Dale Vaughan, front, with Monica Frost and Matthew Warry, in a scene from Pick Me Up Theatre’s Next To Normal. Picture: Joanna Hird
A DYSFUNCTIONAL American family musical, a spirited band of newsboys, a madcap murder mystery and a bakery burlesque night confirm variety is the spice of Charles Hutchinson’s arts life.
American musical of the week: Pick Me Up Theatre in Next To Normal, Theatre@41, Monkgate, York, tonight to April 4, 7.30pm except Sunday and Monday; 2.30pm matinees, Saturday, Sunday and April 4
ANDREW Isherwood directs York company Pick Me Up Theatre in Brian Yorkey and Tom Kitt’s Tony Award-winning musical exploration of family and illness, loss and grief as a suburban American household copes with crisis and mental illness.
Dad is an architect; Mom rushes to pack lunches and pour cereal; their daughter and son are bright, wise-cracking teens but their lives are anything but normal, because Mom has been battling manic depression for 16 years.Next To Normal presents their story with love, sympathy and heart. Box office: tickets.41monkgate.co.uk.
Freida Nipples: Baps & Buns on board a baguette at Rise@Bluebird Bakery
Cabaret of the week: Freida Nipples presents Baps & Buns Burlesque, Rise@Bluebird Bakery, Acomb, York, Friday, 8pm, doors 7pm
YORK’S queen of burlesque, Freida Nipples, swaps teas for tease as she turns the bakery cafe into a cabaret joint for a night of fun, frolics and freedom of expression in all shapes and sizes.
On the fabulously zesty menu will be Donna Divine, Ezme Pump, Callum Robshaw and Freida herself, hosted by Harvey Rose. Box office: bluebirdbakery.co.uk/rise.
Tribute show of the week: The Supermodels, Kirk Theatre, Pickering, Saturday, 7.30pm
BACK by popular demand, The Supermodels return to Pickering with hits aplenty from the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s, from The Who to Led Zeppelin, Abba to A-ha Abba, ELO to Queen, Erasure to Oasis. The show is “guaranteed to put a smile on your face”, but book promptly because a sell-out is predicted. Box office: 01751 474833 or kirktheatre.co.uk.
The Snake Davis Trio: Jazz, soul, tales and banter at Helmsley Arts Centre
Jazz gig of the week: The Snake Davis Trio, Helmsley Arts Centre, Saturday, 7.30pm
SAXOPHONIST to the stars Snake Davis teams up with his best buddies, trumpet player Johnny Thirkell and guitarist Mark Creswell, for a night of gorgeously mellow musicianship infused with jazz, soul and pop. Expect beautiful tunes, fascinating tales and bags of banter. Box office: 01439 771700 or helmsleyarts.co.uk.
Whodunit of the week: Murder For Two, Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough, Saturday to April 18
JOE Kinosian and Kellen Blair’s fast-paced musical whodunit is a madcap murder mystery with a twist, performed by two actors, Tom Babbage and Lucy Kierl , who play 13 characters between them, plus the piano, as they put the laughter into manslaughter.
When famous novelist Arthur Whitney is found dead at his birthday party, it is time to call in the detectives, but they are out of town. Enter Officer Marcus Moscowicz, a neighbourhood cop who dreams of climbing the ranks. Here is his chance to prove his super sleuthing skills and solve the crime before the real detective arrives. Box office: 01723 370541 or sjt.uk.com.
The clock is ticking: James Bye, left, Shvorne Marks, Natalie Casey and Grant Kilburn in 2:22 A Ghost Story, on tour at the Grand Opera House, York
Supernatural thriller of the week: 2:22 A Ghost Story, Grand Opera House, York, March 30 to April 4, 7.30pm and 2.30pm Wednesday and Saturday matinees
“THERE’S something in our house. I hear it every night. At the same time,” says Jenny, who believes her new home is haunted, but her husband Sam is having none of it. Whereupon they argue with their first dinner guests, old friend Lauren and new partner Ben. Can the dead really walk again? Belief and scepticism clash, but something feels strange and frightening and is moving closer. Only by staying up until 2:22 will they know the answer.
