The Simon & Garfunkel Story
50th Anniversary Celebration
Palace Theatre
20th September 2018
50th Anniversary Celebration
Palace Theatre
20th September 2018
Has it really been 50 years since the most successful Folk/Rock Duo of all time recorded their first no1 hit single 'The Sound of Silence'?
Having performed to SOLD OUT audiences in over 50 countries across the world from Sydney to Seattle, ‘The Simon and Garfunkel Story' is now sat in the West End at the LYRIC THEATRE, Shaftesbury Avenue, London. The show is currently the biggest and the most successful theatre show celebrating the lives and career of Folk/Rock sensation Simon and Garfunkel.
Featuring a full cast of talented West End actor- musicians, 'The Simon and Garfunkel Story' takes you back through the 'Groovy' times of the 1960s. It tells the story of both Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel from their humble beginnings as Rock n Roll duo 'Tom and Jerry', right through their massive success, dramatic break-up and finishing with a stunning recreation of the 1981 Central Park reformation concert.
Using a huge projection screen, the show features 1960’s photos and film footage whilst a full live band perform all their hits including 'Mrs Robinson', 'Cecilia', 'Bridge Over Troubled Water', 'Homeward Bound', 'Sound of Silence' and many more!
With every performance creating a standing ovation, this is an evening not to be missed!
Having performed to SOLD OUT audiences in over 50 countries across the world from Sydney to Seattle, ‘The Simon and Garfunkel Story' is now sat in the West End at the LYRIC THEATRE, Shaftesbury Avenue, London. The show is currently the biggest and the most successful theatre show celebrating the lives and career of Folk/Rock sensation Simon and Garfunkel.
Featuring a full cast of talented West End actor- musicians, 'The Simon and Garfunkel Story' takes you back through the 'Groovy' times of the 1960s. It tells the story of both Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel from their humble beginnings as Rock n Roll duo 'Tom and Jerry', right through their massive success, dramatic break-up and finishing with a stunning recreation of the 1981 Central Park reformation concert.
Using a huge projection screen, the show features 1960’s photos and film footage whilst a full live band perform all their hits including 'Mrs Robinson', 'Cecilia', 'Bridge Over Troubled Water', 'Homeward Bound', 'Sound of Silence' and many more!
With every performance creating a standing ovation, this is an evening not to be missed!
“FOR ONCE, YOU CAN REALLY BELIEVE THE HYPE” - British Theatre Guide
“AS CLOSE TO THE REAL THING AS IT’S POSSIBLE TO GET” - The Daily Express
“A NOSTALGIA FEST” - Mail On Sunday
“AMAZING” - Elaine Paige, BBC Radio 2
“AUTHENTIC AND EXCITING” - The Stage
“A REAL TREAT” - The Metro
“SPINE TINGLING HARMONIES” - The Daily Record
www.thesimonandgarfunkelstory.com
“AS CLOSE TO THE REAL THING AS IT’S POSSIBLE TO GET” - The Daily Express
“A NOSTALGIA FEST” - Mail On Sunday
“AMAZING” - Elaine Paige, BBC Radio 2
“AUTHENTIC AND EXCITING” - The Stage
“A REAL TREAT” - The Metro
“SPINE TINGLING HARMONIES” - The Daily Record
www.thesimonandgarfunkelstory.com
Last year we interviewed the show's creator, Dean Elliott
If you are a Simon and Garfunkel fan, you are in for a real treat.
The Sound of Silence is going to ring out at the Palace Theatre. However, this time it is because the iconic song will be sung along with many other Paul Simon numbers. A few years ago, Dean Elliott who is a big fan of Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel, decided to create a show telling their story set around the duo’s biggest hits.
The Simon and Garfunkel Story became a critically acclaimed concert style, theatre show. It is about two young New Yorkers, who came together and went on to become one of the world’s most successful music duos of all time. It has been seen by a 1/4 million people all over the world. The production uses state of the art video projection, incredible lighting, a full live band and features such hits as Mrs Robinson, Bridge Over Troubled Water, Homeward Bound, Scarborough Fair, The Boxer, I am a Rock, Cecilia, and the 59th Bridge St., song. There are also lesser-known songs showing the breadth of the duo's output. The numbers are performed against a backdrop of the turbulent events of the sixties and it is a show not to be missed.
Dean, who starred in the West End Musical Buddy, talks to STS's Jacquee, about how he came to create the show.
