Eddie Varley News

What a year it has been here at BroadwayWorld, truly an astonishing 12 months of talent and excitement in the world of theatre and beyond! As always we have strived to bring you the very best, but as always you've got the final say and boy did your numbers show it in regards to what you found most exciting story wise. We tallied the numbers, combed the archives and are proud to bring you the top twenty articles of 2008! Relive the memories, revisit the opening nights and remember the magic of 2008, we can't wait to bring you whats ahead in 2009! Happy New Year from the entire BroadwayWorld.com team.

Oscar, Tony and Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright-director John Patrick Shanley brings his searing drama Doubt to the silver screen. Shanley wrote the screenplay and directs the film adaptation of his Tony winning hit. He spent time with BroadwayWorld to reveal his excitement on telling the story on a bigger visual canvas, the movie casting and why the story is so affecting to an audience.

Viola Davis plays Mrs. Miller in the film adaption of the Broadway play, Doubt. Ms. Davis sat for an interview with BroadwayWorld.com to share her thoughts on the story, her fight for the role and the powerful on-screen relationship between mother and son.

In Doubt, Amy Adams plays Sister James, the innocent but passionate young nun who may have witnessed a horrible incident that will lead to the very fabric of her belief being tested. Amy Adams took time to speak with BroadwayWorld.com on the excitement of joining the cast, the process of bringing the story to the screen and reveals she visits BWW to find out all the latest theatre news too!

Meryl Streep, who stars in the film as the stern Sister Aloysius, sat down with BroadwayWorld.com to discuss the riveting film, the power of the story and how she came about winning the role.

A bright ray of light burst on the Great White Way this past week and gave us a wee bit of hope in this bleakest of seasons, no it wasn't a brand new Broadway bound hit, well not in the strictest sense, it was a young boy from New Orleans who dared to make his musical theatre dreams come true.

Trick Saddle presents the World Premiere of WICKETS beginning previews January 3 at 3LD Art & Technology Center. This radical adaptation of Marie Irene Fornes groundbreaking 1971 drama Fefu and Her Friends is created and conceived by Clove Galilee and Jenny Rogers. Developed through Mabou Mines Suite/Space and the HERE Arts Center Artist Residency Program (HARP) with overall support from INTAR Theater. Opening night is slated for Thursday January 8, 2009.

In this the fourth 'webisode', you'll share the thrill of performing the show with the new improved digital sound system (added last summer) which was met with excitement from both the cast and the show's many fans.

In celebration of the mega musical The Phantom of the Opera and its continuing hold over the hearts and minds of audiences across the globe, BWW TV took a trip 'beyond the lake' to visit with the production's talented leads.

The Phantom of the Opera continues to haunt the Majestic Theatre eight times a week. In 'webisode' number two, the cast discuss how they navigate the deep and emotional relationships of the characters they play and what it takes to reach the power of 'the music of the night'.

The Phantom of the Opera continues to haunt the Majestic Theatre eight times a week. In celebration of the musical and its continuing hold over the hearts and minds of audiences across the globe, BWW TV took a trip 'beyond the lake' to visit with the production's talented leads.

If Tracie Thoms' life was written as an old fashioned Broadway musical it would go something like this, 'Girl wants role, girl doesn't get role, girl REALLY wants role, girl finally gets role and then girl REALLY gets role…again.' Sound complicated? Not so much. BroadwayWorld caught up with her and we spoke at length about her thrilling and inspiring 'Quest for Joanne'.

On Thursday August 14, 2008, Xanadu Star Cheyenne Jackson had his very own Broadway Wall of Fame portrait unveiled at the popular theater district Italian eatery, Tony DiNapoli's. Tony DiNapoli's is located at 147 43rd Street.

BroadwayWorld.com's own Editor-in-Chief Robert Diamond and Creative Director Eddie Varley are out in L.A. covering the highly anticipated Les Miserables in Concert which will play at the famous Hollywood Bowl this weekend. In this exclusive video, Musical Director and Conductor, Kevin Stites and Costumer, Kathleen Melcher talk about this unique event and BroadwayWorld brings you front and center for a sneak peek of the finale!

BroadwayWorld.com's own Eddie Varley is out in L.A. covering the highly anticipated Les Miserables in Concert which will play at the famous Hollywood Bowl this weekend. In this exclusive video, the cast shares their thoughts about being involved with this special production. Plus, you'll get a sneak peek of 'One Day More.'

Giovanni Spina had a passion to entertain since his preschool days, where he often could be found singing and dancing in the living rooms of his friends and family. This progressed to performing in school plays and musicals and soon he was attending, you guessed it, a performing arts high school. He succeeded in expanding his talents and decided to pursue his passion further by auditioning for the theatre program at the prestigious Ryerson University in Toronto. He was just about ready to begin theatre classes at Ryerson, where he beat out 2,000 aspiring actors for a spot in the program when he got the call about an audition for a small role in a little something called…Camp Rock.

Theater audiences will recognize Dominic Cooper from his role as Dakin in the acclaimed 2006 Tony winning Best Play, The History Boys by Alan Bennett. His performance of the role on Broadway drew raves and the admiration of critics and fans alike. This Friday the ever evolving actor takes on the music of ABBA and the young romantic leading role of Sky in the big screen version of the mega musical, Mamma Mia!

BroadwayWorld.com's Eddie Varley and special Tony Night 2008 correspondent Laura Bell Bundy, star of the hit musical, Legally Blonde spent the evening celebrating the 2008 Antoinette Perry 'Tony' Awards with the various (and very happy) winners.

In The Heights won the 2008 Tony Award for Best Orchestrations. Musical Director Alex Lacamoire and Arranger, Bill Sherman sat down to celebrate with BroadwayWorld.com's Eddie Varley.

I don't think that we've ever given out so many four and five star reviews and there's a lot of exciting reading and buying of books, as well as gift-giving ahead...