James Earl Jones News

After an extensive international search, The Little Orchestra Society is excited to announce the appointment of James Judd as its new Music Director, effective June 1st. Mr. Judd will work closely with The Little Orchestra Society's Executive Director Joanne Bernstein-Cohen and its Board to advance the Orchestra's mission of producing innovative and extraordinary classical music programming for audiences of all ages. Mr. Judd becomes only the third Music Director of The Little Orchestra Society in its 65-year history.

The Public Theater (Artistic Director, Oskar Eustis; Executive Director, Patrick Willingham) and the Aspen Institute Arts Program (Director, Damian Woetzel) announced today that Christine Baranski, Gloria Reuben and Matt Damon will join the free Public Forum, WHAT ARE WE WORTH? SHAKESPEARE, MONEY, AND MORALS, on Monday, June 17 at 8:00 p.m. at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park.

Theatre World Award Alumni Courtney B. Vance, Anika Noni Rose, Ben Vereen, Christine Lahti, Tony Sheldon, Lea Salonga, Isabel Keating, Phillip Boykin, Jessie Mueller, Jackie Hoffman, Wesley Taylor, Patricia Elliott, Meg Bussert, Crystal A. Dickinson, with special guest Nathan Lane, have been announced as presenters and performers at the 69th Annual Theatre World Awards Ceremony on Monday evening, June 3, 2013 beginning at 6:45 p.m. at the Music Box Theatre (239 West 45th Street), home of the current Broadway revival of Pippin. Mother and daughter, Rosemary Harris and Jennifer Ehle, both Theatre World Award Alumni, are 2013 Honorary Co-Chairs.

SILENCE! THE MUSICAL will play a special added holiday performance today at the Elektra Theatre in the heart of Times Square. The show, which normally plays at 5 PM on Sundays, will have two performances today at 2 & 7 PM. Winner of the 2012 Off Broadway Alliance Award for Best Musical, SILENCE! is the unauthorized parody of THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS, with book byHunter Bell, music & lyrics by Jon and Al Kaplan, and direction & choreography by Tony Award winner Christopher Gattelli. After opening initially at Theatre 80 on July 9, 2011 to unanimous rave reviews, the show immediately became a sold-out phenomenon and was selected by Time Magazine as one of the year's Top 5 Musicals.

Today we are continuing BroadwayWorld's 2013 Tony Awards Clip Countdown with a special spotlight focused on a recent Best Musical winner and the subject of last year's stupendous opening number - "Hello" from THE BOOK OF MORMON!

Carol Irvin, Michael Ruff and Daniel W. Black star in Cumberland County Playhouse's 48th season-opening production of Alfred Uhry's Pulitzer Prize-winning Driving Miss Daisy, which opens this Saturday, January 21.

PinnWorth Productions presents the humorous and touching play "On Golden Pond" at Mercer County Community College's Kelsey Theatre. Performances are Fridays, June 14 and 21 at 8 p.m.; Saturdays, June 15 and 22 at 8 p.m.; and Sundays, June 16 and 23 at 2 p.m. Kelsey Theatre is located on the college's West Windsor campus, 1200 Old Trenton Road. A reception with the cast and crew follows the opening night performance on June 14.

The Village Voice, the nation's first and largest alternative weekly newspaper, welcomes esteemed critic and longtime judge of the awards Michael Feingold as Obie chairman for the 58th Annual Village Voice OBIE Awards, replacing former Chairman Brian Parks who has moved on from The Village Voice.

Off-Broadway's sellout sensation SILENCE! THE MUSICAL will celebrate its 500th performance at the 2 PM matinee today, May 18th at the Elektra Theatre in the heart of Times Square.

The Drama League announced today the winners for the 79th Annual Drama League Awards: Distinguished Production of a Musical, Kinky Boots; presented by Diane Paulus; Distinguished Play, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, presented by Pam MacKinnon; Distinguished Revival of a Musical, Pippin, presented by Alex Timbers; Distinguished Revival of a Play, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf, presented by Rachel Chavkin; Distinguished Performance, Nathan Lane, presented by Debra Messing at a star-studded luncheon ceremony hosted by Ms. Messing and David Hyde Pierce at the Marriott Marquis Times Square (1535 Broadway). BroadwayWorld was there and brings you coverage of the red carpet arrivals below!

