Spectacular Opening Night Finale For The Great British Songbook.

West End phenomenon Kerry Ellis and her Great British Songbook got off to a sensational start as Queen hero Brian May made a surprise appearance to close the show.

The rock guitarist emerged on stage while award winning vocalist Kerry performed Queen classic “Who Wants To Live Forever”, provoking a rapturous reception from the 400-strong audience. The duo then brought the concert to a climax in electrifying fashion, with “Crazy Little Thing Called Love.”

The finale on Saturday 20th June marked the first in a series of four dates that Kerry will play at The Shaw Theatre – further performances will follow on Sunday 21st June, Thursday 25th June and Friday 26th June. Brian also performed on Sunday night.

Brian and Kerry’s musical affiliation stems back to Queen and Ben Elton’s acclaimed stage show “We Will Rock You” at the Dominion Theatre, in which Kerry created the role of Meat in 2002. Since then, the pair have played at the 2008 Royal Variety Performance together, and they are now in the process of producing Kerry’s debut album. A sampler, “Wicked in Rock”, was released last year, and included re-imagined numbers from “Wicked”, the hit musical that gained Kerry a legion of fans on both Broadway and the West End.

Speaking after Kerry’s triumphant first night, Brian May said “We’re all thrilled that Kerry has stepped out on her own, after her huge success in the world of Theatre. In this one-woman show, she really doesn’t need me, but I’m happy to be the icing on her cake. The next priority will be to finish her solo album. Kerry absolutely rocks!”

Having departed the role of Elphaba in “Wicked” last month, Kerry Ellis Celebrates The Great British Songbook hails her first solo venture. Paying tribute to Britain’s leading composers and lyricists, the concert series features exciting new arrangements of classic material from musical maestros including Andrew Lloyd Webber, Paul McCartney, John Lennon, Tim Rice, Kate Bush, Queen, Noel Coward, Lionel Bart, Don Black, Anthony Newley and John Barry. Tracks from modern chart favourites Take That, Duffy, Snow Patrol, Coldplay and The Feeling will also be re-worked and showcased by Kerry in her own inimitable vocal style.

Aside from her ventures with Brian May and her internationally successful two and a half year spell in ‘Wicked’, last year Kerry played Svetlana in “Chess in Concert” at the Royal Albert Hall opposite Josh Grobhan, Adam Pascal and Marti Pellow, and most recently she recorded songs for a musical treatment of Terry Pratchett’s “Only You Can Save Mankind.”

A musical theatre stalwart, Kerry’s role as Meat in ‘We Will Rock You’ led to her taking part in the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Concert at Buckingham Palace. She has also played Fantine in “Les Miserables” at the Queen’s Theatre, Ellen in the national tour of “Miss Saigon”, and appeared in Trevor Nunn’s production of “My Fair Lady” at the National Theatre and Drury Lane, playing Eliza Dolittle opposite Jonathan Pryce on many occasions.

More concerts with major singers will be announced throughout 2009 in this special Great British Songbook season, devised by Neil Marcus. This latest show is directed by Steven Paling.

For further information or to request an interview with Kerry Ellis, please contact Justin Jeffreys at Taylor Herring PR on Justin.jeffreys@taylorherring.com or 020 8206 5151.

www.theshawtheatre.com

“Bundles of star quality”
Evening Standard

“The real deal, a genuine new star… Diana Ross meets Barbara Streisand”
The Independent

“Patina Miller belts it out with enough energy to fire a canon as Deloris”
Daily Express

“A belting voice”
The Independent on Sunday

“Fabulous”
The Mail on Sunday

Sister Act leading lady Patina Miller, who takes on the role made famous by Whoopi Goldberg, set the stage alight as the hotly anticipated show enjoyed its world premiere last Tuesday.

The US actress, who beat hundreds of hopefuls on both sides of the Atlantic to win the coveted role, enthralled audiences and achieved critical acclaim for her portrayal of Deloris Van Cartier, the sassy lounge singer turned nun.

Alongside theatre veterans Sheila Hancock and Ian Lavender, 25 year old Patina took to the stage at The London Palladium to make her UK debut. The gala opening climaxed in a standing ovation curtain call that saw her joined on stage by Goldberg, the show’s co-producer.

