Playbill: Calamity Jane to
Arrive in London in June - 9th April 2003
Toyah
Willcox is starring in the title role in Calamity
Jane, the musical. The show has toured for nine
months and is due in London later in June. It
will open at the Shaftesbury Theatre June 19. The musical is centered on cowgirl
Calamity Jane's attempts to save her local
theatre, The Golden Garter.
Last
Minute.com: Toyah Tops the Bill - 8th April 2003
The
Shaftesbury Theatre is bouncing back - yet again
- with another major musical. This time it's
Calamity Jane, starring Toyah Wilcox. Among the
show's many hit numbers are 'The Deadwood Stage
(Whip-crack-Away!), 'Secret Love' and 'The Black
Hills of Dakota'.
The touring
production of this much-loved musical comedy has
been adapted for the stage by Charles K Freeman.
With music by Sammy Fain and lyrics by Paul
Francis Webster, it is directed by Ed Curtis,
designed by Simon Higlett, choreographed by Craig
Revel Horwood, and lit by James Whiteside.
Starring Toyah
Wilcox (and with other casting still to be
confirmed), Calamity Jane will begin previews at
the Shaftesbury on Thursday June 12 and opens on
Thursday June 19. It is currently booking to
Saturday September 20. Booking opens on Monday
April 14.
London
Theatre.co.uk: Calamity Jane with Toyah Willcox at
Shaftesbury - 3rd April 2003
The touring
production of the musical comedy Calamity Jane,
starring Toyah Willcox in the title role, opens
at the Shaftesbury Theatre 26 Jun 03, following
previews from 12 Jun 03, and booking to 20 Sep
03.
Public booking
opens Monday 14 April 03
Casting is to
be confirmed!!
The show is
adapted for the stage by Charles K. Freeman, with
music by Sammy Fain, lyrics by Paul Francis
Webster.
It is directed
by ED Curtis, designed by Simon Higlett,
choreographed by Craig Revel Horwood, with
lighting by James Whiteside.
"The film,
starring Doris Day, was a classic from the golden
age of the Hollywood Musical. Now, Calamity Jane
hits the stage as an action-packed, rip-roaring
comedy adventure round the Wild West with one of
the most witty and hummable scores ever written
for a musical."
The show
features the famous songs: 'The Deadwood Stage
(Whip-crack-Away!)', 'Windy City','The Black
Hills of Dakota' and 'Secret Love'.
Whats On
Stage: Willcox
Lassos London Transfer for Calamity Jane - 3rd April 2003
The revival
of Wild West musical comedy Calamity Jane,
starring actress and singer Toyah Willcox
(pictured) in the title role, will transfer to
the West End this summer. Currently touring to
May, it transfers to Londons Shaftesbury
Theatre for a limited season from 19 June to 20
September 2003 (previews 12 June).
Set in the Wild
West frontier of pioneering America, Calamity
Jane is the story of a woman who dresses like a
man, totes a gun and drives the Deadwood City
stagecoach. Well-meaning but disaster-prone, she
tries to help the local saloon proprietor out of
a jam by promising to fetch a music-hall star
from Chicago.
In 1953, the
musical was made into immortalised on the
Hollywood screen in a version starring Doris Day
as Jane and Howard Keel as her friendly enemy
Wild Bill Hickok. Calamity Jane has a book by
Charles K Freeman with music by Sammy Fain and
lyrics by Paul Francis Webster. Its score
includes famous numbers such as "Black Hills
of Dakota", "Deadwood Stage",
"Windy City" and "Secret
Love", which won the Oscar for Best Original
Song.
Though best
known as a 1980s recording artist with pop hits
such as "It's a Mystery" and "I
Wanna Be Free", Willcox has frequently
appeared on stage in productions including
Cabaret, The Taming of the Shrew, Peter Pan and
The Shagaround.
Calamity Jane
had a successful tour in autumn 2002 before
launching a second, more extensive UK-wide
schedule in January of this year. The production
is directed by Ed Curtis and designed by Simon
Higlett, with choreography by Craig Revel
Horwood, lighting by James Whiteside and musical
direction by Adam Goodman.
Broadway.com:
Calamity
Jane to Hit West End Stage - 3rd April 2003
The stage
version of Calamity Jane, starring Toyah Willcox,
is finally coming to the West End after years of
touring. The musical will open at the Shaftesbury
Theatre on June 26.
Calamity Jane
is best know as a 1953 film starring Doris Day.
The stage version follows along the same
plotlines: Calamity, a tough-talking tomboy, puts
her reputation on the line when she promises to
bring a famous singing star to Deadwood's Golden
Garter Saloon. But mistaken identity, feminine
rivalry and secret love all conspire against her
good intentions. The piece was adapted for the
stage by Charles K. Freeman and features music by
Sammy Fain and lyrics by Paul Francis Webster.
The score includes such memorable tunes as
"The Deadwood Stage," "Windy
City," "The Black Hills Of Dakota"
and the Academy Award-winning "Secret
Love."
Official
London Theatre: Shaftesbury expects Calamity Jane as
Toyah arrives - 3rd April 2003
Head for
the hills and put your whip cracks away as Toyah
Willcox brings Calamity Jane to London in June.
The production comes to the Shaftesbury theatre
after touring over the last two years. The
gun-totin, leather slappin,
rompin, stompin musical comedy was
made famous by the Hollywood production starring
Doris Day in the title role and features classic
songs such as The Deadwood Stage, Windy City and
the Oscar winning Secret Love.
In Deadwood,
like most of the Wild West, men are men and women
arent. Unfortunately no-one thought to tell
Calamity that, so she can ride, shoot and drink
with the very best of them. When Calamity
promises to bring the cream of Chicago showgirls
to sing at the Golden Garter Saloon she does the
job as well as any cowboy would. But mistaken
identity and competition for her men were not
part of Calamitys plans.
