Christopher Ashley News

THE ROAD THEATRE COMPANY and Taylor Gilbert, Founder/Artistic Director together with Sam Anderson, Artistic Director, are thrilled to announce the fourth and final show of its 2013-2014 and 23rd season of premieres with the West Coast Premiere of FLOWER DUET, written by Maura Campbell and directed by Jeffrey Wienckowski. FLOWER DUET will preview on Saturday, May 31; Tuesday, June 3 & Thursday, June 5 at 8pm and will open on Friday, June 6 at 8pm and run through Saturday, July 26 at the Road Theatre Company's new second home, the Road on Magnolia, located in The NoHo Senior Arts Colony, 10747 Magnolia Blvd. in North Hollywood.

Critically acclaimed MEMPHIS won four 2010 Tony Awards including Best Musical, Best Original Score (David Bryan and Joe DiPietro); four Drama Desk Awards including Outstanding Musical, Outstanding Music (David Bryan) and four Outer Critic Circle Awards including Outstanding Musical, Outstanding Score (David Bryan & Joe DiPietro) and Outstanding Choreography (Sergio Trujillo). Now this multi-award winning production is making a limited stop at Harris Center for the Arts.

La Jolla Playhouse announces the cast and creative team for its Page To Stage workshop production of Chasing the Song, a jubilant new musical by the team behind the Tony Award-winning musical Memphis, featuring book and lyrics by Joe DiPietro, music and lyrics by David Bryan and directed by Playhouse Artistic Director Christopher Ashley. Kicking off the Playhouse's 2014/15 season, Chasing the Song runs May 13 - June 15 in the Sheila and Hughes Potiker Theatre. Tickets are available by calling the Patron Services Department at (858) 550-1010 or online at LaJollaPlayhouse.org.

La Jolla Playhouse will host several local artists in residence in June, as part of its commitment to fostering artistic relationships and the development of new work.

The Daily Mail writes that Killian Donnelly will be joining Beverley Knight (The Bodyguard) in MEMPHIS when it opens in the West End this fall. Donnelly is currently starring in The Commitments at the Palace Theatre through September 14. MEMPHIS begins previews October 9 at London's Shaftesbury Theatre, with an opening slated for October 23.

Today in 2005, All Shook Up opened at the Palace Theatre, where it ran for 213 performances.All Shook Up is a jukebox musical with Elvis Presley music, with a book by Joe DiPietro. The story is based on William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night. Directed by Christopher Ashley, with choreography by Ken Roberson, the original Broadway cast included Cheyenne Jackson (Chad), Jenn Gambatese (Natalie Haller/'Ed'), and Jonathan Hadary (Jim Haller).

The Old Globe today announced the creative team of Christopher Durang's Tony Award-winning farce Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, which will be directed by Jessica Stone. Stone, who is a frequent collaborator with Old Globe Associate Artist Nicholas Martin, will base this production on his Tony-nominated Broadway direction. Martin had been previously announced to return to San Diego to direct but had to withdraw due to scheduling conflicts. Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike will run May 17 - June 22, 2014 on the Donald and Darlene Shiley Stage in the Old Globe Theatre, part of the Globe's Conrad Prebys Theatre Center. Preview performances run May 17 - 21. Opening night is May 22 at 8:00 p.m. Tickets can be purchased by subscription only. Single tickets are scheduled to go on sale on Friday, April 4 at 12 noon and will be available online at www.TheOldGlobe.org, by phone at (619) 23-GLOBE, or by visiting the Box Office at 1363 Old Globe Way in Balboa Park.

Following its hugely successful Without Walls (WoW) Festival last October, La Jolla Playhouse announces the latest production in its acclaimed site-based theatre series: El Henry, written by and starring Culture Clash's Herbert Siguenza, directed by San Diego REPertory Theatre Artistic Director Sam Woodhouse. Presented in association with San Diego REP, the show will run June 14 - 29 at SILO in downtown San Diego's Makers Quarter. Performances run Tuesday through Sunday at 7:30pm.

