UK: AUSTRALIAN POP STAR TINA ARENA MAKES HER LONDON WEST END DEBUT AS ESMERALDA IN SMASH HIT ROCK OPERA 'NOTRE DAME DE PARIS'

Record ID: 389678

  • Title: UK: AUSTRALIAN POP STAR TINA ARENA MAKES HER LONDON WEST END DEBUT AS ESMERALDA IN SMASH HIT ROCK OPERA 'NOTRE DAME DE PARIS'
  • Date: 23rd May 2000
  • Summary: LONDON, UK (MAY 23, 2000) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) CURTAIN CALL AUDIENCE APPLAUDING
  • Embargoed: 7th June 2000 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: LONDON, UK
  • Country: United Kingdom
  • Topics: Entertainment
  • Reuters ID: LVAF34E9QM6VRL3IQZB3SDR7A7LU
  • Story Text: Australian pop star Tina Arena made her London West End debut last night as Esmeralda in the smash hit musical "Notre Dame de Paris." The rock opera, based on Victor Hugo's novel "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" has already enjoyed phenomenal success across Canada and Europe.
    Quasimodo swung into London yesterday, giving 19th century French novelist Victor Hugo yet another musical hit after the worldwide triumph of "Les Miserables".
    The lavish musical of the Hunchback of Notre Dame has already attracted almost two million pounds in advance bookings.
    "Notre Dame de Paris" stars Australian pop star Tina Arena, whose album sales worldwide have topped four million, and Steve Balsamo, who achieved instant stardom in a London revival of Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Jesus Christ Superstar".
    Victor Hugo's sweeping tales have proved to be ideal musical material and "Notre Dame de Paris" has already broken box office records across Europe and Canada.
    British actress Sian Phillips who attended the premiere said "I saw this show in Paris about two years ago, I absolutely adored it and I'd been waiting for it to come here and I'd asked a friend to get me a ticket."
    The original French version was written by Italian Richard Cocciante and French Canadian Luc Plamondon.
    Plamondon said he was happy to see the show come to London.
    "I've been coming to London for over thirty years now and it's the perfect place for musicals, very impressive."
    British director Michael Winner's assessment of the British audiences reception of the musical was more skeptic.
    "The theatre is very difficult. I back a lot of theatre and most of it is not successful, so at the moment it's a great success because it hasn't opened and we all hope it will be a great success" he said.
    Other celebrities, like Dannie Minogue and Charlotte Church came to see Tina Arena. "I'm here to see Tina Arena. I'm dying to see her. I've heard some of the songs on the album, her voice is sensational"..."I like all kinds of music, but it's got two of my favourite singers in it, Balsamo and Tina Arena."
    Italian film star Sophia Loren also attended the premiere.
    "I just love all kinds of musical," she said.
    Tina Arena, famed for her recording of the Andrew Lloyd Webber hit "Whistle Down The Wind", is convinced "Notre Dame de Paris" will stand the test of time and if she's right, Sophia Loren may even come back to see it again..."In 5 years maybe. I'm sure it's still on."
    ENDS
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