West End regulars Philip Quast and Kerry Ellis are on the bill for the 10th anniversary performance of The Night Of 1000 Voices at the Royal Albert Hall on 2 May.
This celebration of musical theatre, staged to raise money for the charity Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research, is this year hosted by singer and TV presenter Aled Jones. Former Wicked star Ellis – who will soon join the cast of Oliver! – and Laurence Olivier Award-winning actor Quast, whose credits include Les Misérables, Evita and La Cage Aux Folles, will perform on the night as will Rent’s Adam Pascal and international performers Teri Bibb, Kenneth Nichols and David Michael Johnson. They will be accompanied by a mass chorus and the City of London Philharmonic.
This year’s concert will feature an 80th birthday tribute to renowned American composer Stephen Sondheim, as well as a selection of popular songs from the last decade of concerts, including You’ll Never Walk Alone from Carousel and Don’t Cry From Me Argentina from Evita. TV personality Christopher Biggins will also feature among the night’s surprises.
Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research, which recently changed its name from Leukaemia Research, is the only UK charity solely dedicated to research into blood cancers and celebrates its 50th birthday this year. Chief Executive Cathy Gilman commented: “Since 1960, Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research has invested in world-class research and survival rates have increased dramatically for patients with leukaemia, lymphoma and myeloma. However, there’s still a long way to go and money raised from this evening will help us get closer to a cure.”
Among the evening’s guests will be the original Calendar Girls from Napley WI, whose attempts to raise money for their local cancer ward inspired the hit film and stage adaptation. To date they have raised over £1.5million for Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research.
CB