Theatre Interview: Wendi Peters: "Wonderland Is A Fabulous Musical"

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What's On TV

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Provided By: Liverpool Empire Theatre

Alice In Wonderland and Alice Through The Looking Glass are two of the most popular fantasy stories for children and families as a whole. Now, Wonderland: The Musical brings both to life, along with some unique twists, ensuring an exciting night for all. To find out more, we spoke to Wendi Peters, who plays the Queen Of Hearts in the upcoming show at Liverpool Empire.

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Amelia Lily: "American Idiot is an unforgettable experience"

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Hawt Celebs

Written By: Mark Armstrong

If you are of a certain age, you may recall putting on some punk rock music and repeatedly (and quite violently) tossing your head back and forth to the beats. If that is the case, or even if it isn't (I could never master the punk rock head-toss), you will get a real kick out of American Idiot, a brand new musical which is based around the music of one of the most famous punk rock bands of the 20th century, Green Day. Boosting the prestige of this show is a performer who also has a musical background: Amelia Lily, who has released several singles since her successful run on The X-Factor in 2011. We wanted to know more about the show and about her too, so we spoke to Amelia about American Idiot, her career so far and why she's living the dream right now ...

First of all, tell us about the show American Idiot.

American Idiot is written based on the self-titled album by the American band Green Day, and has been transformed into a musical. It's about three guys: one of them goes off to the army, one of them moves off to the city and becomes heavily involved with drugs, and the other guy stays at home with his pregnant girlfriend; and they all go on their own separate journeys to find meaning.

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Antony Costa: "I'll always cherish performing"

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Empire Theatre

Written By: Mark Armstrong

When you think of Antony Costa, you may think immediately of Blue, one of the most British popular boy bands of the early 21st century. But he has also established himself a successful career in theatre, having performed in such shows as Blood Brother and Boogie Nights, and he's back on stage for Save The Last Dance For Me, which comes to the Liverpool Empire Theatre next month. We spoke to Antony about his current theatre tour, as well as key events for him in music and television.

First of all, tell us about the upcoming show Save The Last Dance For Me.

Save The Last Dance is a 60s jukebox musical with a love story. There are some fantastic songs, written by two songwriters called Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman; they wrote songs like A Teenager In Love, Viva Las Vegas and the iconic song Save The Last Dance For Me. It's a lovely musical that's very uplifting with a great love story.

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Flavia Cacace: Last Tango a show for everyone to enjoy

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Written By: Mark Armstrong

With more than 20 years of professional dancing experience, Flavia Cacace and Vincent Simone have become one of the most notable dancing couples, having starred in several theatre shows and Strictly Come Dancing for seven years beforehand. And their latest show Last Tango is about to foxtrot its way into the Liverpool Empire Theatre. To learn more about the show and their careers, we recently spoke to Flavia Cacace, who promises an eye-catching and emotional performance for the Liverpool audience.

Tell us about the Last Tango tour.

We're on the road at the moment, we're touring the UK, and Last Tango is our first big production. It's quite an emotional show, and all of our shows have a story to follow, so we take you on a journey with us. It’s the story of a man called George, who acts almost as an older Vincent (Simone). So basically we take you through his life, from the very first time he met his partner to all the things that happen in his life, all the way to the very end. There are ups and downs that I think people will relate to.

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Dominic North: "Sleeping Beauty is a great, great show"

Dominic North
(Image Source: Dancers Pro)

Written By: Mark Armstrong

We recently spoke to Dominic North, star of Matthew Bourne's production of Sleeping Beauty, about his role in the show, how it differs from the original fairy-tale version, and his own career to date ...

First of all, can you tell us about your role as Leo in Sleeping Beauty?

Leo is a love interest of Aurora, so I guess he's playing what would be the role of Prince Charming from the original. But he's more of a childhood sweetheart, like Catherine Earnshaw in Wuthering Heights, because he's a lonely gardener, and she's a regal princess.

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Dean Elliott: Simon and Garfunkel story needs to be told

Dean Elliott (Image Source:
The Simon and
Garfunkel Story)

Written By: Mark Armstrong

The work of Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel created some unforgettable songs which remain favourites amongst an older generation to this very day. And a modern audience will receive the opportunity to appreciate these tunes and more in the brand new theatre show The Simon and Garfunkel Story, which comes to the Liverpool Empire Theatre this Friday.

We caught up with Dean Elliott, who will play a vital role both on the stage and behind the curtain for this show, on the significance of this show and why, in many ways, it is an ideal production for him to work on …

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Robin Windsor Bringing Glitz To Puttin' On The Ritz

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Written By: Mark Armstrong

Provided By: Liverpool Empire Theatre

Mark Armstrong recently grabbed a quick word with Robin Windsor ahead of his role as a lead dancer in Puttin’ On The Ritz, which is about to take the Liverpool Empire Theatre back to the Golden Age of Hollywood …

To begin with, can you briefly tell us the story behind Puttin' On The Ritz?

There's no exact plot for Puttin' On The Ritz. It's a song-and-dance extravaganza, so it's taking everybody back to the 1920s and 1930s, that Golden Age of Hollywood, with the music by Cole Porter, Irvin Berlin and George Gershwin. These are timeless songs that will never, ever be forgotten. So, it's just a succession of dance numbers and songs, taking everybody back to that wonderful era.

