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BIRMINGHAM HIPPODROME 2008

22-04-2008

Mary (Laura Michelle Kelly) and Bert (Gavin Lee) during "Step in Time".

Between now and the end of the year, the Hippodrome’s showcasing award-winning West End musicals, Britain’s biggest pantomime, world-class opera and ballet, and a brand new international dance festival. Here are some of the highlights.

This spring, Birmingham Hippodrome and DanceXchange present the first INTERNATIONAL DANCE FESTIVAL BIRMINGHAM (28 April – 25 May) featuring everything from contemporary to classical dance, and from Bollywood to Salsa.

International Dance Festival Birmingham (www.idfb.co.uk) offers enthusiasts and newcomers alike the opportunity to see more than 35 performances from around the world, including works from acclaimed companies and choreographers including Akram Khan and the National Ballet of China, Australian choreographer Garry Stewart, Saburo Teshigawara and Robyn Orlin to name but a few.

Festival performances will be taking place across the city at Birmingham Hippodrome, the Patrick Centre, Birmingham Rep, the Ikon Eastside, Victoria Square and the Town Hall, with a few surprises in city centre shop windows!

Opening the festival at Birmingham Hippodrome is the mesmerising Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan (29 & 30 April) with Moon Water.

And, direct from a sell-out season in London, Havana Rakatan (1 – 3 May) turn up the heat with their sexy Cuban spectacular.  One of the major highlights of the International Dance Festival, the Kirov Ballet & Orchestra (21 – 24 May), make their debut at Birmingham Hippodrome with Balanchine’s Jewels, a colourful Gala Programme, and the Petipa masterpiece Don Quixote.

For further information and listings visit www.idfb.co.uk

Maintaining the international theme (though with tongue firmly in cheek), Birmingham Hippodrome welcomes the award-winning musical EUROBEAT (9 – 14 June) starring stage and TV personality LES DENNIS and Coronation Street star SALLY LINDSAY.

This Eurovision spoof, has been hailed as the first interactive musical, and, because every performance can have a different ‘winner’, the audience and performers are kept in suspense. Even Mr Eurovision himself Sir Terry Wogan (pre-recorded!) will be present on a giant screen to help whip the crowd into a Euro-phoric frenzy.

World class opera returns to Birmingham Hippodrome this summer with the award-winning WELSH NATIONAL OPERA (17 – 21 June) presenting a brand new production of Verdi’s spectacular Aida, the distinguished conductor Carlo Rizzi conducting An Evening of Rossini, and the world premiere of Carbon 12 – A Choral Symphony - a celebration in song of South Wales’ unique history, landscape and people.

BIRMINGHAM ROYAL BALLET, resident at the Hippo, continue to present the best in world-class ballet this summer (25 – 28 June) with performances of the ever-popular Giselle and the spectacular Stravinsky: The Real Deal triple bill.

MARY POPPINS (10 July – 27 September), presented by Disney and Cameron Mackintosh, has a three month summer run. Adapted from the stories of PL Travers and the classic Walt Disney film.

West End producer Bill Kenwright presents the Willy Russell masterpiece BLOOD BROTHERS (20 October – 1 November) - one of the most successful musicals of all time, which has scooped no fewer than seven Tony awards on Broadway.

Performing on the Birmingham Hippodrome stage for the first time this autumn is LES BALLETS TROCKADERO DE MONTE CARLO (5 – 8 November). This company of professional all male dancers, known as ‘The Trocks’, blend brilliant comic timing with a passionate love and knowledge of dance and will amaze audiences with their en pointe dancing, wit and charm.

Following the success of Birmingham Royal Ballet’s “Ballet-Hoo” project in 2006, televised by Channel 4, a new company of 104 young people from four local authorities in the West Midlands perform a brand new musical CHASING FATE (17 & 18 Oct). 

In partnership with Birmingham Hippodrome and Leaps and Bounds, the young people will work with a professional team including Artistic Director Chris Key (current Resident Artistic Director of the West End hit Avenue Q), scriptwriter James Hall (who has worked on The Bill and Eastenders), Amy Rogers (who has just finished working as casting associate for Doctor Who and Torchwood) together with lifecoaches and pastoral care staff. All will come together to create this brand new piece of musical theatre.