Lee Stephen Mead (born 14 July 1981) is an English musical theatre actor, best known for winning the title role in the 2007 West End revival of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat through the BBC reality TV casting show Any Dream Will Do. As well as subsequent roles in Wicked and Legally Blonde: The Musical, Mead is pursuing a music career with his third album, 'Love Songs', released in February 2012.

Early career[link]

After studying at performing arts college, Mead gained his first professional stage experience in cabaret as a cruise ship singer on the Portsmouth to Bilbao ferry and then in a summer season at Bridlington Spa Theatre.^[1] He moved into musical theatre in 2004, playing both Levi and the Pharaoh^[2] in the UK touring production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Following Joseph, Mead performed in the UK tours of Tommy (ensemble and first cover Tommy) and Miss Saigon (ensemble and first cover Chris) before joining the West End production of Phantom of the Opera as an ensemble player and understudy for the role of Raoul.

Any Dream Will Do/Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat[link]

While performing in The Phantom of the Opera, Mead auditioned for the BBC series Any Dream Will Do, hoping to win a six-month contract playing Joseph in the 2007 West End revival of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. From 10,000 initial auditionees, Mead was selected as one of the final 12 potential 'Josephs' who performed live on TV every Saturday night to win the public's vote.

Immediately after he won the final, a single featuring Mead, with fellow Any Dream Will Do finalists Lewis Bradley and Keith Jack, was released in aid of the BBC's annual Children In Need charity appeal. The single, featuring Any Dream Will Do (performed by Mead) and Close Every Door (performed by all three finalists) reached number 2 in the official UK singles chart.

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat opened in the West End on 17 July 2007 to generally good reviews: "Lee Mead… turns out to be both talented and enthusiastic… what distinguishes him is an attractive singing voice and, coming from beneath hair that owes more to Uncle Esau than father Jacob, lots of affable charisma… last night’s audience seemed enchanted" wrote Benedict Nightingale in The Times.^[3]

"Lee… was a West End star just waiting for a chance to shine… the sight of him in a loincloth almost called for the appearance of the St John Ambulance" wrote Alun Palmer in the Daily Mirror.^[4]

"Mead is in excellent form vocally" wrote The Stage's Lisa Martland. His performance of Close Every Door, "encapsulating both tenderness and defiance", was a highlight for her.^[5]

After 600 performances in the role, Mead played Joseph for the last time on 10 January 2009.^[6]

Post Joseph career[link]

Following his successful run as Joseph in the West End, Mead took a short course at the famous Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute in New York before taking on his first major play in a UK tour of Lord Arthur Savile's Crime. The play, which was adapted by Trevor Baxter in the style of a tongue-in-cheek Victorian melodrama from a short story by Oscar Wilde, opened at the Theatre Royal Windsor on 12 January 2010 and finished at the Theatre Royal Bath on 24 April 2010. Mead led the cast playing the title role alongside established performers including Gary Wilmot, Kate O'Mara, David Ross and Derren Nesbitt.

Mead went on to appear in the role of Fiyero in the London production of Wicked,^[7] from 10 May 2010 to 5 February 2011 opposite Rachel Tucker as Elphaba, the Wicked Witch Of the West and Louise Dearman as Galinda, the Good Witch. Mead was nominated for the Whatsonstage.com Theatregoers' Choice Award for Best Takeover in a Role for this role.^[8]

Mead then took over the role of Emmett in Legally Blonde: The Musical in the West End from 20 June to 8 October 2011. He also made his television debut in August 2011, guest starring in Casualty on BBC One as newly employed teaching assistant Harry Timms ^[9] and he will be appearing in the second series of spooky drama, Bedlam, on Sky Living in May 2012.^[10]

Guest appearances[link]

Mead has appeared as a guest artist at a range of concerts and events.

Concerts[link]

UK and Ireland[link]

Mead undertook his first solo concert in his home town of Southend in May 2010 and continued to tour the UK and Ireland during 2010 and 2011 with his own band comprising Duncan Waugh (Musical Director/Piano), Mason Neely (Drums), Carl Hudson (Keyboards), Mike Bennet (Guitar) and Oroh Angiama (Bass). A second UK tour to coincide with the release of his third album is planned for February 2012.

Mead will be headling the new The West End Men Tour currently scheduled for 14 July 2012 in Jersey and 18 July 2012 in Guilford.

Japan[link]

Mead completed his first international concert tour of Japan in December 2011.

Discography[link]

Albums[link]

Singles[link]

Awards[link]

Charities[link]

Mead is patron of The Mushroom Theatre Company's charity Equal People which is based in Rayleigh, Essex and aims to bring able-bodied and disabled people together to socialise and perform.^[12]

He also was ambassador of Vodafone's 2008 Cut It Out Campaign in 2008 which aimed to reduce bullying.^[13] The campaign worked alongside the West End stage production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Children were invited to design their own 'dreamcoat' and the winning entries were then worn on stage by Mead during Anti-Bullying week.^[14]

Mead has also supported a number of other charities, including the PRS for Music Members Benevolent Fund; Help for Heroes; Children in Need; Great Ormond Street Hospital and baby charity, Tommy's.

