The latest cast member to be announced for Andrew Lloyd Webber’s new musical Cinderella is Ivano Turco. Just graduated from Urdang Academy, Turco will be making his West End debut in the show as Sebastian, the younger brother of Prince Charming. Cinderella will open at London’s Gillian Lynne Theatre on 19 May 2021, with previews from 30 April.
At the same time Polydor Records has announced the release of the second piece of music from the forthcoming album of the new musical. ’‘Only You, Lonely You’, sung by Turco, is released today (11 December 2020).
It follows the release of ‘Bad Cinderella’ sung by Carrie Hope Fletcher in the title role, which came out in October. The album features cast members from the highly-anticipated new theatre production, along with appearances from some surprise guest vocalists.
Turco auditioned initially to be in the dance ensemble for Cinderella but Lloyd Webber and director Laurence Connor saw the potential for him to take one of the lead roles, invited him to audition for the role of Sebastian and a week later the young actor found himself recording his part on the album at the legendary Metropolis studios in London.
Turco has just graduated from the renowned Urdang Academy, though like so many graduates this year he wasn’t able to don a tux for a ceremony and send off. Cinderella will mark his West End debut and follows performances in Sleeping Beauty (Imagine Theatre), runner up in the All England National Dance Competition (Hackney Empire), Teen Spirit (feature film) and The Wiz (Milton Keynes Theatre). Before the closure of theatres in 2020, Turco was due to appear in West Side Story at the Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester.
Andrew Lloyd Webber said:
“I’m overjoyed to introduce Ivano Turco as our Prince Sebastian in Cinderella. I’m convinced audiences will fall in love with him, as we did, on hearing this version of ‘Only You, Lonely You’. Straight out of college, Ivano initially came in to audition as a dancer but has a natural acting talent, a wonderful voice and an innate charm and warmth and from the day we met I just knew I’d found our Prince!”
The production, a complete reinvention of the classic fairytale, is based on an original idea by Emerald Fennell, the Emmy Award nominated lead scriptwriter of the second season of international smash hit Killing Eve, with a brand new score from the legendary composer and lyrics by David Zippel.
Cinderella will reunite Lloyd Webber with director Connor and choreographer JoAnn M Hunter, who previously worked on the Olivier Award-winning international hit School of Rock and the recent, sold-out production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at The London Palladium, which returns to the venue in summer 2021.
Cinderella will also star Victoria Hamilton-Barritt as the Stepmother. All further creative team and cast announcements regarding Cinderella will be made at a later date.
Ahead of Cinderella’s arrival at the Gillian Lynne Theatre, LW Theatres are carrying out internal upgrade work to the building including the addition of more toilets and refurbishment to areas of the auditorium and Front of House, as well as adopting measures to welcome back audiences safely as soon as restrictions allow. These measures are currently being trialled at the London Palladium and will be rolled out across LW Theatres.
from News, Reviews and Features – My Theatre Mates https://ift.tt/3n9PPbC
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