Sophie-Louise Dann
Sophie-Louise Dann (born 1969) is a British actress, best known for her work in musical theatre. Career Dann trained at Arts Educational Schools, London. She appeared in minor roles in the films '' My Summer with Des'' (1998) and ''The Phantom of the Opera'' (2004). In 2010, Dann played the role of Diana Divane in the new musical '' Lend Me a Tenor'' at the Theatre Royal, Plymouth. The production subsequently transferred to the West End in June 2011 in which Dann reprised her role. She received great acclaim for her performance, with Michael Billington writing "Sophie-Louise Dann seizes her moment and gives wonderfully over-the-top potted parodies of Tosca, Violetta and Carmen, while hugging the walls and clawing the furniture in the manner of an old-style soprano". She was nominated for the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Performance in a Supporting Role in a Musical. In April 2013 She played Dot and Marie in Sunday in the Park with George by Stephen Sondheim at Théatre ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Hastings
Hastings ( ) is a seaside town and Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough in East Sussex on the south coast of England, east of Lewes and south east of London. The town gives its name to the Battle of Hastings, which took place to the north-west at Senlac Hill in 1066. It later became one of the medieval Cinque Ports. In the 19th century, it was a popular seaside resort, as the railway allowed tourists and visitors to reach the town. Hastings remains a popular seaside resort and is also a fishing port, with the UK's largest beach-based fishing fleet. The town's estimated population was 91,100 in 2021. History Early history The first mention of Hastings is from the late 8th century in the form ''Hastingas''. This is derived from the Old English tribal name ''Hæstingas'', meaning 'the constituency (followers) of Hæsta'. Symeon of Durham records the victory of Offa in 771 over the ''Hestingorum gens'', that is, "the people of the Hastings tribe." Hastingleigh in Kent ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Bend It Like Beckham The Musical
''Bend It Like Beckham the Musical'' is a musical with music by Howard Goodall, lyrics by Charles Hart, and a book by Gurinder Chadha and Paul Mayeda Berges. Based on the 2002 film of the same name, the musical made its West End and world premiere at the Phoenix Theatre in May 2015. Background The musical is based on the 2002 film ''Bend It Like Beckham''. In late 2003, it was first revealed that the film's writer and director Gurinder Chadha planned to turn the film into a stage musical with the hope that it could be staged a year later. It was not until 2011, that further information emerged that a script had been completed and that they were looking for someone to compose the score, with workshops ultimately taking place in 2013 and early 2014. On 31 October 2014, the show was officially confirmed and it was announced that the show would premiere in London in May 2015, with tickets going on sale on 7 November 2014. The musical has a book by Gurinder Chadha and her husband ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Wicked (musical)
''Wicked: The Untold Story of the Witches of Oz'', or simply ''Wicked'', is a Musical theatre, musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and a book by Winnie Holzman. It is loosely adapted from Gregory Maguire's 1995 novel ''Wicked (Maguire novel), Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West'', which in turn is based on L. Frank Baum's 1900 novel ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' and its The Wizard of Oz (1939 film), 1939 film adaptation. The musical is told from the perspective of two witches, Elphaba and Glinda, Galinda, before and after Dorothy Gale's arrival in Land of Oz, Oz. The story explores the complex friendship between Elphaba (who becomes the Wicked Witch of the West) and Galinda (who becomes Glinda the Good). Their relationship is tested by their contrasting personalities, conflicting viewpoints, shared love interest, reactions to the corrupt rule of the Wizard of Oz (character), Wizard of Oz, and ultimately, Elphaba's tragic fall. Produced by Un ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Les Misérables (musical)