Personal life[link]

Mead was born in Southend-on-Sea to Joan (née Horning) and Stephen Mead. He has one younger brother, Casey Michael Mead, who is four years younger than Lee.

In November 2007, Mead began dating Any Dream Will Do judge, Denise van Outen,.^[15] The couple announced their engagement on 29 January 2009^[16] and married in an intimate ceremony in the Seychelles in April 2009.^[17] Their daughter Betsy was born on 1 May 2010, weighing 7 lb 10oz. One official photo was released to publications in exchange for donations to The Louis Dundas Centre at Great Ormond Street Hospital.^[18]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Lee Mead's official website
• Official Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat website
• BBC's Any Dream Will Do series website
• Lee Mead Unofficial fan website

Josh Groban
Josh Groban, February 6, 2009
Background information
Birth name	Joshua Winslow Groban
Born	(1981-02-27) February 27, 1981 (age 31) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Genres	Easy listening, vocal, operatic pop, pop rock
Occupations	Singer, songwriter, musician, actor, record producer
Instruments	Vocals, piano, drums, percussion
Years active	1997–present
Labels	143, Reprise
Associated acts	Tenacious D
Website	joshgroban.com

Joshua Winslow "Josh" Groban (born February 27, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, actor, and record producer. His first four solo albums have been certified multi-platinum, and in 2007, he was charted as the number-one best selling artist in the United States with over 21 million records in that country.^[1][2] To date, he has sold over 24 million albums worldwide,^[3] and is the top selling classical artist of the 2000s in the US, according to Nielsen SoundScan.^[4]

Groban originally studied acting, but as his voice changed, it developed into a "significant instrument". Groban attended the Los Angeles High School for the Arts, a free public school where students received a conservatory-style education. His life changed when his vocal coach, Seth Riggs, submitted a tape of Josh singing "All I Ask of You", from The Phantom of the Opera, to Riggs' friend, producer, composer and arranger David Foster.^[5][6] Foster called him to stand in for an ailing Andrea Bocelli to rehearse a duet, "The Prayer," with Celine Dion at the rehearsal for the Grammy Awards in 1998.^[7] Rosie O'Donnell immediately invited him to appear on her talk show.^[8] Foster asked him to sing at the California Governor's Gray Davis' 1999 inauguration.^[5][9] He was cast on Ally McBeal by the show's creator, David E. Kelley, performing "You're Still You" for the 2001 season finale.^[10]

Early life and education[link]

Groban was born in Los Angeles, to Lindy (née Johnston), a school teacher and full time mother, and Jack Groban, a businessman.^[11][12] He has a younger brother, Chris, who shares the same birthday, four years later.^[13] Groban's father was born Jewish, and is a descendant of Russian and Polish immigrants;^[14] he converted from Judaism to Christianity when marrying Groban's mother.^[13] Groban's mother's ancestry includes Norwegian (from Toten), German, and English; one of her own grandfathers had been Jewish.^[15][16][17] Groban's parents practiced in the Episcopal Church.^[8]

Groban debuted as a singer in the fifth grade. His music teacher chose him to sing a solo of "S'wonderful" at the school's Cabaret Night, where he sang alone on stage for the first time. At this time, he was more focused on theatrical arts.^[8] In the summers of 1997 and 1998, he also attended the Interlochen Center for the Arts Camp in Michigan,^[14] majoring in music theatre, and began taking vocal lessons. Groban went on to attend the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts as a theatre major and graduated in 1999.^[14] He was admitted to Carnegie Mellon University, intending to study drama, but he left four months into his first semester. Offered a recording contract, he decided to pursue his singing career.^[14]

Music career[link]

1998–2001: debut[link]

In late 1998, the 17-year-old Groban was introduced by his vocal coach to Grammy-winning producer/arranger David Foster and future manager Brian Avnet.^[18] At the time Groban had no recording experience and was preparing to begin studying at Carnegie Mellon University.^[18] Groban worked for David Foster as a rehearsal singer on a series of high-profile events, including the January 1999 inauguration of Gray Davis as Governor of California and the 1999 Grammy Awards where—as a stand-in for Andrea Bocelli—he rehearsed Foster's "The Prayer" with Céline Dion. According to manager Avnet, Groban was very nervous about standing in for Bocelli and had to be talked into it, but his performance prompted the show hostess, Rosie O'Donnell, to ask him to appear on her show the following week, which then led to an appearance on the Ally McBeal show.^[18] David E. Kelley, creator of the television series Ally McBeal, created a character, Malcolm Wyatt, for Groban in the season finale aired in May 2001. The character of Malcolm Wyatt was so popular, prompting 8,000 emails from viewers,^[19] that Groban was asked to return the next season to reprise his role and perform "To Where You Are." Avnet claims this sequence of events effectively got Groban's career off the ground.^[18]

Groban was offered a recording contract at Warner Bros. Records through Foster's 143 Records imprint. Avnet told HitQuarters that Warner initially proved resistant to the deal because "They were afraid they wouldn’t be able to get a voice like that on radio."^[18] Explaining his reasons for signing the artist, Foster said: "I love his natural ability in the pop and rock arena, but I love his sense of classics even more. He's a true musical force to be reckoned with."^[19] Under Foster's influence, Groban's first album focused more on classics such as "Gira Con Me Questa Notte" and "Alla Luce Del Sole."

