Latest news with #PhantomOfTheOpera
CNA
2 hours ago
- Entertainment
- CNA
We went on a backstage tour of The Phantom Of The Opera
Have you watched The Phantom Of The Opera yet? The Singapore run ends on Jun 22 at Marina Bay Sands' Sands Theatre. But before it wraps up, lead actress Grace Roberts, who grew up in Singapore, took us backstage where we discovered a few things that might surprise even the most hardcore fans of the musical.
CNA
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- CNA
CNA938 Rewind - The Phantom of the Opera vs Raoul – a cna938 chat!
CNA938 Rewind In 'Culture Club', Melanie Oliveiro speaks with key cast members of the long running West End and Broadway musical 'The Phantom of the Opera' by composer Andrew Lloyd Webber. Ben Forster talks about how he plays the disfigured, romantically tortured soul The Phantom – a role he considers one of the biggest honours of his life. Matt Leisy talks about his onstage character Raoul who's battling The Phantom for the heart of Christine Daaé, a talented soprano. The Phantom of the Opera is now staging at MBS' Sands Theatre until 22 June 2025.
Daily Mirror
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Remember Monday 'sign 7 figure deal' despite Eurovision nul points flop
Remember Monday, who represented the UK at this weekend's Eurovision, are said to have signed a seven-figure deal with Andrew Lloyd Webber, despite receiving nul points at the contest. Britain's Eurovision entry Remember Monday may have flopped out of this weekend's 69th song contest with zero points from the voting public, but it's not all doom and gloom for the three-piece girl band. The group, which is made up of Lauren Byrne, Holly-Anne Hull and Charlotte Steele, all 30, are said to have signed a £1M deal with musical theatre impresario Andrew Lloyd Webber. "Andrew is genuinely excited by Remember Monday – he really does think they have something special, both in their vocal capabilities and with their stage presence," a source told the Daily Mail as they assured the music icon was 'impressed' by the band. Adding that Lloyd Webber doesn't see their lack of votes as a failure, they said, "He is utterly convinced they can go from strength to strength as a result of Eurovision." The partnership isn't so out of the blue, with Remember Monday having quite the musical theatre pedigree, with Holly-Anne even previously starring in the West End's Phantom Of The Opera. Hailing from Hampshire, the group rose to fame on the 2019 series of The Voice UK, where they were steered by mentor Jennifer Hudson. Despite impressing fans on the talent show, the group's Eurovision appearance six years later didn't seem to hit the same spot for the public. Singing their track What The Hell Just Happened? during Saturday night's song contest in Basel, Switzerland, the group may not have received any votes from the public, but did get 88 from the professional jury. This left the group in 19th place out of 26 countries, with Austria's JJ reigning victorious for his performance of the song Wasted Love, which scored him 436 points in total. And proving the lower place didn't get them down, the group later said in an official statement, "WOW - what a ride! Three best mates walked onto the world 's biggest music stage and came out with a Top 10 Jury score, massive streaming numbers, and memories that will last a lifetime. "Performing at Eurovision was one of the most surreal and emotional moments of our lives. The love we've felt from fans, our incredible team, and everyone who streamed, voted, and believed in us has been overwhelming." Adding that there's plenty in the pipeline, they continued, "This is just the beginning for Remember Monday. We've got new music coming your way, a UK & Ireland headline tour this year, a summer packed with festivals, and we'll be hitting the stage at Wembley Stadium for the Summertime Ball… no big deal! We're so grateful for the platform, the media support, and every single new fan who's joined us on this wild journey. Eurovision? Completed it. Let's go!"
BBC News
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
What the hell happened to UK Eurovision entry Remember Monday?