Willcoxs
career has included acting, punk rock and
television presenting. Her film appearances have
included The Corn Is Green opposite Katherine
Hepburn and the role of Monkey in the mod versus
rocker shocker Quadrophenia. Her previous London
theatre credits include A Midsummer Nights
Dream (Open Air), The Taming of the Shrew
(Cambridge), Three Men on a Horse (Vaudeville),
Cabaret (Strand), Sugar N Spice
(Royal Court) and Whale and Tales From Vienna
Woods (both at the National).
Official
London Theatre: Calamity Jane - 3rd April 2003
Following a
sell-out tour in 2002 and Spring 2003 this
classic comedy musical is coming to the
Shaftesbury Theatre. Calamity Jane is an
action-packed show from the golden age of
musicals combing witty lyrics with a silly plot
and some extremely catchy songs such as Deadwood
Stage, Windy City, The Black Hills of Dakota and
Secret Love, which won the Oscar for Best
Original Song.
Deadwood,
Dakota Territory, is a typical Wild West town
where men are cowboys, women are wholesome and
cows are cows. That is apart from Indian scout
Calamity Jane, who is as hard riding, gun toting
and boastful as any man on the prairie.
Tough-talking Calamity puts her reputation on the
line when she promises to bring a famous singing
star all the way from Chicago to Dakota's hardly
salubrious Golden Garter Saloon. After a small
matter of mistaken identity, the dainty chanteuse
and our eponymous hero (along with the rest of
Deadwood) become the best of friends until
Calamity realises she may have a rival for the
affections of the towns two most eligible
cowboys..
Since her heady
days of punk stardom in the 1980s, Toyah Willcox
has become a respected stage actress, and
recently returned to the limelight as the
narrator on kids' TV show The Tellytubbies.
The Grand
Theatre: Calamity Jane in Leeds - 20th February
Adapted for
the stage by Charles K. Freeman. Music by Sammy
Fain, Lyrics by Paul Francis Webster
The film,
starring Doris Day, was a classic from the golden
age of the Hollywood Musical. Now, Calamity Jane
hits the stage as an action-packed, rip-roaring
comedy adventure round the Wild West with one the
most witty and hummable scores ever written for a
musical.
Calamity Jane
stars the legendary Toyah Willcox whose career
spans popstardom, film, TV, and stage, with lead
roles in everything from Taming of the Shrew to
Cabaret and Peter Pan.
Featuring such
classic songs as: The Deadwood Stage
(Whip-crack-Away!), Windy City,The Black Hills of
Dakota Secret Love (Academy Award ® for Best
Song and Number 1 in the UK charts).
Southampton
Advertiser: Toyah stars as a gun singer - 6th February 2003
Toyah
Willcox and Doris Day might not seem to have much
in common.
But the punk
singer and actress-turned-TV presenter will be
taking on the role made famous by the wholesome
Fifties film star when she stars in Calamity
Jane at Southampton's Mayflower Theatre this
Spring.
Toyah will
appear alongside a cast of 18 and a ten-piece
orchestra in the classic Wild West musical. You
can see Calamity Jane at The Mayflower from April
8 - 12. Box Office: 023 8071 1811.
The Stage: Calamity Jane -
Production news - 3rd February 2003
Garry Kilby
takes over the role of Lt Danny Gilmartin, from
February 3, in the current touring production of
Calamity Jane, which also stars Toyah Willcox.
Remaining dates are: January - Festival Theatre,
Edinburgh (until Feb 1); February - Marlowe
Theatre, Canterbury (3-8), Civic Theatre,
Darlington (10-15), Cliffs Pavilion,
Southend-on-Sea (17-22), Congress Theatre,
Eastbourne (24-March 1); March - Grand Theatre,
Leeds (3-8), Orchard Theatre, Dartford (10-15),
Theatre Royal, Norwich (17-22), Theatre Royal,
Nottingham (24-29), Empire Theatre, Liverpool
(31-April 1).
Glasgow
Daily Record: Calamity Pain - Toyah stages
remarkable recovery - 1st February 2003
Singer
Toyah Willcox faced a real calamity when she
dislocated her knee playing cowgirl Calamity
Jane. But the former punk icon stuck to "the
show must go on" adage.
Toyah, 44,
simply nipped backstage, had her knee clicked
into place and continued with the show. The
opening night audience at Edinburgh's Festival
Theatre were totally unaware of the drama. And
last night a theatre spokeswoman said: "It
is amazing. Toyah was determined not to
disappoint her audience by limping off stage.
"So she
went off just long enough for her knee to be
popped back in. It must have been very painful,
but she didn't show anything was wrong. She was
very professional."
Toyah shot to
fame in 1977 punk film Jubilee and with her 1980s
chart hit I Wanna Be Free. She has battled the
knee problem throughout her life after being born
with a spinal curvature. She once dismissed the
condition as "just meaning I crack a
lot". And she didn't let it prevent her
taking the action-packed role of gun-toting Jane.
In the show she is flung around, hoisted up and
tripped over. It is understood she warned
back-stage first-aiders of her problem and had
arranged a signal for them to whisk her off stage
if necessary.
Edinburgh
Evening News: Toyah avoids calamity at battle of
wounded knee - 31st January 2003
As
gun-toting Wild West cowgirl Calamity Jane, she
is used to taking the rough with the smooth. The
feisty gun-slinger simply shrugs off shoot-outs
with outlaws and dusts herself down after
bar-room brawls.
But 80s pop
star Toyah Willcox had to deal with a real-life
calamity while she was on stage during the
musicals opening night in the Capital. As
she leapt about the stage of the Festival
Theatre, cracking her whip and belting out the
musicals popular numbers, the 44-year-old
actress dislocated her knee.
Edinburgh
Evening News: Toyah holds the whip hand as she
boards city stage - 29th January 2003
Former punk
icon Toyah Willcox has taken on the role of
Calamity Jane in a new production in the Capital.
