James Lapine News

ANNIE fans and audiences nationwide are now offered an exclusive, behind-the-curtain look at what it takes to put on a major Broadway production, in the primetime special, ANNIE: It's the Hard-Knock Life, From Script to Stage. Check out the preview below!

Just yesterday, the adorable orphans of ANNIE gathered at Magnolia Bakery to try the new ANNIE-themed cupcake. BroadwayWorld was there for the special event and you can check out photos below!

According to The Hollywood Reporter, talks between Sony Studios and Sandra Bullock, the actress who was recently offered the role of orphanage meanie 'Miss Hannigan' in the upcoming musical adaptation of ANNIE, have ended.

Main Street Theater Announces its 39th MainStage Season and 34th Theater for Youth Season. Founded in 1975, Main Street Theater is a fully professional theater which operates out of 2 spaces: its Times Blvd. location in Rice Village and our Chelsea Market space on Montrose.

Shout! Broadway released the new 2012 Cast Recording for ANNIE CD on Tuesday, June 18. To celebrate the release of the CD cast members Jane Lynch, Anthony Warlow, Lilla Crawford, Brynn O'Malley, Clarke Thorell, creators Charles Strouse, Martin Charnin and Tom Meehan and more signed copies of the album at Barnes & Noble (160 East 54th Street at 3rd Avenue) yesterday. BroadwayWorld was there for the special event and you can check out photo coverage below!

Shout! Broadway will release the new 2012 Cast Recording for ANNIE CD on Tuesday, June 18. To celebrate the release of the CD cast members Jane Lynch, Anthony Warlow, Lilla Crawford, Brynn O'Malley, Clarke Thorell, creators Charles Strouse, Martin Charnin and Tom Meehan and more will sign copies of the album at Barnes & Noble (160 East 54th Street at 3rd Avenue) beginning promptly at 12:30 p.m. and ending at 1:45 p.m.

Classic Stage Company, under the leadership of Artistic Director Brian Kulick and Executive Director Greg Reiner, today announced plans for its upcoming season. The esteemed off-Broadway company, which is wrapping up one of its most successful seasons ever, will kick off its 2013/2014 Season in September with the previously announced new production ofShakespeare's ROMEO & JULIET, featuring acclaimed rising film actress Elizabeth Olsen (Martha Marcy May Marlene) and Finn Wittrock, who won raves last season on Broadway in Death of a Salesman. ROMEO & JULIET will be directed by Tea Alagi? (Jackie).

Beginning June 28, ANNIE will play an additional matinee on Friday afternoons on Broadway at the Palace Theatre (1564 Broadway at 47th Street) - rather than an evening show on Wednesday, it was announced today.

Beginning today, June 15th, Charlie Williams will be the new Dream Hannibal in Off-Broadway's long-running smash SILENCE! THE MUSICAL at the Elektra Theatre in the heart of Times Square. SILENCE! announced this week that it will end its triumphant two-year run Sunday, July 7th. The show's producer, Theater Mogul, is currently negotiating licensing deals for futureSILENCE! productions to open during the 2013-14 season in major markets across the country and around the world.

Beginning tomorrow, June 15th, Charlie Williams will be the new Dream Hannibal in Off-Broadway's long-running smash SILENCE! THE MUSICAL at the Elektra Theatre in the heart of Times Square. SILENCE! announced yesterday that it will end its triumphant two-year run Sunday, July 7th. The show's producer, Theater Mogul, is currently negotiating licensing deals for future SILENCE! productions to open during the 2013-14 season in major markets across the country and around the world.

Lincoln Center Theater has announced four productions to be produced in the Vivian Beaumont and Mitzi E. Newhouse Theaters during the 2013-2014 season: the world premiere ofDomesticated, a new play by Bruce Norris, featuring Laurie Metcalf, directed by Anna D. Shapiro beginning performances Thursday, October 10 in the Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater; a new production of Shakespeare's Macbeth, featuring Ethan Hawke in the title role, directed by Jack O'Brien, beginning performances Thursday, October 24 in the Vivian Beaumont Theater; Act One, adapted and directed by James Lapine from the autobiography by Moss Hart, beginning performances Thursday, March 20 in the Beaumont; and the world premiere of The City of Conversation, a new play by Anthony Giardina, directed by Doug Hughes, beginning performances Thursday, April 10 in the Newhouse. In addition to these four productions, LCT3, Lincoln Center Theater's initiative to produce the work of new artists and to engage new audiences, will produce a season of three plays, to be announced, in the Claire Tow Theater.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Tracey Ullman is the latest actress in negotiations to join Rob Marshall's film adaptation of Stephen Sondheim's musical INTO THE WOODS. If cast, Ullman will play Jack's mother.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Sandra Bullock is in talks to join Jamie Foxx and Quvenzhane Wallis in producers Will Smith and Jay-Z's film adaptation of Annie for Sony. Bullock would play 'MIss Hannigan' in the film.

Broadway veteran Melissa Errico announced early last month that she would be undergoing a surgery to repair a blood vessel on her vocal chord. In April, Errico had to depart the Classic Stage Company production of Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine's Passion to go on vocal rest. The singer has started a blog to document her experiences and continues now with her fourth post.

Danny Burstein, Eisa Davis, Raul Esparza, Peter Friedman, Judy Kuhn, Martin Moran, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, Anika Noni Rose and Henry Stram will star in Marc Blitzstein's The Cradle Will Rock, the inaugural show of New York City Center's new Encores! Off-Center series, playing for five performances, July 10 - 13 at City Center. The show will be directed bySam Gold and choreographed by Chase Brock; Jeanine Tesori is the Encores! Off Center artistic director. Chris Fenwick is the music director. In keeping with City Center's founding mission to make the arts accessible to all and to younger audiences, the majority of tickets are $25.

Joanna Gleason won the Tony Award for her leading role of the Baker's Wife in Into The Woods, by Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine. She launches this season's Broadway @ The Art House season in Provincetown on June 28 and 29 with An Evening with Joanna Gleason. Each performance will combine the East Coast premiere of a the hilarious and moving one act play Bloom, written for her by Emmy and Golden Globe winning writer Michael Patrick King (creator of Sex and The City & Two Broke Girls) with a second act of songs featuring special guests Well-Strung, and hosted by pianist/host Seth Rudetsky. For tickets, please visit www.ptownarthouse.com or call 800-838-3006.

Celebrating the launch of her new solo album, 'ALL THIS HAPPINESS', on PS Classics, Judy Kuhn is making her debut at 54 Below, (254 W. 54th Street between Broadway & 8th Avenue) in, 'ALL THIS HAPPINESS' tonight, June 10th and Wednesday, June 12th at 7:00 p.m., featuring Dan Lipton, Musical Director, cellist Peter Sachon and percussionist Damien Bassman. The show will include songs from the new CD as well as some of her other favorites.