JENNA LEE JAMES
The following is used with permission from Jenna Lee James, visit her at www.jennaleejames.com
Jenna grew up in Glasgow, starting her career at the age of 10 in a pantomime at the Kings theatre. Staying at the Kings Theatre, she then played July in Annie, Massie in The Boyfriend and Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz.
Her professional career began with a tour of Bobby Davro's 'Rock with Laughter' and she has not looked back. Her theatre credits include- Tiger Lily in Peter Pan at The Theatre Royal, Newcastle with Leslie Grantham and Joe Pasquale, Lorraine in the UK tour of Boogie Nights with Shane Ritchie, Money Money Money- the real Abba story tour, as the principle singer and Peter Pan at the Grand Theatre Swansea.
Television credits include- Parkinson (BBC), Party at the Palace, Party in the Park and Children in Need. Jenna is also the voice of many kids club characters for TED UK, a leading holiday entertainment provider.
Jenna recently rocked audiences at The Dominion Theatre, London, playing the lead role of Scaramouche in the hit musical We Will Rock You. Jenna also played the parts of Madonna and Meat in the show.
Jenna is currently very excited to be playing the role of ‘Narrator’ in Joseph at the Adelphi theatre. Performing alongside Lee Mead who continues in the title role until October 2008 and is fantastic!!
RAMIN KARIMLOO
The following is used with permission from Ramin Karimloo, visit him at www.raminkarimloo.net
Ramin, born in Persia, began his career in his hometown of Toronto Canada singing in rock bands, one being a tribute to his all time favorite, The Tragically Hip. During this time he played the roles of Jay Kurntiz (LOST IN YONKERS) and Monkey Allen (SOFTLY SOFTLY, KILL A MONKEY) both in rep at the Annex Theatre.
From there he set sail and became part of the theatre companies for the M.S. Carousel (Airtours) and M.V. Oriana (P&O Criuses). He then based himself in the UK and had his first experience of panto by playing Aladdin in Chatham. From here he embarked on a national tour of Joseph Papp's PIRATES OF PENZANCE (which opened at Regent's Park Open Air Theatre), as a Pirate/Policeman, covering the Pirate King. He assumed the role of Pirate King during its run at Theatre Royal, Bath, under the direction of Ian Tablot. Soon after he played the role of Artie Green and covered and played Joe Gillis in the first National Tour of SUNSET BOULEVARD.
Ramin spent the next year playing Feuilly and understudying Marius in LES MISERABLES (Palace Theatre). Afterwards Ramin went on to play Raoul in THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA (Her Majesty's Theatre), then Enjolras in LES MISERABLES at the Queen's Theatre and then Chris in the UK tour of Miss Saigon.
Ramin is currently the standby Phantom in PHANTOM OF THE OPERA in London's Westend. Ramin will be taking over the role of THE PHANTOM as of September 10,
2007. This will make Ramin one of the youngest actors ever to be offered
the role. This year will mark the Phantom's 21st anniversary in
London's West End.
Steve (GOING ONCE); Menalaous (HELEN OF TROY) written by Brian Johnson of AC/DC; Fransico (ZORRO THE MUSICAL) co-written by flamenco guiarist Juan Martin; Leo Angelides (MOONSHADOW) written by Cat Stevens; Simon Zealotes (JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR) at Portchester Castle); Marius (LES MISERABLES) at Broadlands, Romsey, and Powderham Castle, Exeter.
TV and Film:
Paul (Flipside), Various (Discovery Channel)
JULIA MOLLER
The following is used with permission from Julia Moller, visit her at www.juliamoller.com
Julia was born in Dortmund, Germany. At the age of six, she and her family moved to Alicante, Spain, and there she started studying music.
When she was twelve Julia saw her first musical: “Starlight Express” and after two years she began to study dance and musical theatre in Barcelona and this is were she later had her debut as a dancer in'The Rocky Horror Show', directed by Ricard Reguant.
After finishing college in Spain, Julia returned to Germany, this time to Hamburg, to finish her Musical Theatre studies at “The Stage School of Music, Dance & Drama” and months before her graduation she was offered the role covering the part of Esmeralda in Disney's Production of “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” in Berlin.
