12 Jun KSF Artists of Choice: UK Musical Theatre Selection Panel
Ending on a jazz-hands, today we completed the UK leg of our interviews with KSF Artists of Choice: Musical Theatre Category. Joining us was a panel that represents some of the UK musical theatre scene’s biggest experts. Read about them below.
Cynthia Erivo is an actress who was shortlisted for Evening Standard Award for her performance of Celie in The Color Purple at London’s Menier Chocolate Factory. She will reprise her role opposite Jennifer Hudson on Broadway this autumn. She will be seen next at the Royal Festival Hall in the upcoming concert of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.
Alex Hanson recently starred in Follies at the Royal Albert Hall opposite Christine Baranski. His many musical theatre roles include Stephen Ward in the play of the same name, Frederick in A Little Night Music in the West End and on Broadway, Pilate in the Jesus Christ Superstar 02 London and Arena Tour, Captain Von Trapp in The Sound of Music and Otto in Marguerite (both West End).
Tamara Harvey directed the plays that form an integral part of Roland Emmerich’s 2010 film Anonymous and in 2011 she was the Associate Director at the Bush Theatre. She is currently developing a new musical with Tim Rice. Her credits include From Here to Eternity (West End), Educating Rita (Menier Chocolate Factory, Bath & Tour) The Kitchen Sink, tHe dYsFUnCKshOnalZ! (Bush), Tell Me on a Sunday (UK tour), Plague over England (Finborough and West End) and Fat Pig (Associate Director with Neil La Bute).
Theo Jamieson is a musical director and composer. He trained at Trinity College of Music and the Royal Academy of Music. As a musical director his work includes High Society (Old Vic) and Here Lies Love (NT). His musical theatre writing has been performed at Kings Place, Shaw Theatre and Blackheath concert halls; orchestration for Adam Guettel and Maria Friedman in concert
Joe McFadden is a Scottish actor whose musical theatre performances include Ed Reiss in Torch Song Trilogy, Caractacus Potts in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Finch in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, and Mark Cohen in Rent. He played the eponymous hero in Aladdin at The Old Vic in Kevin Spacey’s first season as artistic director.
The Stable commissions, develops and produces original musical theatre headed up by Neil Marcus and Jane Semark. Prior to The Stable, Neil was Executive Director of Mercury Musical Developments, a charity dedicated to the craft of writing book, music and lyrics for musical theatre. Jane was part of the original team at Kevin Spacey’s Old Vic Theatre Company, where she worked on more than 20 productions including international transfers and tours.
KSF Artists of Choice is a pioneering funding and mentoring initiative for UK and US based emerging artists working in theatre, musical theatre, music, dance or film. Epitomizing KSF’s aim of ‘sending the elevator back down’ it will provide funding, year-round support and mentoring by industry heavyweights. Once we’ve completed shortlist interviews in the UK and the US, we hope to announce our award recipients by early July.