"Theatreland" is London's main theatre district and it contains approximately 40 venues located in and near the heart of the West End of London. It is traditionally defined by The Strand to the south, Oxford Street to the north, Regent Street to the west and Kingsway to the east; but a few other nearby theatres are also considered to be a part of "West End" (for example The Apollo Victoria Theatre in Westminister). The works staged there are predominantly musicals, classic and modern plays and comedy performances.
Much like Broadway in New York, West End is one of the most popular tourist attractions in London, with gross sales and attendance numbers constantly rising. Also, (again, much like Broadway) most famous of the performances here are musicals, with the most popular being: Les Miserables, The Phantom of The Opera, The Lion King, Matilda and Mamma Mia!
Les Miserables
"Do you hear the people sing?"
Les Miserables on West End is actually the longest-running musical in the ENTIRE WORLD. That's impressive, isn't it?
The story is set against the backdrop of 19th century France and tells about "broken dreams and unrequited love, passion, sacrifice and redemption – a timeless testament to the survival of the human spirit." We follow the main character - ex-convict Jean Valjean - who is hunted for decades by the ruthless policeman Javert after he breaks parole. When Valjean agrees to care for factory worker Fantine’s young daughter, Cosette, their lives change forever...
The Phantom of The Opera
"Listen to the music of the night"
Now, that's a musical for the lovers of drama and Ominous Opera Capes™. Based on a novel (just like Les Miserables), this musical is is a thrilling and romantic account of the legendary Phantom, a musical genius who dwells deep beneath a majestic opera house in Paris. Shunned by society for his horrible facial deformity, he takes a promising young soprano, Christine, under his wing and grooms her for operatic fame, all the while falling deeply in love with her. As Christine grows ever more successful, and a handsome young man from her past begins to successfully court her, the Phantom descends into a jealous rage and terrorizes the opera company with increasingly dangerous threats.
The Lion King
"Never forget your pride"*
*it's funny because "pride" like in "consciousness of your dignity" and "pride" like in "a group of lions" get it? Oh, I love puns...
The Lion King is obviously based on the iconic Disney movie that nearly everyone knows by heart, so there's not much plot-wise that I can say about it. It is comprised of the songs we all know and love, accompanied by spectacular visuals, definitely worth seeing.
Matilda
"To change the world, it takes a little genius"
This one is also based on a novel; it tells a story of Matilda - a precocious 5-year-old girl with the gift of telekinesis, who loves reading, overcomes obstacles caused by her family and school, and helps her teacher to reclaim her life. Matilda has received widespread critical acclaim and box-office popularity, winning seven 2012 Olivier Awards, including Best New Musical—at the time, the most such awards ever won by a single show.
Props to all those talented kiddos dancing and singing on the stage for 2 hours a day...
Mamma Mia!
"Here we go again"
This jukebox musical (a musical using previously released songs as its score) is based on the songs of ABBA and the London production is currently the 8thlongestt-running show in West End history. This musical tells a story of Sophie - a bride-to-be - wanting to find out who her father was. She invites 3 possible candidates to her wedding behind her mother's back, hijinks ensue.
As you've probably noticed, this musical has had its film adaptation, starring - among others - Meryl Streep, Colin Firth, and Amanda Seyfried.
Of course, those are not the only musicals popular on West End. As on Broadway, The Book of Mormon, Wicked and, recently, Hamilton keep attracting more and more viewers.
That would be all considering Broadway and West End theatres, I hope you enjoyed it! See you soon!
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