Ahmanson Theatre News

Lincoln Center Theater (under the direction of Andre Bishop, Artistic Director and Bernard Gersten, Executive Producer) has announced that Amari Cheatom, Brian D. Coats, Chuck Cooper, Maria Couch, Harriett D. Foy, Dion Graham, April Matthis, Jacob Ming-Trent, Seth Numrich, Stephen Plunkett, Michael Siberry and Shelley Thomas will be featured in its upcoming LCT3 world premiere production of ON THE LEVEE, a play with music, conceived and directed by Lear deBessonet, with play by Marcus Gardley, and music and lyrics by Todd Almond.

Tony Award-winning Broadway sensation Sutton Foster will appear for two performances only at the Center Theatre Group/Kirk Douglas Theatre, Thursday and Friday, April 29 and 30, at 8 p.m.

Hitchcock is known as the Master of Suspense. This creative team have taken a suspenseful Hitchcock film (1935) and gone a giant step further to fashion a thoroughly entertaining, high comedy cinematic suspense yarn for the stage.

Opening Night of 'The 39 Steps' was held last night April 28 at the Ahmanson Theatre at the Music Center.

To enhance Orange County theater-going when the national tour of the smash hit musical DREAMGIRLS visits April 21 - May 2, the Center has scheduled two post-performance talkbacks with cast members on April 22 and 29. During the talkbacks, which will follow the performances in Segerstrom Hall, audience members can speak to the cast and ask questions. The talkbacks are free, but tickets to the April 22 and 29 performances of DREAMGIRLS are required.

Tony Award-winning Broadway sensation Sutton Foster will appear for two performances only at the Center Theatre Group/Kirk Douglas Theatre, Thursday and Friday, April 29 and 30, at 8 p.m.

Alfred Hitchcock's 'The 39 Steps,' a hilarious reimagining of the 1935 film mystery, opens at the Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatre on April 28 at 8 p.m., continuing performances through May 16.

Circus Theatricals opens it 2010 Season with The West Coast Premiere of More Lies About Jerzy by Davey Holmes (WGA Award-winner for In Treatment) and directed by David Trainer (That ‘70s Show) and produced by Jeannine Wisnosky Stehlin.

Raul Esparza will be appearing in the Center Theatre Group's production of Leap of Faith, which Esparza participated in a reading for in the past. The world-premiere will take place Sept. 5-Oct. 17. With music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Glenn Slater, Leap of Faith is based on the Steve Martin film of the same title. Tony award-winner Rob Ashford will be directing and choeographing.

Alfred Hitchcock's 'The 39 Steps,' a hilarious reimagining of the 1935 film mystery, arrives at the Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatre on April 27, 2010, for three weeks only, continuing performances through May 16. Opening is set for April 28.

Alfred Hitchcock's 'The 39 Steps,' a hilarious reimagining of the 1935 film mystery, opens at the Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatre on April 28 at 8 p.m., continuing performances through May 16.

The 2010-2011 Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatre season will include the world premiere of a new musical, 'Leap of Faith,' the 2010 Pulitzer Prize-winning musical 'Next to Normal,' the 2009 Tony Award-winning Best Play 'God of Carnage,' the 25th Anniversary celebration of an international musical classic, 'Les Misérables,' and a brand-new Cirque du Soleil production at the Cirque's new home at the Kodak Theatre, it was announced today by CTG's Artistic Director Michael Ritchie.

Leap of Faith, the new musical based off of the 1992 Steve Martin Film, will have its world premiere September 5th through October 17. The production will officially open September 26, and will play Center Theatre Group's Ahmanson Theatre.

Celebration Theatre is thrilled to present the West Coast Premiere of a brand new musical, THE WOMEN OF BREWSTER PLACE - The Musical, with music, book and lyrics by Tim Acito (Zanna, Don't), choreography by Ameenah Kaplan (Altar Boyz, Frosty the Snow Manilow), musical direction by Greg Nabours (A New Brain), directed by Michael Matthews (Haram Iran, Beautiful Thing) and produced for Celebration Theatre by David Tarlow.

Celebration Theatre is thrilled to present the West Coast Premiere of a brand new musical, THE WOMEN OF BREWSTER PLACE - The Musical, with music, book and lyrics by Tim Acito (Zanna, Don't), choreography by Ameenah Kaplan (Altar Boyz, Frosty the Snow Manilow), musical direction by Greg Nabours (A New Brain), directed by Michael Matthews (Haram Iran, Beautiful Thing) and produced for Celebration Theatre by David Tarlow.

Tony Award nominee BRIAN D'ARCY JAMES will return to the Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning musical Next to Normal for a special limited engagement beginning Monday, May 17 at 8:00p.m. Mr. d'Arcy James originated the role of Dan Goodman in the Second Stage Theatre off-Broadway production of the acclaimed musical. J. Robert Spencer, who was nominated for a Tony Award for his performance in the role, will give his final performance on Sunday, May 16 at 7:30p.m.

Big band sound transforms the Lincoln Theatre into a Duke Ellington jazz club as Arena Stage presents Duke Ellington's Sophisticated Ladies, choreographed by and starring Maurice Hines (Broadway's Sophisticated Ladies and Uptown... It's Hot!) with direction by Charles Randolph-Wright (Arena's Guys and Dolls and Blue).

To enhance Orange County theater-going when the national tour of the smash hit musical DREAMGIRLS visits April 21 - May 2, the Center has scheduled two post-performance talkbacks with cast members on April 22 and 29. During the talkbacks, which will follow the performances in Segerstrom Hall, audience members can speak to the cast and ask questions. The talkbacks are free, but tickets to the April 22 and 29 performances of DREAMGIRLS are required.

During what was called 'Andrew Lloyd Webber week' of the seventh season of the hit TV talent competition American Idol, Webber predicted to an audience of millions that Syesha Mercado will 'bring the house down' with a sexy, splashy take on one of his many musical hits. And that, she did. Then 21, she eventually lasted on the show to become the second runner-up. Fast forward two years later, and she is now in the midst of a multi-city national tour of the rebooted DREAMGIRLS stage musical, where she nightly plays Deena Jones, the beautiful and eventual front-woman of the semi-fictional musical group The Dreams. Before she takes the stage of The Orange County Performing Arts Center (April 21-May 2), Mercado spoke with BroadwayWorld's Michael Lawrence Quintos about life on the road, her American Idol roots, and what it takes to become Deena Jones night after night.

Celebration Theatre is thrilled to present the West Coast Premiere of a brand new musical, THE WOMEN OF BREWSTER PLACE - The Musical, with music, book and lyrics by Tim Acito (Zanna, Don't), choreography by Ameenah Kaplan (Altar Boyz, Frosty the Snow Manilow), musical direction by Greg Nabours (A New Brain), directed by Michael Matthews (Haram Iran, Beautiful Thing) and produced for Celebration Theatre by David Tarlow.