Chichester Festival Theatre announces new online musical spring season

Chichester Festival Theatre is promising a musical spring with streamed and livestreamed events.
Celebrating SondheimCelebrating Sondheim
Celebrating Sondheim

It will feature Facing The Music interviews with Sheila Hancock, Philip Quast, Patricia Routledge, Imelda Staunton and Giles Terera streamed to audiences at home, plus an encore screening of Celebrating Sondheim.

Patricia Routledge, Philip Quast, Imelda Staunton and Giles Terera join writer and broadcaster Edward Seckerson to discuss their lives in musical theatre, illustrated by treasured recordings, in a new series of Facing The Music interviews streamed from Chichester Festival Theatre in February and March. Sheila Hancock’s recent Damehood is celebrated with a repeat of her Facing The Music event from November.

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There’s also another chance to see the Celebrating Sondheim concert first broadcast last autumn – this time marking the composer’s 91st birthday on March 22– with Gabrielle Brooks, Daniel Evans, Clive Rowe, Jenna Russell and Hannah Waddingham.

CFT artistic director Daniel Evans said: “While our theatres remain closed, our commitment to staying connected with our community is undimmed.

“Offstage, our adult weekly community classes continue to run online during lockdown, along with Little Notes music sessions for babies and toddlers, Chichester Festival Youth Theatre sessions and a new programme of weekly creative workshops for Young Carers.”

Coming up in the Facing The Music series:

Patricia Routledge, streamed as live, Wednesday, February 24 at 7pm. Patricia Routledge has acted in many productions at Chichester Festival Theatre over five decades, ranging from The Magistrate to Office Suite. She won a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her role in Darling of the Day on Broadway and an Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical for Candide with Scottish Opera; her many other musicals include The Pirates of Penzance and Leonard Bernstein’s 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in New York and Carousel at the National Theatre.

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Imelda Staunton, streamed as live, Wednesday, March 3 at 7pm. Imelda Staunton received Olivier Awards for Best Actress in a Musical for her roles in Sweeney Todd and Gypsy – both of which transferred from Chichester to the West End.

Giles Terera, streamed as live, Wednesday, March 10 at 7pm. Giles Terera won the 2018 Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical as Aaron Burr in the original London cast of Hamilton. His extensive musical credits include Avenue Q, The Book of Mormon, The Rat Pack, Jailhouse Rock, 125th Street and Rent in the West End and Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Candide and Honk! at the National Theatre.

Philip Quast, streamed as live, Wednesday, March 17 at 7pm. Philip Quast is renowned for his interpretation of Javert in Les Misérables in Sydney and London.

Sheila Hancock, encore stream, Wednesday March 24 at 7pm. Another chance to see Dame Sheila Hancock’s interview looking back at her musical theatre career.

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There will also be an encore stream of Celebrating Sondheim, Monday, March 22 at 7pm and on demand until Thursday, March 25

The event was staged last autumn to celebrate musical legend Stephen Sondheim’s 90th birthday year.

The CFT is also offering a diverse programme of weekly online activities. Get Into It! sessions offer adults the chance to stay connected to the theatre and to learn new creative skills, socialising online in a supportive environment; Little Notes sessions run weekly online during term-time: a perfect introduction to live music for ages 0-4, led by classically-trained opera singer and musician Mark Bradbury.

Online booking on www. cft.org.uk; tickets from £10.