Member Article

Singer celebrates a decade in showbusiness on home ground

NEWCASTLE singing star Anna Reay will be celebrating 10 years in the music business with a one-off performance on home ground.

The classically trained singer/songwriter will be playing at the Playhouse, Whitley Bay on November 22 to mark one decade since first unleashing her musical talents internationally.

The intimate performance showcasing ‘Great Ladies of Song’ will see Reay travelling through the decades with timeless classics from Nina Simone, Dusty Springfield and Crystal Gayle to Sarah Brightman, Whitney Houston and Adele to name a few.

Reay (32) has spent most of her career as a headline act travelling around the world on Caribbean and Mediterranean cruise ships and as a popular Shania Twain tribute performer in Las Vegas, since completing a music degree at Sunderland University.

She said: “Since becoming a professional singer, my career has been a whirlwind of opportunities and exciting experiences. I have been incredibly lucky to have had a career that has taken me all over the world, but my heart will always be in the North East and that is why I have chosen to return to my roots to celebrate ten years in the industry and bring my show back home.

“I always felt very lucky to grow up on the doorstep of some fantastic venues in the region where I was able to see and hear world class musicians playing live on a regular basis, which was a fantastic learning experience for me.

“It would be a shame not to mark this 10-year anniversary in some way, and where better than the intimacy of the Playhouse?”

Since her early debut performances at small venues across the region, Anna Reay has enjoyed extensive tours of the UK, Europe and the USA as well as numerous appearances on international TV and radio and was nominated and shortlisted for the Women in Business Best Cultural and Creative Business and Social Entrepreneur in 2008.

Playhouse marketing executive Sophie Flanagan said: “It’s wonderful to be welcoming Anna Reay to the Playhouse and we are looking forward to an excellent evening showcasing local talent.”

Reay continued: “I’m having a lot of fun revisiting material from the past and rehearsing songs from women who I took my inspiration from. We have some surprise guest performers joining me too for what will I hope be an enjoyable show.”

The 638-capacity PLAYHOUSE is managed by SMG, who also own and manage Newcastle’s Metro Radio Arena and Mill Volvo Tyne Theatre.

Tickets are available at £16 adults and £14 for concessions and can be purchased from the Whitley Bay Playhouse box office on

0844 248 1588 or visit www.whitleybayplayhouse.co.uk

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by CG PR .