Saadiqah September 13th, 2023
JLS's Aston Merrygold and RuPaul's Drag Race UK's The Vivienne are starring in "The Wizard of Oz" as Tin Man and the Wicked Witch of the West. Dorothy and her companions step out of the London Palladium and onto the Yellow Brick Road, heading to the Liverpool Empire this Christmas. The show will open from December 13, 2023, to January 7, 2024.
Based on the beloved movie, this 5-star critically acclaimed production is directed by Nikolai Foster. The show features all the songs you know and love from the original, including "Over the Rainbow," "We're Off to See the Wizard," and "Follow the Yellow Brick Road," all set to stunning choreography by Shay Barclay. An iconic piece of pop culture, "The Wizard of Oz" never fails to delight the whole family.
Aston Merrygold
You mainly know him as a singer in the group JLS, which reached second place on X Factor in 2008. After his successful journey in the group, he embarked on solo projects, served as a judge on the dance talent show "Got to Dance," and finished third in the ITV singing series "The Masked Singer." Liverpool holds a special place for Merrygold and his family, as it was just last year that he got married there.
The Vivienne
A Welsh drag queen, best known for winning the first-ever UK RuPaul's Drag Race in 2019. She later returned to compete in the seventh season of All Stars in 2022. Vivienne has expressed a lifelong love for "The Wizard of Oz," having watched the movie hundreds of times since young, having played The Tin Man at primary school and had the opportunity to perform "Over The Rainbow", on "Dancing on Ice," where she finished in third place and became the first drag artist to participate. Liverpool knows The Vivienne well from working in many bars like Superstar Boudoir, GBar, and Heaven, and now she's heading back there to play The Wicked Witch of the West this Christmas.
The story, as everyone knows, follows farmgirl Dorothy and her beloved dog Toto who find themselves in the magical land of Oz after being swept up in a tornado. There is one man who may be able to help her return home to Kansas - The fabled Wizard of Oz, who lives in Emerald City...
This trip to Oz is one well worth taking, you'll be in the best of company.
britishtheatre.com
