45 - Dame Arlene Phillips on Breaking Through, Starlight Express & Whitney Houston

This episode of Call To Stage was recorded in front of a live audience at Call To Stage LIVE at The Other Palace on November 24th 2024. Sign-up to hear about Call To Stage LIVE 2025 at this link: https://calltostage.lnk.to/liveshow When it comes to West End royalty, few are as acclaimed as Carrie Hope Fletcher. Having built a loyal audience in the millions across social media, Carrie is one of the most bankable stars in British theatre. Having made her West End debut at the age of 9 as Young Éponine in Les Miserables, Carrie is the only British actress to have played Young Éponine, Older Éponine and Fantine in the West End production of the show. She won a WhatsOnStage Award for her portrayal of Older Éponine. Her list of theatre credits are endless - including being in the original cast of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang as Jemima Potts, Jane Banks in Mary Poppins, Beth in the Arena tour of Jeff Wayne's War of the Worlds, Wednesday Addams in the UK tour of The Addams Family, Veronica in Heathers, Cinderella in Andrew Lloyd Webber's Cinderella (another WhatsOnStage award winning role) among many others. In 2025, Carrie stars in the titular role in the UK tour of Calamity Jane. In this episode of Call To Stage, Amber and Carrie talk about landing major roles young, her experiences in some of the West End's biggest shows, balancing her career with her new role as a mother and her plans to tour Calamity Jane. There's also stories from Heathers, Cinderella and growing up with a rock star brother... Follow Call To Stage Instagram: @calltostagepod TikTok: @calltostagepod YouTube: @calltostage Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode of Call To Stage was recorded in front of a live audience at Call To Stage LIVE at The Other Palace on November 24th 2024. Sign-up to hear about Call To Stage LIVE 2025 at this link: https://calltostage.lnk.to/liveshow There are legends, and then there is Dame Arlene Phillips - truly a one of one. In a career spanning over 4 decades, the choreographer, director, producer, presenter and dancer has choreographed everything from Grease to Saturday Night Fever, The Sound of Music, The Wizard of Oz and Starlight Express - the job that has taken her around the world. Dame Arlene has also choreographed some of the best known music videos of all time - from Elton John's I'm Still Standing to Whitney Houston's How Will I Know and I Wanna Dance With Somebody, Tina Turner's Private Dancer as well as Robbie Williams' Rock DJ. She also choreographed the acclaimed 1982 Annie movie, has been a judge on Strictly Come Dancing and in 2023 she won her first Olivier Award for Guys and Dolls. In this episode of Call To Stage, Amber and Dame Arlene talk about her breakthrough moments, how Starlight Express changed her life, working with Whitney Houston, her experience on Strictly Come Dancing and the biggest lessons she has learnt from her career. Follow Call To Stage Instagram: @calltostagepod TikTok: @calltostagepod YouTube: @calltostage Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There are few who have done it like Mazz Murray! Not just has she played many of theatre's most-loved roles (from Mabel in Fame to Maureen to Rent, Matron Mama Morton in Chicago and Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard), she has played some of them longer than anybody else! She is the longest-running cast member to be involved with We Will Rock You, having played the role of Killer Queen from 2004 to 2011, and currently she plays Donna in the West End production of Mamma Mia! - having played Tanya from 2015-2017. Mazz Murray is a West End legend. On this episode of Call To Stage, Amber and Mazz talk about unexpected opportunities in We Will Rock You, the challenges of learning your lines and taking on the role of Donna in Mamma Mia. Mazz also shares a wild story about stepping into Rent and anecdotes from her time in Pippin and Sunset Boulevard. Plus, Mazz shares her heartfelt advice to aspiring theatre students... Follow Call To Stage Instagram: @calltostagepod TikTok: @calltostagepod YouTube: @calltostage Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We've got a very special episode of Call To Stage this week as the cast and director of the blockbuster movie adaptation of Wicked join Amber Davies on the show! Ariana Grande (Glinda) and Cynthia Erivo (Elphaba) talk about their musical options and share their appreciation for each other; Jonathan Bailey (Fiyero) and Jeff Goldblum (The Wizard of Oz) give their best Defying Gravity impersonations... and fanboy over Amber; and, director Jon M. Chu gives advice for actors and speaks on the choreography in the film. Plus at at the end of the episode, Amber shares her reflections on interviewing these screen stars and has her review of the the must-see movie of the year. Follow Call To Stage Instagram: @calltostagepod TikTok: @calltostagepod YouTube: @calltostage Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When Sam Tutty became one of the youngest Olivier Award recipients when he won Best Actor In A Leading Role In A Musical for Dear Evan Hansen, it confirmed what everyone already knew: He is undoubtedly one of the brightest rising stars in the West End. Now with multiple Stage Awards - as well as a WhatsOnStage Award and Critics