News & Notes

Bat Out Of Hell The Musical returns to London's West End, and heads to Las Vegas, USA!

Big news! Jim Steinman's Bat Out Of Hell The Musical is set to make a return to London's West End in 2023, and begin a residency in Las Vegas from September 2022!

JIM STEINMAN’S BAT OUT OF HELL – THE MUSICAL
TO RETURN TO LONDON’S WEST END
FOR A LIMITED SEASON AT THE PEACOCK THEATRE
PERFORMANCES FROM 17 FEBRUARY 2023
LAS VEGAS RESIDENCY ANNOUNCED

The producers of Jim Steinman’s Bat Out of Hell – The Musical, featuring Jim Steinman and Meat Loaf’s greatest hits, are delighted to announce the musical’s return to London in 2023. The show, which is currently touring the UK and Ireland, will play a limited season at the Peacock Theatre with performances from 17 February, ending on 1 April 2023.

Bat Out of Hell – The Musical will also have a residency at Paris Las Vegas Hotel & Casino from 27 September 2022.

Casting for both productions to be announced.

Bat Out of Hell – The Musical wowed critics and public alike when it played limited seasons at Manchester Opera House, London Coliseum and London’s Dominion Theatre from 2017 to 2019. The musical also ran successfully in Canada, Germany and at New York’s City Centre in 2019. The current UK and Ireland tour began performances at Manchester Opera House on 11 September 2021 and has been playing to sold out houses and great critical acclaim.

Bat Out of Hell – The Musical won the Radio 2 Audience Award for Best Musical at the Evening Standard Awards and was nominated for 8 WhatsOnStage Awards, including Best New Musical.

Bat Out of Hell became one of the best-selling albums in history, selling over 60 million copies worldwide. 16 years later, Steinman scored again with Bat Out of Hell II: Back into Hell, which contained the massive hit I’d Do Anything for Love (But I Won’t Do That).

For the stage musical, the legendary and award-winning Jim Steinman incorporated iconic songs from the Bat Out of Hell albums, including You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth (Hot Summer Night), Bat Out of Hell, I’d Do Anything for Love (But I Won’t Do That) and Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad, as well as two previously unreleased songs, What Part of My Body Hurts the Most and Not Allowed to Love.

The electrifying rock songs of Mr Steinman propel an epic story of rebellious youth and passion as Strat, the immortal leader of The Lost, has fallen in love with Raven, the beautiful daughter of the tyrannical ruler Falco.

The UK & Ireland Tour of Bat Out of Hell – The Musical has book, music and lyrics by Jim Steinman, direction by Jay Scheib, choreography adapted by Xena Gusthart, with musical supervision and additional arrangements by Michael Reed, set and costume design by Jon Bausor, original costume designs by Meentje Nielsen, original wig designs by Linda McKnight, video design by Finn Ross, lighting design by Patrick Woodroffe, sound design by Gareth Owen, orchestration by Steve Sidwell, original casting by David Grindrod CDG and UK Tour casting by Anne Vosser.

Bat Out of Hell – The Musical is produced by David Sonenberg, Michael Cohl & Tony Smith, with executive producer Julian Stoneman.

This tour is dedicated to the memory of Jim Steinman, who sadly passed away on 19 April 2021, and Meat Loaf, who passed away on 20 January 2022.

Website: www.BatOutOfHellMusical.com
Twitter, Facebook & Instagram: @BatTheMusical

2022 TOUR LISTINGS INFORMATION

Meat Loaf : 1947 - 2022

Our deepest sympathy to the family of Meat Loaf, specifically his wife Deborah and daughters Pearl and Amanda. We also offer our condolences to include his extended family, friends, fans and all who were touched by the warmth and talents of this amazing human being. The enormous outpouring of love for Meat in the hours since his death are commensurate to the legacy he leaves behind. Thank you, Meat Loaf, for your life and contributions.

Photo credit: All That Dazzles

Ellen Foley - upcoming live gig at The Cutting Room, NYC

Are you ready to treat yourself to another live show with the legend that is Ellen Foley?

