Video

WOS TV: Top Theatre Video Picks – 30 Dec 2009

| London's West End |

30 December 2009

The Whatsonstage.com Television channel is a rapidly expanding archive of theatre-related video content. As well as our exclusive first night reports, we regularly add show trailers, event promos, interviews, video diaries and behind-the-scenes footage.

You can view these – & many more – clips on Whatsonstage.com TV.
If you’ve seen something you think is worth a watch for theatregoers,
then please email us the clip or a link to it.

Thanks for watching!

For this fortnight’s selection, we’re hopping across the Atlantic to take a look at some of the big shows hitting Broadway and seeing which ones might be making an appearance on our shores in the new year.

“Da da da da click click”…
– The chirpy theme is about to be given a whole new lease of life as The Addams Family come hurtling to the stage in a brand new musical. Currently enjoying an out of town try out before it’s official Broadway opening, it boasts some impressive names both onstage and off with music and lyrics by Andrew Lippa, direction from the Improbable stalwarts Phelim McDermott and Julian Crouch and Nathan Lane and Bebe Neuwirth providing star billings. After a somewhat luke warm response in Chicago, a new director has been brought in as ‘Creative Consultant’ and so we will have to wait and see the final results when it opens on Broadway 08 April 2010.

Happily ever after for Shrek stage debut? – After a somewhat short lived run for the fairytale ogre, Shrek the Musical is due to end it’s happily ever after adventure early in January next year. Based on the much loved movies, the musical brings all the classic fairytale characters to life with astonishingly lavish sets and costume, complete with an original score by Jeanine Tesori. Already booked for a US national tour, a UK transfer has long been whispered about and with DreamWorks looking for a 2010 DVD release of the stage show, it may be heading our way sooner than we think.

In the Heights makes it’s mark – A relative newcomer on Broadway, this immersive new musical is hitting all the right notes with American audiences and looks set to continue it’s success with a US national tour just kicking off. The story explores three days in the characters’ lives in the New York City Dominican-American neighborhood of Washington Heights and features a lively score using hip-hop, salsa, merengue and soul music to bring the story to life. Once speculated to enjoy a limited run at the Hackney Empire, there are currently no definite plans to bring the show to the UK so we’ll have to make do with this video clip for now!

What a piece of work is Hair! – For the first time in recent years, an entire Broadway cast are crossing the Atlantic to bring the current 2009 revival of hit show Hair to the West End in April 2010. A product of the sexual revoluton of the 1960’s, Hair features an anthemic score which went on to coin the genre ‘rock musical’. The production’s last UK outing was at the Gate theatre in 2005 so London best get set for a whole new age of Aquarius and no doubt the usual controversy that seems to follow this musical whenever it plays.

Selections by David Grewcock. You can view
these – & many more – clips on Whatsonstage.com TV.
If you’ve seen something you think is worth a watch for theatregoers,
then please email us the clip or a link to it.