After I starred in Buddy, I decided that I wanted to create something similar, a rock and roll biopic that hadn’t been told before. I looked at my music collection and found I had many CDS by Simon and Garfunkel, as I was a big fan. When I looked into their story, I found it was fascinating and I decided to develop that. I thought it would probably be a musical that would last about four months, but instead it developed a life of its own and has been touring for over four years. We have travelled to Hong Kong, New Zealand, Australia, all Scandinavia, the Middle East, and we are off to New York and Korea. We performed one night in the West End before and it was a sell- out.
How does the show work?
We use a lot of video footage. It follows Simon and Garfunkel from the beginning when they met at school, through the sixties, which was a time of great social change. Therefore, we married it to the video technology of that period so that people remember it with nostalgia. The time moves on to the friction between the two and the split, then up to the 1981 reunion concert at Central Park. The majority of the songs are their duets but as they both had big careers separately, we sing a couple of the individual hits too. I love the sound of them singing together.
The Simon and Garfunkel Story became a critically acclaimed concert style, theatre show. It is about two young New Yorkers, who came together and went on to become one of the world’s most successful music duos of all time. It has been seen by a 1/4 million people all over the world. The production uses state of the art video projection, incredible lighting, a full live band and features such hits as Mrs Robinson, Bridge Over Troubled Water, Homeward Bound, Scarborough Fair, The Boxer, I am a Rock, Cecilia, and the 59th Bridge St., song. There are also lesser-known songs showing the breadth of the duo's output. The numbers are performed against a backdrop of the turbulent events of the sixties and it is a show not to be missed.
Dean, who starred in the West End Musical Buddy, talks to STS's Jacquee, about how he came to create the show.
After I starred in Buddy, I decided that I wanted to create something similar, a rock and roll biopic that hadn’t been told before. I looked at my music collection and found I had many CDS by Simon and Garfunkel, as I was a big fan. When I looked into their story, I found it was fascinating and I decided to develop that. I thought it would probably be a musical that would last about four months, but instead it developed a life of its own and has been touring for over four years. We have travelled to Hong Kong, New Zealand, Australia, all Scandinavia, the Middle East, and we are off to New York and Korea. We performed one night in the West End before and it was a sell- out.
How does the show work?
We use a lot of video footage. It follows Simon and Garfunkel from the beginning when they met at school, through the sixties, which was a time of great social change. Therefore, we married it to the video technology of that period so that people remember it with nostalgia. The time moves on to the friction between the two and the split, then up to the 1981 reunion concert at Central Park. The majority of the songs are their duets but as they both had big careers separately, we sing a couple of the individual hits too. I love the sound of them singing together.
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As the show is a world- wide hit, how do you find the different audiences respond?
The show is universal, all the audiences respond in the same way. They love it. Why was the tour called the 50th Anniversary? It is the 50th Anniversary of the song Sound of Silence being No. 1 in the UK hit parade in 1966. Of course, there could be several 50th celebrations. In 2020, it will be the anniversary of the two splitting up. |
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It is a big step from starring in a musical to creating one, how did you do that so successfully?
It is all down to hard work. I produced it, wrote it and also direct it, and have a great team around me. Over the years, we have had various changes, but it took about a year to have the first show ready to go on. It then escalated via word of mouth and reviews in the press. We have two casts, one is touring the States and the other is UK and International. In the beginning, I performed as Paul but about two and a half years ago, I decided that the show had become so big I hadn’t the time to do all the business end and sing in it. I spend a lot of time now doing promotion, going to New York for auditions, meeting partners etc.
Also, I felt it was time to bring in fresh young people. Now we have a brilliant Paul played by Sam O’ Hanlon in the UK and Taylor Bloom in the States. Charles Bligh is an incredible Art Garfunkel, when he sings Bridge over Troubled Water, it is worth the entry price alone. We are so lucky to have him. The boys keep it fresh and energised and bring a love of music and a passion to the show.
It is all down to hard work. I produced it, wrote it and also direct it, and have a great team around me. Over the years, we have had various changes, but it took about a year to have the first show ready to go on. It then escalated via word of mouth and reviews in the press. We have two casts, one is touring the States and the other is UK and International. In the beginning, I performed as Paul but about two and a half years ago, I decided that the show had become so big I hadn’t the time to do all the business end and sing in it. I spend a lot of time now doing promotion, going to New York for auditions, meeting partners etc.