Born in 1984 in the small American town of Pageland, South Carolina, Patina Miller was raised by her musical family on a diet of gospel, blues, rhythm and swing. From an early age she performed in her local gospel choir at church, but it was her role as Miss Hannigan in a school production of Annie that first truly showcased her exceptional talent. At the tender age of 15 she auditioned and was accepted into a prestigious performing-arts boarding school and later won a full scholarship to Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, PA, where she later graduated with a degree in musical theatre.

Following her graduation Patina moved to New York, securing a stint in the popular US soap opera All My Children. After success on the small screen, Patina was keen to head back to her musical-theatre-roots and returned to the stage in 2008 to take on the role of Dionne in the critically acclaimed Central Park stage production of Hair, in which she performed the show’s legendary signature tune, ‘ Aquarius’.

Patina now offers her own unique take on one of stage and screen’s biggest roles.

To request an interview with Patina contact: Justin.jeffreys@taylorherring.com

West End phenomenon Kerry Ellis has once again extended her London concert series, Kerry Ellis Celebrates The Great British Songbook, taking her residency at The Shaw Theatre to four nights.

Musical sensation Kerry will now perform on Friday 26th June from 8:00pm, in addition to previously announced dates on Saturday 20th June, Sunday 21st June and Thursday 25th June, two of which are already sold out.

The show pays tribute to Britain’s leading composers and lyricists, featuring exciting new arrangements of classic material from musical maestros including Andrew Lloyd Webber, Paul McCartney, John Lennon, Tim Rice, Kate Bush, Queen, Noel Coward, Lionel Bart, Don Black, Anthony Newley and John Barry.

Tracks from modern chart favourites Take That, Duffy, Snow Patrol, Coldplay and The Feeling will also be re-worked and showcased by Kerry in her own inimitable vocal style.

Contact: justin.jeffreys@taylorherring.com

LONDON, Friday 15th May, 2009: The cast of the new musical comedy SISTER ACT got the ultimate lesson in teamwork today as they travelled to Stamford Bridge for a private training session with Chelsea boss Guus Hiddink.

Producers wanted to ensure that the troop of nuns were primed and ready for the rigours of their gruelling eight show a week schedule and called on the renowned expertise of the Chelsea and Russia manager.

Guus Hiddink welcomed the nuns to the Stamford Bridge ground, the West London home of Chelsea Football Club, where they were drilled in essential team skills. They donned their habits and completed an intense session of penalty practise, dribbling runs and free kicks – and got an all important team talk from Mr Hiddink.

This exclusive motivational session, along with the inspirational standing ovations that the cast have enjoyed so far at Sister Act’s preview performances, mean they are on course to raise the roof off the Palladium when the show officially opens on Tuesday June 2, the beginning of their year-long fixture at the venue.

Guus Hiddink said: “The nuns trained very well today, they really made me sweat! They’re great working together as a team and they’re not afraid to get stuck in. One particular nun really impressed me with her defensive skills – if I ever have a spare place on the bench, I may need to give her a call! You need to work hard out there on the pitch but you have to enjoy it too…..the sisters seem to do both brilliantly and I’m sure it will be the same up on stage.”

Press Contact: lesley.land@taylorherring.com

LONDON: Thursday 7th May 2009: Producers of the divine new musical comedy, Sister Act, sparked nun fever in the capital this morning by abseiling six nuns down the front of the iconic London Palladium.

The stunt was pulled by producers Whoopi Goldberg and Stage Entertainment to mark the start of the show previews.

The six nuns, clad in full habits complete with black patent stilettos, scaled the Grade II listed building much to the surprise of onlookers. Traffic came to a standstill as thousands of tourists and office workers stared open mouthed at the extraordinary sight.

Bill Taylor, producer of Sister Act commented, “We’re hoping Sister Act fever will be taking the capital by storm, and we’re celebrating our first preview by stamping our mark on the wonderful London Palladium with our fearless sisters. The nun fun is just beginning!”

The London Palladium, which houses Sister Act’s West End opening, has played host to a number of stars and shows across the years including Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, Kylie Minogue, The Beatles, Julie Andrews, Judy Garland, The Sound of Music, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Saturday Night Fever and The King and I.

