Archive for the ‘Show News’ Category

Barney is guest Musical Director for Show Off Piano Bar on the 17th September at Cafe Koha in the Heart of the West End.

Show Off! is a musical theatre piano bar in the heart of the West End. It is a place where anyone who loves musical theatre can listen to songs from shows new and old – and where anyone who wants to can get up and perform.

The doors open at 8 p.m. The music kicks off at 9 p.m. and continues until 1 a.m., so there is plenty of time to join us if you are going to a show in the evening.

If you want to sing, just put your name and the song you want to sing on the sign-up sheet when you arrive. We have music from a wide variety of shows, but you’re very welcome to bring your own.

Show Off! costs £10 at the door. Reservations (to guarantee a place) can be made by filling in the reservation form or by sending us an e-mail. A large selection of wines and spirits can be purchased at the bar, and Cafe Koha’s full range of snacks and meals is also available to be served to your table.

Barney is playing for auditions for the English Theatre Frankfurt’s production of Spring Awakening.

Director – Ryan McBryde

Casting Director – Amy Rycroft

Barney is Deputizing as Musical Director for the UK touring production of Hi-De-Hi!

He will be conducting the shows on Saturday 4th September 2010 at The Theatre Royal, Windsor

and Saturday 11th September at The Octagon Theatre, Yeovil

Barney is currently playing on auditions for the upcoming London Production of ‘Bright Lights, Big City’

Producer – Sue Knox

Director – Christopher Lane

Choreographer – Fabian Aloise

Casting Director – Ellie Collyer-Bristow

Barney will be playing Keyboards for ‘Proms in the Park’ at Lake Meadows on the weekend of the 24th July 2010 for Steve Socci Music Services.

The Event is hosted by Barry Norman and features Pop Star Will Young (with guest Sophie Ellis Bextor) and top Soprano Elizabeth MacDonald.

One of the UK’s most renowned orchestras has added its name to the bill of a spectacular summer concert weekend set for south Essex.

Basildon Council has already secured pop idol Will Young for a gala weekend of music and events to be held at Lake Meadows.

Now, one of the top orchestras in the country, the City Concert Orchestra, has also signed up.

The gala weekend will take place at the park, off Radford Crescent, Billericay, on Saturday, July 24 and Sunday, July 25.

It will follow on from last year’s hugely successful open air concert at the park where opera singer Katherine Jenkins put on a classical music show for thousands of revellers.

Proms in the Park will be the theme for the Saturday evening event this year as the City Concert Orchestra provide a night of classical music.

Event manager for Basildon Council, Paul Brace, said: “Hosted by Barry Norman, the night promises to be one to remember as the orchestra, led by conductor Adrian Jackson and featuring some of the country’s leading musicians, perform a range of classical hits.

“We are privileged to have the City Orchestra coming to the gala event. They have gained a reputation as one of the best orchestras in the country and will provide the perfect start to the weekend.”

The weekend will finish with superstar Will Young, who will perform his hits, including Leave Right Now and All Time Love, as well as new material.

Tickets for Saturday are £27 and for the Sunday, £32.50. Call the box office on 01268 465465.

Source – The Echo

On Thursday 1st & Friday 2nd July Barney will be the Musical Director of The Arts Educational Schools MT6 Diploma Performance at the Watermans Theatre in Brentford.

Do come along to see some incredibly talented students in what is their final performance of the two year Diploma course.

Director – David Ashley

Musical Director – Barney Ashworth

Assistant Director – Annalisa Rossi

Choreographers – David Greenall, Dawn Buckland, Kylie Anne Cruikshanks

Tickets are £10 and are available from the ArtsEd Box Office – 020 8987 6666

Join the Facebook Group here

Here is the performance video from West End Eurovision 2010 – Jermyn Street Entry starring Sister Mary McArthur

Musical Director – Barney Ashworth    Choreographer – Phillip Aiden

Arranged/Orchestrated – Barney Ashworth & Chris Macklin

The musicians are the superb resident Grease band

Performers – Laura Armstrong, Jon R Harrison, Sarah Lark, Adam Lilley, Richard Anthony Mason, Tim McArthur, Aimee Porter, Phil Price, Steve Raine, Elena Rossi, Katie Ventress & Ellen Verenikes.

