Carol Rosegg News

Before the official launch of the national tour of XANADU arrives at the Orange County Performing Arts Center for a two week run from December 15 through 27, ELIZABETH STANLEY, who stars as Kira (yes, the role Olivia Newton-John played in the movie), sits down with BroadwayWorld correspondent Michael Lawrence Quintos to talk about the danger of performing on skates, her Broadway debut in Company, and what it takes to step into a feel-good musical.

The Orange County Performing Arts Center is offering a plethora of fun events to celebrate the kick-off of the XANADU National Tour at the Center from December 15 through 27. These include roller skating on the Center's community plaza on December 19 and 20, street muralist Melanie Stimmell Van Latum creating a 225-square-foot mural inspired by XANADU, a special Talk Back with cast members on December 22 and three Kids' Night on Broadway performances - December 15, 16 and 17.

COSTA MESA, CA-The national tour of the musical adventure XANADU opens at the Orange County Performing Arts Center on December 15 and runs through December 27. This engagement is the only Southern California appearance scheduled on the national tour. XANADU is based on Universal Pictures' cult classic movie of the same title, which starred Olivia Newton-John and Gene Kelly.

wo-time Tony Award-winning actress Judith Ivey will portray that great woman of American letters -- letters from readers seeking advice, that is -- when she plays the legendary, trailblazing columnist Ann Landers in David Rambo's play THE LADY WITH ALL THE ANSWERS Off-Broadway this fall, starting performances October 7, 2009 at the Cherry Lane Theatre (38 Commerce St.) in New York City. B.J. Jones directs. The production will run through November 29. Opening night TBA.

America's foremost Gilbert & Sullivan repertory ensemble, the New York Gilbert & Sullivan Players, brings back the tradition of G & S New Year's Eve fun at Peter Norton Symphony Space (2535 Broadway at 95th Street) , Thursday, December 31st at 8PM.

I had the immense pleasure of taking another visit to Grover's Corners, New Hampshire last week, via the fascinating David Cromer production of Thornton Wilder's Our Town that opened in February at the Barrow Street Theatre. Back then I wrote that the director's non-traditional take on the play - which remains completely faithful to the author's text and themes - was one of the most exciting theatre events of the season. On second look, with a mixture of new and old cast member, I'd say it's the best theatre production I know of currently playing in New York.

The Tony-winning director is helming this weekend's production of Girl Crazy at City Center.

The Yale Repertory Theatre presents Danai Gurira's ECLIPSED previews began, October 24th, and the show opened October 29th. The cast features Pascale Armand, Zainab Jah, Adepero Oduye, Stacey Sargeant, and Shona Tucker.

Circumcise Me, (www.yisraelcampbell.com) a new comedy written by and starring Yisrael Campbell and directed by Sam Gold will play off-Broadway at The Bleecker Street Theater (45 Bleecker Street just East of Lafayette Street) beginning November 1st with the official opening scheduled for November 18th.

LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE, a new musical based on the beloved Laura Ingalls Wilder series of classic American books, arrived on November 10th at the Tulsa PAC in Tulsa, Ok. Melissa Gilbert, who rose to fame as a child playing ‘Laura' in the hugely successful NBC television series 'Little House on the Prairie' during the 1970's, now continues her legacy ‘on the prairie' by taking on the role of Ma. LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE will also star Steve Blanchard as Pa and Kara Lindsay as Laura. Tickets for the Tulsa engagement of LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE will go on sale on Monday, October 5th.

Girl Crazy, the first Encores! production of the New York City Center season, will star Ana Gasteyer, Wayne Knight and Marc Kudisch and will run November 19 - 22. Girl Crazy, directed by Jerry Zaks and choreographed by Warren Carlyle with Guest Music Director Rob Fisher, has music and lyrics by George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin and book by Guy Bolton and Jack McGowan.

The Yale Repertory Theatre presents Danai Gurira's ECLIPSED previews began, October 24th, and the show opened October 29th. The cast features Pascale Armand, Zainab Jah, Adepero Oduye, Stacey Sargeant, and Shona Tucker.

Women's Project is set to resume performances of Liz Duffy's OR, beginning this weekend, November 5th. Performances have been cancelled since last weekend one of the show's actors Andy Paris, who plays multiple roles in this restoration-style, fast-paced comedy, suffered an injury, as previously reported.

Women's Project is set to resume performances of Liz Duffy's OR, beginning this weekend, November 5th. Performances have been cancelled since last weekend one of the show's actors Andy Paris, who plays multiple roles in this restoration-style, fast-paced comedy, suffered an injury, as previously reported.

Women's Project has canceled the preview performances scheduled for this weekend (Friday, October 30; Saturday, October 31; and Sunday, November 1) of Or, Liz Duffy Adams's three-hander comedy due to an injury sustained by one of the actors, Andy Paris, who plays multiple roles in this restoration-style, fast-paced comedy.

The singular images of master illustrator Edward Gorey will inspire the New York Gilbert and Sullivan Players' City Center season this January as they mount a new production of the rarely produced G&S classic Ruddigore, a supernatural opera with a Harry Potterish plot, to be performed in rotation with the big three all-time G&S favorites: The Pirates of Penzance, H.M.S. Pinafore and The Mikado.

The Yale Repertory Theatre will present Danai Gurira's ECLIPSED beginning October 24th, with an opening night of October 29th. The cast will feature Pascale Armand, Zainab Jah, Adepero Oduye, Stacey Sargeant, and Shona Tucker.

The cast is unruly, the crowd is restless, and the play isobscure, but Joel has a larger worry: his mother is in the front row. Real and theatricalworlds collide in this new comedy about the night a classic play spoke so loudly to itsaudience that they felt compelled to talk back.

The Yale Repertory Theatre will present Danai Gurira's ECLIPSED with an opening night of October 29th. The cast will feature Pascale Armand, Zainab Jah, Adepero Oduye, Stacey Sargeant, and Shona Tucker.

Xanadu, Broadway's Surprise Hit Musical based on the 1980 cult film, Hits the Road! The National Tour Starts at the Orange County Performing Arts Center, December 15 - 27. Tickets on sale beginning October 25 with free CD soundtrack giveaway event.