Ghost the Musical – first reviews

 Ghost Manchester  1 Response »
Apr 162011
 
Manchester Opera House - Ghost the Musical

Well, the first reviews for the Manchester production of Ghost are in and they are pretty impressive. 

Manchester Opera House - Ghost the Musical

The general feeling seems to be that this is a 5* production and an excellent night out. The story comes across as fresh and interesting and everyone agrees that the special effects, performances & music are stunning.   I thought I’d pick out a couple of reviews to give you more of a flavour of what’s being said.

City Life

After months of intense advance publicity Ghost The Musical officially materialised last night and, amazingly, it lives up to the hype.

Starring local lad Richard Fleeshman in the Patrick Swayze role of a ghost trapped between this world and the next, the show is based on the 1990 film that became something of a worldwide classic.

It’s now a dramatic love story thriller musical with absolutely killer state-of-the-art staging that manages to recreate virtually all the scenes from the film to produce a show with a gripping, edge-of-the-seat, storyline – you really do want to know what happens next

It looks jaw-droppingly amazing.  The stage is surrounded by huge sliding video screens that can conjure up anything and everything.

…it’s the full five-star package and then some.(Alan Hulme)

This Is Lancashire:

It’ll make you laugh out loud and cry real tears — the Bruce Joel Rubin story truly is a timeless fantasy.

Dave Stewart and Glen Ballard’s original music and lyrics take the classic love story to new emotional heights.

Leads Richard Fleeshman (Sam) and Caissie Levy (Molly) are a natural and convincing couple and shine throughout with a strong score of solo and duet ballads. Fleeshman proves his Corrie days are well and truly behind him with a consistently brilliant performance, which no doubt prompted the emotional standing ovation of the night.

You can’t help but be blown away by its creativity; a dazzling set compete with video projection and a moving floor makes for an eye-catching backdrop, complemented by an energetic, allbeit slightly overused, chorus line. But what really gives this musical the wow factor are the magic tricks created by Harry Potter illusionist Paul Kieve. (Jemma Humphries)

Comments on both sites seem to confirm the verdict with very few critical remarks. Of course what the London critics will say about Ghost the Musical remains to be seen.

Photo Credit CC  zero the unsignified

The Musical version of Ghost, London Theatre Breaks

 Ghost London  1 Response »
Mar 252011
 

The stage musical version of Ghost, is scheduled to open at London’s Piccadilly Theatre on June 22 and is booking initially until January 28 so that holiday period theatre breaks to see Ghost can be booked well in advance. This is going to be a very popular show for all sorts of theatre goers including hen party theatre breaks, romantic theatre breaks and anniversaries.

Directed by multi-award-winning Matthew Warchus, Ghost will feature music by Dave Stewart (of Eurythmics fame) and Glen Ballard, writer of Michael Jackson’s hit Man in the Mirror.

The production will be designed by Rob Howell, and will feature extraordinary, magical stage effects by Paul Kieve, illusionist for the hit film Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.

Bruce Joel Rubin has adapted his Oscar-winning screenplay for the stage show which will also feature the unforgettable Righteous Brothers song, Unchained Melody, which featured in the film’s iconic love scene at a potter’s wheel.

A story about the power of love, Ghost revolves around a man called Sam, trapped as a ghost between this world and the next. He tries to communicate with girlfriend Molly through a phoney psychic, Oda Mae Brown, in the hope of saving her from his murderer.

Richard Fleeshman, recently seen on the London stage playing Warner Huntington III opposite Sheridan Smith in Legally Blonde The Musical, will play Sam in the stage musical.

Fleeshman is best known on television for his roles in Coronation Street, in which he played Craig Harris for four years and, more recently, Debbie Horsfield’s All the Small Things for the BBC.

Caissie Levy will play Molly. She has most recently been seen on stage on Broadway and in the West End in the leading role of Sheila in the New York Public Theatre Cameron Mackintosh production of Hair.

Levy made her Broadway debut as Penny Pingleton in Hairspray, a role she recreated on tour in the US. She went on to play Maureen Johnson in the US tour of Rent and in 2008 starred as the green witch Elphaba in the Los Angeles production of Wicked.

Sharon D Clarke, who will play Oda Mae Brown, has most recently been seen on stage in the West End as Motormouth Maybelle in Hairspray at the Shaftesbury Theatre. She has played Mama Morton in Chicago at London’s Adelphi and Killer Queen in We Will Rock You at the Dominion.

Ghost, the highest grossing film in the UK in 1990, was directed by Jerry Zucker.

Ghost London Tickets

 Ghost London Tickets  No Responses »
Oct 202010
 

Ghost London Tickets are available from £44.

Ghost The Musical, is set to make its London premiere at the Piccadilly Theatre next June, and already there is a huge anticipation and excitement surrounding the production. Based on the Academy Award winning film of the same name which starred Demi Moore, Whoopi Goldberg and the late Patrick Swayze, the story captivated many fans. Now the romantic tale will be live on stage and include the quintessential song from the movie, ‘Unchained Melody’.

Dave Stewart created the music and lyrics for the new production:

As one of the most sought after writers and producers in the music industry, what inspired him to take on a project like GHOST The Musical?

Because I had a similar experience to Sam Wheat once – I was in hospital and had an ‘out of body experience’ like the character, where I had to decide to go to the light or not. Bruce (Joel Rubin’s) story is brilliant and I think it really works when you musicalize the themes in the story – it’s come very natural to Glen and I.

Does he have a specific approach to writing and producing music?

In the show, I’ve taken Bruce’s dialogue and rough lyrics and the intention of the song, along with Matthew’s brief, and started melody on guitar, Glen then goes on the keyboards and starts to shape the melody with me and we both start getting lyrics. Mostly it comes from deciding on a song title and going from there.

If you could define the music you and Glen Ballard have created for GHOST The Musical in three words, what would they be?

Catchy, Emotional, Cool

What can future audiences expect from GHOST The Musical in London’s West End?

A roller coaster of emotions really, and a great story told really well….but it’s best for them to find out for themselves and come along!

Ghost The Musical is definitely one the top picks for 2011 and we can’t wait to see it! Ghost will start previewing at the Piccadilly Theatre on the 22nd June 2011 and is booking until the 28th January 2012. Tickets are available from £44.

Ghost London Tickets On Sale

 Ghost London, Ghost London Tickets  No Responses »
Sep 242010
 

Ghost London Tickets already on sale
The dazzling new musical GHOST, based on the phenomenal Oscar winning film, is coming to The Piccadilly Theatre, London in June 2011. Tickets went on sale to the public at 10.am. September 24th 2010, a whole eight month or so before the opening night and before the main casting for Ghost The Musical has begun.

Ghost the musical in London features stunning new music and lyrics by Grammy Award-winning legends Dave Stewart (Eurythmics) and Glen Ballard (writer of Michael Jackson’s “Man In The Mirror”).

Ghost London is tipped by some as one of the London theatre events of 2011 and tickets are expected to sell out quickly.

Ghost London Musical