The Barn Theatre has announced an all-star West End line up for their fifth virtual concert, The Barn Theatre Presents: The Music of Annabel Mutale Reed, which will celebrate the work of musical theatre playwright, lyricist and director Annabel Mutale Reed.
The concert, which will be hosted by Barn Theatre producer Jamie Chapman Dixon, is the fifth edition of the Barn Theatre in Cirencester’s virtual concert series, The Barn Presents:, which celebrates the work of British musical theatre writers.
Annabel Mutale Reed, who is mentored by legendary Tony award-winning composer, librettist and record producer Claude-Michel Schönberg, is known for her musicals such as the critically-acclaimed STOP (with Leo Munby) as well as her collaborations with composer Jack Trzcinski. Annabel is also known for her directorial work, which includes the recent concert production of Zorro! The Musical at London’s Cadogan Hall.
Legendary award-winning composer Claude-Michel Schönberg will be making a special guest appearance in the concert. He will be chatting about mentoring Annabel and her collaborators as well as why he thinks it is so important to champion new musical theatre writing.
Alongside Annabel Mutale Reed, the concert lineup includes: Natalia Brown (Motown), Ali Ewoldt (The Phantom of the Opera, Les Misérables), Jemal Felix (Kinky Boots, The Book of Mormon), Danielle Fiamanya (& Juliet, The Color Purple), Connor Going (The Choir of Men), Gabrielle Lewis Dodson (The Boy Friend, 42nd Street), Sam Oladeinde (The Prince of Egypt, Hamilton), Kathy Peacock (Les Misérables), Jack Remmington (The X Factor), Sharon Rose (Hamilton, Caroline, or Change), Robin Simões da Silva (Spring Awakening), Anton Stephans (The X Factor), Leah St Luce (Mamma Mia!, Beautiful), 2020 musical theatre graduate Meesha Turner and Amelia Walker (SIX).
The concert will be made available on the following link on YouTube: https://youtu.be/-J_fZmCq4eM
The Barn Presents: The Music of Annabel Mutale Reed will debut on the Barn Theatre’s Facebook and YouTube channels on 11 July 2020 at 7:30pm BST. The concert will be released on the Barn Theatre’s Facebook and YouTube channels and will see Annabel Mutale Reed chat with Barn Theatre producer Jamie Chapman Dixon about her career so far, the creation process behind her songs and special appearances from some of the performers, to discuss their experience rehearsing and recording from home. Annabel will also be joined by Leo Munby and Jack Trzcinski to discuss their collaboration processes and the concert will also feature a special guest who will be announced at a later date.
This concert will bring the total to six British musical theatre writers that have been celebrated as part of the series, with previous virtual concerts celebrating the music of Welsh married award-winning song-writing team Daniel and Laura Curtis, Scottish award-winning composer Finn Anderson, who was recently announced as The Cameron Mackintosh Resident Composer from April 2020, the award-winning musical theatre composer and book writer Elliot Davis, and Amies & Clements, the award-winning composing team behind the musical Tomorrow, Maybe.
The series forms part of the Barn Theatre’s Behind The Barn Door live streaming service. Set up in March, when the theatre had to temporarily close following government guidance, the service includes a full recording of the Barn Theatre’s critically-acclaimed 2019 Built by Barn production of William Shakespeare’s Henry V, directed by Hal Chambers and starring Aaron Sidwell (EastEnders, Wicked) and Lauren Samuels (Bend It Like Beckham, We Will Rock You).
The Barn Theatre (registered charity no. 1174253) have launched their SAVE OUR BARN campaign, via their website and social media platforms, to ensure the Barn Theatre’s survival.