The 40-something singer stars in the production
at the Festival Theatre, which opened last night.
The play is
based on a true story from frontier Dakota about
a tomboy heroine of the West made famous on
screen by Doris Day. The musical will be at the
Festival until February 1.
Metro: From the Wild West
End -
27th
January 2003
What is it
with Britain and pop stars with speech defects?
Long before G-G-Gareth and will-o'-the-lisp Will
Young, Toyah Willcox proved that thounding
thlightly different from the norm needn't be a
drawback to a successful recording career. Or an
acting one, come to that.
Depending on
your age, Toyah is best known for playing the
part of Mad in Derek Jarman's seminal punk epic
Jubilee, modette Monkey in Quadrophenia or Aunt
Boomerang in the kids TV series of the same name.
That or
flitting between flesh and the spirit presenting
The Good Sex Guide or Sunday morning Godsquad
series Heaven And Earth. But it's in the guise of
cross-dressing, whip-crack-away tomboy cowpoke
Calamity Jane that Toyah will be making her way
north of the border in Ed Curtis's touring stage
version of the Warner Bros 1953 movie hit.
Back then, it
was Doris Day who stole the thunder as a chapess
in chaps in the black hills of Dakota, turning
herself into a lesbian icon in the process. And
while Willcox is no Doris Day, there's no reason
to think she can't still pack a punch (or slap a
thigh, come to that) for all she's worth. She's
certainly in good company with Alasdair Harvey, a
Scottish star of the West End, along for the ride
on the Deadwood Stage as Wild Bill Hickok.
Promising acres
of tap-dancing, floozies, quarts and quarts of
bar-room shenanigans and plenty of kitsch-n-sink
domestic trimmings and lilting log cabin whimsy
in the form of A Woman's Touch, Calamity Jane may
be thin on plot but it is bursting to the seams
with good natured hokum.
And while there
may be more than a little artistic licence at
play in portraying how the West - and Hickok's
heart - was won, it's the sort of sharp shooting
cornball that wears its heart on its cowboy shirt
with pride.
The
Scotsman: Pick Of The Week - 24th January 2003
Whip-crack
away, its Calam in all her glory, or rather
its Toyah Willcox in her gunslinging glory.
Gone are her days of lisping away through the Top
of the Pops stage mist like some frustrated Kate
Bush, these days Toyah is revelling in Doris
Days boots. Set in the hills of Dakota
its an energetic musical about the unlikely
romance of famed Western tomboy Calamity Jane and
gunfighter Wild Bill Hickock. In an attempt to
lure a handsome army lieutenant away from another
woman, Jane trades in her gunslinging and
uniforms for housekeeping and dresses. A
sing-a-longers dream, for sure.
Glasgow
Evening Times: Toyah aiming to be a big hits - 22nd January 2003
Toyah
Willcox breezed into Glasgow all guns blazing for
her new role as Calamity Jane.
Her return
to the stage has her playing a part immortalised
on the Hollywood screen by Doris Day in
1953.
The role as
the singing gun-toting heroine in the town of
Deadwood is a major shift from her days as a punk
icon with flaming red hair in the 1980s.
She is also
a familiar face on TV in programmes such as
Heaven And Earth and Doctors.
Calamity
Jane at the King's Theatre also stars
Hamilton-born Alasdair Harvey as Wild Bill Hickok
and features classic songs such as The Deadwood
Satge and The Black Hills Of Dakota.
Glasgow
Herald: Toyah
on target for Calamity - 22nd January 2003
TRIGGER
HAPPY: The Deadwood Stage came roaring into
Glasgow last night with Toyah Willcox at the
reins.
The pop star
and actress is playing Calamity Jane, the
pistol-packing tomboy, in the musical of the same
title, at the King's Theatre. The musical comedy
includes classic songs like The Deadwood Stage
(Whip Crack Away), Just Flew In From The Windy
City and Secret Love. It tells the tale of a
showgirl brought to entertain the female-starved
Deadwod locals by Calamity, but chaos ensues when
the showgirl's maid is mistaken for the
performer. The show with Willcox in the lead role
is in Glasgow until Saturday.
Glasgow
Evening Times: Pick Of The Day - 21st January 2003
Calamity
Jane, King's Theatre
She is the
gun-totin' heroine who is more than a match for
any man - and she arrives in Glasgow
tonight.
Calamity
Jane, starring Toyah Willcox in the lead role and
local actor Alasdair Harvey as her sparring
partner Wild Bill Hickok, is in town for one week
only.
The show,
which was made famous by the 1953 movie starring
Doris Day and Howard Keel, is full of Western
action and well-known songs. It runs until
Saturday.
OK!
Magazine: Hottest Gigs/Theatre... - 18th January 2003
Glasgow -
Calamity Jane : King's Theatre
Toyah gives
Doris Day a run for her money as Calamity Jane in
Glasgow.
Daily
Express: Calamity Jane - 18th January 2003
Theatre -
Calamity Jane
The
whip-crackin'' musical, Calamity Jane, starring
Toyah Willcox (pictured with Alasdair Harvey),
begins touring on Tuesday at the King's Theatre
in Glasgow, from there the show heads to
Edinburgh, Canterbury, Darlington, Southend,
Eastbourne, Leeds, Dartford, Norwich, Nottingham
and Liverpool.
BBC Leeds: Toyah is Calamity
Jane at the Grand this autumn - 18th January 2003
A rip
roaring show featuring classics such as Windy
City. Toyah Willcox plays sharp shooting heroine
Calamity Jane at the Grand Theatre.
Calamity
Jane - Monday 3 - Saturday 8 March
An action
packed, rip roaring show featuring classics such
as The Deadwood Stage and Windy City. Toyah
Willcox plays the sharp shooting heroine
Calamity.
