Cast announced for the return of the award winning musical
‘Grindr: The Opera’
James Aymon, Grant Jackson, James Lowrie, Christian Lunn, Billy J Vale, Dereck Walker, Santino Zapico
James Aymon, Grant Jackson, James Lowrie, Christian Lunn, Billy J Vale, Dereck Walker and Santino Zapico are today announced as the cast for the new production of ‘Grindr: The Opera’ (Winner! Best New Musical, Off West End Awards 2019), which puts the most notorious gay hook-up app into the exaggerated world of opera.
With musical styles ranging from baroque to contemporary pop, ‘Grindr: The Opera’, Book, Music & Lyrics by Erik Ransom, directed by William Spencer, is a daring, humorous look at the changing landscape of gay relationships, and the greatest catalyst for the shift: Grindr.
GRINDR, a mythical siren from remote antiquity, has been awoken from its millennial slumber by technology. Its power, which is derived from human lust, is exhibited as it manipulates its gay devotees in a soaring soprano…Union Theatre Arch 22 & 23 Old Union Yard Arches 229 Union Street London SE1 0LR
25 May – 8 July 2023
James Aymon recently played Buttons in ‘Once upon a Panto’ (UK tour) as well as a singer, dancer and vocal captain for Celebrity Cruise Lines.
Grant Jackson’s recent roles include Referee Angel in ‘Kinky Boots’, Bella Du Ball in ‘Queenz’ (UK tour), ‘Top Hat’ (Upstairs at the Gatehouse) and ‘We Will Rock You’.
James Lowrie has just finished an international tour and West End run as Denym in ‘Bat Out of Hell’. He was also Lumiukko in ‘Frostbite – Who Pinched My Muff?’ (Garden Theatre).
Christian Lunn played Riff Raff in the European Tour of ‘The Rocky Horror Show’. He was in the original award-winning cast of ‘Grindr the Opera’ in 2018 and played ‘Little John’ in Lionel Bart’s ‘Twang!! The Musical’ at the Union Theatre.
Billy J Vale is a recent graduate of Arts Ed. Earlier this month he was in ‘Dr Zhivago in Concert’ (London Palladium).
Dereck Walker returns to the role of Don from the original award-winning cast of ‘Grindr The Opera!’. Recent theatre credits include Grandma in ‘George’s Marvellous Medicine’ (Birmingham Stage) and Tin Man in “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” ( PMA Productions).
Santino Zapico is a recent graduate of Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance making his professional debut.
Creative team:
Director and Choreographer William Spencer
Assistant Director Amy Kinnear
Musical Director Aaron Clingham
Designer David Shields
Design Assistant Ryan Webster
Lighting Designer Jonathan Chan
Sound Designer Joshua Robins
Production Manager – Alistair Lindsay
Producer Peter Bull
Composer Erik Ransom said: “Class and crass were the elements I sought to blend in the creation of this show. It is right in the title: ‘GRINDR: The Opera’.
“Opera brings to mind tuxedos, elegant gowns and pearl necklaces. GRINDR brings to mind bare torsos, leather harnesses and, well… pearl necklaces.
“This may not be opera in the traditional sense, but I would argue it fulfils the necessary prerequisites to be defined as such and, like all opera, it lives in a heightened world. I was interested in exploring and exaggerating themes that have become commonplace across the spectrum of queer culture in the Information Age, while paying occasional homage to iconic musical greats like Verdi, Wagner and, of course, The Village People.
“I hope you’ll lose yourself in this eclectic musical world, which is frequently as frivolous as ‘Figaro’ and at times as tragic as ‘Tosca’. I hope you’ll take differing sides in the disputes between the characters, because in my view there are no heroes or villains in this story.
“GRINDR is neither good nor bad. It is, like its trademarked sigil, a mask. A guise to be donned by myriad men for a plethora of purposes. However you receive GRINDR: The Opera, may you find it at least as enjoyable as your most recent hook up!”
Erik Ransom – Book, Music & Lyrics
Erik Ransom is an award-winning, internationally produced playwright, lyricist, composer and performer based out of New York. Erik’s magnum opus, GRINDR The Opera, won London’s 2019 Off West End Award for Best New Musical, and has been produced across the US. Erik originated the role of Rodney in the long-running Off-Broadway hit ‘My Big Gay Italian Wedding’ and plays the recurring role of François in ‘PopStar! TV’s Tainted Dreams’. He wrote lyrics for the Off-Broadway sci-fi musical, ‘The Anthem’ and for ‘Shooting Star’, which ran at Hudson Theatres in Los Angeles. Other works include: ‘Coming: A Rock Musical of Biblical Proportions’ and ‘More Than All the World’, a musical retelling of Marlowe’s ‘Edward II’. Additionally, Erik starred in and wrote songs for the film, ‘Happy Yummy Chicken’ featuring Taryn Manning, and served as lead comedy writer for The Celebrity Roast of Michael Musto, presented by Rosie O’Donnell and hosted by Bruce Vilanch. In January of 2017, Erik founded The Dead Playwrights’ Society, a group that gathers monthly to read and discuss classic and contempo rary plays. ‘The Tragedie of King John Falstaff’ was first read as part of the newly-minted Future Dead Playwrights chapter of the Society.
William Spencer – Director /Choreographer
William trained at Bird College and as an intern/student ambassador to the McOnie Company. Alongside this, he has had the pleasure of working with West End and internationally renowned creatives such as Carole Todd, Nick Winston, Steven Dexter and Bronagh Lagan. Recently, he was twice Offie nominated for Best Choreographer for ‘[Title of Show]’ and ‘Boy Toy’. His two all-male narrative ballets, ‘Coppelia’ and ‘The Supermarket Suite’ received seven 5 star reviews along with an Offie Commendation Award. Other choreographic and directorial credits include: ‘Nul Points!’, ‘A-Typical Rainbow’, ‘LOL Surprise’, ‘Next Thing You Know’, ‘Frostbite’, Gradfest’s Showcase, ‘Black Magic Woman’, ‘Queereteria TV’, ‘Diary of a W*nky Actor’ and the cabaret show ‘Cut Before Curtain Up’. Assistant choreographer/director credits include the following Offie nominated productions: ‘Pippin’, ‘Romance Romance’, ‘Musical of Musicals (The Musical!)’, ‘Mother Goose’ and ‘Cynthia’s Girls’.
Peter Bull – Producer
Peter founded Above The Stag Theatre where he was artistic director for 11 years until 2019. He famously created the legendary Above The Stag adult pantos. He has produced over 100 Off West End plays, musicals and pantomimes as well as cabaret and stand up performances. His outdoor production of ‘Fanny & Stella’ was the first musical to open in the U.K. after the first Covid 19 lockdown. Highlights of his career include the 25th anniversary production of Jonathan Harvey’s ‘Beautiful Thing’, Pet Shop Boys’ musical ‘Closer to Heaven’ and the award winning ‘Grindr The Opera’. In addition he has directed in London, New York, Milwaukee and Chicago.
Peter Bull presentsGrindr: The Opera
An unauthorised parody
Book, music & lyrics by Erik Ransom
Director William Spencer
UNION THEATRE
Arch 22 & 23 Old Union Yard Arches
229 Union Street
London
SE1 0LR
25 May – 8 July 2023
Tuesday – Saturday 7.30pm
Sunday 2.00pm
Tickets :
25th & 26th May £20
27th & 28th May £25
from 30th May £35
Bookings : uniontheatre.biz
Original cast recording available on iTunes, A
mazon music, Apple Music
Sample tracks on
https://grindrtheopera.hearnow.com