42 Balloons at The Lowry

 

 

FULL CAST AND CREATIVE TEAM ANNOUNCED FOR

42 BALLOONS

AN UPLIFTING NEW MUSICAL BY JACK GODFREY

FLYING INTO THE LOWRY IN SPRING 2024

BRAND NEW SONG ‘LAWN CHAIR LARRY’ RELEASED TODAY
WITH A FULL EP TO BE RELEASED ON FRIDAY 8 MARCH

18 APRIL – 19 MAY 2024

 

Award winning producers Andy Barnes and Wendy Barnes from Global Musicals (SIX, The Choir of Man, Pieces of String, Lift) and Kevin McCollum from Alchemation (Mrs Doubtfire, SIX, Rent, Avenue Q) are delighted to announce details of the full cast and creative team for the premiere production of new musical 42 Balloons playing at The Lowry, Salford from 18 April – 19 May 2024, with a gala performance on Thursday 2 May.

 

A brand-new song from the show has also been released publicly today. “Lawn Chair Larry” is now available to download on all streaming platforms. An EP of selected songs from the show will be released on Friday 8 March.

 

2nd of July 1982.

 

Using a lawn chair and approximately 42 helium-filled weather balloons, truck driver Larry Walters defied all the odds (and FAA airspace regulations!) to make his lifelong dream a reality and fly sixteen thousand feet above Los Angeles.

 

No, seriously.    In a chair.

 

42 BALLOONS is an uplifting musical inspired by the highly improbable true story of how Larry, and his partner Carol Van Deusen, convinced their friends and family to help Larry achieve his dream of flying.

Featuring an irresistible, 80s pop-inspired score, 42 BALLOONS questions how far you would go to make your dreams come true. Is the sky actually the limit, and what happens if it doesn’t all go to plan?

 

Joining the previously announced Charlie McCullagh (Bonnie & Clyde, Dr.Zhivago) and Evelyn Hoskins (Waitress, Gypsy, Spring Awakening) reprising their roles as ‘Larry’ and ‘Carol’ from the 2022 staged concert performances in the West End, will be Gillian Hardie (Kinky Boots, Blood Brothers, Bag Girls The Musical) as ‘Carol’s Mom’ and Lejaun Sheppard (The Book of Mormon, Tina: The Tina Turner Musical) as ‘Ron’. The rest of the company will comprise Simon Anthony (Guys & Dolls, White Christmas),  Jordan Broatch (You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown, Anyone Can Whistle),  Maddison Bulleyment (SIX, The Bridges of Madison County),  Athena Collins (SIX, Kin The Musical), Morgan Gregory (Elf, Newsies), Matt Jones (Pretty Woman, Charlie & The Chocolate Factory), Luke Latchman (Sunset Boulevard, Millennials), Rebekah Lowings (My Fair Lady, Ghost The Musical), Jamie Pritchard (Les Misérables), Laura Dawn Pyatt (SIX),  Tinovimbanashe Sibanda (Guys & Dolls, Moulin Rouge!) and Natasha Wilde (2023 graduate).

 

42 Balloons has book, music and lyrics by Jack Godfrey whose other works include This is a Love Story (Dundee Rep) and Babies (Lyric).

 

Ellie Coote (This is a Love Story) is director & dramaturg, with orchestrations, arrangements and musical supervision by Joe Beighton (SIX), choreography by Alexzandra Sarmiento (How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying, But I’m A Cheerleader), scenic design by Milla Clarke (Mates In Chelsea, Shooting Hedda Gabler), costume design by Natalie Pryce (VANYA, Newsies), video design by Olivier and Tony Award-winner Andrzej Goulding (Life of Pi, & Juliet), lighting design by Tony and Olivier Award-nominee Bruno Poet (Tina – The Tina Turner Musical, Miss Saigon), sound design by Grammy and Tony Award-nominee Paul Gatehouse (SIX, Mary Poppins), casting by Pearson Casting CDG (SIX) and music direction by Flynn Sturgeon (Roles We’ll Never Play, The Three Little Pigs).

 

42 Balloons has been in development since 2020 with Perfect Pitch - an entity dedicated exclusively to creating, developing and promoting new contemporary British musicals. The song 42 Balloons and a Lawnchair was released in 2021 on Perfect Pitch’s Rise:Up YouTube channel and in November 2022, the producers presented four semi-staged concert performances at the Vaudeville Theatre, which received a hugely positive response from public and theatre commentators alike.


