Cirque du Soleil News

The 5th Avenue Theatre New Works Program will bring a new kind of festival to Seattle's vibrant arts community this summer with its inaugural NextFest: A Festival of New Musicals. Taking place in the historic theater's rehearsal halls and studios July 20-August 15, 2015, NextFest is a celebration of new musicals at various stages of development ranging from a first read-through of new text and music all the way to a fully staged studio presentation of a work.

Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts (The Wallis -- Tania Camargo, Managing Director; Patricia Wolff, Interim Artistic Director; James D'Asaro, Interim Producing Director) announce Artistic Advisors and programming for the 2015-2016 Season, opening October 1-3 with Twyla Tharp: a 50th Anniversary Celebration, a program of new work by Ms. Tharp, co-commissioned by The Wallis (in partnership with the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, The Joyce Theatre, Ravina Festival Association & Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University and Texas International Theatrical Arts Society).

Jay Armstrong Johnson, star of Broadway's Tony nominated ON THE TOWN, stars in the second season of the award-winning comedic web series SEEKING, which is now live online. Watch an episode featuring Johnson below!

FINDING NEVERLAND feels the love from Radio City Music Hall's famous Rockettes!

Second Stage Theatre has announced two New York Premiere productions for its upcoming 37th season.  The season will kick off in fall 2015 with the New York Premiere production of Matt Gould and Griffin Matthews' new musical, INVISIBLE THREAD (previously titled Witness Uganda), in association with American Repertory Theater, directed by Tony Award winner Diane Paulus (Finding Neverland, Pippin).  The season will continue in early 2016 with the New York premiere of Lydia R. Diamond's (Stick Fly) critically acclaimed play, SMART PEOPLE, directed by Tony Award Winner Kenny Leon (Fences, A Raisin in the Sun, Stick Fly). Two additional productions remain to be announced. 

Culture enthusiasts and music lovers can start making summer plans -- the entertainment schedule is now available for PANAMANIA, presented by CIBC, the 35-day TORONTO 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am Games arts and culture festival.

BevNap Productions will present the New York premiere of RE-DESIGNING WOMEN by Jamie Morris, the twisted mind behind plays including "Mommie Queerest," (LA Weekly Theater Award winner), "The Facts of Life: The Lost Episode," "The Silence of the Clams," and "Gilligan's Fire Island'. Directed by Christopher Kenney (The ThreePenny Opera on Broadway), this unauthorized original comedy parody celebrates one of the most beloved sitcoms of the 1980s.

The intensely grooving Electronic Dance Music (EDM) of Ibiza is bringing a funked-up disco infusion to Las Vegas tonight, May 6 with the official U.S. label launch of Pacific Electronic Music (PEM) (www.pacificelectronicmusic.com) at the world famous LIGHT Nightclub, Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino's premiere hotspot turned on by Cirque Du Soleil.

Producers of Finding Neverland, the new Broadway musical which the Associated Press calls 'Absolutely thrilling,' recently announced the forthcoming Original Cast Recording, set for release on Tuesday, June 23. The album, produced by Eliot Kennedy and David Chasefor Republic Records and under the musical direction of Mary-Mitchell Campbell, will be recorded at NYC's Avatar Studios on May 4. BroadwayWorld brings you exclusive photo coverage from the recording studio below!

Producers of Finding Neverland, the new Broadway musical which the Associated Press calls “Absolutely thrilling,” recently announced the forthcoming Original Cast Recording, set for release on Tuesday, June 23. The album, produced by Eliot Kennedy and David Chasefor Republic Records and under the musical direction of Mary-Mitchell Campbell, will be recorded at NYC's Avatar Studios on May 4. For more information about the album, including music samples, news and upcoming events, please visit www.FindingNeverlandTheMusical.com.

Entertainment Weekly has revealed the full track list, artwork, and lineup of artists featured on the upcoming concept album of the new Broadway musical FINDING NEVERLAND - and an audio sneak peek! Star Matthew Morrison, Nick Jonas, Jennifer Lopez and more have recorded tracks. Check it all out below!

Cirque du Soleil performs in Southern California with its newest touring show, KURIOS - Cabinet of Curiosities under the iconic blue-and-yellow Big Top beginning October 15 in Costa Mesa at the OC Fair & Event Center, followed in Los Angeles by Cirque du Soleil's first visit to Dodger Stadium beginning December 10, 2015. These will be the only Cirque du Soleil engagements in Southern California in 2015.

Expo 2015 has selected the Cirque du Soleil Group, Events and Special Projects, to create an engaging and unique show concept to be presented during the Universal Expo taking place in Milan, Italy from tonight, May 1 to October 31, 2015.

FINDING NEVERLAND producer Harvey Weinstein has his own theory as to why his show did not receive a single Tony Award nomination on Tuesday morning.

It wasn't so much watching a performance as it was bearing witness to an interior exploration, the chrysalis-busting conjuring of an artist stepping out of the shadows to claim her own territory. Lisa Fischer, the extraordinarily gifted vocalist featured in the 2014 Academy Award-winning documentary 20 Feet from Stardom, took the stage at Birdland for a run of shows from April 24-27. She was joined on stage by the band Grand Baton, led by musical director and arranger JC Maillard, filled out by Aidan Carroll on upright bass and Thierry Arpino on drums. Maillard, sporting blond dreads reminiscent of Lisa Bonet circa Lenny Kravitz, mostly played his custom made Sazbass, but also picked up the electric guitar and played keys. The set consisted of eight songs, including encore, but the arrangements were elastic, allowing each song to stretch into jams, riffs and solos, traversing diverse emotional and sonic terrain.

Matthew Morrison comments on FINDING NEVERLAND's lack of Tony nominations!

Today, Deadline shares a reaction from Mr. Weinstein on the news that his show was not recognized by the nominating committe:

Theater fans are eagerly awaiting tomorrow's announcement of this year's Tony Award nominees, and a Finding Neverland campaign is already in the works. Variety has shared an excerpt of an op-ed letter written by Peter Pan expert Maria Tatar, professor of Germanic languages and literatures and folklore and mythology at Harvard University, which was sent out to the nominators of Broadway's most distinguished awards. According to the site, Weinstein is hoping to 'bolster the critical credibility' of his show, which recently opened to mixed reviews.

Thursday, May 20th In Celebration of Asian Pacific American Heritage month, Hamilton Madison House will present Meg Okura and the Pan Asian Chamber Jazz Ensemble featuring Helen Sung and Sam Newsome, Thursday, May 20, 2015.

Cirque du Soleil is very happy to unveil the name of its next touring show inspired by James Cameron's record-breaking movie AVATAR : TORUK The First Flight.