The Drama League (Executive Director, Gabriel Shanks) announced today the winners for the 79th Annual Drama League Awards: Distinguished Production of a Musical, Kinky Boots; presented by Diane Paulus; Distinguished Play,Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, presented by Pam MacKinnon; Distinguished Revival of a Musical, Pippin, presented by Alex Timbers; Distinguished Revival of a Play,Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf, presented by Rachel Chavkin; Distinguished Performance, Nathan Lane, presented by Debra Messing at a star-studded luncheon ceremony hosted by Ms. Messing and David Hyde Pierce at the Marriott Marquis Times Square (1535 Broadway).

The Guthrie today announced that eight artists who have graced the Guthrie's stages during its 50-year history, from the first season in 1963 to the theater's current season, are slated to participate in the Guthrie's 50th anniversary on June 22, 2013. Exclusive interviews with the legendary Zoe Caldwell and Christopher Plummer will be unveiled as part of a poignant and celebratory multi-media tribute, while stage veterans Barbara Bryne, Peter Michael Goetz and Stephen Yoakam; two graduates of the University of Minnesota/Guthrie Theater B.F.A. Actor Training Program, Matthew Amendt and Valeri Mudek; and an alum of A Guthrie Experience for Actors in Training, Erik Heger; will perform live for the one-night-only event.

The Public Theater (Artistic Director, Oskar Eustis; Executive Director, Patrick Willingham) and the Aspen Institute Arts Program (Director, Damian Woetzel) announced today that a special free Public Forum program, WHAT ARE WE WORTH? SHAKESPEARE, MONEY, AND MORALS, will take place at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park on Monday, June 17 at 8:00 p.m.

Off-Broadway's SILENCE! THE MUSICAL will celebrate its 500th performance at the 2 PM matinee this Saturday, May 18th at the Elektra Theatre in the heart of Times Square. Winner of the 2012 Off Broadway Alliance Award for Best Musical, SILENCE! THE MUSICAL is the unauthorized parody of THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS, with book by Hunter Bell, music & lyrics by Jon and Al Kaplan, and direction & choreography by Tony Award winner Christopher Gattelli.

On Friday, May 10th, guests enjoyed an opportunity to mix and mingle with the cast & crew of Northlight Theatre's production of Stella & Lou , including Ed Flynn, Francis Guinan and Rhea Perlman. Room & Board hosted the post-performance event in their Skokie showroom where guests enjoyed signature "The Stella" and "The Lou" cocktails provided by Real Russian Vodka and catering provided by Pure Kitchen Catering. Check out the photos below!

The Lincoln Center Board of Directors has unanimously selected Jed Bernstein, theater producer and educator, as its next president. The announcement was made today by Katherine Farley, Lincoln Center Board Chair. He will succeed Reynold Levy, who will step down as president in January, 2014.

Broadway Icon, Tommy Tune, will host The Actors Fund's 17th Annual Tony Awards Viewing Party on June 9th, 2013.

Bucks County Playhouse (BCP) (Jed Bernstein, Producing Director) has announced the complete casting for the world premiere of Mothers and Sons, a new play by four-time Tony Award-winning playwright Terrence McNally. Last seen at Bucks County in Love Letters opposite James Earl Jones, Emmy and Tony Award-winner Tyne Daly is set to star in the production joined by Tony Award-nominees Manoel Felciano and Bobby Steggert, with direction by Tony Award-nominee Sheryl Kaller.

Kevin Spirtas and Tyler Maynard are joining the cast of Off-Broadway's smash hit Silence! The Musical at today's matinee, May 4th at the Elektra Theatre. Spirtas is set to play Dr. Hannibal Lecter's nemesis Dr. Chilton, and Maynard will assume the role of the hapless Sgt. Pembry.