''Les Misérables'' ( , ), colloquially known as ''Les Mis'' or ''Les Miz'' ( ), is a sung-through musical theatre, musical with music by Claude-Michel Schönberg, lyrics by Alain Boublil and Jean-Marc Natel, and a book by Schönberg and Boublil, based on the 1862 novel Les Misérables, of the same name by Victor Hugo. Set in early France in the long nineteenth century, 19th-century France, ''Les Misérables'' tells the story of Jean Valjean, a French peasant, and his desire for redemption. After stealing a loaf of bread for his sister's starving child, Valjean is imprisoned for 19 years and released in 1815. When a bishop inspires him with a tremendous act of mercy, Valjean breaks his parole and starts his life anew and in disguise. He becomes wealthy and adopts an orphan, Cosette. A police inspector named Javert pursues Valjean over the decades in a single-minded quest for "justice". The characters are swept into a June Rebellion, revolutionary period in France, where a group of ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Mark Read (singer)
A1 (stylised as a1) is a British– Norwegian boy group formed in 1998. Their debut single, " Be the First to Believe", entered the UK singles chart at number six in mid-1999. They achieved chart success in the UK and other parts of the world in the late 1990s and early 2000s, particularly Southeast Asia. In the UK, they scored two number ones and six other top 10 hits, seven of which were written by the band. Adding to this, they won a Brit Award for "British Breakthrough Act" in 2001. They were managed by band manager Tim Byrne, who also formed Steps. Marazzi left the band in 2002, citing personal reasons. The three remaining members subsequently decided to split due to exhaustion from being on the road for the best part of four years straight. In December 2009, Ingebrigtsen, Read and Adams reformed a1, without Marazzi, in Norway for a series of concerts at the Christiania Theatre in Oslo. Since their comeback, they have released new singles as well as their fourth an ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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A Spoonful Of Sherman
''A Spoonful of Sherman'' is a musical revue written and emceed by Robert J. Sherman which premiered on January 6, 2014 at the St. James Theatre in London. The cast consisted of four rising West End theatre stars including Charlotte Wakefield, Emma Williams, Stuart Matthew Price and Greg Castiglioni. Musical Direction was provided by Colin Billing and the show was directed by Stewart Nicholls. Lighting was designed by the show's Stage Manager Andrew Holton. In the 2017 version of the show, focus of the show's narrative shifted to both Sherman Brothers' lives as well as to the life of their father, Al Sherman. Premise The show covers ninety years of Sherman songwriting (including material written by the Sherman Brothers' father, Al Sherman (who began writing music in the early 1920s). Songs written by the younger Robert Sherman were also included in the show as well) but the focus of the evening was the music and lyrics of Robert B. Sherman and the Sherman Brothers. Prod ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Robert J
The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of '' Hruod'' () "fame, glory, honour, praise, renown, godlike" and ''berht'' "bright, light, shining"). It is the second most frequently used given name of ancient Germanic origin.Reaney & Wilson, 1997. ''Dictionary of English Surnames''. Oxford University Press. It is also in use as a surname. Another commonly used form of the name is Rupert. After becoming widely used in Continental Europe, the name entered England in its Old French form ''Robert'', where an Old English cognate form (''Hrēodbēorht'', ''Hrodberht'', ''Hrēodbēorð'', ''Hrœdbœrð'', ''Hrœdberð'', ''Hrōðberχtŕ'') had existed before the Norman Conquest. The feminine version is Roberta. The Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish form is Roberto. Robert is also a common name in many Germanic languages, including En ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Debbie Chazen
Deborah Chazen (born 1 September 1971) is an English actress. She is best known for portraying Annie in the BBC comedy ''The Smoking Room'', Big Claire in '' Mine All Mine'', and various roles in the BBC sketch show '' Tittybangbang''. Alongside these appearances, Chazen has had recurring roles on ''Trollied '' and ''Holby City''. Early life Chazen was born in Hammersmith, London. After graduating from Manchester University in 1992 with a degree in Russian Studies, she trained at LAMDA. Career Chazen has appeared in the Mike Leigh film ''Topsy Turvy'', and other films, such as ''A Christmas Carol'', and the 2001 version of '' The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby''. On television, she has acted in '' Gimme Gimme Gimme'', ''Mile High'', ''EastEnders'' and '' Lucy Sullivan Is Getting Married''. Her theatre work includes '' Mother Clap's Molly House'' at the National Theatre, ''Dick Whittington and His Cat'' at the Barbican Theatre, and Anton Chekhov's ''The Cherry Orcha ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Claire Machin
