Howell Binkley News

The Society of London Theatre has today announced the shortlist for the BBC Radio 2 Olivier Audience Award. The public will vote for the overall winner. The shortlisted shows are BILLY ELLIOT, JERSEY BOYS, LES MISÉRABLES and WICKED.

The tour of the Broadway revival of WEST SIDE STORY is coming to Cincinnati.

The Tony Award winning musical AVENUE Q -- which played a 6-year run on Broadway before moving to New World Stages over two years ago -- will celebrate its 1000th performance at New World Stages (340 W. 50 St.) on Wednesday, March 14.

WEST SIDE STORY is currently touring the country, and now stars Ross Lekites as Tony, Evy Ortiz as Maria, Michelle Aravena as Anita, Drew Foster as Riff and German Santiago as Bernardo. Also featured are Mike Boland as Schrank, Stephen DeRosa as Glad Hand, Jon Drake as Action, Wally Dunn as Krupke, Alexandra Frohlinger as Anybodys, Jay Garcia as Chino, Casey Garvin as Diesel, Nathan Keen as Big Deal, Harris Milgrim as Snowboy, John O'Creagh as Doc, Christopher Rice as Baby John, Clay Thomson as A-rab, along with Karolina Blonski, Alicia Charles, Lauryn Ciardullo, Dean Andre De Luna, Lori Ann Ferreri, Ryan Ghysels, Tim Hausmann, Nicole Hellman, Laura Irion, Thayne Jasperson, Gizel Jimenez, Eric Anthony Johnson, Patrick Ortiz, Kristen Paulicelli, Christie Portera, Waldemar Quinones-Villanueva, Alexandra Blake Redelico, Michael Scirrotto, Jeffrey C. Sousa, Dani Spieler, Jessica Swesey, Kathryn Lin Terza and Kirstin Tucker.

MAGIC/BIRD, a new play from the team that brought LOMBARDI to Broadway last season, will play the Longacre Theater this sping. Previews will begin Wednesday, March 21, 2012 and the show will open on April 11, 2012. In this BroadwayWorld exclusive, we introduce you to the company below! Click for a first look!

Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR, directed by the Stratford Shakespeare Festival's Artistic Director and 2-time Tony Award winner Des McAnuff, opens March 22, 2012 at the Neil Simon Theatre. Previews began March 1. Broadway friends welcomed the new production to the block and BroadwayWorld was there for the photo op.

Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR, directed by the Stratford Shakespeare Festival's Artistic Director and 2-time Tony Award winner Des McAnuff, JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR opens March 22, 2012 (previews began March 1) at the Neil Simon Theatre (250 West 52nd Street). The cast of Broadway's JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR and director Des McAnuff recently sat down to talk about the production. Check out what they had to say below!

MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET makes its debut at the Hobby Center through March 4, 2012.

The Shakespeare Theatre Company welcomes former STC Associate Director PJ Paparelli who will direct and put a new twist on Shakespeare's earliest romantic comedy, The Two Gentlemen of Verona.

Get a sneak peek of The Stratford Shakespeare Festival's hit production of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR, which began previews at the Neil Simon Theatre on March 1. Directed by the Stratford Shakespeare Festival's Artistic Director Des McAnuff, JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR will open on March 22. Watch as the cast rehearses and hear what they have to say about the production below!

Parsons Dance and Gala Chair Linda Stocknoff announce the company's 2012 Annual spring Gala, Paint it Red, honoring Nancy Browne, Parsons Dance friend and co-commissioner of 2011 premiere work Portinari, on Monday, April 16, 2012 at 7:30 p.m. at Espace, 635 W. 42nd Street, NYC. The evening will begin with cocktails, hors d'oeuvres, and silent auction at 7:30 p.m., followed by a dinner, live auction, and performance by Parsons Dance at 8:30 p.m., then a full night of social dancing. Festive cocktail attire with a splash of red requested. Tickets begin at $700 and are available by calling 212-869-9275, by emailing sandy@parsonsdance.org, or online at www.parsonsdance.org/gala.

Emmy Award winner and Tony Award nominee Tammy Blanchard will star opposite Kristin Davis in the original Lifetime TV movie "Of Two Minds." Blanchard plays Davis' younger sister who is dealing with schizophrenia. "Of Two Minds" premieres on Lifetime network on Saturday, March 10, at 8pm.

Million Dollar Quartet, the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical inspired by the true story of four rock 'n' roll icons, makes its Minnesota debut at Hennepin Theatre Trust's State Theatre, March 27-April 1, 2012.

Previews for Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR on Broadway begin today at the Neil Simon Theatre. Directed by the Stratford Shakespeare Festival's Artistic Director and 2-time Tony Award winner Des McAnuff, JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR will open March 22, 2012

Emmy Award winner and Tony Award nominee Tammy Blanchard will star opposite Kristin Davis in the original Lifetime TV movie "Of Two Minds." Blanchard plays Davis' younger sister who is dealing with schizophrenia. "Of Two Minds" premieres on Lifetime network on Saturday, March 10, at 8pm.

Nick Jonas recently joined the cast of HOW TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS WITHOUT REALLY TRYING, taking over for Darren Criss in the lead role of J. Pierrepont Finch. The video below features Jonas singing the show's second act anthem- 'Brotherhood of Man.' Click below to watch the video!

BroadwayWorld.com and other select members of the press were invited last night to a cocktail reception and a performance of MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET, which tells the story of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Carl Perkins' historic 1956 recording session. The show is now playing open-ended run at its new Off-Broadway home, the New World Stages.

MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET makes its debut at the Hobby Center Feb. 28 - March 4, 2012.