Groban performed "There For Me" with Sarah Brightman on her 2000–01 La Luna World Tour, and was featured on her "La Luna" concert DVD. He recorded "For Always" with Lara Fabian on the movie soundtrack to A.I.: Artificial Intelligence (2001). Groban performed in many benefit shows, including: "The Andre Agassi Grand Slam Event For Children," singing alongside Elton John, Stevie Wonder, Don Henley, and Robin Williams; "Muhammad Ali's Fight Night Foundation" which honored Michael J. Fox and others; "The Family Celebration" (2001), which was co-hosted by President Bill Clinton and his wife, Hillary Rodham Clinton, and David E. Kelley and his wife, Michelle Pfeiffer; and Michael Milken's CapCure event, which raises funds for cancer research.

The singer's self-titled debut album Josh Groban was released on November 20, 2001. Over the next year, it went from gold to double-platinum.^[20]

[edit] 2002–05: Closer

On February 24, 2002, Groban performed "The Prayer" with Charlotte Church at the closing ceremonies of the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, and by November, he had his own PBS special, "Josh Groban In Concert" (2002). In December 2002, he performed "To Where You Are" and sang "The Prayer" in a duet with Sissel Kyrkjebø at the Nobel Peace Prize Concert in Oslo, Norway. He joined The Corrs, Ronan Keating, Sting, Lionel Richie, and others for a Christmas performance at the Vatican in Rome, Italy. In 2003, Groban performed at the David Foster concert for World Children's Day, singing "The Prayer" with Celine Dion and the finale song, "Aren't They All Our Children?" with artists including Yolanda Adams, Nick Carter, Enrique Iglesias, and Celine Dion.

Groban in concert at the Verizon Wireless Arena in Manchester, NH

Groban's second album Closer, produced and written by Foster, was released on November 11, 2003. Groban said that he believed that this second album was a better reflection of him, and that his audience would be able to get a better idea of his personality from listening to it. "What most people know about me, they know through my music. This time, I've tried to open that door as wide as possible. These songs are a giant step closer to who I really am and what my music is all about. Hence the title."^[19]

Two months after Closer was released, it rose on the Billboard charts from number 11 to number one.^[6] His cover of "You Raise Me Up" became very popular on the adult contemporary charts. Groban also performed the song "Remember" (with Tanja Tzarovska) on the Troy soundtrack, "Believe" on the soundtrack to the 2004 animated film The Polar Express, and a cover of Linkin Park's "My December".

In the summer of 2004, Groban returned to Interlochen, performing and discussing his earlier experiences with local residents and campers. On November 30, 2004, his second live DVD, Live At The Greek, was released; it was also shown as a Great Performances special on PBS. Also in 2004, Groban performed "Remember When It Rained," backed by a full orchestra, at the American Music Awards, where he was nominated for Favorite Male Artist in the pop category; he was also nominated for a People's Choice Award in that year. His recording of "Believe" secured a 2005 Academy Award nomination for the song's two writers, Glen Ballard and Alan Silvestri,^[21] and earned them a Grammy in the category Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media at the ceremony held in February 2006.^[22]

[edit] 2005–10: Awake

Groban earned his first Grammy nomination in 2005 for his single "You Raise Me Up", in the category of "Best Male Vocal Performance". During the first week of September 2006, Groban's single entitled "You Are Loved (Don't Give Up)" was released exclusively on AOL's First Listen. His third studio album Awake was officially released on November 7, 2006. Groban performed "You Are Loved (Don't Give Up)" as well as two other tracks from Awake at his recording session for Live from Abbey Road at Abbey Road Studios on 26 October 2006. On that album, Groban also collaborated with British musician and songwriter Imogen Heap, on the single "Now or Never". He performed two tracks with the South African group Ladysmith Black Mambazo, "Lullaby" and "Weeping." Groban's "Awake" world tour visited 71 cities between February and August 2007, and travelled further to Australia and the Philippines with Lani Misalucha as his special guest in October 2007. He performed a duet with Barbra Streisand ("All I Know of Love") and with Mireille Mathieu ("Over the Rainbow"). As to his future, Groban is open to a plethora of possibilities. He said, "I am fortunate enough to have had many really big moments in my career. I think the mistake a lot of people in my position make is to always search for the next big thing. I am looking forward to playing some small theaters. I'm looking forward to writing more. I want to delve further into my acting career and explore some of the film and TV opportunities that I haven't had time for. My outlook is to expect the unexpected. And when the next step comes, I'm prepared to take it."^[10] Groban has also expressed an interest in performing on Broadway.^[23]

2010–present[link]

