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1/10/02 to 1/12/02

Steve Balsamo's long awaited debut 
album is finally released ... ...

After three and a half agonising years, Rock giants 'Sony' finally get their act together and release stagestar favourite, Steve Balsamo's debut album. This well crafted west coast American sounding album has so far had two singles released which has considerably raised Steve's profile in the music industry almost breaking him in the top twenty. His third single co-written by Steve and good mate Fred Johansonn, should be due out just after Christmas. To sample or win a free copy of Steve's album click here

The Full Monty is to close ... ...

The West End show The Full Monty has been given its notice (31/10/02) and will close on 23rd November. This is due to the lack of audience and an unconfirmed rumour that the illegal substance Asbestos has been found in the bar area. It was rumoured that the Prince of Wales theatre was scheduled to close in March 2003 for refurbishment but an insider suggested it may close before that now! An undisclosed cast member said 'The show may have survived if it had had a UK cast and had been set in the UK like the smash British movie'.  What are your views on the controversial setting of this original British screen play?  Post your views

Romeo, Romeo, where art tho' Romeo? ... ...

The new production of  Romeo & Juliet are having huge problems. The director was sacked a few weeks ago, but was quickly re-instated when French choreographer turned down the offer to direct the show. The French show like Notre Dame de Paris was a massive hit in Europe but fears of the English shunning the show after the disappointing run of Notre Dame made them look at reproducing the show more like a traditional musical. However this has caused problems with the English production team and the French. Although there is rumored to be spectacular fight scenes throughout the show. This week they decided to scrap everything to do with the direction and start again ... ... Quite a feet considering the show opens on 4th November.
Romeo and Juliet features stagestars Alexis James and James Graeme.

Our house in the middle of seven dials!
That's Madness ... ...

Stagestar.co.uk are looking to sign up the new and exciting young lead 'Mike Jibson' of the Madness musical 'Our House' which opens at the Cambridge theatre, London at the end of October. The show is expected to leave 'We Will Rock You' standing as the book is rumored to be exceptional. The madness boys have penned two new tunes for the show so no doubt we'll be hearing Suggs and the boys back on our radios.

So long farewell aufwiedersain goodbye ... ...

Stagestar Paul Baker is to leave Taboo at the beginning of November after almost eighteen months playing the mad camp narrator. 'I've had such a wicked time creating this character. George has been amazing to work with and to be involved in such an innovative show with exceptionally talented people has been a pleasure.' Taboo relies a lot on the top actors willing to take a reduction in pay as the Venue in Leicester square only holds a maximum capacity of 329. If you want to see Paul in Taboo get yourself down to The Venue before November 4th

Around the World in a hazy daze ... ...

Stagestar Dean Collinson is to release his 7th solo album on the 1st November. The Album is based on his recent travel experiences to South East Asia. 'After my ridiculously busy year (2001), and the stress of producing my own three shows in Edinburgh, I just had to get away. I had loads of ideas brewing but you can't be creative when you are being all business like. As soon as I got out there ... BANG! While traveling through Thailand I wrote a TV sitcom series called the 'Collinson's; Neighbours from Hell' this was based on my childhood and my crazy but lovable family. Then I wrote a Vampire Movie in Vietnam ... I think cos there is a strange confused vibe out there, my imagination just ran wild. I wrote about thirty tunes for this album but as I started recording them, the vocal style I decided to go for dictated what songs I recorded'
If you want to see Dean perform these new songs along with others, he is doing his own concert at the 'Lauderdale house, Highgate, London,  on Sunday 27th October. Tickets £8-£10 (Box office 0208 348 8716)

The first ever International Festival of Musical Theatre kicked off last night (13 October 2002) in the Welsh capital of Cardiff with a gala opening concert, "Who Could Ask for Anything More?", paying tribute to Broadway musicals of the 20th century. The festival now continues over three weeks to 3 November 2002, with more than 100 events planned across ten venues in the city.

Composer Richard Rodgers, whose centenary is celebrated this year, is the featured artist of the inaugural festival. Amongst the events staged in his honour will be major productions of Rodgers and Hart's Babes in Arms and Ten Cents a Dance and Rodgers and Hammerstein's Oklahoma! and Carousel.

Other festival highlights include the European premiere of the award-winning Broadway musical Ragtime in concert, a schools edition of Les Miserables, the new Clive Rowe musical Sadly Solo Joe, a concert performance of Cole Porter's Jubilee in honour of the Queen's Golden Jubilee, a grand finale concert of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Requiem at Llandaff Cathedral and, one of the festival's central planks, showcase performances of the nine pieces selected from some 200 submissions in the Global Search for New Musicals.

