Douglas W. Schmidt News

American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.) closes its 2012-13 season with a dazzling new production of Tom Stoppard's masterwork, Arcadia. Directed by A.C.T. Artistic Director Carey Perloff, Arcadia unfolds in a beautiful English country house and moves between the nineteenth century and the present through a series of love stories, as characters from both eras discover connections, unearth mysteries, and unravel hidden truths about the nature of heat and desire. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the production below.

American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.) will close its 2012-13 season with a dazzling new production of Tom Stoppard's masterwork, Arcadia. Directed by A.C.T. Artistic Director Carey Perloff, Arcadia unfolds in a beautiful English country house and moves between the nineteenth century and the present through a series of love stories, as characters from both eras discover connections, unearth mysteries, and unravel hidden truths about the nature of heat and desire.

West End stars Dave Willetts (Phantom of the Opera, Les Miserables, Cats, Ragtime, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers) and Marti Webb (Blood Brothers, Tell Me On a Sunday, Evita, Cats) will join forces to headline the legendary Broadway musical 42nd Street as it heads to New Wimbledon Theatre from tonight, 11 - Saturday 15 September.

West End stars Dave Willetts (Phantom of the Opera, Les Miserables, Cats, Ragtime, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers) and Marti Webb (Blood Brothers, Tell Me On a Sunday, Evita, Cats) will join forces to headline the legendary Broadway musical 42nd Street as it heads to New Wimbledon Theatre from Tuesday 11 - Saturday 15 September.

West End glitterati Dave Willets and Marti Webb bring Broadway razzamatazz to the Lyceum Theatre from today 12 to Saturday 16 June with the legendary musical 42nd Street.

West End stars Dave Willetts (Phantom of the Opera, Les Misérables, Cats, Ragtime, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers) and Marti Webb (Blood Brothers, Tell Me On a Sunday, Evita, Cats) will join forces to headline the legendary Broadway musical 42nd Street as it embarks on a national tour of the UK from today, 1st June 2012, playing 23 venues to the end of the year.

West End glitterati Dave Willets and Marti Webb bring Broadway razzamatazz to the Lyceum Theatre from Tuesday 12 to Saturday 16 June with the legendary musical 42nd Street.

West End stars Dave Willetts (Phantom of the Opera, Les Misérables, Cats, Ragtime, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers) and Marti Webb (Blood Brothers, Tell Me On a Sunday, Evita, Cats) will join forces to headline the legendary Broadway musical 42nd Street as it embarks on a national tour of the UK from 1st June 2012, playing 23 venues to the end of the year.

Capturing the charm of the original source material, TALES OF THE CITY benefits from a strong cast fully committed to the work. Yet if Broadway is the goal, quite a bit of retooling, balancing and focusing remains, all within the grasp of this talented team.

With an uneventful 6pm coming and going on the evening of May 21st, I rested comfortably that night secure in the knowledge that any predictions of the arrival of Judgment Day were, at the very least, miscalculations.  But the next evening, as I sat watching David Burnham, Sally Mayes, Howard McGillin, Billy Stritch, Lillias White and Rachel York perform eight-five minutes of songs composed by Broadway's heppist hepcat, Cy Coleman, you'd have a tough time convincing me I'd not been raptured into Heaven.

Unless the names 'Noel' and 'Coward' are involved, I tend to be a bit wary about musicals with the book, music, lyrics and direction all by the same person, but Willard Beckham makes a very entertaining go of it with his campy, country/western musical comedy, Lucky Guy.

American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.) announces the star-studded cast of the upcoming workshop of Armistead Maupin's Tales of the City. Tony Award winner and Broadway legend Betty Buckley (Sunset Boulevard, Cats on Broadway) takes on the beloved character of Anna Madrigal, and Tony Award-nominated actor Stephen Bogardus (Love! Valour! Compassion!, Man of La Mancha, and Falsettos on Broadway) plays Edgar Halcyon, Mrs. Madrigal's love interest. Up-and-coming performer Betsy Wolfe (Everyday Rapture, Into the Woods on Broadway) plays Mary Ann Singleton, the naïve Midwestern transplant to San Francisco at the center of the story. A.C.T. core acting company member and Tony Award-nominated actor Manoel Felciano (Sweeney Todd on Broadway; Rock 'n' Roll, and John Doyle's The Caucasian Chalk Circle at A.C.T.) portrays Norman Neal Williams, joined by two graduates of A.C.T.'s acclaimed Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.) Program: Bay Area actor Nick Gabriel as Michael Tolliver (aka Mouse) and Morgan Spector (who most recently appeared with Scarlett Johansson and Liev Schreiber in A View from the Bridge on Broadway) as Brian Hawkins.