Groban finished his fifth studio album, entitled Illuminations, and the album was released on November 15, 2010.^[24] Most of the songs on the album are about "specific situations that I've had where love has existed and ultimately failed," Groban told The New York Times, adding: "And other songs are about the quest, and it just not working out." Groban wrote 11 of the 13 songs on the album.^[25] The first single from the album, "Hidden Away," was made available for free download via Facebook on September 8.^[26] “For me to sit in a room with a piano in one take with some of Johnny Cash’s musicians — that was totally new for me.” Josh added. “and I think that excitement is on the record.”^[25] On October 12, a second single from the upcoming album, "Você Existe Em Mim", was made available on iTunes.^[27] This song is sung in Brazilian Portuguese and was written by Brazilian artist Carlinhos Brown. The Washington Post said: "Illuminations" is not a revelation, but it offers a perfectly fine, and often quite lovely, glimpse at a pop-classical crossover artist in the middle of crossing over."^[28] Josh plans on making one more record with Rick Rubin.^[29] Beginning May 12, 2011 and continuing through December of that year, Groban undertook the 81-city Straight to You Tour to promote Illuminations, encompassing appearances in North America, Europe, and South Africa.^[30]

Notable performances[link]

Groban at the ET Post-Emmys Party, Walt Disney Concert Hall, September 21, 2008

On April 14, 2008, Groban joined Idina Menzel for a PBS Soundstage taping. The next day, he held his own taping for the same PBS TV series at Lincoln Center's Rose Hall at Jazz in New York City.

In June 2007, Groban recorded a Christmas album in London with the London Symphony Orchestra and the Magdalen College Choir, which he discussed on the DVD from "The Making of Noël". It was released on October 9, 2007, and is titled Noël.^[31] The album has been highly successful in the US, breaking numerous records for a Christmas album, as well as becoming the best selling album of 2007 in only its tenth week of release, at sales of 3.6 million.^[32]

On July 1, 2007, Groban performed with Sarah Brightman at the Concert for Diana at Wembley Stadium; it was broadcast to over 500 million homes in 140 countries.

On February 10, 2008, Groban performed at the 2008 Grammy Awards with Andrea Bocelli in a tribute to Luciano Pavarotti.

On May 12 and 13, 2008 At Royal Albert Hall, London, Groban performed as "The Russian" Anatoly Sergievsky; joining with Broadway stars Idina Menzel and Adam Pascal in "Chess in Concert" a live concert version of the musical Chess composed by Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus of ABBA fame. This performance has since been made into a DVD and CD recording.^[33]

On September 21, 2008, Groban performed a comical medley of well-known TV theme songs at the 60th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards.

In December 2008, Groban appeared on Never Mind the Buzzcocks. He performed a duet with Only Men Aloud! at the Royal Variety Show at the London Palladium for the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall.^[34]

On January 18, 2009, Groban performed as part of the Presidential Inauguration ceremonies, performing "My Country 'Tis of Thee" in duet with Heather Headley.^[35]

On January, 19. 2009, Groban performed with Herbie Hancock as part of Feeding America's Rally Against Hunger in Washington DC. The event was also attended by Martin Luther King III and actor Ben Affleck.

At the 2010 BCS National Championship Game, he performed the Star Spangled Banner on Jan. 7, 2010, with Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea, at the historic Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, California.

Film and television appearances[link]

Groban has appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show six times,^[10] as well as on The Ellen Degeneres Show, Larry King Live, The Rosie O'Donnell Show, Tim & Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,^[36] 20/20, Today, Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, Super Bowl XXXVIII, and the Walt Disney World Christmas Day Parade, the Rockefeller Tree Lighting. He has also been a guest co-host on Live with Regis and Kelly many times from 2006 to 2012.

Groban played Malcolm Wyatt, a preacher's son, on Ally McBeal, episodes "The Wedding" and "Nine One One" (2001).

Groban has made two guest appearances on the series Glee as himself.^[37]

Groban appeared on BBC Two's hit British music quiz Never Mind the Buzzcocks. His first appearance was as a guest on Omid Djalili's team. On December 21, 2010, he returned to Never Mind the Buzzcocks, this time as guest host/quiz master and ending the show duetting with Michael Ball in a version of "I Dreamed a Dream" from Les Miserables.

Groban appeared in The Office as Andy Bernard's brother in the episode "Garden Party" (2011).^[38]

On Tuesday, May 24, 2011, Groban appeared as a mystery guest star on the season 12 finale of Dancing With the Stars to surprise Petra Nemcova by singing "You Raise Me Up" to her dance. When she saw that it was he who was actually singing the song and not one of the usual performers, she momentarily was too stunned to continue dancing.

In the comedy Crazy, Stupid, Love., a film starring Steve Carell and Ryan Gosling, released on July 29, 2011, Groban played a character named Richard, a caddish and nerdy attorney.^[39][40]

In 2012, he appeared in episode 5 of series 12 of the revived British comedy panel show Room 101.

