Archived Posts

West End star and musical innovator Ramin Karimloo is heading to the London Palladium for a special one-night show.

Iranian-Canadian actor and singer Ramin, who rose to fame on stages across the world, is now carving a career as one of the most uniquely talented singers around.

And rather than follow strictly in the footsteps of his peers by performing only songs from musical theatre, he is combining his passion for West End and Broadway with his love of Country and Bluegrass to create his own special blend of “Broadgrass”.

Ramin will perform at the London Palladium on Saturday July 16.

Tickets go on sale Friday February 12 from www.seetickets.com

The announcement Ramin is to perform at the London Palladium comes just weeks after his two sell-out shows at Islington’s Union Chapel and the Assembly Hall where he received rave reviews.

Speaking about his date at the Palladium Ramin said: “ I was so excited to come back to London for the two sell out shows. The band, the sound and show have grown so much over the last three years. We love bringing this style of music which has organically grown to the great support we get.

“Playing the Palladium is such an honour. The history of great performers who have done shows there, the variety and calibre is second to none. I know my band is just as excited to bring this show to the greatest theatre in England. It’s going to be an electric night – a hootenanny in the heart of the West End.”

The Palladium concert will see Ramin perform a selection of classics from musical theatre alongside his own Broadgrass songs. Ramin, who also plays the banjo and guitar, will perform with his band comprising of Sergio Ortega, Hadley Fraser and Alan Markley with backing vocals from Katie Birtill.

Musical theatre leading lady Louise Dearman, the first performer to have ever played both the lead roles of Glinda and Elphaba in West End hit Wicked, will also join Ramin for a duet or two.

Olivier and Tony Award nominee Ramin is best known for playing leading roles in both of the West End’s longest running musicals – The Phantom and Raoul in The Phantom of the Opera, and Jean Valjean, Enjolras, and Marius in Les Misérables. He also originated the role of the Phantom in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Love Never Dies and made his Broadway debut as Valjean in the 2014 revival production of Les Misérables.

While enjoying success in the West End and Broadway and picking up both What’s on Stage and Theatre World awards, Ramin has bewitched fans from across the globe having toured and performed as far afield as Japan and South Korea. And he is now to forge ahead with a solo career by creating his own unique genre of music – Broadgrass.

Ramin’s stunning songs all tell stories, regardless of its origin and his debut EP The Road To Find Out: East was widely acclaimed introducing his international fans to the sound of Broadgrass.

His must-see show at the Palladium is presented by music promoters Cuffe and Taylor.

Director Peter Taylor said: “Ramin is a very exciting performer to be working with. His successes in the West End and on Broadway are well documented so to be given the opportunity to present him to an audience at the London Palladium while performing the music he is so passionate about is fantastic.”

Tickets priced from £29.50 go on sale at 9am Friday February 12 and are available from www.seetickets.com

New stage show James and the Giant Peach is heading to Blackpool Opera House as part of a world tour.

The classic story by Roald Dahl is produced by Sell A Door Theatre Company with the plot centering on an English orphan boy called James Henry Trotter who enters a gigantic, magical peach and has a wild, surreal cross-world adventure with seven magically-altered garden bugs he meets along the way.

James and the Giant Peach runs at Blackpool Opera House from Monday 18 to Saturday 23 July.

Winter Gardens Managing Director Michael Williams said the show will be a firm favourite among families.

He said: “James and the Giant Peach is a fantastic children’s story and is the perfect family musical to welcome to the Opera House.

“Our calendar is packed for 2016 with an array of absolutely fantastic productions which will appeal to a wide range of audiences. James and the Giant Peach is without a doubt a fantastic story for children and we look forward to welcoming many families to see this brand new production.”

James and the Giant Peach is adapted by David Wood for Sell A Door Theatre Company. His previous work includes adaptations of well-known books such as Dick King-Smith’s Babe the Sheep Pig, Roald Dahl’s The BFG and The Witches. Both shows played long tours and two West End seasons. Also for the West End, David adapted and directed Judith Kerr’s The Tiger Who Came to Tea.

Sell A Door Theatre Companyhave previously toured critically-acclaimed productions of Avenue Q, The History Boys, American Idiot and Seussical the Musical.