British
Airways: Calamity Jane - 11th January 2003
Calamity
Jane The Musical, starring Toyah Willcox and
adapted for the stage by Charles K Freeman, comes
to the Edinburgh Festival Theatre. The music is
by Sammy Fain and lyrics are by Paul Francis
Webster.
Calamity is
a tough-talking tomboy who puts her reputation on
the line when she promises to bring a famous
singing star to Deadwood's Golden Garter Saloon.
But mistaken identity, feminine rivalry and
secret love all conspire against her good
intentions. The audience can hum along to classic
songs like The Deadwood Stage (Whip-crack-Away!),
Windy City and The Black Hills of Dakota.
IC Scotland: Noone causes a
Calamity quite like Jane - 11th January 2003
The King's
Theatre will this January take us away from the
damp and dismal weather of Scotland and over the
Black Hills of Dakota and into the heart of the
old Wild West.
Here's
where we'll be treated to whip-cracking comedy
and romanticism from a cowgirl by the name of
Calamity Jane. The pistol packin' tomboy whips up
a storm when she brings a showgirl to entertain
the female-hungry locals of the Black
Hills.
And chaos
erupts in the Western town because of mistaken
identity, rivalries and secret assassination
attempts in what is a contrastingly funny,
touching and riotous musical. The production
stars the internationally recognised Toyah
Willcox and includes such great songs as The
Black Hills of Dakota, Just Flew in from the
Windy City and the Oscar-winning Secret
Love.
Glasgow
Herald/Glasgow Evening Times: Calamity Jane - 9th January 2003
It's a new
year and theatres across the west of Scotland are
already gearing up for exciting new
seasons.
Glasgow
will be bursting with stars over the next few
months, with famous faces joining the best new
talent around.
Toyah Willcox,
Johnny Vegas, Siobhan Redmond, Tom Conti, Barbara
Rafferty, Rik Mayall, Jerry Sadowitz and Dylan
Moran are just some of the celebrities heading
for the city.
With
Ambassador Theatre Group firmly in charge now at
the King's, the spring season is shaping up to be
a cracker.
Musicals
highlights include Calamity Jane, with Toyah
Willcox. Toyah steps into Doris Day's shoes as
the heroine of Calamity Jane at the King's
Theatre.
Country
Music News: How the West was sung - 4th December 2002
The heading
above is subtitle of a major touring show called
Calamity Jane starring Toyah Willcox. The show
has adapted for the stage from the movie
featuring Doris Day and features such songs as
"Black Hills Of Dakota", "Secret
Love", "Deadwood Stage, etc. It will be
playing at various theatres around Britain
between January 20 and May 3.
Edinburgh
Festival Theatre/Glasgow King's Theatre: Calamity Jane - 1st December 2002
The Black
Hills Of Dakota and the West at its wildest is
the setting for this action-packed comedy
adventure.
Inspired by
Annie Get Your Gun, and created for Doris Day
during the golden age of Hollywood, the pistol
packin' tomboy Calamity puts her reputation on
the line when she promises to bring a famous star
to Deadwood's Golden Garter Saloon. But mistaken
identity, feminine rivalry and secret love all
conspire against her good intentions.
Riotous and
romantic, Calamity Jane features sensational
dance routines and many classic songs including
The Deadwood Stage, Windy City and the Oscar
winning Secret Love.
Edinburgh
Festival Theatre/Glasgow King's Theatre: Calamity Jane - 1st December 2002
The Black
Hills Of Dakota and the West at its wildest is
the setting for this action-packed comedy
adventure.
Inspired by
Annie Get Your Gun, and created for Doris Day
during the golden age of Hollywood, the pistol
packin' tomboy Calamity puts her reputation on
the line when she promises to bring a famous star
to Deadwood's Golden Garter Saloon. But mistaken
identity, feminine rivalry and secret love all
conspire against her good intentions.
Riotous and
romantic, Calamity Jane features sensational
dance routines and many classic songs including
The Deadwood Stage, Windy City and the Oscar
winning Secret Love.
Birmingham
Arts: Calamity
Jane -
6th
November 2002
Birmingham's
own Toyah Willcox is starring in a new production
of the classic comedy musical Calamity Jane. The
show whip cracks it way to the Alexandra Theatre
on 10th November.
Calamity Jane
is an action packed, rip-roaring roller-coaster
of a show with one of the most witty and
memorable musical scores ever, featuring many
classic songs including, The Deadwood Stage,
Windy City, The Black Hills of Dakota and Secret
Love, which won the Oscar for Best Original Song.
Toyah Willcox
returns to the stage to play Calamity Jane, a
role immortalised on the Hollywood screen by
Doris Day. Toyah, one of Britain's biggest
household names, has a highly successful and
varied career, with major hit records, frequent
television appearances and many prestigious stage
and screen roles in productions as diverse as The
Taming of The Shrew, Cabaret, and Peter Pan.
Deadwood,
Dakota Territory, is a typical Wild West town
where the men are cowboys and women are
clean-living, wholesome gals. That is apart from
Indian scout Calamity Jane, who is as hard
riding, gun-toting and boastful as any man on the
prairie.
Calamity Jane
is adapted for stage by Charles k. Freeman, with
music by Sammy Fain and lyrics by Paul Francis
Webster. This new production is directed by Ed
Curtis, designed by Simon Higlett, choreographed
by Craig Revel Horwood with musical direction by
Peter White.
This Is
South Devon: Calamity Jane - 6th November 2002
Toyah
Willcox stars in a brand new production of
Calamity Jane, visiting the Princess Theatre on
its nationwide tour. Calamity Jane is an
action-packed rollercoaster of a show, featuring
one of the most witty and memorable scores ever
written. Its classic songs include The Deadwood
Stage, Windy City, The Black Hills of Dakota and
Secret Love, which won an Oscar for Best Original
Song.
Deadwood,
Dakota Territory, is a typical Wild West town
where men are cowboys and women are clean-living,
wholesome gals. That is, apart from gun-toting
Indian scout Calamity Jane, who is as hard-riding
and boastful as any man on the prairie.
