| Bedknobs and Broomsticks | |
|---|---|
 Official poster | |
| Music | |
| Lyrics | |
| Book | Brian Hill |
| Basis | Stories by Mary Norton and 1971 Walt Disney film |
| Premiere | 14 August 2021: Theatre Royal, Newcastle upon Tyne |
| Productions |
|
Bedknobs and Broomsticks is a stage musical based on the 1971 Walt Disney film and the stories by Mary Norton. It features the original songs by Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman, new songs and additional music and lyrics by Neil Bartram and book by Brian Hill.
The musical was originally due to premiere at The Yard at Chicago Shakespeare Theater from May 30 to July 28, 2019 as part of its 2018/19 season, directed and choreographed by Rachel Rockwell, but due to Rockwell's death on May 26, 2018, the musical was postponed and replaced with a production of Six. [1] [2] [3]
In May 2020, while speaking about the closure of Frozen on Broadway to The New York Times , Thomas Schumacher, the president of Disney Theatrical Productions, confirmed the musical was in development with new directors Candice Edmunds and Jamie Harrison. [4]
The musical had its world premiere at the Theatre Royal in Newcastle upon Tyne on 14 August 2021 before embarking on a UK and Ireland tour until May 2022. [5] The production is directed by Candice Edmunds and Jamie Harrison, with set design and illusions also by Jamie Harrison. Costume design is by Gabriella Slade, orchestrations are by Simon Hale, musical supervision is by Tom Murray, choreography and movement direction are by Neil Bettles, sound design is by Gareth Fry, lighting is by Simon Wilkinson, production management is by Gary Beestone, and casting by Jill Green and Jo Hawes.
The production is produced by Michael Harrison by special arrangement with Disney Theatrical Productions. [6] Casting for the production included Dianne Pilkington as Miss Price and Charles Brunton as Emelius Browne. [7]
| Character | UK and Ireland tour |
|---|---|
| 2021-22 | |
| Miss Eglantine Price | Dianne Pilkington |
| Professor Emelius Browne | Charles Brunton |
| Charlie Rawlins | Conor O'Hara |
| Carrie Rawlins | Izabella Bucknell |
| Sapphire Hagon | |
| Poppy Houghton | |
| Evie Lightman | |
| Paul Rawlins | Dexter Barry |
| Haydn Court | |
| Jasper Hawes | |
| Aidan Oti | |
| Mrs. Hobday | Jacqui DuBois |
| Sherman, a Bear | Mark Anderson |
| King Leonidas, a Lion | Matthew Elliot-Campbell |
| Norton, a Fish | Rob Madge |
| Angela, a Bird | Emma Thornett |
| Mrs. Mason | Susannah van den Berg |
| Ensemble | Kayla Carter |
| Sam Lupton | |
| Nathaniel Morrison | |
| Sadie-Jean Shirley | |
| Robin Simoes da Silva | |
| Swing | Jessica Aubrey |
| Georgie Buckland | |
| Jonathan Cobb | |
| Vinnie Monachello |
|
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Bedknobs and Broomsticks is a 1971 American musical fantasy film directed by Robert Stevenson and songs written by the Sherman Brothers. It was produced by Bill Walsh for Walt Disney Productions. It is based upon the books The Magic Bedknob (1943) and Bonfires and Broomsticks (1947) by English children's author Mary Norton. The film, which combines live action and animation, stars Angela Lansbury, David Tomlinson, Ian Weighill, Cindy O'Callaghan, and Roy Snart.
The Sherman Brothers were an American songwriting duo that specialized in musical films, made up of brothers Robert B. Sherman and Richard M. Sherman. Together they received various accolades including two Academy Awards and three Grammy Awards. They received nominations for a Laurence Olivier Award, a BAFTA Award, and five Golden Globe Awards. In 1976, they received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and the National Medal of the Arts in 2008.
Richard Morton Sherman was an American songwriter who specialized in musical films with his brother Robert B. Sherman. According to the official Walt Disney Company website and independent fact checkers, "The Sherman Brothers were responsible for more motion picture musical song scores than any other songwriting team in film history."