In addition to widespread interest from musical writers, producers and theatregoers, the International Festival of Musical Theatre has attracted strong support from top Broadway and West End stars. Amongst those due to participate in the festival activities are: Tracie Bennett, Dean Collinson, Kim Criswell, Janie Dee, Barbara Dickson, Kathryn Evans, Maria Friedman, Laura Michelle Kelly, Jane McDonald, Claire Sweeney, Leigh Zimmerman, John Barrowman, David Burt, Brian Conley, Daniel Evans, Tim Flavin, Henry Goodman, Jerome Pradon, Clarke Peters, Nigel Planer, Jonathan Pryce, Philip Quast, Denis Quilley, Clive Rowe, Dave Willets, Gary Wilmot and Colm Wilkinson.

OPENING 21ST OCTOBER 2002, THE CAMBRIDGE THEATRE, LONDON

Our House
The Cambridge Theatre, London

Well the show hasn't actually opened yet but...I saw a preview last night and had to tell everyone how much I enjoyed it. The cast were terrific. OK it's another pop musical and as much as I would like to see more new completely original shows, 'Our House' is just too good to miss (in my opinion). If you are a Madness fan, or even if you're not, you're sure to find something to like about London's latest show. I for one like 'Madness' anyway, but the new take on the songs really works. The plot is very different also, compared to conventional musicals. The plot splits into two scenarios of the same story, it sounds confusing but it works (I don't want to give too much away).

The dances and new orchestration/arrangements fit seemingly with the storyline and there are plenty of gags in the dialogue. The are some great characters and performances from a fantastic cast. There are serious moral messages in the plot (which has nothing to do with the 'Madness' the band) and there are serious moments in the show but it is on the whole a feel good musical.

'Our House' has to beat all theatrical records for the quickest costume changes and there are plenty of them, they were absolutely necessary though and even got some applauses. The costumes and scenery in general were nothing spectacular, but served the show well.- hats off to the Rob Howell who designed the set and costumes. Also, a special mention for Michael Jibson, who played the lead character - Joe Casey. He was without a doubt the star of the show and carried the much needed energy to the end.

I think the creative team got a bit carried away with 'Driving In My Car' (but this is a fun show after all). The 'Camden Lock' scene is quite good (reminiscent of 'Who Will Buy' from Oliver - can you imagine?).I think the show will go down well with Londoners and it's very British. I couldn't wait for the songs I knew and liked and wasn't disappointed with the way any of them were performed. Favourite numbers were... House of Fun, My Girl, Baggy Trousers, Embarrassment, Wings of a Dove, It Must Be Love - oh what the hell it was all brilliant!

I expect the show will do very well and I hope it does. The 28th October will be a sure test to tell apart the boring reviewers and those who enjoy musical theatre at it's best! If you don't like fun shows, don't go to see 'Our House' otherwise get yourself down to The Cambridge!

Les Mis & Phantom Celebrate West End Birthdays

The West End's two longest still-running musicals - Boublil and Schonberg's Les Miserables and Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera, both produced by Cameron Mackintosh - celebrate birthday milestones this week. Les Mis, at the Palace Theatre, turns 17 tomorrow (Tuesday 8 October 2002) while, just a year and a day behind, Phantom, at Her Majesty's, turns 18 on Wednesday (9 October).

Based on the novel by Victor Hugo, Les Mis has been seen worldwide by over 47 million people in more than 33 countries and in 20 languages. Originally adapted and directed by Trevor Nunn and John Caird for the Royal Shakespeare Company, the musical is written by Alain Boublil and Claude Michel Schonberg.

Though the Broadway production of Les Miserables last week confirmed that it would close in March 2003, three days after its 16th birthday there, the West End original is now booking to the end of June 2003 and has recently welcomed a high-profile new cast, led by Michael Sterling, Jerome Pradon, Paul Manuel and Rosemary Ashe.

The Phantom of the Opera, which opened at Her Majesty's Theatre in 1986, has recently extended its public booking by two months to 22 February 2003, while groups of 15 or more can book as far ahead as 19 December 2003. In 1999, the Lloyd Webber musical, based on Gaston Leroux's gothic novel about a masked man who falls in love with an ingénue singer at the Pairs Opera House, was named as the 20th century's most successful money-making show, dwarfing even Hollywood rivals like Titanic at the box office. Earlier this year, Phantom received a special Laurence Olivier audience award for most popular long-running West End production.

Gaby Roslin debuts in the London production of Chicago

Television presenter Gaby Roslin will next month follow in the footsteps of her fellow Big Breakfast veteran Denise Van Outen in joining the West End cast of Chicago. From 18 November 2002 at the Adelphi Theatre, Roslin will join the new cast which also includes EastEnders' Michael Greco and musical theatre regulars Linzi Hateley and Tiffany Graves.

