Laura Michelle Kelly - AllForLaura.co.uk

The wind has changed, the chain has broken but I'm sure it's only au revoir for Laura Michelle Kelly.
After a spectacular pair of contrasting final shows, Mary Poppins the Musical, now prepares itself for a mostly new cast on Monday. However with most of the original cast moving on, today they set about enjoying their last matinee show with a series of jokes and prop changes that went unnoticed to most of the audience but surprised and entertained the performers and us regulars to this, the greatest of theatre experiences.

The evening show was probably one of the best I've ever seen, the pre-show cheering and whooping, from the cast, backstage, before the first curtain was raised, may have been to raise their spirits, however, going out at their very best, was what it achieved. Gone were the magic hankies, face black and pink cloths from the earlier show and instead we were treated to the most professional, talented and hard working cast, theatre has to offer, doing what they do best, delight and entertain, and delighted and entertained we most certainly were. But as the show progressed, the enchantment of a sublime performance was tempered with the knowledge that this was the last time we would enjoy Laura in the role she created and the end was drawing closer.

A special farewell from the ushers, lining Laura's flight path waving light sticks, as she flew over the audience bought a smile to Laura's face then she was gone, up in the shadows of the roof and the audience cheered and cried and cheered some more.

A deservedly unanimous standing ovation signaled the end and that was that. We stood and clapped and cheered and hollered the best cast, with the best Mary Poppins, as Gavin spun Laura off her feet one last time. At the end tears flowed all around the theatre; the cast, the audience and the front of house staff smiled with puffy eyes and wet cheeks.

We have our programmes, as well as a great soundtrack, but I have no doubt that we all have special memories of the most remarkable year in theatre; from Bristol to the West End it's been a great journey. We'll never forget you Mary Poppins.

While Jane is right this time, our Mary Poppins will not be coming back, Laura Michelle Kelly now has a world of opportunities to investigate. Starting with her Singapore adventure and followed shortly afterwards with her first solo album; Who knows what else is in store, but whatever else she does, with Laura we can be certain of a few things; she'll look great, she'll sound wonderful, it will be a huge success and she will most definitely be actually perfect in every way.