Tuesday December 21, 7PM. Tickets $20 - $25, on sale now! Don't miss out!.

Proof of vaccination required for entry. Under 21 admitted only with parent or legal guardian.

More details and booking info here.

Danielle Steers' live show for her album "The Future Ain't What It Used To Be" will be available to stream, end Dec 2021

It's been a while, but if you have been following this news page, you'll know that Danielle Steers originated the role of Zahara in Bat Out Of Hell The Musical, then by popular demand, recorded an album of Jim Steinman songs, with new arrangements by Noam Galperin. You can buy it on CD from her website, or listen to it streamed on Spotify.

She planned to put on a concert to launch the album, but due to covid restrictions, it was delayed to November 2021. But it went ahead! With additional songs and with special guests too! And the good news is; that show was filmed, and is going to be available to watch streamed at the end of December / new year.

Further details and tickets: Danielle Steers and friends, in concert

New dates and venue added to the Bat Out Of Hell UK tour in 2022

Exciting Bat Out Of Hell The Musical UK tour news - dates have been added for Blackpool Winter Gardens; 5th - 9th July 2022.

Tickets are on sale now: Winter Gardens, Blackpool

Bat Out Of Hell The Musical Australian tour rescheduled to 2023

An announcement from the show's Australian promoters:

TEG Dainty take great pride in delivering the best experiences possible for fans of live music and theatre and thank you for your patience. Unfortunately, due to ongoing Covid-19 restrictions, we wish to advise that Jim Steinman's BAT OUT OF HELL – THE ROCK MUSICAL has now been rescheduled for January/February 2023 for dates noted below.

As a current ticket holder, your tickets will remain valid in your original seats and there is nothing further to do, other than to hold on to your tickets and present them on the night at the new dates in your city.

RAC Arena, Perth WA
Thursday 18 November 2021 now valid for Saturday 4 February 2023

Adelaide Entertainment Centre Arena, SA
Sunday 21 November 2021 now valid for Thursday 2 February 2023

Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney NSW
Wednesday 24 November 2021 now valid for Friday 27 January 2023

Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne VIC
Friday 26 November 2021 now valid for Wednesday 8th February 2023

Brisbane Entertainment Centre, QLD
Sunday 28 November 2021 now valid for Monday 30 January 2023

What if I can't attend the new date?

For fans who are unable to attend the new dates, please lodge your refund request here by Friday 12 November 2021.

Source

New version of Total Eclipse Of The Heart

Alex Christensen & The Berlin Orchestra have been putting together an album called "Classical 80s Dance", and one track is a new version of Total Eclipse Of The Heart, featuring Bonnie Tyler on vocals.

Bat Out Of Hell The Musical returns, dedicates performances to Jim Steinman

Bat is back! It's now running at the Opera House, Manchester, UK. Preview shows started on 11th September, with the official opening tonight, 14th September, and running until 2nd October 2021.

Jay Scheib, the show's wildly skilled director and friend to Jim Steinman, gave a speech before each preview show on the first day. We're sharing this clip today so everyone can hear his dedication.

"The last 19 months have been hard and we've lost a few people including our friend Jim Steinman. We're dedicating this performance, and for that matter, the rest of the year, to our friend Jim. We love you Jim!"

For further dates and ticket info on the UK & Ireland tour running through 2021 - 2022, check the official Bat Out Of Hell website.

Ellen Foley - upcoming live gig at The Bowery Electric, NYC

Along with her band The Worried Men, Ellen Foley is going to perform a live gig at The Bowery Electric, NYC.

Friday 22 October, doors open 6:30PM. Tickets are priced at $17.60.

In accordance with the newest NYC Vaccine Mandate (Key to NYC Pass), all artists performing at an indoor venue AND all guests attending any concert held indoors must provide proof of at least one dose of any COVID-19 vaccine alongside a valid photo ID. Only guests and performers with both items will be permitted inside the venue.

This is an 18+ event.

More details and booking info here.

