The 2016 Olivier Awards, being presented April 3 at London's Royal Opera House and to be viewable in full to international audiences on the new Olivier Awards YouTube channel on the night, will feature performance excerpts from all four musicals nominated for Best New Musical (Bend It Like Beckham, In The Heights, Kinky Boots and Mrs Henderson Presents) as well as all four musicals nominated for Best Musical Revival (Gypsy, Bugsy Malone, Guys And Dolls and Seven Brides For Seven Brothers). In addition, Cyndi Lauper will perform both on her own and in the Kinky Boots section.
In a celebration of the 40th anniversary of the Olivier Awards, Joe Stilgoe and Michael Feinstein will be joined by Michael Ball, Sharon D Clarke, Daniel Evans and Leigh Zimmerman to also perform an exclusive tribute.
Jack Savoretti will perform Sonnet 18 at the ceremony to mark the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death. His performance will be introduced by Rory Kinnear, the last person to win an Olivier Award for a Shakespeare role.
Imelda Staunton will open the show with a performance from her multi-Olivier Award-nominated revival of Gypsy.
Among the line-up of guest presenters to present awards are Uzo Aduba, Zawe Ashton, Shirley Bassey, Matthew Bourne, Rob Brydon, Stephen Campbell Moore, Laura Carmichael, Jim Carter, Adam Cooper, Paul Copley, Noma Dumezweni, Alfred Enoch, Luke Evans, David Gandy, Kit Harington, Emma Hatton, Lenny Henry, Eddie Izzard, Rory Kinnear, Beverley Knight, Lesley Manville, Julia McKenzie, James Norton, Vanessa Redgrave, Amber Riley, Juliet Stevenson, Savannah Stevenson, Kiri Te Kanawa, Luke Treadaway, Zoë Wanamaker and Barbara Windsor.
The red carpet event, which begins from 4:45 PM ahead of the 6:30 PM ceremony, will see such nominees as Gemma Arterton, Kenneth Branagh, Kenneth Cranham, Benedict Cumberbatch, Judi Dench, Mark Gatiss, Denise Gough, Preeya Kalidas, Nicole Kidman, Adrian Lester, Lara Pulver, Mark Rylance, Imelda Staunton, Tom Sturridge and David Suchet expected to attend.
The BBC Concert Orchestra will be playing at the ceremony, with orchestrations and original music by Music Director Larry Blank, and further orchestrations by Mark Cumberland.
In a free public event, Carrie Hope Fletcher and Michael Xavier will host the ITV Stage in Covent Garden Piazza. This will also be available to UK and international audiences to watch live on the Olivier Awards’ YouTube channel from 17:00-18:30 BST, featuring performances from the shortlisted shows for the Magic Radio Audience Award – Jersey Boys, Les Misérables, Matilda The Musical and The Phantom Of The Opera – as well as performances from Kerry Ellis,the current touring production of American Idiot, Breakin’ Convention Hip Hop Dance Festival: Myself UK, and Pro-Motion and West End Blend Choir.
The ceremony will be broadcast live on Mellow Magic, Magic Radio's new digital station, and a highlights package will be broadcast of the event on ITV at 22.15 following the ceremony. The full ceremony will also be shown on ITV3 April 4 at 11 PM.
New Yorkers who wish to watch the Oliviers may head to The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center where the ceremony will be simulcast live beginning at 1:15 PM. A midday reception will begin at noon.
International audiences will be able to watch the full broadcast on youtube.com/olivierawards from 10 PM GMT.