Circle Theatre Award - and his celebrated role in the hit musical "Two Strangers (Carry A Cake Across New York)", Sam is on his way to becoming a bankable West End leading men. On this episode of Call To Stage, Amber and Sam talk about his break-out role as Evan Hansen, navigating performance anxiety, his work on Two Strangers and the benefit of having creative freedom on stage. Follow Call To Stage Instagram: @calltostagepod TikTok: @calltostagepod YouTube: @calltostage Thank you to our sponsor OneSkin: Get 15% off OneSkin with the code CALLTOSTAGE at https://www.oneskin.co/ #oneskinpod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We have two legends of the game on the podcast this week! Ramin Karimloo has ticked off more dream roles than most people could ever hope to: The Phantom and Raoul de Chagny in The Phamtom of the Opera, Jean Valjean, Enjolras and Marius in Les Misérables, Gleb Vaganov in Anastasia, Nick Arnstein in Funny Girl and more. He has also starred in both the 25th Anniversary performance of both Phantom and Les Mis. Hadley Fraser made his West End debut as Marius in Les Misérables alongside leading roles in Young Frankenstein, Chess, The Secret Garden and also starred - alongside Ramin - in the 25th Anniversary performances of the West End's longest running shows. To celebrate their leading roles in the West End concert of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels this Winter, Ramin and Hadley join Amber on this episode of Call To Stage to talk about chemistry, dealing with rejection, their most memorable performances and working with legends, including Barbra Streisand. Follow Call To Stage Instagram: @calltostagepod TikTok: @calltostagepod YouTube: @calltostage Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

She has the voice of a hundred people.. literally, this week's guests is one of the world's greatest impressionists! Christina Bianco first broke through with her viral impressions of the likes of Ariana Grande, Kristen Chenoweth and Idina Menzel, which led to millions of YouTube views and appearances on Ellen, The Today Show, This Morning and even RuPaul's Drag Race. Now, many Drama Desk Award nominations later, Christina has starred in the West End productions of Forbidden Broadway and OKLAHOMA! In Concert, the 2023 revival of The Wizard of Oz and even Funny Girl in Paris. On this episode of Call To Stage, Amber and Christina talk about training in New York, the differences between American and British audiences, her passion for impressions and going from open calls to Broadway success. Plus Christina reveals her next exciting project... Follow Call To Stage Instagram: @calltostagepod TikTok: @calltostagepod YouTube: @calltostage Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You might recognise him as Jamie New (or even from The X Factor), this week's guest is Luke Bayer! Luke was in the Original West End Cast of Everybody's Talking About Jamie, and has also appeared in Hair at the London Palladium, and the 20th Anniversary Concert of Les Miserables at the Sondheim Theatre. On this episode of Call To Stage, Amber and Luke talk about the importance of vocal health, the highlight of his Everybody's Talking About Jamie experience and his one-man musical Diva: Live From Hell. They also talk skincare journeys and the importance of having a good attitude! Follow Call To Stage Instagram: @calltostagepod TikTok: @calltostagepod YouTube: @calltostage Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Having become one of the most-talked about performers in the West End over the past few years, Rob Madge is proving that they're here to stay. Having written and starred in the WhatsOnStage Award winning and Olivier Award nominated autobiographical show My Son's A Queer (But What Can You Do?), they have gone on to star in the UK Tour of Bedknobs and Broomsticks, the Off West End production of Buyer & Cellar and gain further critical acclaim for their self-penned show Rob Madge's Regards to Broadway. On this episode of Call To Stage, Amber and Rob talk about the creation story behind My Son's A Queer (But What Can You Do?), Rob's start as a child actor in the West End productions of Mary Poppins, Macbeth and Oliver! as well as the significant importance of family support... especially when your dreams of Broadway hit a (very public) problem. Follow Call To Stage Instagram: @calltostagepod TikTok: @calltostagepod YouTube: @calltostage Thank you to our sponsor OneSkin: Get 15% off OneSkin with the code CALLTOSTAGE at https://www.oneskin.co/ #oneskinpod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nathania Ong's journey to the West End is, much like the actress herself, unique and outstanding. Having been born and raised in Singapore, she made her West End debut in 2021 in the transfer of Be More Chill, before joining the UK Tour of Les Misérables as Éponine that same year. That kicked off a journey that has led to her joining the cast as Elizabeth Schuyler in Hamilton. On this episode of Call To Stage, Amber and Nathania talk about the journey from Singapore to the UK, Nathania's transformative training at Mountview, the perseverance that led her to iconic roles on the West End and her surprising dream role... Follow Call To Stage Instagram: @calltostagepod TikTok: @calltostagepod YouTube: @calltostage Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices