Tag Archives: Wicked

BBC Children in Need Announce POP Goes The Musical

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BBC Children in Need has announced the launch of ‘BBC Children in Need POP Goes the Musical 2011’.

Working with the best of West End Theatre and a star-studded line up, this unique charity project is giving renowned celebrities from the music sphere the chance to perform a hit song from a top show, to take place in September to help raise vital funds for children and young people here in the UK.

The show-stopping celebrities involved in a series of unique curtain calls are the gorgeous Peter Andre performing GHOST the Musical’s spectacular number ‘Unchained Melody’, the loveable Stacey Solomon for WICKED to sing ‘For Good’, chart-toppers Sugababes will take on ‘Dancing Queen’ in MAMMA MIA! And the legendary Melanie C will sing the highly charged ‘We Are The Champions’ and ‘We Will Rock You’ in the Queen musical WE WILL ROCK YOU.

Don’t miss out on what’s set to be a week of nights to remember and your chance to experience a series of pop-tastic performances.

Bookings can be made immediately for the following dates at:

10th September 2011 – WICKED – ‘popping up’ is Stacey Solomon (Matinee Performance)

13th September 2011 – WE WILL ROCK YOU – ‘popping up’ is Melanie C

14th September 2011 – GHOST the Musical – ‘popping up’ is Peter Andre

15th September 2011 – MAMMA MIA! – ‘popping up’ is Sugababes

Tickets for ‘BBC Children in Need POP Goes the Musical 2011’ are available at http://www.bbc.co.uk/pudsey/. Prices start from £25 with all proceeds going to BBC Children in Need.

“I’m so excited to be a part of the musical WICKED. I went to see the show and was completely blown away by the costumes and performances. It’s going to be scary to get up on a West End stage but I’m so happy to take on the challenge and get involved in BBC Children in Need POP Goes the Musical.” – Stacey Solomon

“I am so excited to be taking part in ‘Pop Goes The Musical’ for this year’s BBC Children In Need, especially as I will be performing with the cast of the incredible show, We Will Rock You. I have always been a huge Queen fan and standing on the stage of the Dominion Theatre to sing one of the band’s anthems is an absolute honour and a great way raise money for such a fantastic charity.” – Melanie C

“I was so impressed when I went to see GHOST the Musical. It was one of the best shows I’ve ever seen. So when I was approached by BBC Children In Need to get involved, I jumped at the chance and just hope that I can do it justice! The cast are great so it’ll be so much fun working with them and raising money for an amazing cause all at the same time.” – Peter Andre

“We’re so excited to be part of BBC Children In Need this year. It’s such a great cause and helps so many people and to be able to join the cast of MAMMA MIA!, one of the West End’s most famous musicals, is a real honour for us.” – Sugababes

BBC Children in Need changes the lives of some of the most disadvantaged children and young people right here in the UK. The charity supports children in the UK facing a range of disadvantages including poverty and deprivation, young people with disabilities and children who have been the victims of abuse or neglect.

Due to the incredible generosity of the public in 2010, BBC Children in Need has awarded £40 million to change young lives r and this year we need your help to beat this total!

For more information on the charity please visit www.bbc.co.uk/pudsey/

Stefans TV Picks; 6th June

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Monday 7th ITV3 – 22:00
Psychological thrillers…so much scarier than horror, which is why The Shining is still the scariest movie ever made, and why I shall be watching the first instalment of The Sculptress. First shown in 1996 this made for TV movie stars Pauline Quirke in a break from her time in the long running Birds Of a Feather to play an altogether different kind of character. The Sculptress, based on the Minette Walters novel, is set three years after a gruesome murder of the mother and sister of, now lifer, Olive Martin who was found blood soaked at the scene of the crime. The story of the murder, the trial and the imprisonment of Olive is the subject of a new book by journalist Rosalind Leigh who, after finding out more about her subject and interviewing all involved, starts to believe in Olive’s innocence. A brilliant turn for Quirke and a series that’ll keep you guessing as you follow the investigation, anyone with a penchant for mystery should see this.

