At a recent announcement by the Wales Millennium Centre, as it approaches its second birthday party, Chief Executive Judith Isherwood was extremely up-beat and positive about the great theatre’s future as she welcomed the millionth audience member through the door of the building, a Mr Steven Downes from Merthyr Tydfil, a head of a school in Cardiff. He will receive a surprise reward worth over £1000.There was an inscrutable smile on her face as she indicated she was searching out ever new paths to travel down, to discover more ways in which the centre could bring increasingly fine examples of world theatre to Wales and even more intriguing how the WMC could help in putting Welsh culture at the centre of the world stage. The world’s most favourite airline hostess, Pam Ann flies in for just one night on Sunday 27th August with her unique brand of sassy camp bitchiness and tales of the skies. From the 15th September ‘til the 7th Oct. the Welsh National Opera returns with an exciting and contrasting bill of Puccini’s La Bohème, The Return of Ulysses by Monterverdi, Wagner’s Tristan and Isolde and their ever-popular great show for audiences new to opera- Chorus! For further information on tour dates and times etc. visit www.wno.org.uk Returning from San Francisco and the Novello Theatre in London’s West End the centre’s own production of Glamorous Night, The Musicals of Ivor Novello will run again on Sunday 10th September. Following the run-a-way succes of My Fair Lady another great West End Musical, Guys and Dolls arrives 10 – 28 October, opening its touring run prior to its Broadway showing. Jimmy Carr has already practically sold all the seats for his return on October 22. And on the 31 October 2006 singer/songwriter Marti Pellow isn’t far behind him. There’s a return of the Youth Urban Rock Tour on 25 October. On 29 October the centre, in conjunction with Cardiff International Festival of Musical Theatre, will present Gypsy. Stars for this 2006 Cardiff concert version will be announced in September. JONES + JONES + JONES on the 3rd November be part of this historic event as the WMC attempts to break the Guinness World record for the largest gathering of people with the same surname! The Centre will present a variety performance created and directed by Stifyn Parri to celebrate 70 years of Wales Young Farmers’ Clubs 5 November 2006 Let there be Music - RAF In Concert follows on 07 November 2006 with David Essex on the 08 November 2006 and a concert from the popular ‘people’s tenor’ Russell Watson the next evening 09 November The finals of the BBC Choir of the Year will be held at the centre. Choirs will compete in one of four category finals: Youth Choirs - Saturday 11 November 2.30pm, Adult Choirs - Saturday 11 November 7.00pm, Children’s Choirs - Sunday 12 November 2.30pm, Open Choirs - Sunday 12 November 7.00pm Shan Coti, one of the stars of Glamorous Night returns in The Wales Theatre Company’s revival of Amazing Grace, 14 – 18 November with Peter Karrie and directed by Michael Bogdanov. The star and the director have recently completed a summer run of Fiddler On The Roof at Aberystwyth. If they come up with the same quality here Amazing Grace could be on the way to becoming the first great international Welsh musical! The centre opened on November 30 2004 with an HSBC sponsored performance ‘ Cymry for the World’ where the centre paid honour to the work of Richard Burton, Dames Gwyneth Jones and Shirley Bassey, Sian Phillips and Alan Hoddinott. Birthday celebration on the 26 November will be a second HRBC Cymry for The World presentation, honouring four more Welsh show-business celebrities, to be announced on Sunday 10th September. It is expected that these celebrations will play a regular part in the WMC annual calendar. Kirov Opera, Mariinsky Theatre Ring Cycle 30 November 2006 Das Rheingold 1 December 2006 Die Walküre 2 December 2006 Siegfried 3 December 2006 Götterdämmerung This production has now sold out. Katherine Jenkins will perform famous classical arias, show-tunes and well-loved Welsh songs, accompanied by the National Symphony Orchestra conducted by Anthony Inglis 6 December 2006 - 8 December 2006. Christmas Presence with Hayley Westenra, Howells Girl’s School choir plus celebrity guest, conducted by Andrew Greenwood follow the WMC’s Christmas Fayre on 9 December. Cardiff is set to experience the first ever-authentic Bollywood music and dance show direct from Film City, Bombay. The Merchants of Bollywood, 12 – 17 December The Imperial Ice Stars return to Wales Millennium Centre after last year's sensational production of THE SLEEPING BEAUTY ON ICE, and present their new production SWAN LAKE ON ICE as part of a world tour 21 December 2006 - 07 January 2007 Once again the WNO will open up 2007 and the canny Judith Isherwood is promising Acorn Antiques in the following summer. There’s an even more eclectic mix in the, UWIC sponsored Weston Studio demonstrating that the WMC is equally committed to small-scale theatre as it is to major international events. A fast and furious comedy of manners, The Double Inconstancy by The London Classic Theatre on 12 -14 October. One of the best live acts on the world music scene, Slovenia’s Terrafolk will be in concert on 15th October. The Unknown Theatre Company presents Just So... on the 20 & 21st October. Ola Onabule presents a night of jazz-tinged blues, soul and funk 22 October. Arad Goch present their charming tale Hel Meddyliau on the 23rd October Rebecca Carrington and her partner, cello Joe, call in on the 24th October. Kipper TIE’s all new foot stomping country music show for kids, Hillbilly Goats Gruff appear on Nov 1st. Award-winning Welsh company Green Ginger return with RUST 3 & 4 November. Llandaff Musical Society brings Gilbert and Sullivan to the WMC for the first time, with The Mikado 6 –8 November Llwyfan Gogledd Cymru presents Branwen A trilingual show (English, Welsh and Irish) with translation throughout. 14 &15 November. Gwent Theatre’s new work, by Patrick Jones, Sing to Me will be on the 17 November. Welsh National Opera present their new teenage opera Sweetness and Badness 22nd November. Odyssey Theatre returns with their well-known brand mayhem and chaos in A Dickens Of A Christmas, 30 Nov – 2 Dec. A Theatr Mwldan / Opera Cocktail Co-Production of A Knife at the Opera on the 3 December. Gwent Young People’s Theatre return with Arnold Wesker’s The Wedding Feast on the 4th December. An evening of stories, music and song for the panto season, It’s Behind You by tales from beyond The Border 7th December. Wales Millennium Centre resident company Hijinx Theatre, bring their latest work Estella’s Fire to the studio 8 & 9 December. David Roche & Caroline Parker An exceptional double-bill featuring two of the world's best disabled performers. 11th December. Plus free events! INCUBATER, supported by the Colwinston Charitable Trust, supports and develops new Welsh writing talent. This inaugural season presents: 26 – 28th October The Bankrupt Bride, a musical comedy from Theatr na n’Og. 9 –10 November Llwyfan Gogledd Cymru presents Ni does gennym hawl ar y ser by Iwan Llwyd charting the final days of the poet Hedd Wyn. |
| Wales Miillennium Centre web site: www.wmc.org.uk |
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Saturday, August 26, 2006 |
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