WATCH OUT FOR . . .

CASSIDY JANSON (pictured left), who will portray Carole King in award-winning musical Beautiful from November 30, with diane Keen portraying her mother. ms Janson takes over from Katie Brayben, who went from playing the ghost of Princess diana in King Charles III to become a sensation as King: a performance for which she won an Olivier award.

GINA BECK, who will play Magnolia Hawks, and Michael Xavier, who has been cast as Gaylord Ravenal, the suave but no-good riverboat gambler she marries.

They will sail along the mighty Mississippi river in Show Boat, the great Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein musical which begins performances at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield, from December 10.

Daniel Evans, Sheffield’s artistic director, has also cast Rebecca Trehearn (so good in the Donmar production of City Of Angels) as Julie, the singer who suffers much heartache because she’s not ‘all white’.

Allan Corduner will play Cap’n Andy and Lucy Briers will play Parthy — the couple who control the Cotton Blossom floating theatre. Sandra Marvin (another City Of Angels alumnus) is on board as Queenie.

Emmanuel Kojo will play Joe. Mr Kojo will use his rich bass baritone to sing Ol’ Man River.

BURT BACHARACH, whose songs will be celebrated in Close To You: Bacharach Reimagined, at the Criterion Theatre from October 3.

Yes, this is the same show that was called What’s It All About when it ran at the Menier Chocolate Factory in the summer and off Broadway two years ago. I saw both productions and while I’m a huge fan of the classics penned by Bacharach and his most frequent partner Hal David, I wasn’t as fully in love with it as most others clearly were.

Kyle Riabko, a young pup, put it all together, and he’ll be headlining at the Criterion; working once again with director Steven Hoggett.

The rest of the cast hasn’t been settled yet but I say a little prayer that it includes Anastacia McCleskey, who raised the Chocolate Factory’s roof with Don’t Make Me Over.