Also, I felt it was time to bring in fresh young people. Now we have a brilliant Paul played by Sam O’ Hanlon in the UK and Taylor Bloom in the States. Charles Bligh is an incredible Art Garfunkel, when he sings Bridge over Troubled Water, it is worth the entry price alone. We are so lucky to have him. The boys keep it fresh and energised and bring a love of music and a passion to the show.
Does that mean that you have totally given up performing?
In this business, there are no time restraints. If I want to perform, I will go back to it later.
What do you look for in the auditioning process?
Obviously, we are looking for the best singers, but they have to be able to have a look that can translate into Art or Paul. We have some fabulous singers auditioning. However, people can be the greatest singers individually, but we have to ensure that they can harmonise together. If the blend isn’t there it won’t work. We hear singers separately, and then put them together before making a final decision. Sam O' Hanlon auditioned in the usual way. He had previously performed in Jackie the Musical, based on the teenage girls’ magazine. Charles Bligh who plays Art has done a lot of work in Berlin and flew in to audition in the UK.
How did you choose the songs?
I started with all the well-known hits, but I also wanted songs that told the story. I then wanted to make it into a piece of theatre so that the show has a natural arc. I didn’t want it to tail off at the end so we have quiet songs, but also the fast, up-tempo numbers with a full, live band on stage. I don’t see it as a tribute show but it is, as someone called it, a ‘docu musical.’ Paul Simon’s songs are so good they are still regarded as such today.
Do you have a favourite song?
I like them all, but my particular favourites are America and Dangling Conversation. They really connect with me.
In this business, there are no time restraints. If I want to perform, I will go back to it later.
What do you look for in the auditioning process?
Obviously, we are looking for the best singers, but they have to be able to have a look that can translate into Art or Paul. We have some fabulous singers auditioning. However, people can be the greatest singers individually, but we have to ensure that they can harmonise together. If the blend isn’t there it won’t work. We hear singers separately, and then put them together before making a final decision. Sam O' Hanlon auditioned in the usual way. He had previously performed in Jackie the Musical, based on the teenage girls’ magazine. Charles Bligh who plays Art has done a lot of work in Berlin and flew in to audition in the UK.
How did you choose the songs?
I started with all the well-known hits, but I also wanted songs that told the story. I then wanted to make it into a piece of theatre so that the show has a natural arc. I didn’t want it to tail off at the end so we have quiet songs, but also the fast, up-tempo numbers with a full, live band on stage. I don’t see it as a tribute show but it is, as someone called it, a ‘docu musical.’ Paul Simon’s songs are so good they are still regarded as such today.
Do you have a favourite song?
I like them all, but my particular favourites are America and Dangling Conversation. They really connect with me.
Taylor Bloom and Sam O'Hanlon
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The real Art Garfunkel & Paul Simon
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As Paul Simon was in the UK this year, and Art Garfunkel has toured here and has also performed in Southend, have they ever been to see your show?
Not to my knowledge. Although we have invited them. When we perform in New York, I will keep my fingers crossed that they might come.
Did you ever see Simon and Garfunkel perform live?
Not as a duo, but I have seen them perform separately.
Did you feel nervous about creating a show based on people who are still alive?
Not at all. I have played people that I didn’t know before, such as Buddy Holly who were no longer with us. It was nice to perform celebrating the work of someone that is still around. This show is created with love and warmth. There is nothing controversial, so I wasn’t worried that they wouldn’t like it.
What are your plans for the future?
I have many ideas, but this show has long legs to it, it will still go on for a long time and I hope it will have a run in the West End.
Interview: Jacquee Storozynski-Toll
Not to my knowledge. Although we have invited them. When we perform in New York, I will keep my fingers crossed that they might come.
Did you ever see Simon and Garfunkel perform live?
Not as a duo, but I have seen them perform separately.
Did you feel nervous about creating a show based on people who are still alive?
Not at all. I have played people that I didn’t know before, such as Buddy Holly who were no longer with us. It was nice to perform celebrating the work of someone that is still around. This show is created with love and warmth. There is nothing controversial, so I wasn’t worried that they wouldn’t like it.
What are your plans for the future?
I have many ideas, but this show has long legs to it, it will still go on for a long time and I hope it will have a run in the West End.
Interview: Jacquee Storozynski-Toll