Tough-talking Jane puts her reputation on the
line when she promises to bring a famous singing
star all the way from Chicago to Dakota's Golden
Garter Saloon. The dainty chanteuse and
hardbitten hero become the best of friends, until
Jane realises she may have a rival for the
affections of the town's two most eligible
cowboys.
Toyah Willcox
returns to the stage to play Calamity Jane, a
role immortalised on the Hollywood screen by
Doris Day. Toyah, one of Britain's biggest
household names, has had a highly varied and
successful career, with major hit records,
frequent television appearances and many
prestigious stage and screen roles in productions
as diverse as The Taming of the Shrew, Cabaret,
and Peter Pan.
IC
Birmingham: Calamity Jane - 6th November 2002
The classic
1953 Hollywood musical starring Doris Day and
Howard Keel is revived with none other than
Brum's former punk starlet Toyah Willcox donning
the suede and brandishing a six-shooter.
Featuring the
classic songs The Deadwood Stage, Windy City, The
Black Hills of Dakota and the Oscar winning smash
Secret Love, Calamity Jane centres around
Calamity's effort to save Deadwood's
entertainment venue, The Golden Garter, from ruin
by bringing the singing star, Adelaide Adams, to
perform there.
Calamity
promises the patrons of the Garter that she will
personally bring the stunning Miss Adams back
from Chicago, but accidentally returns with her
star struck maid, Katie.
Posing as
Adelaide, local heart-throbs Lt. Danny Gillmartin
and Wild Bill Hickock both immediately take a
shine to 'Miss Adams', but her impersonation is
less than perfect...
This is the
first major UK tour of the show since Barbara
Windsor took on the lead back in 1979.
Toyah Willcox
shot to prominence in 1977 with Derek Jarman's
seminal punk movie, Jubilee. Scoring a string of
major chart hits in the '80s, she has continued
to balance her musical and acting careers. Her
recent TV work includes narration for Brum and
The Teletubbies.
Expect much
thigh-slapping, shouting of "darn-it",
and some crowd pleasing tunes.
Tiscali
Birmingham: Calamity Jane - 16th October 2002
Birmingham's
own Toyah Willcox returns to her home territory
to star in a new production of the classic comedy
musical Calamity Jane, which whip cracks its way
to the Alexandra Theatre.
Toyah Willcox
returns to the stage to play Calamity Jane, a
role immortalised on the Hollywood screen by
Doris Day. This action packed, rip-roaring
roller-coaster of a show has one of the most
witty and memorable musical scores ever,
featuring many classic songs including The
Deadwood Stage, Windy City, The Black Hills of
Dakota and Secret Love, which won the Oscar for
Best Original Song.
Toyah, one of
Britain's biggest household names, has a highly
successful and varied career, with major hit
records, frequent television appearances and many
prestigious stage and screen roles in productions
as diverse as The Taming of The Shrew, Cabaret,
and Peter Pan.
The story is
based in Deadwood, in the Dakota Territory, a
typical Wild West town where the men are cowboys
and women are clean-living, wholesome gals. That
is apart from Indian scout Calamity Jane, who is
as hard riding, gun-toting and boastful as any
man on the prairie.
Calamity Jane
was adapted for stage by Charles K. Freeman, with
music by Sammy Fain and lyrics by Paul Francis
Webster. This new production is directed by Ed
Curtis, designed by Simon Higlett, choreographed
by Craig Revel Horwood with musical direction by
Peter White.
This Is
Hull: Calamity
Jane - The Musical - 14th October 2002
Hull New
Theatre hosts Calamity Jane, a classic from the
golden age of Hollywood Musicals. Now Calamity
Jane hits the stage as an action-packed,
rip-roaring comedy adventure round the Wild West
with one of the most witty and hummable scores
ever written for a musical.
Calamity, a
tough-talking tomboy, puts here reputation on the
line when she promises to bring a famous singing
star to Deadwood's Golden Garter Saloon. But
mistaken identity, feminine rivalry and secret
love all conspire against her good
intentions.
Calamity Jane
stars the legendary Toyah Willcox whose career
spans pop-stardom, film, TV and stage, with lead
roles in everything from Taming of the Shrew to
Cabaret and Peter Pan.
Featuring such
classic songs as The Deadwood Stage
(Whip-crack-Away!), Windy City, The Black Hills
of Dakota, Secret Love (Academy Award ® for Best
Song and Number 1 in the UK charts).
Hull Daily
Mail: Calamity
Jane Sets Off On An Adventure - 14th October 2002
Fans of the
golden age of Hollywood musicals will be caught
up in an oasis of delight this autumn. The
classic hit Calamity Jane will hit the Hull New
Theatre's stage on Monday, October 28.
The
action-packed, rip-roaring comedy adventure set
in the Wild West has one of the wittiest scores
ever written and musical managers at the Kingston
Square venue are expecting a sell-out.
Calamity, a
tough-talking tomboy, puts her reputation on the
line when she promises to bring a famous singing
star to Deadwood's Golden Garter Saloon. But
mistaken identity, feminine rivalry and secret
love all conspire against her good
intentions.
Calamity Jane
stars the legendary Toyah Willcox, whose career
spans pop-stardom, film, television and stage,
with lead roles in everything from the Taming of
the Shrew to Cabaret and Peter Pan.
Manchester
Evening News: Toyah has the whip hand - 8th October 2002
Toyah
Willcox certainly suffers for her art. I'm told a
Bond film expert has been cracking the whip to
get the eighties popster-turned-actress in shape
for her role as Calamity Jane at Manchester's
Opera House. But while she now claims to be a dab
hand with a bullwhip and gun, there have been a
few lashings on the way.
