Jason Manford’s Dazzling Turn: Musical Fireworks and Panto Surprises Unleashed

Mia Reynolds, 12/28/2025Join Jason Manford for the electrifying "Biggest Night of Musicals" on the BBC, where eleven stunning productions come alive, from classics like Miss Saigon to fresh shows like I'm Every Woman. Experience the magic of live theatre that captivates hearts, reminding us why musicals matter.

Not every spectacle gets a host like Jason Manford, either. The man’s made for this. Warmth with just a slice of wry humor (never so much as to upstage his guests) and enough musical acumen to handle anything that gets thrown at him—in recent memory, even a Peter Pan getup at The Royal Variety Show. This time around, he’s stepping straight into the heart of the action: a host, a performer, and, it seems, a bit of a Pied Piper leading the crowd into musical wonderland. (There’s something delightful in seeing someone embrace both the absurdity and the sincerity of musical theatre—all while hitting the right notes.)

Funny thing about these big TV musical nights—they sneak up on you. You tune in for a bit of Friday night escapism and, somewhere halfway through a sweeping ballad, realize there’s real emotional heft behind the sequins. “Big Night of Musicals” isn’t lazily mining nostalgia; it’s a celebration that rings true, reminding viewers why these shows endure year after year. The arena might be enormous, but the experience feels surprisingly intimate—sort of like the world pressing pause to share a single gasp of wonder. Even now, with streaming platforms swallowing entire evenings at a go, the communal buzz of a live event feels irreplaceable.

This year’s lineup does feel almost too good to be true. Picture this: eleven different musicals, each serving up something vivid—Cameron Mackintosh’s thunderous, aching revival of Miss Saigon commanding the stage next to the razor-edged wit of The Producers at the Garrick. Wicked’s emerald grandeur—you can almost hear the opening bars—and then there’s the fresh dazzle of I’m Every Woman: The Chaka Khan Musical, with Alexandra Burke radiating the type of energy you’d expect from a show with “every woman” in the title. And, tucked just offstage, a new production of Jesus Christ Superstar promises a take both soulful and searing. It might sound grandiose, but each performance feels like its own little world, opening up beneath the spotlights.

Underpinning the whole affair is support that’s every bit as impressive as what’s center stage—the National Lottery, now well into its third decade funding theater at almost every level imaginable. Toss around a figure like £1.4 billion and it can get abstract fast, but look past the numbers and there’s the reality: local theatres saved from closing, new talents finding their first moments in the footlights, whole communities rallying around the next big show. Over 29,000 projects fueled by this backbone of support; to call it a legacy isn’t even a stretch. Maybe it’s less about the big, glossy headlines and more about the kid—in Bolton or in Brighton—who just discovered the thrill of stage makeup and curtain calls.

What makes “Biggest Night of Musicals” stand out is the sense of possibility. There’s always been a kind of alchemy each time the orchestra swells and the footlights dim. For the audience at home, it’s a rare ticket to that transformation, a brief suspension of the routine in exchange for something dazzling and, perhaps, necessary. With all the uncertainty swirling through 2025—social, political, or just the everyday kind—a collective exhale feels overdue. Musicals, with their blend of grit and hope, have a way of delivering exactly that.

With the clock striking 6:15 on a Saturday, the world seems to slow for a moment. The last work email has sputtered out, the kettle’s just clicked off, and suddenly the living room is aglow with the brio of West End’s best. There’s a touch of synchronicity: dinner behind, the night unfurling in front, and maybe, if the mood’s right, an impromptu singalong breaking out before Baz Luhrmann’s riotous Elvis biopic tumbles onto the screen. Call it a marathon—call it a love letter to showbiz. Either works.

The road doesn’t end here, either. With January looming on the horizon and Manchester’s AO Arena set to host the next round, it’s clear the appetite for musical magic isn’t waning. Manford’s set to return—a hometown hero this time—while Something Rotten! gears up to add its irreverent flair to the mix. There’s a poetic symmetry in Manchester, city of reinvention, welcoming back the thrill of footlights and the joyous racket of musical theatre.

Inside all this spectacle—beneath the fireworks and the bravado—there’s an undercurrent of meaning. Musicals have always championed the unexpected hero, the misunderstood outsider, the chance to sing when words give out. In 2025, as ever, they remind everyone that ordinary people are capable of extraordinary moments—especially with the right song.

Perhaps that’s the true achievement of “Biggest Night of Musicals”: it offers a temporary shelter, a place to recharge, to laugh, and—occasionally—to let catharsis sneak up, wearing tap shoes. There’s little point in pretending: after a night like that, even the most reserved viewer might find themselves humming a tune in the week ahead. And really, isn’t that what good theatre is for?

