(CelebrityAccess News Service) – "Jailhouse Rock The Musical" based on Elvis Presley's classic 1957 film
is now confirmed to open at the Piccadilly Theatre in the heart of London's
West End. Previews will begin on March 26 with the Press Night
on April 19. Tickets go on sale December 10 with an initial booking period to September 18, 2004.
The show will be in previews in Plymouth at the Theatre Royal
(first preview February 20), before playing two weeks at the Palace
Theatre in Manchester (first night March 9).
Featuring a rich catalogue of 1950's rock 'n' roll classics, the show
tells the story of Vince Everett, a young man from the wrong side of the
tracks who discovers his own unique musical talent while doing time in
jail and emerges to become the world's greatest rock n' roll star, only to
discover that he is not ready for the pressures that money and fame can bring.
Now fully cast, Mario Kombou will make his West End debut in the lead
role of Vince. "Jailhouse Rock The Musical" has been adapted for the stage by the
writer/director team of Alan Janes and Rob Bettinson who with their first
collaboration, "Buddy," introduced the concept of the rock 'n' roll musical
to the West End. Running for 13 years in London and across the globe,
"Buddy'" set the benchmark, and heralded the recent successes of shows such
as "Mamma Mia" and "We Will Rock You."
Although set in the 1950's, "Jailhouse Rock The Musical" promises to be
much more than a nostalgia show. Says co-writer Alan Janes: "While the
story illustrates the music and changing social patterns of the period, it
is at heart a universal story: a challenge against authority and the
pursuit of one's own voice. It is a story that the young from all
generations can identify with."
Jailhouse Rock The Musical," co-written by Rob Bettinson and Alan Janes
and directed by Rob Bettinson, is based on the motion picture Jailhouse
Rock originally produced by Pandro S. Berman. Produced by Alan Janes and
René Sheridan and co-produced by Jonathan Alver and Stephen Dee, "Jailhouse
Rock The Musical" is a Theatre Partners, Jailhouse Company and Volcanic
Island production.
Tickets, which go on sale from December 10, will be priced between
GBP45.00 – GBP19.50. –Bob Grossweiner and Jane Cohen
