Elaine Paige on Sunday

Last updated

Elaine Paige on Sunday
Other namesEPOS
GenreShowtunes
Running time90 minutes: 1:00pm – 2:30pm (2004–2009)
2 hours: 1:00pm – 3:00pm (2009–present)
Country of origin United Kingdom
Language(s) English
Home station BBC Radio 2
Starring Elaine Paige
Produced by Malcolm Prince (2004–2010) [1]
Julie Newman (2010–2012) [2]
Jessica Rickson (2012–present) [3]
Recording studio Broadcasting House, London (2004–2006, 2024–)
Wogan House, London (2006–2024)
Original release5 September 2004 (2004-09-05) –
present
Audio format Stereo
Website Official website

Elaine Paige on Sunday (often referred to on air as EPOS) is a British radio programme broadcast on BBC Radio 2 on Sunday afternoons from 1:00pm to 3:00pm, that is hosted by the actress and singer Elaine Paige. The show launched on 5 September 2004, replacing All Time Greats hosted by Desmond Carrington (who moved to weekdays with The Music Goes Round). The launch producer was Malcolm Prince. It features music and news from stage and screen productions, as well as listener requests, on-stage mishap stories, and the occasional interview from a celebrity guest. Paige has presented a special Tony Awards show, featuring interviews and music from nominees since 2015. Elaine Paige on Sunday attracts around two million listeners a week. Since 2012, the producer has been Jessica Rickson.

Contents

History

In July 2004, it was announced that Elaine Paige would be presenting a new BBC Radio 2 show on Sunday afternoons, featuring music from stage and screen productions. [4] The show replaced All Time Greats hosted by Desmond Carrington, who moved to Tuesday evenings and later Friday evenings with The Music Goes Round. [5] The BBC Press Office said Paige's programme would feature a weekly competition, listener requests and interviews with people who have created and starred in musicals. [5] Of joining the BBC, Paige said "I am so excited to be joining BBC Radio 2. I'm really looking forward to this new challenge... and all without having to put on lots of make up and a hot and heavy costume!" [5]

The idea of presenting her own radio show was proposed to Paige days after she guested on BBC Radio 2 to promote an album and ended up telling her own stories and anecdotes. The show was initially set for a trial run of six months to gauge public reaction, and it proved popular with both musical theatre fans and BBC Radio 2 listeners. [6] Paige said that being a presenter for BBC Radio 2 was a liberating experience, adding "it was if suddenly I had found my own voice, which was a wonderful thing." [6] In a 2016 interview with Clair Woodward of the Daily Express , Paige shared her doubts on being a radio presenter. She did not think she would be any good and compared herself to fellow presenter Michael Ball, who she said was "a very ebullient, outgoing chap." She felt her radio show gave her more confidence, as she is shy. She continued, "But in my heart of hearts, I really am, and when I was asked to do the programme 11 years ago, I thought, 'How am I going to chat and have an opinion?' but Radio 2 helped me find my own voice and helped me to discover who I really am." [7]

Elaine Paige on Sunday began broadcasting from 5 September 2004 in a 1.00 pm to 2.30 pm slot. [4] [8] In March 2009, the BBC announced the show would be extended by thirty minutes. [9] The extended show began airing from 5 April with an ABBA special and featured interviews with Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus. [9]

Paige has interviewed many people from the world of musicals, films and television, including Marvin Hamlisch, Cameron Mackintosh, Tim Rice, Whoopi Goldberg, Liza Minnelli, Bette Midler and Barry Manilow. [10] In 2009, Elaine Paige on Sunday celebrated five years on air. Paige commented "The last five years have flown by and I'd like to thank the listeners for their unstinting support." [10] In 2011, The Stage's Matthew Hemley joined the show to discuss the latest theatre news. [11] That same year saw Don Black and Dame Barbara Windsor fill in for Paige, while she played Carlotta Campion in Follies on Broadway. [12] [13] [14] Paige returned in December for three festive specials. [12]

Elaine Paige on Sunday celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2014. [15] Since 2015, Paige has presented a special programme covering the Tony Awards from New York City, which includes highlights of the musical performances and interviews with nominees and hosts. [16] [17] On 20 June 2019, it was announced that Elaine Paige on Sunday would be streamed every week on Broadway.com from 23 June. [17] On 11 April 2021, her show was cancelled for the first time due to the death of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.

