In this week’s issue of The Stage, Broadway diva Idina Menzel talks to Mark Shenton about her new album, I Stand:
In the past year I have turned down a few opportunities, because I really think there’s a stigma around theatre people trying to do pop music. So I wanted my record label and the music industry to know that I wasn’t going to disappear because I got some role. Music is very, very important to me and I want to get out there and play my music — it’s what I am, a songwriter and musician, as well as an actress.
Also this week:
Rehearsal Rooms supplement: Find the best places for your arts body to develop work, from amateur theatre greoups, to opera and caompanies. Plus, advice on choosing venues with adequate facilities in desirable locations
Danny Lee Wynter, currently playing the Fool in King Lear at Shakespeare’s Globe, writes for The Stage about his experiences of making his stage debut — from research and understanding the role to dealing with stage fright, storms and sausage rolls
We reveal the shortlist for The Stage’s Special Achievement in Regional Theatre Award, to be presented at the Theatrical Management Association Theatre Awards on October 26
Insight: Following a wet summer and with the country in the grip of a financial crisis, country festivals and shows have struggled to draw in the crowds. Are there difficult times ahead for entertainers working in the sector?
As the impact of the financial crisis is felt throughout most industries, what would be the effects of a recession on entertainment — and who would be the ultimate winners and losers?
Maggie Brown on media: Channel 4’s decision to pull out of radio will have little impact on the existing media world — but ITV is in the withdrawal game
Dillie Keane: What all families of would-be thespians want to know is: what does a young actor need to succeed?
Dear John: “As a more mature applicant for drama school, should I be taking a different approach to the audition process?”
Freddie Starr’s career has seen more extreme highs and lows than most, and now the veteran comic, notorious for his unpredictable and anarchic shows, is back on tour. He talks to The Stage about hos his manic side is alive and well and his ongoing bitterness towards the TV world
With roles as wide-ranging as the romantic lead in Jane Eyre to an icy Bond villain, Toby Stephens has carved out a varied career. He talks to The Stage about his new ITV1 drama series, Wired, and the impact his parents have had on his career
Performing can be a dangerous profession when it comes to stunts, special effects or just repeating the same physical movements night after night. Surgeon Simon Moyes, who has treated many West End performers, and actor Charles Edwards recount their experiences and impart their advice for avoiding injury
Backstage Focus: From the Dublin Theatre festival to the Abbey’s refurbishment and the Association of Irish Stage Technicians, Geoffrey Joyce summarises backstage news from Ireland
Almost 30 years after the project began, John Mortimer talks about adapting Brideshead Revisited for ITV’s classic serial version, and speculates on the difficulties facing the current BBC Films adaptation, in cinemas now
The Stage is available from major newsagents every Thursday, price £1.40 — or you can subscribe at http://www.thestage.co.uk/subscribe
Leave a comment