Costume Hair & Make Up, Claire Nicholas & Fiona Russell

Film by – Jane Garfield at Proud to Present

So your brother Ben is getting married and you offer to oversee, arrange and Musically Direct his wedding… simple! Well it would be normally… but this is no ordinary brother…

Organising the Organist was relatively easy having been at school with some superb players. Mark Browne was duly appointed who is a previous Organ Scholar of Canterbury Cathedral and played superbly.

Ben wanted something a little unconventional during the Signing of the Register…

…more specifically Take That’s ‘Greatest Day.’

Having just said that he wanted me to play it as a solo on the piano I decided to go one large step further and try and find a choir!

Step forward the fantastic girls from Downe House School in Berkshire who after only one rehearsal and a lot of hard work sang beautifully and added a perfect ambiance to the service.

I hope you enjoy the video! Barnes x

Barney is the Musical Director for Jermyn Street’s entry into West End Eurovision 2010.

He will be conducting the Resident Grease Band at the home of Grease, the Piccadilly Theatre.

Please come along to support this fantastic Charity Night.

Ahead of the real, 55th annual Eurovision Song Contest in Oslo, Norway on 29 May, theatregoers can get a live taste of Graham Norton’s Eurovision nous at the West End’s Piccadilly Theatre on Thursday 20 May 2010.

The TV presenter has firmly cemented his association with the songfest, having taken over from Terry Wogan as the BBC’s Eurovision commentator last year and also hosted two series of Your Country Needs, the reality TV competition which last month selected 19-year-old Josh Dubovie, singing “That Sounds Good to Me”, as the UK’s 2010 Eurovision entry.

Just days before getting on a plane to meet Dubovie in Norway, Norton will join musical leading lady Sally Ann Triplett and Heart radio presenter Toby Anstis (who recently made his West End debut as Teen Angel in Grease, still running at the Piccadilly) on the judging panel for the third annual West End Eurovision, held at 11.30pm at the Piccadilly Theatre in aid of TheatreMAD (Theatre: Make a Difference), the charity which supports those living with HIV, AIDS and other long-term conditions.

In addition to Eurovision, Norton is of course no stranger to musicals. He made his own stage debut dragging up in the West End revival of La Cage aux Folles and continues to front, with Andrew Lloyd Webber, the BBC’s regular musical theatre competition series, including the current one, Over the Rainbow, to cast Dorothy in a forthcoming production ofThe Wizard of Oz.

On the night, casts from 11 West End musicals - Avenue Q, Billy Elliot, Dirty Dancing, Dreamboats & Petticoats, Legally Blonde, Les Miserables, Love Never Dies, The Phantom of the Opera, We Will Rock You, Wicked and last year’s winner Mamma Mia! – as well as a company from Jermyn Street Theatre will compete by putting their own stamp on a previous Eurovision song.

The contest will be decided by the audience, voting via text message. In addition, special guests Bardo will perform their 1982 Eurovision entry One Step Further”.

First broadcast on 24 May 1956, the Eurovision Song Contest is one of the longest-running television shows in the world. The UK first won the competition in 1967 with Sandie Shaw’s “Puppet on a String” and then again two years later with Lulu’s “Boom Bang-a-bang”. Other UK winners include “Brotherhood of Man” in 1976 and Bucks Fizz with “Making Your Mind Up” in 1981.

Tickets for West End Eurovision are priced £20, £25 and £35, with £50 premium seats including pre-show champagne and a complimentary programme. The show commences at 11.30pm and has an estimated running time of two hours. To book, call 0844 871 7630.

Quote Courtesy of Whatsonstage.com

On Sunday 2nd May 2010

Tiffany Gobbelin returns by popular demand to one of Londons premier Caberet venues, Pizza on the Park.

Accompanied on the Pianoforte by Mr Barney Ashworth

Join Ms Gobbelin and her guests Luke Fredericks (Sound of Music, Into the Woods) and Law James for an un-missable evening!