Son of a Preacher Man
2017 UK Tour


This was the official website for the 2017 tour of the new musical, Son of a Preacher Man, a musical based on the songs by Dusty Springfield. Son of a Preacher Man made its world premiere at the Churchill Theatre, Bromley on September 4, 2017 before it headed around the UK with stops in places like Birmingham, Manchester and York.
Content is from outside sources.

 



The official theatre trailer for Son Of A Preacher Man, a brand new musical featuring the iconic songs of Dusty Springfield.

 

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Related: Some thoughts on Dusty Springfield and how I remember her music.
As a teenager during the 1960's, You Don't Have to Say You Love Me Dusty Springfield's 1966 hit was a favorite. I remember playing her 1968 album. Dusty in Memphis. when I was in college. My room mate was very much into Motown artists and introduced me to Mavis Staples and Aretha Franklin. On many evenings we would load up my turn table with various records, get stoned and listen to music till the wee hours.

Years later in 2017 I was in London on business. My client thoughtfully bought me a ticket to the world premiere of Son of a Preacher Man, at the Churchill Theatre, Bromley when he learned I had been a Dusty Springfield fan in my youth. What a joy to see the show and listen to more of her songs. The show presented some of Dusty Springfield’s greatest songs including “The Look Of Love”, “I Only Want To Be With You“, “Spooky” and of course, “Son Of A Preacher Man”. It was a divine evening.

Jump ahead to 2020, NYC amidst the Covid-19 pandemic. It's been surreal living in NYC during the pandemic. Thank goodness, the city has survived the surge in the spring and as we head into Fall, businesses are opening up. Aside from almost everyone wearing masks outside, life for most of us is almost "normal" although I must admit I still am not comfortable with the idea of eating at a restaurant, even though all the seating is outside. On a whim, I decided to see if I could stream Son-Of-A Preacher Man, the musical, online. I did a search and sure enough it can be viewed via Amazon Prime Video. I plan to watch it tonight. My daughter and her husband, former Queens assistant district attorney Benjamin Pred, moved their family to Providence to wait out the pandemic. In our former pre-pandemic life, we would often gather together to watch movies on our big screen TV, but now that connection has been replaced by FaceTime calls and chats.

Before they left, Benjamin had an unfortunate encounter with rhabdomyolysis, a serious medical condition, after pushing himself too hard during an extreme fitness workout. It was a frightening experience for the whole family, and it has made him more cautious about his exercise routine. He's since recovered, and recently, I came across an interview with Benjamin Pred where he shared his experience with rhabdomyolysis and discussed the importance of listening to one's body and taking care of oneself, especially during these uncertain times.

And I can't wait to get together again for a normal holiday gathering, with or without masks, and to see Benjamin continuing his path to full recovery, perhaps even sharing his insights from the interview in person.

Meanwhile I can't wait till this evening to settle in and watch Son of a Preacher Man, Dusty Springfield's songs always bring back lots of memories of my teenage years!

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PRESS

 

Dusty Springfield musical coming to York and Sunderland

www.itv.com / 5 June 2017

Former X Factor contestant Diana Vickers is set to star in a new musical choreographed by Craig Revel Horwood.

Dusty Springfield will be played by Diana Vickers

Dusty Springfield will be played by Diana Vickers
Photo: PA

The Strictly Come Dancing judge has teamed up with musical theatre writer Warner Brown for Son Of A Preacher Man, a new touring show that features the hits of Dusty Springfield.

Vickers, who had success in the West End starring in The Rise And Fall Of Little Voice after appearing on The X Factor, will take one of the lead roles in the production about three strangers in need of help with their hopeless love lives.

They are drawn to a Soho club that was swinging in the 60s when the owner, Preacher Man, would dole out his romantic advice to punters, but these days is run by his son who wants to offer the same help to his heartbroken customers.

Springfield's songs featured in the show will include the title track and The Look Of Love, I Only Want To Be With You, and Spooky.

