‘We decided to come back with an even bigger show’
Strictly stars Aljaž Škorjanec and Janette Manrara have decided to stream a new show ahead of their twice-delayed full tour next year.
On The News’s editorial system, there is an unfinished edition of The Guide dated March 19, 2020. As that week unfolded, so the entertainment world unravelled. Each ping of a new email brought news of another tour or show cancellation as the scale of the pandemic became everclearer. With our deadline looming, the decision was taken to pull the plug, and as the UK went into lockdown soon after, so The Guide went into hibernation.
The Big Interview for that issue was planned to be with Strictly Come Dancing stars, Aljaž Škorjanec and Janette Manrara ahead of them bringing their new show, Remembering The Oscars to The Kings Theatre in Southsea.
The 37-date tour, due to start on March 22, was one of many which never happened.
However, the tour has been rescheduled (for a second time) to next spring – with it finally due to hit The Kings in April, 2022.
But in the meantime, the popular pair have announced they are to star in a streamed performance of the never-before seen dance spectacular, for a limited three-week run, from March 27 until April 17.
This one-hour special will see Aljaž and Janette roll out the red carpet to celebrate the greatest award-winning songs, films and dance routines from the golden age of Hollywood through to Disney family favourites and beyond.
Shot using 10 HD cameras, they will be joined by a cast boasting some of the UK’s best dancers and singers on a specially constructed stage, backed with a huge LED screen featuring brand new filmed content, as they dance their way through a dazzling array of more than two dozen songs from classic films such as Dirty Dancing, Mary Poppins, Flashdance, Cabaret, The Wizard of Oz, Frozen and Scent Of A Woman, among others.
The performance will be intercut with commentaries from Aljaž and Janette, giving a peek behind the scenes at how the show was put together. All tickets come with a digital 32-page programme packed with exclusive photos, interviews, Oscar trivia and much more.
In a statement about the stream, Aljaž and Janette said: ‘We feel awful having to postpone our Remembering the Oscars tour for a second time due to the pandemic, but we are delighted to have been given the opportunity to film some of the highlights from the show.
‘We were devastated that another year would go by without sharing what we truly believe is our best show to date. Hopefully this will give our audience and fans a taster of what is to come next year. We love and miss you, and hope you enjoy the show!’
The Guide originally spoke to the couple way back before Christmas 2019 while they were in Slovenia, when talking about future plans didn’t seem like the crazy notion it soon became.
They were spending the festive period with Aljaž’s family – they married in July 2017. With Janette originally from Miami in the US, the couple alternate their Christmases with each other’s families. But with both making their Strictly debuts in 2013 and being part of the professional line-up ever since, they have since made the UK their home.
Quick to laugh and charming company, it’s obvious, aside from their obvious dancing talent, why the pair are among the long-running BBC show’s most popular professionals.
Remembering The Oscars was planned as their fourth tour together after two runs for their debut Remembering Fred – celebrating Fred Astaire, and then Remembering The Movies. We’re sensing something of a theme here...
‘We liked the theme of remembrance,’ says Janette, ‘remembering things, remembering moments, remembering films, people, so we've stuck with that, and we decided to come back with an even bigger show.
‘As you can imagine, there are so many options out there about what songs, what films, what moment we could condense into two hours. There was so much to choose from that we decided to stick with the movie concept again, but this time it's Remembering the Oscars because we're going to celebrate all Oscar-winning and Oscar-nominated films from throughout the decades.
‘It's really exciting because you sit down and you learn so much about films, and the directors and the industry and just how much film has changed over the years.
‘And being able to pick this song, or this moment is really exciting for Aljaž and I.’
Aljaž adds: ‘We love movies. Whatever we do, Strictly takes, roughly, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, so you don't really have much time to do anything else, so the best way to spend time when we're not dancing, we try to just be at home and watch a movie.
‘The last thing you want to do when you've got time off is to go out and jog! We love being at home and watching movies.
‘When the idea came about celebrating the movies and dancing to the soundtracks, there's countless possibilities, and it's something that is really close to our hearts, and we can put even more personal love into it.’
Since Remembering Fred, they have worked with the same producer, Steven Howard for The TCB Group, and ‘amazing’ creative director and choreographer Gareth Walker. The latter’s CV runs from the 2012 Olympics closing ceremony to several Take That tours, prime-time TV and plenty more besides.
But Aljaž and Janette are no idle bystanders.
‘It's always an incredible collaboration we have to come up with the end result,’ says Aljaž. ‘But Janette and I are heavily involved in every single segment of the show because at the end of the day, it's the two of us standing on the stage, and just like on Strictly, we wouldn't do something we didn't think was good, or wasn't creatively impressive. We are passionate and we do care about what we do so much.
The shows also give Janette a chance to exercise another of her talents – singing.
‘In the last show I was very lucky to sing Mein Herr from Cabaret and a mash-up of Diamonds and Material Girl. I used to do musical theatre when I was a kid, but I hadn't done it for a long time, so I'm tapping back into my singing roots a little bit, and I think there’s going to be more of that.’
Any chance of a duet with Aljaž?
They both laugh, before he says: ‘I can never find a room that's got enough soundproofing for me to rehearse.
‘I did sing on tour two years ago, but I did it the wrong way round – I started performing first, then I started singing lessons. It was an interesting thing, I threw myself into it...
‘I'm open to new things, but I think I'm going to need a little bit more practice before I open my vocal chords again!’
Maybe he’s had the chance to practice over the past year...
The Remembering The Oscars stream premieres at 7.30pm on March 27, and is then available until April 17. Tickets from £15 at rememberingtheoscars.com.
The full show tour comes to The Kings on April 30, 2022, adult tickets from £25-£100. Go to kingsportsmouth.co.uk.
I can never find a room that's got enough soundproofing for me to rehearse!
ALJAZ ON HIS SINGING