User:MatthewSParkinson/Liverpool Empire Theatre Stage Experience

Liverpool Empire Theatre Stage Experience new article content ...

Introduction
In 2006, it was announced that the Liverpool Empire Theatre was to create a new, exciting project. Along with many other major theatres around the UK, the Education and Community department (run by Natalie Flynn) was to create Stage Experience. A two week summer project in which young people from the ages of 11-21 could have the amazing opportunity to perform in a full-scale production of a musical. With the assistance of a very professional creative team (director, choreographer(s), musical director, etc).

So far, every year, the Liverpool Empire Stage Experience have recieved hugely successful reviews from audiences and professional critics who have come to write their reviews on the shows.

The very first Liverpool Empire Stage Experience production was:

Summer Holiday (2007)
A stage version of the classic 1963 film which featured Cliff Richard in which a group of young lads change a London double decker bus into a travelling hotel and along the way, meet up with three singing girls and another girl on the run.


 * Director: Kei Bailey
 * Choreographer: Gilliam Burns
 * Musical Director: Paul Lawton

Principal Cast:
 * Nicholas Donnelly as Don
 * Meg Williamson as Barbara
 * David Moorst as Edwin
 * Stuart Slater as Cyril
 * Kieran Williams as Steve
 * Kelsey Cullen as Angie
 * Faye McGuire as Mimsie
 * Vanessa Booth as Sandy
 * Laura Elizabeth Blair as Stella
 * Jonathan Howard as Jerry

Being the first Stage Experience at the Liverpool Empire, the pressure was high, but the reviews were highly favourable and the show recieved a well earned standing ovation. Particular favourites of the show were Donnelley and Williamson, Cullen, McGuire and Booth as the Do-Re-Mi girls and Stella and Jerry, the comic reliefs of the show.

The Wiz (2008)
The classic hit rock and roll musical based on L. Frank Baum's classic story The Wizard Of Oz where Dorothy finds herself in the crazy land of Oz and along the way meets the Scarecrow, Tinman, Cowardly Lion, Glinda and Addaperle the good witches, the evil Wicked witch of the West, Evillene and of course The Wiz himself.


 * Director: Kei Bailey
 * Choreographer: Gilliam Burns
 * Musical Director: Paul Lawton

Principal Cast: as Addaperle
 * David Moorst as The Wiz
 * Antonia Nethercote as Dorothy
 * Gerald Kelly as the Scarecrow
 * Shaun Roberts as the Tinman
 * Craig Richardson as the Cowardly Lion
 * Jonathan Howard as Evillene
 * Charlotte McKelvie as Glinda
 * David Atkinson as The Royal Gatekeeper
 * Jordan Rimmer as Uncle Henry

The critical and audience plauditz for the show's year of production were phenomenal. It recieved 8/10 in the Liverpool Echo. The Liverpool Echo favoured Nethercote, Kelly, Roberts and Richardson as perfect in their roles. But Howard's performance as Evillene was the most memorable and his performance of "No Bad News" can be seen on YouTube. Many of the cast still refer to this production as being the most ambitious show to date.

Bugsy Malone (2009)
A stage version of Alan Parker's unforgettable gangster musical in which Bugsy Malone is paid by Fat Sam of Fat Sam's Grand Slam to help take down his bitter rival, Dandy Dan. Along the way, he falls in love with sharp-tongued, but sweet Blousey Brown and is stuck in a jealousy triangle with her and Fat Sam's girlfriend and top star, Tallulah.


 * Director: Kei Bailey
 * Choreographer: Gilliam Burns
 * Musical Director: Paul Lawton

Principal Cast:
 * Lewis Wren as Bugsy Malone
 * Emma Mawdsley as Blousey Brown
 * Craig Richardson as Fat Sam
 * Jessica Hunt as Tallulah
 * Simon Stead as Dandy Dan
 * Matthew Parkinson as Knuckles
 * Michael Naylor as Fizzy
 * Jordan Rimmer as Leroy Smith
 * Zach Tellet as Captain Smolsky
 * Elliot Condron as O'Dreary

The show earned a standing ovation and equally successful as the previous production. The ending splurge fight was one of the reasons for its standing ovation as well as its big sets, huge props, hilarious and dramatic situations and the good use of pedal cars. It recieved 8/10 in the Liverpool Echo and favoured Lewis Wren, Emma Mawdsley's and Jessica Hunt's performances.

Fame The Musical (2010)
The stage musical, which was loosely based on the 1980 film (another Alan Parker movie), about a group of young hopefuls experiencing the ups and downs of, not just performing life, but life itself.


 * Director-Kei Bailey
 * Choreographer-Gillian Burns
 * Musical Director-Paul Lawton

Principal Cast:
 * Soloman Adams as Nick Piazz
 * Jessica Hunt as Serena Katz
 * Tim Lucas as Joe Vegas
 * Keiran Williams as Tyron Jackson
 * Lauren Sidwell as Carmen Diaz
 * Rebecca Lamb as Maybel Washington
 * Charlotte McKelvie as Irish Kelly
 * Alan Moore as Scholo Metzenbaum
 * Vanessa Booth as Grace "Lambchops" Lamb
 * Mike Bower as Goodman "Goody" King
 * Kelsey Cullen as Miss Sherman
 * Charlotte Chalkey as Miss Bell
 * David Atkinson as Mr Myers
 * Tom Hogan as Mr Sheinkopf

Unlike the previous productions, this show was noted for many things that were not seen in other productions. Including touchy subject matters as drugs, bad language, race, dislexia, poverty stricken, homosexuality, young aged death and a song about a boy having an erection. However, the show was still a big hit, receiving 7.5/10 in the Liverpool Echo and highly rated the vocal talents of Lauren Sidwell, Rebecca Lamb, Jessica Hunt and Kelsey Cullen. It also enjoyed Soloman Adams, Tim Lucas and Keiran Williams' performances in their roles as well.