1 April NEW	Are you ready for May 1? The full tracklisting is now available and you've only heard half of it so far. Pre-order from Amazon today. 1. Riverman 2. There Was A Time 3. Sweet Solution 4. You Do Something To Me 5. Butterflies 6. Reach Out 7. Communication 8. Stumbling 9. Losing My Mind 10. Numb 11. The Storm Inside 12. Somewhere Only We Know
29 March NEW	Breaking news! There Was A Time is Record of the Week on both Radio 2 (1st April) and Capital FM
22 March	Go here to register for and download Lauras new video for There was a Time. An outstanding accompaniment to her forthcoming release and it's great to see Laura looking and sounding great. Oddly enough the last time I was awake at 4:15 am in a hotel room it was because I was in jetlagged and in Singapore to see Laura in A Twist of Fate. I however whiled away the hours eating mini-bar chocolate and biscuits, next time I'm going to place all the lamps around me as well.
20 March	"There Was A Time" will be released on April 17th. For those of you who have not been fortunate enough to hear it yet, the track is on www.LauraMichelleKelly.co.uk and it's the perfect first release from The Storm Inside. Laura weaves her own evocative lyrics with familiar passionate, powerful vocals to achieve something only we knew, a spell binding performance. Enjoy.
28 February	Music Week add The Storm Inside to their weekly playlist.
24 February	Another milestone! Laura had her first song from The Storm Inside played on the radio today. Somewhere Only We Know was aired at 12:45 on Magic FM. Undoubtedly the first of many.
23 February	Record of the Day, a weekly music industry publication reports the following; There was an impressive turnout for Angel Music's showcase for its first signing Laura Michelle Kelly this week. She is a strong vocalist and certainly held our attention with an intriguing mix of covers and originals. More than one person commented to us along the lines of "she's good but I wouldn't want to be the one trying to market her." We expect EMI to impress us on that front.
21 February revised with song list corrections	Well tonight was truly amazing. We were at The Cafe de Paris off Leicester Square, Laura did a five song set opening with The Riverman, then There Was A Time, Stumbling, You Do Something To Me and finally Sweet Solution. After the performance they played the full album over the sound system and there was not a weak track on it. Any one of these five show pieces could have and probably will stand on its own and Laura could have based the album around any of them. A debut of such complete quality is much sought after but rarely found. She looked great on stage, lithe and beautiful, with a lively, passionate and confident performance; seemingly completely at ease in this new environment, singing her own material, as Laura Michelle Kelly, for the first time live. It seemed fitting that this milestone should have been achieved in the West End, the very place Laura spent seven years delighting audience after audience and growing into the sublime actress, singer, songwriter who shared her soul with us on a dark, wet and bitter cold February evening and left me glowing from the inside out.
21 February 2006 Revision	It was announced tonight that Laura's debut album,The Storm Inside will now be released on May 1st with the single There Was A Time available the week before. Laura was busy filming the video for it over the last weekend. Exciting times!
21 February 2006	April 3rd draws closer! At a secret location, in the centre of Londons Theatreland, Laura Kelly will give a lucky few an exclusive experience of "The Storm Inside". For the first time outside the recording studio, Laura will perform a selection of numbers from this highly anticipated album, which is already creating a stir in the press. I can honestly say I am beside myself with excitement, however, in the name of professionalism and trying to look like a grown up, you can be sure that I will try my hardest to maintain a cool exterior.
20 February 2006	Visit the guest book and comment away, which while it is still work in progress does work. If you log an e-mail address I'll eventually get around to issuing a news letter.
15 February 2006	Time to visit www.lauramichellekelly.co.uk and register for updates and to be notified when the official web site is launched. While you are filling in your details you can hear an excerpt from Laura's forthcoming single "There Was A Time". The site has a nice purple look at the moment.
12 February 2006	EMI's artist profile is now available with a fairly detailed first view of The Storm Inside. Laura summarises the experience and captures the reason for her many adherents excitement about this album, "For a long time I've sang from the heart of another. This album is me singing from my own." Read the full article here.
12 February 2006	Laura features on the front page on The Sunday Times Culture supplement and is the feature article inside. Dan Cairns' interview can be read here.
8 February 2006	Laura is back in Los Angeles and takes time out to attend EMI's post Grammy party. It is believed that her debut album will be released in April however there should be an official announcement on the 21st of February, as well as more information on this, the most eagerly awaited album of the year! Check back here for more information later this month.
20 January 2006	From the Daily Mail - Laura Michelle Kelly, who created the role of Mary Poppins in the West End stage musical, has been out in Los Angeles recording part of her debut album, along with producer and composer Marius De Vries. Laura wrote some of the numbers on the album herself, including The Storm Inside - which she co-wrote with Mr De Vries. While out on the West Coast, Laura had meetings with Aaron Sorkin, the creator of the West Wing, to discuss the possibility of her appearing in a new TV drama.
30 December 2005	From the Daily Mail - reported by Henry Meller. Steven Spielberg is considering a remake of Mary Poppins and is joining forces with Sir Richard Eyre, director of the West End's own production. Sir Richard said " I'm taking the stage show to Broadway next year, and I want to take the English cast with me." It is also rumored that Laura Michelle Kelly is Sir Richards first choice for the most English of nannies.
An old but worthwhile read	From The Independent My Secret Life: Laura Michelle Kelly, actress I drive/ride ... the Tube every day, until I buy an environmentally friendly car. I'm looking for one at the moment. If I have time to myself ... I go to the Jazz Caf at Foyles in London " I love bookshop cafs. I sometimes go to Borders and snooze on a sofa with a latt, especially if I have to read a play. I love the company of strangers. You wouldn't know it but I'm very good at ... cooking, mainly cakes. I've had to buy them lately though; I haven't time to cook. It's not fashionable but I like ... eating a lot! You may not know it but I'm very bad at ... responding to e- mails. I never get time, but it must seem so rude. A book that changed me ... Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren. I read a chapter a day. It helps you see what you're in the world for. Movie heaven ... The Bourne Identity and Closer " I love serious action but with solid drama and story. I am a huge fan of [Sin City director] Robert Rodriguez; I'd love to work with him. Franka Potente, Cate Blanchett and Audrey Hepburn are my favourite actresses. All my money goes on ... taxis, clothes from All Saints and Reiss " and sushi on a two-show day: anything else makes it difficult to wear the corset for Mary Poppins. At night I dream of ... having a big house with a pool somewhere sunny, and a chocolate labrador running around. Other nights it's going to Africa or Malaysia, seeing the world. My favourite building ... the Chrysler Building. Just seeing a picture of it reminds me of my happy times in New York when I was in Fiddler on the Roof. I wish I'd never worn ... hot pants with white tights. Not a good look, even at 11. My favourite work of art ... anything by Fabien Perez, who paints performers and dancers and beautiful women.