Jack Godfrey said, “I am so excited for the full production of 42 Balloons coming to the Lowry in April. It's been about six years since I started writing the show after discovering the incredible story of Larry's flight during a late night online deep dive, and it's extremely cool and slightly surreal to see it being realised as a full production for the first time. I'm extremely grateful for the amazing cast and creative team bringing the show to life and I can't wait to share 42 Balloons with everyone.”

 

Wendy Barnes said, “It’s our passion to produce new musicals with original stories - and original scores - by emerging artists, and we can’t wait for audiences to discover 42 Balloons and fall in love with the show as much as we have. Jack’s created a beautiful musical inspired by a remarkable true story from the early 80’s and has written a pop score that stands shoulder to shoulder with some of the hits of that decade.”

 

42 Balloons is produced by Andy Barnes & Wendy Barnes for Global Musicals & Kevin McCollum in association with The Lowry, Debbie Hicks, Sam Levy, S&Co and Kenny Wax.

 

Ends

LISTINGS / NOTES TO EDITORS

 

TITLE: 42 Balloons

VENUE: The Lowry, Salford
PERFORMANCE DATES AND TIMES: 18 April – 19 May 2024
BOX OFFICE: 0161 876 2000
TICKETS FROM: £29.50
RUNNING TIME: TBC – approx. 2’20mins
AGE RECOMMENDATION: This production contains mild swearing and mature themes including suicide. Audience discretion is advised. Recommended for audiences 12+.

https://thelowry.com/whats-on/42-balloons/

 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Review of Coram Boy at The Lowry by Natalie Anglesey

Image
Chichester Festival Theatre’s production of Coram Boy, is at The Lowry until June 29. Review by Natalie Anglesey .  Ignore any previous reviews you have read of Coram Boy, prior to its current stay at The Lowry this week. My advice is to see it yourself and make up your own mind. I'm certainly glad I did. The majority of reviews have so far been negative with only a few comparing this mammoth work with that of the great Charles Dickens. However, if like me you're a fan of the famous author, you may agree because the themes are concerning corruption of the worst kind. This powerful piece which received a rapturous reception, also features Handel’s glorious music throughout this astonishing production.  Helen Edmundson’s stage adaptation of Jamila Gavin’s Whitbread Award-winning novel, premiered at the National Theatre in 2005 before transferring to Broadway. Prepare to be impressed – as I certainly was - when I saw it at The Lowry.  The time period is the 18th century with...
Read more

Twelve Angry Men at The Lowry - Review by Natalie Anglesey

Image
  Twelve Angry Men The Lowry, Salford Review by Natalie Anglesey   Following previous record-breaking West End seasons, and a critically acclaimed tour in 2023, Bill Kenwright Ltd’s powerful production of  Twelve Angry Men  is at  The Lowry  this week until   2 nd  March 2024. Ever since the powerful fifties film starring Henry Fonda, which was nominated three times for Academy Awards, and since then, several stage productions over the years, this splendid court-room drama has never failed to impress me. Now there’s the chance for you to see Reginald Rose’s knife-edge courtroom drama at The Lowry all this week. The cast is now headed by  Jason Merrells  ( Casualty, Emmerdale )  taking over the role of Juror 8 from Patrick Duffy for the 2024 tour. He subtly holds  the whole production together. The cast also includes   Tristan Gemmill  ( Coronation Street, Casualty ),   Michael Greco  (EastEnde...
Read more

The Osmonds - A New Musical next year!

Image
The Osmond's new musical is coming to Manchester!  M y best friend was an avid Osmond fan in her teens and she still is. Personally I've had the pleasure of interviewing Donny Osmond for @BBCRadioManchester and I also became a fan!  It's that kind of unfailing dedication that the Osmonds have held on to over the past 50 plus years.Now Osmondmania is returning to Manchester with a musical by Jay Osmond which tells the story of the brothers from Utah who were in the spotlight as children and went on to sell over 100 million records gaining a huge army of fans. From their star residency on The  Andy Williams  Show, to the arrival of Donny and Marie, The Osmonds lived a remarkable life recording chart topping albums, selling out vast arena concerts and making record breaking TV shows - until one bad decision cost them everything. Directed by  Shaun Kerrison  and choreographed by Olivier Award winning  Bill Deamer , this brand new musical features a chart...
Read more