Big The Musical Stars Jay McGuiness & Kimberley Walsh to Reunite in Sleepless in Seattle Musical
(Photo: Matt Crockett)
Jay McGuiness and Kimberley Walsh, the talented stars who fell in love nightly in the West End premiere of Big the Musical, will let sparks fly again this spring in a world premiere musical titled Sleepless. The previously workshopped tuner based on the 1993 romantic comedy Sleepless in Seattle will begin its run on March 24 at London's Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre. Opening night is set for April 1.
McGuiness, who will play Sam, earned acclaim for his turn as Josh Baskin in Big, which followed a West End appearance in Rip It Up—The '60s. McGuiness gained a legion of TV fans when he won Strictly Come Dancing in 2015.
Walsh, who will take on the role of Annie, was celebrated for her turn as Susan in Big. She first rose to prominence in the record-breaking band Girls Aloud. Her additional stage credits include Shrek, Elf and Sweet Charity.
Featuring a book by Michael Burdette and a score by Robert Scott and Brendan Cull, Sleepless tells the story of Sam (McGuiness), who moves to Seattle with his eight year-old son, Jonah, following the tragic death of his wife. When Jonah phones a radio show, Sam is forced to talk about his broken heart and sleepless nights live on air, and he suddenly finds himself one of the most sought after single men in America and a great news story for feisty journalist Annie (Walsh) on the opposite side of the country. Jonah soon begins to hatch a plan to bring the two together on the top deck of the Empire State Building.
McGuiness and Walsh will be joined onstage by Daniel Casey as Walter, Harriet Thorpe as Eleanor, Tania Mathurin as Becky and Jake Sharp as Rob. The role of Jonah will be shared by Theo Collis, Mikey Colville and Jack Reynolds.
The ensemble will include Charlie Bull, Colin Burnicle, Christie-Lee Crosson, Laura Darton, Leanne Garretty, Matt Holland, Ross McLaren, Gary Murphy, Dominique Planter, Annie Wensak and Benjamin Wong.
Look back at Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan in the film's original trailer below.