Taboo and Spice Girls Launched today

[Nickhutson]

The Taboo musical is launched today:

A press release I got today says:

"Hosted at Brixton’s Club House, TABOO will be performed in an intimate club setting for the first time when it is reprised at the venue in September.

With an enhanced script currently in production, the venture is receiving the full artistic support of many of the original cast, and tomorrow many of them will meet for the first time in a decade – and an opportunity for interviews has arisen (which, given how hectic schedules are, is unlikely to again).

The creative team includes:

Director and co-creator - Christopher Renshaw; Original book writer - Mark Davies Markham; lyricist – Boy George and his writing partner Kevan Frost and thier great friends and fellow Blitz attendees, co-costume designer Mike Nicholls; hair and make up designer Christine Bateman (as well as being a very close friend of her Boy George’s, Leigh Bowery was also married to her sister) and designer Frank Thompson."


Spice Girls:


The Spice Girls will reunite later for the launch of a new musical featuring songs from their back catalogue.

Victoria Beckham, Geri Halliwell, Melanie Chisholm, Emma Bunton and Melanie Brown will appear in public for the first time since their reunion tour in 2008.
Entitled Viva Forever, the West End show is the brainchild of producer Judy Craymer, the woman behind the ABBA musical Mamma Mia.
Comedian Jennifer Saunders has written the script which is based around the Spice Girls' songs but will feature a contemporary story using a TV talent show as a backdrop.
It will open at London's Piccadilly Theatre in December.
Over the weekend Victoria Beckham flew in from her home in Los Angeles.
She tweeted: "Travelling to London today!! Song of the day "Spice Up Your Life"!!"
The Spice Girls shot to fame following their debut single Wannabe in 1996 and went on to have a string of UK number one hits including Say You'll Be There, Spice Up Your Life and 2 Become 1.
With their nicknames, Scary, Baby, Ginger, Posh and Sporty, given to them by the British media, the Spice Girls became a cultural phenomenon and went on to sell 75 million albums worldwide.
In 1998, Geri Halliwell left the group which continued as a foursome until 2000.
Since splitting up, each member of the group initially pursued solo music careers.
More recently Victoria Beckham has found success as a fashion designer.

(Sky News Website: http://news.sky.com/home/showbiz-news/article/16253275)

[FrontRowDress]

Viva Forever promo on you-tube
Viva Forever teaser

[Princeton Returns]

Not a huge fan of the artwork

[bob8rich]

The Spice Girls repertoire of songs is pretty much the antithesis of what I enjoy musically, so I won't be entering that show in my diary at any point lol. (especially as I love Abba's music and still HATED Mamma Mia!)

But I loved Taboo when I saw the original tour production and the score is full of stunning songs - so will definitely be making the trip to Brixton.

[rockyhorrorfan]

Can't wait to see Taboo again. Saw it at The Venue in London (with Boy George as Leigh Bowery) and on tour.

Viva Forever is one to be avoided like the plague. Hope it flops and we get rid of it from the West End soon.

[songanddanceman2]

Artwork looks like something from the Olympics and the story about a girl group and tv talent shows and them only picking one girl blah blah blah sounds so don to death.

However, Taboo i am uber excited about

[jaqs]

Excited for Taboo too, local for me making it extra better.

[Jonwo]

I like the logo for Viva Forever! but the story doesn't sound great on paper but we'll have to wait and see,

[Phantom of London]

Full page advert for 'Viva' in today's Evening Standard.

Nothing to get excited about, Mamma Mia and Jersey Boys work primarily because they both have great books and the music by Abba and The Four Seasons, which have a lot of disposable income, on the other hand the Spice Girls musical appeals to more to the under thirties: first mortgage/rent, university debts, car loans, pension payments etc.

[sparepart973]

Any clue who are the actors in the workshop footage? I didn't recognize any of them.

[Nickhutson]

"...the Spice Girls musical appeals to more to the under thirties: first mortgage/rent, university debts, car loans, pension payments etc."

Like Wicked does...

[bob8rich]

Well, I'm 60 - and I love Wicked. lol

And I have a number of friends under 30 who hate the Spice Girls music too. I don't think you can ever generalize about any show's appeal. I think it's a case of you like something because you like it - not because of fitting into a certain demographic.

[rockyhorrorfan]

Paul Baker is reprising his Olivier-winning role of Phillip Salon in Taboo.