The Royal Exchange Theatre, The Hallé Orchestra and The Lowry unite for the first time to launch Leonard Bernstein’s musical comedy Wonderful Town
A brand new production of Leonard Bernstein’s Wonderful Town
to open at The Lowry, Salford, in spring 2012
Press Night: Wednesday 4 April 2012
24 February 2011
Three of the North West region’s foremost arts institutions are uniting for the first time to present a unique production of Leonard Bernstein’s musical comedy Wonderful Town. The Hallé, The Lowry and the Royal Exchange Theatre will join forces from 31 March to 14 April 2012 for a brand new production of one of America’s most loved musical theatre masterpieces.
Following her recent triumph at the 2011 MEN Theatre Awards, winning the Actress in a Visiting Production award for her role as Maria in the Sound of Music, Connie Fisher (winner of BBC One’s How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?) will lead the cast as Ruth Sherwood. The story follows Ruth and her sister travelling to New York in search of love and fortune.
First staged in 1953 on Broadway, Wonderful Town ran for 559 performances winning 5 Tony Awards. Bernstein’s score produced some of the most popular songs of the 1950s. The 2003 revival also won further Tony and Drama Desk Awards. Discussing the role Connie said: “I have always enjoyed playing comedy and the part of Ruth is such a great comic role. As if that opportunity wasn't great enough, I also get to sing with the Hallé and work at The Lowry! Awesome!! I've always wanted to follow in Maureen Lipman's footsteps so here's my chance..."
This fully staged production will be directed by Braham Murray OBE, Joint Artistic Director of the Royal Exchange Theatre, who said: "To do a great musical, with a great orchestra and a great conductor is a dream come true. There is only one word to describe it – wonderful!"
The full forces of the Hallé, conducted by its Music Director Sir Mark Elder CBE, will provide the orchestra for the show. Speaking about this major creative event, Sir Mark said: “Manchester and Salford are leading the way in artistic collaboration. Leonard Bernstein’s magnificent work will get what it deserves – a great orchestra performing a great score as part of a great production.”
The two week run will be presented in The Lowry’s acclaimed Lyric Theatre, which has already gained an unrivalled reputation for its staging of some of the world’s most popular musicals. Robert Robson, Artistic Director of The Lowry, said: “We are delighted for The Lowry to be a partner in this unique and exciting collaboration between three major arts organisations, staging large scale musical theatre of national significance.”
The producer of Wonderful Town is Kenny Wax, who has produced and general managed many productions in the West End and on tour. On his involvement with the show Kenny said: “As a Manchester boy born and bred, whose fascination with the theatre industry began with a visit to the Exchange to see Robert Lindsay in Leaping Ginger (could it really have been 33 years ago?), what a thrill now to be working, not only with the Exchange but with The Lowry for whom my Company provides several weeks of programming per year, not to mention Sir Mark Elder and the world renowned Hallé.”
The new production of Wonderful Town was launched at a media reception at The Lowry on 24 February. Sue Lightup, Strategic Director, Community, Health & Social Care, Salford City Council and Councillor Michael Lee Amesbury, Executive Member for Culture, representing Manchester City Council welcomed all parties to this event. Introduced by leading opera critic and musical theatre expert Edward Seckerson, Braham Murray, Sir Mark Elder, Robert Robson and Connie Fisher talked about the production while Shona Lindsay and Howard Hutt performed some of the show’s best known hits accompanied by Jonathan Scott.
Tickets for Wonderful Town go on public sale today and can be booked via The Lowry’s box office on Tel: 0843 208 6005 or www.thelowry.com/wonderfultown
Listing information:
Performances at The Lowry, Sat 31 March – Sat 14 April 2012 at 7.30pm. No show Sun.
Matinees on Sat 7, Wed 11 & Sat 14 April at 2.30pm.
Tickets £24.50 - £42.50
Previews Sat 31 March & Mon 2 April 2012
Preview tickets £15 - £35
All prices include early bird discount ending Fri 1 July 2011
-ends-
For press enquiries, please contact:
Valerie Barber PR
Suite 2, 9a St John’s Wood High Street
London
NW8 7NG
Tel: 020 7586 8560; Fax: 020 7586 9246
camilla@vbpr.co.uk
NOTES TO EDITORS
Photographs: Pictures of the key people involved in Wonderful Town (Sir Mark Elder and the Hallé, Connie Fisher, Braham Murray, Robert Robson and Kenny Wax) are available in Adobe RGB format to download from The Lowry’s image library, www.thelowryimages.com.