Oh no, not the third year in a row, the UK has crashed out at Eurovision, taking 19th place out of a possible feels particularly cruel this time because our contestants, Remember Monday, got a lot of things notably, they could sing – and I mean, really, really Holly and Charlotte hit every harmony in their song, What The Hell Just Happened, with pinpoint precision, drawing on a decade of West End experience that's seen them star in everything from Matilda to Phantom Of The toe-curling performances from Olly Alexander in 2024 and Mae Muller in 2023, their vocals were as strong as a lion's roar. So strong, in fact, that they caught the attention of former Eurovision winner Conchita Wurst."Harmonising on the Eurovision stage has hardly worked out in the past, but they're spot on," he enthused before the final."Their confidence is incredible. You immediately trust them, because when you feel the artist is nervous, you get nervous as a viewer. But they are just so light and so sharp."So what went wrong? The chief culprit, if I'm honest, was the song.A manic mish-mash of musical styles, it sped up in the verses, and slowed down for the choruses, with all the consistency of a jelly in a not to say it's a bad piece of writing. Indeed, all of the UK's 88 points came from professional juries of songwriters, whose job it is to recognise compositional have recognised all the clever British touches the band crammed in – Elton John-style piano crescendos, a Beatles-esque mellotron riff, and a vocal callback to George Michael's Freedom ' lyrics were clever and witty, too. Reminiscent of Katy Perry's Last Friday Night (TGIF), or If I Were a Bell from Guys and Dolls, it was all about the drunken mistakes you make while trying to get over an ex."Broke a heel, lost my keys, scraped my knee / When I fell from the chandelier."In three short minutes, the trio rattled off half a dozen memorable hooks, endowed with the unbreakable bond of their as seasoned Eurovision watcher Jonathan Vautrey noted in a review last month, the song was simply too busy."It's hard to latch on to exactly what they're selling when you're too busy reeling from the constant whiplash of hearing an almost brand new song every 30 seconds," he wrote on the Wiwibloggs fansite."Although I've been able to settle into the entry overtime, and now appreciate the theatricality of it all, first impressions matter at Eurovision."That's an opinion I heard more than once. But still, I had hope. Catching a tram to Basel's St Jackobshalle arena on Saturday, I was stopped by a Swedish woman who'd spotted my UK media wanted to tell me how she'd dismissed Remember Monday's song when auditioning this year's Eurovision songs on Spotify. Then she saw their spirited performance in the semi-final "and I understood".Good enough for one vote, then. So why didn't more people connect with it?The staging was put together by Ace Bowerman, who is one of the UK's most respected creative directors – responsible for Blackpink's Born Pink world tour and Dua Lipa's lockdown spectacular, Studio before the final, she told me the performance deliberately made a virtue of the girls' friendship."As soon as I met them, I was like, 'Please be my friend!'" she told me,"They are electric people, they have such a special bond. So the one thing I want everybody to take away from the performance is how much fun they are – because the audience will want to be their friends as well."It was camp and fun, but lacked the scale of Finland's Erika Vikman, who soared above the audience on a giant phallic microphone, or the drama of Austrian winner JJ, who was tossed around the stage in the stormy sea of his own emotions. "The UK's staging wasn't flat at all but, as with the song, it was maybe a bit too much," says Alexander Beijar, Eurovision reporter at Finnish broadcaster Yle."It was like, we have three minutes, and we'll show you everything we can do on this stage: We'll start in bed, we'll dance on a chandelier, we'll strut down the catwalk, and we'll end up in the bed again in the end."I think maybe tone it down just a nod for next year. "Then again, as a Finn, with the biggest microphone you can find in the whole of Switzerland, maybe I shouldn't give advice!" Was it political? And what about that wrinkly old Eurovision chestnut: Politics?Vote trading is an age-old tradition at the contest. Since Sweden first took part in 1958, for example, more than one-fifth of its votes have come from Norway, Finland, Denmark and the situation is complicated. Political tensions persist in the Balkans, "but the cultural connections seem to have trumped the political divisions", Dean Vuletic, author of Postwar Europe and the Eurovision Song Contest, recently told the AFP news agency."I would say that this is because these countries do share a music industry." The UK's music industry isn't particularly well integrated with Europe, tending to ride roughshod over its less influential neighbours. When it comes to friendly neighbours, our reputation took a hit after Brexit - although Luxembourg has always been a reliable source of votes, for reasons that aren't 100 per cent here's the thing: You can only vote for a country in Eurovision, not against Monday were good, but were they good enough to make your personal Top 10? If so, then great – you'd have given them some points. Otherwise, it's a struggle to accrue any momentum. In the end, that was Remember Monday's fate: Another zero-point where does that leave the UK going into next year? Well, we laid good foundations. Remember Monday didn't come with a copycat Eurodance hit, or an insipid ballad. The vocals were strong. The staging conveyed personality. Their 88 points almost doubled last year's score - and marked the highest total we've achieved since 2017, Sam Ryder's second place victory in 2022 other words, we shouldn't be too down then on the UK's chances at Eurovision, as Scott Mills and Graham Norton discussed on Radio 2 this weekend."I thought they were spectacular, so I don't really mind where they place, because it's not embarrassing," said Mills."I'm with you," Norton agreed. "Whatever happens they walk away heads held high."And Mills cautioned against cynicism taking over."There's a section of fans [who] will complain every year, whatever the UK does: 'Oh, the song's too generic, the vocals aren't great.'"We could send Adele and they'd have something horrible to say."But the whole thing about Eurovision is that it's fun and it's joy through music… so please don't spoil it. Go and be miserable somewhere else."And that's exactly the attitude we need. The UK's never going to attract world-class talent if all we do is look down on the contest and approach it with a defeatist attitude. Luckily, three people have already put their names in the ring for next year."Listen," said Remember Monday's Lauren Byrne when I bumped into her backstage on Thursday."If we do really badly, we're just gonna keep coming back until we win."We'll remember, Remember Monday. See you in Vienna next year.
