THE BEST OF MANCHESTER
Power of Love and Johnny B. Goode, along with new music and lyrics by Emmy and Grammy Award-winning Alan Silvestri and six-time Grammy Award-winning Glen Ballard, with additional songs from the film including The Power of Love and Johnny B. Goode.
The film starred Michael J. Fox as Marty McFly, a rock ’n’ roll teenager who is accidentally transported back to 1955 in a time-travelling DeLorean invented by his friend, Dr Emmett Brown.
But before he can return to 1985, Marty - who will be played in the stage adaptation by Olly Dobson (Bat Out Of Hell the Musical, Matilda) - must make sure his high school-aged parents fall in love in order to save his own existence.
Back to the Future The Musical is on at Manchester Opera House from February 20 to May 17. Tickets are available from ATGTickets.com.
Cirque Du Soleil’s Crystal at Manchester Arena
CIRQUE du Soleil is coming back to Manchester - and this time its acrobats will be on skates.
The Canadian circus troupe’s first ice show, Crystal, promises to transform Manchester Arena into a whimsical frozen playground where performers will mix dazzling acrobatics with extreme, freelance and figure skating.
The story follows a creative young woman named Crystal who feels misunderstood and out of kilter with her environment.
To escape her reality, she ventures onto a frozen pond and falls through the ice into an upside-down world.
Audiences are told to expect ‘astonishing visual projections’ and an original score blending popular music with Cirque’s own sounds.
The Manchester Arena stint runs from April 1 to 5. Tickets are available from Ticketmaster.
Grease
GREASE is the word this summer as a new stage production of the hit seventies film makes its way to Manchester.
Appearing at the Palace Theatre as part of a UK tour, it’s a new take on one of the most popular - and the fourth highest grossing musicals of all time.
Theatre-goers will be able to join Sandy, Danny Zuko, the Pink Ladies and the T-Birds for a two week period, from July 20 to August 1.
The first new production of Grease in 25 years has been directed by Nikolai Foster, choreographed by Arlene Phillips, and produced by Colin Ingram along with InTheatre Productions and Curve.
Grease The Musical tickets are available through ATG Tickets.
We Will Rock You
WE Are The Champions, Radio Ga Ga, I Want To Break Free, Another One Bites The Dust, Bohemian Rhapsody, We Will Rock You Queen’s back catalogue is formidable, and makes the perfect rock musical soundtrack.
The smash hit We Will Rock You is coming to Manchester on its UK tour next year, promising the same scale and spectacle as the band’s legendary live performances.
The show is set in a future without musical instruments, where a group of rebels lead the fight for freedom and the rebirth of rock music.
First performed in 2002, the musical came about after a meeting between actor Robert De Niro with musicians Brian May and Roger Taylor six years earlier.
The Taxi Driver star, whose
daughter is a Queen fan, asked the pair if they had ever considered making a musical based on their songs. Inspired, they roped in comedy legend Ben Elton to write the script and De Niro and his company Tribeca later came on board as American partners.
We Will Rock You will be a the Palace Theatre from January 27 until February 8 - tickets are available through atgtickets.com
Cabaret
THE year is 1931, and while the Nazi party is rising to power, decadence still reigns supreme at the seedy Kit Kat Klub.
The multi award-winning musical, which first debuted on Broadway in 1967, will arrive in Manchester in February.
Starring Eastenders’ John Partridge as Emcee and Kara Lily Hayworth as Sally Bowles, the musical features iconic songs such as Money Makes the World Go Round and Maybe This Time.
Expect dazzling risque costumes and plenty of attitude.
You can catch Cabaret at the Palace Theatre from February 25 until February 29 - tickets are available at atgtickets.com.
Hairspray
JIVING its way to the Palace Theatre in September, Hairspray the Musical is a bubbly, lively, feel-good musical set in the 1960s.
Tracy Turnblad is a big girl with big hair and a big heart, trying to fulfil her lifelong ambition of making it onto national TV.
The musical, which went on to be adapted to a film starring John Travolta, has won multiple Tony Awards since first premiering in 2003.
You can catch all the colour and frivolity of Hairspray later this year when it arrives in Manchester between September 3 and September 12.
Tickets are available now through atgtickets.com.
Bring It On The Musical
IT’S second time lucky for Bring It On The Musical, a stage adaptation of the 2000 cult classic starring Kirsten Dunst.
Although the plots are different, the musical still follows a gaggle of high-school cheerleaders on their quest to win the coveted ‘spirit stick’ grand prize.
The musical was originally due to debut in Manchester back in 2017 but was postponed because of ‘scheduling issues’ within the creative team.
It will finally make its way to our city between July 21 and July 25 at the Opera House.
You can get tickets now via atgtickets.com.