American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.) announces the star-studded cast of the upcoming workshop of Armistead Maupin's Tales of the City. Tony Award winner and Broadway legend Betty Buckley (Sunset Boulevard, Cats on Broadway) takes on the beloved character of Anna Madrigal, and Tony Award-nominated actor Stephen Bogardus (Love! Valour! Compassion!, Man of La Mancha, and Falsettos on Broadway) plays Edgar Halcyon, Mrs. Madrigal's love interest. Up-and-coming performer Betsy Wolfe (Everyday Rapture, Into the Woods on Broadway) plays Mary Ann Singleton, the naïve Midwestern transplant to San Francisco at the center of the story. A.C.T. core acting company member and Tony Award-nominated actor Manoel Felciano (Sweeney Todd on Broadway; Rock 'n' Roll, and John Doyle's The Caucasian Chalk Circle at A.C.T.) portrays Norman Neal Williams, joined by two graduates of A.C.T.'s acclaimed Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.) Program: Bay Area actor Nick Gabriel as Michael Tolliver (aka Mouse) and Morgan Spector (who most recently appeared with Scarlett Johansson and Liev Schreiber in A View from the Bridge on Broadway) as Brian Hawkins.

The American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.) 2009-10 season culminates in the highly anticipated world premiere production of The Tosca Project, created and staged by A.C.T. Artistic Director Carey Perloff and San Francisco Ballet's Val Caniparoli. Conjuring a world in which love, betrayal, and hope emerge from the shadows and disappear with the clink of a glass, this gorgeously choreographed and achingly moving dance-theater piece brings together internationally acclaimed artists from San Francisco Ballet with a cast of renowned actors.

The American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.) 2009-10 season culminates in the highly anticipated world premiere production of The Tosca Project, created and staged by A.C.T. Artistic Director Carey Perloff and San Francisco Ballet's Val Caniparoli. Conjuring a world in which love, betrayal, and hope emerge from the shadows and disappear with the clink of a glass, this gorgeously choreographed and achingly moving dance-theater piece brings together internationally acclaimed artists from San Francisco Ballet with a cast of renowned actors.

The American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.) 2009-10 season culminates in the highly anticipated world premiere production of The Tosca Project, created and staged by A.C.T. Artistic Director Carey Perloff and San Francisco Ballet's Val Caniparoli. Conjuring a world in which love, betrayal, and hope emerge from the shadows and disappear with the clink of a glass, this gorgeously choreographed and achingly moving dance-theater piece brings together internationally acclaimed artists from San Francisco Ballet with a cast of renowned actors.

Radaronline.com is reporting that Disney star Cody Linley is Broadway-bound in the remake of the musical Over Here! Linley, of Hannah Montana and Dancing with the Stars fame, reportedly has passed on the Disney Channel's television movie Starstruck in order to participate in the Broadway production. Sterling Knight has since taken over the Starstruck role. Over Here! is hoping for an opening in the beginning of 2010.

Patricia Racette is the first soprano since Teresa Stratas 20 years ago to sing all three leading soprano roles in Puccini's Il Trittico at the Met. Comprised of three one-act operas, Il Tabarro, Suor Angelica, and Gianni Schicchi, Il Trittico returns to the Met in the production by Jack O'Brien that was a popular and critical hit at its premiere in 2007.

Rubicon Theatre Company has announced the cast and creative team for the World Premiere of THE BEST IS YET TO COME: THE MUSIC OF CY COLEMAN, which began previews July 9 at Rubicon's intimate 200-seat home at 1006 E. Main Street in Ventura's Downtown Cultural District. The show continues Wednesdays through Sundays through August 2, 2009.

In Cy Coleman's Seesaw, Gittel Mosca bemoans screwing up her chances for happiness. Coleman cherished the female underdog. Gittel. Charity in Sweet Charity and Sonja in The Life are three examples of ordinary hard-working gals who helped elevate Coleman's upbeat songs to majestic heights