James Bye, Shvorne Marks, Natalie Casey and Grant Kilburn perform Uncannyand The Battersea Poltergeist podcaster Danny Robbins’s supernatural thriller, the Best New Play winner at the 2022 WhatsOnStage Awards, on its return to York. As secrets emerge and ghosts may or may not appear, dare you discover the truth? Box office: atgtickets.com/york.
Black Sheep Theatre Productions on Parade in the rehearsal room for next week’s musical at the JoRo
The other American musical of the week: Black Sheep Theatre Productions in Parade, Joseph Rowntree Theatre, York, April 1 to 4, 7.30pm plus 2.30pm Saturday matinee
PRESENTED by York company Black Sheep Theatre Productions under the direction of Matthew Peter Clare, Jason Robert Brown and Alfred Uhry’s stirring Tony Award-winning musical explores love and hope against the odds, set against a backdrop of political injustice and rising racial tension.
Leo Frank, a Brooklyn-raised Jew, is put on trial for murder, but when the world seems against you, receiving a fair trial might prove impossible. Box office: 01904 501935 or josephrowntreetheatre.co.uk.
Beth Steel’s Sandy and Jonathan Stockill’s Danny in Ryedale Youth Theatre’s production of Grease The Musical
‘Word’ of the week: Ryedale Youth Theatre in Grease The Musical, Milton Rooms, Malton, April 1 to 4, 7.15pm plus 2pm Thursday and Saturday matinees
EACH Easter, Ryedale Youth Theatre welcomes up to 70 young people to participate in a theatre production. This time the show will be Grease, featuring book, music and lyrics by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey and songs from the 1978 film by arrangement with Robert Stigwood.
Ryedale Youth Theatre heads back to the summer of 1959 at Rydell High to follow the epic love story of Danny and Sandy. Here come the T-Birds and Pink Ladies, hot rods and timeless songs, such as Summer Nights, We Go Together and Greased Lightning. Box office: yourboxoffice.co.uk.
In Focus: Be Amazing Arts in Disney’s Newsies Jr, Joseph Rowntree Theatre, York, tomorrow to Saturday, 7.30pm plus 2.30pm Saturday matinee
Be Amazing Arts’ cast for Disney’s Newsies Jr, this week’s production at the Joseph Rowntree Theatre, York
YORK audiences are invited to seize the day this week as Malton company Be Amazing Arts brings the high-energy, crowd-pleasing musical Disney’s Newsies Jr to the Joseph Rowntree Theatre.
This spectacular youth production features a cast of 60 young performers from the Ryedale and York area, aged seven to 18, who will share the unforgettable music, dynamic choreography and inspiring story after months of dedicated rehearsals.
Written by Harvey Fierstein (book), Alan Menken (book) and Jack Feldman (lyrics), Disney’s Newsies The Musical was adapted from the 1992 film, premiering at the Paper Mill Playhouse, Milburn, New Jersey, before hitting Broadway in 2012.
Packed with moving numbers, bold dance routines and a powerful message of courage and unity, Newsies Jr follows a spirited band of newsboys as they fight for what is right against New York City’s powerful newspaper publishers.
In the news: Be Amazing Arts cast members rehearsing for Disney’s Newsies Jr
Promising to be an uplifting theatrical experience for audiences of all ages, the production will showcases not only the performers’ talent but also their commitment, teamwork and passion for live theatre.
Be Amazing Arts specialises in providing young people with the opportunity to work in a professional theatre environment while developing industry skills both on and off the stage. From performance and technical theatre to teamwork and discipline, participants gain invaluable experience that builds confidence and creativity in a supportive yet professional setting.
Creative director Roxanna Klimaszewska says: “Our cast has worked incredibly hard to bring this show to life. Their energy, dedication and enthusiasm have been inspiring. We cannot wait for the people of York to see what these amazing young performers have achieved.
“Be Amazing Arts strives to inspire the next generation, keeping at the heart of everything they do, making work with, for or by young creatives.”
Box office: 01904 501935 or josephrowntreetheatre.co.uk.