West Side Story (2011)
2011's production was probably the year when they performed a musical that to this day is still regarded as one of the best musicals in the history of entertainment. The story of two lovers of a different race in a struggle to keep a relationship without being discovered by any of their warring races. A contemporary version of Romeo and Juliet.


 * Director-Kei Bailey
 * Choreographer-Gillian Burns
 * Musical Director-Paul Lawton

Principal Characters:
 * David Moorst as Tony
 * Rachel Burdette-Smith as Maria
 * Tomas Woods as Riff
 * David Atkinson as Bernardo
 * Ashleigh Egan as Anita
 * Soloman Adams as Action
 * Tim Lucas as A-Rab
 * Daniel Greenwood as Baby John
 * Chelsea Simpson as Anybodys
 * Richard Cruttenden as Chino
 * Sean Kennedy as Officer Krupke

The show proved to be another Stage Experience hit for the Liverpool Empire Theatre. Although some critics felt that some scenes seemed too long in spite of it being clearly scripted. However the how received 8/10 in the Liverpool Echo saying it was "mightily impressive" and enjoyed the performances of David Moorst, Rachel Burdette-Smith, Tomas Woods, Ashleigh Egan, Tim Lucas and Daniel Greenwood.

Annie (2012)
The following year, the summer school came back with another bonefied winner. The classic story of Annie and her journey through NYC to be adopted by millionaire Oliver Warbucks, part of an evil scheme run by the orphanage owner Miss Hannigan and her brother and his fiance and even befriends a lonely dog and the President of the United States, F D Roosevelt.


 * Director-David McNeill
 * Choreographers-Laura Meeson and Lauren Taylor
 * Musical Director-Paul Lawton

Principal Cast
 * Alice Carlile as Annie
 * Vanessa Booth as Miss Hannigan
 * Tom Hogan as Warbucks
 * Grace Galloway as Grace Farrell
 * Daniel Greenwood as Rooster
 * Frankie Magee as Lily St Regeis
 * Matthew Parkinson as President Roosevelt
 * Eve McKechnie as Molly
 * Asha Billington as Pepper
 * Ciara Moriarty as Tessie
 * Amber Rigley as July
 * Daisy Miller as Duffy
 * Natalie Davies as Kate
 * Michael Scotland as Drake
 * Sean Kennedy as Bert Healy
 * Bailey as Sandy the dog

This was the first time where the director and choreographer had changed. David McNeil, an experienced theatre director who had been mainly associated with Manchester Palace Theatre Stage Experience projects was now the new artistic director while Meeson and Taylor filled in Burns' shoes as the show's man choreographers. The show was a box office smash. It sold more tickets than previous Liverpool Empire Stage Experience productions. The main disappointment to the show were the microphone problems that constantly occured which is one of the reasons why the show recieved 7.5 in the Liverpool Echo. But favourites in this review were Alice Carile (for simply bringing the show to life), Vanessa Booth (for her superb performance as Hannigan), Tom Hogan (for his "clear, melodic singing style"), Grace Galloway (for giving a wonderful performance as Grace) and Daniel Greenwood and Matthew Parkinson (for exhibiting "some fine comic timing"). This was also the first Stage Experience where What's On Stage gave 5/5 stars for the show.

Grease (2013)
The sixth production of Liverpool Empire Stage Experience was the biggest yet, due to over 400 young people auditioning and then eventually being narrowed down to just about 120. The finalised cast were carefully chosen and brought the show to life, once again bringing in huge plauditz from the audience and the critics with the story of a young charming, but arrogant Danny Zuko trying to have a relationship with the young and innocent Sandy without seeing as soppy in front of his friends.


 * Director-David McNeill
 * Choreographer-Lauren Taylor
 * Musical Director-Paul Lawton

Principal Cast
 * Callum Cavanagh as Danny Zuko
 * Bridie Flanagan as Sandy
 * Grace Galloway as Betty Rizzo
 * Michael Twigg as Kenicke
 * Jonathan Marsh as Doody
 * Tom Nolan as Sonny
 * Peter Meall as Roger
 * Katie Furlong as Frenchie
 * Kay Nicholson as Jan
 * Hannah Pitt as Marty
 * Connor Wilkinson and Jacob Bailey as the Supporting T-Birds
 * Natasha Culley and Nicola Heffernan as the Supporting Pink Ladies
 * Daniel Greenwood as Eguene/Teen Angel
 * Eleanor Cooke as Patty Simcox
 * Sarah Dickson as Miss Lynch
 * Adam Dickinson as Vince Fontaine
 * Sean Kennedy as Johnny Casino

In spite of some critics feeling the vocal talents from certain members of the cast were lacking and that the technical hitches re-appeared, the show was a huge success, earning 8/10 in the Liverpool Echo. It favoured the peformances as Callum Cavanagh and Bridie Flanagan, they enjoyed Grace Galloway's superb performance (Galloway made a wonderful transformation from sweet-hearted Grace Farrell in the previous year's production to sassy and sharp tongued Rizzo in the this production), Katie Furlong, Hannah Pitt, Jonathan Marsh and enjoyed the double act of Peter Meall and Kay Nicolson. However, the show's stealer was definitely Daniel Greenwood who played Eugene and then played the Teen Angel in the character of Eugene. The part was originally intended for Tim Lucas, but turned it down.