Jazz hands at the ready as some of the UK’s best-loved musical theatre shows come together for one night only, under one roof for BBC One's Big Night of Musicals 2023 by The National Lottery.
After making its debut last year, the glitzy event sees Jason Manford once again hosting the evening as the crème de la crème of West End shows and touring productions put on a show to top all others.
Here's what to expect from the epic evening...
When is Big Night of Musicals 2023 on?
The 90-minute musical extravaganza — which was recorded on Monday February 27 — will be broadcast on Saturday, March 25 at 7.50 pm on BBC One.
You will be able to watch after the show has aired on BBC iPlayer.
Where is Big Night of Musicals 2023 taking place?
For the second year running, Big Night of Musicals 2023 sees the casts of 13 incredible West End and touring theatre shows — such including Les Miserables, Wicked and Shrek — take to the stage of the AO Arena Manchester for one spectacular event in front of 12,000 people.
Who is the host of Big Night of Musicals 2023?
Our compère for the evening is singer, actor, comedian and judge of ITV1’s Starstruck, Jason Manford, who knows a thing or two about musicals having starred in, among others, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and The Producers in London’s West End.
"It’s a privilege to be asked again but it’s a hard job," says Jason. "There’s a 12,000-strong crowd, a 40-piece orchestra, someone talking into my ear, plus lots of divas and egos — hopefully I’ve shown I can juggle all those bits without getting too flummoxed!
"Manchester feels like my crowd. To walk out onto a stage in your hometown in front of thousands of people, knowing you've got one hell of a show for them, was exciting."
What performances can we expect on Big Night of Musicals 2023?
Big Night of Musicals 2023 features an eclectic mix of powerhouse ballads, rousing chorus numbers and toe-tapping treats from the 13 much-loved shows: We Will Rock You The Musical, Les Miserables, The Royal Shakespeare Company's Matilda The Musical, Shrek the Musical, Wicked, SIX The Musical, Disney's Newsies, Ain't Too Proud: The Life And Times Of The Temptations, The Bodyguard, Rodgers and Hammerstein's The King And I, Aspects Of Love, Hamilton and Mamma Mia!
"Nathania Ong, the current Eponine in Les Miserables in London’s West End, sang On My Own from that legendary musical, and Pussycat Doll Melody Thornton sang I Will Always Love You from The Bodyguard — it’s a big song and the response she got moved her to tears," says Jason.
"I do a lot of my ‘links’ from among the crowd, so I can feel the excitement and the emotion coming from them. As me and the camera crew were walking to our next spot for when Melody finished we had to stop because our footsteps were all you could hear!
"The audience couldn’t stop giving standing ovations! Songs from shows like Les Mis and Wicked will always get that reaction but, what I also loved, was the party atmosphere with songs like I'm A Believer from Shrek, Dancing Queen from Mamma Mia and the medley from SIX; songs which don't elicit the same emotion but bring a real party vibe."
Jason himself has been in West End theatre shows — is he performing too?
He certainly is! The multi-talented host sings From Now On from The Greatest Showman with the students from Flash Musicals, a National Lottery-funded kids theatre in Edgware, North London.
"I've not sung properly for a while but I wanted to get it right for the kids performing with me," says Jason. "What’s funny is, I recognized one of the boys and asked him: 'How do I know you? Turns out, he’d played my son in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang when I was Caractacus Potts! It was lovely to see he’s still performing."
How else does The National Lottery support theatre projects?
Throughout the show, Jason chats to stage stars including Oliver’s Jodie Prenger and Frozen’s Samantha Barks about how National Lottery funding helps local theatre groups…
"The National Lottery supported over 2,000 theatres during the COVID-19 pandemic; without it, lots of these theatres wouldn't be here," explains Jason. "Flash Musicals is in a part of North London where there's not much for kids to do. How do these youngsters discover musical theatre without these projects? That’s why National Lottery funding is so important."
Is Jason appearing in the West End in 2023?
Yes! It was recently announced that Jason will be treading the boards at the London Palladium this summer as the Cowardly Lion in The Wizard of Oz. And he can't wait!
"I'm really excited to be working with Andrew Lloyd Webber and performing at The Palladium," says Jason. "I start rehearsals in May for a month, then we run for 11 weeks. I don't do many impressions but, when I was a kid, I used to make my family laugh by crying like the Cowardly Lion. So it’s like life has come full circle."
Is there a trailer for Big Night of Musicals 2023?
There sure is! Here's a little teaser of the all-singing, all-dancing treats you can expect on the night...