"I picked
it up almost immediately." she grins with a
snap of leather. "I think I had just got the
knack - I must be a closet dominatrix. The whip
is as fast as a bullet and if you don't get it in
the right place it flicks back and cuts you. I
have one song where I have to do the tricks on
stage and I wanted to look like a natural. There
is a bit of acting and not acting with people
running for cover, but I seem to cut myself with
the whip more than anyone else."
The part, made
famous by Doris Day in the Hollywood version of
the musical, also seems to be a bit of a
disappearing act for the star, who has lost eight
pounds since taking on the role a month
ago.
"As well
as the cuts and bruises, it's a very physically
demanding role," she admits, "I went to
buy a sandwich yesterday and the woman serving me
thought I looked so skinny she asked if I was
ill."
Salford
Advertiser: Wild West comes to town as Calamity
Jane rolls in - 3rd October 2002
Toyah
Willcox is Calamity Jane when the classic comedy
musical comes to the Opera House, Manchester from
Monday to Saturday, October 7-12.
Calamity Jane
is an action-packed, rip-roaring
rollercoaster
of a show with one of the most witty and
memorable musical scores ever written.
It features
many classic songs including The Deadwood Stage,
Windy City, The Black Hills Of Dakota and Secret
Love, which won an Oscar for Best Original
Song.
Deadwood,
Dakota territory, is a typical wild west town
where men are cowboys and women are clean-living,
wholesome gals. That is apart from Indian scout
Calamity Jane, who is as hard-riding, gun-toting
and boastful as any man on the prairie. Tough
talking Calamity puts her reputation on the line
when she promises to bring a famous singing star
all the way from Chicago to Deadwood's Golden
Garter Saloon.
After a small
matter of mistaken identity, the dainty chanteuse
and our eponymous hero (along with the rest of
Deadwood) become the best of friends - until
Calamity realises she may have arival for the
affections of the town's two most eligible
cowboys, the dashing Lieutenant Danny Gilmartin
and the fast drawing Wild Bill Hickock.
Toyah returns
to the stage to play Calamity, a role
immortalised on the Hollywood screen by Doris
Day.
Toyah, one of
Britain's biggest household names, has a highly
successful and varied career, with major hit
records, frequent television appearances and many
prestigous stage and screen roles in productions
as diverse as The Taming Of The Shrew, Cabaret
and Peter Pan.
Crewe &
Nantwich Guardian: Toyah will be a fast
draw -
27th
September 2002
Pop legend
Toyah Willcox will be whip cracking her way into
the Regent Theatre, Hanley as the star of a new
production of the classic comedy musical Calamity
Jane.
She will be
returning to the stage to play the role
immortalised on screen by Doris Day.She has
revealed that she is going to put a different
spin on the hugely energetic role.
Toyah has
enjoyed a highly successful and diverse career,
with major hit records, frequent TV appearances
and many stage and screen roles to her credit
that have made her one of Britain's biggest
household names. She became the face of the
eighties, achieving critical success with hits
such as 'It's a Mystery' and 'I Wanna Be Free'
from the 'Anthem' album. She continued to
gain ever-stronger acing roles, appearing in 'The
Tempest', 'Quadrophenia' 'The Taming of the
Shrew' and 'Cabaret'. She has also become
well-known to a younger audience through voicing
the hugely successful 'Teletubbies' and
'Brum'.
As Calamity,
Toyah will be delivering some of the best known
screen songs , including 'Secret Love', 'The
Deadwood Stage' and 'Black Hills of Dakota'. She
plays the Indian scout who is as hard-riding,
gun-toting and boastful, as any man on the
prairie. The tough talker puts her reputation on
the line when she promises to bring a famous
singing star all the way from Chicago to
Deadwood's Golden Garter Saloon. After a small
matter of mistaken identity, the pair become the
best of friends - until Calamity realises she may
have a rival for the affections of the town's two
most eligible cowboys, the dashing Lt Danny
Gilmartin and the fast drawing Wild Bill
Hickcock.
This Is
Staffordshire: Calamity Jane - 25th September 2002
Toyah
Willcox stars in Calamity Jane,
whip-crackin, toe-tappin musical
extravaganza at the Regent Theatre.
The Black hills
of Dakota and the West at its wildest is the
setting for this action packed, rip-roaring
comedy adventure full of colourful characters,
dazzling dance and toe-tapping tunes starring
international pop star and acclaimed actress
Toyah Willcox.
When Pistol
packing tomboy Calamity Jane brings a showgirl to
entertain the female starved Deadwood locals,
chaos ensues with mistaken identities, feminine
rivalries and secret assignations. The showgirl
is not quite what she appears.
Riotous and
romantic this wonderful production features
sensational dance routines superb sets and one of
the most witty and hummable scores ever written.
With classic songs including Just Flew in from
the Windy City, The Deadwood Stage,
Whip-Crack-Away, The Black Hills of Dakota and
the Oscar winning Secret Love.
This Is
Devon: Yeeha!
Calamity Jane - 21st September 2002
Toyah
Willcox is Calamity Jane - Toyah Willcox has come
a long way since the days of Punk Rock (remember
"It's a Mystery?")...and her latest
role is a million miles away from the era of
safety pins, torn clothing and spiky hair. She
takes the lead role of Calamity Jane - made
famous of course, by Doris Day.
The musical,
which is coming to Torquay's Princess Theatre,
features the songs Whip-Crack-Away, Windy City
and Secret Love.
For those too
young to remember the film version, it's a Wild
West comedy adventure about Calamity Jane and
Wild Bill Hickock (played by Alasdair
Harvey).
Banbury
Guardian: Calamity Jane - 21st September 2002
Calamity
Jane hits the stage as an action packed
rip-roaring comedy adventure round the Wild West
with one of the most witty and hummable scores
ever written for a musical. Classic songs
include The Deadwood Stage (whip-crack-away),
Windy City and the Black Hills of Dakota.