Reception

Elaine Paige on Sunday attracts around two million listeners a week. [18] In the last quarter of 2017, ratings for Elaine Paige on Sunday increased to 2.38 million, compared to 1.94 million in the same quarter of 2016, which was a new record for the show. [19]

In May 2005, The Guardian's Elisabeth Mahoney gave the show an unfavourable review. She called the introduction of Paige as a "rare wrong move" on the part of Radio 2. [20] Mahoney went on to say "But what this flat, glassy show lacks is any sense of connection with its audience and any real personality. It's a chilly, alienating listening experience, quite at odds with its snug, easy-going Sunday lunchtime slot. [20] In 2007, Lisa Martland of The Stage said while Paige had become more relaxed and confident on the air, she had realised the music was bringing her back to show on a regular basis and not the singer's lightweight presenting style. [21] Martland added "News snippets about forthcoming productions and interviews are included, but often these opportunities are wasted and there is a distinct lack of imagination about the whole affair." [21]

In 2008, Miranda Sawyer from The Guardian commented that while Paige is not part of her natural Sunday afternoon listening, her interviews can be insightful. [22] Sawyer said "as a singer herself, she commands respect from other artists and she obviously understands the workings of musical theatre." [22] On 8 March 2010, The Daily Telegraph's Gillian Reynolds chose Elaine Paige on Sunday as one of her BBC iPlayer radio choices. [23]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tim Rice</span> English lyricist and author (born 1944)

Sir Timothy Miles Bindon Rice is an English lyricist and author. He is best known for his collaborations with Andrew Lloyd Webber, with whom he wrote, among other shows, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Jesus Christ Superstar, and Evita; with Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson of ABBA, with whom he wrote Chess; with Elton John, with whom he wrote Aida; and with Disney on Aladdin, the Lion King, both the stage adaptation of Beauty and the Beast and the live-action film adaption. He also wrote lyrics for the Alan Menken musical King David, and for DreamWorks Animation's The Road to El Dorado.

<i>Evita</i> (musical) 1978 musical by Lloyd Webber and Rice

Evita is a musical with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Tim Rice. It concentrates on the life of Argentine political leader Eva Perón, the second wife of Argentine president Juan Perón. The story follows Evita's early life, rise to power, charity work, and death.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elaine Paige</span> English singer, and actress (born 1948)

Elaine Jill Paige is an English singer and actress, best known for her work in musical theatre. Raised in Barnet, Hertfordshire, Paige attended the Aida Foster Theatre School, making her first professional appearance on stage in 1964, at the age of 16. Her appearance in the 1968 production of Hair marked her West End debut.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barbara Dickson</span> Scottish singer, actress (b. 1947)

Barbara Ruth Dickson is a Scottish singer and actress whose hits include "I Know Him So Well", "Answer Me" and "January February". Dickson has placed fifteen albums on the UK Albums Chart from 1977 to date, and had a number of hit singles, including four which reached the top 20 on the UK Singles Chart. The Scotsman newspaper has described her as Scotland's best-selling female singer in terms of the numbers of hit chart singles and albums she has achieved in the UK since 1976.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Know Him So Well</span> Duet from the album/musical Chess

"I Know Him So Well" is a duet from the concept album and subsequent musical Chess by Tim Rice, Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus. It was originally sung by Elaine Paige and Barbara Dickson. In this duet, two women – Svetlana, the Russian chess champion's estranged wife, and Florence, his mistress – express their bittersweet feelings for him and at seeing their relationships fall apart.

Marti Webb is an English actress and singer, who appeared on stage in Evita, before starring in Andrew Lloyd Webber's one-woman show Tell Me on a Sunday in 1980. This included her biggest hit single, "Take That Look Off Your Face", a UK top three hit, with the parent album also reaching the top three.

<i>Sunset Boulevard</i> (musical) 1993 musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber

Sunset Boulevard is a musical with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, and lyrics and a book by Don Black and Christopher Hampton. It is based on the 1950 film of the same title.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elaine Stritch</span> American actress (1925–2014)

Elaine Stritch was an American actress, known for her work on Broadway and later, television. She made her professional stage debut in 1944 and appeared in numerous stage plays, musicals, feature films and television series. Stritch was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame in 1995.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Barrowman</span> Scottish-American actor, author, and singer (born 1967)

John Scot Barrowman is a Scottish-American actor, author, presenter, singer and comic book writer. He is known for his roles as Captain Jack Harkness in Doctor Who and spin-off Torchwood, (2006-11) and as Malcolm Merlyn in the Arrowverse (2012-19).

