What's On stage Year On Year Concert

[charliemonster]

Hairspray’s Jones & James-Ellis Lead WOS Show
Date: 31st January 2008

Leanne Jones – who this week won Most Promising Newcomer at the Critics’ Circle Theatre Awards (See News, 29 Jan 2008) – will join her Hairspray onstage love interest (and Any Dream Will Do finalist) Ben James-Ellis to headline the first-ever Whatsonstage.com Year on Year Concert, which takes place at 7.30pm on Sunday 24 February 2008 at the West End’s Lyric Theatre, Shaftesbury Avenue (See News, 14 Dec 2007).

The Year on Year Concert incorporates live trophy presentations to selected winners in this year’s Whatsonstage.com Theatregoers’ Choice Awards, the only major theatre prize-giving decided by members of the public, over 20,000 of whom have voted over the past seven weeks. Traditionally, the Awards have held only one awards-related annual event, a star-studded industry party to announce shortlists and open voting (See WOS TV & Photos, 10 Dec 2007). This marks the first time that a second event will be held at the conclusion of the awards campaign.

Jones is the only two-time nominee – in the running for both Newcomer of the Year and Best Actress in a Musical - in this year’s Awards. James-Ellis has also been nominated, for Best Supporting Actor in a Musical, as part of Hairspray’s ten overall nominations, including additional nods for Michael Ball (who presented at the Awards launch last month), Tracie Bennett, director Jack O’Brien and choreographer Jerry Mitchell as well as Best New Musical (click here to vote!).

Other nominees due to perform at the inaugural concert – produced by Stuart Piper and Jason Haigh-Ellery and held in aid of our adopted charity Mousetrap Theatre Projects – are Parade’s Bertie Carvel and Lara Pulver, Bad Girls’ Nicole Faraday and The Phantom of the Opera’s Robyn North, Leila Benn Harris and Ramin Karimloo.

Beyond the Awards link, the aim with Year on Year is to give a review of 2007 as well as a preview of what’s coming up in 2008, featuring the best of both the West End and Broadway seasons. There will be must-see sneak previews of New York hits such as Curtains, Spring Awakening, The Little Mermaid, Light in the Piazza, Into the Hoods and the new Ahrens and Flaherty musical The Glorious Ones (performed by Graham Bickley, who was previously Olivier and Whatsonstage.com-nominated for Ahrens and Flaherty’s Ragtime); a specially written Forbidden Broadway-style skit; winning tasters from the Perfect Pitch search for new musicals; and the first-ever London performance from the 40-strong cast of Take That musical Never Forget, one of the contenders for Best Regional Production in this year’s Awards following its 2007 tour.

Also amongst the exciting line-up of West End stars due to perform are: Any Dream Will Do’s Daniel Boys, Jon Robyns, Sharon D Clarke, Melanie La Barrie, Oliver Tompsett, Frances Ruffelle, Debbie Kurup, Paul Baker, Tom Solomon, Aimie Atkinson and, direct from Broadway, Jill Paice, who has just been cast as Scarlett O’Hara in Trevor Nunn’s upcoming adaptation of Gone With the Wind.

Straight plays will be represented by an array of surprise guest hosts and presenters. The concert is directed and devised by Russell Labey, with musical supervision by Iain Vince Gatt, lighting by Mike Robertson, sound by Ben Harrison and staging by Andrew Wright.

Voting in this year’s Whatsonstage.com Theatregoers’ Choice Awards continues until 10 February 2008, with winners announced on Friday 22 February, just ahead of the Year on Year Concert on Sunday 24 February.



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The Whatsonstage.com Year on Year Concert takes place at the Lyric Theatre, Shaftesbury Avenue at 7.30pm on Sunday 24 February. Tickets range from £10 to £35. To purchase tickets, call 0870 890 1107 or book online at www.nimaxtheatres.com.

For the full list of Whatsonstage.com Theatregoers’ Choice Awards
nominations and to vote before 10 February – click here.

[robjimbobjam]

This sounds awesome! Might ask my mum if I can go...

[Jenno]

Oooo the temptation...

[crazeball]

oooh. that sounds vaguely interesting I think I'll go.

[soph83]

It does sound brilliant, but I cant go!

[Danni]

I saw this adverstised on Daniel's myspace page several weeks ago. Should be good.

[Danni]

Is anyone else going this tomorrow? Should be good.

[Jenno]

I wish, but I appear to have suddenly come down with a cold. So all I want to do right now is overdose on Lemsip.

Have fun and REVIEW...any one who goes. And blow Daniel a kiss for me hehe kidding.

[Danni]

It was really good last night. My friends and I got there at about 4pm and stood near the stage door (actually on the steps of the Windmill strip club as it was undercover - we got some strange looks lol).

I saw Daniel Boys stroll past and then later on on the way back from grabbing a tea at McDonald's, Daniel was stood outside the stage door saying bye to a friend. Once he was on his own I said to him that he was excellent in Ave Q and asked if he could sign my Ave Q programme, which he did. He asked if I was going to the show and he said it should be good and I said yes and that I was in the front row, but I think he miss heard me as he said 'I hope so', which didn't really make sense lol.

I also saw Jon Robyns come out of the stage door (with his beard, which was strange to see) and he said hi to me as he remembered me from the couple of times that I met him whilst he was in Ave Q. I didn't want to bother him so just said hi back and let me go on his way.

We also met James Corden and Sherridan (who hosted the evening) and they were both lovely and said they were nervous about hosting the show. I had my photo taken with James. We also bumped into them after the show outside the theatre. James said he was a bit drunk. My friend said to him that they might not let him back next year as he was quite rude to most of the stars (was very funny though and he had the whole audience in stitches) James said that he didn't give a S**t and that he had a good time.

We were sat in the front row to the side and were near Daniel Radcliffe who was sitting in the box and on the otherside was Michael Ball. I also saw Summer Strallen (Hollyoaks/Sound of Music) who was sitting a few rows behind me. I saw Lee Mead in the break but didn't go up to him. Though at the end of the show I was stood next to him on the way out and asked if he could sign my Lee Mead Album cover but he said sorry he couldn't

My two friends were disappointed that Ramin from Phantom of the Opera wasn't there as that is one of the reasons why they booked to see the show. I also thought that it would have been better if they had sung songs from the musicals they were starring in e.g. Hairspray, Ave Q and Phantom of the Opera.

I preferred the first half to the second. It was funny when James snogged Daniel Radcliffe for a couple of minutes when he collected his award. Bless Daniel, he seemed embarrassed but took it in good spirits by saying it was a Britney and Madonna moment.

[emi]

My form tutor went to this- she was the woman who looked like Hayley from Corrie two rows behind Lee Meade. I got a full in depth discription about everything he did through the whole show.... (She has a TINY MINISCULE thing for Lee....)

[Jenno]

A couple of friends went to see this and said it was fantastic, I was really poorly so couldn't go (dammit). Glad you enjoyed it thouuuugh.

[charliemonster]

Lee Mead was there? Oh man, now I really wish I'd gone! I'm just a little bit in love with him too, Sarah's tutor is not alone!