CAST & CREATIVE TEAM
CAST
Connie Fisher – Ruth
Lucy van Gasse – Eileen
Michael Xavier – Bob Baker
Haydn Oakley – Frank Lippencott
Joseph Alessi – Chick Clark
Michael Matus – Valenti
Sevan Stephan – Mr Appopolous
Nic Greenshields – Wreck
Tiffany Graves – Helen
Annette Yeo – Mrs Wade & Violet
Paul Hawkyard – Officer Lonigan
Ensemble:
Natalie Moore-Williams, Katy Hards, Lucinda Lawrence, Lucy James, Frankie Jenna, Oliver Roll, Bob Harms, Peter McPherson, Matt Wilman, Giovanni Spanó, Liam Wrate, Alain Terzoli, Emily Goodenough
Connie Fisher, Ruth
Connie rose to fame playing the lead role of Maria in The Sound Of Music at The London Palladium having won How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria? Andrew Lloyd Webber’s reality TV show for the BBC.
As well as the national tour of The Sound Of Music Connie has starred in They’re Playing Our Song at The Menier Chocolate Factory.
She has appeared on television in Connie’s Musical Map of Wales for BBC Wales, Caught In A Trap for ITV and The Omid Djalili Show for the BBC.
In 2006 Connie released her debut album Favourite Things and features on the cast album for The Sound Of Music and the new West Side Story album.
Connie launched her latest album Secret Love in February 2009.
Lucy Van Gasse, Eileen
Training: Lucy gained her postgraduate in Opera & Vocal Studies from the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. On completing her Bachelor of Music from Cardiff University she was awarded the Sir Geraint Evans Award for Outstanding Performance.
Theatre: Lucy made her professional debut in the West End as part of the original cast of Love Never Dies (Adelphi Theatre) in which she covered and played the part of Christine Daae. She then went on to play the part of Frasquita in Carmen (Yvonne Arnaud) with Impact Opera.
Solo performances include Brahm’s Requiem; Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater (St Donat’s Art Centre); and From Wales to Broadway (Bridgend Arts Festival). Lucy also performed as part of the internationally acclaimed classical cross-over group Amici Forever in the UK and abroad.
Michael Xavier, Bob Baker
Michael trained at the Manchester Metropolitan University where he studied Acting.
Michael was nominated for 2 Olivier Awards last year; ‘Best Supporting Performance in a Musical’ (Wolf/Cinderella’s Prince – Into The Woods at The Open Air Theatre) and ‘Best Actor in a Musical’ (Oliver – Love Story at The Duchess Theatre, originated at Chichester Festival Theatre).
Other theatre credits include Curly in Oklahoma! (Chichester Festival Theatre), Sir Galahad in Spamalot! (Palace Theatre), Rock Hudson in Rock (National Tour & Oval House Theatre), Raoul in The Phantom Of The Opera (Her Majesty’s Theatre), Sky in Mamma Mia! (International Tour Original Cast), Freddy Eynsford-Hill in My Fair Lady (Theatre Royal, Drury Lane), Miss Great Plains in Pageant (Vaudeville Theatre and King’s Head Theatre), Nankipoo in The Mikado (UK Tour), Chris in Miss Saigon (Original UK Tour), Prince Florizel in Sleeping Beauty (Corn Exchange, Newbury).
Radio credits include Tony in West Side Story 50th Anniversary with Hayley Westenra as Maria (BBC Radio 2, Friday Night Is Music Night), Artie Green in Sunset Boulevard (Cork Opera House) with Michael Ball and Petula Clark for BBC Radio 2.
Recordings include Laurie in Little Women (Pelion Productions), Eagle in Thank You For The Music (West End International) and Soldier in Toys (Morrisey Productions). He has also recorded songs for young British Musical Theatre composers Michael Bruce (Unwritten Song), Tim Prottey-Jones (Chance In A Lifetime) and Craig Adams (Therese Racquin and Lift).
To read more, see photos and listen to Michael’s voice visit his website:
www.michaelxavier.co.uk
CREATIVE TEAM
Director – Braham Murray
Conductor – Sir Mark Elder (until 14 April)
Choreographer – Andrew Wright
Set & Costume Designer – Simon Higlett
Lighting Designer – Chris Davey
Sound Designer – Clement Rawling
Musical Director – James Burton
Braham Murray, Director
Braham Murray OBE is a Founding Artistic Director of the Royal Exchange Theatre Company for whom he has directed over 65 productions. From the Century Theatre, where he was Artistic Director, he became a Founding Director of the ’69 Theatre Company.
Braham’s recent productions for the Royal Exchange Theatre include The Glass Menagerie, which completed a national tour in 2008 and the world premiere of Haunted, which also completed a national tour and opens this November in New York as part of the Brits on Broadway season. He directed the World Premiere of Skellig, the opera, for The Sage, Gateshead. In 2007 he directed Brenda Blethyn in Alan Bennett’s Talking Heads for an Australian tour.
His autobiography The Worst It Can Be Is a Disaster is published by Methuen Drama. He received an OBE in January 2010 for services to drama.
Sir Mark Elder, Conductor
Sir Mark Elder has been Music Director of the Hallé since September 2000, during which time the orchestra’s considerable achievements have been recognised in significant awards, an enhanced international profile, and popular and critical acclaim.
He appears regularly with many of the world’s leading orchestras and in this country he enjoys close associations with the London Philharmonic and the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment. Sir Mark has appeared annually at the BBC Proms for many years including, in 1987 and 2006, at the televised Last Night of the Proms and, from 2003, in concerts with the Hallé.
Sir Mark Elder was knighted in 2008, and was awarded the CBE in 1989. He won an Olivier Award in 1991 for his outstanding work at English National Opera and in 2006 he was named Conductor of the Year by the Royal Philharmonic Society.
He will conduct the Hallé Orchestra for Wonderful Town from 31 March – 14 April.