The Best Onstage Quick Changes in Musical Theatre!

I am an absolute sucker for a quick change and an onstage quick change, I am all for! The little theatre kid in me absolutely LIVES for these in musicals because that's what I used to pretend to do in my bedroom (just me...?). The designers on these shows are incredible and do not get enough credit in general but certainly don't get the credit they deserve for these cool and innovative changes on stage! Take a look at our list and tweet us ones we've missed! 

Mean Girls | Cady Hearon in Revenge Party

Heathers | Heather Duke in Never Shut up Again 

What is closing in the West End in January?

Kinky Boots | Final Performance on the 12th January 

After almost 3 and a half years in London's West End, Kinky Boots closes its doors at the Adelphi Theatre on the 12th January to make way for the Broadway transfer of Waitress. But do not fear, Kinky Boots is currently strutting around the UK on tour so its not saying goodbye just yet! 

Bat Out of Hell | Final Performance on the 5th January 

After runs at the Manchester Opera House, the London Coliseum, Toronto and finally the West Ends Dominion Theatre, Bat Out of Hell will rock out for the last time on the 5th January. To make way for what I hear you ask? Well you'll have to wait and see. 

The Inheritance | Final Performance on the 19th January 

Playing a sold out run at the Young Vic earlier this year, this play has won the hearts of the theatre going public and has been monumental for gay writing. The closure of this play is to make room for the production of All About Eve before the much waited Broadway transfer of Dear Evan Hanson. 

Chicago | Final Performance on the 5th January 

Making this the fourth West End venue the musical has played (After the Adelphi, the Cambridge and the Garrick) we say goodbye to the musical again on the 5th January at the Phoenix Theatre to make way for the Broadway transfer of Come From Away. 

Dreamgirls | Final Performance on the 12th January 

After over two years in the West End, the Dreamgirls will be saying goodbye on the 12th January. There will be a soul spaced hole in the West End after its closure but will be replaced by the long over due production of 9 to 5. Turns out, Dreamgirls do leave you! 

42nd Street | Final Performance on the 5th January 

Just shy of two full years in one of the West Ends biggest houses, this production of 42nd Street will close on the 5th January to make way for some much needed refurbishment in the Theatre. What will replace it? Well, we here it might get a little colder in there! Lets hope they install some central heating. 

Snow White | Final Performance on the 13th January 

Now this show hasn't even opened yet, but we are so pumped to get into the Christmas mood so had to include this! Opening on the 12th December with a star cast, this show closes almost exactly a month later on the 13th January at the London Palladium. 

DREAMGIRLS to close on the 12 January 2019 at the Savoy Theatre before heading out on a UK Tour

The multi-award winning Dreamgirls will play its final fabulous performance at the Savoy Theatre on the 12 January 2019. 

The show has announced it will tour the UK but further details are to be announced. 

Moya Angela, Karen Mav and Marisha Wallace play Effie White. They alternate the role during the week. Asmeret Ghebremichael plays Lorrell Robinson, with Joe Aaron Reid in the role of Curtis Taylor Jr, Brennyn Lark as Deena Jones, Tosh Wanogho-Maud as Jimmy Early, Durone Stokes as C.C. White, Delroy Brown as Marty and Kimmy Edwards as Michelle Morris.

REVIEW: Dreamgirls at the Savoy Theatre

With the ever changing cast, Dreamgirls provides an ever changing energy. It’s hardly ever the same show. Whether this is a conscious effort of the actors and creative team or simply the fact that there is always a swing or cover on stage is unclear. 

However, the last two times seeing the show, including media night on Thursday, have been quite underwhelming. Until recently, if I was asked for recommendations for shows to see, Dreamgirls would be toward the top of the list. Now, it’s rarely given a thought. 

It has to be said, the low energy and wow factor actually comes from the ensemble in this show. Normally, the ensemble make the show great (as in previous cast), however, it all seems a bit too complacent and lazy.

INTERVIEW: Karen Mav, Marisha Wallace and Moya Angela, all starring as Effie White in the West End production of Dreamgirls

Tell us a bit about your Effie and how you think it differs from the other ladies playing the role. 

Marisha: I love that I get to put my own spin on it. My Effie has a lot of humour but she also has a lot of heart. I try to show a lot of truth in what I get across with the character, I really want audiences to feel like Effie could be their best friend, she’s a real person, 3D. I bring humanity to Effie.

Moya: I always tap into something real, something I’ve been through. At the end of ‘And I am Telling You I’m Not Going’, at the end of the first act, I cry. Every time, it never fails. I always cry.

Karen: I’m the baby Effie, just entering showbiz. A lot of it is what I’m going through right now. As the youngest, feels a lot of resonance to the character in the younger period of her life so I have a different perspective on it. She starts off as a young girl with big dreams.

This role is incredible demanding, how do you prepare for the show and make sure you can sustain it? 

Marisha: It is a very demanding role, I think it’s the biggest sing in musical theatre! With any muscle you have to train it and make sure you look after it - we’re vocal athletes. I prepare, I work out, I have a vocal coach. Much like opera singers we share the role across the week so each audience gets everything we got! 

Moya: That’s right, we’re ‘Team Effie’. The West End is excited to receive some really big voices. 

Karen: After a year of being in the show I’ve learnt to have a structure – I want the audience to feel like they’ve got the best performance so I make sure I rest my voice and steam every day.

12 production shots that describe the struggles of being in a Musical

When you get a whiff of your costume and clearly it hasn't been dry cleaned in weeks.

2016 Revival of Half A Sixpence 

When you catch a glimpse of a really fit audience member. 

2017 UK tour of Grease the Musical 

When its a double show day and your legs just say no. 

