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Afternoon Tea with Tom Chambers and Charlotte Ritchie
Noel Coward’s classic farce Private Lives is coming to the Birmingham New Alex Theatre this February, and to celebrate the occasion, the theatre hosted a very special Q&A session and afternoon tea with two of the stars, Strictly winner Tom Chambers and Call the Midwife star Charlotte Ritchie. It was a lovely opportunity to learn a little more about the play, and about the life of an actor working on a play. And to eat cake, lots of lovely cake. I took my mom along for the afternoon, and we had a lovely time enjoying the charm and wit of Tom and Charlotte, who are just perfect for Noel Coward’s…
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You Can’t Stop the Beat – Hairspray is launched in Birmingham
Tuesday saw the launch event for the brightest, bubbliest, biggest musical around, as the cast of Hairspray arrived at Birmingham’s New Alex Theatre. The show will be this year’s big Christmas musical at the Alex, following on from Jersey Boys and Ghost in 2014 and 13 respectively. I was very lucky to be invited to the launch, where the All star cast performed a series of key songs from the musical, and also hosted a Q&A session with the audience. Hairspray is the story of Tracy Turnblad, an overweight teenager who becomes a dance sensation in early 1960s Baltimore. She finds love with the teen idol Link, but also gets…
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Dirty Rotten Scoundrels charm at The New Alex
Two very different conmen, a suave man of the world who may also be a Prince, or a pychiatrist, on any given day, and a young and vulgar upstart who spins an unlikely yarn in a way that could bring tears to the eyes. These were the Scoundrels who charmed and delighted the New Alex Theatre last night. It was the press launch for ‘Dirty Rotten Scoundrels’, which showed, in all it’s glory, why it was nominated for 10 Tony Awards, including best new musical. It is simply one of the best nights in theatre. Lawrence (the suave and devilish Michael Praed) is the king of the Riviera Conmen, able…
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Christmas with The Rat Pack – Yes please!
Last night was a very special one at Birmingham’s New Alexandra Theatre. It was the grand opening of the Ambassador’s Lounge, an exclusive area of the theatre to be used as part of deluxe packages for theatre goers. It was also the start of a three-day run of one of my favourite theatre shows, ‘Christmas with The Rat Pack’. So when I was invited to the launch of the Ambassadors Lounge, with the opportunity to watch the Rat Pack thrown in, I have to admit to being very excited. The Ambassadors lounge almost resembles a private members bar mixed with the cool dark atmosphere of a 1920s speakeasy. Lit with…
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Oh what a lunchtime – Jersey Boys launches at The Jamhouse
Well, I can think of far worse ways to spend my lunchtime than listening to the music of the Four Seasons. This is exactly what I did yesterday when I attended the press launch for the smash hit musical Jersey Boys, which will be arriving at the New Alexandra Theatre in Birmingham in December. The multi-award winning musical tells the story of the Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, famous for so many wonderful hits, including ‘Big Girls Don’t Cry’, ‘Walk like a Man’, ‘Beggin’ and my personal favourite, ‘Sherry’. Set in 1962, the ‘Jersey Boys’ were from the wrong side of town, and yet became one of the most…