Whereas Van Outen - now being groomed as the star of Andrew Lloyd Webber's relaunched Tell Me on a Sunday - played the part of minxy murderess Roxie Hart in the Kander and Ebb musical, Roslin will play butch prison matron Mama Morton, taking over from Chrissie Hammond. The role will mark the West End debut of Roslin, best known as the face of TV programmes such as Whatever You Want and Television's Greatest Hits in addition to Big Breakfast.

Greco, who takes over from Wet Wet Wet's Marti Pellow as super-slick lawyer Billy Flynn, has previously appeared on stage in classical works such as All's Well That Ends Well and Don Juan, though he's best known his five years as Beppe Di Marco in BBC soap EastEnders. Chicago will also mark his West End musical debut.

Hateley, who plays Roxie, most recently appeared in the West End in the RSC's The Secret Garden, for which she was nominated for a Whatsonstage.com Award for Best Supporting Performance in a Musical, while her other stage credits include Oliver!, The Rink, Into the Woods, Romance Romance, Les Miserables and Grease. Graves rejoins the new Chicago cast in the lead role of Velma Kelly, having previously played inmate Mona. Her most recent stage credits include Cats and Follies at the Royal Festival Hall.

The current cast - Pellow, Hammond, Anita Louise Combe (as Roxie Hart), Anna-Jane Casey (Velma Kelly) and Paul Rider (Amos Hart) - complete their extended contracts on 16 November.

Chicago, based on the play by Maurine Dallas Watkins, has a book by Fred Ebb and Bob Fosse, music by John Kander and lyrics by Fred Ebb. Scenic design is by John Lee Beatty, costumes by William Ivey Long, lighting by Ken Billington and sound by Rick Clarke. Musical supervision is by Rob Fisher and musical direction by Gareth Valentine. The production is choreographed by Ann Reinking in the style of Bob Fosse and directed by Walter Bobbie.

The musical opened at the Adelphi in November 1997 and went on to win the 1998 Olivier for Outstanding Musical Production and the 1998 Critics Circle Award for Best Musical. It's currently booking at the Adelphi up to 30 March 2003, while a separate touring production - featuring John Altman (Billy Flynn) now joined by Emma Clifford (Roxie Hart), Lisa Donmall (Velma Kelly) and Debra Michaels (Mama Morton) - continues its extensive UK-wide schedule.

Monty Python musical proposed

Talks have taken place between Monty Python's Flying Circus members and West End producers to create a musical from the work of the influential comedy troupe.

Although John Cleese, Eric Idle, Michael Palin, Terry Jones, Terry Gilliam and the late Graham Chapman are revered by many commentators for their innovative BBC sketch show in the late sixties, producers are most interested in their movie work.

Roger Saunders, of Python (Monty) Pictures, said that he considered approaches to adapt Monty Python's Life of Brian and Monty Python and the Holy Grail to be a reaction to the successful Broadway stage version of Mel Brooks' movie The Producers.

The Life of Brian chronicles a man who is mistaken for Jesus Christ at the time of his birth, while Monty Python and the Holy Grail follows King Arthur's quest. Both films were made in the seventies.

Phantom creeps into third place in 
trio of Broadway long-runners 

The year of milestones for The Phantom of the Opera on Broadway continues Oct. 12, when the matinee performance of the Andrew Lloyd Webber smash surpasses the run of A Chorus Line to become the third longest-running show in the history of Broadway.

On May 9, the British-born show surpassed Oh! Calcutta! by playing performance No, 5,960, and on June 13 the show hit No. 6,000. The Saturday matinee (performance No. 6,138, for the record) marks a special milestone for producer Cameron Mackintosh, as well: When Phantom hits No. 3, it means Mackintosh produced the three longest-running shows on Broadway, including Cats (at No. 1) and Les Misérables (No. 2). Cats closed in 2000, and Mackintosh, 55, announced this month that on March 15, 2003, he'll close Les Miz. It seems a sure thing that Phantom, which is still doing big business at the Majestic Theatre, will surpass Les Miz. Mackintosh's Miss Saigon is currently No. 6 on the long-run list.

This also means that Cats composer Andrew Lloyd Webber has penned two of the longest-running shows in Broadway history.

Jim Steinman's 'Dance of the Vampires' 
takes wing at Broadway's Minskoff Theatre

After several years in the making, which included a German-language production, Dance of the Vampires, the musical based on the Roman Polanski film, "The Fearless Vampire Killers," begins performances on The Great White Way, Oct. 14.