New users need to register by clicking ‘register’ on the left hand side of the page, fill in the required information (which includes creating your own password) and click ‘create account’. You will then receive an email from images@thelowry.com stating that a request has been sent for approval. After approval has been granted, you will receive another email confirming activation of your account. You will then have access to images via the log-in page. Click on Images Available > Theatres > Musicals > Wonderful Town. Photographs taken at the press launch on Thursday 24 February will be available on the image library later that same day.
BIOGRAPHIES
Sir Mark Elder
Sir Mark Elder has been Music Director of the Hallé since September 2000, during which time the orchestra’s considerable achievements have been recognised in significant awards, an enhanced international profile, and popular and critical acclaim.
He appears regularly with many of the world’s leading orchestras and in this country he enjoys close associations with the London Philharmonic and the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment. Sir Mark has appeared annually at the BBC Proms for many years including, in 1987 and 2006, at the televised Last Night of the Proms and, from 2003, in concerts with the Hallé.
Sir Mark Elder was knighted in 2008, and was awarded the CBE in 1989. He won an Olivier Award in 1991 for his outstanding work at English National Opera and in 2006 he was named Conductor of the Year by the Royal Philharmonic Society.
Connie Fisher
Connie rose to fame playing the lead role of Maria in “The Sound Of Music” at The London Palladium having won “How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria” Andrew Lloyd Webber’s reality TV show for the BBC. As well as the national tour of “The Sound Of Music” Connie has starred in “They’re Playing Our Song” at The Menier Chocolate Factory.
She has appeared on television in “Connie’s Musical Map of Wales” for BBC Wales, “Caught In A Trap” for ITV and “The Omid Djalili Show” for the BBC.
In 2006 Connie released her debut album “Favourite Things” and features on the cast album for “The Sound Of Music” and the new “West Side Story” album. Connie launched her latest album “Secret Love” in February 2009.
Howard Hutt
Howard Hutt graduated from the Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM) in 2009 where he studied on the Vocal and Opera studies course. Whilst at the RNCM he was involved in a number of college operas and also performed Schumann’s song cycle “Dichterliebe”.
He was a finalist in the 2008 Jackdaws Vocal Awards at the Wigmore Hall and has performed at the Royal Exchange Theatre in both Matthew Dunster’s “1984” and as Freddie in Greg Hersov’s production of “Pygmalion”.
Shona Lindsay
Shona Lindsay made her professional debut at the age of eleven in the title role of “Annie”. She left school to join the company of “Crossroads” for Central TV, playing the role of Sara Briggs for two years. Other television appearances include “Doctors” and “Casualty”, both for the BBC.
Her theatre roles include Dixie in “Cat On A Hot Tin Roof”, Crescent Theatre, Birmingham; Christine in “The Phantom Of The Opera” at Her Majesty's (in 1991 she was the youngest actress to play this role); Gilmer in “Godspell” at the Barbican; the role of Milly in the national tour of “Seven Brides For Seven Brothers” and Sandy in “Grease” at both the Dominion and Cambridge Theatres. Shona also starred alongside David Essex in the national tour of “Aspects Of Love” produced by Kenny Wax.
Shona has recently released her debut album “Control Yourself”.
Braham Murray
Braham Murray is a Founding Artistic Director of the Royal Exchange Theatre Company for whom he has directed over 65 productions. From the Century Theatre, where he was Artistic Director, he became a Founding Director of the '69 Theatre Company.
Braham’s recent productions for the Royal Exchange Theatre include “The Glass Menagerie”, which completed a national tour in 2008 and the world premiere of “Haunted”, which also completed a national tour and opens this November in New York as part of the Brits on Broadway season. He directed the World Premiere of “Skellig”, the opera, for The Sage, Gateshead. In 2007 he directed Brenda Blethyn in Alan Bennett’s “Talking Heads” for an Australian tour.
His autobiography “The Worst It Can Be Is a Disaster” is published by Methuen Drama. He received an OBE in January 2010 for services to drama.
Robert Robson
Robert Robson joined The Lowry in 1998 as Theatres Director, and in early 2003 was appointed Artistic Director of the award-winning arts complex. Robert leads on the development of both theatre and exhibition programming, allowing increased integration across the two art forms.
Robert is also responsible for the organisation’s extensive education, outreach and community engagement activity and led the development of The Lowry’s Centre for Advanced Training and Youth Dance England initiatives, consolidating its role as a significant regional centre for dance.
Originally from Scotland Robert became the Director of His Majesty’s Theatre, Aberdeen in 1994 before being appointed the General Manager of Performing Arts Venues for Aberdeen City Council.
Robert has recently served on a number of dance-related Arts Council working groups and is currently Chair of Phoenix Dance Theatre and a board member of the International Society for the Performing Arts.
Jonathan Scott
Jonathan Scott studied piano and organ at Chetham's School of Music before gaining a scholarship to attend the Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM). Jonathan is currently a member of the keyboard staff at the RNCM and Organist-in-residence at The University of Salford.
