Anthony Ward News

The much anticipated opening of Sousatzka, the musical billed as the comeback of Garth Drabinsky, took place last night at the Elgin Theatre in Toronto. Sousatzka tells the story of holocaust survivor Madame Sousatzka (Victoria Clark), her prodigy piano pupil Themba (Jordan Barrow) - and how the two change each other's lives for the better.

The world premiere engagement of SOUSATZKA, with book by Craig Lucas, music by David Shire, and lyrics by Richard Maltby, Jr., based on the original novel 'Madame Sousatzka' by Bernice Rubens, begins previews in Toronto tonight, February 25, with opening night set for March 23, 2017.

A friendly reminder that there are just two weeks until the world premiere engagement of SOUSATZKA, with book by Craig Lucas, music by David Shire, and lyrics by Richard Maltby, Jr., based on the original novel 'Madame Sousatzka' by Bernice Rubens, begins in Toronto! Previews start February 25, and opening night is March 23, 2017.

RSC Artistic Director, Gregory Doran, announces today the winter 2017 season in Stratford-upon-Avon and reveals plans for RSC Next Generation, a new long-term talent development programme to give up to 100 young people each year from disadvantaged backgrounds the chance to develop a career in the theatre.

Based on the original novel Madame Sousatzka written by Bernice Rubens, SOUSATZKA is set in London, England in 1982 and tells the story of a musical prodigy torn between two powerful women from vastly different worlds: his mother, a political refugee from South Africa and his piano teacher, a brilliant eccentric with a shattered past. These two proud, iconoclastic women must ultimately cross cultural and racial divides to find common ground, or else jeopardize the young musician's destiny.

Imelda Staunton has revealed plans for the London production of GYPSY to hit Broadway in 2018, according to The Stage. The show, already tipped for a New York transfer, began at Chichester Festival Theatre in 2014, and subsequently had an acclaimed West End run at the Savoy Theatre. It picked up four Olivier Awards, including Best Musical Revival and Best Actress in a Musical for Staunton.

The world premiere of the Garth Drabinsky production of Sousatzka, the new musical by three-time Tony Award-nominated book writer Craig Lucas and the legendary composing team of Tony Award winner Richard Maltby, Jr. (Lyrics) and Academy Award winner David Shire (Music), is headed to Broadway in 2017. The show will star Tony Award winner Victoria Clark in the title role of Madame Sousatzka, a celebrated, eccentric, Polish-born piano teacher who was forced into exile. Today, Clark shared what drew her to the role in a post on the musical's Facebook page.

Teatro Proscenium Limited Partnership (Richard Stursberg, CEO) today announced the world premiere of the Garth Drabinsky production of Sousatzka, the new musical by three-time Tony Award®-nominated book writer Craig Lucas and the legendary composing team of Tony Award® winner Richard Maltby, Jr. (Lyrics) and Academy Award® winner David Shire (Music). Choreographed by ten-time Tony Award® nominee Graciela Daniele and directed by Adrian Noble, Sousatzka will begin performances on February 25, 2017 at Toronto's historic Elgin Theatre (189 Yonge Street), and officially open on Thursday, March 23. Tickets will go on sale, via Ticketmaster, on October 17. Sousatzka's pre-Broadway strictly limited engagement is scheduled to run through April 9, 2017.

Behind the scenes of the Raimund Theater in Vienna, Austria everybody is working in high gear at the newest in-house production of the Vereinigte Buhnen Wien: SCHIKANEDER - the turbulent love story behind The Magic Flute. The new musical by Stephen Schwartz (music and lyrics), Christian Struppeck (book) and Sir Trevor Nunn (director) will have its world premiere on September 30th in Vienna. Just a little over a year after our last interview with Christian Struppeck, shortly after the musical SCHIKANEDER was announced, we got to catch up with him again to find out how the show has developed since then and how things are going in the rehearsal room.

Hinter den Kulissen des Raimund Theater wird mit voller Kraft und Energie an der Umsetzung der neuesten Eigenproduktion der Vereinigten Buhnen Wien gearbeitet:  „SCHIKANEDER - die turbulente Liebesgeschichte hinter der Zauberflote" wird am 30. September 2016 in Wien zur Urauffuhrung gebracht! Ein Jahr nach unseren letzten Interview mit Christian Struppeck, damals kurz nach Bekanntgabe des Projektes SCHIKANEDER, konnten wir noch einmal mit ihm sprechen und in Erfahrung bringen, wie das Musical seit dem gereift ist, und wie es im Probenraum zugeht.

Broadway is in sight for the West End revival of GYPSY, starring Imelda Staunton. Following earlier reports of a transfer, The Daily Mail hints that the musical will come to New York in 2018.

SCHIKANEDER - die turbulente Liebesgeschichte hinter der Zauberflote ist eine romantische Musical-Komodie uber eines der wohl schillerndsten Theater-Ehepaare des 18. Jahrhunderts, die am 30. September 2016 ihre Weltpremiere feiert. Die VBW schließen somit an die Tradition der Eigenproduktionen an und bringen mit SCHIKANEDER die insgesamt zwolfte Musical-Urauffuhrung des Unternehmens im Herbst auf die Buhne des Raimund Theater. Intendant Christian Struppeck stellte gestern im Beisein von Komponist und Liedtexter Stephen Schwartz Produktion und Hauptdarsteller vor.

The West End revival of Gypsy starring Imelda Staunton, which just took home four Olivier Awards on Sunday night, is still eying a Broadway run. According to the Wall Street Journal, a spokesperson for producers Michael Harrison and David Ian revealed that talks for a Broadway transfer are underway.

BroadwayHD  just announced that theater lovers can stream eight-time Olivier nominated Gypsy starring Imelda Staunton on BroadwayHD.com. This Best Musical Revival nominee opened at the Savoy Theatre in London's West End on April 15, 2015.

London's Barbican Centre recently announced the full lineup for its 'RSC Shakespeare on Screen' film series this January.

BroadwayWorld is excited to report that London's Barbican Centre has just announced the full lineup for its 'RSC Shakespeare on Screen' film series this January.

At a ceremony held today at London's Café de Paris, Steve Furst announced the nominees for the 16th Annual WhatsOnStage Awards. The announcement of the nominations marks the opening of the final voting stage (closes 31 January), with winners announced at the annual Awards Concert held on 21 February 2016 at the Prince of Wales Theatre.

Jonathan Kent's five-star production of Gypsy starring Imelda Staunton as Rose has its final performance today 28 November 2015, as previously announced.

More good news, Baz Bamingboye reports in the UK Daily Mail that Broadway could indeed be next, writing 'We are actively pursuing and trying to work out the right way to go to New York with Imelda in Gypsy,' said Michael Harrison, who produced the show with David Ian. The Jonathan Kent production recouped its costs and made a profit for investors which (as we know) doesn't happen with every musical production.' He also notes '

As BroadwayWorld previously reported, plans have been underway for the BBC to film the London production of Gypsy this month, and now the news is official. According to the theatre's official Facebook page, equipment is in place to record the show for a later broadcast .