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Paige Takes a Pop at West End Musicals???

Date: 3 January 2011

Elaine Paige, often dubbed the 'First Lady of British musical theatre', has kicked off the new year by kicking off about a lack of originality in the West End compared to Broadway. Speaking to the Telegraph recently, she said: "When I was in New York, I noticed there seemed to be many more new musicals, original ideas and new stuff than I think there is here. I think we are into the revivals scenario here and still into the jukebox thing of taking the songs of famous bands and putting a tenuous story around them."

Paige was last in the West End herself in 2007, when she played the title role in The Drowsy Chaperone at the Novello, which ran for just three months despite favourable reviews.

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Related Content

Internal Links
	Guest Blog: Hair Today, Jukebox Musical Tomorrow - 2nd Jun 2010 Features
	Photos: Paige Toasts Chaperone's London Launch - 5th Mar 2007 Photos
	Review Round-up: Did Drowsy Keep Critics Awake? - 7th Jun 2007 Roundup
External Links
	Telegraph article

Reader Comments

Comment	Date
She is absolutely right. There is so little originality now in the West End when it comes to musicals. I am sure there are plenty of talented composers and lyricsts out there, who are just never given the opportunity, since producers insist on flooding the theatres with shows aimed at brainless twits. - Hendrik	13 Jan 11

She's 100 percent right, the West End musical scene is a joke - craig	03 Jan 11

Shame she dont stay in New York - Lynda Robinson	03 Jan 11

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