The OBC takes a bow (Barcelona, 2018)
© May ZircusUpcoming and past
Old Friends!
Following the triumph of Old Friends at the 2023 WhatsOnStage Awards where it won the Best Theatre Event Award, and the unforgettable all-star gala performance to celebrate the life and work of the great Stephen Sondheim at the theatre named after him in May 2022, Stephen Sondheim's Old Friends, devised and produced by Cameron Mackintosh, will open for 16 weeks only from 16 September 2023 - 6 January 2024 at the Gielgud Theatre with many of that Gala cast.
De Broadway a Hollywood
Great voices from the West End (Louise Dearman, Jeremy Secomb, Bradley Jaden and Gerónimo Rauch) will take us on a journey of the classic Broadway and tunes from the most iconic Hollywood movies. Alongside the Royal Symphony Orchestra in Seville, conducted by Alfonso Casado, this concert will also be an event to promote and support the local charity Asociación Nacional AFAR - Tickets on sale here
My Fair Lady in Concert (Liceu)
Considered the “perfect musical”, My Fair Lady, by Frederik Loewe, can be seen for the first time in Barcelona at the Gran Teatre del Liceu with two unique performances, on 22 and 23 July. The two-act musical premiered on March 15, 1956 at the Mark Hellinger Theater in New York City. It was later performed at the Broadhurst Theater and then at The Broadway Theater, where it was on the bill until 1962. The musical is based on George Bernard Shaw's comedy Pygmalion (1913) and features a libretto by Alan Jay Lerner. It tells the story of the transformation of Eliza Doolittle, a vulgar, talkative florist from the depths of London who ends up becoming a refined lady. The girl's life changes when a philologist, Henry Higgins, finds her one evening around Covent Garden while taking notes on the cockney accent and decides to teach her to speak correctly. She has previously bet with her friend, Colonel Pickering, that she will be able to turn that miserable girl into a distinguished lady of high society.
My Fair Lady in Concert (The Grange)
Considered the “perfect musical”, My Fair Lady, by Frederik Loewe, can be seen for the first time in Barcelona at the Gran Teatre del Liceu with two unique performances, on 22 and 23 July. The two-act musical premiered on March 15, 1956 at the Mark Hellinger Theater in New York City. It was later performed at the Broadhurst Theater and then at The Broadway Theater, where it was on the bill until 1962. The musical is based on George Bernard Shaw's comedy Pygmalion (1913) and features a libretto by Alan Jay Lerner. It tells the story of the transformation of Eliza Doolittle, a vulgar, talkative florist from the depths of London who ends up becoming a refined lady. The girl's life changes when a philologist, Henry Higgins, finds her one evening around Covent Garden while taking notes on the cockney accent and decides to teach her to speak correctly. She has previously bet with her friend, Colonel Pickering, that she will be able to turn that miserable girl into a distinguished lady of high society.
A Broadway Christmas in Barcelona
This year again, to welcome Christmas, L’Auditori immerses itself in the magic of musicals. The OBC has done its best to become a referent as experts on Broadway repertoire, to accompany the most intense emotions of musical theatre and the catchiest tunes of all times.
Alfonso Casado, the young Sevillian conductor based in London, will get us moving to the rhythm with all-time favourites from the most popular musical genre to rival his previous successes as conductor of the OBC, with works by Rodgers and Hammerstein (2015), Lloyd Webber (2017) and Bernstein (2018).
Alfonso Casado, conductor
Mariano Detry, stage director
Soloists:
Paulo Szot
Laura Osnes
Cor de Cambra de Granollers (Josep Vila Jover, choirmaster)
Cor Jove Amics de la Unió (Marta Dosaiguas Canal, choirmaster)
Les Misérables - The Staged Concert
Les Misérables: The Staged Concert is a 2019 British live stage recording of the 1980 musical Les Misérables, itself an adaptation of Victor Hugo's 1862 novel, filmed at the Gielgud Theatre in London's West End on 2 December 2019, and broadcast live to UK and Irish cinemas. Starring Michael Ball, Alfie Boe, Carrie Hope Fletcher and Matt Lucas, it was the final performance of the stage production Les Misérables: The All-Star Staged Concert, which ran for four months from 10 August.
"Golden Musicals" - with Sylvia Parejo
During this “cabaret”, Sylvia journeys through the history of Musical Theatre singing all the major hits from the “Golden era” of Musicals on Broadway - from Gypsy to My Fair Lady transitioning through Yentl and Cabaret.
"Premiere": From Broadway to Hollywood
Orchestra: Arts Symphony Ensemble.
Musical director: Alfonso Casado.
Stage director: Víctor Conde
Choreographer: Amaya Galeote
Premiere: From Broadway to Hollywood proposes, in the first place, a journey through all those melodies that live in our memory, but also those themes that have recently exploded in the new revolution of cinema and musical theatre. Classical film themes, musical theater standards, and melodies have somehow become popular through movies.
Alongside the Arts symphony ensemble orchestra and musical director Alfonso Casado, four of the best voices of English musical theater, dancers, choir singers, and a spectacular montage of light, sound, and projection to wrap those melodies of luxury and glamour, but at the same time, to do it in a surprising and unique way using the latest trends in technology and design.
So songs from Cats, Phantom of the Opera or My fair lady alongside Moulin Rouge, Pirates of the Caribbean, La La land, the greatest showman, and James Bond.