Scottish Sun
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Pop band Remember Monday hire therapist ahead of Eurovision as British hopefuls reveal plan to combat hate-filled trolls
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) ON Saturday night, British girl band Remember Monday will walk on to the Eurovision stage in Basel for the biggest performance of their career. More than 160million people globally are expected to tune in to watch as 26 bonkers, brilliant and beautiful acts battle it out in Switzerland to be crowned the champion of the world's biggest music contest. Sign up for the Entertainment newsletter Sign up 6 Remember Monday are the first girl group to represent the UK at Eurovision since Precious who finished 12th in 1999 Credit: Corinne Cumming/EBU 6 The trio are will perform their rousing, theatrical song What The Hell Just Happened? Credit: © Sarah Louise Bennett The all-female trio are preparing for the crucial three-minute performance of their rousing, theatrical song What The Hell Just Happened? But as I speak to them during rehearsals, Lauren Byrne, Charlotte Steele and Holly-Anne Hull make it clear they won't let any outside noise, or the all-important scores on the night, get to them. Lauren, 30, tells me: 'You just have to accept as an artist that what you do isn't going to be loved by everyone. 'There are people out there that don't like Taylor Swift. I think they're a bit crazy, but they do exist. So, you know, we can't be for everyone and that's fine.' The three met in sixth form in Hampshire and are the first girl group to represent the UK since Precious, who finished 12th in 1999 with Say It Again. Holly, 30, explains: 'We're a band that have been together for over 14 years and we pride ourselves in our genuine friendship. I think that's our superpower — how much we love each other and no matter what happens, we'll still be solid at the end of it. 'We're absolutely buzzing that this is an experience we get to do together. Who else gets to do this with their two best mates?' It is a refreshing take given 2023 entry Mae Muller said she was unable to get out of bed after coming second to last, while 2024's Olly Alexander, who came 18th, said his best advice to this year's hopefuls was: 'Get a good therapist.' So have they taken that tip? Lauren says: 'Yeah. I think everyone should have a therapist. And we do. We're very lucky that we do. Rylan makes VERY awkward gaffe during first live Eurovision semi-final 'But we do also think, there's three of us and we're each other's best friends as well as work colleagues.' Holly adds: 'There's no better therapy than just talking it out with each other and having a girly night, unloading and things like that. So we are very fortunate that we're in that position.' They insist they feel 'very well looked after' but also believe their background in theatre means they have thicker skin than most. Holly has performed in West End productions of Phantom Of The Opera and Les Miserables, while Lauren has starred in Six: The Musical and Matilda. Meanwhile, Charlotte, 31, made her West End debut aged ten as Jane Banks in a production of Mary Poppins. She says: 'We're used to high-pressure situations where we don't have much rehearsal and we've got to still deliver. We're used to being extremely nervous.' That said, she confesses: 'The nerves definitely exist, but I think that's normal. It means we care. BIG CHALLENGE 'And with there being three of us, we are able to share the load. If one of us is really stressed and nervous, it kind of balances out and we can get each other into good spaces. 'The overriding feeling is excitement.' The challenge might even be more stomach-churning than performing for the late Queen, as Holly did in 2006 at Windsor Palace as a member of the National Youth Music Theatre. With a laugh, she says: 'You have this ridiculous amount of confidence that you lose as you get older. 'When I was 11, I was the most confident little thing in the world and I couldn't wait to sing for the Queen and shake her hand. 'I was in a costume, because I was in a musical. I was a woodlander. I didn't have shoes on. 'She said to me, 'Oh, why don't you wear your shoes, dear?'. And I was like, 'Because that's part of my costume'. ' The group have built a hardcore fanbase, helped by appearing on ITV show The Voice in 2019. They gained a strong supporter in Jennifer Hudson, their mentor on the talent contest, who is publicly backing them in the contest. 