Once the festivities are over, January can seem like a dull, dark month. But there’s plenty to look forward to in 2016 if you’re a fan of musical shows.

Newly-published programmes for our region’s theatres and concert halls have a lot to offer this spring and early summer.

We’ve picked out a delicious dozen of the highlight productions and concerts on offer.

1 Sister Act at the Alhambra Theatre, Bradford, Monday to Saturday, February 20 to 25.

Directed and choreographed by Strictly’s Craig Revel Horwood, the show with the feelgood factor has Alexandra Burke, former X Factor winner, as leading character Deloris Van Cartier. After becoming a witness to a murder, Deloris must hide. But where? In a convent, obviously. Musical mayhem follows. Tickets are from £21 to £48 from bradford-theatres.co.uk or 01274 432000.

2 Rick Astley at the Victoria Theatre, Halifax, Friday, March 17.

With his first number one album in 29 years behind him, pop icon Rick’s star is once more in the ascendancy. He promises a programme of old and new songs, including numbers from the aforementioned album 50. Tickets are £23.50 and selling out fast because we’re ‘never gonna give him up’. Visit victoriatheatre.co.uk or call 01422 351158 for details.

3 Big Girls Don’t Cry, Huddersfield Town Hall, Saturday, March 18.

Celebrating the genius of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, this musical tribute show featuring the Eastcoast Boys relives the New Jersey harmonies in songs such as Sherry, Walk Like a Man and Big Girls Don’t Cry. Tickets are £22.50 from kirkleestownhalls.co.uk or 01484 223200.

Huddersfield Town Hall.

4 Legally Blonde The Musical, Woodhouse Musical Theatre Company, Lawrence Batley Theatre, Huddersfield, Tuesday to Saturday, March 21 to 25.

The romantic musical based on the movie takes audiences from the sorority house to the halls of justice with helpings of snobbery, scandal and social stereotypes along the way. From the Huddersfield-based amateur company. Tickets are £12 to £16 from thelbt.org.uk or 01484 430528.

5 Sold Gold 70s Show, Huddersfield Town Hall, Friday, March 24.

Reviving glamrock, power ballads and party anthems from the decade, this show takes in all the great names of the Seventies – from T Rex and Queen to Suzi Quatro and the Bay City Rollers. Audience members are invited to dress in era-appropriate platforms, flares, tank tops and boob tubes. Ticket details from kirkleestownhalls.co.uk or 01484 225755.

6 Thank You For The Music, Theatre Royal, Wakefield, Saturday, March 25.

The world’s longest-running ABBA concert show celebrates the 40th anniversary of the supergroup’s biggest selling hit Dancing Queen. The tribute show has now been delighting live music fans for longer than the original band. Ticket details from theatreroyalwakefield.co.uk or 01924 211311.

7 Solid Silver 60s Show, Victoria Theatre, Halifax, Thursday, April 13.

A 31-date tour headlined by The Merseybeats, brings this iconic show to West Yorkshire for two dates only (it returns on May 1 to Leeds Grand for one night). It’s packed with nostalgic hits, performed by a handful of the decade’s original singers, including Dave Berry (The Crying Game) and Vanity Fare (Hitchin’ a Ride). Ticket details as above.

Dave Berry

8 Sweet Charity, Huddersfield Light Opera Company, Lawrence Batley Theatre, Huddersfield, from Monday to Saturday, April 24 to 29.

Another amateur musical production, this time telling the story of Charity Valentine, who sings, dances and laughs through a surprising number of broken romances. The classic Big Spender song comes from this show. Tickets are £18 – details as above.

9 The Who’s Tommy at the Quarry Theatre, West Yorkshire Playhouse, Thursday to Saturday, May 4 to 13.

Based on the great rock opera devised by Who frontman Pete Townshend, the musical has been re-vamped for a new generation but features all the now-classic hits such as I’m Free and Pinball Wizard. Tickets are £13.50 to £30 from wyp.org.uk or 0113 2137700.

10 Gareth Gates Live and Acoustic, Cleckheaton Town Hall, Sunday, June 4.

The Pop Idol runner-up and Yorkshire-born singer is taking a break from stage work in Footloose to perform a special acoustic set. For ticket details visit tickets.kirklees.gov.uk or call 01484 225755.

98399683(sister Act) 105558781 (Gareth Gates) 71340650 (Merseybeats) 29892987 (abba) 97675222 (rick astley)