This is the third year of the Cardiff International Festival of Musical Theatre which will run from Sunday 15th October - Sunday 5th November. There is a star-studded programme with many special one-off events with West End stars that include Graham Bickley, Patricia Hodge, Julia McKenzie, Marti Webb and the UK Premiere of the Gershwin's Treasure Girl, performance masterclasses, workshops and an educational conference.
The centrepiece of the Festival is one of the world's best known and loved musicals, Gypsy. It also marks the Festival's centennial celebrations of composer Jule Styne. Helena Blackman, runner up in the BBC's How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria? Will play Gypsy Rose Lee, also in the cast is Julia McKenzie. Gypsy has not been performed in the UK for 25 years so this one night concert performance (Wales Millennium Centre, 29 Oct), conducted by Stewart Mackintosh, is set to be one of the Festival's highlights. There will be a Styne Symposium (Wales Millennium Centre, 29 Oct) hosted by Don Black and including Festival patron and well known theatrical biographer, Robert Kimball.
New to the Festival this year is the “Forgotten Gems” series that will be continued throughout future Festivals. The UK Premiere of George and Ira Gershwin's Treasure Girl (Sherman Theatre, 28 Oct) heralds this new series. The performance stars Patricia Hodge and will be narrated by the Gershwin archivist, Robert Kimball. The Party of a Lifetime (Sherman Theatre, 4 Nov) starring Graham Bickley and Marti Webb,is a special concert celebrating the work of Wales's own David Heneker composer of many hit musicals including Half a Sixpence and Charlie Girl, whose centenary is being celebrated this year.
BBC Radio 2's Voice of Musical Theatre (New Theatre, 15, 17, 19, 21 Oct) once again seeks to find the international musical theatre stars of the future from performers around the world who compete for the glittering title, a cash prize and BBC broadcast engagements plus a demo recording opportunity with UCJ. Also looking for new, international talent is the Hugh James sponsored Global Search for New Musicals (Chapter Arts Centre, 3, 4, 5 Nov) who will present five of the best new musicals that have been chosen from over 300 entries from 28 countries.
Many local schools and theatre companies are once again participating in the Festival. The Opening Gala Who Could Ask for Anything More (St. David's Hall, Sunday 15th Oct)introduced by Graham Bickley, features the Kitchener Primary School, St. Martin's School, Caephilly; Cowbridge Comprehensive School; Gorseinon College, Swansea and Ysgol Gyfun Ystalyfera. At the New Theatre (24-28 Oct) the Wales Theatre Company presents Dylan Thomas' A Child's Christmas in Wales in a new adaptation by Michael Bogdanov who also directs the show. The Sherman Theatre hosts the Bridgend Youth Theatre's production of Fiddler on the Roof, and two shows for children - Unga Bunga and Oscar Wilde's The Happy Prince.
At the Wales Millennium Centre (9 - 28 Oct) will be the multi award winning production of the Donmar Warehouse's Guys and Dolls starring Claire Sweeney and Joe McGann.
Everyone is encouraged to join in the Festival spirit and Sunday afternoons are transformed into Singa Longa Sundays. Sing along to your favourite Rodgers and Hammerstein classics: Carousel, Oklahoma! The King and I and South Pacific. A lively, showbiz quiz about musicals, Showstoppers, where teams from each of the Festival's shows pit their knowledge of musicals against each other, will be hosted by the Welsh broadcaster Mal Pope (Chapter Arts Centre, 18-20 Oct lunchtimes) and broadcast on BBC Radio Wales.
Richard Alston Dance Company (Sherman Theatre, 2-3 Nov) presents three pieces - Red Run, About-Face and The Devil in the Detail which show both Alston's lyrical side and his lighter side. Opera UK present a double bill of Manuel de Falla's 'operatic ballet' El Amor Brujo and Mozart's School for Lovers (Sherman Theatre, 30-31 Oct).
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