UK: NEW CAMERON MACINTOSH MUSICAL THE WITCHES OF EASTWICK OPENS IN LONDON'S WEST END

Record ID: 389872

  • Title: UK: NEW CAMERON MACINTOSH MUSICAL THE WITCHES OF EASTWICK OPENS IN LONDON'S WEST END
  • Date: 14th July 2000
  • Summary: LONDON, UK (JULY 14, 2000) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) (SOUNDBITE) (English) MARIA FRIEDMAN SAYING "...What we really do, there's a bit in us that is missing and we project it onto somebody else, so it's not witchcraft, it's more projection." LUCEI ARNAZ SAYING "And it is a bit of playing with fire" JOANNA RIDING SAYING "There's certainly a bit of magic in there, we fly" LUCIE
  • Embargoed: 29th July 2000 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: LONDON, ENGLAND, UK
  • Country: United Kingdom
  • Topics: Entertainment
  • Reuters ID: LVACWGJ6RBKSW3A2PCTPMNU2E5RE
  • Story Text: The devilishly hot new Cameron Macintosh musical "The Witches of Eastwick" has opened in London's West End. The demonic tale of sorcery and seduction in small town America stars Ian McShane stars as the mysterious Darryl Van Horne and of course, the devil gets all the best tunes.
    London's West End has a new addition to it's wealth of musicals, but unlike many of them, this one is not a tragic love story, or a Disney-style children's tale. Musical comedy has made a welcome return to Theatreland in the shape of "The Witches if Eastwick". Producer Cameron Mackintosh was delighted by the audience reaction to the opening night: "I am always relieved after a first night, but its been a fantastic evening, the audience have had a wonderful time as they seem to have done since the first preview and I think everyone's relives and just get on and the show has been terrific and I'm gland everyone is enjoying a fun musical comedy again."
    This latest Mackintosh's latest venture is a stage adaptation of a familiar tale.
    The smash hit film version of "The Witches of Eastwick"
    featured a memorable performance from Jack Nicholson as Darryl Van Horne, and a delectable trio of witches played by Cher, Michelle Pfeiffer and Susan Sarandon.
    The new stage musical sees Joanna Riding, Lucie Arnaz and Maria Friedman conjure up the devilishly decadent stranger played by Ian McShane: "...What we really do, there's a bit in us that is missing and we project it onto somebody else, so it's not witchcraft, it's more projection, " 'Witch' Maria Friedman says.
    The three witches transform from frustrated small town frumps into sensuous vamps, all thanks to the influence of Van Horne. For Ian McShane, best known to British TV audiences as the lovable rogue Lovejoy, it is a challenging task - he has never starred in a musical before - but he is certainly enjoying the role: "It 's a great part to play, and also when you play a part like this you've got to get out there and do it, there's no half measures, you can't think I'll just go out there and give a little bit, when the orchestra strikes up, and some of the things you have to do, there's three seduction scenes, and then there's the mad scene with Dance With The Devil, he's the character that gets the whole town going, he gets everybody going in the whole town of Eastwick, and he raises their libidos as they say, libidos, he makes them aware that there's more to life than the dry cleaning shop every Friday," McShane says.
    With a top-tapping collection of dazzling musical numbers and some high-tech stage wizardry thrown in for good measure, "The "Witches of Eastwick" is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser, and such a spectacle doesn't come cheap - it has taken almost £5 million to realise the show. Previews have been going well,, and the show opens officially on the 18th July - but those who fancy taking in a little spellbinding entertainment better hurry, the show is already booking to next March.
    ---ENDS---
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