Voice type[link]

Various music critics have described Groban's voice in different ways, with some referring to him as a tenor^[41][42] and others as a baritone.^[43][44] In performance, Groban's music goes as low as G₂ (as in the songs "To Where You Are" and "Higher Window") and extends up to at least B♭₄^[45] (as heard in "You Raise Me Up" or in "February Song").^[46] This places his voice lower than the tenor range on the low end, and just short of Tenor C, and therefore above the baritone range, on the high end.^[47][48] There is currently no authoritative system of voice classification in non-classical music. The problem lies in the fact that classical terms are used to describe not merely various vocal ranges, but specific vocal timbres each unique to those respective ranges, and produced by the classical training techniques with which most popular singers are not intimately familiar and which are not universally employed by the few that are. In a 2002 New York Times article, Groban described himself as a "tenor in training".^[49]

Charity[link]

Josh Groban in concert at Atlantic City's Boardwalk Hall

Under the guidance of his mentor David Foster, Groban performed for many charity events that included VH1 Save the Music (2005), Tsunami Aid: A Concert of Hope (2005), Fifth Annual Adopt-A-Minefield concert (2005), 2nd Annual Grammy Jam (2005), Live 8 (2005), The Heart Foundation Gala (2005), and David Foster and Friends Charity Gala (2006). He also sang a solo on the recording of We Are The World 25 for Haiti (2010). Inspired by a visit with Nelson Mandela during a 2004 trip to South Africa, he established the Josh Groban Foundation to help children in need through education, healthcare and the arts. Mandela appointed Groban as an Official Ambassador for Mandela's Project 46664, a campaign to help raise Global awareness of HIV/AIDS in Africa. On April 25, 2007, Josh Groban performed with the African Children's Choir on American Idol's "Idol Gives Back" episode. Also on September 2, 2007, Groban donated $150,000 to Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools to fund music education.^[50] On February 28, 2008, he appeared in One Night Live at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Canada with Bryan Adams, Sarah McLachlan, Jann Arden and RyanDan in aid of the Sunnybrook Hospital Women and Babies Program. In honor of his 27th birthday, his fans set out to raise $27,000 in a project called "Raise 27". They ended up raising a total of $44,227 for the Josh Groban Foundation, to benefit the Noah's Ark children's orphanage called Siyawela in South Africa. Groban has since referred to this donation as "the best birthday present ever".^[51] For those who could afford the $1500 ticket, Josh Groban performed at the The Angel Ball on October 21, 2010. Proceeds went to the Gabrielles Angel Foundation for cancer research.^[52]

Impact[link]

Some of Groban's musical influences have been Radiohead, Steve Perry, Paul Simon, Sting, Peter Gabriel, Freddie Mercury^[53] and Björk. He cites as vocal influences "anyone who told a story with their songs," including Mandy Patinkin, Klaus Nomi, George Hearn, and Luciano Pavarotti.^[54]

He was named the #1 Best Selling Artist of All Time on Barnes & Noble in 2007. Groban has sold more than 20 million albums in less than ten years.

In 2002, Groban was listed as "100 Sexiest Newcomer" and in 2008, he became one of People's "100 Most Beautiful People".

Personal life[link]

Groban dated actress January Jones from 2003–06.^[55] Although maintaining a home in Los Angeles, he recently moved his primary residence to New York City, where he indicates that "dating can be very easy or very tough."^[56][57]

Discography[link]

• 2001: Josh Groban
• 2003: Closer
• 2006: Awake
• 2007: Noël
• 2010: Illuminations

Concert tours[link]

• Closer Tour (2004–2005)
• Awake Tour (2007)
• Before We Begin (2010)
• Straight to You Tour (2011)

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Josh Groban

• Official website
• BroadwayWorld: Idina Menzel & Josh Groban to Star in 'Chess' Musical UK Concert?
• Chess in Concert (2008)
• Brown, Bob. "A Star in the Making: Who is Josh Groban?."^{[dead link]} ABCNews. com: 20/20
• Josh Groban at the Internet Movie Database
• Josh Groban video interview on Virgin Red Room
• Watch Josh Groban make a northern cuppa in this exclusive interview with Virgin Red Room

Rachel Tucker
Rachel performing at 'The Best of Broadway' at Hampton Court Palace 11th June 2009
Born	Rachel Tucker (1981-05-29) 29 May 1981 (age 31) Belfast, Northern Ireland
Occupation	Actor, Singer
Years active	2005–present

Rachel Tucker (born 29 May 1981 in Belfast, Northern Ireland) is a Northern Irish singer and actress who competed as one of the finalists in the BBC talent show-themed television series I'd Do Anything in 2008. She currently stars as the lead role of Elphaba in the hit musical Wicked in the West End. She is the patron of The Belfast School of Performing Arts, a new prestigious stage school in Northern Ireland.