James and the Giant Peach is directed by Bronagh Lagan with all design by Kate Unwin.

For more information about James and the Giant Peach at Blackpool Opera House go to www.wintergardensblackpool.co.uk. Tickets are priced from £10.

Tony Award-winning comedy musical Avenue Q is the latest show to be announced at Blackpool Winter Gardens’ Opera House for 2016.

The smash hit Broadway and West End musical will bring a host of fuzzy friends to the Opera House from Monday 6 to Saturday 11 June as part of a nationwide tour.

Featuring the naughtiest puppets in town, brought hilariously to life by an ensemble cast of 11 performers, Avenue Q is a Tony Award-winning musical about growing up, dreaming big, and finding your purpose in life.

Avenue Q is the latest smash hit to be announced for Blackpool Opera House next year with other productions including JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT, Blood Brothers, The Sound of Music, Dirty Dancing, Save The Last Dance For Me and Great Expectations.

A spokesperson for the Winter Gardens said: “We are thrilled to be welcoming Avenue Q to the Blackpool Opera House. This is an hilarious show and one that we know will delight our audiences.

“Our calendar of events for 2016 is looking absolutely fantastic and really does offer something for everyone. We want to ensure that all shows at the Winter Gardens appeal to as wide a market as possible and with so much variety on offer that is exactly what 2016 will do.”

Avenue Q first opened Off-Broadway at the Vineyard Theatre in 2003, before transferring to Broadway later that year where it won three Tony Awards for Best Musical, Best Score and Best Book. In 2006 it transferred to the West End produced by Cameron Mackintosh, where it ran for five years before touring the UK. It has appeared in more than ten countries all over the world.

Meet Princeton, a bright-eyed graduate who comes to New York City with big dreams and a tiny bank account. Soon discovering that the only neighbourhood in his price range is Avenue Q, he finds himself moving in with some truly quirky characters. There’s Brian the out-of-work comedian and his therapist fiancée Christmas Eve; Nicky the good-hearted slacker and his closet gay Republican roommate Rod, an Internet ‘sexpert’ called Trekkie Monster and a very cute kindergarten teacher named Kate Monster. And would you believe the building’s superintendent is Gary Coleman?! Featuring hysterically funny songs including The Internet is for Porn and Everyone’s A Little Bit Racist, Avenue Q is a hilarious musical with a warm (and very fuzzy) heart.

The cast features Sarah Harlington as Kate Monster/Lucy the Slut, Richard Lowe as Princeton/Rod and Arina II as Christmas Eve. Returning to the show following last year’s tour are Stephen Arden as Nicky/Trekkie Monster, Richard Morseas Brian, Etisyai Philip as Gary Coleman and Jessica Parker as Mrs T/ Bad Idea Bear.

Avenue Q will run at Blackpool Opera House from Monday 6 until Saturday 11 June.

Tickets are priced from £15.

For more information go to http://www.wintergardensblackpool.co.uk/

Welsh singer Aled Jones MBE is set to wow audiences across the UK in 2016 as he embarks on a 22-date Cathedral tour.

The household name will visit cathedrals in England, Scotland and his home country of Wales on a series of dates throughout May and June, culminating in a very special ‘home-coming’ show in his home-town of Bangor on July 2.

Tickets for the Aled Jones Cathedral Tour go on sale at 9am Saturday 19 December.

Speaking about the tour Aled said: “I’m never more at home than when performing in one of the UK’s unrivalled cathedrals. I have been fortunate to sing in so many of these beautiful buildings over the years through my work on Songs of Praise but the idea of embarking on my biggest cathedral tour ever next year fills me with so much excitement and joy. I promise to give my best performances yet!”

Aled will be forever remembered as one of the world’s most successful boy sopranos after making his professional debut aged just 12 performing the role of the Angel in Handel’s Oratorio ‘Jeptha’ on BBC2 and BBC Radio 3.

Probably best known for “Walking in the Air”, the song from the animated film The Snowman, Aled had already released 12 albums by the time this was released in 1985.

And since his first album Diolch â Chân was released in 1983 Aled has gone on to release 30 albums selling a staggering eight million records to date. His most recent album One Voice will be released on Friday April 1. This latest release will see Aled duet with his younger self.

The Aled Jones Cathedral Tour is being presented by music promoters Cuffe and Taylor.

