Summer Strallen & Tom Chambers Take Top Hat to the West End Stage

Following a successful U.K. tour Top Hat, adapted from the 1935 Irving Berlin movie musical starring Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire, will receive its West End stage premiere at the Aldwych Theatre starring Summer Strallen and Tom Chambers. Performances will begin on April 19, 2012, with opening night set for May 9. The show will feature direction by Matthew White and choreography by Bill Deamer.

In Top Hat, Jerry Travers (Chambers), the famous American tap dancer, arrives in London to appear in his first West End show. Travers meets the irresistible Dale Tremont (Strallen), the girl of his dreams, and follows her across Europe in an attempt to win her heart. In addition to Strallen and Chambers, the cast of Top Hat will include Martin Ball and Vivien Parry playing husband and wife Horace and Madge Hardwick, Ricardo Afonso as Alberto Beddini and Stephen Boswell as Horace's valet Bates.

The stage version of this screwball comedy includes the five Berlin songs from the original film—“Isn’t This A Lovely Day,” “Cheek To Cheek,” “No Strings,” “Piccolino” and the title song “Top Hat (White Tie And Tails),”—as well as additional songs from the Berlin catalog like “Let’s Face The Music And Dance” and “I’m Putting All My Eggs In One Basket.” With music and lyrics by Berlin and based on the RKO motion picture, the screenplay by Dwight Taylor and Allan Scott has been adapted for the stage by Matthew White and Howard Jacques.

Set designs are by Olivier Award Winner Hildegard Bechtler, with costume designs by Jon Morrell, lighting design by Peter Mumford, musical direction by Daniel Jackson, musical supervision by Richard Balcombe, new orchestrations provided by Chris Walker and sound by Gareth Owen.