Jonathan has performed at all the major concert halls in the UK, as well as venues throughout Europe, South America and the Far East. This season he has solo appearances with the BBC Philharmonic, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, City of Birmingham Symphony and Hallé orchestras. Jonathan’s recent performances of Gershwin's “Rhapsody in Blue” at the Royal Albert Hall were described as "scintillating" by The Sunday Times and he will be returning to perform the work as guest pianist with English National Ballet this summer.
In addition to radio and television broadcasts Jonathan recorded the piano music soundtrack for the 2008 MIRAMAX film “Brideshead Revisited”.
Edward Seckerson
Writer and broadcaster Edward Seckerson is Chief Classical Music and Opera Critic for The Independent and a founder member of The Arts Desk.Com
He wrote and presented the long-running BBC Radio 3 series “Stage & Screen”, in which he interviewed many of the most prominent writers and stars of musical theatre including Julie Andrews, Angela Lansbury, Liza Minnelli, Patti LuPone, Barbara Cook, Michael Ball, Stephen Sondheim, Elaine Paige, Andrew Lloyd Webber and Elton John.
Edward appears regularly on BBC Radio 3 and 4. On television, he has commentated a number of times at the “Cardiff Singer of the World” competition. He has published books on Mahler and the conductor Michael Tilson Thomas, and has been on Gramophone Magazine’s review panel for many years. Edward presented the 2007 series of the BBC Radio 4 music quiz “Counterpoint”.
Kenny Wax
Kenny Wax has produced national tours of Stephen Daldry’s multi award-winning production of “An Inspector Calls”, David Essex in “Aspects Of Love” and Marti Pellow in “The Witches of Eastwick”.
He was General Manager for Sir Cameron Mackintosh on “Time Of My Life” at the Bristol Old Vic and for PW Productions on the long running thriller, “The Woman In Black” in the West End. He has produced many West End shows including “Maddie” at the Lyric Theatre and “The Shape Of Things” at the New Ambassadors Theatre.
His current Productions include the world premiere of the Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers classic Hollywood movie “Top Hat” with music and Lyrics by Irving Berlin and starring “Strictly Come Dancing Winner” Tom Chambers and three time Olivier Award Nominee Summer Strallen, which opens in August 2011 and comes to The Lowry for a fortnight at the end of September.
The Hallé
Founded in Manchester by the pianist and conductor Charles Hallé in 1858, Britain’s longest-established permanent professional symphony orchestra gave its first concert in the city’s Free Trade Hall on 30 January of that year.
Sir Mark Elder CBE, who was knighted for services to music in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List 2008, became Music Director in 2000. In 1996 the Hallé moved to its current home, The Bridgewater Hall, where it performs over 70 concerts a year and makes over 40 appearances annually throughout the rest of Britain, attracting large and enthusiastic audiences both in Manchester and beyond.
Last season over a quarter of a million people heard the Hallé. More than 35,000 of these were young people inspired by the Hallé’s pioneering education programme which generates over 60 projects a year and exists to create a wider enjoyment and understanding of music throughout the whole community.
The Lowry
The Lowry celebrated its 10th anniversary on 28 April 2010 and has spent 10 years delighting, engaging and challenging both local and national audiences with the very best in visual art and performance.
The Lowry Centre Trust is a not-for-profit charitable organisation and registered charity (no. 1053962). All income supports the world-class Theatres and Galleries programme, the care and display of the LS Lowry Collection and the life-changing Community and Education work. The Lowry’s Chief Executive, Julia Fawcett (www.thelowry.com/juliafawcett) was awarded an OBE for services to the Arts in the Queen’s 2010 New Year Honours list.
The Royal Exchange Theatre
Since The Royal Exchange first opened in 1976, it has attracted the highest calibre of actor to its stage with a roll-call of names including Albert Finney, Leo McKern, Tom Courtenay, Vanessa Redgrave, Helen Mirren, Robert Lindsay, Brenda Blethyn and Pete Postlethwaite.
The Exchange has also had a knack of spotting emerging directorial and design talent. Adrian Noble, Nicholas Hytner, Phyllida Lloyd, Ian McDiarmid, and Marianne Elliott all directed at the Exchange as associate or artistic directors. Designers such as Mark Thomas, Rae Smith and Lez Brotherston have also all done important work there.
In recent years the Exchange has established a reputation for championing the work of major new writers such as Simon Stephens, Chloe Moss, Matthew Dunster and Debbie Horsfield. The Bruntwood Playwriting Competition for the Royal Exchange is now the biggest national competition for playwrights, attracting over 3,000 entries since its inception in 2005.
Posted on Thursday, 24 February 2011 under News Press General Press Theatre Press