Early life and career[link]

Tucker grew up singing on the cabaret circuit from the age of 15 with her father, Tommy (Tucker) Kelly and sister Margaret Kelly under the groups name Tucker Kelly and the Kelstar.^{[citation needed]} She was a member of the Arts Youth Theatre during the late 1990s featuring in shows such as Ecstasy and Our Day Out.^{[citation needed]} She then went on to feature in Michael Poyners version of the Rockin Mikado as Katisha.^{[citation needed]} She also featured as a contestant with sister Margaret on Michael Barrymore's My Kind of Music singing "Man! I Feel Like a Woman!".^{[citation needed]} She also competed in the talent show Star for a Night making the final with her performance of "Kids".^{[citation needed]}

Tucker trained at the Royal Academy of Music^[1] She worked with Any Dream Will Do winner Lee Mead in the 2005 United Kingdom tour of the Rock musical, Tommy as Sally Simpson.^[2] In December 2007 Tucker appeared as Dorothy in the Royal Shakespeare Company adaptation of The Wizard of Oz at the Lyric Theatre in Belfast. The Stage described her performance as "looking and sounding uncannily like the legendary Garland".^[3] For her performance, she was nominated for an award in the 2008 TMA Awards.^[4]

Tucker recorded a version of the civil rights anthem "Ain't Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Around" which was used in a television advertisement for Libresse in 2005 entitled "March".^[5]

[edit] I'd Do Anything

Tucker was chosen as one of the twelve finalists on the show in which began in March 2008, appearing each week in the live show on Saturday evenings and the Results show which aired each Sunday. She made it to the semi-finals in week nine where she was eliminated on 25 May. In week six she was in the bottom two with Sarah Lark, with Tucker having received the lowest number of viewers votes. In the Results show on 4 May they sang "As If We Never Said Goodbye", from the musical Sunset Boulevard. Andrew Lloyd Webber chose to save Tucker and eliminate Lark, saying "I have to think as a producer and I do think Rachel was rock solid."^[6]

Tucker was once again in the bottom two in week eight, the quarter-final stage of the series. She was in the sing-off for a second time, this time with Niamh Perry, with Perry having received the lowest number of viewers votes. They sang "Another Suitcase in Another Hall" from the musical Evita. Lloyd Webber chose to save Tucker and eliminate Perry.^[7]

At the semi-final stage, week nine, Tucker was in the bottom two for a third time, together with Samantha Barks, who had received the lowest number of viewers votes. They sang "Memory" from the musical Cats. Cameron Mackintosh joined the judging panel for this episode. Lloyd Webber chose to save Barks and eliminate Tucker saying, "Last night Cameron and I were both saying that we thought both of you would be fantastic Nancys and now here am I faced with this. But I've got to make a decision and I've got to think of where the show ultimately for Cameron is going to go and I think I have to go with you Samantha.^[8] A week after the show, Lloyd Webber said, "The fact is Cameron wanted Rachel to stay. He wanted Rachel and Samantha in the final from the beginning of the series. Rachel did a fantastic performance but I had to face up to the fact that she wouldn't have gone any further. What I may think professionally is sometimes different to what the public want. I saved Rachel three times and she still ended up in the bottom two."^[9]

[edit] Performances on I'd Do Anything

[edit] After I'd Do Anything

In July 2008, Tucker took part in a private workshop performance of the first act of the sequel to The Phantom of The Opera (Love Never Dies) at Andrew Lloyd Webber's private Sydmonton Festival near his estate in Hampshire, in which she sang the role of Meg Giry.^[10] On 2 August 2008, in Belfast, she performed at the Gay Pride Festival. She sang a medley which included excerpts from Cabaret, "All That Jazz", "Maybe This Time" and "Don't Rain on My Parade". On 13 September 2008 she performed alongside fellow I'd Do Anything finalist Niamh Perry at the Proms in the Park, held at Belfast City Hall as part of the nationwide celebration of the BBC Last Night of the Proms.^[11][12] The following day she performed at the Andrew Lloyd Webber's Birthday in the Park show in Hyde Park, London, singing "Light at the End of The Tunnel" from Starlight Express.^[13][14] In November 2008 Tucker filmed a West End special of The Weakest Link in which she was voted off first. The show was aired on BBC1 during the 2008 Christmas schedule.^[15]

In late 2009, she was a judge on amateur comedy show Find Me the Funny and presented The Friday Show, a six-part entertainment series with Eamonn Holmes, both for BBC Northern Ireland.

[edit] We Will Rock You

From 22 September 2008 for one year, Tucker played Meat in the jukebox musical We Will Rock You, at the Dominion Theatre, London, under the direction of Christopher Renshaw. A review of the opening night performance of the show in The Stage newspaper said of Tucker's debut that she had "found the perfect stage for her large voice. Her rendition of 'No-One but You (Only the Good Die Young)' is one of the highlights of a first act that works on many levels."^[16] Tucker was also the first understudy to Sabrina Aloueche for the role of Scaramouche, and played the role on many occasions to cover Aloueche's holidays.

[edit] Wicked

Tucker currently stars as Elphaba in the West End production of the hit musical Wicked, at the Apollo Victoria Theatre, under the direction of Joe Mantello. She replaced Alexia Khadime on 29 March 2010, starring opposite Louise Dearman as Glinda, who has since been replaced by Gina Beck.^[17] Fans and critics have since praised Tucker's performance of the green witch. For the entirety of her run, Nikki Davis-Jones has been Rachel's standby, covering her holidays and other absences. On 1 August 2011, it was revealed that she had extended her contract with the production through 27 October 2012.^[18] In June 2012, Tucker will succeed Kerry Ellis as the longest-running actress to play Elphaba in London.

