BBC WORLD SERVICE CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED ‘U.ME: THE MUSICAL’ LAUDED WITH FOUR NEW YORK FESTIVALS RADIO AWARDS

MUSIC AND SOUND PRODUCED BY MAGNUM OPUS BROADCASTING 

MUSIC AND LYRICS BY THEO JAMIESON

  • Steve Levine and Magnum Opus Broadcasting presented with four New York Festivals Radio Awards including a Grand Award for Best Original Music
  • BBC World Service mega-musical set to an explosive multi-genre score, premiered in May 2021
  • Starring: Stephen Fry, Anoushka Lucas, Martin Sarreal, stars of West-End musicals and students from Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts (LIPA)
  • Me: The Musical features: The BBC Philharmonic, Music and Lyrics by Theo Jamieson, The Book by Simon Pitts and Theo Jamieson, Music Production by Steve Levine

Magnum Opus Broadcasting and acclaimed music and radio producer Steve Levine are the recipients four New York Festival Radio Awards presented at the Storytellers Gala virtual ceremony on Tuesday 26 April 2022 for their work on BBC World Service ‘U.Me: The Musical’ about and recorded during the global pandemic. Including the highest honour of a Grand Award in the Craft category for Best Original Music, ‘U.Me: the Musical’ was one of the big winners on the night.

In addition to the Grand Award, the critically acclaimed production was also awarded the Gold award for Best Music Special in the Entertainment category, Gold award for Best Sound in the Craft category and another Gold award for Best Original Music in the Craft category. The unique radio musical was also a finalist for Best Narration in the Craft category and a special documentary ‘In The Studio – The Making Of U.Me: The Musical’ was finalist in the Documentary category for Culture & The Arts.

Premiering on BBC World Service on 12 May 2021, ‘U.Me: The Musical’ was created, recorded and produced during the Covid-19 global pandemic respecting the isolation of the musicians  and performers who were all recorded remotely. 

Steve Levine added: “I think it’s one of the hardest projects I’ve ever been involved in as a music producer. On a normal record you maybe have 20 to 40 tracks for the band, but on something like this, on certain tracks, we’re into 300 to 400 tracks, because all the musicians recorded at home. It was quite a mammoth task. Some had quite good studio set ups, others you could hear dogs barking in the background.”

‘U.Me: The Musical’ is an international love story, based around two young people on opposite sides of the world who meet online during the pandemic and make a true connection, with the glorious accompaniment of the BBC Philharmonic, emotional performances by lead actors Anoushka Lucas and Martin Sarreal, brilliantly witty and heart-warming music and lyrics by Theo Jamieson and a special guest narration by Stephen Fry.

‘U.Me: The Musical’ is now available to listen to and watch via BBC Sounds and bbcworldservice.com/musical.

Bringing together an incredible team, ‘U.Me: The Musical’ is a regional UK production for UK and international audiences on BBC World Service and features words and music by Theo Jamieson (previously music director for ‘Everybody’s Talking About Jamie’ and ‘Here Lies Love’), music production by Liverpool-based Steve Levine (famed for his work with Culture Club, The Clash and The Beach Boys) and casting by Will Burton (Casting Director for the likes of ‘Matilda’ and ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’). The book was written by Simon Pitts and Theo Jamieson and the musical is created by Simon Pitts, BBC World Service.

Magnum Opus Broadcasting is an audio production company established to create high-value programming content and concepts for broadcast radio. Magnum Opus Productions have included the award winning and acclaimed  ‘The Record Producers’ which ran for multiple seasons and told the story of creating a record from a producers point of view. Recent work includes the walking audio tour for the Mary Wilson exhibition at the V&A Museum, and a BBC World Service “In The Studio” documentary with Patrick Woodroffe working on ‘The Last Domino? Tour’ with Genesis. The documentary includes contributions from Genesis founder members Mike Rutherford and Tony Banks and won a New York Festivals Radio Bronze Award.

WHAT THE PRESS SAYS:  

  • DAILY EXPRESS: 4/5 Stars
  • DAILY MIRROR: “Moving” “So good-hearted that we’re swept along in much-needed dreams of new beginnings”
  • LOVE LONDON LOVE CULTURE: “Charming and heartfelt”
  • THE UPCOMING: “A triumph to listen to”
  • LONDON THEATRE REVIEWS: “The positivity in the story is encouraging beyond compare as the beautiful sound of the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra lifts the journey and creates an atmosphere full of hope”
  • BBC RADIO 4, FRONT ROW: “Summarising what is happening to us all at the moment”
  • THE REVIEWS HUB: “The musical gives voice to not only what we have lost, but what we might gain.”

About BBC World Service

BBC World Service delivers news content around the world in English and 41 other language services, on radio, TV and digital.  BBC World Service reaches a weekly audience of 351m. As part of BBC World Service, BBC Learning English teaches English to global audiences. For more information, visit bbc.com/worldservice. BBC News attracts a weekly global audience of 438m people to its international services including BBC World Service, BBC World News television channel and bbc.com/news.