JUDY & LIZA MUSICAL TO BE ONE OF THE FIRST UK TOURS
STAGED OUT OF LOCKDOWN
Dazzling musical showcases iconic careers of Garland and Minnelli
and stars West End Stars Emma Dears and Helen Sheals
The 10th anniversary tour visits Worcester, Leeds, Chesterfield,
Lytham Saint Annes, New Brighton, Coventry, Clwyd and Lichfield
A dazzling and heart-warming stage show charting the careers and relationship between Hollywood mother and daughter Judy Garland and Liza Minnelli is going on a UK tour which will open many theatres out of lockdown.
Captivating audiences for a decade, Judy & Liza will embark on a national tour throughout May and June 2021 to mark the show’s landmark 10th anniversary visiting Worcester, Leeds, Chesterfield, Lytham St Annes, New Brighton, Coventry, Clwyd, and Lichfield. A London date will also be announced soon.
The show isthought to be one of the first shows to tour the UK post lockdown, coinciding with the Government’s roadmap for the easing of lockdown restrictions. Social distancing and any further required measures will be in place to ensure Covid-secure environments for audience safety.
The Judy & Liza UK Tour is Wednesday 19 May at the Swan Theatre in Worcester; Thursday 20 May at the City Varieties Music Hall in Leeds; Saturday 22 May at Chesterfield’s Pomegranate Theatre; Saturday 29 May at the Lowther Pavilion in Lytham Saint Annes; Friday 4 June at New Brighton’s Floral Pavilion; Saturday 12 June at Coventry; Sunday 13 June at Clwyd; and Saturday 26 June at Lichfield. The show will also tour in October, with dates to be announced soon.
Judy & Liza is produced by Bill Elms Productions and On Song Productions; created and written by West End performer Emma Dears who appears as Liza Minnelli; with Francis Goodhand as musical director.
Emma performs alongside Helen Sheals, who plays Judy Garland. Together they belt out timeless classics with uncanny resemblance of Judy and Liza, bursting with their unrivalled and elusive star quality.
The incredible talents of two of the biggest names in Hollywood showbusiness – mother and daughter Judy Garland and Liza Minnelli – are reunited thanks to this sensational musical experience. This dazzling production tells the turbulent tale of the stars against the backdrop of their infamous 1964 London Palladium concert. Audiences are taken on an emotional rollercoaster journey as they discover the uncanny parallels between some of Judy and Liza’s most iconic songs and their own personal lives.
The show features performances of iconic songs including Cabaret, Maybe This Time, Over The Rainbow, The Man That Got Away, The Trolley Song, and Together Wherever We Go.
Liverpool-born actress Emma Dears self-penned the musical biopic to critical acclaim. Emma’s acting career began at the age of nine when she toured the UK in the title role of Annie. She later headed to London to join the Italia Conti Academy for Performing Arts, however she left before completing the course as she was offered a part in the tour of Les Miserables performing in Dublin and Edinburgh. Emma’s West End roles have included Les Miserables, Miss Saigon, and Oliver. Television roles include Emmerdale, Nice Guy Eddie, Shameless, Hollyoaks, Brookside, and Second Coming.
Helen is widely known for her roles in Coronation Street and Downton Abbey. However, Helen is no stranger to portraying Judy Garland having previously played the title role in the West End musical Judy! at The Arts Theatre in London. Her extensive theatre roles have included Mistress Quickly in Merry Wives and Goneril in King Lear for Northern Broadsides, directed by Sir Jonathan Miller; Mari Hoff in The Rise and Fall of Little Voice (Hull Truck and UK Tour); and Shirley Valentine. Helen’s TV credits include Brookside, Meterosexuality, Family Affairs, Last Tango in Halifax, Silent Witness, Holby City, Casualty, Doctors, Dalziel and Pascoe, and Mrs Wigan in three seasons of Downton Abbey.
Producer Bill Elms commented: “We are thrilled to finally announce the 10th Anniversary UK tour of Judy & Liza, it’s a production very close to my heart as I worked on the very first show. It is going to be a very special tour, as for many of the theatres, this will be their first show of the year, as we come out of lockdown. We can promise audiences a safe and very memorable experience as they rediscover the joy of live entertainment through this captivating show.”
Writer and actress Emma Dears added: “It is with pure excitement that we can take Judy and Liza’s emotional and iconic story on the road. As performers, we crave being in front of a live audience – seeing, hearing and feeling their reactions, it gets no better than that. Whether you’re a fan of Judy or Liza, or both, their story is unique. The show is full of love, heartache, and passion, and Helen and I have worked tirelessly to make sure we get every tiny detail just right. Join us for an evening with the mother and daughter who really did put the ‘show’ into showbiz.”
To find out more visit www.judyandliza.co.uk
Facebook: /JudyandLiza
Twitter: @Judylizatour
REVIEWS – WHAT THE CRITICS SAY ABOUT JUDY & LIZA
★★★★
“THEIR PERFORMANCES ARE SPELLBINDING”
WhatsOnStage.com
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
“CLASSY, EMOTIONAL, TASTEFUL AND HEARTFELT”
Musical Theatre
★ ★ ★ ★
“MARVELLOUS MIXTURE OF CAMP, TRAGEDY AND RAZZAMATAZZ”
North West End UK
LISTING INFORMATION
JUDY & LIZA UK TOUR 2021
SWAN THEATRE, WORCESTER – ON SALE NOW
Wednesday 19 May 2021 at 7.30pm
Huntingdon Hall, Crown Gate, Worcester, WR1 3LD
Website: www.worcesterlive.co.uk
Box Office: 01905 611427
CITY VARIETIES MUSIC HALL, LEEDS – ON SALE NOW
Thursday 20 May 2021 at 7.30pm
Swan Street, Leeds, LS1 6LW
Website: www.leedsheritagetheatres.com
Box Office: 0113 243 0808
POMEGRANATE THEATRE, CHESTERFIELD – ON SALE NOW
Saturday 22 May 2021 at 2.30pm / 7.30pm
Corporation Street, Chesterfield, S41 7TX
Website: www.chesterfieldtheatres.co.uk
Box Office: 01246 345222
LOWTHER PAVILION, LYTHAM – ON SALE NOW
Saturday 29 May 2021 at 2.30pm / 7.30pm
West Beach, Lytham Saint Annes, FY8 5QQ
Website: www.lowtherpavilion.co.uk
Box Office: 01253 794221
FLORAL PAVILION, NEW BRIGHTON – ON SALE NOW
Friday 4 June 2021 at 2.30pm / 7.30pm
Marine Promenade, New Brighton, Wirral, CH45 2JS
Website: www.floralpavilion.com
Box Office: 0151 666 0000
ALBANY THEATRE, COVENTRY – ON SALE NOW
Saturday 12 June 2021 at 7.30pm
Albany Road, Coventry, CV5 6JQ
Website: www.albanytheatre.co.uk
Box Office: 02476 998 964
THEATRE CLWYD, NORTH WALES – ON SALE SOON
Saturday 13 June 2021 at 2.30pm / 7.30pm
Raikes Lane, Mold, CH7 1YA
Website: www.theatreclwyd.com
Box Office: 01352 344101
GARRICK THEATRE, LICHFIELD – ON SALE 1 APRIL 2021
Saturday 26 June 2021 at 2.30pm / 7.30pm
Castle Dyke, Lichfield, WS13 6HR
Website: www.lichfieldgarrick.com
Box Office: 01543 412121