The classic Hollywood, the theatres of Broadway, the nights of premieres and glamour, the world that we imagine when sitting in a cinema, in a magical and unique night.
West End Does: Christmas
Start the festive season in style with this West End family extravaganza featuring stars of West End and Broadway performing songs and carols alongside our fabulous orchestra and gospel choir, Sing Gospel.
Hosted by the legendary Warwick Davis (Star Wars, Harry Potter) the concert will feature Broadway sensations Willemijn Verkaik (Wicked) and Eva Nobelzada (Miss Saigon); X Factor winner Joe McElderry (Joseph) and West End favourites Louise Dearman (Wicked); Ben Forster (Phantom); Jamie Muscato (Heathers); Emma Kingston (Evita) and Jade Davies (Phantom).
The concert will also be supporting the work of Make Wish Foundation UK.
BBC "Friday Night is Music Night"
Craig Revel-Horwood invites you to a fab-u-lous evening of music from the worlds of stage and screen.
Craig’s role as a Strictly Come Dancing judge is just a tiny part of the contribution he has made to the world of dance and musical theatre over the last 30 years. He’s worked as a performer, a choreographer and as director on the likes of Miss Saigon, Martin Guerre, Fiddler on the Roof, Guys and Dolls, Cats, Spend, Spend, Spend, Copacabana, Chess, Calamity Jane, Crazy for You, South Pacific, My One and Only and Sunset Boulevard… the list goes on and on.
Craig is joined by special guests and the BBC Concert Orchestra conducted by Alfonso Casado Trigo. BBC Radio 2 broadcasts from the Snape Proms as its weekly music show returns to Snape Maltings for a special edition of the programme in its 65th anniversary year.
"Candide" in Concert
A fun evening with Leonard Bernstein would inevitably lead at some stage to the piano, where the great man would fluently quote from anything from romantic symphonies to South American dances, Beatles songs, G&S, via possibly grand opera and Jewish Tango. But the thing is, he would connect them all up, and bring the whole world of music together in one glorious celebration of humanity. This is what Candide is like: a mad, clever, witty, optimistic riff on the best of humankind. Never has a Broadway show been more worked on and revised, and never has a madder idea been attempted – turning Voltaire’s stinging satire into musical theatre. But what shines through every time is Bernstein’s infectious, outrageous music. Voltaire’s blast against tyranny, snobbery and false moralising is clearly felt deeply by Bernstein. And he has the genius to keep you pinned to your seat riveted by its brilliance, while your toes will inevitably be wiggling in time with the rhythms.
A star-studded cast from Broadway and the West End will bring it all to life.
Narrator/Pangloss/Martin Richard Suart
Candide Rob Houchen
Cunegonde Katie Hall
Maximilian Charles Rice
Old Woman Rosemary Ashe
Paquette Kitty Whately
Cacambo/Governor/Vanderdendur/1st Agent Robert Murray
Chorus The Grange Festival Chorus
Orchestra Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra
Music Leonard Bernstein
Text Richard Wilbur
Conductor Alfonso Casado Trigo
Director Christopher Luscombe
Chorus Master Tom Primrose
Broadway at Pedralbes Festival
We celebrate the classic Broadway tunes with the Arts Symphony Ensemble lead by Cristian Chivu and 4 West End Soloists: Laura Tebbutt, Rob Houchen, Gerónimo Rauch and Sofia Escobar - Phantom of the Opera, West Side Story, Wicked, Les Misérables and many more
“A night on Broadway with OBC” A celebration of A. Lloyd Webber
Some of Webber’s works, such as Cats and The Phantom of the Opera, hit the stages of Broadway and have stayed there for 20 years! Cats have exceeded 7,000 consecutive performances and The Phantom of the Opera 12,000. In 1992, Barcelona was treated to a song written by him, which became a big hit: Amigos para siempre (Friends for Life). However, Lloyd Webber’s musicals are not about numbers: they are exciting, they stir up our emotions, they make us laugh, cry, love, etc. They are art in their purest form. Through fantasy, they connect us with the world around us, because they’re always about human emotions, although sometimes the main stars are cats.
Alfonso Casado, conductor
Mariano Detry, stage director
Celinde Schoenmaker, soloist
Joanna Ampil, soloist
John Owen Jones, soloist
Geronimo Rauch, soloist
Coral Sant Jordi
Cor Ciutat de Tarragona
“The Magic of Broadway at Christmas”
135 in the Choir, 75 in the Orchestra, 4 soloists - the greatest tunes of Musical Theatre, Christmas and Movies in one place
Alfonso Casado, musical director
Mariano Detry, artistic director
OBC - Barcelona Symphony Orchestra
Soloists:
Nina
Julia Möller
Ignasi Vidal
Gerónimo Rauch
Cor de Cambra de
Granollers
Cor Jove Amics de la Unió
Cor Infantil Amics de la Unió
Miss Saigon 25th Anniversary
On 22nd of September 2014 we celebrated the 25th anniversary of the opening of the show Miss Saigon in London. It was a very special night that reunited artists from both the original company and the current company on stage along with Cameron Mackintosh, Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boublil. Lea Salonga, Simon Bowman and Jonathan Pryce were also present performing some special numbers in the gran finale with special arrangements for the gala.
A DVD was released that can be purchased online on all major broadcasting platforms and shops.