Director Peter Taylor said: “We are thrilled to be working with Aled and especially on such an exciting tour. He is, without a doubt, one of the UK’s best known performers and personalities, and someone who will leave audiences absolutely wowed by his voice.

“It is particularly exciting that this is a Cathedral tour as it will really take Aled home to where his career first started more than 30 years ago.”

Aled has also carved himself an acting, TV and broadcasting career with highlights including playing Joseph in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s ‘Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat’, Caractacus Potts in ‘Chitty Chitty Bang Bang’ and the 2014 sell-out production of White Christmas. He has been a regular on TV screens since his career began with recent highlights including being a contestant on BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing and presenting Cash in the Attic, Escape to the Country and Daybreak.

He has also enjoyed a long radio career and still has regular shows on both BBC Wales and Classic fm.

Tickets for the Aled Jones Cathedral Tour 2016 are priced from £19.50and are available from www.ticketmaster.co.uk or by calling 0844 844 0444. A limited number of meet and greet tickets will also be available from £55 each.

British soul and pop band Simply Red are heading to the Yorkshire seaside town of Scarborough.

Thirty years after introducing a generation to the joys of soul music through their irrepressible, irresistible rendition of the Valentine Brothers’ recession-themed classic Money’s Too Tight To Mention, Simply Red are back with a World Tour and a brand new album ‘Big Love.’

And next summer they will be playing at Scarborough Open Air Theatre on Wednesday August 10.

This will be the first time Simply Red have played at the venue and with less than 6,000 seats available at the outdoor event tickets are expected to be hugely popular when they go on sale at 9am on Friday October 23.

The band, acclaimed worldwide for hits including For Your Babies, Stars, If You Don’t Know Me By NowandFairground are also no strangers to the Yorkshire coast after filming the video for their smash hit Holding Back the Years in nearby Whitby in 1985.

Cllr Andrew Backhouse, representing Scarborough Open Air Theatre, said: “We are delighted to be working with renowned promoters Cuffe and Taylor to bring Simply Red to the Open Air Theatre next summer.

“It’s a huge result for us and comes on the back of working with the same promoters for the Sir Tom Jones concert this year.

“Life-long fans of Simply Red will remember that the video for one of their biggest ever hits, Holding Back The Years, was actually filmed just up the road in Whitby, so to know they’ll be returning to the Yorkshire coast after all these years to perform live is absolutely fantastic news.”

Scarborough Open Air Theatre is the largest open air theatre in Europe and event promoters Cuffe and Taylor are delighted to be bringing Simply Red to the unique arena. Cuffe and Taylor were responsible for the sell-out Tom Jones concert at the venue last summer.

Director Peter Taylor said: “I am thrilled we are being given the opportunity to work with Scarborough OAT again. This is a fantastic venue in a beautiful seaside town and I have no doubt the news that Simply Red will be there next summer will be greeted with a fantastic response.

“This is the first time we have worked with Simply Red so to be able to introduce them to such a unique venue and welcoming town is great.

“It is always a treat for music fans to be able to see a world-class star in an intimate setting and the people of Scarborough and beyond will get to experience an unforgettable evening of live music.”

The Scarborough concert is the first UK gig announced for Simply Red in 2016.

Tickets for the fully seated concert are priced from £37.50 and are available from Ticketmaster.co.uk on 0844 844 0444 or in person at Scarborough Open Air Theatre Box Office from 9am Friday October 23.

Event promoters Cuffe and Taylor have been nominated for three prestigious national awards for the hugely successful Lytham Festival.

The UK Festival Awards 2015 has announced its nominations for this year’s awards and Lytham Festival is in the running for Best Medium Sized Festival, Best Family Festival and Best Toilets.

Voting is now open online to the public with the winners being revealed at a glittering awards ceremony in London at the end of November.

You can vote for Lytham Festival here: http://www.festivalawards.com/vote-now/

Lytham Festival transformed itself from a three-day to eight-day event this year with more than 30 performances taking place. Highlights included Faithless, Billy Ocean, McBusted, Elaine Paige, Comedy Tent, Jazz Café, The Pavilion Stage and Festival of Stories.

