NEWS ROUNDUP: 4 - 10 May

We have arrived at that lusty month of May, and with summer not far round the corner, it's high time we took a look back at some of the biggest news stories of the past week. It may have been a quiet week, but there are still some exciting announcements with which to catch up...

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JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR

On-stage standing tickets announced for west end revival

It has been announced by Michael Harrison for Lloyd Webber Harrison Musicals that, for the first time ever, the London Palladium will offer on-stage standing tickets, for their upcoming west end revival of "Jesus Christ Superstar" this summer. A limited number of tickets will be made available at £25 for every performance, these went sale first for under-30s, and then for general release, via LW Theatres. There are still tickets available for a handful of performances, with the best availability being towards the end of the run.

The production will open on the 20th of June at the Palladium, with a press night on the 7th of July, and will run until the 5th of September. The cast will be led by Eurovision runner-up Sam Ryder as Jesus, in his professional stage debut, Tyrone Huntley reprising his role of Judas Iscariot, Desmonda Cathabel as Mary Magdalene, David Thaxton as Pontius Pilate, and six different actors sharing the role of King Herod, including Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Layton Williams and Richard Armitage. You can find out more, as well as book tickets, via the LW Theatres website.

RIDE THE CYCLONE

Full cast announced for musical's London return

We now know who will be attending the reopening of Saskatchewan’s deadliest rollercoaster, as the cast for the upcoming London run of “Ride The Cyclone” has now been revealed. Returning to the show will be Grace Galloway as Jane Doe, Robyn Gilbertson as Constance, Bartek Kraszewski as Mischa, and Jack Maverick as Ricky, all of whom performed in the show during its first run at Southwark in the autumn. They are joined by newcomers Kayna Montecillo (The Lightning Thief) as Ocean, and Josh Butler (Bronco Billy) as Noel.

Completing the lineup will be Nathaniel Purcell and Rebecca D’Lacey, who also return to the show as swings; casting for the Amazing Karnak is yet to be announced. “Ride The Cyclone” is directed and choreographed by Lizzi Gee, and will return to Southwark Playhouse Elephant from the 19th of June until the 22nd of August, with tickets now on sale from the venue’s website.

OPERATION MINCEMEAT

Cast announced for the musical's fourth year in the west end

The 2026-27 cast of the west end production of "Operation Mincemeat", written by comedy troupe SpitLip, was revealed during the past week. Of the previous lineup, three out of nine will remain at the Fortune Theatre, with Chlöe Hart remaining in the role of Johnny Bevan for a third year, and Jason Kadji staying on as an understudy; meanwhile Madeleine Jackson-Smith moves from a universal understudy to perform as the principal Ewan Montagu, having formerly covered the role, and also been principal Jean Leslie. They are joined by Charlotte Fleming (Mrs Doubtfire) as Jean Leslie & others, Colm Gleeson (The Commitments) as Hester Leggatt & others, and Ahmed Hamad (Sunset Boulevard) as Charles Cholmondeley & others.

Completing the lineup will be new understudies Molly Cutter, Benjamin Durham and Amy Parker. Outgoing cover Geri Allen is the final member of the original west end cast to depart the show, having been understudy for Bevan (as well as second cover for both Montagu and Jean) since it opened at the Fortune in 2023; also departing will be Roshani Abbey, Danny Becker, George Jennings, Peter McGovern, and Alex Young. The new arrivals will begin performances on the 11th of May, and you can find tickets via the ATG website; the musical is also on tour around the UK, as well as continuing to perform on broadway.

EVITA

Release details for London cast album announced

Full information has been revealed for the upcoming release of the 2025 London cast album of Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Evita", starring Rachel Zegler as Eva Peron. It is set to be released as a triple vinyl, as well as on digital release, in August this year, with a new single from the show ("Rainbow Tour") having been released to stream and download this week. The show ran at the London Palladium from the 14th of June until the 6th of September 2025, selling out every performance and winning 2 Olivier Awards from 5 nominations, including best actress in a musical for Zegler; This comes on the heels of a broadway transfer announcement for the production, set to open in the spring of 2027.

The album has set a provisional release date of the 28th of August, and will contain 30 tracks from the musical, as performed by the entire company. It will be released through The Other Songs label, and is produced by Michael Harrison for Lloyd Webber Harrison Musicals. You can pre-save the three disc vinyl, as well as the full CD, via Townsend Music.

PHANTOM OF THE OPERA

New York star Anna Zavelson to join the west end cast

Following her appearance in the New York immersive production "Masquerade", a new staging of the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical, up and coming stage star Anna Zavelson is set to make her west end debut in "Phanton of the Opera" this spring, in the year when the show celebrates its 40th anniversary. Zavelson made her professional debut in "Light in the Piazza" at New York City Center in 2023, later making her broadway debut as younger Allie in Ingrid Michaelson and Bekah Brunstetter's musical adaptation of "The Notebook". She reprises the role of Christine Daaé at His Majesty's Theatre, after first playing it in the off-broadway return of the show.

Zavelson begins performances as Christine on the 18th of May, and will perform in the show until the 1st of August. She joins a cast that also features Dean Chisnall as The Phantom, Ashley Gilmour as Raoul, Joanna Ampil as Carlotta Giudicelli, Adam Linstead as Monsieur André, Martin Ball as Monsieur Firmin, Helen Hobson as Madame Giry, Bradyn Debysingh as Ubaldo Piangi, and Millie Lyon as Meg Giry. You can find out more, as well as book tickets, via the LW Theatres website.

TONY AWARDS

Nominations announced for 2025-26 broadway season

The full shortlist for the 79th Tony Awards, to take place this summer, has been announced, with an impressive array of British talent being honoured by the American Theatre Wing and Broadway League for shows opening between the 28th of April 2025 and the 26th of April 2026. Leading the charge with 12 nominations each are new musicals "Schmigadoon!" and "The Lost Boys", two of only six new musicals, and twelve total musicals eligible for awards this year, one of the lowest numbers of new musical productions since the 1990s. Other musicals that had good showings include the revival productions of "Ragtime" (11 nominations), "Rocky Horror Show" and "Cats" (9 nominations), as well as "Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)" with 8 nominations.

It was a good turnout for British talent, with Luke Evans, Leslie Manville, Daniel Radcliffe, Mark Strong, Sam Tutty, and Layton Williams all receiving acting nominations, with all except Radcliffe having received their first ever Tony nominations; also Jim Barne and Kit Buchan both received their first nominations, both among 12 individuals who received two nominations each. There are also several UK production exports that have been honoured, including "Oedipus", "Giant", "The Fear of 13", "Every Brilliant Thing" and "Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)", all of which transferred from London. There also, however, a number of major snubs, including the revival production of "Mamma Mia!", and new musicals "Beaches" and "Queen of Versailles", all of which did not receive a single nominations. You can find the full list of nominations via the Tony Awards website.