Musical sing-along piano bar to open in the West End

Sing-along musical evening Overtures will return in style with a fresh series of events at the Hippodrome in London.

Often held as London's answer to the legendary Marie's Crisis Café in New York (something of a Broadway staple), Overtures will return from 26 August, playing at Lola's Underground Casino at the Hippodrome on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 8.00pm.

The evening will see audiences invited to sing along to their favourites, from shows such as Les Misérables, Wicked, My Fair Lady, The Sound of Music and Grease. Rather than having audiences watching others go up and sing on a stage, the evening is said to feature "just the crowd, the piano, the pianist and the showtunes".

Ray Rackham, who founded Overtures and partners with Fourth Wall Live on the series, said: "What started as a one-week folly in 2018 lead to a permanent establishment that only a pandemic could close! Whilst we were in lockdown waiting to reopen one thing was clear to me, we had to find a location right in the heart of Theatreland. And what a venue, the site where Judy Garland played her last London concerts, which welcomed the likes of Sophie Tucker and Liza Minnelli, and where Ethel Merman made her only British appearances.

"We never anticipated the hunger of the general public of London, in needing a place to sing out loud until the wee small hours; we just needed to make sure our clientele could get from theatre to singalong in a hop, skip or jump. I'm so happy Overtures has teamed up with Fourth Wall Live and the Hippodrome to glow up our very unique singalong experience."

The show is for over 18s only.

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