Derrick Williams News

A great, big Broadway season is on its way, with fourteen productions already slated to open in the next few months. The craziness is almost upon us, but there is still plenty of time to catch up on what's been going on at Broadway's already occupied theaters . BroadwayWorld will be profiling the hits of the Great White Way that continue to draw crowds after months, years, and (in some cases) decades. Meet the current cast of Broadway's THE BOOK OF MORMON below!

Now that New Year's Eve celebrations are behind us, my favorite time of the theatre year is upon us. In late winter and early spring, theaters all around Houston start unveiling their upcoming seasons, in hopes of keeping current season subscribers and gaining new ones. Kicking off this annual season of unveiling is Gexa Energy's Broadway at the Hobby Center 2014-2015 Season announcement.

The electricity in Carol Morsani Hall, at the Straz Center in Tampa, for the opening performance of the National Tour of 'THE BOOK OF MORMON', was the closest I have experienced here, to the excitement of a Broadway opening night yet! The SOLD-OUT house was simply percolating, in anticipation of the 9 time Tony Award winning musical's Tampa debut.

THE BOOK OF MORMON, winner of nine Tony Awards including Best Musical, is pleased to announce a lottery ticket policy for the National Tour, which begins Tuesday, November 26 at Broward Center For The Performing Arts in Fort Lauderdale and plays a limited four week engagement through Sunday, December 22.

The biggest show of Orlando's Broadway Across America season, THE BOOK OF MORMON is finally here and playing at Bob Carr. It is destiny that a show that cites Orlando as the greatest place ever, brings the audience to its feet. Even people who do not like musicals are lining up and getting excited to see this masterpiece.

New York City custom jeweler Avianne & Co. helped bring joy to Ciara's heart and bling to her ring hand this weekend.

On Wednesday, October 30th, the blockbuster musical, WICKED, will celebrate its 10th Anniversary on Broadway, a milestone achieved by only ten other Broadway productions in history. The creative team and many of the musical's previous cast members will celebrate WICKED's first decade with a special performance, followed by a company party, on October 30th at 7:00pm. BroadwayWorld will be counting down to the milestone with daily flashbacks of Wicked's biggest events, most memorable cast members, and best performances. In today's installment, we remember the actors that have taken on the role of Oz's resident bad boy- Fiyero!

In March 2011, Trey Parker, Robert Lopez, and Matt Stone's joyfully irreverent, soulfully blasphemous, and wholly scandalous comedy THE BOOK OF MORMON took Broadway by storm, going on to win 9 Tony Awards including Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical, and Best Score. The musical quickly developed a ravenous parish of fans that simply couldn't get enough of the bawdy spectacle, and left many around the nation counting the days until the First National Tour kicked off. After a short two-and-a-half year wait, Houston audiences are getting their chance to experience the production, and judging by last night's reaction, we couldn't be more enthusiastic or pleased. Now holding a coveted spot as one of the best musicals I have ever seen, this show was definitely worth the wait!

THE BOOK OF MORMON is an absolute go see production for anyone who is not a language prude or a religious fanatic. It is filled with total delight, magical showmanship, a marvelous score, creative dancing and fine staging. It's everything a modern musical that is meant for pure entertainment, with a sip of philosophy, should be!

'The Book of Mormon' may be outrageous, irreverent, and puerile in the extreme, but the most offensive thing about this insipid show is its insulting lack of wit.

Starring Mark Evans as Elder Kevin Price and Christopher John O'Neill as Elder Arnold Cunningham, the comedy duo bring convulsive comedy to the stage rivaling veteran actors Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis. Each elder attempts to spread the good news in his own way; Arnold seems to pull scripture out of his a$$ to fit whatever point he is trying to promote. Kevin tries the traditional method but winds up having to pull the actual book out of his a$$ after it was unceremoniously placed there by a terrorist. It's never fun being the butt of a joke.

It would be easy to be either immediately won over by the hype surrounding this show before ever seeing it, or to be disappointed once you had, because it couldn't possibly live up to it. That's why I go into these things with reasonable expectations. I'm already a fan of Trey Parker and Matt Stone (South Park, Team America, Cannibal! The Musical, etc) and Robert Lopez (Avenue Q, Phineas and Ferb, etc), and I can certainly appreciate the work they did creating the book, music and lyrics for this show, THE BOOK OF MORMON. But, I do think you have to be attuned to their particular brand of humor in order to fully appreciate it. Poking fun at religion is certainly nothing new for any of them, and they've always brought a sense of the conventions of musical theatre to whatever art form they've tackled, and with THE BOOK OF MORMON they've produced something which is both terribly funny and catchy as well.

Orlando Shakespeare Theater in Partnership with UCF (http://www.orlandoshakes.org) presents Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility in the Margeson Theater at the Lowndes Shakespeare Center. Ticket prices range from $17-$40 with discounts available for students, active military, and groups. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the production below.

Orlando Shakespeare Theater in Partnership with UCF (http://www.orlandoshakes.org) presents Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility in the Margeson Theater at the Lowndes Shakespeare Center. Ticket prices range from $17-$40 with discounts available for students, active military, and groups. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the production below.

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK: PHANTOM takes an epic bow, Manilow finally arrives, Lea Salonga belts it out and so much more!

Mark Evans and Christopher John O'Neill just joined the cast of the national tour of The Book of Mormon as Elder Price and Elder Cunningham respectively. They replaced Gavin Creel and Jared Gertner who join the West End company at the Prince of Wales Theatre from February 25. For a complete list of tour stops, visit: http://www.bookofmormonbroadway.com BroadwayWorld brings you photos of the new cast in action below!

Orlando Shakespeare Theater in Partnership with UCF (http://www.orlandoshakes.org) presents two treasured and cherished classics - William Shakespeare's Othello and Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility - in rotating repertory. These works will be presented in the Margeson Theater at the Lowndes Shakespeare Center. Ticket prices range from $17-$40 with discounts available for students, active military, and groups.

The West Coast Premiere of THE BOOK OF MORMON, winner of nine Tony Awards including Best Musical, officially opened September 12 at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood. Broadway World TV's Los Angeles Correspondent and Co-Producer Michael Sterling and Co-Producer Jerry Evans of JLE Media, Inc. were on hand for the red carpet festivities which included such celebrities as Jason Alexander, Rosanna Arquette, Simon Baker, Eric Balfour, Justin Bartha, Beth Behrs, Juie Bowen, Cher, Don Cheadle, Viola Davis, Heather Graham, Laura Dern, Jonathan Groff, Daryl Hannah, Kathy Griffin, Marica Gay Harden, John Hawkes, Lisa Kudrow, Diane Ladd, Tobey Maquire, Bill Maher, Garry Marshall, Julia Ormand, Dermot Mulroney, Carl Reiner, Parker Posey, Jane Seymour, and Alicia Silverstone. Trey Parker, Robert Lopez and Matt Stone were also in attendance. The much anticipated run of THE BOOK OF MORMON will continue through November 25, 2012.