One of my big regrets from last year is that I didn’t see Ghost the musical when it was in Manchester. By the time I’d heard that it was phenomenal it was already too late – and although I still plan to see it at some point, it will now involve me travelling down to London to see it in the West End.
It is great to know, though, that Ghost wasn’t the first and last new show to premier in Manchester. The Manchester Gets It First campaign saw Zach Braff’s new dark comedy All New People premier at the Opera House earlier in the year, and now new musical Monkee Business (based on the songs of The Monkees) is set to premier there at the end of March. This is all great news for Manchester!
I didn’t see All New People, and again I heard nothing but glowing reviews about it. Is this a pattern? Should I make sure I don’t miss the opportunity to see Monkee Business? I’m not too sure. I’m prioritising what I spend money on at the moment (Lion King – absolutely! Anything else – I’ll have to see how it goes). I’m not a massive fan of jukebox musicals in general, and if I’m not convinced there is a big chance I’m going to love something then I usually wait and hope that the reviews will make my mind up. Then again, that’s how I missed out on Ghost.
Regardless of whether I see this one or not, I meant what I said about it being great news for Manchester. It means that the city has gained some recognition in the theatrical world, and I’m totally in favour of Manchester regularly showcasing new productions!
English Rose from Manchester's Blog 