James Earl Jones News

Bay Street Theatre will present the World Premiere of a musical as the third production of the 2012 Mainstage Season. Tony Award winner Lillias White will play Maybelle Smith in BIG MAYBELLE: SOUL OF THE BLUES, written and directed by Paul Levine. The show runs Tuesday, August 7 through Sunday, September 2.

Golden Globe Award winner CYBILL SHEPHERD and Emmy Award nominee KRISTIN DAVIS will make their Broadway debuts while Emmy Award nominee JOHN STAMOS makes his Broadway straight play debut when they join the cast of the Tony-nominated Broadway revival of Gore Vidal's THE BEST MAN tomorrow, Tuesday, July 10, 2012 at 7:00pm.

SILENCE! The Musical celebrates its one-year anniversary today, July 9th at PS122. 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.

SILENCE! The Musical is celebrating July 4th with a special early 7 PM curtain time to allow folks to enjoy the annual fireworks display.

A devout theater fan knows no holiday, and thankfully, many of Broadway's most beloved shows and performers nationwide don't either. So what's a theater enthusiast to do on this Independence Day? Check out a sampling of this year's most exciting 4th of July offerings and click below to revisit some of your favorites saluting our nation in song!

The Public Theater (Artistic Director Oskar Eustis; Executive Director Patrick Willingham) announced complete casting today for Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine's beloved musical INTO THE WOODS, directed by Timothy Sheader with co-direction by Liam Steel. Ellen Harvey (Cinderella's Stepmother); Bethany Moore (Stepsister); Jennifer Rias (Stepsister); Sarah Stiles (Little Red Ridinghood); and Kristine Zbornik (Jack's Mother) complete the cast with Chip Zien, who originated the role of the Baker in the 1987 Broadway production, playing Mysterious Man.

SILENCE! The Musical is celebrating Gay Pride weekend with a special added matinee performance today, June 23 at 3 PM at PS122. The cast of the smash hit show is scheduled to appear in Sunday's Pride March, which begins at noon at 36th St. & Fifth Ave. and ends at Christopher & Greenwich Streets. The cast will be bringing along fun surprise goodies to hand out to all their fans in the crowd.

Nine elaborate, Broadway-themed wall clocks, created by luxury watchmaker Audemars Piguet and signed by dozens of 2012 Tony Award nominees, are currently up for auction to benefit Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. The online auction for these one-of-a-kind tributes to the best and brightest of Broadway ends this Tuesday, June 26.

The Los Angeles-based composers of SILENCE! The Musical, Jon & Al Kaplan, recently returned to check out their smash hit show for the first time since SILENCE! moved to its current home at PS122 in the East Village. Check out the photo of the pair with the SILENCE! team below!

The Muny presents THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE as a part of the 94th season in Forest Park. Set to star in the production are Broadway favorites Beth Leavel, Leslie Uggams, and Tari Kelly as Mrs. Meers, Muzzy, and Millie respectively. The production, running through June 24, is directed by Marc Bruni and choreographed by Chris Bailey. Check out photos from opening night below!

Shuler Hensley is ending his limited four-week run as Dr. Hannibal Lecter this Sunday, June 24th in Off-Broadway's SILENCE! The Musical, where he has been filling in for the vacationing David Garrison.

The Public Theater will present an additional free performance of AS YOU LIKE IT, directed by Daniel Sullivan, tonight (Tuesday, June 19) at 8 p.m. AS YOU LIKE IT, the first show of The Public's 50th Anniversary season at the Delacorte, will officially open on Thursday, June 21 and continue through Saturday, June 30.

Popular on-air TMZ personality, Peter O Riordan, attended SILENCE! The Musical on June 7th with his mother (to celebrate her birthday) and they posed for photos afterwards with the show's cast.

Tony Kushner and Annie Leibovitz photograph and interview the team behind Delacorte Theater's Shakespeare in the Park and some of its biggest stars, including James Earl Jones, Oscar Eustis, Audra McDonald, Blythe Danner, Kevin Kline, Mandy Pantinkin, Jonathan Groff, Tyler Ferguson and more! Watch the Vanity Fair video feature here.

Candice Bergen is now appearing in Broadway's THE BEST MAN, and shares the stage with such bold-face names as John Larroquette, James Earl Jones, Eric McCormack and Angela Lansbury. The actress told Rock Center's Harry Smith that eight performances a week is something that helps to keep her sane. Bergen will be featured this Thursday, June 14 on NBC's 'Rock Center with Brian Williams' at 10pm/9c. Want a sneak peek at the segment? BWW presents an exclusive clip below!

The acclaimed Broadway production of Tennessee Williams' A Streetcar Named Desire, directed by Emily Man has cancelled its previously announced summer extension, and will now take its final Broadway bow on its original closing date- July 22. BroadwayWorld has learned that the show might be moving to London, aiming for a Fall 2012 opening.

The Shakespeare Theatre Company today announced that STC Affiliated Artist Stacy Keach will join Artistic Director Michael Kahn for the final installment of the Classic Conversations series to be held at Sidney Harman Hall (610 F St. NW) on Monday, July 23, 2012, at 8 p.m. Classic Conversations with Michael Kahn is a series of discussions with classically-trained actors presented as part of the Company's 25th Anniversary Season.

Ben Schwartz ('House of Lies,' 'Parks and Recreation") Linus Roache (Batman Begins, Priest), Johanna Day (Tony nominee for Proof) and Pete Simpson (Blue Man Group) all descended on SILENCE! The Musical on May 31st to catch leading man David Garrison's last performance prior to his vacation. Tony Award winner Shuler Hensley is currently filling in as Dr. Hannibal Lecter through June 24th.

The Public Theater (Artistic Director Oskar Eustis; Executive Director Patrick Willingham) began previews on Tuesday, June 5, for AS YOU LIKE IT, the first show of The Public's 50th Anniversary season at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park--home of free Shakespeare in the Park. Directed by Daniel Sullivan, AS YOU LIKE IT will continue for four weeks through Saturday, June 30, with an official press opening on Thursday, June 21. Check out photos of Paul Taylor, Andre Braugher, Renee Elise Goldsberry, Lily Rabe, David Furr, Donna Lynne Champlin, Oliver Platt, Jordan Tice, Stephen Spinella, Susannah Flood and Will Rogers in the production below!

Golden Globe Award winner Cybill Shepherd, Emmy Award nominee John Stamos, Emmy Award nominee Kristin Davis and Tony Award winner Elizabeth Ashley will join the cast of the Tony-nominated Broadway revival of Gore Vidal's THE BEST MAN this July when original cast members Candice Bergen, Eric McCormack, Kerry Butler and Angela Lansbury depart the production.