Following a sold-out tour in Manchester, Liverpool, Edinburgh, Cheshire, Salford and Runcorn, British pop star, singer and songwriter Gary Barlow (of "Take That" fame) brings his acclaimed one-man show to London's West End this August and September.
Performances begin Tuesday, August 30 at the Duke of York's Theatre.
"Bringing it to London is a dream," says Barlow. "And the Duke of York's is the perfect setting for this story."
So what's it about?
"A Different Stage" is a unique, up-close and personal look at Barlow who, according to those who have already seen the show, tells the story of the singer's life through music, song, conversation and recollections. In between chatting directly with the audience, the handsome entertainer will sing, ad lib, play instruments, take the audience behind the performance curtain and have great fun doing all of the above.
Nothing is off limits.
The Duke of York's is "thrilled to host the event," welcome Barlow to the West End and sit back and enjoy his "intimate performance."
Expect to hear hits like "Back for Good," "Patience," "Rule the World," "Shine," "Love Won't Wait," "Pray," "The Flood," "Shame," "So Help Me Girl," "Forever Love," "For All That You Want, "Why Can't I Wake Up With You" - and so many more.
But be forewarned: This is not a "greatest hits" show. With Barlow pulling the strings, there's a "surprise element" with every performance. Therefore, no two shows are alike.
On tour, "A Different Stage," not surprisingly, opened to rave reviews, thus, prompting one "sold-out" show after another.
For the record, the British-born Barlow (he hails from Frodsham, England) is one of the UK's most acclaimed performers. As part of the popular boy band "Take That," he has received eight BRIT Awards and sold over 50 million records. He has also co-written and produced music for other renowned artists including Sir Elton John, Robbie Williams and Shirley Bassey.
In 2012, he was appointed an "Officer of the Order of the British Empire" at the 2012 "Queen's Birthday Honours" for his collaborative efforts to the music industry and various UK charities.
"I'm absolutely thrilled and feel very privileged to be in the company of so many brilliant people who I know have received an OBE," said Barlow in a prepared statement. "Every minute of the work that I do, with a lot of it being a reward in itself. So for somebody to decide I should get recognised for that is just amazing."
More recently, he composed the musical score for the London and Broadway production of "Finding Neverland" and worked alongside Tim Firth on "Calendar Girls: The Musical." He also collaborated on the record-breaking stage musical "The Band" with Firth and his "Take That" team. It is presently being adapted into a 2022 feature film titled "Greatest Days."
In October 2021, Barlow released "The Dream of Christmas," his first Christmas album. A collection of holiday classics and news songs, the Deluxe CD featured 15 tracks including "Sleigh Ride," "The Dream of Christmas," "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year," "Come On Christmas," "Merry Christmas Everyone," "I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm" and "Winter Wonderland."
Other albums include "Music Played by Humans," "Sing," "Open Road," "Wonderland," "Nobody Else," "Progress" and "Since I Last Saw You."
"A Different Stage" runs August 30 through September 25, 2022 at the Duke of York's Theatre (104 St. Martin's Lane, London).
Performances are 19:30 on Tuesdays through Saturdays and 14.30 on Sundays.
Tickets are £22 to £169.40.
"There's definitely music in the show," says Barlow via "Gary Barlow Official" on YouTube. "I'm in the show. It's me on stage with a piano and an organ. There's chat. There's funny times. There's emotional times. It's a show about a life. It's a theatrical show.
"The one thing I realized from doing this show is that it's not just actually my life. It's our lives. So many of the things in the show you'll all relate too. It's a show of firsts - right here."
Barlow, of course, can't contain his excitement over this project, which, was in development for exactly four years.
"It's the most demanding and scary thing I've done in a very long time. I'm very proud of it. So please come and see us."
To reserve tickets for "A Different Stage," call The Duke of York's Theatre at 0884 871 7627. You can also book tickets through Ticketmaster at 0161 425 7563.