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Freya Sutton: "Tracy Turnblad is a dream role for me in Hairspray"

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Written By: Mark Armstrong

Provided By: Liverpool Empire Theatre

With the internationally-popular show Hairspray about to land at the Liverpool Empire Theatre, Mark Armstrong recently spoke to one of the main stars of the show, Freya Sutton, to discuss her role as Tracy Turnblad and why it is the perfect part for her to play …

To begin with, briefly tell us the story of Hairspray.

My character Tracy Turnblad is from a family that is not very well-off (her mum's a housewife who does ironing and stuff, and her dad runs a shop that doesn't really do very well), plus they're kind of overweight. Tracy is told that entering the dance business is a risk, because her mother doesn't want to see her get hurt, but Tracy is determined and says that she really want to get onto a TV show, The Corny Collins Show, which would showcase her talents.

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Danielle bringing Hope to The Sound Of Music

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Manchester Evening News

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Provided By: Liverpool Empire Theatre

The Sound Of Music, one of the most legendary musicals of all-time, is returning to the Liverpool Empire next month. Playing the role of Maria Von Trapp will be Danielle Hope, who over the last five years has had a range of unforgettable experiences on the theatre stage, having been propelled to stardom by a television show which landed her a role as Dorothy in The Wizard Of Oz and a place in future big-budget theatre productions. I recently spoke to Danielle about The Sound Of Music, her experiences so far in theatre, and whether she could handle a family as big as that of the Von Trapps in real life …

To begin with, explain the story of The Sound Of Music, and of your role as Maria Von Trapp.

The Sound Of Music, as many, many people will know, is a very famous story based on a family that were fleeing Austria at a very dangerous time. I think the reason a lot of people feel this strongly connected to The Sound Of Music is because they were real people, and this was a very real time in the world. Now, a young girl who is training to be a nun is sent away because of, let’s say, her behaviour, and her choice of life and singing. Then, she meets this very disconnected family where the father is going through a lot, and the children have almost been army drilled because he's a naval officer. And she introduces them to music, and then they find a connection, which ends up inspiring the captain and saving them at the end of the day while they flee.

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A little (more) conversation with Sian Reeves

Image Source: Chronicle Live

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Provided By: Liverpool Empire Theatre

Throughout the week, Love Me Tender, the brand new musical featuring the hits of Elvis Presley as its soundtrack, has left the Liverpool Empire and thousands of attendees All Shook Up. As the show continues its Merseyside run, I spoke to one of the stars of the production, Sian Reeves (who plays the character of Mayor Matilda Hyde), where she discussed her contribution to Love Me Tender, and compared it to other experiences throughout her varied career …

First of all, can you tell us about the story of Love Me Tender, and of your role as Mayor Matilda Hyde?

The story is about a small town in the middle of nowhere in America. I play Mayor Matilda Hyde, and she runs the town with a firm hand: she doesn’t allow tight pants, public kissing, loud music etc. But then this guy comes to the town who's a bit of a nod to Elvis, who shakes us all up, who makes the jukebox work again, and who gets everybody wearing blue suede shoes. I oppose him all the way, until near the end when I have a meltdown to (the tune of) The Devil In Disguise!

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"Dirty Dancing has had a great response in Liverpool"

L-R: Claire Rogers (Penny Johnson),
Lewis Kirk (Johnny Castle) and
Roseanna Frascona (Baby Houseman).

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Provided By: Liverpool Empire Theatre

Prior to tonight's showing of Dirty Dancing at the Liverpool Empire, Mark Armstrong spoke with three leading cast members - Roseanna Frascona, who plays Baby Houseman; Lewis Kirk, who plays Johnny Castle; and Claire Rogers, who plays Penny Johnson - to discuss the show, the Liverpool audience and how often the famous dance scene was rehearsed ...

Firstly, explain the plot of Dirty Dancing to those who may be unfamiliar.

Claire: "Penny Johnson is the dance instructor at Kellerman's. She's also best friends with Johnny Castle, and they've both been friends for many years. Baby comes on holiday to Kellerman's, and suddenly she gets intertwined with Johnny and Penny's lives. You see a whole friendship developing, but at the same time, Penny's going through a very difficult time in her life. There's a lot of sadness, and Baby kind of steps in and pretty much saves the day. So, for me as Penny, you see my work side (at Kellerman's), and then you see the real side of what's actually going on in her life. Which is great, because there's lots of different emotions and dance numbers and scenes. So, it's a packed show."

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Shobna Gulati: "Mamma Mia! Is The Ultimate Feel-Good Musical"

Shobna Gulati as Tanya in
Mamma Mia!

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Provided By: Liverpool Empire Theatre

With the critically-acclaimed Mamma Mia! set to make its Liverpool bow, Mark Armstrong spoke to Shobna Gulati, an experienced stage performer also renowned for her television work in the likes of Coronation Street and Dinnerladies, about what theatre-goers can expect from the ABBA-themed hit Mamma Mia!

Mamma Mia! tells the tale of Sophie, who is preparing to marry the love of her life, Sky. In the run-up to the wedding, Sophie has a desire for her father to walk her down the aisle, but she does not know who her father is. However, she then finds her mother's old diary, which reveals intimate encounters with three men, any one of whom could be her father. In an attempt to learn the truth, she invites all three to the wedding, writing invitations from her unsuspecting mother Donna.

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