For her portrayal of Elphaba, Tucker won a 2011 WhatsOnStage.com Award in the category of Best Takeover in a Role.^[19] She performed "The Wizard and I" at West End Live 2010 and 2012 Laurence Olivier, and "Defying Gravity" at Pride London. On 13 February 2011, she performed "Defying Gravity" as part of a theatre-themed episode of Dancing on Ice for ITV. Tucker also sang the same hit song at West End Live 2011 which was held at Trafalgar Square.

On 10 September 2011, Rachel was joined on stage by Stacey Solomon to sing "For Good" at the end of the show. This was in aid of BBC Children in Need's Pop Goes the Musical, where a whole host of celebrities graced the stages of the West End of London to raise awareness for the charity's 2011 appeal.

Recordings[link]

• "Rain On Me" on the album More with Every Line - The Music of Tim Prottey-Jones (December 2010)

On 23rd January 2012, Rachel announced that she will be recording her own solo album.

Personal life[link]

On Valentine's Day 2008, Tucker was engaged to theatre director Guy Retallack, who is 17 years her senior.^[20] The couple married in a ceremony at St. Anne's Cathedral in Rachel's hometown of Belfast, Northern Ireland.^{[citation needed]}

References[link]

External links[link]

• Rachel Tucker at the Internet Movie Database
• Rachel Tucker Fan Blog
• Rachel Tucker's cast page at Wicked the Musical

Connie Fisher (born 17 June 1983) is a Welsh^[1] actress and singer, who won the BBC One talent contest, How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?

On 15 November 2006, she opened to excellent reviews in the part of Maria von Trapp in The Sound of Music in the West End, London on a six-month contract, which was extended until 23 February 2008.^[2] She resumed the role of Maria in The Sound of Music UK tour starting in July 2009.

Biography[link]

Early life[link]

Fisher was born in Lisburn, Northern Ireland, and is the daughter of a Royal Corps of Signals major. Fisher lived in Dorset, England until the age of six, when she moved to a village near Haverfordwest in Pembrokeshire, Wales. She attended Hayscastle Junior School, and then went on to Sir Thomas Picton School. She is a fluent Welsh speaker.^[3]

During her teenage years she was a member of Haverfordwest Operatic Society where she performed in The Pirates of Penzance and played Nellie Forbush in South Pacific. She was also a member of the Torch Youth Theatre where she performed in George Buchner's play Woyzek. She successfully became a member of National Youth Music Theatre (1999–2002), where she played the Lady of the Lake in the UK tour of Pendragon, and played the lead role, Morgan Le Fay, when the production toured Japan in 2001. From an early age Fisher was a member of Côr Newyddion Da^[4] (English translation - "Good News Choir"), which introduced her to the Eisteddfodic field and encouraged her to perform as a soloist. She competed annually in the Urdd Gobaith Cymru, National and International Eisteddfods.^[5] In 2002 Fisher won the Wilbert Lloyd Roberts Scholarship in the National Eisteddfod "Songs from the Shows" competition^[6] and the Milford and West Wales Mercury talent competition.^[7]

Fisher received her professional vocational training at the Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts, winning a Dance and Drama Award to have her training fully funded by the Government.^[8] She graduated in 2005 with a First Class BA Hons degree in Musical Theatre, as well as the Gyearbuor Asante prize for the highest score. At Mountview she performed in Annie Get Your Gun, A…my name is Alice, Jerry’s Girls and played Julie Jordan in Carousel.

Career[link]

Early career and Maria[link]

Fisher made television appearances on Jane McDonald's Star for a Night when she was sixteen; Owen Money’s Just Up Your Street, and BBC Children in Need.^[9] She also recorded a Welsh song called Curiad Calon (Heartbeat) which was released on the compilation album Cân i Gymru (A Song for Wales). She released a charity single for the Noah's Ark Appeal entitled 'Eyes of a Child'.^{[citation needed]}

Fisher's first professional theatre appearance was at Milford Haven's Torch Theatre, Christmas 2005, where she played Princess Samina in a pantomime of Aladdin. She then took the £1,000 cash prize and the Gower Trophy in the Welsh Musical Theatre Young Singer of the Year Competition in 2006. Before being cast as Maria, she worked in media telesales, whilst auditioning for West End parts but failing to get cast.^[10]

Fisher came to prominence on winning the 2006 BBC One talent contest, How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?.^[11] In early March 2007, she was ordered by her doctor to take two weeks' rest from The Sound of Music, after straining her vocal cords singing through a cold.^[12] On her return to the show, it was announced that Fisher would be reducing her workload to six shows a week,^[13] with Maria being played in the Monday evening and Wednesday matinee shows by Aoife Mulholland, one of the runners-up in How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria?.

