STAR-STUDDEN CONCERT CELEBRATION “MY FAVORITE THINGS: THE RODGERS & HAMMERSTEIN 80TH ANNIVERSARY CONCERT” TO PLAY LONDON’S THEATRE ROYAL DRURY LANE FOR ONE NIGHT ONLY
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Rick Miramontez / Aaron Meier
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ON TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, PLEASE
STAR-STUDDED CONCERT CELEBRATION
WITH 40-PIECE ORCHESTRA
“MY FAVORITE THINGS: THE RODGERS & HAMMERSTEIN 80TH ANNIVERSARY CONCERT”
TO PLAY AT LONDON’S
THEATRE ROYAL DRURY LANE
FOR ONE NIGHT ONLY ON DECEMBER 12, 2023
To download high-res art click HERE.
New York, NY (September 12, 2023) – Today, The Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization announced My Favorite Things: The Rodgers & Hammerstein 80th Anniversary Concert. Featuring a 40-piece orchestra and international stars of the stage and screen, the gala will be presented on December 12, 2023, at London’s newly restored Theatre Royal Drury Lane – the same venue that premiered the original West End production of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma!
Directed and staged by Tony Award-winning director and choreographer Christopher Gattelli (Lincoln Center Theater’s The King and I, South Pacific), the celebration of the historic partnership of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II will showcase original arrangements of the most iconic songs from Oklahoma!, Carousel, South Pacific, The King and I, Cinderella and The Sound of Music. In addition, treasures from Allegro, Flower Drum Song, Pipe Dream and State Fair will be performed, some making their U.K. premiere.
Headline artists will be announced in the coming weeks; the landmark event will feature the 40-piece Rodgers & Hammerstein Concert Orchestra, conducted by Simon Lee, along with a West End chamber choir, dance ensemble and surprise guest appearances.
Tickets go on sale to the general public on September 22 at 11AM UK at RH80Concert.com, where you can also register for priority presale access.
“I am thrilled to unite stars across the film, television, theatre and music communities to honor Rodgers & Hammerstein’s incredible legacy,” said Christopher Gattelli. “As the first composers to infuse storytelling into song and dance on stage, their work is always a joy to be a part of. With so many beloved classics and rarely heard gems, there is truly something for all ages to enjoy, and we have some exciting surprises planned for what is set to be a once-in-a-lifetime theatrical event.”
“80 years after first premiering their work, Rodgers & Hammerstein are recognized as one of the most successful songwriting partnerships in musical theatre history,” said Imogen Lloyd Webber, SVP at Concord Theatricals on behalf of The Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization. “They brought many of their hit musicals to the Drury Lane, including Oklahoma!, Carousel, South Pacific and The King and I, and it is an honor to celebrate the milestone in this meticulously reimagined theatre.”
Presented by The Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization, the concert is produced by Concord Originals, Kilimanjaro Live/JAS Theatricals and Trafalgar Entertainment.
BIOGRAPHIES
After long and highly distinguished careers with other collaborators, Richard Rodgers (Composer, 1902-79) and Oscar Hammerstein II (Librettist/Lyricist, 1895-1960) joined forces in 1943 to create the most successful partnership in American Musical Theatre. Prior to joining forces, Rodgers collaborated with lyricist Lorenz Hart on musical comedies that epitomized wit and sophistication (Pal Joey, On Your Toes, Babes In Arms and more), while Hammerstein brought new life to operetta and created the classic Show Boat with Jerome Kern. Oklahoma!, the first Rodgers & Hammerstein musical, introduced an integrated form that became known as “the musical play.” Their shows that followed included Carousel, South Pacific, The King and I and The Sound of Music. Collectively, the Rodgers & Hammerstein musicals have earned Tony, Oscar, Grammy, Emmy, Pulitzer and Olivier Awards. The Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization is a Concord Company, www.concord.com.
Christopher Gattelli is an acclaimed director & choreographer. He received the Tony, Drama Desk, and Outer Critics Circle awards for his choreography of Disney’s Newsies and won the Joe A. Callaway Award for Altar Boyz. He has also won the Lucille Lortel Award for Dogfight, Altar Boyz, and Bat Boy: The Musical.
As a director/choreographer, his production of Silence! The Musical was included in TIME Magazine’s list of Top 10 Theater, and Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas premiered at The New Victory Theater in collaboration with the Jim Henson Company.
Broadway choreography credits include My Fair Lady (Tony, OCC nominations), The SpongeBob Musical (Tony, Drama Desk, OCC nominations), The King and I (Tony, OCC nominations), South Pacific (Tony, OCC nominations), The Cher Show (OCC nominations), and many others. His work in London includes The King and I (Olivier nomination), and he choreographed My Fair Lady at the Sydney Opera House, directed by Julie Andrews.
On film, Gattelli’s work includes Hail, Caesar!, Isn’t It Romantic, and the live captures of Newsies and The King and I. His animated feature The Monkey King released on Netflix in 2023, and his work will next appear in Wonka, directed by Paul King and starring Timothée Chalamet and Olivia Colman. In television, his choreography of the series Schmigadoon! (Apple) earned him Emmy nominations in 2022 and 2023. He has also choreographed for the shows Miracle Workers (Hulu), and Bupkis (Paramount).
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