London Sightseeing Tours » London Theatre http://www.london-sightseeing-tours.co.uk Visit London | London Tour Guides | Sightseeing Trips In London | London Hotels Sat, 01 Oct 2011 11:16:23 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 The Royal Ballet Company to perform Romeo and Juliet at the O2 Arena – June 2011 http://www.london-sightseeing-tours.co.uk/the-royal-ballet-company-to-perform-romeo-and-juliet-at-the-o2-arena-june-2011/ http://www.london-sightseeing-tours.co.uk/the-royal-ballet-company-to-perform-romeo-and-juliet-at-the-o2-arena-june-2011/#comments Thu, 28 Apr 2011 13:30:44 +0000 admin http://www.london-sightseeing-tours.co.uk/?p=97 Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.]]> June 2011 will see The Royal Ballet perform at the O2 Arena in London. The dance company, more usually seen at London’s Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, will present a unique production of Kenneth MacMillan’s Romeo and Juliet in this giant, multipurpose arena.

This is the first time that this internationally renowned ballet company have danced in a UK arena and it promises to be an interesting performance. The all-star cast of Royal Ballet dancers including Carlos Acosta, Tamara Rojo, Alina Cojocaru, Johan Kobborg, Edward Watson and Mara Galeazzi will be performing in a 20,000 seat arena with giant live relay screens bringing the audience closer than ever to the passion and the action. Music for the production will be provided by none other than the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra who will be conducted by the Royal Ballet Music Director, Barry Wordsworth.

“I am thrilled that The Royal Ballet has the opportunity to perform at The O2 and to introduce our work to so many new people. Romeo and Juliet is one of the greatest ballets in our repertory and it will be both exciting and challenging to present it in this vast venue” said Dame Monica Mason, Director of The Royal Ballet.

The premise behind this unique performance which is being presented over 3 nights starting on 17th June is to bring Ballet to a wider audience. In order to ensure that the event is accessible to all, a number of £10 tickets will be available for each night.

Tony Hall, chief executive of the Royal Opera House confirmed, “This opportunity fits perfectly with our commitment to ensuring that as wide an audience as possible is able to enjoy live performances by The Royal Ballet at affordable prices.”

This is a great event for both regular visitors to the ballet as well as first timers. It is a brilliant opportunity for those who have always wanted to see a ballet performed by top dancers but who, for whatever reason, have never made it to the Royal Opera House. In order to help those for whom this ballet will be a new experience, each act will feature a filmed introduction.

The chance to see these top dancers is sure to bring many people to the capital and many will choose to make a weekend or perhaps even a week of it. With so much to choose from, finding somewhere to stay in London can be daunting. If you want to stay somewhere close to the action and the shops then you may want to look at one of hundreds of central London hotels. You will find central London hotels convenient to all the top attractions across the city and wherever you find yourself, you will never be too far from an underground station. There are many websites offering great rates with many central London hotels.

It may however surprise you to learn that serviced apartments in London are not just for business travel and many people choose to stay in these types of apartments in London when on leisure trips. Marlin Apartments Canary Wharf offer good rates for weekends and short breaks and provide a home from home for those who prefer to avoid the queues at the check in desk and buffet breakfasts.

Marlin Apartments Canary Wharf are an ideal choice when visiting the O2 and there is more to Canary Wharf than high rise offices. Boasting a large array of top stores, restaurants and cafes this is a great base from which to explore the rest of London.

Tickets for the ballet are already on sale and if you are planning on making a weekend of it then why not take a look at one of the many apartments in London that are available.

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]]> http://www.london-sightseeing-tours.co.uk/the-royal-ballet-company-to-perform-romeo-and-juliet-at-the-o2-arena-june-2011/feed/ 0 Hairspray The Musical http://www.london-sightseeing-tours.co.uk/hairspray-the-musical/ http://www.london-sightseeing-tours.co.uk/hairspray-the-musical/#comments Tue, 20 May 2008 23:04:38 +0000 admin http://london-sightseeing-tours.co.uk/?p=11 Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.]]> Based on the 1988 movie Hairspray by John Waters, ‘Hairspray the Musical’ tells the story of Tracy Turnblad, a young and incredibly talented performer growing up in the 1960s who auditions for a popular television program only to find that being famous isn’t necessarily all it’s made out to be. Continually ridiculed for being overweight and confused by the divisions between the white Americans and African-Americans in her community, Tracy fights for acceptance and understanding. She continually proves her critics wrong as she performs trendy dance routines and sings catchy pop songs and quickly gains a fan-base in her small home town. Despite the continued sabotage attempts of Velma and Amber Von Tussle (a mother-daughter team who also want desperately to be famous), Tracy finds love in the arms of the television show’s star Link Larkin and popularity amongst her fellow performers. Although the close of the musical sees Tracy triumph over her rivals and put right all the wrongs which have been portrayed throughout the story, the implication is made that some of the key injustices featured in the story are still experienced in modern times and that it is now the duty of the audience members to fight against such inequalities.

When ‘Hairspray’ (the original movie version) was initially released in 1988, critics approved of the message it sent out to audiences. The movie eventually went on to be nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance, as well as being short-listed for six Independent Spirit Awards. It is little surprise that the movie was quickly adapted for stage, first showing on Broadway in 2002 and later on the West End in 2007. The story has since been remade into the 2007 movie which featured newcomer Nikki Blonsky in the lead role with John Travolta (somewhat controversially) playing the role of Tracy Turnblad’s mother and teenage-heart throb Zac Efron as Link. It would appear that the story remains relevant despite it’s continuous remakes precisely because both the film and musical versions unflinchingly tackle several key social problems (including body issues, obesity, and racial and class harmony).

The West End production of the musical has been incredibly successful, particularly as it’s opening coincided neatly with the release of the newest movie version of Hairspray (which topped the box office for a number of weeks). Fortunately the production crew responsible for the Broadway adaptation reunited for the London season, and as such the quality of the musical has been retained. The West End performances feature well known theatre stars such as Michael Ball, Mel Smith, Ben James-Ellis and Tracie Bennett, and has been nominated for a record-breaking number of eleven Olivier awards. If you are planning to attend the West End production it is highly recommended that you book as far ahead as possible – finding London theatre tickets for the popular shows can be tricky at the best of times, but ‘Hairspray’ has been especially popular.

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