A Hitchin resident is organising a star-studded Christmas concert featuring leading West End stars in aid of a cancer charity.
Michael Xavier is the mastermind behind the eighth Christmas with the Stars concert in Covent Garden.
A line-up of 13 top musical theatre performers from some of the most popular West End shows are confirmed for the festive fundraiser, including Stevenage's former Hamilton star Giles Terera.
Also down to appear are Heathers star Emma Kingston and Dear Evan Hansen’s Sam Tutty.
The concert is scheduled to take place on Sunday, December 19 at the St Paul's Church – The Actors’ Church – in Covent Garden.
The stars will perform in aid of Children with Cancer UK at this special Christmas concert, accompanied by the students of Michael Xavier's MX Masterclass (MXM).
Also down to appear at the concert and singing a mix of classic Christmas numbers and showstopper tunes will be Lucy Anderson (Dear Evan Hansen), Doug Colling (Dear Evan Hansen), Jack Loxton (War Horse), Rebecca McKinnis (Everybody’s Talking About Jamie), Natalie Paris (SIX), Jordan Shaw (Les Misérables), Lauren Ward (Matilda), Emma Williams (Love Story), Alex Young (Show Boat), and Rupert Young (Bridgerton).
With musical direction by Alex Parker, they will be supported by the MXM choir – a group of talented students at the London performing arts school, run by Michael Xavier, and which is particularly popular with young people from around Hertfordshire.
Announcing this year's stellar line-up, Michael said: "The MXM Christmas concert always attracts incredible artists, and again this year we are blessed to have some of the biggest stars of the West End coming to perform.
“I am so grateful to these fantastic performers who are giving their time and their talent to this concert.
"They are already extremely busy, starring in hit West End shows like Dear Evan Hansen, Les Misérables and Heathers.
"So, it's incredibly generous of them to sing in our concert and help raise money for this amazing cause."
Two-time Olivier Award nominated actor and singer Michael is the director of MXM, which holds its weekly sessions at the world-famous Rambert studios behind the National Theatre.
MXM, which holds regular auditions for places, trains aspiring musical theatre performers from ages 10 to 25 years.
As an actor, Michael D. Xavier has starred in many West End musicals and plays, including Love Story, for which he received an Olivier Award nomination for Best Actor In A Musical, and Into The Woods.
He also starred in Prince of Broadway on Broadway, directed by the late Hal Prince.
TV credits include playing Dr Steph Belcombe in Sally Wainwright's Gentleman Jack, and secret agent Christopher Miles in the NBC US television series The Blacklist starring James Spader.
Michael has also just finished filming series seven of Grantchester as DCI Elliott Wallace.
For more about Christmas with the Stars, go to: https://actorschurch.org
To book tickets, go to https://actorschurch.ticketsolve.com/shows/873621742
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