Daniel Cuffe (l) and Peter Taylor (r) at the Live Music Business Awards 2014

Director of Cuffe and Taylor Peter Taylor said: “We are thrilled to have been nominated and in three such fantastic categories.

“We took a huge leap of faith with Lytham Festival this year making it so much bigger than it has ever been before and it was a massive success. This would not have happened without the dedicated team we have behind us and this nomination is recognition for everyone who was involved in Lytham Festival this year from the great team at Cuffe and Taylor to the army of volunteers who do so much to help us at our events.

“It is so important in this industry to do something that makes you get noticed. Clearly people are sitting up and taking notice of Lytham and Cuffe and Taylor and we hope that success continues to grow, and of course we will look forward to the UK Festival Awards 2015.”

Peter and fellow director Daniel Cuffe did scoop Regional Promoter of the Year Award at the Live Music Business Awards in 2014.

And this latest nomination comes just days after they announced they are promoting Rod Stewart’s eight date UK Hits Tour 2016.

Peter added: “The last few weeks have been busy to say the least as we have all been getting ready to announce Rod Stewart’s stadium tour for next year. This was our first announcement for 2016 and we will be making many more over the next few months.

“Last year around 150,000 people were entertained at Cuffe and Taylor events across the UK. In 2016 we are looking forward to welcoming many, many more.”

Cuffe and Taylor is a North West based music promoter, creating breathtaking shows across the UK. Established for more than 5 years, they have worked with artists including Neil Diamond, Rod Stewart, Tom Jones, Billy Ocean, McBusted, Collabro and Russell Watson. Consistently delivering exceptional experiences for hundreds of thousands of people every year, while contributing strongly to the local economy.

Worldwide smash hit Footloose: The Musical is heading to Blackpool Opera House from Monday September 19to Saturday 24 as part of a major new UK Tour.

Based on the 1984 screen sensation starring Kevin Bacon, Footloose: The Musical tells the story of city boy Ren, who has to move to a rural backwater in America where dancing is banned. All hell breaks out as Ren breaks loose and soon has the whole town up on its feet.

Featuring classic 80s hits including Holding Out for a Hero, Almost Paradise, Let’s Hear it for the Boy and the unforgettable title track, Footloose: The Musical is set to take the world by storm once again in this brand new production, bursting with youthful spirit, dazzling dance and electrifying music.

Blackpool singing star Maureen Nolan will play Vi Moore. As well as enjoying phenomenal success with her sisters in The Nolans, on stage Maureen has played Mrs Johnstone in Blood Brothersin the West End and on tour to critical acclaim. Other credits include Sadie in Girl’s Behind, Jill in Mum’s the Wordand Sarah in The Naked Truth.

Gareth Gates will play Willard. Gareth rose to fame through the inaugural series of Pop Idol in 2001, going on to sell more than 5 million records worldwide and have hits across the globe. More recently Gareth has enjoyed a successful career on stage, with credits including Les Misérables, Legally Blonde and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat.

Winter Gardens Managing Director Michael Williams said: “Footloose: The Musical is yet another great show heading to Blackpool Winter Gardens this year.

“It is particularly pleasing that Maureen Nolan is in the cast as she is a well-respected star of musicals and of course, she is local. With Gareth Gates in the cast too this is set to be an amazing production.

“We look forward to welcoming Maureen and Gareth and all of the cast of Footloose: The Musical in the autumn.”

Luke Baker will play Ren McCormack, the role immortalised on screen by Kevin Bacon. Luke recently played Theo in Green Day’s American Idiot in the West End, with other West End credits including the Olivier Award-winning Sunny Afternoon, Beautiful Thing and I Can’t Sing.

The cast also features Hannah Price as Ariel Moore, Nigel Lister as Reverend Shaw Moore, Nicky Swift as Ethel McCormack, Joanna Sawyer as Rusty, Matthew Tomlinson as Chuck, Natasha Brown as Wendy-Jo, Miracle Chance as Urleen, Thomas Cotran as Jeter and Scott Haining as Bickie. The cast also includes Lauren Storer, Natalie Morton-Graham, Luke Thornton and Alex Marshall.

Footloose: The Musical will run at Blackpool Opera House from Monday September 19 to Saturday 24.

Tickets are priced from £15.

For more information go to http://www.wintergardensblackpool.co.uk/