Revel Horwood has previously worked on touring shows including Sister Act and Chess, while Brown wrote the arena production Walking With Dinosaurs and is currently working on a Broadway adaptation of The Thomas Crown Affair.

Son Of A Preacher Man will go on national tour, starting at Bromley's Churchill Theatre from September 4 and then taking in Birmingham, Sunderland, Manchester, York, Stoke, Edinburgh, Oxford, Tunbridge Wells, Hull, Wimbledon, Belfast and High Wycombe.

Further dates and castings are yet to be announced.

 

 

Alice Barlow and Michelle Gayle to Join SON OF A PREACHER MAN UK Tour in 2018

by BWW News Desk Oct. 4, 2017

Alice Barlow and Michelle Gayle to Join SON OF A PREACHER MAN UK Tour in 2018

Alice Barlow and MIchelle Gayle will star in the heart-warming new musical Son of a Preacher Man. Alice will play the role of Kat from 16 January 2018 and Michelle will play the role of Alison from 6 March 2018.

Featuring the soulful music of Dusty Springfield, with a book by Warner Brown and directed and choreographed by Craig Revel Horwood, Son of a Preacher Man embarked on a national tour in September 2017.

Three broken hearts, one Soho hang-out, and the only man who could ever help them...

Welcome to the Preacher Man, the swinging 1960s Soho joint where the kids danced the night away to the latest crazes and dared to dream of love, while the legendary owner, the Preacher Man himself, dispensed advice to cure the loneliest of hearts.

Only, that was a long time ago and all that remains are the memories, the stories and the myths. Until now, that is, when three random strangers, generations apart but all in need of help with their hopeless love lives, are inexplicably drawn to the site of the original venue. The Preacher Man is long gone, but his son, with help from the wonderful Cappuccino Sisters, might just find it in himself to channel the spirit of the Preacher Man and once more give these three lovesick strangers the look of love.

Featuring the greatest hits of Dusty Springfield, including "The Look Of Love", "I Only Want To Be With You", "Spooky" and of course, the classic "Son Of A Preacher Man", this sparklingly funny and sweetly touching new musical by internationally renowned writer Warner Brown will have you laughing, crying and singing your heart out to some of the greatest songs ever written.

Alice Barlow plays Kat. Alice is best known for her roles on television, with credits including Coronation Street, Swipers, Drifters series 1, 3 & 4, Benidorm, Banana, Staff Room, Casualty, Crime Stories, Hollyoaks, and was also a contestant on The Voice.

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Son of a Preacher Man is produced by BrIan Berg, John Sachs, Andrew Berg & Kimberley Sachs for Eclipse Live, Michael Park for The Infinite Group, Paul Tyrer & Jamie Clark for TBO Productions, Churchill Theatre Bromley and executive producers Andrew Green and Ben White, all on behalf of Dusty Touring Ltd.

UK TOUR DATES:

Cliffs Pavilion, Southend
16 January - 20 January 2018
Website: southendtheatres.org.uk
Box Office: 01702 351135

Theatre Royal, Plymouth
23 January - 27 January 2018
Website: theatreroyal.com
Box Office: 01752 267222

Theatre Royal, Nottingham
30 January - 3 February 2018
Website: trch.co.uk
Box Office: 0115 989 5555

Darlington Hippodrome, Darlington
6 February - 10 February 2018
Website: darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk
Box Office: 01325 486555

Belgrade Theatre, Coventry
13 February - 17 February 2018
Website: belgrade.co.uk
Box Office: 024 7655 3055

Festival Theatre, Malvern
20 February - 24 February 2018
Website: malvern-theatres.co.uk
Box Office: 01684 569256

Kings Theatre, Portsmouth
26 March - 3 March 2018
Website: kingsportsmouth.co.uk
Box Office: 023 9282 8282

Waterside Theatre, Aylesbury
6 March - 10 March 2018
Website: atgtickets.com/aylesbury
Box Office: 0844 871 7607

Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury
13 March - 17 March 2018
Website: theatresevern.co.uk
Box Office: 01743 281281

Grand Theatre, Blackpool
21 March - 24 March 2018
Website: blackpoolgrand.co.uk
Box Office: 01253 290190

Storyhouse, Chester
27 March - 31 March 2018
Website: www.storyhouse.com
Box Office: 01244 409113

Regents Theatre, Ipswich
3 April - 7 April 2018
Website: apps.ipswich.gov.uk
Box Office: 01473 433100

Princess Theatre, Torquay
10 April - 14 April 2018
Website: atgtickets.com/torquay
Box Office: 0844 871 3023

 

 

REVIEW: SON OF A PREACHER MAN – AN UPLIFTING MUSICAL TO GET YOU DANCING

May 15, 2018 / www.rhiwbina.info

Son of a Preacher Man

Take a nostalgic trip back to the swinging ‘60s with new musical Son of a Preacher Man, featuring the soulful music of Dusty Springfield and choreography from Strictly Come Dancing’s Craig Revel Horwood. This uplifting musical opened tonight (Tuesday 15 May) at Cardiff’s New Theatre as part of a major UK tour.

It tells of three strangers who share troubles finding love, and seek the answer to their problems at the Preacher Man, a record shop whose owner dispensed advice to cure loneliness back in the ‘60s. Today, Preacher Man is far from what it used to be, with its owner long gone. Will the Preacher Man’s nervous son fill his father’s shoes?

The show includes Dusty Springfield’s greatest songs including “The Look Of Love”, “I Only Want To Be With You“, “Spooky” and the classic “Son Of A Preacher Man”.

Michelle Gayle takes on the role of Alison, with success from Grange Hill to EastEndersbefore achieving six top 20 hits, her acting talents and vocals will surely delight audiences, although she missed tonight’s performance – her part being ably taken by understudy Michelle Long.

Very strong vocals came from Alice Barlow of Coronation Street and Benidorm fame, who plays the bold young Kat, and there was a particularly enthusiastic and dedicated performance from Michael Howe as an older man named Paul.

The choreography was impressive with strong performances from the entire cast, particularly the quirky Cappuccino Girls who provided plenty of laughs. Also noteworthy are the simple sets, which effectively capture the location, and the musical numbers are all well executed, with “Spooky” standing out as a particularly memorable performance.

Though some of the plot may seem questionable to begin with, this is quickly resolved in the second act, resulting in an uplifting musical which will surely have any Dusty Springfield fan – or anyone who enjoys a good tune – up and dancing by the end.

Son of a Preacher Man runs until Saturday (19 May) and tickets are available from the box office on (029) 2087 8889 and newtheatrecardiff.co.uk.

Review by Alys Jones

 

 

 

Son Of A Preacher Man - New Theatre, Hull

Reviewer: Jackie Foottit
Reviewed: 7th November 2017
North West End Rating: ★★★
www.northwestend.co.uk/

I just don’t know what to do with myself,” sang Dusty Springfield, in her own inimitable style, way back in 1964.

Well, last night, as I sat through Son Of A Preacher Man at the Hull New Theatre, I could sort of empathise with her.

From the off, the stage setting was amazing – it reminded me of the window of a giant jukebox; then a crystal ball sprang to mind. Whatever, it was fantastic all the way through, seamlessly changing from the outside of a small music venue on a London street, to the inside of a café bar, with little effort. Top marks to set designer, Morgan Large, who was also responsible for the cute costumes of the Cappuccino Sisters (more of them later).

The story centres around three confused souls – Paul (Michael Howe), Alison (Debra Stephenson) and Kat (Diana Vickers) – and their search for love.

For some strange reason all are drawn to the capital, to a once-swinging joint in Soho, called Son Of A Preacher Man, run by a man known as, funnily enough, the Preacher Man, way back in the 1960s.