2012 production of Cabaret at the Savoy Theatre

FIRST LOOK: New cast of Dreamgirls join the show at the Savoy Theatre

American star Moya Angela joins the London cast of Dreamgirls as Effie White with Karen Mav and Marisha Wallace, who already star in the London production alongside original London Effie, Amber Riley. They alternate the role during the week. 

Asmeret Ghebremichael continues to play Lorrell Robinson, with Joe Aaron Reid continuing in the role of Curtis Taylor Jr, Brennyn Lark as Deena Jones, Tosh Wanogho-Maud as Jimmy Early, Durone Stokes as C.C. White, Delroy Brown as Marty and Kimmy Edwards as Michelle Morris.

The cast of Dreamgirls also includes Michael Afemaré, Callum Aylott, Georgia Bradshaw, Jabari Braham, Ashford Campbell, Sanchia Amber Clarke, Nicole Raquel Dennis, Nicole Deon, Rhiane Drummond, Ashlee Irish, Emma Louise Jones, Ashley Luke Lloyd, Samira Mighty, Jayde Nelson, Aston New, Sean Parkins, Kirk Patterson, Rohan Pinnock-Hamilton, Ryan Reid, Rohan Richards and Joshua Robinson.

Moya Angela joins Karen Man and Marisha Wallace as Effie White in DREAMGIRLS

American star Moya Angela joins the London cast of Dreamgirls as Effie White with Karen Mav and Marisha Wallace, who already star in the London production alongside original London Effie, Amber Riley. They will be sharing the role of Effie from November 20 2017. 

Amber Riley will play her last performance on 18th November 2017. 

The show has also announced that it is extending booking until June 2018. 

Electric vocalist Moya Angela has been a respected musical theatre actress in the US for many years, receiving great acclaim playing Effie White in the North American revival tour of Dreamgirls, touring with Disney’s The Lion King and being part of the original Broadway casts of Ghost the Musical and most recently In Transit. She wowed judges and audiences when she auditioned for the 2016 series of America’s Got Talent, reaching the quarterfinal stages.

Established star of Broadway Marisha Wallace joined the London cast of Dreamgirls earlier this year having received rave reviews in the role of Effie White in the Dallas Theater Centre production. On Broadway, she has originated roles in Disney’s Aladdin and Something Rotten! and toured the US in The Book of Mormon.

New Production Pictures released of the DREAMGIRLS London company

The critically acclaimed, hit UK premiere of Dreamgirls has been nominated for five Olivier Awards and stars American actress and singer Amber Riley, Marisha Wallace and Karen Mav sharing the role of Effie White (Amber Riley does not perform Mondays or matinees), Liisi LaFontaine as Deena Jones and Asmeret Ghebremichael as Lorrell Robinson making up the soulful singing trio ‘The Dreams’. 

Dreamgirls transports you to a revolutionary time in American music history. Dreamgirls charts the tumultuous journey of a young female singing trio from Chicago, Illinois called ‘The Dreams’, as they learn the hard lesson that show business is as tough as it is fabulous, and features the classic songs And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going, I Am Changing, Listen and One Night Only.

FIRST LOOK: Dreamgirls at the Savoy Theatre, starring Amber Riley

Sonia Friedman Productions has today released brand new production photography for the long-awaited UK premiere of Dreamgirls. Preview performances are currently running at the Savoy Theatre with Opening Night on Wednesday 14 December 2016.

American actress and singer Amber Riley stars as ‘Effie White’ and is joined in Dreamgirls by Liisi LaFontaine as Deena Jones and Ibinabo Jack as Lorrell Robinson making up the soulful singing trio ‘The Dreams’. Joe Aaron Reid plays Curtis Taylor Jr, Adam J. Bernard plays Jimmy Early, Tyrone Huntley plays C.C. White, Nicholas Baileyplays Marty and Lily Frazer plays Michelle Morris with Ruth Brown and Karen Mavalternating the role of Effie White at performances when Amber Riley is not scheduled to perform.

The cast of Dreamgirls also includes Michael Afemaré, Jocasta Almgill, Callum Aylott, Hugo Batista, Samara Casteallo, Chloe Chambers, Carly Mercedes Dyer, Joelle Dyson, Kimmy Edwards, Candace Furbert, Nathan Graham, Ashley Luke Lloyd, Gabriel Mokake, Siân Nathaniel-James, Sean Parkins, Kirk Patterson, Ryan Reid, Rohan Richards, Noel Samuels, Durone Stokes and Tosh Wanogho-Maud.

15 Broadway musicals that should come to the West End

The West End has a bunch of musicals playing that have transferred over from Broadway including Wicked, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, The Pajama Game, The Book Of Mormon, Jersey Boys and Memphis to name a few. I look at some productions that have played on Broadway that should come to the West End... Take a look and see if you agree! Have I missed any? Tweet me the ones you'd like to see come to London! @PocketSizeBoy

Dreamgirls

Dreamgirls made its broadway premiere in late 1981 and closed on August 11 1985, after 1,521 performances. Around the time it was on Broadway a film version was in the works with names such as Whitney Houston, Lauryn Hill and Kelly Price in the mix to star. However it didn't actually happen until  2006 with Jamie Foxx, Beyoncé Knowles, Eddie Murphy, Danny Glover and Jennifer Hudson starring. The production has never actually made it over to London. You'd think with the success of the film that it would be a perfect time to produce it. I'd love for this show to come to London, I think it would do pretty well and with the right creative team it could be incredible! 

Aida

Aida made its Broadway premiere in 2000, the show has music by Elton John and lyrics by Tim Rice and was produced by Disney. The show closed after 1,852 performances and two national tours followed.  The show has never been professionally performed in the UK, with the composers both originally from the UK its seems London would be a great place to bring the production to. The soundtrack is unbelievable and I am convinced the West End would be a perfect place for it.