Episode details

Radio 2,08 Jul 2023,50 mins
Tell It To Steve - The Greatest Stars Of The Musicals
Radio 2 Remembers Steve WrightAvailable for over a year
Interviews recorded across the past 20 years, with some of the biggest and best-loved stars to ever appear in musicals鈥� In order of appearance: Michael Ball (November 2003) 鈥� he鈥檇 recently spent 16 months playing 鈥楥aractacus Potts鈥� in Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang at the London Palladium, and is now turning his attention to a new album and an accompanying UK tour. Julie Andrews (October 2019) 鈥� Julie has just published the book Home Work: A Memoir Of My Hollywood Years, and shares stories from it about Walt Disney, her husbands Tony Walton and Blake Edwards, and Dudley Moore, as well as looking back on what she was like as a young actress. Idina Menzel (April 2013 / December 2014) 鈥� having already made her name on both sides of the Atlantic, playing the role of 鈥楨lphaba鈥� in Wicked, these excerpts of interviews come either side of the release of Disney鈥檚 animated film Frozen and the small matter of a song called Let It Go! Elaine Paige (November 2008) 鈥� EP has published a book looking back on the first 40 years of her career called鈥� Memories! And regular Steve Wright In The Afternoon co-host Joyce (aka The Old Woman) is on hand to really take Elaine down Memory Lane, with a revealing story. Beverley Knight (November 2015) 鈥� Cats is being staged for a limited run at the London Palladium, and it鈥檚 now Beverley playing the role of 鈥楪rizabella鈥� and singing Memory. This followed on from leading roles in the West End productions of the Bodyguard and Memphis. Judi Dench & Ian McKellen (December 2019) 鈥� two great actors that can鈥檛 exactly remember when their long friendship began, who also happen to be starring in a new movie adaptation of Cats. Michael Ball (June 2023) 鈥� Aspects Of Love is being staged again in London 鈥� at the Lyric Theatre, but this time Michael is playing 鈥楪eorge鈥� whereas back in 1989, he played 鈥楢lex鈥� 鈥� the nephew of George. It鈥檚 the musical that gave Michael his signature song Love Changes Everything and has also prompted him to write the memoir Different Aspects, where he looks back at his career between the two productions.
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