The revamped production for Broadway, set to open Nov. 21, stars Michael Crawford and features a score by Jim Steinman with a book by David Ives, Steinman and Michael Kunze (who is also credited with the original German book and lyrics).

"If you think Broadway musicals suck now — just you wait," reads the tongue-in-cheek tagline promoting the Broadway musical. Tony Award-winning John Rando (Urinetown) directs and John Carrafa (Urinetown, Into The Woods) choreographs the musical, which turns the Minskoff Theatre into 1880's Lower Belabartokovich, Carpathia.

Rando told Playbill On-Line the show is not a spoof. "I wouldn't say spoof and I wouldn't really say campy," he explained between rehearsals in September. "It has the elements of that, but I would feel it's more a thrill ride, a thrill show. I think it deals with the dark underbelly of life in a very fun and interesting way."

Vampires Songlist Includes Pop Tune'Total Eclipse of the Heart'

Billy Joel's Movin' Out may not be the only familiar pop song featured at this year's Tony Awards telecast, as the song "Total Eclipse of the Heart" becomes "Vampires in Love" in Jim Steinman's dawning Broadway musical, Dance of the Vampires.

Newcomer Mandy Gonzalez (as the female lead Sarah) will croon the tune — made popular by singer Bonnie Tyler — with the show's headliner Michael Crawford (as Count Von Krolock). Gonzalez was also in the workshop of the now defunct pop-fueled Drive All Night, which featured Bruce Springsteen songs. Previews for the darkly comic new musical begin Oct. 14 at the Minskoff Theatre.

Composer-lyricist Steinman — also known for Meatloaf's "Bat Out of Hell" — told explained the song's inclusion to Playbill On-Line: "That was an accident almost. I'm surprised it stayed in. [For the original production] in Vienna, I had only a month and a half to write this whole show and we needed a big love duet... I remembered I actually wrote ["Total Eclipse of the Heart"] to be a vampire love song. Its original title was 'Vampires in Love' because I was working on a musical of 'Nosferatu,' the other great vampire story. If anyone listens to the lyrics, they're really like vampire lines. It's all about the darkness, the power of darkness and love's place in dark. And so I figured 'Who's ever going to know; it's Vienna!' And then it was just hard to take it out."

When asked if he thought the popularity of the song would hinder its impact in the musical, Steinman responded, "Well, the reaction, at least in Europe, was great. They recognized it, but then it seems — if it's done well — to take on a different personality. I like that combination, even though it's usually the opposite — a song becomes a hit afterward. I just feel any connection between pop music and show music is a positive thing."

'Titanic' star Zane & 'Mack and Mabel' star O'Connor
join the Broadway production of Chicago

A star of the silver screen and a star of the British and Australian stage will be the latest additions to the Broadway company of Chicago, come November.

Billy Zane, who played "Titanic" villain Cal Hockley in the blockbuster film, and Caroline O'Connor, who starred in the London revival of Mack and Mabel, will join the company of Kander and Ebb's Tony-winning musical Nov. 8.

Zane, who will be making his Broadway debut, will portray slick lawyer Billy Flynn, a role currently being played by former Rent star Taye Diggs. Zane recently starred in the ABC miniseries, "Cleopatra," and his other screen credits include "Dead Calm," "Sniper," "Tombstone," "Only You," "Orlando" and "Zoolander."

O'Connor will also be making her Broadway debut when she steps into the murdering shoes of Velma Kelly, a role she portrayed in the Australian production of the musical. Born in England, O'Connor's numerous theatrical credits include Man of La Mancha, Piaf, West Side Story, Bombshell, Cabaret, Me and My Girl, Is There Life After High School? and the aforementioned Mack and Mabel, for which she received an Olivier Award nomination. O'Connor appeared in the film "Moulin Rouge," and her solo recordings include "What I Did for Love," "A Tribute to Piaf" and "From Stage to Screen."

When Zane and O'Connor join Chicago — which will be celebrating its sixth anniversary — the company will also include Charlotte d'Amboise (Roxie Hart), Rob Bartlett (Amos Hart) and Roz Ryan (Matron "Mama" Morton).

Bob Fosse, John Kander and Fred Ebb's Chicago, presented by Barry and Fran Weissler, plays the Shubert Theatre, 225 W. 44th Street. There has been speculation in recent weeks that the show would vacate the Shubert to make way for the upcoming Gypsy revival and move to another Broadway house, but the Weisslers had no comment about that possibility.

Chicago won the Tony for Best Revival of a Musical in 1997 as well as awards for actors Bebe Neuwirth and James Naughton, director Walter Bobbie, lighting designer Ken Billington and choreographer Ann Reinking.

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