Happy new year, folks! I hope everyone had a wonderful festive period – I ‘ve been at home with my parents this past fortnight, having lots of fun, food and quality time with my family, including my new nephew! I’m heading back to my flat tomorrow to settle back into my routine – which of course among other things, means lots of theatre!
Already, this year is shaping up amazingly on that score – so here’s a run down of what’s in my diary!
January – I’m kicking off my theatregoing year at the end of this month with Notre Dame de Paris. This French musical by Luc Plamondon and Richard Cocciante is an adaptation of Victor Hugo’s novel, and is something of a phenomenon, having toured in 23 countries worldwide in nine different languages over the past twenty years! I’m a huge fan of the story, and having very recently seen the filmed version production from the late nineties, am excited to see it for myself – I think the music alone is stunning. It’ll also be my first time experiencing a musical in another language, I’m hoping to still be able to connect with it while having to focus on subtitles.. I’m excited for the challenge! It’ll be my first time at the Coliseum as well, which I hear is absolutely stunning.
February – I’ll be returning to “Hogwarts” at the Palace Theatre to see Cursed Child for a fourth time, my second with the current cast. I’ve come to be so grateful for this play for a whole host of reasons, both onstage and off. When I last went, I was astonished by Jamie Ballard as Harry Potter and he’d only started a couple of months prior. He broke my heart in the best possible way, and I can’t wait to see how his portrayal has grown and developed, as well as the rest of the casts. My previous visit included nine phenomenal alternates on for various roles, so I’m excited to see what the cast board might hold this time…
March – March for my theatregoing is bookended with two productions: both new! First up a musical in the form of Waitress. I’m obsessed with the Broadway cast recording of this show, so I was thrilled when the announcement was made for its West End opening! The cast includes lots of new faces for me,and I’m so happy to see David Hunter will be starring as Dr Pomatter, I haven’t seen him since he played Guy in Once.
The Wreck It Ralph fan in me was beyond thrilled to see Jack McBrayer is making his West End debut as Ogie in the show, a role I think he’ll be absolutely hilarious in! I sense the Adelphi might become my new stagey base camp…
I’ll also be heading over to the Noel Coward theatre at the end of the month to see All About Eve. I love the film so am looking forward to seeing how it might look and feel onstage. I’ve never seen any of Gillian Anderson’s work (stage or screen!) so that’ll be fun in itself, and am looking forward to seeing Lily James on stage again, as I think she’s wonderful. The show also features Julian Ovenden, one of my favourite leading men! He’s often busy with television work or recording albums, so I treasure every opportunity I can get to see him tread the boards.
April – Two London weekends on the bounce come April! First up, The Phantom of the Opera. This show is one that I have a bit of a funny relationship with in that because of where I’m seated it’s never high on my list of priorities, but I generally have a good time overall. Also, for one reason or another, I haven’t seen a principle performer play the Phantom in the West End since I turned 18, eleven years ago this coming August! That’s not to take anything away from the phenomenal alternate Scott Davies, whom now is affectionately known as “my” Phantom, just a coincidence that amuses me greatly. I’m hugely excited and intrigued to see David Thaxton in the role, after most recently seeing him be an incredible Javert over at Les Miserables!
I’ll also be found at the Palladium seeing my favourite Strictly Come Dancing professionals, Aljaz & Janette for the first time in the flesh in their new show Remembering the Movies.
Bit of a break then until…
July – Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre’s Jesus Christ Superstar is returning, this time at the Barbican. I adored everything about this production and was lucky enough to see it three times… I cannot wait to revisit it with a new cast!
August – Spending my birthday at Hogwarts!
I’m also hoping for a return to Company before it closes in March, to see more at my local theatres and am thrilled that Dear Evan Hansen is opening in the West End later this year!
As always, this is subject to more being added, too 😉 What are your theatre diaries looking like for the year ahead?
Wheelie Stagey 
2019- there is only once piece I know of my theatre world I know this year. Miss Saigon in February. Three tickets were in my stocking for Christmas last year: those tickets are for mom, dad, and I- the US Tour.
That is the only musical I know of as of now: my theatre shows of each year is focused on musicals.
Hope you enjoy, I saw Miss Saigon in the West End a few years ago, sorry to say I wasn’t a massive fan of the production on the whole…
What lead to me to want to see the show was Les Mis.
Les Mis is one of the musicals I want to see this year- the current US tour already been to Charlotte, but is coming back. If I see it, will be my 6th time in person
Aladdin is another musical I hope to see this year- I would rather catch this musical instead of Les Mis all because never saw Aladdin in person.
Fantastic – I’m a big fan of Les Mis & seen it many times! I was supposed to see Aladdin for the first time late last year but the plans fell through.. I’m not sure I’ll get to see it before it closes in London now sadly. Let me know what you think!
This sounds nuts- Les Mis is a musical I have seen every other year- from 2013 to 2015 to 2017. It really has been a timing thing. I will say this- the film began my journey.
2013- Fall Semester at Central Piedmont Community College began my 2nd year of college. I have not yet seen Les Mis live. That semester, I also applied to be an usher that year. It just so happens that CPCC was doing a production of Les Mis in November, and that I was approved to be an usher. So I ended up being Les Mis once with family and twice as an usher with CPCC.
2015- this takes some explaining. To shorten things up, I developed a dream of seeing Les Mis in London. It just so happened that the Bristol Pilgrimage was the summer of 2015. My family went up two days early, and in those two days, my mom and I saw Les Mis on July 30th, 2015.
2017- well, it just so happened that the current US Tour was launched September 2017. I was forced to choose between seeing the musical in my hometown or seeing the musical in Greenville with Gardner Webb University. I choose Greenville (November 5th, 2017).
If I catch Les Mis this year, that every other year pattern will continue