Theatre News

Bryn Terfel leads Fiddler on the Roof in 2015 Proms

Other highlights of the 2015 Proms include Seth MacFarlane, Jarvis Cocker and David Attenborough

Emma Thompson and Bryn Terfel in Sweeney Todd
Emma Thompson and Bryn Terfel in Sweeney Todd

Bryn Terfel will star in a concert staging of Fiddler on the Roof as part of this year's BBC Proms season at the Royal Albert Hall.

Terfel, who recently starred in Sweeney Todd alongside Emma Thompson at the Coliseum, is part of a line-up that also includes Proms dedicated to Sherlock Holmes and Frank Sinatra.

Fiddler on the Roof, based on the stories of Sholom Aleichem with a book by Joseph Stein and score by Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick, originally opened on Broadway in 1964 and includes classic songs such as "Tradition", "Matchmaker, Matchmaker" and "If I Were a Rich Man". The Prom takes place on 25 July.

Operas in the 2015 Proms season include Monteverdi's Orfeo, Mozart’s The Abduction from the Seraglio from Glyndebourne Festival Opera, and the first Proms performance of the Prologue to Shostakovich’s unfinished Orango.

Sir Simon Rattle will conduct a performance of Elgar’s The Dream of Gerontius with the BBC Proms Youth Choir and the Vienna Philharmonic, and David Attenborough will narrate a Prom inspired by his television series Life Story.

A 'Sondheim Cabaret' on 17 August will feature Sian Philips, Ketty Whately and Jamie Parker.

Seth MacFarlane will perform a tribute to Frank Sinatra
Seth MacFarlane will perform a tribute to Frank Sinatra

There will also be proms celebrating the 20th anniversary of Radio 1 in Ibiza with DJ Pete Tong, and Jarvis Cocker leading a Radio 4 Prom based on his Wireless Nights series.

The piano will be the central focus of the 2015 Proms, with over 25 solo pianists featuring across the season, with works by Beethoven, Prokofiev and Mozart in the spotlight.

And the John Wilson Orchestra will feature in two Proms, one marking the 100th birthday year of Frank Sinatra with vocals by Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane (on 7 August), the other celebrating Leonard Bernstein's music for stage and screen.

Proms director Edward Blakeman said: "The BBC Proms is about the best of music and the breadth of music. It’s very exciting to launch this season knowing that we are continuing the original vision of Sir Henry Wood and offering so much that is fresh and new 120 years on."

The 2015 Proms season runs from 17 July to 12 September 2015. Tickets are now on sale.