Bonnie Tyler - East West Box Set, and Making Love Out Of Nothing At All music video

Way back in 1995, Jim Steinman collaborated with Bonnie Tyler on two recordings of his songs - Making Love Out Of Nothing At All, and Two Out Of Three Ain't Bad. They were released on the album "Free Spirit", but that has been out of print for many years by now.

But here in 2021, Bonnie Tyler is releasing a 3CD box set of her work on that record label, making those tracks available once more. Not only that, but it contains all the single remixes of these songs.

So in total, this box set contains FOUR versions of Making Love Out Of Nothing At All, and SEVEN versions of Two Out Of Three Ain't Bad!

The album "Bonnie Tyler : The East West Years 1995-1998" is released on September 17, 2021, both digitally and physically on CD.

More details and pre-orders here.

The music video for Making Love Out Of Nothing At All has also been remastered and released on Bonnie Tyler's YouTube channel. Check it out!

Bat Out Of Hell The Musical 2021 UK and Ireland tour cast announcements

So excited to see this new cast for the touring production of Bat Out Of Hell through this year and into 2022.

And the ensemble cast:

Fighting Words is Here!

"One of the greatest and most passionately true rock albums in recent times."

- Paul Zollo, American Songwriter

Ellen Foley's new album, Fighting Words, is now available! The CD can be found at Amazon. Autographed CDs are at Bandcamp. If you pre-ordered the album, thanks a million for your support and your patience! The orders went out early this week and will be arriving as fast as the mails will allow.

Stream it at Spotify, Apple, and many other fine streaming services.

In Europe, the CD is now available by mail order using this link from Shiny Beast in the Netherlands. If you are in Europe and you would like to offer Fighting Words for sale, you can get the CD from Clear Spot distributors, including in the Netherlands.

It's a rocking collection of eleven tracks mostly written by her longtime collaborator, Paul Foglino. The album's first single, "I'm Just Happy to Be Here," finds Ellen duetting with Karla DeVito. Both women were featured vocalists during Meat Loaf's mega-platinum Bat Out of Hell period (1977). Additional guests on Fighting Words include bassist C. P. Roth (Ozzy Osbourne, Suzanne Vega, Garland Jeffreys), drummer Steve Goulding (Graham Parker & The Rumour, The Mekons), vocalist Ula Hedwig (Darlene Love, Bette Midler), and many other stellar artists. The album features Ellen's covers of Wilson Pickett's "I Found a Love" and Jim Steinman's "Heaven Can Wait."

Andrew Polec's Legacy Of Love

Does this man need any introduction? He spent years starring as Strat in Bat Out Of Hell The Musical, performed as Baal in the Dream Engine at the Amherst College reunion 50 years after Jim Steinman played the role himself. He is the man Jim Steinman fondly referred to as "The Miracle".

Andrew Polec is doing a solo show! And you can buy a ticket and watch it streamed! Tickets are available for $25 US dollars - stream live, or on demand - whichever is your preference.

Live debut viewing party on Friday, July 30, 2021 at 2:30 pm (Eastern), hosted by Andrew Polec. Video available until August 28.

Holding Out For A Hero goes Platinum in the UK

Following a month where Holding Out For A Hero was featured in a trailer for the new Netflix series Masters of the Universe : Revelation, a trailer for an upcoming Marvel Comics Guardians Of The Galaxy video game, and in a scene in the hit Disney+ TV series Loki, the song has been certified Platinum in the UK!

Read more on Bonnie Tyler's website.

Tanz Der Vampire to re-open in Germany and Hungary

Theatre is re-opening in Europe! Two productions of Tanz Der Vampire are scheduled for this year:

July 15 - July 20, 2021 : Vámpírok bálja, at the Magyar Theatre in Budapest, Hungary.

October 6, 2021 onwards : Tanz Der Vampire, at the Stage Palladium Theater, Stuttgart, Germany.

Premiere : Ellen Foley : Are You Good Enough

Ellen Foley has released a second song from her upcoming album! Also, she is now selling a limited number of autographed copies of the album on CD, through Bandcamp, priced at $30 USD.

