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Live
Aid Promoter Harvey Goldsmith Brings Bollywood To The UK
THE
MERCHANTS OF BOLLYWOOD -
The first
musical from the home of the multi million dollar Bollywood film
industry heads for the UK |
Harvey
Goldsmith, the man behind some of the world's leading live events,
including Live Aid and Live8, recently announced the launch of a new
project that will see the world's leading music and event promoter
stepping into the Bollywood arena.
The Merchants
of Bollywood, the first authentic musical from Bollywood city is a
theatrical dance spectacular which charts the enchanting history of
the world's largest and most prolific film industry, and a dynasty of
stars that have lit its way over generations. The show will transcend
time and is a touching tribute to the Bollywood greats of yesterday
and the hits of today. The show features a cast of 40 dancers,
singers and actors direct from Film City Mumbai performing to hits
that every Bollywood fan will relate to, including classics such as
'Mehndi Laga Ke Rakhna' from DDLJ to the very latest hits from Box
office smashes such as Dhoom and Dus.
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Written and
directed by Toby Gough, featuring music by Salim and Sulaiman
Merchant and choreographed by leading film choreographer Vaibhavi
Merchant, The Merchants of Bollywood follows the story of Ayesha
Merchant, her grandfather Shantilal, and the inevitable clash of
generations and ambition.
The Merchants
of Bollywood, based on the real life story of the show's
choreographer Vaibhavi Merchant, is a potent mixture of dreams and
sacrifices, family rebellion and romance. |
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Set to some of
the most memorable songs and music from Bollywood films, The
Merchants of Bollywood has already been hailed as a spectacular
success by audiences and critics in Australia.
The launch was
attended by key members of the team from Mumbai, including the
inspiration for the show, Vaibhavi Merchant. Merchant is an
award-winning choreographer within the film industry and commands
huge respect and admiration from Bollywood's A-list stars. Having
choreographed such huge Box Office smashes as Lagaan, Devdas, Rang de
Basanti, Dhoom, Fanaa and Krish she is also currently working on the
long awaited remake of the classic Umrao Jaan, starring Abhishek
Bachchan and Aishwariya Rai.
She commented
on the forthcoming UK tour: "I wanted to create a new and truly
authentic show that audiences across the world could relate to.
Bollywood has become a huge industry, not just for Asians, but for
everyone. Anyone with even a remote interest in Asian culture will
know about Bollywood, but may not have experienced it in all its
glory, The Merchants of Bollywood is colourful, dynamic, vibrant and
for me the most exciting project I have worked on. The UK has shown a
growing fascination for Indian films, and I wanted to bring some of
the amazing talent that is a core part of Indian films to the UK for
audiences to get a live Bollywood experience."
Hot off its
success in Australia, the show will be touring the UK this Winter,
premiering in Birmingham as the first stop of the UK tour.
Harvey
Goldsmith, better known for his massive global concerts and live
events including Pavarotti in the Park, The Prince's Trust Rock Gala
concerts and of course Live Aid and Live8 says of his first step into
the Bollywood arena: "I was taken to see the show by a friend in
Australia, and fell in love with it on the spot. I was just enveloped
by the fantastic atmosphere in the audience. The team have created a
truly amazing spectacle of colour and culture, for which I can take
no credit at all. I am just giving UK audiences the opportunity to be
a part of an invigorating and extraordinary experience."
The launch,
which took place at the Indian High Commission was attended by a host
of luminaries and familiar faces from the world's of TV, film and
radio. As well as launching the UK Tour, Mr Goldsmith also introduced
some of the key partners and sponsors for the UK Tour. Zee TV, the
UK's leading Asian satellite and cable network were introduced at the
title media partner for the event.
Govind Shahi,
Dy. Country Head - UK and Europe, of Zee TV said of the relationship:
"We are delighted to be part of such an exciting show. The
Merchants of Bollywood is pure entertainment and has perfect synergy
with Zee TV's philosophy of providing excellent, ground-breaking and
innovative entertainment. For me the most exciting element is that
the show will also open doors for the wider community to experience
the vibrancy and culture of the world's second largest film industry."
Henk Elzenga,
Managing Director FEXCO MT, Western Union's UK representative added
"Western Union are delighted to be a main sponsor of the
Merchants of Bollywood. Our support of this great show forms part of
our ongoing commitment to the South Asian community for whom
Bollywood forms a key part of their culture and lifestyle. I am sure
the performance will be a rip-roaring success and will take the UK by storm."
Tickets for
each of the shows will go on sale at the end of June, so make sure
you contact the theatre closest to you take advantage of special
offers for advance tickets. Each theatre has a limited capacity so
make sure you don't miss the Bollywood Extravaganza of the year. The
Merchants of Bollywood will be visiting the following theatres from
October 2006:
Birmingham:
Alexandra Theatre 24th October to 4th November
Manchester:
The Opera House 6th November to 11th November
Newcastle:
Tyne Theatre 13th November to 17th November
Glasgow: SECC
20th November to 26th November
Bradford: St
George's Hall 28th November to 2nd December
Cambridge:
Corn Exchange 5th December to 9th December
Cardiff:
Millennium Centre 12th December to 17th December
London:
Hammersmith Apollo 21st December to 7th January
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