6 The group have built a hardcore fanbase, helped by appearing on ITV show The Voice in 2019 6 Olly Alexander, 34, said his best advice to this year's hopefuls was: 'Get a good therapist' Credit: Getty They already have a 16-date tour of the UK and Ireland lined up for the autumn and have been praised for their grace and class, as well as their impressive vocals, in the lead-up to the final. But a lot rests on their position on Saturday's leaderboard. The UK has won the contest five times, most recently in 1997 with Katrina And The Waves' Love Shine A Light, and achieved a record 16 second-place finishes, the last of which was Sam Ryder's brilliant Space Man in 2022. But since 2000, we've finished last five times and only reached the top ten three times. That track record isn't stopping Remember Monday aiming for the stars. Asked if they will be bringing it home, Holly says: 'We obviously, genuinely, think we deserve to. I think we absolutely have the ability to, but who knows?' They hope to hit the top ten on the leaderboard, which would be an impressive achievement out of 26 entries. And they have promised to get matching 'WTHJH' tattoos, referencing the song title, if they reach the top five or score the dreaded nul points. Charlotte adds: 'The scariest thing is I want us to be proud of the performance and the only people that can control that is us. We'd love some lovely numbers to come up but that's not anything we can control. As long as we are proud of what we do on that stage . . . ' Last year's contest was dominated by protests, infighting and security fears, with heightened tensions among the fans and the acts over Israel's participation, amid the country's conflict with Palestine. Several acts, including the UK's Olly Alexander, condemned Israel but refused to boycott the contest. Last weekend, the European Broadcasting Union committed to a 'wider discussion' about the country's appearance at Eurovision in the future. However, Israel will still compete and is being represented by Yuval Raphael — a survivor of the October 7 attacks — with her rousing ballad New Day Will Rise, which is fifth in the bookies' odds. This year's acts have been told to steer away from discussing politics. In a diplomatic response when questioned about their position, Lauren explains: 'It's such a complex issue and that's really difficult to comment on in a little soundbite. Shattered chandelier 'Eurovision was literally created to celebrate . . . the slogan is United by Music and we're so excited to be here and be meeting all the acts and participating in such an amazing competition.' Charlotte adds: 'We just try to focus on what we're here to do, which is, hopefully do our country proud. 'Such a small number of artists get to represent their country.' On Tuesday, the first semi-final saw ten acts advance to the final, while another 16 will battle it out for the remaining ten spots in the second semi-final from 8pm on BBC One tonight. Automatically through are host nation Switzerland, plus Eurovision's Big Five — who contribute the most money to it — France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK. Despite already sure of their place, Remember Monday are due to perform their entry tonight — dancing around a shattered chandelier in pastel outfits. Then they will have just 48 hours until Saturday's grand final, on BBC One at 8pm, with Graham Norton commentating. Sweden's male trio KAJ are favourites to win with their ode to saunas, Bara Bada Bastu. 6 Lauren in Royal Shakespeare Company's Matilda The Musical Credit: �Manuel Harlan 6 Holly in Phantom of The Opera in London's West End in 2023 Credit: Alamy Austria's JJ, with a high-pitched opera-inspired song, Wasted Love, is second in the latest bookies' odds. Currently at number 18, the UK are outsiders in this year's contest — which is sponsored by Royal Caribbean Cruises. But anything could happen. For now, Remember Monday are shutting that out and focusing on their plan to put on the performance of their lives. Holly adds: 'Our ritual before the show is the three of us having a moment alone. 'Just us three, to check in with each other and remind each other how far we've come and the amazing thing that we're about to do. 'Like, if our 16-year-old selves knew what we were doing now, what would they say?' I'm sure they'd be very, very proud.