Toyah Willcox
stars as Calamity Jane with Alasdair Harvey as
Wild Bill Hickock. Toyahs career spans
pop-stardom, film, TV and stage. Calamity Jane is
brought to the Apollo by Tristan Baker
Productions in association with Northampton
Theatres.
BBC Oxford: Toyah Willcox in
Calamity Jane - 21st September 2002
A damsel
trying to save an entertainment venue from ruin
is the enchanting story behind Oxford Apollo's
Calamity Jane.
In this well
known play, Calamity promises the patrons of the
Golden Garter in Deadwood that she will
personally bring Miss Adams back from Chicago to
saved their beloved Golden Garter. Calamity
travels to Chicago to see Adelaide Adam's show.
From the back of the theatre she mistakes Miss
Adam's stage struck maid, Katie Brown, for the
star.
Katie seizes
the opportunity to make her dreams come true by
posing as Adelaide and leaving for Deadwood.
After crossing dangerous terrain with Indians in
hot pursuit, Katie and Calamity arrive in
Deadwood to a tremendous fanfare. The men are
delighted that Calamity has kept her word and
brought the beautiful Adelaide to perform for
them.
Without
spoiling the story for you, the playwright weaves
their magic throughout the play to ensure a
gloriously happy ending. Don't miss it!
Northants
News: Calamity
Jane - 6th
September 2002
Whip-cracking
start to some stage classics - A feast of
spectacular stage shows and musicals forms the
backbone of a busy autumn season just announced
by the Derngate in Northampton. The exciting new
programme gets off to a whip-cracking start when
singer and actress Toyah Willcox plays the title
role in an action-packed new production of the
classic comedy adventure Calamity Jane, which
runs for a week beginning on September 9th
Howdy Toyah,
chaotic cowgirl - Toyah Willcox appears as
Calamity Jane in a new production of the classic
comedy musical which starts a national tour in
Northampton this September..
The story is
based (very loosely) on a real person, Martha
Jane Cannary, who was born in 1852 and dressed,
drank and fought like a man though, like her
fictional counterpart, she was prone to
exaggerate her exploits. Whether she was
romantically involved with Wild Bill
Hickock is unknown, but the story goes that she
made a deathbed request to be buried beside
him.The movie Calamity Jane was released in 1953
to cash in on the popularity of Western musicals
such as the 1950 hit Annie Get Your Gun. The film
soon became a classic and made a star of its
leading lady, Doris Day.
The film
received three Oscar nominations and Secret Love,
a ballad from the soundtrack, won an Oscar for
the best song. Other hit songs include The Black
Hills of Dakota, Windy City and The Deadwood
Stage (Whip-crack-away!). Calamity Jane first
came to the stage in England in 1979 with Barbara
Windsor in the title role but although it toured
it never made it to the West End.
Mouse UK: A major new national
tour - Toyah Willcox is Calamity Jane - 6th September 2002
Starring
the legendary Toyah Willcox, a brand new
production of the classic comedy musical Calamity
Jane whip cracks its way onto a nationwide tour
in Autumn 2002, opening at Derngate, Northampton
on 9 September
Calamity Jane
is an action packed, rip-roaring rollercoaster of
a show with one of the most witty and memorable
musical scores ever written and featuring many
classic songs including The Deadwood Stage, Windy
City, The Black Hills of Dakota and Secret Love,
which won the Oscar for Best Original Song.
HOW THE WEST
WAS SUNG!
Deadwood,
Dakota Territory, is a typical wild west town
where men are cowboys and women are clean-living,
wholesome gals. That is apart from Indian scout
Calamity Jane, who is as hard-riding, gun-toting
and boastful as any man on the prairie. Tough
talking Calamity puts her reputation on the line
when she promises to bring a famous singing star
all the way from Chicago to Dakota's Golden
Garter Saloon. After a small matter of mistaken
identity, the dainty chanteuse and our eponymous
hero (along with the rest of Deadwood) become the
best of friends - until Calamity realises she may
have a rival for the affections of the towns two
most eligible cowboys, the dashing Lieutenant
Danny Gilmartin and fast drawing Wild Bill
Hickock.
Toyah Willcox
returns to the stage to play Calamity, a role
immortalised on the Hollywood screen by Doris
Day. Toyah, one of Britain's biggest household
names, has a highly successful and varied career,
with major hit records, frequent television
appearances and many prestigious stage and screen
roles in productions as diverse as The Taming of
The Shrew, Cabaret and Peter Pan.
Calamity Jane
is adapted for the stage by Charles K.Freeman,
with music by Sammy Fain and lyrics by Paul
Francis Webster. This new production is directed
by Ed Curtis, designed by Simon Higlett,
choreographed by Craig Revel Horwood with
lighting designed by James Whiteside, sound
designed by Autograph and musical direction by
Peter White.
The Times: Theatre Choice -
Calamity Jane - 2nd September 2002
Because
Cole Porters Kiss Me, Kate is ending its
London run earlier than planned, some people have
predicted the end of musical revivals as we know
them. Sorry, Cole. Bye-bye, Lorenz, Richard,
Oscar. Dont want to see you no more.
But a better
way of looking at success and failure is to see
them as a matter of timing, the difficult art of
catching the mood of the moment. In addition,
that is, to the vast cost of staging a musical in
London. Outside the capital, recent revivals of
Pal Joey and Guys and Dolls have done very
nicely, thank you, and the newish, youngish
company Tristan Baker Productions seems to be
following that route with its touring revival of
Calamity Jane, starring Toyah Willcox in the
title role.
Almost half a
century has gone by since the Doris Day/ Howard
Keel movie won an Oscar for Best Original Song
with Secret Love. And this was not just a one-hit
musical: Sammy Fains score also included
Windy City, The Black Hills of Dakota and
Deadwood Stage.
The love
rivalries of the plot toy with the real-life
figures of the gun-toting Indian scout, Jane
(born Martha Jane Canary), and Wild Bill Hickock,
played here by Alasdair Harvey, recently the
Beast in Beauty and the Beast.
