As the world continues with social-distancing measures, and with theatreland on hiatus, many stars of the West End stage are getting creative at home and taking to social media with free clips, songs, and messages of support for fans, theatregoers, for their local communities, and in appreciation of key workers in the NHS and front-line services.
Adam Blanshay Productions are honouring this creativity by launching the initiative Newfound Hope Songs, uniting some of theatreland’s musical theatre performers and commissioning them to write and collaborate on new songs that move us, uplift us, inspire us, and entertain.
Stars already committed include Shan Ako (Les Miserables, The X Factor) John Dagleish (Olivier Award-winner for Sunny Afternoon), Kerry Ellis (We Will Rock You, Wicked, Oliver!), David Hunter (Kinky Boots, Once, Waitress), Cassidy Janson (Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, Leading Ladies, & Juliet), Rachel John (Hamilton, Memphis, The Bodyguard) Lucie Jones (Waitress, Eurovision Song Contest, Les Miserables), Josh Piterman (The Phantom of the Opera, Hairspray, The Ten Tenors), Joshua St. Clair (City of Angels, Kinky Boots, Wicked), and Jodie Steele (SIX, Heathers, Rock of Ages).
These performers will premiere their Newfound Hope Songs alongside other musical-theatre classics from hit productions past and present at a very special gala concert, with West End theatre and date to be confirmed in due course.
Accompanied by a live orchestra, these brand new songs will be orchestrated and conducted by the project’s co-conceiver and musical supervisor, international composer Matthew Brind.
All proceeds from this gala concert will be split evenly between the participating artists and the NHS Charities Together Covid-19 Urgent Appeal. NHS Charities Together unites more than 230 NHS charities across the UK, providing vital funds to hospitals, mental health trusts, community health trusts and ambulance trusts in support of major capital projects, pioneering research, medical equipment and much more.
Producer, Adam Blanshay says: “The live-entertainment world has been forced into standstill unlike any one has ever witnessed before. Despite this uncertainty and fear, we have been moved by many in the theatre community pulling together and taking to social media, offering their talent to help support the minds and souls of others and expressing their gratitude for those on the front line.
With Newfound Hope Songs we hope honour this good will, unite musical theatre talent, and inspire song-writing creativity during this time of reflection. In support of NHS Charities Together and participating performers, we are committed to staging this new work at a charity gala when theatres are able to reopen their doors, in what promises to be an uplifting and inspirational evening of fun, music, laughter and love.
My hope is that after the concert, these songs will live on to be sung far and wide by theatre fans alike, continuing to instil hope in people, and enabling people to look back at something positive that came out of the lockdown period.”
Ellie Orton, the CEO of NHS Charities Together says: “The message of hope in this initiative is so important at the moment, we need that hope and to have events like this to look forward to. It’s fantastic that at the same time it will raise funds to support NHS staff, volunteers and patients and deliver its own bit of hope to them.”
Theatregoers are encouraged to sign up at www.adamblanshay.com/nhsongs for more information and priority booking.