2 January 2006 Revised 12th Jan	Somewhere Only We Know Laura Michelle Kelly's first single from her, soon to be released, debut album was available for download early however it has since disappeared. It's a magnificent cover of Keanes 2004 hit, now with cascading strings accompanying Laura's melodiously lilting, melancholic, yet uplifting tones adding much to an already classic song. Truly an unbelievable start to the new year and, with this treat, the post holiday blues seem a whole lot more rosy.
14 December 2005	A surprise today in the New Statesman In Michael Portillos review of a year in theatre he declares "Laura Michelle Kelly as the eponymous nanny was excellent and the children in the audience were transfixed by the spectacle." High praise indeed from the man who gave us one of the best nights on TV, back in 1997.
30 November 2005	WOS Theatregoers' Choice Nominees Announced The nominees have been announced and voting begins tomorrow. Laura Michelle Kelly has been nominated for Best Actress in a Musical for Mary Poppins so now it's all up to us allto vote for our favourite actress.
24 November 2005	A Twist of Fate review There is now a review of Laura's new show on the A Twist of Fate page accessible through the Stage page or here.
9, November, 2005	Spot the difference Click Here Laura joins the rest of the A Twist of Fate cast for the rehearsals and poses for an excellent publicity shot. The tickets for the show seem to be flying out with a single company, Raffles International, buying out all the tickets for one evenings performance, much to the AllForLaura.co.uk editors disgust as he had tickets for that night. Although he still managed to see it. Thank you Laura & Nick, Gaurav and especially Deborah Foo-Ong.
29 October, 2005	The wind has changed, the chain has broken but I'm sure it's only au revoir for Laura Michelle Kelly. After a spectacular pair of contrasting final shows, Mary Poppins the Musical, now prepares itself for a mostly new cast on Monday. However with most of the original cast moving on, today they set about enjoying their last matinee show with a series of jokes and prop changes that went unnoticed to most of the audience but surprised and entertained the performers and us regulars to this, the greatest of theatre experiences. The evening show was probably one of the best I've ever seen, the pre-show cheering and whooping, from the cast, backstage, before the first curtain was raised, may have been to raise their spirits, however, going out at their very best, was what it achieved. Gone were the magic hankies, face black and pink cloths from the earlier show and instead we were treated to the most professional, talented and hard working cast, theatre has to offer, doing what they do best, delight and entertain, and delighted and entertained we most certainly were. But as the show progressed, the enchantment of a sublime performance was tempered with the knowledge that this was the last time we would enjoy Laura in the role she created and the end was drawing closer. A special farewell from the ushers, lining Laura's flight path waving light sticks, as she flew over the audience bought a smile to Laura's face then she was gone, up in the shadows of the roof and the audience cheered and cried and cheered some more. A deservedly unanimous standing ovation signaled the end and that was that. We stood and clapped and cheered and hollered the best cast, with the best Mary Poppins, as Gavin spun Laura off her feet one last time. At the end tears flowed all around the theatre; the cast, the audience and the front of house staff smiled with puffy eyes and wet cheeks. We have our programmes, as well as a great soundtrack, but I have no doubt that we all have special memories of the most remarkable year in theatre; from Bristol to the West End it's been a great journey. We'll never forget you Mary Poppins. While Jane is right this time, our Mary Poppins will not be coming back, Laura Michelle Kelly now has a world of opportunities to investigate. Starting with her Singapore adventure and followed shortly afterwards with her first solo album; Who knows what else is in store, but whatever else she does, with Laura we can be certain of a few things; she'll look great, she'll sound wonderful, it will be a huge success and she will most definitely be actually perfect in every way.
Vote now	ThisIsLondon.co.uk have an opportunity for you to vote in the Peoples Choice Awards for the Best Shopping Experience, Best Local Restaurant and most importantly Family Friendly Experience. So it's time to recognise all the hard work Laura and the rest of the original cast have done over the last year entertaining us all and vote for Mary Poppins.
Not long left now...	On the evening of the 29th of October Laura will, for the final time, sing a song she has sung a few hundred times before, except this night, the words with be tinged with unusual poignancy. "With every job when it's complete There is a sense of bitter-sweet That moment when you know the task is done Though in your heart you'd like to stay To help things on their way You've always known they must do it alone" Then placing a note and a locket with its broken chain, on the floor she will say to herself, "There, practically perfect and I hope it remains so." For one last time she will open her umbrella and fly off, over the audience and into the dark shadows of the ceiling of the Prince Edward Theatre, watched by the Banks family and two thousand theatregoers, who will have witnessed the passing from the stage of the definitive and greatest Mary Poppins. "We won't forget you Mary Poppins, we'll never forget." On the evening of the 29th of October, what has been one of the most magical theatre experiences, for Laura's many fans, will draw to a close and I defy anyone to keep a dry eye.
October 4, 2005	EMI Music Publishing U.K. has signed a worldwide exclusive song-writing agreement with Laura Michelle Kelly, currently playing the title role in the musical "Mary Poppins" in London's West End. At EMI Music Publishing U.K., A&R responsibility for Kelly will be taken jointly by managing director Guy Moot and director of operations and A&R admin Fran Malyan. Laura will release her debut album on the Angel label in 2006. The Stage also covers this story
September 3, 2005	It's that time of the year again when you can vote for your Favourite Theatre Actress and guess who is nominated? Go and have a look at lastminute.com. You can also vote for the Favourite Musical as well as your Favourite Theatre Moment. Plus there is a chance of winning a trip to Toronto to see The Lord of the Rings. I'm guessing it's the musical they mean, you can stay at home and pop in a DVD to watch the films. Closing date - 30th of September. The Big Star Awards has now closed and we will have to wait to see who wins.
May 11, 2005	Laura supports the launch of CancerBACKUP website for teens with cancer.
March 31, 2005	Ready Steady Cook - Red Tomato Gavin controversially defeats Green Pepper Laura using cheeky, cockney chappie charm, however Laura's Salmon, Sweet Potato and Mexican Papaya Salad is undoubtedly the best.