Mobile Theatre Guild > Shows
 
 
Twin boys, separated at birth, one raised in poverty while the other in luxury, are destined to be reunited - as rivals.

This moving British musical by the author of  "Shirley Valentine" and  "Educating Rita" has never failed to bring audiences cheering to their feet.

On Broadway, the lead roles have been played by a succession of pop music stars including Petula Clark, the Cassidy brothers, and Carole King.

"The final 10 minutes of "Blood Brothers" pack a punch"
       -  David Richards, NYTimes
"Powerfully bittersweet! Marvelously hummable songs!"
       - Gail Campbell-Thomson, Liverpool Daily Post
"A Knockout!"
       - Alan King, Bristol Evening Post

BLOOD BROTHERS
Book, music and lyrics by Willy Russell
Directed by Louis Courie
May 16, 17, 18, 23, 24, 25

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Blood Brothers  opened in 1983 just as the patriotic fervor resulting from the Falklands War swept across Britain and temporarily shored up Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher's sagging political career.

Born into a working class family in 1947, Willy Russell (book, music and lyrics)  was no stranger to the people and struggles that inspired this heartfelt musical. Immediately after finishing school, Russell took a job as a hairdresser.  Soon he was running his own salon and all the while writing folk songs for local artists in his free time. By twenty he was enrolled in  college, married, and graduated to become a school-teacher.  His first major play, John, Paul, George, Ringo and Bert  was produced in 1974.

Russell's three biggest theatrical hits were Educating Rita, which had an even more successful second life as a film starring Michael Caine,  Blood Brothers, and Shirley Valentine, which also became a hit film and garnered actress Pauline Collins an Oscar nomination for playing the role she originated in the stage production.

Blood Brothers has had two successful runs on Broadway with casts headed by such musical stars as Petula Clark, Carole King, Helen Reddy,  and Shawn and David Cassidy. In Australia, a young Russell Crowe played the role of Mickey in 1988.

The current London revival has been running for twenty years


Links:
The author and composer's website
http://www.willyrussell.com/blood1.html


 
HOME       SHOWS       BOX OFFICE      LOCATION      ABOUT US      AUDITION      VOLUNTEER      SUPPORT       LINKS
 
Inquiries and Errors: info@mobiletheatreguild.org              Box Office: reservations@mobiletheatreguild.org
MTG Productions are made possible by the generous support of the Mobile Arts Council, the city of Mobile, and our Supporting Cast
<Click here and reserve your tickets today>
CAST
Narrator............................................Gene Murrell
Mrs. Johnstone.....................................Buffi Peter
Mickey...........................................Zebulon Brown
Eddie....................................Christopher Spencer
Mrs. Lyons......................................JoAnn Olivera
Mr. Lyons.......................................John Richards
Linda...............................................Whitney Rayl
Sammy...........................................Jake Coleman
Donna Marie & others................Allison Bliss Leger
Policeman & others............................Brent Murrill
Miss Jones..........................................Kate Lotito
Neighbors, Kids & others.....................Abby Dean
                                Alpha Dixen, and Tina Lovett
MUSICIANS
Director, Bass, Midi.......................Stan Chapman
Keyboards..............................Gretter Diaz-Suarez
                                                      Zach Freeman
Drums................................................David White                         
PRODUCTION
Director..............................................Louis Courie
Musical Director...............................Stan Chapman
Set Design/Construction................Constance Smith
Lighting Design.....................................Philip Tapia
Stage Manager..................................Cookie Baylor
Choreography.........................................Terry Trent
Lighting/Sound Control.......................Ashley Dennis
Follow Spot Operators....................Bridget Chapman
                                                          Debbie Lake
Costume Coordinator...........................E. A. Keeble
Make-Up..................................Christopher Spencer
Set Construction Assistants........Allison Bliss Leger,
                       Zebulon Brown, Christopher Spencer,
                                              and Michael Waldren
Stage Crew.......................Damon Blaschka, Marina
           Clotworthy,  Andrew Crider, Debbie Simpson,
                                    and Barbara Ann Westbrook
Properties............................................Libba Tallant
Publicity, Graphic and Web Design....Rudy Auerbach


Top row: left, Gener Murrell; center, The Kids; right, Zebulon Brown and Christopher Spencer; Bottom, Buffi Peter and JoAnn Olivera.
Photos courtesy Allyson Mc Neill.
Click on thumbnails to enlarge