Robert Bernard Sherman was an American songwriter, best known for his work in musical films with his brother, Richard M. Sherman. The Sherman brothers produced more motion picture song scores than any other songwriting team in film history. Some of their songs were incorporated into live action and animation musical films including Mary Poppins, The Happiest Millionaire, The Sword in the Stone, The Jungle Book, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, The Slipper and the Rose, and Charlotte's Web. Their best-known work is "It's a Small World " possibly the most-performed song in history.
Disney Theatrical Productions Limited (DTP), also known as Disney on Broadway, is the stageplay and musical production company of the Disney Theatrical Group, a subsidiary of Disney Entertainment, a major division and business unit of The Walt Disney Company.
On the Record is a jukebox musical revue featuring many classic songs from a variety of live action and animated films and television series produced by Walt Disney Pictures, Broadway musical plays produced by Walt Disney Theatrical, and even Disneyland attractions. This theatrical celebration of 75 years of Disney music tells the story of four singers recording a greatest hits album in a magical recording studio. After opening in Cleveland in 2004, the production toured for nine months, visiting 24 cities in the United States before closing in Denver in mid-2005.
Ashley Brown is an American singer and actress who is best known for playing the titular character in the United States national tour and Broadway productions of Mary Poppins.
Irwin Kostal was an American musical arranger of films and an orchestrator of Broadway musicals.
Dianne Lesley Pilkington is an English theatre actress and singer.
Buena Vista Theatrical Group Ltd., doing business as the Disney Theatrical Group, is the live show, stageplay and musical production arm of The Walt Disney Company. The company is led by Thomas Schumacher, Anne Quart, and Andrew Flatt, and is a division of Walt Disney Studios, forming a part of Disney Entertainment, one of the three major business segments of The Walt Disney Company.
Neil Bartram is a musical theatre composer/lyricist based in New York. Bartram is the composer and lyricist of Disney's Bedknobs and Broomsticks, The Theory of Relativity and Broadway's The Story of My Life with book writer Brian Hill.
Brian Hill is a Canadian/American director and playwright living in New York City.
Rachel Rockwell was an American theater director, choreographer and performer.
Robert Dennis Madge is an English actor, writer & musical theatre performer. Madge first rose to prominence as a child actor, appearing as Michael Banks in Mary Poppins at the Prince Edward Theatre, they then went on to appear in various musical including appearing as Gavroche in the Les Miśerables 25th Anniversary Concert.
Frozen is a musical with music and lyrics by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, and book by Jennifer Lee, based on the Walt Disney Animation Studios' 2013 animated musical film Frozen. The story centers on the relationship between two sisters who are princesses, Elsa and Anna. Elsa has magical powers to freeze objects and people, which she does not know how to control. After inheriting the throne, Elsa flees, inadvertently causes the kingdom to become frozen in an eternal winter, and nearly kills her sister. She must sacrifice and show true love to save the day.
Ainsley Melham is an Australian actor, best known as a former member of Australian children's musical group Hi-5 from 2013 to 2016 and for playing the title role in Disney's Aladdin in Australia and later on Broadway.
Six is a British musical comedy in the style of a pop concert. Its music, book, and lyrics were written by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss. It is a modern retelling of the lives of the six wives of Henry VIII, presented in the form of a singing competition. In the show, each of the wives take turns telling their story to determine who suffered the most from their shared husband.
Kate Rockwell is an American actor, dancer, and singer. She is known for her work on Broadway and for originating the roles of Skylar in Bring It On: The Musical in 2011 and of Karen Smith in the 2018 musical Mean Girls, for the latter of which she received Drama Desk Award and Helen Hayes Award nominations.
Hercules is a musical based on the Walt Disney Animation Studios 1997 film of the same name, with music and lyrics by Alan Menken and David Zippel, and a book by Kristoffer Diaz, Robert Horn and Kwame Kwei-Armah. The production is also loosely based on the legendary hero of the same name, the son of Zeus, in Greek mythology.
Winnie the Pooh: The New Musical Adaptation is a 2021 musical based on the film franchise of the same name. The music and lyrics were written by Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman with a book by Jonathan Rockefeller. The production also borrows elements from the short stories of the same name.