Stage Door News
Stage Door News
David Mirvish, Michael Harrison, John Reid and Paul Elliott are delighted to present the Canadian premiere of the new British musical MRS HENDERSON PRESENTS, based on the smash-hit film. Performances begin Wednesday March 15 through April 23 at Toronto’s Royal Alexandra Theatre.
Tracie Bennett reprises her star role as Mrs Henderson and is joined by Peter Polycarpou as Vivian Van Dam, Evelyn Hoskins as Maureen and Matt Slack as the Resident Comedian at the famous Windmill Theatre, and Simon Green (last seen in Toronto as the owner of ‘Titanic' at the Princess of Wales Theatre).
This new musical was praised by the London critics during its London season at the Noel Coward Theatre. A cast of 23 bring this amazing story to life.
It's London, 1937, and recently widowed eccentric, Laura Henderson, is looking for a way of spending her time and money when her attention falls on a run down former cinema in Great Windmill Street. Hiring feisty impresario Vivian Van Damm to look after the newly renovated Windmill Theatre, the improbable duo present a bill of non-stop variety acts. But as war looms something more is required to boost morale and box office... When Mrs Henderson comes up with the idea of The Windmill Girls – glamorous young women posing as nude statues – audiences flock. And as the Blitz hits London, The Windmill provides a refuge for all, boasting the spirit-raising slogan "We Never Close".
Based on the film Mrs Henderson Presents – original screenplay by Martin Sherman, the musical has a book and is directed by the multi-award winning Terry Johnson. Lyrics are by the Oscar, Tony and Golden Globe winning Don Black with music by Oscar nominated George Fenton and Simon Chamberlain, who both collaborated on the original film. It is choreographed by Andrew Wright, has set design by Tim Shortall, costume design by Paul Wills, lighting design by Ben Ormerod and sound design by Gareth Owen. Wig, hair and make-up design is by Richard Mawbey, orchestrations are by Larry Blank with musical supervision by Mike Dixon.
Terry Johnson’s work has been performed worldwide. He is the recipient of a dozen major theatre awards including: the Tony Award for Best Director of a Musical 2010, the Olivier Award for Best Musical Revival and Critics’ Circle Best Musical 2009 for La Cage Aux Folles. He won the Olivier Awards for Best Comedy of 1994 and of 1999, Playwright of the Year 1995, Critics’ Circle Best New Play 1995, two Evening Standard Theatre Awards, and Writers’ Guild Best Play in 1995 and 1996. In recent years, his West End productions have included End of the Rainbow, Whipping It Up, Dead Funny, Hysteria, The Graduate and Entertaining Mr Sloane as well as Rain Man, The Rise and Fall of Little Voice, La Cage Aux Folles, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, The Memory Of Water, Elton John’s Glasses and Hitchcock Blonde. In Chicago, he directed John Malkovich in The Libertine, which was nominated for five Jeff Awards. For the National Theatre, he wrote and directed Cleo, Camping, Emmanuelle and Dick and The London Cuckolds.
Don Black's stage musicals include Billy, Tell Me On A Sunday, Aspects Of Love, and Sunset Boulevard, for which he won two Tony Awards. His film lyrics include The Italian Job and Born Free and his popular hit songs include Michael Jackson's Ben and Lulu's To Sir With Love. He has written a quintet of James Bond theme songs: Thunderball, Diamonds Are Forever, The Man With The Golden Gun, Surrender from Tomorrow Never Dies and The World Is Not Enough. He has won a multitude of Awards including an Oscar, six Ivor Novello Awards and a Golden Globe. George Fenton’s many film scores include the original film of Mrs Henderson Presents, Gandhi, Cry Freedom, Dangerous Liaisons and The Wind That Shakes The Barley, and his music for television includes the series The Jewel In The Crown, The Blue Planet and Planet Earth. Simon Chamberlain was the original Music Director on the film Mrs Henderson Presents.
MRS HENDERSON PRESENTS
March 15 - April 23
Royal Alexandra Theatre
$38 - $139
Performance Schedule:
Tuesday to Saturday 8PM
Wednesday, Saturday & Sunday 2PM
(Added matinee on Thursday March 16th)
Online www.mirvish.com
By Phone 416-872-1212 or 1-800-461-3333
Groups of 10 or more 416-593-4142 or 1-800-724-6420
Twitter: @Mirvish
FB: Facebook.com/MirvishProductions
Instagram: @MirvishProductions
2017-03-08
Toronto: Mirvish presents the Canadian premiere of "Mrs. Henderson Presents" March 15-April 23