Music legend Tommy Steele will take to the stage in a spectacular new musical, The Glenn Miller Story, at The Regent Theatre in Stoke-on-Trent in September.

Tickets are now on sale for the musical which will tell the extraordinary tale of the world’s most famous big band leader accompanied by a live 16-piece authentic Glenn Miller Orchestra, as well as a full supporting company of singers, dancers and actors.

Tommy Steele was Britain’s first rock ‘n’ roll star. Dubbed the UK’s answer to Elvis Presley, he landed his first UK No.1 with Singing the Blues in January 1957, reaching the top spot before Elvis.

The big screen soon beckoned for Tommy, and that same year he filmed The Tommy Steele Story, one of Britain’s great rock ‘n’ roll movies.

A soundtrack was released to coincide with the film’s opening and became the first album to reach Number One.

Tommy’s legendary career includes over 20 hit singles, 12 hit movies and countless award-winning stage musicals such as Half a Sixpence, Hans Andersen and Singin’ in the Rain.

In recent years, Steele has starred as Christmas miser Scrooge in Bill Kenwright’s spectacular production of the festive musical, which enjoyed two successful runs at the world-famous London Palladium.

It was a role that also made Steele the theatre’s all-time record-breaking performer, having headlined more performances than any other star in the history of the Palladium.

For the past 15 years Bill Kenwright and his idol Tommy Steele have talked about how they could work on a show together. It was when discussing a particular favourite of theirs; The Glenn Miller Story, that Bill discovered that his all-encompassing love for Elvis was equal only to Tommy’s adoration for Glenn Miller and his Orchestra.

Bill learned that Tommy is a true devotee; travelling all over the world to hear what remains of the original orchestral sounds, and is steeped in the knowledge and the glory of what Glenn Miller did for popular music.

Tommy enthused that Glenn changed the face of it from 1939-1943 when he was the most popular recording artist in the world.

The thought of Tommy Steele and The Glenn Miller Story was a wonderful opportunity to create something special in the mind of a producer like Bill.

However, as Tommy told him, there was an obvious problem, although he’s still one of this country’s greatest song and dance men, Tommy is too old to play Glenn.

It was three years later – celebrating Tommy’s award as the Most Popular Entertainer of All Time at the London Palladium – that they came up with what they believed to be the answer. What was it?

It’s been 70 years since Glenn Miller vanished over the English Channel as he flew to Paris to entertain the troops during the Second World War. Did he crash? Was he shot down? Will the mystery ever be solved?

See for yourself when The Glenn Miller Story comes to The Regent Theatre. But here’s a clue – Tommy Steele will not be the narrator.

The Glenn Miller Story - which is at the Regent from September 28-October 3 - is directed by Bob Tomson and Bill Kenwright and choreographed by Olivier Award winner Bill Deamer. The show promises to transport audiences young and old back to the days of the big band.

Tickets are now on sale and are available from The Regent Theatre Box Office, by calling 0844 871 7649 or visiting www.atgtickets.com/stoke.