Singing songs by Sondheim, music theatre students will go head to head in the West End, as they sing their hearts out to be awarded the prestigious Student Performer Prize 2015
Stephen Sondheim: The man behind multiple musicals
Now in its ninth year, The Stephen Sondheim Society Student Performer of the Year was established in order to give students of musical theatre a platform to showcase their passion and talents before they graduate.
On Sunday 17 May 2015, 12 student finalists from many of Britain’s leading drama schools will battle it out for the Student Performer Prize.
Each student will sing a song by the legendary American composer and lyricist, Stephen Sondheim, who has been well-known for his contribution to musical theatre for more than five decades.
New musical theatre songs
Asides singing their hearts out to a song by Stephen Sondheim, the students will also sing a new musical theatre song, which has been written by members of Mercury Musical Developments.
The Mercury Musical Developments was formed in 1999 and is devoted to nurturing excellence in music theatre composition and aims to integrate new writers into the industry as a means of furthering the production of new musicals.
The Stiles & Drewe Best New Song Prize for the writer of the winning new song is sponsored by the award-winning musical theatre composers, George Stiles and Antony Drewe, as well as R&H Theatricals Europe, which represents the stage performance rights to more than 100 musicals by more than 200 writers throughout the UK and Europe.
Hosted by Michael Xavier
The Stephen Sondheim Society Student Performer of the Year 2015 is hosted by Michael Xavier, two-time Laurence Olivier Award nominated English actor and singer.
Elaine Paige, the First Lady of British Musical Theatre, will make a special guest performance and will be on the panel of judges.
Asides Elaine Paige the other Student Performer judges include George Stiles, Julia McKenzie, Laura Pitt-Pulford, Jamie Lloyd, Edward Seckerson, who is the Chair, and John Wilson.
The Song Prize judges include George Stiles, Anthony Drewe, Pippa Cleary and Jake Brunger.
The Stephen Sondheim Society Student Performer of the Year & Stiles & Drewe Best New Song Prize 2015 takes place at the Garrick Theatre on Sunday 17 May, 2015 at 3pm. The show runs for 2.5 hours with one interval.