Paul Zollo of American Songwriter magazine writes:

“Are You Good Enough” so rocks right out of the gate that it is thrilling. And this thrill expanded even more as I listened to it the first time. And also the next thousand-plus times. It is the kind of rock and roll we’ve missed: essential and pure.

And Amplify Magazine say of the album:

The wide array of talent has delivered a diverse, radio-friendly collection of eleven songs. First single “I’m Just Happy to Be Here” is a jubilant sugar rush featuring Foley duetting with fellow Meat Loaf alumnae Karla DeVito. “Leave Him Janie” is a tender rocker that evokes the storied days of Laurel Canyon. “I’ll Be True” and Foley’s cover of Wilson Pickett’s “I Found a Love” are emotive rhythm & blues infused with the girl group harmonies which enraptured Foley as a youth in St. Louis. “I Call My Pain by Your Name” is Foglino’s convincing take on country blues. And while the record is primarily an organic-sounding, roots-rock affair, the closing track, Foley’s version of Meat Loaf’s “Heaven Can Wait,” finds the vocalist closing the curtain with an altogether different dramatic flair. Although Foley did not contribute to the original version of this Steinman-penned track from Bat Out of Hell, she now makes it fully her own, with a dramatic, show-stopping solo vocal performance.

The album, Fighting Words, is available for presale (digital download and physical CD) on Bandcamp. The release date is August 6, 2021.

Bat Out Of Hell The Musical - 2021 - 2022 UK and Ireland tour announcements

Huge tour announcement for Bat Out Of Hell The Musical today! More venues than originally planned. Notice the gap in dates Nov - Dec 2021? That's when the Australian tour will happen!

Sources: Official website,Broadway World

New single and album from Ellen Foley : Fighting Words

Ellen Foley has a new single out now, and an album coming out soon.

The album will be called FIGHTING WORDS and will be released on August 6, 2021. It will be 11 tracks long, closing out with her version of Jim Steinman's Heaven Can Wait. You can pre-order it digitally right now, on Bandcamp where you will be able to stream or download the tracks in top quality. Pre-orders are priced at $10 (USD) and you get 1 track now and the rest on release day.

The single is called "I'm Just Happy To Be Here" and features Karla DeVito singing alongside her. It's available digitally on most platforms (Spotify, Apple, YouTube Music, Soundcloud, Bandcamp), or from her own website.

In her words:

“Every song on Fighting Words could represent something I’ve made it through in life, whether it be personal relationships or experiences I’ve had as a singer and actress,” said Foley. “My songwriter, Paul Foglino, is well acquainted with the peaks and valleys of my history. He does an amazing job interpreting them into songs for me to sing. As for the album title, let’s just say that I was not a fan of the previous presidential administration. There is a definite undercurrent of resistance in songs like ‘Leave Him Janie’ or ‘This Won’t Last Forever’.”

Jim Steinman : November 1, 1947 — April 19, 2021

Jim Steinman, Hall of Fame songwriter and Grammy-winning record producer for Meat Loaf, Bonnie Tyler, Celine Dion, Barbra Streisand and others, has passed away due to ongoing health issues. Born November 1, 1947, in Hewlett, Long Island, he was 73 years old. In addition to his genre-defying contributions to music, Jim also leaves behind an important legacy in theater and music videos.

Ignoring the boundaries separating artforms, Steinman's style was reflected in his belief; "If you don't go over the top, you can't see what's on the other side." He was described by the LA Times as the "Richard Wagner of Rock and Roll" and is credited as "Father of the Power Ballad" for bringing theatrical rock-opera to the masses.

Read more…

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Celine Dion : It's All Coming Back To Me Now, single now certified 2x Platinum

The RIAA have certified the single It's All Coming Back To Me Now as 2x multi-platinum as of March 3, 2021. Additionally, the album it's on - Falling Into You - has now gone 12x multi-platinum.

To celebrate, Celine has released a "behind the scenes" video of shooting the music video for the song:

Full transcript