first come, first seen basis with a limit to 5 minutes per act. Anyone wanting to audition for the Talent on the Tyne contest should arrive at Tyne Theatre & Opera House between 10.30am and 2.30pm on Saturday 29th April. There won’t be a theatre audience, but you are welcome to bring a few family members/friends along for support.

A mini-jack for music and a mic on a stand will be provided should you need to use them.

Tickets:
Tickets for The Greatest Show on the Tyne are available now from www.tynetheatreandoperahouse.uk

The Tyne Theatre & Opera House Box Office is open 10am-3:30pm Monday to Friday and event days
Booking and Information Line: 0844 2491 000 (10am – 6pm Monday to Friday)