The producers of hit Broadway musical MEMPHIS are delighted to officially announce that multi award-winning recording artist Beverley Knight will star as club singer 'Felicia' when the show comes to London's West End this autumn. MEMPHIS, winner of four 2010 Tony Awards® including Best Musical has Grammy® Award-winning original score by Bon Jovi founding member David Bryan and book by Joe DiPietro.

The world premiere of 17 Orchard Point, a new play starring Tony Award-winner Michele Pawk, will begin performances on Friday, April 25 for a limited four-week Off-Broadway run at The Beckett Theatre at Theatre Row (410 West 42nd Street, between 9th and 10th Avenues) through May 24. Written by Anton Dudley (Substitution, Getting Home) & Stephanie DiMaggio, and directed by Stella Powell-Jones, 17 Orchard Point will have its official opening night on Sunday, May 4 at 7pm. Tickets for 17 Orchard Point are $45 and can be arranged online at www.telecharge.com or 212.239.6200 or at the Theatre Row Box Office located at 410 West 42nd Street. For more information, please visit www.17OrchardPoint.com.

La Jolla Playhouse is the recipient of three prestigious and highly-competitive grants to support its world-premiere production of The Who & The What, by 2013 Pulitzer Prize winner Ayad Akhtar, directed by Kimberly Senior, running February 11 - March 9 in the Sheila and Hughes Potiker Theatre. The grants include the Edgerton Foundation New American Plays Award, as well awards from The Laurents/Hatcher Foundation and The Blanche and Irving Laurie Foundation Theatre Visions Fund.

The tradition continues! Each year Paper Mill Playhouse sends out five images that hold small clues as to the upcoming season titles. Check out the images above, and then let us know your best guesses for the 2014-15 lineup!

MEMPHIS, the 2010 Tony® Award Winner for Best Musical, opens at Broward Center For The Performing Arts February 25th for a limited two week engagement!

Broadway/San Diego ~ A Nederlander Presentation is excited to announce the new 2014-2015 season chock-full of top award-winning productions including fifteen Tony Awards, and four Grammy Awards for Best Musical Theater Album -and six shows currently playing on Broadway! This year's powerful season lineup will be presented at the beautiful San Diego Civic Theatre and sponsored by San Diego County Credit Union.

The Drama League, and Tony Award winning-director and Drama League Alumnus, Michael Mayer (Hedwig and the Angry Inch), announced the establishment of the new Drama League Beatrice Terry Fellowship, named in honor of the late director Beatrice Terry, an alumna of The Drama League Directors Project, during last night's 30th Annual Musical Celebration of Broadway Honoring Neil Patrick Harris, held at the famed Pierre Hotel (2 East 61st Street).

Broadway in Indianapolis announces partnership with the American Heart Association in conjunction with Ghost The Musical, Memphis and The Addams Family - three shows with tremendous 'heart'. In honor of National Wear Red Day on Friday, February 7 and the Go Red For Women movement, all three shows will donate $10 per ticket for each ticket sold that day only. Tickets can be purchased in-person at the Clowes Hall box office, the Old National Centre box office and Ticketmaster outlets, by calling 800-982-2787, or online at Ticketmaster.com. No code necessary.

The Old Globe released the following statement today after their props master Seamus O'Bryan was killed in a hit-and-run motorcycle crash earlier today, January 31, 2014. He was 32.

Disney's HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME will have its U.S. premiere as part of La Jolla Playhouse's 2014-15 season.

The Drama League will honor Golden Globe Nominee and Emmy® Award winner Neil Patrick Harris at the 30th Annual Musical Celebration of Broadway on Monday evening, February 3, 2014 at the famed Pierre Hotel (2 East 61st Street). Tickets are available by calling (212) 244-9494.

La Jolla Playhouse announces its final production for its 2013/14 season: the world premiere of The Who & The What, by Ayad Akhtar, Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright for Disgraced and author of the acclaimed novel American Dervish, directed by Kimberly Senior (Disgraced), running February 11 - March 9, 2014 (press opening: Wednesday, February 19 at 7:30pm) in the Sheila and Hughes Potiker Theatre.