Claire Machin is a British actress, best known for her work in musical theatre. Career At the age of 16, Machin trained at Sylvia Young Theatre School, taking part in an adult drama course. Through the 1990s and early 2000s she appeared in the ensemble of several major West End Theatre, West End shows including roles in ''Les Misérables (musical), Les Misérables'', ''Oliver!'' and ''My Fair Lady''. She took part in workshops for the stage adaptation of ''Mary Poppins (musical), Mary Poppins'' and in 2004 was part of the original cast playing the role of Miss Lark, for which she appears on the Original London Cast Recording. In 2009, Machin played Mamie Eisenhower in the UK professional premiere of ''First Lady Suite'' by Michael John LaChiusa, with the Whatsonstage.com review describing her performance as "particularly memorable". In 2013, she played the role of Mabel in the Chichester Festival Theatre production of ''The Pajama Game''. The production then transferred to the ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Claire Moore (singer)
Claire Moore (2 January 1960 in Over Hulton, Bolton) is an English soprano singer and actress, best known for her leading role as Christine in Andrew Lloyd Webber's ''The Phantom of the Opera'' and as Ellen in ''Miss Saigon.'' Biography Early life The daughter of Peggy and Geoff Moore, the latter a jazz musician, she was educated at Hesketh Fletcher School, Atherton, and Leigh Sixth Form College, before training at the Royal Northern College of Music. Career Her early work includes appearing alongside Richard Harris in the 1982 London production of ''Camelot'' and playing the lead role of Audrey in the 1983–85 Comedy Theatre production of ''Little Shop of Horrors.'' In 1986, she was cast as the alternate Christine Daaé in the original cast of ''The Phantom of the Opera.'' She played three shows each week instead of Sarah Brightman. When Brightman left the production after a year, Moore then took on the role full-time. She was voted "favourite Christine" by the Pha ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Joanna Riding
Joanna Riding (born Joanne Riding; 9 November 1967) is an English actress. For her work in West End musicals, she has won two Laurence Olivier Awards, and has been nominated for three others. Early life Riding was born in Preston, Lancashire, England, growing up on a farm, where her father ran a successful cheese-making business. She received theatre training at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School from 1986 to 1989. Career After leaving school, Riding worked at Chichester Festival Theatre for a season, playing Anne Page in ''The Merry Wives of Windsor'' and Dorothy in ''The Wizard of Oz''. She met her former husband, actor Peter O'Brien, at Chichester. He proposed outside the theatre and they married on Christmas Eve 1990. Their separation was announced in December 1993. She was next cast as a replacement Sally in the West End production of ''Me and My Girl''. In 1993, Riding played the role of Julie Jordan in Nicholas Hytner's Royal National Theatre revival of ''Carousel' ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Laurence Olivier Award For Best Actress In A Musical
The Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical is an annual award presented by the Society of London Theatre in recognition of achievements in commercial London theatre. The awards were established as the Society of West End Theatre Awards in 1976, and renamed in 1984 in honour of English actor and director Laurence Olivier. This award was introduced in 1979, along with the award for Best Actor in a Musical. In 1977 and 1978, there had been a commingled actor/actress award for Best Performance in a Musical, won both times by an actress. Winners and nominees 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s 2020s Multiple awards and nominations for Best Actress in a Musical Awards ;Four awards * Imelda Staunton ;Two awards * Barbara Dickson * Maria Friedman * Julia McKenzie * Joanna Riding * Samantha Spiro * Katie Brayben Nominations ;Seven nominations * Imelda Staunton ;Six nominations * Maria Friedman ;Five nominations * Ruthie Henshall * Julia McKenzie * Joanna Ri ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |