Mad About the Musicals 10th AnniversaryTour Oct&Nov 2015

[ValR]

Thanks Maria - it was so lovely to see that, I also wish I could see the show again!

[Guest NicolaJayne]

Thank you so much Maria for posting the link to the trailer, every time I watch it, iit makes me so excited to see the whole show.

[eternal]

This interview with Yorkpress reveals a little more about Gareth's voice treatment and also where he is performing in Asia soon:

http://www.yorkpress.co.uk/news/13926461.Gareth_Gates_is_mad_about_the_musicals_in_York_and_has_Footloose_on_the_horizon_too/

Gareth Gates is mad about the musicals in York and has Footloose on the horizon too

GARETH Gates is starring in a show with the perfect title for a singer who has Les Miserables, Legally Blonde and Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat on his CV.

"This is the first year that I've been involved with Mad About The Musicals, but the show has been running very successfully for ten years," says the Bradford musical actor, best known for his Northern lad versus Southern posh boy head-to-head with Will Young in the 2002 final of the Pop Idol talent show that went Young's way.

Gareth, now 31, is on tour with Michael Courtney in a celebratory show that takes a whistle-stop tour from London’s West End to the glitz of Broadway, and like Will Young tonight, his itinerary will bring him to York Barbican on November 6.

"Mad About The Musicals is Michael's show and I was thrilled to be asked towards the end of last year if I wanted to do it with him. I had a look at the footage and I loved the concept; we rehearsed for two and a half weeks and the tour's been really good since we started on October 1," says Gareth.

"I enjoy a show like this that celebrates some of the best songs that have ever been written. There are songs that people request me to sing, such as from Les Miserables, and songs that Michael suggested I should sing, like Heaven On Their Minds from Jesus Christ Superstar, which is a great show and I was so pleased he asked me to sing that one, as it's a good song to stretch the voice."

He enjoys the contrasts thrown up by Michael's choice of songs for Gareth and the company. "There are a few duets too, and the great thing about this show is that it ranges from shows like Half A Sixpence right through to more modern shows like Queen's We Will Rock You.

Gareth's voice is in good medical hands and the steroids are the best way forward. "I'm seeing the top experts in Harley Street at the moment, as it's very important for me and my future as a singer," he says. "The work I've been doing on the voice has shown great results and I'm delighted that what's happened won't affect my career.

"Music is my world, and I feel in love with music even more now because music is my form of release. It was the only way of getting out of me what was in there."

Gareth sings and performs with freedom from his speech impediment, whereas in interviews the stammer can still surface, and you can hear the joy in his voice at the possibilities his gift for singing brings him. "This tour is travelling the whole country over five weeks and after that I'm jetting off to Asia, where I have a couple of gigs coming up in Thailand and Kuala Lumpur. I'm excited about that one especially!"

The Gates diary has entries for Christmas and beyond the New Year, the first being for his role as Prince Charming in Cinderella at the Crewe Lyceum Theatre from December 12 to January 3. "I then go straight into rehearsals for Footloose: The Musical for a UK tour, where I'm playing Willard," he says.

The new production will open at Bridlington Spa from January 29 to February 6 in its only Yorkshire booking on a tour that will feature Gareth until April 16 before he resumes the role from June 20 to August 6.

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In the meantime, Gareth invites you to enjoy the songs of Rodgers and Hammerstein, Kander and Ebb, Andrew Lloyd Webber and Boublil and Schonberg in York next Friday.

Mad About The Musicals, 10th Anniversary Tour, with Gareth Gates and Michael Courtney, York Barbican, November 6, 7.30pm. Box office: 0844 854 2757 or at yorkbarbican.co.uk. Footloose tickets for Bridlington are on sale on 01262 678258 or at thespabridlington.com

[eternal]

Another great interview (I'm not sure the word boasting and Gareth go together)?

http://www.soglos.com/music/39655/Interview-with-Gareth-Gates

Interview with Gareth Gates Boasting numerous number ones, mesmerising musical performances, and even ice-skating success, SoGlos speaks to star of the West End and hit singer, Gareth Gates.

From finding stardom in Pop Idol and selling millions of records worldwide, to starring in the West End and touring the country, singer and performer, Gareth Gates, has gone from strength to strength.

Most recently, Gareth shines as lead in the tenth anniversary of hit show Mad About the Musicals, which will take to Roses Theatre in Tewkesbury on Sunday 8 November 2015, celebrating best-loved hits from all-time favourite shows.

SoGlos talks to him about career highlights, his passion for musical theatre, and what audiences can look forward to in his current show.

First things first, can you tell me about your role in Mad About the Musicals?

Well, it’s the tenth year anniversary of the show and I was asked to be a part of this year’s celebration, which I was thrilled about. We perform all sorts of songs from some of the world’s best musical theatre, from Broadway to West End.

I’ve done big shows before, such as Les Miserables, Legally Blonde, and Joseph, and have carved a career out of musical theatre, so, to be singing some best-loved songs from theatre, and all within one evening’s performance, is a great thrill.

During the show, do you have a favourite song to perform?

‘Empty Chairs at Empty Tables’ is a favourite of mine. I played Marius in the 25th anniversary production of Les Miserables and in the West End, so that’s always a great one to perform.

There’s also the song, ‘Heaven on their Minds’ from Jesus Christ Superstar, a rocky song which I can really give my all on –that’s a new number which I will definitely be adding to my repertoire in the future.

What drew you to performing in musicals, and what do you enjoy about it?

For me, it’s the live aspect of performing to a different crowd – a live crowd – every evening.

When you’re a recording artist working in the studio, or on television shows, you often lose that live element. But with theatre, you get a live audience every night, and getting that amazing reaction is something quite special.

Do you have an all-time favourite musical?

Les Miserables is probably my favourite. I also played the lead role in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat, and that musical means a hell of a lot to me; I first performed in that role in my first school at the age of eight, and it’s because of that role that I fell in love with music. So to be offered by Andrew Lloyd Webber the lead role in the West End was a real honour.

You’ve experienced difference types of performances throughout your career, would you say that musicals are your favourite?

Absolutely. I’ve achieved quite a lot within my short(ish) career, and to now have a foot in the door for performing my own material – which I constantly do – but also in musical theatre as well, is great. I think my career from now on will hopefully be a mixture of the two.

How has becoming a Dad changed your career?

Well, becoming a Dad changed my life!

She’s my world – she’s now six years old, and it’s most amazing feeling. It’s difficult when working as I’m constantly on the road and it’s hard to be away from her. However, she comes to see me a lot. In fact she was with me last night and she’s seen this show four or five times. She loves to sing along and see her daddy perform onstage – and of course, she’s always in the front row.

What would you say is the best thing about touring the country?

I love touring, because it means I get to see a different place every night, with a different live audience too. The West End is great and I’ve done quite a few performances there, but it’s the same venue every night, whereas I love the variation of travelling around and seeing different parts of the country.

You’re going to be performing in Footloose in 2016. What are you most looking forward to with this show?

It’s such a classic show. It first debuted in Broadway 17 years ago and it’s toured the UK before, but this is a brand new version of the show. I really love the movie, and this will be a great show with some big hits too. It’s sure to be a fun night out for those who love 80s music.

Are there any other shows which you’d love to perform in?

There are quite a few. I love the musical Miss Saigon, so maybe that’s something I could do in the future, as well as Wicked – that’s a show which I’d love to perform in. And a few others, we’ll have to wait and see!

What do you think about talent shows such as the X Factor, and do you watch them?

Well I came from a very similar show and I think it’s a great platform for those who have a passion to perform. As long as the television shows are creating stars, then it’s great. Pop Idol really helped me with my career and I’ve achieved so much from it.

You took part in Dancing on Ice, how did you find that experience?

Dancing on Ice was lots of fun and I learnt a brand new skill. I love to perform, and singing and music is definitely what I do best, but put a pair of skates on me and I’ll learn how to do it. I was petrified at first, but I got better and better.

What has been your most memorable moment on stage during your career?

That’s a difficult question!

I think it would probably be my first number one record. I was performing at Hyde Park in London when I heard live on stage that I was top of the charts. To be performing in front of 120,000 people, and to then find out I was number one was probably the greatest moment during my career.

And finally, what can Gloucestershire locals look forward to from your upcoming performance in Mad About the Musicals?

It’s such a great show for all ages, and we have music from a wide range of musicals such as older, classic shows, Phantom of the Opera and Les Miserables, and right through to more modern day shows such as We Will Rock You. It caters for all ages and tastes, and is sure to be a brilliant evening out!

[Guest NicolaJayne]

Thank you Chris for these 2 fabulous interviews,. I think this is the first interview Gareth has really gone into details about His vocal chord injury, it's good to know he didn't have nodules And also that he is still getting the best medical care.

[Yorksheather]

Thanks for posting those interesting interviews Eternal, I was just going to post the York interview if it wasn't up as I thought it very interesting about Gareth's vocal chords . I had worked out that Gareth was going to Thailand as Jessica has posted a while since that she is going with Gareth to Thailand also a male friend of Gareth's ( I've forgot his name )is going with them . Great that Gareth is also going to Malaysia .

[lindajan]

I think the trip to Thailand is, in part at least, a celebration by family and friends of Wendy's 50th birthday - I'm sure she has mentioned it on Facebook. At least one of the friends that's joining them is Brendan Roylance who now lives in Australia (I've seen tweets from him recently). I don't think Gareth ever manages to go away on a family holiday without also having some sort of gig lined up as well! Anyway it will be a lovely break for him after MATM and before panto and everything he's doing next year.

Great interviews by the way, thanks for posting them Chris.

[Yorksheather]

Yes Brendan Roylance is the person I meant , who Jessica mentioned as going to Thailand

[maria_1981]

Oh yeah, a mention somewhere of Thailand rings a bell now.

[eternal]

Thanks for posting those interesting interviews Eternal, I was just going to post the York interview if it wasn't up as I thought it very interesting about Gareth's vocal chords . I had worked out that Gareth was going to Thailand as Jessica has posted a while since that she is going with Gareth to Thailand also a male friend of Gareth's ( I've forgot his name )is going with them . Great that Gareth is also going to Malaysia .

I think the trip to Thailand is, in part at least, a celebration by family and friends of Wendy's 50th birthday - I'm sure she has mentioned it on Facebook. At least one of the friends that's joining them is Brendan Roylance who now lives in Australia (I've seen tweets from him recently). I don't think Gareth ever manages to go away on a family holiday without also having some sort of gig lined up as well! Anyway it will be a lovely break for him after MATM and before panto and everything he's doing next year.

Great interviews by the way, thanks for posting them Chris.

Isn't it good to read snippets of information like this?

Whilst Gareth does keep his private life to himself it's nice to know what he is up to (when not working)

[maria_1981]

I agree Chris, it's nice to hear these things because it's not that we are nosy expecting to know what goes on in his private life but we enjoy some things we hear because we know how much of a hard worker he is so how much he deserves some time to himself with family etc and we love to see him happy and enjoying himself.

[eternal]

I think I am a little bit nosey Maria

[Guest NicolaJayne]

How lovely that the family are going to Thailand for Wendy's 50th, and that Gareth has got a gig there. It's nice to get little snippets of his private life through his family.

Also Gareth needs to recharge his batteries after the tour the holiday will do him good.

[Val4Gareth]

Lovely recording of Heaven On My Mind

[maria_1981]

Thanks for posting this Val, absolutely outstanding.

[Val4Gareth]

Gareth & Rosanne singing All I ask Of You

[Val4Gareth]

Think of Me.

Empty Chairs

Why God Why

All with thanks to Nikki Galloway

[Guest NicolaJayne]

Thank you Val l for all the links to these lovely recordings and thank you also to Nikki Galloway for video'ing them for us.

[eternal]

Thanks for all these links Val.

So nice to have some videos of the songs for both the people who have seen the show and the people who haven't.

[eternal]

There's a fabulous write up in the Gloucestershire Echo for Gareth's final show in Tewkesbury:

http://www.gloucestershireecho.co.uk/Pop-Idol-star-Gareth-Gates-heads-Roses-Theatre/story-28132182-detail/story.html

Pop Idol star Gareth Gates heads to the Roses Theatre in Tewkesbury

By GLmagazine | Posted: November 07, 2015

Gareth Gates

Pop star Gareth Gates has come a long way since finishing runner-up of Pop Idol back in 2002. He chats to Matt Dowrick ahead of his appearance at the Roses Theatre.

Gareth Gates, a name so steeped in popular culture that even those who might somehow have missed the 2002 series Pop Idol – The X Factor's forerunner – will be very much aware of his household status.

Never one to shy away from the huge obstacles he's faced throughout his career, Gareth is a testament to hard work, to fighting the odds and overcoming his personal demons.

Prodigiously talented as a boy, he was head chorister of Bradford Cathedral Choir aged 11, singing solo for the Queen by the time he was 13.

One of the first national sweethearts of his generation, Gareth had charmed his way into the public consciousness by the ripe old age of 18, capturing the nation's hearts as he seemingly fell at the final hurdle and finished Pop Idol runner-up in a shock result to Will Young.

Yet it only served to strengthen his appeal, and helped reinforce his image as the stammering underdog.

His crippling stammer might initially have seemed to be his Achilles' heel, but it represented a vulnerability that endeared himself to the public.

Add to this his boyish good looks and gentle, pop-certified voice and Gareth had a combination that was destined to succeed.

After receiving the backing of Simon Cowell, who dubbed him 'the rightful winner of the show', Gareth went on to release his first single, Unchained Melody, which shot straight to number one. Gareth remembers all too well his meteoric beginnings.

"I think Pop Idol being the first of its kind all that time ago, grabbed the nation like no other has since," he says. "I was very fortunate be a part of that very first show of its type."

Now into his thirties and 13 years after bursting onto the scene, Gareth continues to ply his trade as an entertainer. Refusing to fall by the wayside, he has forged a career in the entertainment industry through sheer hard work and dedication.

"I'm as busy as ever and feel very fortunate to have been involved in as many things as I have been," he says.

The life expectancy for an overnight pop star is often a short one; a couple of hits, several appearances on panel shows and a brief and unsuccessful business venture into a loosely related field before they fall into obscurity. Face it, how many X Factor winners can you name without the use of Google?

Gareth can take pride in distancing himself from that majority. A musician in the truest sense of the word, he plays seven instruments and is particularly highly-skilled as a pianist and guitarist.

"I've done a real mixture of shows and I constantly still get lots of work which is fantastic for me," he says.

The fact that Gareth has managed to continue to pursue his musical career unlike many of the others is no accident. It is the result of his impressive work ethic, which he says he's had since he was a child.

"When I was young my dad 'encouraged me', let's say. I wasn't really allowed to play football or hang out with my friends until I'd done my practice.

"So I had to put in hours and hours every day. So every night of the week I had something on.

"There was band practise, choir practise, piano practise. I was always working hard. It's all about work ethic."

A schedule that would surely have turned many children against their passions was not something that overwhelmed Gareth. And in much in the same way that his stammer positively affected his image, it was the driving force behind his diligence.

"I think because I struggled with my speech, and I am still doing so, my love for music was so vast and grew so quickly that I didn't mind putting the hours in," he says.

He spreads himself very thin with his work, and would certainly be forgiven if he spent his rare free time as far away from music as possible.

However, such is the extent of his passion he does anything but. "Even in my free time I play around with music," he says. "I like to write music, to jump on my instruments. I get quite a lot of a release from that."

This powerful affinity and natural talent for music has meant that there have been few opportunities Gareth has had to turn down. He's put himself in the privileged position of being able to cherry-pick his projects. Fittingly, the very thing that sparked his interest as a boy, musical theatre, is what he's chosen to focus most of his attention on.

"I think my career from here will be mainly performing in theatre, constantly writing and performing my own stuff too," he said.

Gareth is not your typical former reality TV star. He's a multi-talented, highly driven and unwaveringly humble musician. A man who at 31 still has an awful lot to offer, and whose current tour, Mad About The Musicals, has received critical acclaim.

Gareth Gates is now a name more worthy of our reverence than ever before and his exploration of musical theatre is an evening you might just want to clear your diaries for.

Read more: http://www.gloucestershireecho.co.uk/Pop-Idol-star-Gareth-Gates-heads-Roses-Theatre/story-28132182-detail/story.html#ixzz3qqC6XHar

[maria_1981]

Definitely a fabulous write up thank you for posting Chris.

[lindajan]

What a brilliant article which describes the Gareth we all know and love so perfectly. It's lovely that the writer has really put in his research and included stuff that's never usually commented on.

Thanks for finding and posting this, Chris.

[Yorksheather]

That is a fabulous article , thanks for posting Eternal .

[garethsmelody]

Chris Thank you so much for posting. Fantastic to read.

[ValR]

Thanks so much for that Chris - I think it's the best article I've ever seen written about Gareth, the writer has really done their homework and found out the real Gareth - brilliant to read!