StageDoorCast

Despite the possibility of Richard's Coffee machine intruding onto our recording, we return fearless as ever with a true miscellany of news and view and a couple of reviews for your listening pleasure. We travel to Wembley Park for "The Wedding Singer" and Dunstable for "Buddy The Musical", now in it's 30th year. We cover casting news for "Hairspray", "The Last Five Years" and much more and bring news of Ball and Boe and the chance to catch them in the Cinema if you can't get along to the O2. We also preview the 'Whats On Stage Awards"
Our talking point is Juke Box Musicals and where they stand in Musical Theatre generally, listen to us and send in your views to [email protected]
Finally we have a recommendation for a new show, "Fires Our Shoes Have Made", a challenging subject and story but very highly recommended which can be seen on March 15th as part of the Camden Peoples Theatre 25th Anniversary Celebrations. A booking link can be found here:
https://www.cptheatre.co.uk/production/fires-our-shoes-have-made/

It's been a funny old fortnight but we struggle on for your listening pleasure. 
Cliff discusses 'Cats" the Movie which he has finally been to see, is it puurfect! or pawfull?
Richard brings us a veritable feast of reviews including "Rags" "Freaky Friday" and a cabaret night from Andy Coxon, and we discuss lots of news including the many mishaps that have befallen "Les Mis" even before it's official opening and similar problems for "Waitress" involving extreme measures, and much much more. 
We preview West End Live, look at some lists of best shows for last year, which may surprise you but we will explain and try to shed some light.
Another movie adaptation is on the cards and Sheridan Smith returns with a Stage Version of a recent TV Hit. We also discuss funding of original new musicals prompted by this article in the Guardian.

https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2020/jan/22/british-musicals-at-risk-without-subsidies-like-other-theatre

Let us know your views on this. Do you agree with our conclusions?

Send mail to: [email protected]

Happy New Year!

In this Episode we discuss our Christmas Presents or lack of them!  Richard shares some invaluable tips for keeping on top of your sock collection, and we head off down memory lane with a collection of old TV themes.

We look back at the life and career of Jerry Herman who passed away on Boxing day at the age of 88 and the memorable shows and standards that he has left us.

We review a few of the many excellent TV offerings that were on over Christmas, we revist the "Cats" movie with news of tweaks to the film, and Richard brings us our main review of "Goldilocks" at The London Palladium.

Mishaps continue to dog "Les Mis" and we report on that. We look forward to the latest Cirque du Soleil show "Luzia" at the Royal Albert Hall and preview some offerings from the Arts Educational School in the next few weeks, "Freaky Friday" and "The Wild Party"

We also take a good look at the report from Ticketsource highlighting local and community theatre trends which should be required reading for Musical Theatre Groups and Companies. You can find the report here:

https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/blog/ticketsource-reveal-local-community-theatre-trends

Thanks as always for your support, please ensure that you subscribe and also join our facebook group. 

Ideas and comments can be sent to us at:  [email protected]

We are of course up to our elbows in Christmas prep but we have time to look at our favourite picks of Musical Shows on TV, catch a quick review of Curtains in its London home and ponder the early and mixed reviews for Cats the Movie. We also have our picks of the year.

We return on the 11th January with Season Two, thanks for joining us on our journey, send your comments and suggestions to us at [email protected]

OK let's be honest, we did record this on the day before the General Election but, as we couldn't release it until Saturday eve, let's put all of that behind us and consider "Dear Evan Hansen", "My Best Friends Wedding the Musical", "Be More Chill" and "Pretty Women" amongst much else that we discuss in today's show. Be amazed as Cliff thinks he promunces something wrong, is wrong about that, and gets into a terrible kefuffle! And hear about our plans for the Christmas Special! And a special mention to anyone who guesses what we are talking about in the Pre titles! 

Hit us up at [email protected]

Cliff returns from the heart of New York's Theatreland with our first, and we did trail it! Musical Theatre inspired Restaurant review! He also reviews "Come from Away", spoiler alert, we really like it!
Richard brings us two and a half reviews of "Soho Cinders" and "Legally Blonde" and a final thought about "Falsettos" There is a stack of News to get through and Cliff has a mini rant about the early marketing for "Hello Dolly".
We consider The new show from Williams and Walliams, "The Boy in the Dress" and talk about casting for "Back to the Future" We also talk about "Sleepless" the new musical after the film "Sleepless in Seattle" which opens next March but has some early previews before Christmas. And there is lots more fun and japes!

Just one week later another action packed show full of Theatrical goodness! 
Cliff has an effusive review already trailed for Green Room's "42nd Street". 
Richard tells of his love for "I Do I Do" upstairs at The Gatehouse which you can still catch this week, and "The Addams Family" and that's only to start. We discuss dodgy ceilings, new casting news and a lot of new shows that are around and about. 

A Charity Gala Performance at the Coliseum might take your fancy and we hear about a new Musical for next Autumn starring Beverly Knight. Richard previews the UK Theatrical premiere of Cinderella from Rodgers and Hammerstein and the new Morcombe and Wise show "Eric and Ern" which features Ruthie Henshall. We finish up with a heartwarming story amidst natural disasters and have a slightly more serious discussion about surge pricing and whether clapping should be banned!

There's lot's going on this week with the usual mix of News and Reviews and a lot of audience interaction as we bring you a batch of one word reviews. Lots of show news pre Christmas, "The Hoff" makes a return and we discuss something that to some extent we both find annoying. We also have a chat about the upcoming Evening Standard Theatre Awards and look forward to anther busy theatrical week.

Send your News and Talking points to us at [email protected]

It's our Thirteenth Episode! I know who would have thought it, and despite illness striking Richard down as he returns from another nautical adventure we struggle on, with a packed show of news and views. Cliff reviews "Curtains" at the Palace Manchester, We have a good chat about Rags and why we think it's a must see after Christmas, we talk pricing for Sister Act at the Apollo next year and look at new shows coming in to town in the next couple of months and news about existing shows getting a new lease of life. We also feature our first one word review and look forward to a busy few weeks of Theatre Going. 
Join the Facebook Group, tell your friends and interact with us. 
Our email is [email protected] 

OK, we've held off the Strictly references until now but there is a good reason as you will hear.  Richard reviews Les Miserables, the concert version at the Gielgud and Assassins at Newbury's Watermill Theatre. Cliff tells us why he thinks that all lovers of Musical Theatre should see "Judy" in the Cinema and how it might fare in the upcoming awards season. We talk about Heathers the musical, bring casting news from The Boyfriend at the Menier Chocolate Factory, and talk about Craig Revel Horwood and his All Balls and Glitter Tour.
There is the usual round up of News and Views and as the amateur season is now upon us we preview four shows that you can see in the next few weeks. Send details of your shows and we will give them a plug in future episodes. We are recording the next show on 26th October so items before then please to [email protected]