On 1 July 2007, Fisher performed alongside artists including Sarah Brightman, Josh Groban, Donny Osmond and Andrea Bocelli in Lloyd Webber's segment of the Concert for Diana at London's Wembley Stadium in front of 63,000 people. She also appeared at Bryn Terfel’s Faenol Festival during the August bank holiday weekend, 2007.^[14] She also featured on the 50th Anniversary studio recording of West Side Story, singing "Somewhere". In October 2007, she won the 2007 lastminute.com People's Choice Theatre Award for Favourite Theatre Actress.^[15] She was also awarded the whatsonstage.com Theatregoers Choice Award for London Newcomer of the Year.^[16]

On 24 December 2007, Fisher performed with Lee Mead and some of the other Maria and Any Dream finalists in a BBC special 'festive' reunion show called When Joseph met Maria! - celebrating both the hit Andrew Lloyd Webber BBC shows - it was recorded earlier on 2 December 2007. The BBC show, How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria?, featuring Fisher, won an Emmy Award in New York (2007) for best non-scripted entertainment.^[17]

2008 to present[link]

Fisher ended her run as Maria on 23 February 2008 and was replaced by Summer Strallen.^[18] A Lloyd Webber-sponsored solo concert tour by Fisher of several cities in the UK was cancelled in February 2008 due to poor ticket sales.^[19] At the same time, a planned concert at Cadogan Hall celebrating the work of composer Leonard Bernstein, featuring Fisher, was cancelled.^[20]

Fisher was soon co-starring with Alistair McGowan in a revival of the musical They're Playing Our Song at the Menier Chocolate Factory.^[21] Also, in November Fisher appeared in concerts at Truro Cathedral and at the Great Fosters Hotel in Surrey^[22] On 11 December 2008 Fisher appeared in the Christmas Sparkler Concert at the Royal Festival Hall London and sang the Welsh lullaby "Suo Gan"; on the same night, at the London Palladium she introduced an act for The Royal Variety Performance.^{[citation needed]} Also in December 2008, Fisher appeared with her mother in an episode of Bargain Hunt, Famous Finds. She also starred in her first TV drama. Caught In A Trap aired on ITV1 on 26 December - in it she plays a young woman with an Elvis Presley obsession.

Fisher's second solo album, Secret Love, was released on 23 February 2009. In April her "Secret Love" UK Tour was cancelled in order for her to undergo an operation on her vocal cords. She suffers from "congenital fusion anomalies".^[23] Between Monday 1 June and Friday 5 June 2009, Fisher guest presented the Scottish lifestyle show The Hour, alongside the show's main host Stephen Jardine. The UK tour of The Sound of Music, starring Fisher, began previews in Cardiff on 26 July 2009. In August 2009, Fisher was made a member of the Gorsedd at the 2009 National Eisteddfod in Bala, Gwynedd.^[24]

Personal life[link]

Fisher had a relationship with former British Army soldier Neal Williams (born 1978) who served in Iraq in the 14th signal regiment. When that relationship ended in 2008, she met banker Jeremy Reed at Cardiff Central railway station, and they began dating. They were engaged in July 2009 after Reed proposed over a meal in Barry, South Wales, and on 11 September 2010, they married.^[25]

Discography[link]

[edit] Favourite Things

On 9 October 2006, Fisher released her debut album, Favourite Things which featured the following tracklisting:

1. "Maybe This Time"
2. "Natural Woman"
3. "Dance The Dance"
4. "Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend"
5. "No Matter What"
6. "Shout"
7. "All The Love I Have"
8. "All That Jazz" (With Helena Blackman and Siobhan Dillon)
9. "Another Suitcase In Another Hall"
10. "As Long As He Needs Me"
11. "The Sound Of Music Suite - Entr'Acte"
12. "The Sound Of Music Suite - My Favourite Things"
13. "The Sound Of Music Suite - Something Good"

[It reached #14 on the UK Album chart]

[edit] The Sound Of Music - London Palladium Cast Album

On 11 December 2006, the soundtrack to the new production of The Sound of Music, featuring Connie Fisher, Lesley Garrett and the cast of the production, was released with the following tracklisting:

1. Preludium
2. The Sound Of Music
3. Maria
4. My Favourite Things
5. I Have Confidence
6. Do-Re-Mi
7. Sixteen Going On Seventeen
8. My favourite things (Reprise)
9. How Can Love Survive?
10. The Sound Of Music (Reprise)
11. The Lonely Goatherd
12. The Grand Waltz
13. Ländler
14. So Long, Farewell
15. Climb Ev'ry Mountain
16. Entr'acte
17. No Way To Stop It
18. Something Good
19. The Wedding Processional
20. Sixteen Going On Seventeen (Reprise)
21. Edelweiss
22. Climb Ev'ry Mountain (Reprise)

The album was produced by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Nigel Wright for Really Useful Records.

[edit] Secret Love

On 23 February 2009, Fisher released her second solo album, Secret Love, which features the following tracklisting:

1. 'I Could Have Danced All Night'
2. 'Secret Love'
3. 'Next Time You Fall In Love' (featuring Lee Mead)
4. 'True Love Ways'
5. 'When She Loved Me'
6. 'I Guess I'll Miss The Man'
7. 'You Must Love Me'
8. 'Someone To Watch Over Me'
9. 'Make Up My Heart'
10. 'If I Ever Fall In Love Again'
11. 'Memory'
12. 'If Love Were All'
13. 'First Impression Counts'

References[link]