After a year long global search, 24 year old US actress Patina Miller has been cast to make her West End debut playing the lead role of ‘Deloris Van Cartier’ in the divine new musical comedy Sister Act. Born and raised in South Carolina, Patina’s previous credits include the critically acclaimed 2008 production of Hair in New York and the hit US soap All My Children. The role of Deloris in Sister Act was made famous by Whoopi Goldberg in the movie of the same name, and Goldberg is a co-producer of the stage version.

Starring alongside Patina will be Sheila Hancock as ‘Mother Superior’. To many, a national treasure and a multi-BAFTA nominee, Sheila’s career spans theatre, television, radio and film and she won a 2007 Olivier Award for her performance in Cabaret. Dad’s Army and EastEnders actor Ian Lavender also stars as ‘Monsignor Howard’. Sister Act opens at the London Palladium on 2 June, following previews from today, 7 May.

Sister Act features a score by Alan Menken, eight-time Oscar winner and composer of many of the world famous songs from Disney’s movies, including The Little Mermaid, Beauty & The Beast, Aladdin and Enchanted, with lyrics from his long- time collaborator Glenn Slater. The book is by the award-winning team Cheri and Bill Steinkellner, whose writing credits include the classic television comedy Cheers, and the production is directed by Peter Schneider.

Press Contact: lesley.land@taylorherring.com or call 0208 206 5151

The producers of Hairspray and High School Musical, Stage Entertainment, have hired Taylor Herring PR for a 6 month campaign to promote a brand new West End production of Sister Act.

The agency has been tasked with handling all digital activity, raising general awareness and driving ticket sales for the show. In addition to a broad social networking campaign the agency will target the Twitter community by equipping cast members with Twitter profiles and encouraging fan interaction and communication.

Key activity is to include tapping into existing musical fan communities and building an early buzz via a drip-feed of news, images, and video material to relevant online media.

In addition, the firm, which currently represents musical theatre figures including Andrew Lloyd Webber and Oliver! leading lady Jodie Prenger, will handle personal PR for Patina Miller, the actress who landed the lead role of Deloris Van Cartier, the iconic character originated by Whoopi Goldberg.

Patina will make a series of public appearances and participate in key print and broadcast interviews in the run up to making her West End debut this summer. Whoopi, meanwhile, who will be co-producing the show, flies into the UK in April for the first time in a decade.

Taylor Herring will also devise and execute a series of  media events that will spark Sister Act fever across the capital, as the 1992 movie starring Whoopi Goldberg transfers from the big screen to the stage, with a fresh musical score and an updated plot to re-capture the imaginations of a 21st Century audience.

Sister Act opens at the London Palladium from June 2009, with previews starting on 7th May. The stage version boasts a new score written by Alan Menken, whose credits include Little Shop of Horrors, The Little Mermaid and most recently the hit movie Enchanted.

Online PR enquiries: ruth.drysdale@taylorherring.com

For Patina Miller requests contact justin.jefferys@taylorherring.com

A force to be reckoned with in musical theatre, Steve Steinman has gone from being nearly bankrupt in the recession of the early nineties, to a multi-millionaire, staging five separate sell-out productions.

Such is his success that the straight-talking entrepreneur is now the creator and singing force behind three of the world’s best selling rock-musical concerts. His company, Rockman Music has also just announced that it will produce the 2010 UK tour and West End debut of the award-winning musical Bad Boy Johnny and the Prophets of Doom.

In the meantime, Steinman is about to unleash the ultimate rock opera – combining the full force of a 40 piece orchestra and the songs of Meat Loaf for his latest extravaganza, Bat The Symphony. It will see him perform hits from Meat Loaf’s record breaking albums Bat Out of Hell, Took The Words Right Out of My Mouth and Paradise By the Dash Board Light as well as duets on the Grammy Award-Winning hit song Anything For Love and Dead Ringer For Love.

Press Contact:  Hayley.dodd@taylorherring.com

Immodesty Blaize is an international showgirl superstar. Her breathtaking performances are in demand the world over and she has dazzled audiences across London, New York, Hollywood, Cannes, Vegas and back. Her prestigious client list includes Cartier, Dior, Ascot and Damien Hirst.

