BBC celebrates the best of musicals in TV & radio show Musicals: The Greatest Show

The BBC is to celebrate the best of all things musicals in a new one-off TV & radio show.

With venues currently unable to open to the public, Musicals: The Greatest Show is a celebration of the nation’s favourite songs and performers from the world of musical theatre.

Musicals: The Greatest Show will air on Sunday, 7 February on BBC One at 7:40PM and stream online via BBC iPlayer.

An extended version of the show was broadcast on BBC Radio 2 on Sunday, 31 January from 7PM and can be streamed now on BBC Sounds here.

Performances on the schedule include:

Amanda Holden and Sheridan Smith perform I Know Him So Well, from Chess

Nicole Scherzinger performs Never Enough from The Greatest Showman from LA.

Amanda Holden, Sheridan Smith - (C) BBC - Photographer: Guy Levy
Amanda Holden, Sheridan Smith – (C) BBC – Photographer: Guy Levy
Michael Ball - (C) BBC - Photographer: Guy Levy
Michael Ball – (C) BBC – Photographer: Guy Levy

Josh Groban sings The Impossible Dream from Man Of La Mancha from LA (Radio 2 only)

Elaine Paige with Sunset Boulevard’s As If We Never Said Goodbye. (Radio 2 only)

Gavin Spokes, from the West End production of Hamilton, performs You’ll Be Back

Gavin Spokes performs as King George  - (C) BBC - Photographer: Guy Levy
Gavin Spokes performs as King George – (C) BBC – Photographer: Guy Levy
Ivano Turco - (C) BBC - Photographer: Guy Levy
Ivano Turco – (C) BBC – Photographer: Guy Levy

Michael Ball performs You Can’t Stop The Beat from Hairspray

Sheridan Smith performs Don’t Rain On My Parade from Funny Girl

Ivano Turco sings Only You, Lonely You from Andrew Lloyd Webber’s new Cinderella musical

The cast of SIX The Musical will perform SIX

The Cast of Mamma Mia! as Donna and The Dynamos  - (C) BBC - Photographer: Guy Levy
The Cast of Mamma Mia! as Donna and The Dynamos – (C) BBC – Photographer: Guy Levy
Ramin Karimloo - (C) BBC - Photographer: Guy Levy
Ramin Karimloo – (C) BBC – Photographer: Guy Levy

Ramin Karimloo will sing The Music Of The Night from The Phantom Of The Opera

Mazz Murray, Kate Graham and Jo Napthine of MAMMA MIA! perform Dancing Queen

Aisha Jawando of the West End production of TINA, The Tina Turner Musical performs The Best

Aisha Jawando - (C) BBC - Photographer: Guy Levy
Aisha Jawando – (C) BBC – Photographer: Guy Levy
Layton Williams - (C) BBC - Photographer: Guy Levy
Layton Williams – (C) BBC – Photographer: Guy Levy

Lea Salonga performs I Dreamed A Dream from Les Misérables – with her performance recorded in Manila

Layton Williams of Everybody’s Talking About Jamie performs The Wall In My Head

Sam Tutty and the West End cast of Dear Evan Hansen will perform You Will Be Found

Nicole Raquel Dennis will sing Dreamgirls’ And I Am Telling You

Nicole Raquel Dennis - (C) BBC - Photographer: Guy Levy
Nicole Raquel Dennis – (C) BBC – Photographer: Guy Levy
Sam Tutty sings You Will Be Found from Dear Evan Hansen, alongside members of the West End cast  - (C) BBC - Photographer: Guy Levy
Sam Tutty sings You Will Be Found from Dear Evan Hansen, alongside members of the West End cast – (C) BBC – Photographer: Guy Levy
Kerry Ellis - (C) BBC - Photographer: Guy Levy
Kerry Ellis – (C) BBC – Photographer: Guy Levy

Kerry Ellis sings Defying Gravity from Wicked

Christine Allado and Alexia Khadime perform the Oscar-winning song When You Believe from The Prince Of Egypt (Radio 2 only)

Jac Yarrow will perform Any Dream Will Do from Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat with members of the public.

Jac Yarrow - (C) BBC - Photographer: Guy Levy
Jac Yarrow – (C) BBC – Photographer: Guy Levy
Christine Allado and Alexia Khadime  - (C) BBC - Photographer: Guy Levy
Christine Allado and Alexia Khadime – (C) BBC – Photographer: Guy Levy

Meanwhile an ensemble of performers will be appearing throughout the show.

They’re made up of Sarah Accomando, Nicole Baisdon, Jonathan Bentley, Beth Berwick-Lowe, Jon Boydon, Ian Carlyle, Dean Chisnall, Scott Garnham, Erin Hair, Emma Hatton, Jenna Lee James, Sejal Keshwala, Connor McAllister, Joel Montague, Nathaniel Morrison and Miria Parvin.

Ensemble made up of West End Cast members
Ensemble made up of West End Cast members – (C) BBC – Photographer: Guy Levy

Elaine Paige, Radio 2 presenter, said: “Musicals are such a huge part of my life, as they are for so many of my friends and colleagues, so to be unable to perform or go to the theatre for most of last year was devastating for us all. Radio 2 Celebrates Musicals is a way for us all to come together, to be uplifted and sing out loud to the world’s best show tunes.”

Sheridan Smith added: “I’m thrilled to be hosting this wonderful show from The London Palladium for Radio 2 and BBC One. With so many amazing performers we’re going to hopefully bring some joy to all those at home, with the best songs to help lift the spirits in these very difficult times.”

About the author: Josh Darvill

Josh is Stageberry's editor with over five years of experience writing about theatre in the West End and across the UK. Prior to following his passion for musicals, he worked for more than a decade as a TV journalist.

 

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