"Memory" is a show tune composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber, with lyrics by Trevor Nunn based on poems by T. S. Eliot. It was written for the 1981 musical Cats, where it is sung primarily by the character Grizabella as a melancholic remembrance of her glamorous past and as a plea for acceptance. "Memory" is the climax of the musical and by far its best-known song, having achieved mainstream success outside of the musical. According to musicologist Jessica Sternfeld, writing in 2006, it is "by some estimations the most successful song ever from a musical."

Nicolo Ferrari is a conservative British radio host, television presenter and broadcast journalist. He is best known as the host of the weekday breakfast show on the London-based radio station LBC. He also has a regular column in the Sunday Express and was previously a regular guest on The Alan Titchmarsh Show. He regularly appears on ITV's programme This Morning and has presented the Sky News debate show The Pledge since 2016.

Maria Friedman is a British actress and director, best known for her work in musical theatre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kerry Ellis</span> English actress and singer (born 1979)

Kerry Jane Ellis is an English actress and singer who is best known for her work in musical theatre and subsequent crossover into music. Born and raised in Suffolk, Ellis began performing at an early age before training at Laine Theatre Arts from the age of 16.

Claire Moore is an English soprano singer and actress, best known for her leading role as Christine in Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera and as Ellen in Miss Saigon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Samantha Barks</span> Manx actress and singer

Samantha Jane Barks is a Manx actress and singer who rose to fame after placing third in the BBC talent show-themed television series I'd Do Anything in 2008. She has released three studio albums: Looking in Your Eyes (2007), Samantha Barks (2016), and Into the Unknown (2021), and made her film debut as Éponine in the Tom Hooper-directed Les Misérables in 2012. Her performance in the film won her the Empire Award for Best Female Newcomer and a shared National Board of Review Award with the film's cast.

Edward Seckerson is a British music journalist and radio presenter specialising in musical theatre. Formerly Chief Classical Music Critic of the Independent, Edward Seckerson is a writer, broadcaster and podcaster. He wrote and presented the long-running BBC Radio 3 series Stage & Screen in which he interviewed many of the most prominent writers and stars of musical theatre. He appears regularly on BBC Radio 3 and 4. On television, he has commentated a number of times at the Cardiff Singer of the World competition. He has published books on Mahler and the conductor Michael Tilson Thomas, and has been on Gramophone Magazine’s review panel for many years. Edward presented the long-running BBC Radio Four musical quiz Counterpoint for one year in 2007, after the death of Ned Sherrin.

<i>Essential Musicals</i> 2006 studio album by Elaine Paige

Essential Musicals is an album by Elaine Paige, released in 2006. The album was produced by Mike Moran, vocals were recorded at Air-Edel Studios in London, and the orchestra backing recorded at The Hungarian State Radio Studios, Budapest. The album peaked at #46 in the UK Albums Chart.

Paul O'Grady on the Wireless was the incarnation of the Sunday teatime slot on BBC Radio 2 from 5 April 2009 to 14 August 2022, hosted by Paul O'Grady. It was produced by Malcolm Prince, who also made regular contributions to the programme, and it regularly attracted over two million listeners. It was broadcast on Sundays between 17:00 and 19:00.

This is a list of events in British radio during 2007.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BBC Radio 2</span> British national radio station

BBC Radio 2 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It is the most popular station in the United Kingdom with over 14 million weekly listeners. Since launching in 1967, the station broadcasts a wide range of content. The 'About Radio 2' BBC webpage says: "With a repertoire covering more than 40 years, Radio 2 plays the widest selection of music on the radio—from classic and mainstream pop to a specialist portfolio including classical, country, folk, jazz, soul, rock 'n' roll, gospel and blues."