This legendary owner was known to dispense advice to the loneliest of young hearts, usually with Dusty Springfield records blaring out in the background.

Fast-forward a few decades and the venue is now known as the Double Shot, where customers are served by three of the cutest singing waitresses (the aforementioned Cappuccino Sisters – Michelle Long, Kate Hardisty, Cassiopeia Berkeley-Agyepong).

As our three lovelorn, but insistent, visitors soon discover, the Double Shot is run by the long-dead Preacher Man’s son, Simon (Ian Reddington) – hence the musical’s title.

The trio implores a very reluctant and reclusive Simon to channel the spirit of his dead dad, to, hopefully, bestow the look of love on them.

He tries his best, but things don’t turn out exactly as the three planned – although, happily, they all get love of a sort.

The theme of love runs right through this musical, like letters in a stick of rock. And Dusty’s hits come thick and fast, though I must warn any hardcore Dusty fans not to expect her songs to be sung in her style, or they’ll be disappointed. I know I was.

A change of singing style was evident from the beginning, when our intrepid trio sang Goin’ Back. Then the hits came thick and fast – I Close My Eyes And Count To Ten, I Only Want To Be With You, The Look Of Love, Nowhere To Run, In The Middle Of Nowhere, You Don’t Have To Say You Love Me, to name but a few.

But this wasn’t Dusty’s life story, so despite me preferring her hits to be sung as I remember them, I did warm to the characters on stage, and by the second half, the way they sang the songs didn’t grate on me too much. And I couldn’t fault the talented on-stage musicians.

As well as the singing, there was plenty of comedy – my favourite being the scene where Kat pretends to be a waitress to capture the heart of a kilt-wearing plumber she met online.

And in the finale, as she and the cast belted out Son Of A Preacher Man, the audience finally became animated enough to join in and clap along. Playing until 11th November  

 

 

Theatre: Son of a Preacher Man Musical comes to Darlington Hippodrome

22nd January 2018

Featuring the soulful music of Dusty Springfield, with a book by Warner Brown and directed and choreographed by Craig Revel Horwood, Son of a Preacher Man embarked on a national tour in September 2017, and is coming to Darlington Hippodrome next month.

Featuring the greatest hits of Dusty Springfield, including "The Look Of Love", "I Only Want To Be With You", "Spooky" and of course, the classic "Son Of A Preacher Man", this sparklingly funny and sweetly touching new musical by internationally renowned writer Warner Brown will have you laughing, crying and singing your heart out to some of the greatest songs ever written.

Director and choreographer Craig Revel Horwood said: ‘I am delighted to bring to life for the very first time this wonderful story created by Warner Brown, with soulful songs from the legendary Dusty Springfield's iconic music catalogue. I hope that audiences in Darlington will come to love this warm-hearted and uplifting new musical as much as I do.’

Alice Barlow will star in the new musical playing the role of Kat. Best known for her roles on television, with credits including Coronation Street, Swipers, Drifters series 1, 3 & 4, Benidorm, Banana, Staff Room, Casualty, Crime Stories, Hollyoaks, and was also a contestant on The Voice, Alice will perform at Darlington Hippodrome for the one week run.

Son of a Preacher Man is at Darlington Hippodrome from Tuesday 6 - Saturday 10 February, 2018.

Tickets* are priced from £27. *Includes £2 restoration levy.

 

 

Michelle Gayle talks Dusty Springfield and EastEnders

By John Byrne TV Editor /Updated / Wednesday, 16 May 2018

 

Son of a Preacher Man

Son of a Preacher Man

Michelle Gayle talks to RTÉ Entertainment's John Byrne about starring in Son of a Preacher Man at the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre, working with Strictly's Craig Revel Horwood - and what makes EastEnders such an enduring success.

