Dreamboats and Miniskirts brings the Swinging Sixties back to Liverpool with a performance at the Cavern

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Provided By: Liverpool Empire Theatre

Cast perform at the world-famous Cavern Club during International Beatles Week

60s Rock and Roll spectacular Dreamboats and Miniskirts opened at the Liverpool Empire last night.

The show is here until Saturday, and they couldn’t have picked a better week to Twist and Shout their way into Liverpool.

International Beatles week takes place this week and, to celebrate, the cast performed a number of well-known smash-hit songs from the show at the world famous Cavern Club.

The sequel to the popular Dreamboats and Petticoats which was set in the 1950s, Dreamboats and Miniskirts moves on a decade and to the next period in pop history.

The show is heavily inspired by the advent of the Beatles and the Merseybeat sound, which features heavily throughout the show.

Expect a whole lot of nostalgia, as the show is bursting with hits from the Merseybeat generation including Do You Love Me, Hippy Hippy Shake, Be My Baby, Twist and Shout, Louie Louie, The House of The Rising Sun and many more.

Dreamboats and Miniskirts is happiness guaranteed!

The show plays at the Liverpool Empire until Saturday August 29.

Dreamboats and Miniskirts bringing the swinging 60s back to Liverpool

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Provided By: Liverpool Empire Theatre

Dreamboats and Miniskirts has returned to theatres to showcase the greatest hit songs of the 60s, and is touring the Liverpool Empire Theatre until Saturday August 29.

It is the sequel to Dreamboats and Petticoats, which premiered in Bromley in 2009, and became a musical phenomenon having played to more than two million people across the UK. Inspired by Universal’s multi-million selling album series which now boasts seven double compilation albums and a myriad of one off special releases!

It’s 1963 and the Petticoats gang are growing up and facing new challenges. Bobby and Laura’s first single, Dreamboats and Petticoats, went to the top of the charts, but they haven’t been able to repeat that success with any further records. Norman and Sue have settled down to non-marital bliss – and a baby! And Ray and Donna seem blissfully happy in their professional lives ... but are they really?

The advent of the Beatles and the Merseybeat sound is inspirational. But will it inspire Bobby and Laura to have one more shot at stardom, Norman to “get off the drains” and find that hit parade voice he has longed for, and Ray to realise his ambition and manage a really top pop act?

All will be revealed in a follow up with the same wit, charm, and great songs as Dreamboats and Petticoats.

Dreamboats and Miniskirts is written by Laurence Marks and Maurice Gran, the team behind Goodnight Sweetheart, Birds of a Feather, The New Statesman, Shine on Harvey Moon, Save the Last Dance For Me and of course, Dreamboats and Petticoats, and is produced by Bill Kenwright and Laurie Mansfield in association with Universal Music.

Featuring hit after hit from Twist & Shout to Handy Man to Pretty Woman, One Fine Day and many more, Dreamboats and Miniskirts is happiness guaranteed.

To book tickets for Dreamboats and Miniskirts, click here.

Legally Blonde returning to Liverpool Empire

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Provided By: Liverpool Empire Theatre

Omigod you guys!

Liverpool Empire’s Creative Learning department have been working on an exciting new project that has given local young performing arts enthusiasts the opportunity to star in the North West’s amateur premiere production of Legally Blonde: The Musical.

Following on from the success of last year’s Youth Theatre production of Sister Act, the Liverpool Empire’s Creative Learning department was invited to present one of the first amateur productions of Legally Blonde: The Musical, a year before its general amateur release.

The Empire’s Youth Theatre and Youth Dance companies work under the guidance of industry professionals, which enables them to experience a professional environment, preparing them for the world of work within the theatre industry and many of those involved go on to pursue professional careers in performing arts.

Both performing arts groups have been meeting regularly and working hard in preparation of the full scale musical, which plays at the Empire Theatre from Friday August 21-Saturday August 22.

Creative Learning Manager Natalie Flynn commented: "Legally Blonde is such a great show and one that the young people can relate to, as it explores themes such as following your dreams and being true to yourself. ATG launched the first tour of Legally Blonde the Musical in Liverpool so this production is extra special to us. We’re honoured to be chosen as one of the first to perform an amateur production of Legally Blonde."

A winner of seven major awards including the coveted Best Musical 2011 (Olivier Awards), the all-singing, all-dancing romantic comedy Legally Blonde: The Musical is about knowing who you are and showing what you’ve got!