There’s a particular electricity in the air when winter hits its stride. Outside, streetlights flicker against icy winds, while indoors, entire households gear up for what promises to be—not just another televised special—but a real occasion. That’s what this year’s “Biggest Night of Musicals” on the BBC is shaping up to be: an evening so charged it’s practically glittering before it even begins. Who could resist tuning in when the world outside is all gray dusk and folks across the UK are anchoring themselves to something luminous—a show that banishes the cold and brings warm, collective applause into living rooms?Not every spectacle gets a host like Jason Manford, either. The man’s made for this. Warmth with just a slice of wry humor (never so much as to upstage his guests) and enough musical acumen to handle anything that gets thrown at him—in recent memory, even a Peter Pan getup at The Royal Variety Show. This time around, he’s stepping straight into the heart of the action: a host, a performer, and, it seems, a bit of a Pied Piper leading the crowd into musical wonderland. (There’s something delightful in seeing someone embrace both the absurdity and the sincerity of musical theatre—all while hitting the right notes.)Funny thing about these big TV musical nights—they sneak up on you. You tune in for a bit of Friday night escapism and, somewhere halfway through a sweeping ballad, realize there’s real emotional heft behind the sequins. “Big Night of Musicals” isn’t lazily mining nostalgia; it’s a celebration that rings true, reminding viewers why these shows endure year after year. The arena might be enormous, but the experience feels surprisingly intimate—sort of like the world pressing pause to share a single gasp of wonder. Even now, with streaming platforms swallowing entire evenings at a go, the communal buzz of a live event feels irreplaceable.This year’s lineup does feel almost too good to be true. Picture this: eleven different musicals, each serving up something vivid—Cameron Mackintosh’s thunderous, aching revival of Miss Saigon commanding the stage next to the razor-edged wit of The Producers at the Garrick. Wicked’s emerald grandeur—you can almost hear the opening bars—and then there’s the fresh dazzle of I’m Every Woman: The Chaka Khan Musical, with Alexandra Burke radiating the type of energy you’d expect from a show with “every woman” in the title. And, tucked just offstage, a new production of Jesus Christ Superstar promises a take both soulful and searing. It might sound grandiose, but each performance feels like its own little world, opening up beneath the spotlights.Underpinning the whole affair is support that’s every bit as impressive as what’s center stage—the National Lottery, now well into its third decade funding theater at almost every level imaginable. Toss around a figure like £1.4 billion and it can get abstract fast, but look past the numbers and there’s the reality: local theatres saved from closing, new talents finding their first moments in the footlights, whole communities rallying around the next big show. Over 29,000 projects fueled by this backbone of support; to call it a legacy isn’t even a stretch. Maybe it’s less about the big, glossy headlines and more about the kid—in Bolton or in Brighton—who just discovered the thrill of stage makeup and curtain calls.What makes “Biggest Night of Musicals” stand out is the sense of possibility. There’s always been a kind of alchemy each time the orchestra swells and the footlights dim. For the audience at home, it’s a rare ticket to that transformation, a brief suspension of the routine in exchange for something dazzling and, perhaps, necessary. With all the uncertainty swirling through 2025—social, political, or just the everyday kind—a collective exhale feels overdue. Musicals, with their blend of grit and hope, have a way of delivering exactly that.With the clock striking 6:15 on a Saturday, the world seems to slow for a moment. The last work email has sputtered out, the kettle’s just clicked off, and suddenly the living room is aglow with the brio of West End’s best. There’s a touch of synchronicity: dinner behind, the night unfurling in front, and maybe, if the mood’s right, an impromptu singalong breaking out before Baz Luhrmann’s riotous Elvis biopic tumbles onto the screen. Call it a marathon—call it a love letter to showbiz. Either works.The road doesn’t end here, either. With January looming on the horizon and Manchester’s AO Arena set to host the next round, it’s clear the appetite for musical magic isn’t waning. Manford’s set to return—a hometown hero this time—while Something Rotten! gears up to add its irreverent flair to the mix. There’s a poetic symmetry in Manchester, city of reinvention, welcoming back the thrill of footlights and the joyous racket of musical theatre.Inside all this spectacle—beneath the fireworks and the bravado—there’s an undercurrent of meaning. Musicals have always championed the unexpected hero, the misunderstood outsider, the chance to sing when words give out. In 2025, as ever, they remind everyone that ordinary people are capable of extraordinary moments—especially with the right song.Perhaps that’s the true achievement of “Biggest Night of Musicals”: it offers a temporary shelter, a place to recharge, to laugh, and—occasionally—to let catharsis sneak up, wearing tap shoes. There’s little point in pretending: after a night like that, even the most reserved viewer might find themselves humming a tune in the week ahead. And really, isn’t that what good theatre is for?