3 legendary divas - 1 sensational West End show
A dance spectacular, 'Divas', choreographed and directed by Olivier Award and Evening Standard Award-winning Peter Schaufuss, pays homage to three of the world's greatest icons - Edith Piaf, Marlene Dietrich and Judy Garland - in one stunning production. Featuring original recordings from 'La Vie En Rose' to 'Falling in?Love?Again' and 'Somewhere Over The Rainbow', 'Divas' celebrates each stars' art and individuality. Brilliant lighting and staging relive the glitz and glamour of Hollywood in an exhilarating show for the whole family. 'Divas' will have its?West End premiere at the Apollo Theatre in a strictly limited season from June 19 - July 5.
An international ballet star in the 1970s and 1980s on a par with Baryshnikov and Nureyev, Peter Schaufuss later became a modernising choreographic force as a company director, winning both the Olivier?and Evening?Standard?awards. He was named artistic director of the London Festival Ballet (now called the English National Ballet) in 1984; was the artistic director of the Deutsch Oper Ballet in Berlin from 1990 to 1994, when he became the artistic director of his native Royal Danish Ballet.
In 1997 he formed his own company. Today, he is probably best known in the UK for his controversial dance work, 'Diana, The Princess', a tribute to his friend, pupil and ENB patron, which premiered in Manchester in 2005. His last West End production was 'Satisfaction' in 2007, choreographed to the music of the Rolling Stones.
ACT?1:?Edith Piaf (1915 - 1963)
French cabaret singer whose signature tunes included 'Non, je ne regrette rien', 'La Vie en Rose' and 'Milord', Piaf was literally born in the gutter. With amazing effort and enormous talent, she became one of France's greatest ever stars. A victim of an awful childhood, Piaf was only 147cm in height. She ate and drank her way through life and indulged in alcohol and men in abundance. She lived life to the full - and paid the price. Broken, addicted to morphine, rheumatic and almost bald she had to force herself on stage to sing 'Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien' (I have no regrets)...
ACT?2: Marlene Dietrich (1901 – 1992)
German cabaret singer and actress whose classic films include 'The Blue Angel', 'Morocco' and 'Shanghai Express'. Dietrich turned to German cabaret and film early in her career. In 1930, she made her breakthrough with a lead part in the first German talking movie, 'The Blue Angel'. Immediately after the premiere she left her husband and child and followed the film director Josef von Sternberg to Hollywood and a seven-year contract with Paramount Pictures. During this period, Dietrich and von Sternberg created her glamorous image. After World War II, she performed as a celebrated entertainer the world over. She retired in 1976 to a reclusive existence and died in 1992.
ACT?3:?Judy Garland (1922 - 1969)
American cabaret singer and actress whose signature tunes include the immortal 'Over the Rainbow' and who film legacy features 'The Wizard of Oz', 'Meet Me in St. Louis' and 'Easter Parade'. Garland was introduced to show business at the early age of two when she performed in hundreds of live radio shows with her two older sisters. She was awarded an Oscar and nominated for several others. She won a special Tony Award for the first of three Broadway shows. She also recorded a host of singles and albums. 'Judy of Carnegie Hall' was awarded five Grammy?Awards in 1962, including Album of the Year.
The role as Dorothy in 'The Wizard of Oz' made her an overnight megastar, loved and admired by millions worldwide. But hiding behind her beautiful, self-assured appearance and her amazing voice was a shy and delicate young girl. No one had prepared her for the consequences of stardom, and soon drugs and alcohol became her solace in life. The rest of her career was a rollercoaster of scandals and comebacks.
DIVAS
Apollo Theatre
Shaftesbury Avenue
London
W1D 4ES
Nimaxtheatres.com/divas
