Christopher Ashley News

Broadway In Chicago has just announced its next season line-up: a new Pre-Broadway musical ESCAPE TO MARGARITAVILLE featuring the songs of legendary singer-songwriter-author Jimmy Buffett, Tony Award-winning AN AMERICAN IN PARIS, Tony Award-winning RODGERS & HAMMERSTEIN'S THE KING AND I, the completely original new musical comedy SOMETHING ROTTEN! and LES MISERABLES.

La Jolla Playhouse announces that its 2017 Performance Outreach Program (POP) Tour production,#SuperShinySara, by Wesley Middleton and staged by acclaimed San Diego director and Moxie Theatre Artistic DirectorDelicia Turner-Sonnenberg (Without Walls Festival 2013's Counterweight), will tour schools throughout San Diego CountyJanuary 30 - March 31, 2017. Commissioned by the Playhouse, this world-premiere play for young audiences will also have four public performances on March 25 & 26, 2017 at 1:00pm and 3:00pm in the Playhouse's Sheila and Hughes Potiker Theatre.

La Jolla Playhouse announces that its 2017 Performance Outreach Program (POP) Tour production, #SuperShinySara, by Wesley Middleton and staged by acclaimed San Diego director and Moxie Theatre Artistic Director Delicia Turner-Sonnenberg (Without Walls Festival 2013's Counterweight), will tour schools throughout San Diego County January 30 - March 31, 2017. Commissioned by the Playhouse, this world-premiere play for young audiences will also have four public performances on March 25 & 26, 2017 at 1:00pm and 3:00pm in the Playhouse's Sheila and Hughes Potiker Theatre.

La Jolla Playhouse announces a special engagement of the critically-acclaimed solo piece, The Trump Card, created and performed by Mike Daisey, directed by Isaac Butler, to run October 4 - 9 in the Mandell Weiss Forum.

La Jolla Playhouse announces the latest presentation in its acclaimed Without Walls (WoW) series: The Bitter Game, a reprise of the acclaimed 2015 WoW Festival theatre piece, created, written and performed by UC San Diego M.F.A. graduate Keith A. Wallace, co-created and directed by UC San Diego Theatre & Dance faculty member Deborah Stein.

Signature Theatre presents the world premiere production of Disney's Freaky Friday. Developed by Disney Theatrical Productions expressly for licensing to theatres, Freaky Friday features a book by Bridget Carpenter, music by Tom Kitt and lyrics by Brian Yorkey. This premiere production will be directed by Christopher Ashley with choreography by Sergio Trujillo. Freaky Friday will run from October 4 - November 20 in Signature Theatre's MAX Theatre. Click below to watch a brand-new trailer for the show!

David Mirvish has announced the 17 shows in the 2016 - 2017 Mirvish Theatre Season.  There will be seven shows in the Mainstage Subscription Series, three in the Off-Mirvish Subscription Series, and seven bonus shows not on subscription.

This production is a perfect example of why I am enamored with Theatre and Art, and why I am proud to be part of this community. The show not only shared a historical event but gifted us with sharing the power of empathy. The love and selflessness the citizens of Gander and Newfoundland had for all of the foreign travelers is astonishing. The locals 'took in' and fed 6,579 stranded passengers, which was half the size of the town's population.

Shenandoah Conservatory in Winchester, Virginia will be mounting the award-winning rock musical: SPRING AWAKENING this September, directed by Broadway veteran and new musical theatre program coordinator Kevin Covert. I was lucky enough to sit down with Kevin, hear about his experience at Shenandoah so far and learn about his process working on the rock musical with current theatre students.

Robert Ahrens and Chris Aniello have announced the formation of a new theatrical general management office called LIVE WIRE THEATRICAL MANAGEMENT. With joint experience managing Broadway shows, Ahrens and Aniello will focus on economic budgeting, with the goal of a long and successful commercial run.

THE BARDY BUNCH: The War of the Families Partridge and Brady, the musical parody by Stephen Garvey that gained cult status during its Off-Broadway run in 2014, is excited to announce casting for its limited engagement in Chicago, September 15 through November 27, at the Mercury Theater, 3745 N. Southport Avenue.

Ford's Theatre Society announced today that the new Irene Sankoff and David Hein musical 'Come From Away,' based on the heart-warming true story of how a small Canadian town cared for 6,579 airline passengers stranded in Newfoundland after 9/11, has extended due to popular demand.

Before heading to Broadway next spring, Come From Away runs through October 9 at the historic Ford's Theatre. Written by Irene Sankoff and David Hein, the stunning production features direction from Tony®-nominated director Christopher Ashley.

Featuring a book, music, and lyrics by the married Canadian duo of Irene Sankoff and David Hein, Come From Away explores a subject area that's bound to bring up some painful memories for some. It's a September 11th musical, but not in the way you might expect. It's not about the towers, the Pentagon, or even really the loss of life. it is a story of a community bonding together to embrace passengers on the 38 planes that were diverted to Canada - specifically Newfoundland - when the U.S. Government closed American air space for the first time in U.S. history. It's one of those untold stories that is practically perfect for an original musical.

La Jolla Playhouse announces a special engagement of the critically-acclaimed solo piece, The Trump Card, created and performed by Mike Daisey, directed by Isaac Butler, to run October 4 - 9 in the Mandell Weiss Forum.

Tectonic Theater Project has announced casting for Tectonic At 25!, a benefit performance celebrating 25 years of groundbreaking theater.

The Drama League announced today that Tony and Emmy Award winner David Hyde Pierce will be the honoree of the 33rd Annual Musical Celebration of Broadway, to be held on Monday evening, November 7, 2016 at The Plaza (768 Fifth Avenue) in New York City.

La Jolla Playhouse announces the latest presentation in its acclaimed Without Walls (WoW) series: The Bitter Game, a reprise of the acclaimed 2015 WoW Festival theatre piece, created, written and performed by UC San Diego M.F.A. graduate Keith A. Wallace, co-created and directed by UC San Diego Theatre & Dance faculty member Deborah Stein.

Signature Theatre has announced the full cast and creative team for the world premiere production of Disney's Freaky Friday.

Michael Alden Productions presents the New York premiere of NOT THAT JEWISH, written and performed by Emmy Award-winning and Golden Globe nominated writer and comedian Monica Piper (Writer of Roseanne, Mad About You, Rugrats) and directed by Mark Waldrop (Howard Crabtree's When Pigs Fly, Bea Arthur on Broadway: Just Between Friends).