Article
June 22, 2009
Rock Legend Brian May Closes Sell Out 1st Show For Kerry Ellis.
Spectacular Opening Night Finale For The Great British Songbook.
West End phenomenon Kerry Ellis and her Great British Songbook got off to a sensational start as Queen hero Brian May made a surprise appearance to close the show.
The rock guitarist emerged on stage while award winning vocalist Kerry performed Queen classic “Who Wants To Live Forever”, provoking a rapturous reception from the 400-strong audience. The duo then brought the concert to a climax in electrifying fashion, with “Crazy Little Thing Called Love.”
The finale on Saturday 20th June marked the first in a series of four dates that Kerry will play at The Shaw Theatre – further performances will follow on Sunday 21st June, Thursday 25th June and Friday 26th June. Brian also performed on Sunday night.
Brian and Kerry’s musical affiliation stems back to Queen and Ben Elton’s acclaimed stage show “We Will Rock You” at the Dominion Theatre, in which Kerry created the role of Meat in 2002. Since then, the pair have played at the 2008 Royal Variety Performance together, and they are now in the process of producing Kerry’s debut album. A sampler, “Wicked in Rock”, was released last year, and included re-imagined numbers from “Wicked”, the hit musical that gained Kerry a legion of fans on both Broadway and the West End.
Speaking after Kerry’s triumphant first night, Brian May said “We’re all thrilled that Kerry has stepped out on her own, after her huge success in the world of Theatre. In this one-woman show, she really doesn’t need me, but I’m happy to be the icing on her cake. The next priority will be to finish her solo album. Kerry absolutely rocks!”
Having departed the role of Elphaba in “Wicked” last month, Kerry Ellis Celebrates The Great British Songbook hails her first solo venture. Paying tribute to Britain’s leading composers and lyricists, the concert series features exciting new arrangements of classic material from musical maestros including Andrew Lloyd Webber, Paul McCartney, John Lennon, Tim Rice, Kate Bush, Queen, Noel Coward, Lionel Bart, Don Black, Anthony Newley and John Barry. Tracks from modern chart favourites Take That, Duffy, Snow Patrol, Coldplay and The Feeling will also be re-worked and showcased by Kerry in her own inimitable vocal style.
Aside from her ventures with Brian May and her internationally successful two and a half year spell in ‘Wicked’, last year Kerry played Svetlana in “Chess in Concert” at the Royal Albert Hall opposite Josh Grobhan, Adam Pascal and Marti Pellow, and most recently she recorded songs for a musical treatment of Terry Pratchett’s “Only You Can Save Mankind.”
A musical theatre stalwart, Kerry’s role as Meat in ‘We Will Rock You’ led to her taking part in the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Concert at Buckingham Palace. She has also played Fantine in “Les Miserables” at the Queen’s Theatre, Ellen in the national tour of “Miss Saigon”, and appeared in Trevor Nunn’s production of “My Fair Lady” at the National Theatre and Drury Lane, playing Eliza Dolittle opposite Jonathan Pryce on many occasions.
More concerts with major singers will be announced throughout 2009 in this special Great British Songbook season, devised by Neil Marcus. This latest show is directed by Steven Paling.
For further information or to request an interview with Kerry Ellis, please contact Justin Jeffreys at Taylor Herring PR on [email protected] or 020 8206 5151.