Christmas at the Musicals

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Last Show: Saturday 15 th December 2018

The Pheasantry (Chelsea)

‘Christmas at the Musicals’ is the perfect way to start the festive season. Featuring musical theatre star Mario Frendo, who will be performing a selection of favourite songs from the musicals, with a generous helping of festive songs for this special time of the year. Songs from award winning shows, such as Les Miserables, My Fair Lady, A Chorus Line, Chicago, Bubbling Brown Sugar, and many others, plus some festive surprises, will be on offer tonight. Mario Frendo has performed in many major musicals in London’s West End, and on UK Tour. He has performed throughout Europe, and in New York and Los Angeles. Mario has recorded with the Pet Shop Boys and Eurythmics, and has sung with major recording stars from Whitney Huston to Tom Braxton. The musical director for tonight’s show is Richard Bates, who worked in New York with the late Marvin Hamlisch, and has been musical director/arranger for a wide range of musical productions. Richard’s musical ability is now recognised worldwide. He was recently invited to Chicago, USA, to play solo and conduct the Symphony Orchestra in a special gala concert. So, take your seats and enjoy ‘Christmas at the Musicals’.

 

Mario Frendo
Mario Trained at The Anna Scher Theatre School and Arts Educational. He has performed in many major musicals both on tour, the West End, Europe, New York and Los Angeles. His musical theatre work includes Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (London Palladium), My Fair Lady (Theatre Royal, Drury Lane), and The Fix (Donmar Wharehouse). He has recorded with the Pet Shop Boys and Eurythmics, and has sung with major recording stars from Whitney Huston to Tom Braxton. Mario recently returned from a sell out four month run of the musical Jekyll & Hyde at the English Theatre in Frankfurt.

Richard Bates (Musical Director)
Richard is a musical director and arranger based in London. After graduating at Cambridge, he spent a year getting to know the business and spending time with West End musical directors. He spent some time in New York where he was trained by the late Marvin Hamlisch (A Chorus Line, The Way We Were). He has been music director for a wide range of shows, including fully produced musicals and pantomimes, such as Bugsy Malone, Sweeney Todd, Assassins, Billy, Pacific Overtures, and The Goodbye Girl. He was also musical director for the S&S Awards at St James Theatre. More recently he was arranger and musical director for the London Connection show at the London Hippodrome, And he was invited to give a solo piano performance and conduct the Symphony Orchestra at a special gala in Chicago, USA.