Helena Blackman embarks on first solo UK tour
BBC ‘How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?’ finalist and West End star Helena Blackman is set to embark on a seventeen date UK tour with her first ever solo show Journey to the Past, a celebration of music from the wonderful world of classic animated movies.
The three month long tour will begin in Chelsea, London, on Sat 21 January before touring to cities and towns including Birmingham, Manchester, Stoke on Trent, Cardiff, Bath, Halifax and Helena’s home town of Southampton.
Since Disney’s first full length animated movie Snow White and the Seven Dwarves graced cinema screens in 1937, animated films have touched the hearts and lives of billions of people the world over. From the captivating 1950s portrayals of classic fairy tales such as Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty to the reawakening of the ancient Chinese poem Mulan and the romanticised retelling of the lost Romanov Princess Anastasia during the late 1990s, animated films have continued to enthral audiences old and new through their dreamlike imagery and use of some of the most famous and magical songs in the history of film. During the 1990s alone, 6 Academy Awards for ‘Best Original Song’ were awarded to animated films including Aladdin, Beauty and The Beast and Tarzan to name but a few.
Audiences are in for a treat as they hear songs written by some of the most famous songwriters of the stage and screen including Howard Ashman and Alan Menken, most famous for their collaborations on Disney classics including The Little Mermaid and Beauty and The Beast, Tim Rice and Stephen Schwartz, who has since gone on to write the lyrics for theatrical favourite, Wicked.
Helena will take her audience on a nostalgic ride through a wealth of timeless songs, including moving renditions of Disney Classics; ‘Part of Your World’ (The Little Mermaid), ‘Colours of the Wind’ (Pocahontas), ‘A Whole New World’ (Aladdin); songs from Disney’s latest animated fairytale Tangled and the Oscar Winning Beauty & the Beast; and songs from An American Tail, The Land Before Time, Thumbelina and the show’s title song ‘Journey to the Past’ from Anastasia; as well as many, many more. The intimate performance, with Helena just inches from her audience, is sure to have most reliving the soundtrack of their youth, whilst allowing younger generations to discover these enchanting musical numbers for the very first time.
Helena Blackman first captured the nation’s attention and the unfailing support of Andrew Lloyd Webber on the BBC’s ‘How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?’. Since then, Helena has gone on to headline the acclaimed UK tour of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s South Pacific and starred in the West End première of Stephen Sondheim’s Saturday Night. Helena released her highly successful debut album ‘The Sound of Rodgers & Hammerstein’ in February 2011, launching the album with a concert at the Delfont Room in London’s West End. Subsequently, she toured the UK as a guest artist with number one charting classical singer Jonathan Ansell, rounding off the year on a high with a stunning performance of the songs from her album at the prestigious Elgar Room at the Royal Albert Hall.
Helena said: “I’m truly delighted to do my first tour as a solo artist and sing songs that I have loved all my life that I know so many other people love, too. I have such fond memories of all of these films, and can’t wait to share those with everyone on the tour.”
More information and Full booking details for all venues on the tour can be found at www.journeytothepasttour.com
Helena Blackman: Journey to the Past is produced by Speckulation Entertainment. www.speckulationentertainment.
PERFORMANCE DETAILS
HELENA BLACKMAN - JOURNEY TO THE PAST
Saturday 21 January The Pheasantry, Chelsea, London 08456 027017
Friday 27 January Maidstone Pizza Express
Saturday 28 January Farnham Maltings
Friday 3 February Southampton Turner Sims 0238 059 5151
Saturday 4 February Bath Chapel Arts Centre
Wednesday 8 February Halifax Square Chapel
Thursday 9 February Stoke-on-Trent Regent Theatre 0844 871 7649
Friday 10 February Chetham’s School of Music, Manchester 0161 838 7244
Saturday 11 February New Wimbledon Theatre Studio 0844 871 7646
Saturday 18 February Gloucester Guildhall
Saturday 25 February Birmingham Conservatoire 0121 303 2323
Saturday 3 March Aylesbury Waterside Theatre
Thursday 8 March Epsom Playhouse
Thursday 22 March Greenwich Theatre
Saturday 31 March Arts Depot, Finchley
Saturday 7 April Cardiff Millennium Centre
Thursday 12 April Redditch Palace Theatre
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