Toyahs
own stage experience began at the National in
London and led, by way of punk movies and
Trafford Tanzi, to the role of Sally Bowles in
the Strand revival of Cabaret.
After
Northampton the show sets off on a national tour
that continues, with a break for the panto
season, into next spring.
Livewire: It's A Blast: Toyah
Willcox as Calamity Jane in Glasgow - 21st August 2002
Toyah
Willcox cracks her whip as the tough-talking,
gun-toting Indian scout, immortalised on the
Hollywood screen by Doris Day, in a brand new
production of the classic, comedy musical.
Adapted for the stage by Charles K Freeman and
directed by Ed Curtis, it features all the witty
and memorable songs so popular in the film,
including "The Deadwood Stage",
"Windy City", "The Black Hills Of
Dakota" and "Secret Love".
The Stage: Calamity Jane - 8th August 2002
Toyah
Willcox stars in a brand new production of
Calamity Jane which commences a nationwide tour
this autumn. It is adapted for the stage by
Charles K Freeman, with music by Sammy Fain and
lyrics by Paul Francis Webster. Ed Curtis directs
and musical direction is by Peter White.
Dates are:
September - Derngate, Northampton (9-14), Apollo
Theatre, Oxford (16-21), Empire Theatre,
Sunderland (23-28), Regent Theatre, Stoke (30-Oct
5); October - Opera House, Manchester (7-12),
Grand Opera House, York (21-26), New Theatre,
Hull (28-Nov 2); November - Princess Theatre,
Torquay (4-9), Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham
(11-16). The tour continues next year and the
dates will appear in a future issue. Produced by
Tristan Baker. Productions in association with
Northampton Theatres Ltd.
Actors
Pages: Calamity
Jane -
31st July 2002
A new
revival of the classic musical comedy Calamity
Jane is opening this autumn and will star actress
and singer Toyah Willcox. The production opens at
Northamptons Derngate Theatre on 9
September and then tours to nine further venues,
Oxford, Sunderland, Stoke on Trent, Manchester,
Glasgow, York, Hull, Torquay, and Birmingham,
until 16 November. Toyah Willcox has frequently
appeared on TV, and onstage in such productions
as Cabaret, The Taming of the Shrew, Peter Pan
and The Shagaround. But she is, perhaps, more
widely known for her 80's pop hits, including
"I Wanna Be Free" and "It's A
Mystery". Toyah singing "The Deadwood
Stage" should make this production of
Calamity Jane well worth a visit!
British
Theatre Guide: Willcox Plays Jane on Tour - 5th July 2002
Former pop
star Toyah Willcox is to play the lead in a new
touring version of the popular musical Calamity
Jane. Beginning on 9th September at the Dernagte,
Northampton, the show will tour to nine more
cities: Oxford, Sunderland, Stoke on Trent,
Manchester, Glasgow, York, Hull, Torquay, and
Birmingham.
Manchester
Onstage: Calamity Jane - 5th July 2002
Calamity
Jane hits the stage in an action-packed,
rip-roaring comedy adventure round the Wild West
with one of the most witty and memorable musical
scores ever written. Starring Toyah Willcox in
the title role, this brand-new revival, presented
by Tristan Baker Productions in association with
Northampton Theatres, will recapture the spirit
of the Hollywood musical in live
performance.
Whats On
Stage: Willcox
Stars as Calamity Jane in New UK Tour - 5th July 2002
Actress and
singer Toyah Willcox will play the title role in
a new revival of the classic musical comedy
Calamity Jane this autumn. The production opens
at Northamptons Derngate Theatre on 9
September 2002 and then tours to nine further
venues until 16 November. Though best known as a
1980s recording artist with pop hits such as
"It's a Mystery" and "I Wanna Be
Free", Willcox has frequently appeared
onstage in productions including Cabaret, The
Taming of the Shrew, Peter Pan and The
Shagaround. Set in the Wild West of pioneer
America, Calamity Jane is the story of a woman
who dresses like a man, totes a gun and drives
the Deadwood City stagecoach. Well-meaning but
disaster-prone, she tries to help the local
saloon proprietor out of a jam by promising to
fetch a music-hall star from Chicago. In 1953,
the musical was immortalised on the Hollywood
screen in a version starring Doris Day as Jane
and Howard Keel as her friendly enemy Wild Bill
Hickok. Calamity Jane has a book by Charles K
Freeman with music by Sammy Fain and lyrics by
Paul Francis Webster. Its score includes famous
numbers such as "Black Hills of
Dakota", "Deadwood Stage",
"Windy City" and "Secret
Love", which won the Oscar for Best Original
Song.
Remember The
Eighties: Calamity Jane - 5th July 2002
Toyah is
set to pull on her spurs as she prepares to front
a new musical production of 'Calamity Jane' after
touring the country as part of the HERE & NOW
TOUR. Talking on
her
official website www.toyahwillcox.com Toyah has
this to say; "This is the biggest project
I've taken on in my life. It's the full
orchestra, full mammoth production!"
BBC
Birmingham: Calamity Jane - 2nd July 2002
Another
actress will be appearing on home ground for a
week in November - Birmingham's own Toyah Willcox
wholl be filling the role made famous by
Doris Day back in the golden age of the Hollywood
Musical when she stars in Calamity Jane (November
12th-16th). So get get ready to catch The
Deadwood Stage en route to The Black Hills of
Dakota and find a Secret Love
.
Ananova: Toyah Willcox to star
in Calamity Jane revival - 2nd July 2002
Toyah
Willcox is to play Calamity Jane in a new
national tour. She will play the lead role in the
production which opens at Northampton's Derngate
Theatre on September 9. The tour will also visit
Oxford, Sunderland, Stoke on Trent, Manchester,
Glasgow, York, Hull, Torquay and
Birmingham.
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