Tuesday 8th ITV1 – 22:35
American dramas can often come across as cheesy an fake, full of beautiful young adults looking ponderously out over lakes while an acoustic indie hit plays over the scene (Dawson…I’m looking at you), but every so often they send out something amazing like John Adams or Carnivàle (which EVERYONE should watch). This is what I’m hoping for in the new to air in the UK, October Road. For 10 years, writer Nick Garret has been away from his home town becoming a famous author and screenwriter. After returning home he must handle the reaction of the people he based his best selling book on, try to re-kindle old friendships and after living a pretty full life in his absence, see if he is really able to return to his old quiet lifestyle. With the second episode running straight after tonight’s pilot, lets hope it can hook us right away. The only problem I can see with this is that it clashes with the second half of The Sculptress (ITV3 – 22:00) so it’ll have to be Sky+ one and watch the other.

Wednesday 9th Channel 4 – 21:00
I have an addictive personality, if there’s something I like I will watch, listen to or play it for ages (currently it’s Assassins Creed II and the music of Broadway show Wicked) after today though, I’m pretty sure it’ll be all about Big Brother. I’ve not watched every series, but the ones I have, I’ve been glued too! So tonight I shall be joining Davina and the braying, cheering, condemning and booing crowds as we are introduced to the housemates of the last ever Big Brother. It looks like we’re in for a glorious summer, but between my Xbox, script writing and Big bloody Brother, I aint gonna see any of it.

Thursday 10th FIVE – 21:00
Robert Rodrigeuz is cool, his house is cool, his music is cool, his hat is cool and his movies are supercool. Once Upon a Time in Mexico is the third installment in his (possible homage to Sergios Leone’s Dollars trilogy) ‘Mariachi Trilogy’. Staring Antonio Banderas once again as the nameless mariachi, who is spoken of in Mexican folklore as merely ‘El’ and Johnny Depp as CIA Agent Sands. Based around a loose plot of a military coup against the Mexican President, Once Upon a Time in Mexico is more about the action and the brilliant gun fights that made El Mariachi and Desperado (the first and second in the trilogy) so much fun to watch.

Friday 11th Channel 4 – 19:30
Unreported World has had some horrific episodes showing atrocities from around the globe including slavery, sex trafficking and the plight of people in poor countries. Tonight’s episode travels to El Salvador to tell of the children used as hitmen for the multitude of gangs and who accept the high child mortality rate as part of life as much as they believe in the subjugation and sexual objectivity of teenage girls in the gangs. Never an easy program to watch, but always informative and humbling. Although I find it odd that Channel 4 chose to put this show in a lineup before Glee, Big Brother and 8 Out of 10 Cats, after Unreported World, I’m not sure I’ll be in the right mood for singing and dancing kids, an unpredictable human experiment and Jimmy Carr!

Saturday 12th ITV1 – 18:15
THREE LIONS ON A SHIRT, JULES RIMET STILL GLEEAAMING
I don’t usually like football, but when England play I cant help but get involved, our first game of the season against the USA will be shown live in the World Cup Live, so get some burgers on the bbq and join the nationwide party. This is the only time I get into football so I’m allowed to be excited by it.

Sunday 13th Sky Movies Sci Fi/Horror – 19:20
To coincide with Frost Magazine’s new Retro film reviews I thought a lovely piece of retro cinema would be a brilliant way to end the week, so I bring you The Lost Boys. This 1987 vampire classic revolves around the lives of two brothers, Michael (Jason Patric) and Sam (Corey Haim) as they move to a new town supposedly over-run by vampires. As Sam befriends the self titled Vampire Hunter Edgar (Corey Feldman) the story thickens and after Michael starts showing the sign of vampirism, and with help from Ed, Sam goes on a hunt to seek out the head of a vampiric punk gang, played by a big haired Keifer Sutherland, in an attempt to save his brother. Full of brilliant 80’s humour and an awesome soundtrack, The Lost Boys is a must for any fan of the Retro.