Des McAnuff News

Joseph Calleja is the latest artist to be chosen as the featured soloist at the Nobel Prize Concert, held annually in Stockholm on December 8 in honor of the year's Nobel Laureates. For the 2011 concert, Calleja will perform a selection of favorite Italian and French opera arias with the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic under Marcello Mottadelli. It was with a similar program that the singer's most recent solo album, The Maltese Tenor, debuted last month in the number one spot on the Billboard Classical Traditional Chart in the US, having already topped similar lists in the UK and Germany. The disc includes an aria from Gounod's Faust, and it is in the title role of a new production of this grand opera that Calleja returns to New York's Metropolitan Opera in January 2012.

La Jolla Playhouse announced a casting update for its current presentation of the acclaimed Stratford Shakespeare Festival production of Jesus Christ Superstar, lyrics by Tim Rice, music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, directed by Playhouse Director Emeritus and Stratford Shakespeare Festival Artistic Director Des McAnuff. Beginning Wednesday, December 7, Broadway veteran Tom Hewitt (Playhouse's Zhivago and Dracula: The Musical) will perform the role of Pontius Pilate for a limited engagement at the Playhouse.

Once again, Rene Pape is earning universal acclaim for his Mephistopheles in Faust, this time in the Metropolitan Opera's new production of Gounod's opera that runs to January 19.

Due to overwhelming demand across North America, a second touring production of the Tony, Grammy and Olivier Award-winning hit musical JERSEY BOYS, the story of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons, launches in Philadelphia, PA at the Forrest Theater tonight for a six week engagement.

Joseph Calleja is the latest artist to be chosen as the featured soloist at the Nobel Prize Concert, held annually in Stockholm on December 8 in honor of the year's Nobel Laureates. For the 2011 concert, Calleja will perform a selection of favorite Italian and French opera arias with the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic under Marcello Mottadelli. It was with a similar program that the singer's most recent solo album, The Maltese Tenor, debuted last month in the number one spot on the Billboard Classical Traditional Chart in the US, having already topped similar lists in the UK and Germany. The disc includes an aria from Gounod's Faust, and it is in the title role of a new production of this grand opera that Calleja returns to New York's Metropolitan Opera in January 2012.

With Broadway casting details still not announced, Brent Carver has bowed out of the La Jolla run of Stratford's Jesus Christ Superstar and will be replaced by Jeremy Kushnier. Full casting details were announced today, but Carver could not be reached for comment.

Upcoming MTI Shows - 12/04 for Toronto

Sergio Trujillo has had a meteoric rise to success in the world of choreography, at one point having an unprecedented four shows on the Great White Way at the same time. Raised in Toronto, he ventures back North this month to attend the opening night of the Tony Award Winning musical Memphis. Sergio spoke to BWW about the appeal of the show, balancing multiple shows, his dreams for Flashdance and his hopes for the future of musical theatre in Toronto.

The general on-sale for The Stratford Shakespeare Festival's hit production of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR begins today, Saturday, December 3 through Ticketmaster at www.ticketmaster.com or by calling 877-250-2929 .

The musical JERSEY BOYS is currently playing a return engagement at The National Theatre through January 7, 2012. The premiere engagement of JERSEY BOYS in Washington, D.C., was an overwhelming success, seen by more than 130,000 theatergoers, breaking The National Theatre's box office record previously held by Monty Python's Spamalot, and going on to break its own record three more times.

TheatreWorks, the nationally acclaimed theatre of Silicon Valley, will present the Tony Award-winning musical adaptation of THE SECRET GARDEN.

The general on-sale for The Stratford Shakespeare Festival's hit production of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR begins tomorrow, Saturday, December 3 through Ticketmaster at www.ticketmaster.com or by calling 877-250-2929 . Group sales (of 15 or more) are on sale now and available by calling 1-877-536-3437 . Directed by the Festival's Artistic Director Des McAnuff, JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR will open at the Neil Simon Theatre on Broadway on Thursday, March 22, 2012. Previews will begin Thursday, March 1, 2012.

With Broadway casting details still not announced, Brent Carver has bowed out of the La Jolla run of Stratford's Jesus Christ Superstar and will be replaced by Jeremy Kushnier. Full casting details were announced today, but Carver could not be reached for comment.

JERSEY BOYS First National Tour cast members Preston Truman Boyd, Joseph Leo Bwarie, John Gardiner, and Michael Lomenda will perform a special holiday selection during the pre-show of the 89th annual National Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony on Thursday, December 1, beginning at 4:30 p.m ET. Presented by the National Park Service and the National Park Foundation, the ceremony will take place on the Ellipse in President's Park in Washington, D.C., and will be streamed live at www.thenationaltree.org. The event will also be broadcast throughout December on PBS stations nationwide. Check local listings for full broadcast schedule.

JERSEY BOYS, the Tony, Olivier and Grammy Award-winning Best Musical, will surpass The Producers with 2,503 performances, becoming the 22nd longest-running show in Broadway history and the longest running show in Jujamcyn Theaters' history, following the performance on Tuesday, November 29.

Three of the opera world's leading stars-Jonas Kaufmann, Marina Poplavskaya, and René Pape-will take the principal roles in a new production of Gounod's Faust, directed by Tony Award winner Des McAnuff in his Met debut.

Marina Poplavskaya will make her Met role debut as Marguerite in the initial run of performances of the Met's new production of Gounod's Faust this fall.