Madalena Alberto (LES MISÉRABLES 25th Anniversary Tour, JEKYLL AND HYDE at the Union Theatre) and Michael Xavier (LOVE STORY, SOHO CINDERS) are two of the new artists announced for the  Mercury Musical Developments 20th Anniversary Gala that will take place on Sunday 14 October 2012 at West End’s Novello Theatre.

They will join the previously announced Janie Dee, Sally Anne Triplett, David Bedella, Haydn Gwynne, Paul Kaye and Jenna Russell, alongside Claire Moore, Hayley Gallivan, Maria Friedman, Danielle Hope, Alison Jiear, Tam Mutu, Stuart Matthew Price, Lucy May Barker and James Bourne.
 
In addition, Michael Ball will present the Sidney Brown Memorial Award for new musical theatre writing.  An excerpt from the winning show will be performed at the gala.
 
An exclusive auction of musical theatre memorabilia will also take place around the time of the event, with prizes currently including an item from the film LES MISÉRABLES, signed by Hugh Jackman and Russell Crowe, hand written lyrics to James Bond’s ‘Diamonds are Forever’ by Don Black and a tailor made song from Stiles & Drewe.
 
Musical theatre luminaries including Willy Russell, Charles Hart and Stiles & Drewe, together with a number of emerging writers, will be introducing new songs at the event, all performed by the artists above.
 
Mercury Musical Developments 20th Anniversary gala, directed by Simon Greiff, is a celebration of British shows past, present and future by MMD members including songs from OUR DAY OUT (Willy Russell), MEANTIME (Douglas Hodge), SOAPDISH (Stiles & Drewe), FRENCH WITHOUT TEARS (Charles Hart), THE BUSKERS OPERA (Dougal Irvine), THE GO BETWEEN (Richard Taylor and David Wood), ‘One Man Two Guvnors’ (Grant Olding), MATILDA (Tim Minchin), BILLY (Don Black and John Barry), THE BOYFRIEND (Sandy Wilson), A DAY IN HOLLYWOOD A NIGHT IN THE UKRAINE (Frank Lazarus and Dick Vosburgh), THE CHALLENGE (Howard Goodall) and other shows by MMD Members.
 
MMD is a registered charity, dedicated to the craft of writing book, music and lyrics for musical theatre. The charity joined the Arts Council Portfolio this year in partnership with Musical Theatre Network www.mercurymusicals.com
 
MMD started in 1992 when founding members studied with Stephen Sondheim at Oxford when he was The Cameron Mackintosh Professor of Contemporary Theatre. Early members of the organisation included Howard Goodall, Charles Hart, George Stiles, Anthony Drewe and Kit Hesketh Harvey.
 
MMD now has over 250 members ranging from the experienced to the emerging including; Sandy Wilson, Willy Russell, Don Black, Tim Rice, Diane Samuels, Richard Stilgoe, Sam Adamson, Stephen Fry, Brian May, Gwyneth Herbert, Grant Olding, Dougal Irvine, Conor MItchell, Stephen Fry, Osnat Schmool, Tim Sutton, Douglas Hodge, Stuart Matthew-Price, Adam Cork, Richard Taylor, Tim Minchin, Richard Thomas, Steve Brown, David Mcalmont, David Arnold, Dave Stewart, Helen Edmundson and many others.