After a year she went back to Spain to play Belle in Disney's “Beauty & the Best” in Madrid and made her first TV appearance in the series "Compañeros" and “Un Paso Adelante”.
Her last Production in Madrid was “The Phantom of the Opera”, were she played Christine (alternate) in the original cast.
Julia then took on the role of Cosette in the West End Production of “Les Miserables” and has had the honour to sing with Michael Ball, Claire Moore and other special guests, for Her Majesty The Queen and President Chirac in a special concert of Les Miserables at Windsor Castle.
More recently, she gave her voice to Christine for the Spanish version of Joel Schumacher´s new film “The Phantom of the Opera”.
Most recently Julia went back to Madrid, playing the role of Blanca, the female lead in the show Mar y Cielo- Sea and Heaven.
PAUL SPICER
The following is used with permission from www.paulspiceronline.com (added 12th March 07, updated 23rd March 2008)
Paul trained at Arts Ed, where he was the recipient of the Andrew Lloyd Webber Scholarship. On completion of his course, he immediately made his West End debut at the Prince of Wales Theatre in the juvenile lead role of Michael Spofford in Cameron Mackintosh’s production of The Witches of Eastwick. He then played Nick Piazza in the national tour of Fame and subsequently joined the cast of the Boy George musical Taboo, in which he played the role of Billy many times.
His other theatre credits include Prince Charming in Cinderella for QDOS, Prince Alexander in Sleeping Beauty at the Nottingham Playhouse, Kevin in the UK workshop of Debbie Does Dallas for Adam Kenwright, an international production of Evita in Beirut, the UK tour of Saturday Night Fever, the UK première of Little by Little at the Arts Theatre in the West End and the role of George Mortimer in the world premiére of The Musical Medium at the Landor Theatre in South London.
Paul is co-founder and Associate Director of the West End’s Notes from New York series, for which he has headlined shows at the Donmar Warehouse, the Arts Theatre and the Trafalgar Studios, as well as Not(es) from New York, a British edition of the series at the Duchess Theatre. He is a patron of the Live Nation Stage Experience, a unique initiative offering youngsters across the UK the opportunity to perform in full scale productions of professionally produced shows, and also co-director of West End in Wales, a similar participatory scheme for young people in North Wales.
Last year Paul played Daniel Pontipee in the UK tour of Seven Brides for Seven Brothers and was Assistant Director for An Asylum on Every Corner at the Edinburgh Festival. He recently premièred his solo show Something in Common at the Theatre Museum in London, following which he headlined Christmas in New York, the latest installment of the Notes from New York series, at the Apollo Theatre in the West End. He then appeared in the international tour of Mamma Mia.
He regularly teaches at both Arts Ed and Mountview in London and other credits include performing with New York’s award-winning Rick Skye in A Slice O’ Minnelli during its first ever London run, appearing as a guest artist on Julie Atherton’s debut album A Girl of Few Words and starring in the internationally acclaimed music video for Uniting Nations’ top ten hit single Out of Touch.
For further information on Something in Common, visit www.somethingincommon.co.uk
Paul will be starring in Notes In Heels at the Ducgess Theatre in the West End on Sunday 6th April 2008- see www.notesfromnewyork.com/ and will then go onto play Tobias in Sweeny Todd at the Gothenburg Opera from 15th May to 8th June 2008
Press Quotes
“An all-singing, all-dancing sensation.” - Mail on Sunday
“Looks good, sounds good and radiates sex appeal.” - Daily Express
“One of the West End’s brightest musical stars.” - The Times
“A musical sensation.” - Observer
“A prodigy.” - Independent on Sunday
“A linchpin for finding and sharing new songs from the musical theatre repertoire.” - The Stage
“Paul Spicer, disarmingly assured, closed the show to a standing ovation.” - The Stage
“Paul Spicer dances incredibly well and has a real knack for comedy.” - whatsonstage.com
STEPHEN WELLER
The following is used with permission of Stephen Weller, visit him at www.stephenweller.com (added 9th Feb 2007, updated 23rd march 2008)
Stephen trained at the University of Plymouth and at Mountview Theatre School. His professional debut was in the London Production of Les Miserables (Palace Theatre) where he understudied and played Enjolras. He has appeared as a soloist in a variety of Concerts including Showtime At The Stadium (BBC Wales); Sondheim Tonight (Barbican), and Salute to the Stars (Royal Albert Hall). He appeared in a production of Ken Hill’s Phantom of the Opera (Theatre Royal, Lincoln) playing Raoul; in Kuala Lumpur with Stars Of The Musicals (West End International) as a soloist at the Broadway Music Theatre, Tokyo and also in the title role in the World Premiere production of Abelard & Heloise (Newcastle, NSW). Stephen also works extensively with the vocal cabaret group ‘The WestEnders’, both in the UK and Internationally.
