It has been announced that the twentieth anniversary concert tour of Rent has extended into 2014 with Kerry Ellis returning to play Mimi. The show will open at the Hackney Empire on Thursday 30th January, running until Saturday 1st February before visiting Southampton, Northampton, High Wycombe, Leicester, Guilford, Cambridge, Dartford, Swansea, York, Bournemouth, Birmingham and Aberdeen.
The show initially toured the UK earlier this year in April for 10 dates starring Kerry Ellis and Nikki Davis-Jones. Last month it was revealed that the show will return in November starring Atomic Kitten's Natasha Hamilton and Rory Taylor.
Speaking about Rent during a recent interview with West End Frame, Kerry said "The audiences went crazy and we had nightly standing ovations. It was great to be part of something so iconic. Rent contains a collection of every relationship imaginable which is why people can relate to it so easily. To sing those songs was just amazing, they still feel so fresh! I have loved Rent since it first opened, I still remember going to see it, and I've never had the opportunity to be part of the show so this concert version has been ideal for me!" Click here to read the full interview.
Since understudying Martine McCutcheon in Cameron Mackintosh's production of My Fair Lady in 2000, Kerry Ellis has gone on to have the most incredible career. She originated the role of Meat in We Will Rock You and was the first British actress to play Elphaba in both the West End and Broadway productions of Wicked. Kerry has also starred in some of the most iconic West End shows, her credits include playing Ellen in Miss Saigon, Fantine in Les Misérables and Nancy in Oliver! Kerry has also worked closely with Queen’s Brian May over the years. Together they released an album entitled Anthems and have toured the UK several times.
Set in the East Village of New York City, Rent is about falling in love, finding your voice and living for today. Winner of the Tony Award for Best Musical and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, the musical has become a pop cultural phenomenon with songs that rock and a story that resonates with audiences of all ages. Based loosely on Puccini's La Boheme, the show follows a year in the life of a group of friends struggling to make it in the big city under the shadow of HIV/AIDS.
The full cast will be announced over the coming weeks.
Tickets for the new dates go on sale at 10am on Friday 12th July 2013.
Visit www.rentinconcert.co.uk for further information.
Follow @West_End_Frame
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