Helen Mirren News

MATILDA, a new musical based on author Roald Dahl's 1988 children's book of the same name will be staged by the Royal Shakespeare Company at the Courtyard Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon. The musical will premiere in late 2010, under the direction of Tony Award winner Matthew Warchus, with book by Dennis Kelly and music and lyrics by Tim Minchin.

Tony Award winner Alan Cumming brings his one-man cabaret show to the Geffen Playhouse for eight shows only from September 29 to October 6. Directly following critically acclaimed runs at the Sydney Opera House, Lincoln Center and the Vaudeville Theater on London's West End, Alan Cumming: I Bought a Blue Car Today is a fast-paced jaunt that intersperses witty banter, cheeky stories and show-stopping songs.

MCC Theater (Robert LuPone, Bernard Telsey, Artistic Directors; William Cantler, Associate Artistic Director; Blake West, Executive Director) has announced the trio of English actors who will appear in the American premiere production of Alexi Kaye Campbell's The Pride, directed by Joe Mantello. Hugh Dancy (Adam, Journey's End), Andrea Riseborough (Happy Go Lucky) and Ben Whishaw (Bright Star, Brideshead Revisited) will star in the four person play, with a fourth actor to be announced shortly. The production will mark Ms. Riseborough and Mr. Whishaw's New York stage debuts. Performances begin at the Lucille Lortel Theatre (121 Christopher Street, NYC) on January 27 and continue through March 20, 2010. Opening night is set for Tuesday, February 16 at 7:00 p.m.

Tony® Award, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Award winner for his acclaimed portrayal of the Emcee in Broadway?s revival of CABARET at Studio 54, Alan Cumming will present the West Coast Premiere of his one-man show Alan Cumming: I Bought a Blue Car Today at the Orange County Performing Arts Center with two performances on September 26 at 7:30 and 9:30 p.m. in Samueli Theater. Accompanied by his musical director, Lance Horne, Cumming will unleash his favorite tunes, belt out celebrated hits alongside little-known gems, whilst captivating his audience with poignant anecdotes from his colorful and fantastic past. It?s a musical journey peppered with material by Frank Sinatra, Dory Previn, Kander & Ebb and Cyndi Lauper, to name only a few.

Tony® Award, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Award winner for his acclaimed portrayal of the Emcee in Broadway's revival of Cabaret at Studio 54, Alan Cumming will give the West Coast Premiere of his one-man show Alan Cumming: I Bought a Blue Car Today at the Orange County Performing Arts Center September 26 at 7:30 and 9:30 p.m. in Samueli Theater.

Tony® Award, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Award winner for his acclaimed portrayal of the Emcee in Broadway's revival of Cabaret at Studio 54, Alan Cumming will give the West Coast Premiere of his one-man show Alan Cumming: I Bought a Blue Car Today at the Orange County Performing Arts Center September 26 at 7:30 and 9:30 p.m. in Samueli Theater.

Dame Helen Mirren, the Best Actress Oscar winner for her portrayal of England's Queen Elizabeth in the hit film 'The Queen,' portrays the tragic Queen Phedre in the acclaimed production of the Greek tragedy PHEDRE, making its only U.S. stage appearance now through September 26, 2009 at the Shakespeare Theatre Company (610 F. St. NW) in Washington, DC.

The Guthrie announced today that it will continue its participation in the pilot season of NT Live - an initiative by the UK's National Theatre to broadcast high-definition performances of its plays to more than 300 venues worldwide - with screenings of Shakespeare's All's Well That Ends Well (October 24 and 25 at 1 p.m.), Mark Ravenhill's exhilarating adaptation of Terry Pratchett's witty adventure story Nation (February 5 and 6 at 7:30 p.m.) and Alan Bennett's new play The Habit of Art (May 1 and 2 at 7:30 p.m.).

New York magazine caught up with Julie Taymor at the Monday, September 21st opening of the Metropolitan Opera season and the visionary director declared that SPIDERMAN, TURN OFF THE DARK is still set to swing to Broadway.

The New York Times is reporting that Malcolm Gets and Helen Stenborg will star in the dark comedy Vigil at the DR 2 Theatre, September 20th through November 22nd.

Tony® Award, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Award winner for his acclaimed portrayal of the Emcee in Broadway?s revival of CABARET at Studio 54, Alan Cumming will present the West Coast Premiere of his one-man show Alan Cumming: I Bought a Blue Car Today at the Orange County Performing Arts Center with two performances on September 26 at 7:30 and 9:30 p.m. in Samueli Theater. Accompanied by his musical director, Lance Horne, Cumming will unleash his favorite tunes, belt out celebrated hits alongside little-known gems, whilst captivating his audience with poignant anecdotes from his colorful and fantastic past. It?s a musical journey peppered with material by Frank Sinatra, Dory Previn, Kander & Ebb and Cyndi Lauper, to name only a few.

People's Light & Theatre Company kicks off their 35th Anniversary Season with the American Premiere of NATHAN THE WISE translated by Edward Kemp from the play by Gotthold Ephraim Lessing. NATHAN THE WISE runs from September 16 - October 11, 2009, on the Main Stage. Artistic Director Abigail Adams directs. People's Light & Theatre is located at 39 Conestoga Road, Malvern.

Tony Award winner Alan Cumming brings his one-man cabaret show to the Geffen Playhouse for eight shows only from September 29 to October 6. Directly following critically acclaimed runs at the Sydney Opera House, Lincoln Center and the Vaudeville Theater on London's West End, Alan Cumming: I Bought a Blue Car Today is a fast-paced jaunt that intersperses witty banter, cheeky stories and show-stopping songs.

Shakespeare's ALL'S WELL THAT ENDS WELL, in a highly acclaimed production by Marianne Elliott, will be filmed live at the National Theatre in London on 1st October and broadcast by satellite to cinemas worldwide. All?s Well is the second play in the pilot season of NT Live, the National?s ground-breaking initiative which launched in June with the hugely successful broadcast of Phèdre with Helen Mirren, which was seen by 50,000 people in 19 countries around the globe. ALL'S WELL will be the first play broadcast from the largest of the National's three theatres, the Olivier, with its fan-shaped auditorium and open stage.

The New York Times is reporting that tickets for Spider-Man will go on sale on October 31, 2009.

This week's issue of Entertainment Weekly magazine checked in with the rep for Evan Rachel Wood, who previous rumors stated was let go as Mary Jane, along with other contracted performers from SPIDER-MAN when the show hit financial troubles. Wood's representative tells the magazine however that she is still on board and that she was never set loose. Co-star Alan Cumming's rep was 'unavailable for comment.'

Broadway's most talked about new musical and the biggest Tony Award-winner in years is coming to the Orange County Performing Arts Center.

After a 48 year absence, Roundabout Theatre Company (Todd Haimes, Artistic Director) presents the first new Broadway production of Bye Bye Birdie as the inaugural production of the new Henry Miller's Theatre (124 West 43rd Street) beginning Thursday, September 10th, 2009 with an official opening on Thursday, October 15th, 2009. This will be a limited engagement through January 10th, 2010.

Dress Circle has announced that Alan Cumming will be at the theatre goods shop on Saturday 5th September at 1.00 to 2.00pm to sign copies of his dedut album I Bought A Blue Car Today.

Michael Riedel reports in his Broadway Matinee column in the The New York Post today that while 'SPIDER-MAN, Turn Off The Dark' may have hit a snag on the road to Broadway, a friendly 'superhero' is trying to 'swing' in to get things rolling again.