Stephen played the title role in the 1999 UK Tour of Martin Guerre (WYP/Cameron Mackintosh) and recreated the role on the 1999 Cast Recording (First Night Records). Other theatre work includes Jerry Springer – The Opera (BAC, London); Woman in White (Sydmonton Festival) as Harry & Young Ebenezer in Scrooge opposite Shane Richie, and most recently as part of the cast of The Producers (Theatre Royal Drury Lane / UK Tour) covering Roger DeBris & Leo Bloom.
With Capital Voices, Stephen also works as a session singer and backing vocalist for performers including Martine McCutcheon (for Television and her Album Musicality); Michael Ball; Gareth Gates; Michael Crawford; Will Young. Other recording work includes Stars Of The Musicals (JAY Records); Sondheim Tonight (Barbican); the title role in Merrick (Pirate Productions); Copacabana (Danish Cast recording) and demo work for Elton John and Warner Chappell Music.
Hot on the heels of the West End production, "The Producers" began it's
1st UK Tour in February 2007. Stephen played the same various
roles in the show which he played in the West End production, and
covering the 'Lead Tenor', Roger DeBris and Leo Bloom.
Stephen is singing with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra in 'The Cole Porter Celebration' on 4th and 5th April 2008 and will then be singing with Capital Voices in a charity gala concert of 'Jerry Hermans Broadway' at the London Palladium on 4th May 2008.
RACHAEL WOODING
The following is used with permission of www.rachaelwooding.co.uk and credited to the 'We Will Rock You Programme'
Rachael was born in Harlington South Yorkshire and went on to train at the Doreen Bird College of Performing Arts.
She has had a varied and leading career in theatre and her professional experience began in The Sound of Music at the Lyceum Theatre in Sheffield. She later played Jenny Blackwell in Made in Sheffield at The Crucible Theatre, Sheffield and at the Lilian Baylis Theatre.
Rachael's early career led her abroad. She toured the US as Spirit in Spirit of the Dance and then she travelled to Germany where she joined the cast of Cats playing the roles of Rumpleteaser, Demeter and Bombalurina.
She subsequently played Pearl in Starlight Express, also in Germany, and on the culmination of her contract she returned to London where she made her West End debut in the role of Serena Katz in Fame at the Aldwych Theatre, London.
Work has led her to return to her home county and to Sheffield, this time to the Crucible Theatre to play the role of Kristine in the highly acclaimed production of A Chorus Line. Rachael was then delighted to be asked to create the leading role of Ariel in the UK tour of Footloose which made its UK premiere.
She continued with the creation of new roles when she played AJ in the UK tour of a new musical comedy Loveshack and she joins the cast of We Will Rock You directly from London's Apollo Victoria Theatre where she has been playing the role of Annette in Saturday Night Fever.
September 2006 - Rachael Becomes First UnderStudy For The Lead Role Of Scaramouche in We Will Rock You, where she has been playing the part of Meat.
Rachael currently playing Amber Von Tussell in the UK smash hit premiere of the musical
"Hairspray", at the Shaftesbury theatre. Have a look at www.hairspraythemusical.co.uk for more information.
credited to WWRY programme 2005
copyright LoveShack 2005
credited to WWRY 2006