References

  1. ↑ "Malcolm Prince". Westend Theatre. Silver Sea Media. 9 September 2010. Archived from the original on 27 May 2011. Retrieved 23 December 2011.
  2. ↑ "Elaine Paige on Sunday". Radio Times . BBC Magazines. 31 July 2011. Retrieved 23 December 2011.
  3. ↑ "Elaine Paige on Sunday". BBC Media Centre. BBC. Archived from the original on 19 April 2013. Retrieved 17 February 2013.
  4. 1 2 Grant, Jules (30 July 2004). "Radio 2 celebrates Rajar performance with new line-up". Brand Republic. Archived from the original on 23 November 2023. Retrieved 20 December 2011.
  5. 1 2 3 "BBC Radio 2's new Autumn schedule". BBC Press Office. BBC. 30 July 2004. Archived from the original on 30 August 2005. Retrieved 21 December 2011.
  6. 1 2 Wolf, Matt (8 November 2019). "Elaine Paige on Being Known as the 'First Lady of the British Musical Theater,' Her Successful Radio Show & More". Broadway.com . Archived from the original on 1 August 2020. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
  7. ↑ Woodward, Clair (29 May 2016). "'Doing radio has helped me be more confident' says theatre superstar Elaine Paige". Daily Express . Archived from the original on 1 February 2021. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
  8. ↑ Gans, Andrew (11 August 2004). "West End Star Elaine Paige to Host BBC Radio Program". Playbill . Archived from the original on 7 October 2012. Retrieved 21 December 2011.
  9. 1 2 "Radio 2 announces new weekend schedule and welcomes Paul O'Grady, Alan Carr and Emma Forbes". BBC Press Office. BBC. 13 March 2009. Archived from the original on 14 November 2012. Retrieved 21 December 2011.
  10. 1 2 "Elaine Paige celebrates five years on Radio 2 with competition to win unforgettable trip to NYC". BBC Press Office. BBC. 4 September 2009. Archived from the original on 26 September 2009. Retrieved 21 December 2011.
  11. ↑ Matthewman, Scott (13 May 2011). "Turn off the TV: radio choices, May 14–20". The Stage . The Stage Newspaper Limited. Archived from the original on 18 May 2011. Retrieved 21 December 2011.
  12. 1 2 "Elaine Paige at Broadway". Media Centre. BBC. Archived from the original on 26 September 2018. Retrieved 23 December 2011.
  13. ↑ "Don Black Sits In". BBC Radio 2 . 11 December 2011. Archived from the original on 8 March 2012. Retrieved 23 December 2011.
  14. ↑ Matthewman, Scott (26 August 2011). "Turn off the TV: radio choices, August 27 – September 9". The Stage . Archived from the original on 8 January 2012. Retrieved 23 December 2011.
  15. ↑ "Preview; Elaine Paige, St David's Hall, Cardiff". South Wales Echo . 3 October 2014. Archived from the original on 11 February 2017. Retrieved 9 February 2017.(subscription required)
  16. ↑ "Elaine Paige to Host 2016 Tony Awards Highlights Special on BBC Radio 2". Tony Awards. 8 June 2016. Archived from the original on 26 June 2019. Retrieved 26 June 2019.
  17. 1 2 "BBC Radio 2's Elaine Paige on Sunday to Be Broadcast Weekly on Broadway.com". Broadway.com. 20 June 2019. Archived from the original on 26 June 2019. Retrieved 26 June 2019.
  18. ↑ Hemley, Matthew (15 May 2014). "Elaine Paige's Radio 2 show hits new audience high". The Stage . Archived from the original on 11 February 2017. Retrieved 9 February 2017.
  19. ↑ "Zoe Ball and Elaine Paige pull in record audiences for Radio 2 shows". Evening Express . 8 February 2018. Archived from the original on 2 September 2019. Retrieved 2 September 2019.
  20. 1 2 Mahoney, Elisabeth (30 May 2005). "Shrill by mouth". The Guardian . Archived from the original on 3 January 2014. Retrieved 21 December 2011.
  21. 1 2 Martland, Lisa (30 April 2007). "Radio – light programme". The Stage . The Stage Newspaper Limited. Archived from the original on 12 June 2011. Retrieved 21 December 2011.
  22. 1 2 Sawyer, Miranda (27 April 2008). "You thought you knew them so well..." The Guardian . Archived from the original on 27 February 2015. Retrieved 21 December 2011.
  23. ↑ Reynolds, Gillian (8 March 2010). "BBC iPlayer choices – Sunday 28 March". The Daily Telegraph . London. Archived from the original on 3 June 2010. Retrieved 21 December 2011.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.