As we revealed last week, Joe McElderry wants to go into musicals. Well, there’s a shock. But which ones would he suit?

Joseph And The Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat
Don’t think I’m suggesting that he be cast as the titular hero, though. No, no. Not he. Clearly Benjamin is the part for Joe McElderry. Let’s face it, he’s too cute and young to be put in that loincloth, and he has something of the Keith Jack about him. And if Denise Van Outen is adamant that means he should be cast as Benjamin, despite the lack of solo singing, then that’s good enough for us.

Imagine this, but with Joe McElderry's head

Grease
McElderry has a quality that makes him well suited to those big shows set in the mid-20th century, but he doesn’t really have the heart-throb qualities necessary to play Danny Zuko as per the rumour. Or does he? Ray Quinn managed it and he’s the most irritating contestant ever to come out of The X Factor, John and Edward notwithstanding. Anyway, I’d suggest that one of the less important T-Birds (perhaps Roger) might be a good starting point for him.

Hairspray
Having said that, if he’s any good at acting comedy, McElderry has the clean-cut image to make a good Link Larkin at some point. And he’s elfin enough to make Tracy look especially plump.

High School Musical 4
Seeing as HSM3 kept throwing in random characters, some of whom appeared to be teenage David Bowie tribute acts and exchange student bitches from England, maybe McElderry too could join in the Disney fun as another East High pupil on a semester abroad. That’s if he can tone down the broad Geordie accent. I’m not sure that children worldwide are as yet ready for a leading man with a fabulous South Shields tone.

Any more ideas?

In a review of the past decade, it would be easy to conclude that the first 10 years of the new millennium ushered in an era when the movie musical finally made a resurgence.

Moulin Rouge, Rent, Chicago, Dreamgirls, Hairspray, Mamma Mia!, Phantom of the Opera and Nine have all hit the big screen. And that’s not taking into account the immense popularity of High School Musical and the all-singing, all-dancing Disney offshoots.

Except I think I’d have been a lot happier if these movie musicals had been…well…you know…good. I’m not saying I didn’t enjoy them. I do think, however, even the very best of the batch could have been a hell of a lot better.

Hairspray I adored. It showed off Zac Efron’s knack for light comedy, and Queen Latifah was amazing. But what was John Travolta’s accent supposed to be? And did anyone in the production team notice that the freedom march across town ran from dawn till dark over the course of one single song, making it the Longest Freedom March In The World Ever?

Rent would have been fabulous with its original cast ten years prior. As it was, it looked tired and old, with the luminous Rosario Dawson making her co-stars look haggard.

Then Dreamgirls – what the hell was it? A biopic or a musical? It didn’t know, and you couldn’t tell. However, it had the plus point of fabulous vocals from Beyonce and Jennifer Hudson. You don’t even get that redeeming feature in some of the others.

Gerard Butler admitted prior to the release of Phantom that he couldn’t sing, but apparently Andrew Lloyd Webber didn’t care about that. Nor did the Chicago producers, who cast Renee Zellweger as Roxie. Her vocals were adequate in their capacity to hold a tune, but put to shame by Catherine Zeta Jones, whose musical theatre training was evident.

The same problem reared its ugly head in Nine, where poor miming combined with what sounds like autotune made the soundtrack a painful listening experience. Even Judi Dench, with her proud musicals history, ended up Rex Harrisoning her way through her number. I never thought I’d have selected Fergie as the stand-out singer from that particular cast, but she was – she had power, dynamics and emotion, rather than the feeble, vaguely melodic whispers emanating from everyone else.

So if the remakes of My Fair Lady and Carousel ever come about – as well as the adaptations of Les Mis and Miss Saigon – my wish would be for them to be directed by somebody who understands the artform of the musical. After that, the casting jigsaw, requiring the leads to be able to sing WELL, should just fall into place.

Joanna Riding has returned to Billy Elliot after her maternity leave, slotting back in as Mrs Wilkinson and picking up where she left off. Across town, Linzi Hateley’s using her sabbatical from Mamma Mia! wisely, reprising her Roxie Hart in Chicago, alongside Pia Douwes, who’s playing Velma Kelly again 10 years after she first took the role. Michael Ball’s had a brief break from Edna Turnblad’s floral frock, but he’ll be diving back into it early next year.

Sutton Foster in The Drowsy Chaperone

So role reprisals are beloved by actors — but what do theatregoers think about them? Is it a lazy career move, cynical playing to the crowd, or a demonstration of how much an actor loves a part and wants to make their audience happy?

It seems that it’s the latter. Just sending out a quick Tweet to ask for suggestions of perfect role reprisals elicited a flood of
responses.

First up, my best friend (who’s becoming a bit of a feature in my blogs here) reminded me that although we’ve seen him play the Usherette, we’ve never seen Richard O’Brien play Riff-Raff in The Rocky Horror Show. “I would so like to see it,” he sighs. “He’s great, and I don’t think anyone’s ever done the part as well as he. In fact, I’d have liked to have seen Tim Curry as Frank N Furter with him.”

Michael Ball’s turn as Edna wasn’t mentioned, but his other career-defining part was, unsurprisingly. “I’d pay top dollar to see him as Marius back in the day,” says Talia. “Actually, now I’d quite like to see him try Jean Valjean as well…”

“Sutton Foster in The Drowsy Chaperone!” declared the esteemed Luisa Ramirez. She’s not seen Ms Foster in anything previously, so why the desperate keenness? “I love what I’ve heard, and she’s so cute in interviews.”

