King of the dance
DAVID KING IS THRILLED THAT TWO OF HIS MUSICAL SHOWS will be exploding on to the stage at the Theatre Royal in Norwich during the same month.
Next week, Man in the Mirror, which celebrates the music of the King of Pop arrives - then at the very end of August favourite Abba extravaganza Dancing Queen is being staged.
"My first show, Spirit of the Dance played in Norwich - in fact Norwich was one of our very first venues," he said.
"We like coming to Norwich. We feel very welcome there and we like the theatre. A lot of our shows go to Norwich so we were thrilled that Man in the Mirror would be going there so early on."
If anyone has experience of theatres across the country, David has. For nearly 15 years he has been the man behind some of the biggest song and dance sensations in the UK.
His glittering career as a producer began back in 1996 with Spirit of the Dance - and since then he has seen success after success.
"Spirit of the Dance opened in November 1996 - prior to that I was a struggling musician," he remembered.
"I had always wanted to do something like this but had never quite found the right vehicle. But Spirit of the Dance was an instant success.
"I went from being unemployed to producing massive shows."
Riverdance had just come out in London, breaking all the barriers of a dance spectacular. It introduced the phenomenon of Irish dance and the public could not get enough.
"Everyone wanted to see more, so the idea to create Spirit of the Dance was born," said David.
"There was no point in producing a show similar to Riverdance, it would not have lasted three months. I needed to create my own niche in the market whereby I composed my own music and gave Spirit of the Dance its own identity.
"I made the decision very early on, that Spirit of the Dance would break new ground. The show would be based around the world of dance incorporating exciting international dance."
Today Spirit of the Dance is one of the biggest dance shows in the world. It delivers powerful, show stopping rhythms of Irish dance combined with the passionate Latino rhythms of tango, flamenco and red-hot salsa to produce a thrilling, heart-pounding production.
It has smashed box office records in over 20 countries, has won more awards than any other dance production and has been seen by more than 30 million people around the world.
Since Spirit, David has also seen success with shows such as Rock Around the Clock, Strictly Tap Dance Fever, Solid Gold Motown, Twist and Shout and The Tenors.
Dancing Queen, which opens at the Theatre Royal on Tuesday, August 31, has also been a hit.
This celebrates the hits of 1970s pop phenomenon Abba and features a dynamic cast of singers and dancers, beautiful costumes and dazzling choreography.
"It is a little bit tongue-in-cheek - more of a fun, happy party," explained David.
"People come to see it and they dance and have a good time.
"We have four fabulous singers and 12 dancers, and as well as the Abba hits, there are other well-known 70s songs."
And he added: "It is the most successful Abba show of its type in the country."
David is also hoping Man in the Mirror will be an overwhelming success too. In fact, he's hoping to recreate something of the sensation that Spirit of the Dance caused.
"When Michael Jackson passed away, a lot of people wanted us to make a show like this but I did not feel it was right. I wanted to wait a respectable amount of time first, " he said. "When we felt enough time had passed, we decided to go ahead."
Man in the Mirror is not a tribute show as such, stressed David; it is rather a celebration of Jackson's music, featuring excerpts of video footage as well as the live action.
"People often ask who is playing Michael. But this is not a show like that. I think that would be cheap and tacky. This is all about the music," said David.
On top of his busy schedule in the world of musical theatre, David is also currently being followed by cameras for a reality style programme being made by Discovery.
"It is kind of 'day in the life of a big show producer'," he explained. "Where lots of show have the X Factor style, with judges etc, this is about what happens on the business side - putting a show together, choosing the people who are taking part etc.
"I did find it a bit stressful having the cameras there to start with - but now I'm used to it."
The television show is expected to go out in September, and among other things will chart some of the success of Man in the Mirror.
"I do enjoy my job," said David. "I just need a show to top Spirit of the Dance now."
And he added: "The Michael Jackson show looks like it could be the one. In fact, it has all the promise to go all the distance."
From the Eastern Daily Press, July 2010