MELANIE C TO STAR AS MRS JOHNSTONE IN BLOOD BROTHERS AT THE LIVERPOOL EMPIRE
MELANIE C TO STAR AS MRS JOHNSTONE IN BLOOD BROTHERS AT THE LIVERPOOL EMPIRE Former Spice Girl and chart-topping solo star, Melanie C, returns to her home town of Liverpool to reprise her critically-acclaimed portrayal of Mrs Johnstone in the smash-hit touring musical, BLOOD BROTHERS, for two weeks only from 8 – 20 November. Making her theatrical debut in October 2009 at London’s Phoenix Theatre, Melanie followed in the footsteps of Barbara Dickson, Kiki Dee, Carole King, Petula Clark and Helen Reddy to take on the iconic role in Willy Russell’s legendary West End musical. Unanimously acclaimed by the critics, her performance received a multitude of five star reviews; described as ‘Sensational’ (Daily Telegraph), ‘Thrilling’ (Sunday Express) and ‘Dazzling’ (Sunday Telegraph), it won her an Olivier Award nomination for Best Actress in a Musical. Speaking of her return to the production, Melanie said: “I had such an incredible time playing the role of Mrs. Johnstone in the West End and I am so excited to have the opportunity to play her again in my home town at the Liverpool Empire.” Producer, Bill Kenwright, said: “From the second Melanie walked into my office I knew that she would be a great Mrs J. The reality exceeded the expectation and I instantly felt on her opening night in London that she MUST play Blood Brothers in Liverpool. It’s typical of her that she agreed instantly to do a two week autumn stint in her home town. She is a real star and a credit to her city” Melanie won universal acclaim as one fifth of the Spice Girls, the group who captured the imagination of the world with their brand of girl power and brilliantly infectious pop music. The Spice Girls led the way for future girl bands like Girls Aloud, Atomic Kitten and the Pussycat Dolls – with Melanie’s trademark kicks and searing vocals at the fore of their unprecedented success. As a solo artist, Melanie has gone on to have the most successful musical career of the quintet, having released four albums, earned nominations for BRIT and ECHO Awards and charted at the top of Billboard Dance Chart in America. Melanie holds the position for most UK No 1 singles by a female co-writer. She is third after Lennon and McCartney for the most UK No 1 singles by a British co-writer and is the only female to reach the UK No 1 spot as part of a quintet, quartet, duo and as a solo artist. - ENDS - NOTES TO EDITORS BLOOD BROTHERS tells the captivating and moving tale of twins who, separated at birth, grow up on opposite sides of the tracks, only to meet again with tragic consequences. The incredible score includes Bright New Day, Marilyn Monroe and the emotionally charged hit Tell Me It’s Not True. Few musicals have received quite such accolades as the multi-award winning BLOOD BROTHERS, which, having opened in 1988 to tremendous acclaim, continues to enjoy standing ovations at every devastating performance. No wonder BLOOD BROTHERS is now ‘the musical for all time’. LISTINGS INFO BLOOD BROTHERS 8 – 20 November 2010 Liverpool Empire Lime Street Liverpool L1 1JE www.liverpoolempire.org.uk Box Office: 0844 847 2525 (Please note that this production goes on sale on Monday 24 May) Perfs: Mon – Sat 7.30pm Wed and Sat mat, 2.30pm Prices: £16 - £37.50 (includes £1 restoration levy, concessions available)
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