The fabulous Damian Sandys would like another chance to see Ruthie Henshall as Polly in Crazy For You — her first starring role, and the part for which she received her first Olivier Award nomination. “I saw it and thought it was incredible,” he says, “and it made me know WHO she was, even though I had actually seen her Fantine before.”

And it made me feel oddly sad and nostalgic when people wished they’d been born a generation earlier. Seeing La Streisand on stage was a popular option; and one person responded: “Michael Crawford as Phantom! I didn’t exist when he played the role and I would give anything to go back in time and see it.”

So, are there any actors you’d like to see reprise a role, either because you loved them so much first time round, or because you wish you’d seen them then?

As you may or may not have noticed, it’s snowing and following one of Britain’s longest-lived traditions, the entire nation’s travel system has collapsed at the slightest touch of the chilly white stuff.

The South East is pretty much blanketed, forcing schools and workplaces to close, leaving thousands (myself sadly not included) with a free day in which to enjoy all manner of wintry frolics. While the masses hurl snowballs, make snowmen and put damp mittens over radiators, the snow is causing problems in theatreland.

Performances are swathed in uncertainty as the ‘extreme’ weather wreaks havoc with London’s transport system. Even the underground (which I assumed would be safe due to the fact it’s, you know, under the ground) has been affected.

Reportedly, phone calls are being frantically made by production offices making sure that staff, performers and technical bods can all get to work. Even if everyone makes it to their theatres, their ability to get home afterwards may well be hampered by tonight’s forecast snow and sleet.

The latest reports confirm the worst, it’s going to be a quiet night in the West End tonight. Oliver, Phantom of the Opera, Billy Elliot, Mamma Mia!, Jersey Boys, Avenue Q, Wicked, Dirty Dancing, Hairspray and Les Miserables have already been cancelled. I really wish I could tell you more but decisions are still being made and with cast and crew travelling to the West End from all over London and beyond, there are an awful lot of variables to take into account. Early reports suggest that most shows will unfortunately be cancelled. For the latest information, calling the theatres directly seems to be the best course of action.

If you have any further information let us know, and if you are worried about a show tonight then our best advice is to keep checking the relevant theatre’s website and if need be, give them a ring but be aware tonight’s entire audience is probably doing the same.

It seems that Hairspray is the public’s choice when it comes to West End musicals, scooping a record breaking seven awards at the Theatregoers’ Choice Awards!
Whether it’s due to Michael Ball’s cross dressing skills or the toe tapping tunes featured throughout the show, one thing’s for sure – if you haven’t seen the show, book to see it NOW! Get hold of some loud clothes, spray your hair into a bouffant and head on down to the West End to see the award winning Hairspray.

For those of you who didn’t catch the awards, Hairspray won the following:

• Best Musical Actress: Leanne Jones
• Best Musical Actor: Michael Ball
• Best Supporting Musical Actress: Tracie Bennett
• Best Supporting Actor: Ben James-Ellis
• Best Director: Jack O’Brien
• Best Choreographer: Jerry Mitchell
• Best New Musical

Here is a snippet of the show for your viewing pleasure……

Stuck for a half term activity? Well look no further than a London Theatre Break, it’s the perfect mini getaway for all the family.
Show and Stay have a range of shows to suit everyone, if you want action and adventure why not book to see Lord of the Rings – a powerful tale of good verses evil. If you loved the Wizard of Oz, then book the sensational Wicked and see how the good witch of the north and the wicked witch of the west came to be.
Family favorites Grease and Joseph are ideal for a half term theatre break, watch Susan McFadden, Danny Bayne and Lee Mead live on stage in the West End. The Sound of Music, Hairspray and The Lion King are just some more examples of great shows which will have your family smiling all half term.

Why not team your theatre break with a London Attraction, from as little as £12.50 per person you could be visiting celebrity wax works in Madame Tussauds or soaring above the clouds on the iconic London Eye.

If you book a family theatre break before the 14th March 2008 you will get one nights stay in a top London hotel for FREE – that’s right absolutely nothing! So get your skates on and book your family on a Show and Stay theatre break this half term.

Stuck for gift ideas? Well look no further than Show and Stay! Whether you want to treat a loved one or just fancy treating yourself, we have THE Christmas gift package to suit any stocking.

Step one: choose a show
From the shining colours of Joseph’s coat to the wild plains of Africa in the Lion King, we have all the TOP West End shows for you to choose from. Dads, mums, daughters and sons – we have something for everyone.

Step two: choose your hotel and pre-theatre dinner.
We have a delightful range of two star to five star hotels in London and a mouthwatering selection of pre-theatre restaurants to sample.

Step Three: Adding an attraction.
Whether you want to see iconic London attractions or get in the festive spirit we have something for you. As Christmas is nearly upon us we have a great selection of festive attractions to add on to your package, including ice skating at the Tower of London and festive fun at Winter Wonderland Hyde Park.

Christmas in London is simply magical and chock-a-block with festive attractions, from Spitalfields Winter Festival to Trafalgar Square Tree Lighting – check out our Christmas events in London page for more information on these activities.

Celebrated singer and West End legend, Micheal Ball, will be playing Edna Turnblad in the London production of Hairspray. The character of Edna Turnblad is that of the over-sized and overbearing mother of dance crazy teen, Tracy Turnblad.

Hairspray, the musical is based on the 1988 film by John Waters and is set in Baltimore in 1962. In the 1988 film version, the role of Edna Turnblad was played by Baltimore’s most famous transvestite performer, Divine.

In the 2007 film production of Hairspray, Edna Turnblad is played by John Travolta. I found the most fantastic clip of Travolta in a pink dress on youtube – it’s brilliant. Looking forward to seeing the film when it comes out but am even more excited about seeing Michael Ball in this role in the West End.