Take That’s night they’ll never forget
TAKE That’s Howard Donald, Mark Owen and Gary Barlow made an emotional return to the venue where they played their first major gig back in 1992 as they headed home to Manchester to launch their new musical.
The trio were back at the Manchester Apollo at Ardwick to showcase The Band, with the show’s stars who were found on BBC talent show Let It Shine.
Take That performed at the Apollo in 25 years ago at the start of their incredible career when Gary, Mark and Howard fondly recall the screams of fans were SO loud they could hardly hear their own voices.
Last night they returned to the same stage alongside West End producers David Pugh and Dafydd Rogers to reveal new details about The Band musical, which will have its big premiere in Manchester in September at the Opera House before heading on a major UK tour.
The musical will show what it’s like to grow up with a boyband for five 16-year-old friends, starting back in 1992, when “The Band” is everything to them.
It fast forwards to the present day when we are reunited with a group of friends, now 40-something women, as they try once more to fulfil their dream of meeting their heroes.
It was an emotional afternoon for the Take That lads, who were joined by their families, friends and an invited audience of just 100 people.
Gary, back to full health after taking ill on The One Show on Friday night, said: “We are incredibly proud and excited that our first production as theatre producers is The Band – a musical that we think will touch the hearts of not just our fans, but everyone.”
Howard was watched by his mum, dad and step-dad back at the Apollo in 1992 - and again when they headed into the audience yesterday.
Howard said: “When we went backstage and saw the curtain it sent a shiver up my back because I always remember on that tour the volume of the screaming girls in such an intimate space. Before nearly every show I would break down in tears in emotion because of the noise. It’s always great to come to Manchester, what a great city.”
The Band in the musical will be played by AJ Bentley, Nick Carsberg, Yazdan Qafouri Isfahani, Curtis T Johns and Sario Watanabe-Soloman, who, as Five to Five, won BBC’s Let It Shine.
Tickets for The Band go on sale today at noon, for details see thebandmusical.co.uk