Sorority star Elle Woods doesn't take ‘no’ for an answer. So when her boyfriend dumps her for someone ‘serious’, Elle puts down the credit card, hits the books, and sets out to go where no Delta Nu has gone before: Harvard Law. With some help from new-found friends Paulette, Emmett and her Chihuahua Bruiser, Elle proves that being true to yourself never goes out of style!

Just one month until the brand new production of The Sound Of Music opens at the Empire

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Provided By: Liverpool Empire Theatre

From Oz to Austria, a Palladium star brings the hills alive in The Sound Of Music

One of the greatest musicals of all-time returns to the stage in a magnificent new production which plays at the Liverpool Empire from Monday September 14-Saturday September 19 as part of a major national tour.

Playing the iconic role of Maria von Trapp is Danielle Hope, who captured the hearts of the country when she won BBC Television’s Over the Rainbow and made her professional debut as Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz at the London Palladium. Danielle has since played Eponine in Les Misérables in London’s West End and Narrator in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.

Joining the company as Captain von Trapp is much-loved stage and television star Steven Houghton. Well-known for his longstanding television role in London’s Burning, Olivier-Award nominated actor Steven has taken on leading roles in Spend Spend Spend, Blood Brothers, White Christmas, Martin Guerre and Grease and had a Top Ten hit with ‘Wind Beneath My Wings’.

Produced by Bill Kenwright, directed by Martin Connor, choreographed by Olivier Award winner Bill Deamer, and with musical direction by David Steadman, this wonderfully lavish new staging of the classic musical coincides with the 50th anniversary of the film version, the most successful movie musical in history.

It all began with the story of the Trapp Family Singers and Baroness Maria von Trapp’s 1949 autobiography, which inspired Richard Rodgers, Oscar Hammerstein II, Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse to create a Broadway musical in 1959. The Sound of Music tells the true story of the world-famous singing family, from their romantic beginnings and search for happiness, to their thrilling escape to freedom as their beloved Austria becomes part of the Third Reich at the start of WWII.

The unforgettable score features some of the most memorable songs ever performed on stage, including Edelweiss, My Favorite Things, Do-Re-Mi, Climb Ev’ry Mountain, So Long, Farewell and, of course, the title song The Sound Of Music.

Joining Danielle and Steven are West End stars Jan Hartley (The Phantom of the Opera and West Side Story) as Mother Abbess, and Emma Clifford as Baroness Elsa Schrader, with Howard Samuels as Max, Grace Chapman as Liesl and Luke George as Rolf.

Completing the cast are Lynden Edwards, Philip Day, Zoe Ann Bown, Kate Milner Evans, Martin Dickinson, Lewis Barnshaw, Colin Burnicle, Jessica Daley, Grace Gardner and Katie Shearman.

Roll back the years to the swingin' sixties with the Dreamboats sequel

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Provided By: Liverpool Empire Theatre

Inspired by the seven smash hit multi-million selling albums

Whatever happened to Bobby and Laura and Norman and Sue? Their story continues in Dreamboats and Miniskirts, the sequel to Dreamboats and Petticoats.

This summer, Dreamboats and Miniskirts returns to theatres to showcase the greatest hit songs of the 60s. It visits the Liverpool Empire theatre from Monday August 24-Saturday August 29.

It is the sequel to Dreamboats and Petticoats, which premiered in Bromley in 2009, and became a musical phenomenon having played to more than two million people across the UK. Inspired by Universal’s multi-million selling album series which now boasts seven double compilation albums and a myriad of one off special releases!

It’s 1963 and the Petticoats gang are growing up and facing new challenges. Bobby and Laura’s first single, Dreamboats and Petticoats, went to the top of the charts, but they haven’t been able to repeat that success with any further records. Norman and Sue have settled down to non-marital bliss, and a baby! And Ray and Donna seem blissfully happy in their professional lives ... but are they really?

The advent of the Beatles and the Merseybeat sound is inspirational. But will it inspire Bobby and Laura to have one more shot at stardom, Norman to “get off the drains” and find that hit parade voice he has longed for, and Ray to realise his ambition and manage a really top pop act?

All will be revealed in a follow up with the same wit, charm, and great songs as Dreamboats and Petticoats.

Dreamboats and Miniskirts is written by Laurence Marks and Maurice Gran, the team behind Goodnight Sweetheart, Birds of a Feather, The New Statesman, Shine on Harvey Moon, Save the Last Dance For Me and of course, Dreamboats and Petticoats, and is produced by Bill Kenwright and Laurie Mansfield in association with Universal Music.

Featuring hit after hit from Twist & Shout to Handy Man to Pretty Woman, One Fine Day and many more, Dreamboats and Miniskirts is happiness guaranteed.