Musicals heading for Merseyside this autumn
From Annie to Wicked and Billy Elliot to The Lion King, there’s nothing like a musical spectacular.
It seems we theatre audiences can’t get enough of them, both old favourites from Rodgers and Hammerstein and Lerner and Loewe to new kids on the block, and from stories inspired by great classics to blockbuster films.
While 2018 is already shaping up to be a good year for Merseyside musicals fans (with shows like Kinky Boots, Madagascar, Fame and Dirty Dancing already confirmed), there’s plenty to enjoy this coming season as well.
Here are seven shows to get your toes tapping this autumn.
Saturday Night Fever - Liverpool Empire
September 11-15
It’s time to slick back the hair, don the medallion and squeeze yourself in to those white flares.
Saturday Night Fever tells the iconic story of Tony Manero, Brooklyn hardware store assistant by day, disco king by night, and his reckless, yet thrilling road to dancing success.
Expect Bee Gees classics Stayin’ Alive, How Deep is Your Love, More Than a Woman, and Night Fever and much, much more.
Read more HERE
Book HERE
Evita – Floral Pavilion
September 11-15
Oh, what a circus, oh what a show! Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical turns 40 this year – older than Eva Peron was when she died in 1952.
Telling the story of the wife of former Argentine dictator Juan Peron, Evita follows Eva’s journey from humble beginnings through to extraordinary wealth, power and iconic status which ultimately lead her to be heralded as the ‘spiritual leader of the nation’ by the Argentine people.
Madalena Alberto takes the title role while Gian Marco Schiaretti is Che.
Book HERE
Rock of Ages – Liverpool Empire
October 23-27
Poodle perms and distressed denim at the ready because Rock of Ages is returning to the Liverpool Empire this autumn.
Corrie’s Kevin Kennedy and Zoe Birkett of Pop Idol fame are among the cast of the LA love story/comedy which features 25 classic rock anthems including We Built This City, The Final Countdown, Here I Go Again, Can’t Fight this Feeling and I Want To Know What Love Is, played loud and proud by a live band.
The show is presented by Selladoor Worldwide, the company set up by two LIPA graduates a decade ago.
Book HERE
Cilla the Musical – Floral Pavilion
October 23-27
It had its premiere in Liverpool last September, and Cilla the Musical – the stage version of Jeff Pope’s award-winning ITV mini-series is still going strong on tour.
If you missed it the first time around, or enjoyed it so much you want to see it again, now’s your chance, with the show coming to New Brighton for a week this October.
Kara Lily Hayworth stars as the girl from Scottie Road who had the ambition and self-belief to make it very, very big, and Andrew Lancel plays Brian Epstein.
Read a review HERE
Book HERE
Nativity! The Musical – Liverpool Empire
October 31-November 4
Christmas seems to get earlier every year – particularly at the Empire this autumn which is welcoming Nativity the Musical….in October.
Every child in every school has one Christmas wish, to star in a nativity, and at St Bernadette’s School, they’re attempting to mount a musical version.
The only trouble is teacher Mr Maddens has promised that a Hollywood producer is coming to see the show to turn it into a film.
Join him, his teaching assistant the crazy Mr Poppy, hilarious children and a whole lot of sparkle and shine as they struggle to make everyone’s Christmas wish come true.
Book HERE
Blood Brothers – Floral Pavilion
November 5-10
Willy Russell’s tale of nurture verses nature started its professional life at the Liverpool Playhouse 35 years ago, and rapidly became a musical phenomenon.
This Bill Kenwright touring production features the Blood Brothers dream team of Lyn Paul as Mrs Johnstone, Sean Jones and Mark Hutchinson as Micky and Eddie, and Danny Taylor as Sammy.
The soundtrack includes Bright New Day, Marilyn Monroe and, of course, the anthemic Tell Me It’s Not True.
Book HERE
Calendar Girls the Musical
November 27-December 1
Calendar Girls was a hit film that became a hit stage play.
Now its Whiston-born author Tim Firth has teamed up with Take That’s Gary Barlow to create a musical version, and it’s making its first visit to the Empire.
The story of a group of ordinary WI members who achieved something quite extraordinary has a starry cast including Fern Britton, Anna-Jane Casey, Sara Crowe, Karen Dunbar, Ruth Madoc, Rebecca Storm and Denise Welch.
Oh and there’s support from Liverpool favourites Alan Stocks and Pauline Daniels to boot.
Read more HERE
Book HERE