Crowned the ‘Reigning Queen of Burlesque’ at Las Vegas’ Burlesque Hall of Fame, Immodesty is renowned for her extravagant original signature act with her eight foot Swarovski-encrusted rocking horse. Her other trademark showpieces include her enormous glitter vintage telephone, her crystal covered bubble bath, her giant gilded letter ‘B’ and not forgetting her exquisite array of divine costume. Immodesty often performs with her own ‘Blaize Big Band’, and complement of West End chorus line girls.

The UK’s most spectacular revue, The Tease Show, returns in all its diamond-encrusted glory to London hotspot Koko from the 11th-14th May 2009; bringing with it a tantalizing dose of old-fashioned glitz and glamour. Starring the undisputed queen of British burlesque, Immodesty Blaize, the highly-anticipated show is back following a sell-out debut in 2008 and will once again be compèred by the master of innuendo, Julian Clary.

For press information please contact kate.arrowsmith@taylorherring.com

After a year long global search, 24 year old US actress Patina Miller has been cast to make her West End debut playing the lead role of ‘Deloris Van Cartier’ in the divine new musical comedy Sister Act. Born and raised in South Carolina, Patina’s previous credits include the critically acclaimed 2008 production of Hair in New York.  The role of Deloris in Sister Act was made famous by Whoopi Goldberg in the movie of the same name, and Goldberg is a co-producer of the stage version. 

Starring alongside Patina will be Sheila Hancock as ‘Mother Superior’.  To many, a national treasure and a multi-BAFTA nominee, Sheila’s career spans theatre, television, radio and film and she won a 2007 Olivier Award for her performance in Cabaret.  Dad’s Army and EastEnders actor Ian Lavender also stars as ‘Monsignor Howard’.  “Sister Act opens at the London Palladium on 2 June, following previews from 7 May.

Also starring in Sister Act will be Chris Jarman as ‘Shank’, Ako Mitchell as ‘Eddie’, Katie Rowley Jones as ‘Sister Mary Robert’, Claire Greenway as ‘Sister Mary Patrick’ and Julia Sutton as ‘Sister Mary Lazarus’, Thomas Goodridge as ‘TJ’, Nicolas Colicos as ‘Bones’ and Ivan De Freitas as ‘Dinero’.  The cast also includes Vanessa Barmby, Amy Booth-Steel, Julian Cannonier, Ben Clare, Helen Colby, Kate Coyston, Jennie Dale, Jaymz Denning, Nia Fisher, Alison Harding, Paul Kemble, Debbie Kurup, George Long, Hugh Maynard, Jo Napthine, Aysa O’Flaherty, Landi Oshinowo, Verity Quade, Helen Walsh and Emma Woods.

Sister Act features a score by Alan Menken, eight-time Oscar winner and composer of many of the world famous songs from Disney’s movies, including The Little Mermaid, Beauty & The Beast, Aladdin and Enchanted, with lyrics from his long- time collaborator Glenn Slater.  The book is by the award-winning team Cheri and Bill Steinkellner, whose writing credits include the classic television comedy Cheers, and the production is directed by Peter Schneider.

Sister Act has musical supervision by Michael Kosarin, choreography by Anthony Van Laast, set design by Klara Zieglerova, costume design by Lez Brotherston, sound design by Mick Potter, lighting design by Natasha Katz and musical direction by Nicholas Skilbeck.

Sister Act is produced in London by Whoopi Goldberg and Stage Entertainment, producers of Hairspray, Strictly Come Dancing The Live Tour!, High School Musical and Saturday Night Fever.

www.sisteractthemusical.com. 

For Patina Miller press enquiries contact Justin.Jeffreys@taylorherring.com

Jodie Prenger soared to victory in BBC ONE’s search for a theatre superstar I’d Do Anything, and now makes her debut on Wednesday 14th January at Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, as the gutsy Nancy in Cameron Mackintosh’s spectacular West End production of Oliver!

Starring alongside Rowan Atkinson as Fagin, Jodie beat off competition from thousands, as, week by week, she battled it out amongst 12 other wannabe leading ladies to win the heart of the nation, all under the scrutiny of musical mogul Andrew Lloyd Webber, and industry experts John Barrowman, Denise Van Outen and Barry Humphries.

For further information, please contact  joanna.spriggs@taylorherring.com