Lots to smile about

Sep 17 2008 by Kathryn Carr, Birkenhead News

SONGS by music legend Barry Manilow will take on a life of their own when Can’t Smile Without You arrives at the Liverpool Empire this month.

Nineties icon Chesney Hawkes will star in Bill Kenwright’s musical, which features all the timeless classics from Barry Manilow.

The play tells the story of Tony, played by Hawkes, the lead singer of a young band searching for stardom.

Francesca Jackson, a finalist in BBC talent show I’d Do Anything, and Siobhan Dillon, a runner-up in How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria?, will star alongside Hawkes as his character stumbles upon the chance to appear on a reality TV show.

But before Tony can realise his dream, a tragic sequence of events takes hold, leaving him fighting for his life. His only hope lies in the power of the music he loves and his feelings for a girl he once knew called Mandy…

Can’t Smile Without You is on at the Empire from September 15-20. Tickets are priced between £8.50 and £30.50. To book, call the box office on 0844Š847Š2525 or visit www.LiverpoolEmpire.org.uk.

We have three pairs of tickets to give away to a performance of Can’t Smile Without You on Saturday, September 20.

To be in with a chance of winning, just answer the following question: Complete the title of Barry Manilow’s hit song: Could it be ......

Send entries on a postcard, with contact details, to: Wirral News Group, 76 Hamilton Street, Birkenhead, CH41 5AN. The closing date is Wednesday, September 17.