17 November 2013
BROADWAY’S ANDREW LIPPA IN DEBUT LONDON CONCERT
Multi-award winning West End and Broadway actress Jenna Russell, international and current West End stars of Wicked, Willemijn Verkaik (evening performance only) and Ashleigh Gray, and current Les Miserables Eponine and Javert, Carrie Hope Fletcher and Tam Mutu are lined up to appear alongside Tony and Grammy award nominated composer and lyricist ANDREW LIPPA in his debut London concert, this November 17.
The man behind Broadway’s Big Fish, The Wild Party and The Addams Family comes to London’s St James Theatre this November taking the audience through his life and career as a writer and composer. The concert will exclusively preview music from his latest Broadway creation Big Fish - a new musical adaptation based on the book by Daniel Wallace and the Tim Burton film (recently opened at the Neil Simon Theatre, directed and choreographed by Susan Stroman) - and will also feature music from his hit shows, as well as his lesser known works and a selection of ‘lost’ material.
Andrew was born in Leeds, UK, and grew up in Detroit, USA, before becoming one of the industry’s leading composers and lyricists. Most recently, Andrew wrote the music and words to the original theatrical oratorio I Am Harvey Milk that received its world premiere in San Francisco in June 2013 with the San Francisco Gay Mens’ Chorus starring Laura Benanti and Mr. Lippa as Harvey Milk. His most successful and recognised works include the Tony-nominated music and lyrics for the Broadway musical The Addams Family which opened in April of 2010 and starred Nathan Lane and Bebe Neuwirth, and the award winning Off-Broadway production The Wild Party (winning the Outer Critics Circle Award for best Off-Broadway musical of the season and Mr. Lippa won the 2000 Drama Desk Award for best music). Other works include A Little Princess (music), john & jen (music/co-wrote book), Asphalt Beach (music/lyrics) and You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown (additional music/lyrics and arrangements) and the music for the Broadway production of Aaron Sorkin’s (The Social Network, A Few Good Men) new play The Farnsworth Invention.
Mr. Lippa is proud to have been music director for Kristin Chenoweth since 1999 for many of her concerts. He conducted/played her sold-out shows at the Metropolitan Opera House in NYC in 2007, at Carnegie Hall in 2004, and at the Donmar Warehouse in London in 2002. He has also conducted the San Francisco, Chicago, and St. Louis Symphony Orchestras for Ms. Chenoweth, among others. Additionally, he is an accomplished singer having been heard in many venues in New York and, in 2005, as a guest artist at the Adelaide Cabaret Convention in Adelaide, Australia.
Multi-award winning actress Jenna Russell is best known for her performance in the role of Dot/Marie in Sunday in the Park with George, in both the West End and on Broadway, and has recently finished playing Mary in Merrily We Roll Along at the Harold Pinter Theatre to critical acclaim. Her relationship with Sondheim’s work has been recognised both here and in America, with Drama Desk and Tony Award nominations for her performance in Sunday in the Park with George and a 2007 Olivier Award win for Best Actress in a Musical. Prior to this, Jenna received a nomination for the 2006 Olivier Awards in the Best Actress in a Musical category for her role as Sarah Brown in Guys and Dolls playing opposite Ewan McGregor. It was later in 2010 that Jenna could be seen in the Olivier Award winning production of Into The Woods at the Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre, playing the role of the Baker’s wife. Other work includes multiple appearances with the RSC including The Winters Tale, As You Like It and Alan Ayckbourn’s Wildest Dreams. She played Amy in the recent West End revival of David Hare’s play Amy’s View directed by Peter Hall. In 2010, Jenna made her return to the National Theatre to star alongside Mark Gatiss and Catherine Tate in the riotously funny Season’s Greeting.
Dutch actress Willemijn Verkaik opens in the West End production of Wicked as Elphaba later this year having played the character over 1,000 times. Since making her Broadway debut, she is the only actress to have performed the green witch in three languages, receiving three major awards for the role since 2007.
European musical credits include Donna in Mamma Mia, Elisabeth in Elisabeth, Killer Queen in We Will Rock You and Amneris in Aida. At home she has made numerous concert and television appearances and can also be heard on the original German cast recording of Wicked. Willemijn sang at New York’s Birdland Jazz Club alongside composers Jason Robert Brown, Stephen Schwartz and Scott Alan, also performing at Scott’s London concert at IndigO2 earlier this year.
Earlier this year Willemijn recorded the voice of Elsa for the German and Dutch language versions of Disney’s Frozen, which opens in cinemas in the coming weeks.
Carrie Hope Fletcher is currently making her West End debut playing the role of Eponine in Les Misérables at The Queen’s Theatre, London As a child she previously appeared as Jane Banks in the Original Cast of Mary Poppins at the Prince Edward theatre, and as Jemima Potts in Original Cast of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang at The London Palladium.
Other work includes the recording of the Official 2012 Olympic Mascot’s song On a Rainbow and supporting Sheytoons following a guest spot on Ramin Karimloo’s ‘Road to Find Out’ tour earlier that year. Alongside Carrie’s acting and singer/songwriter career Carrie is also known for her series of videos on her YouTube channel ‘itswaypastmybedtime’ which has gained her a dedicated following of over 300,000 subscribers.
Produced by Stuart Matthew Price and James Yeoburn for United Theatrical Productions.
BOOK TICKETS17 November - 17 November 2013
Performance Times:
| Sunday 17th November | 2:00pm |
| Sunday 17th November | 6:30pm |
Ticket Prices:
| Premium | £35.00 |
| Band A | £32.50 |
| Band B | £30.00 |
| Band C | £25.00 |
Concessions & Access Bookings
There are no concessions available for this performance. If you have any Access Requirements then please contact the Box Office on 0844 264 2140.
BOOK TICKETS