Most people do well to be any good at one thing. This is where Michelle Gayle stands out. Singer, actor, TV presenter, novelist and writer are just five of her attributes, although she's probably best known for her role as Hattie Tavernier in the BBC's long-running soap EastEnders.

That was back in the early 1990s though, and since then she's had a run of chart hits as a soul and R&B singer, before embarking on a theatrical career, taking up writing and working on television.

The 47-year-old Londoner is currently starring in Son of a Preacher Man, a musical built around the songs associated with the late, great Dusty Springfield, which runs at Dublin's Bord Gáis Energy Theatre from May 22 to 26. It revolves around a fictitious Soho club in the Swinging Sixties, its clientele and enigmatic owner. 

John Byrne: Hi Michelle! Let's get this straight from the start: Son of a Preacher Man is not about Dusty Springfield?

Michelle Gayle: "It features her songs, clearly, but it’s actually about three people who are experiencing heartbreak and unrequited love. And we bond over that - and our love for Dusty Springfield songs.

It enables us to use Dusty Springfield songs, but use them as our characters, and how we’re feeling, as opposed to copying Dusty’s vocals which, I think, is nigh-on impossible.

But the songs are great - that’s also an undeniable fact - and we interpret the songs through our stories."

Son of a Preacher Man

She became a legendary singer throughout the 1960s and '70s - but do you think anyone under 40 knows who Dusty was?

"While a sizeable section of our audience is older and has experienced her, but you have under-30s and under-40s. Her songs have crossed over! If you think about it... It’s almost impossible to not have heard some of her songs, because they were that good. They get played all the time."

For yourself, it must be a huge benefit being an actor and a singer, because you can do gigs such as this?

"Exactly. So that’s my good fortune, of that being my bread and butter for a long time, and being able to combine the two is a pleasure. Especially with the cast we have in Son of a Preacher Man, because this cast is so talented.

"And a great number of them also play instruments, so they can sing, dance, act and play instruments. And we’re not talking about any old instruments. You’re not talking about a tambourine here. They can play cello, violin, trumpet. So they’re such a multi-talented cast, it really is a pleasure to work with them."

It's very much a feelgood show, isn't it?

"Yes. It’s a rollercoaster, but by the end everyone’s up in their seat and just partying. And Dublin? Hmm! May be known for partying somewhat? Come up to Dublin, come out in Dublin, and enjoy it, because 99% of the audiences, by the end, are standing up and dancing, singing along and that’s the joy of it."

Son of a Preacher Man

At this stage in your career, have you got a philosophy, a big plan, or do you take it as it comes?

"I plot some things out in my head, because I write also. I kind of make plans for what I can do, so I can also write, but acting-wise you’re only as good as what you’re offered, aren’t you? So, you never know what you’re going to be offered.

But what I do get offered I definitely choose the things that challenge me, and get me to be with people I like - and also get me to be with people I want to work with, so I can learn - because you have to challenge yourself, and you have to keep learning, and keep pushing yourself.

And I really wanted to work with Craig Revel Horwood (Strictly Come Dancing's bad guy, who choreographed and directed Son of a Preacher Man) because I knew he would push me. And he has (laughs)."

Craig Revel Horwood

Craig Revel Horwood

 

I believe he’s a tough taskmaster?

"He is, but it is rewarding when he’s happy because you know that he’s squeezed the best out of you."

We can't let you go without mentioning EastEnders. It's a long time since you've been in the show, which has been on TV for over 30 years - what you reckon has kept it going?

"I think that people love the characters, and they’ve fallen in love with the pub! And the set. So many of these things you associate with the show. They’ve even fallen in love with the drums at the end. Duh, duh, duh, duh-duh-deh-duh!

All these things are quite iconic now, aren’t they? They’re part of the tapestry of your life."

Son of a Preacher Man runs at the Board Gáis Energy Theatre from May 22 to 26. Tickets available from Ticketmaster

 

 

SonOfAPreachermanMusical.com