Laurin Padolina News

Due to unprecedented demand for tickets, David Mirvish the Royal Shakespeare Company and The Dodgers have announced that the Canadian premiere production of MATILDA THE MUSICAL is once again forcing them to extend its run, this time through January 8th, 2017. This will be the final extension, MATILDA must leave Toronto after its final performance on January 8th.

With performances only beginning last week, David Mirvish and The Royal Shakespeare Company and The Dodgers are delighted to announce that popular demand for the Canadian premiere production of MATILDA THE MUSICAL is once again forcing them to extend its run, this time through November 27, 2016. 

The Toronto production of MATILDA opens tonight at the Ed Mirvish Theatre! Check out photos from the show below!

Starring a cast of acclaimed Canadian musical theatre performers in principal roles and three exciting young talents sharing the title role, MATILDA THE MUSICAL is produced by The Royal Shakespeare Company and The Dodgers presented in Toronto by David Mirvish as part of his 2015-16 Main Subscription Season. Performances begin Tuesday July 5 at the Ed Mirvish Theatre, with the media night scheduled forThursday, July 7 at 6:45 PM. Tickets are now available for performances until October 16, 2016.

The talented, hard-working children of MATILDA THE MUSICAL NATIONAL TOUR spend much of their time on stage revolting against their horrible headmistress Miss Trunchbull. Off-stage they should revolt against the horrible sound system that renders their lyrics indecipherable.

Due to popular demand, David Mirvish has announced that the Canadian premiere production of The Royal Shakespeare Company and The Dodgers production of MATILDA THE MUSICAL has extended its run through October 16, 2016. 

In a Canadian town like Stratford, Ontario that is known for formally presenting incredible live talent on a daily basis, it's always fun when some of those talented people involved (as well as their talented friends) come together for a less-formal celebration of all kinds of music (and even some dance). This is what current Stratford Festival performer Katrina Reynolds has put together for KAT'S CABARET; a series of cabarets that have taken place in Stratford this summer. Her more chilled, out, acoustic cabarets have been held at an intimate restaurant with a rustic feel (Montforte on Wellington), and for loud rock and roll themed cabarets, Molly Bloom's Irish Pub has been the venue of choice. The roster of performers is ever-changing and always impressive, allowing for a fun night out that no one should miss!

According to an inside source, Stephen Brian Patterson has taken over as 'Captain Walker' in TOMMY at the Stratford Festival. Jeremy Kushnier left the role on August 4. Patterson joins Robert Markus and Paul Nolan in Des McAnuff's new Stratford Festival rock musical, The Who's Tommy, at the Avon Theatre in Ontario through October 19.

Robert Markus, Paul Nolan and Jeremy Kushnier star in Des McAnuff's new Stratford Festival rock musical, The Who's Tommy, opening May 30 at the Avon Theatre in Ontario and running through October 19.

The world premiere musical Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots just finished its West Coast run at La Jolla Playhouse, directed by Des McAnuff, on December 16. According to the North County Times, when the McAnuff spoke after the final curtain about the musical's future, he discussed the possibility of taking it to Broadway.

La Jolla Playhouse presents Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, a world-premiere musical featuring a story by The Flaming Lips' Wayne Coyne and Playhouse Director Emeritus Des McAnuff (Jersey Boys, Jesus Christ Superstar), music and lyrics by The Flaming Lips, and direction by Des McAnuff. The show is currently running through December 16, 2012 in the Mandell Weiss Theatre. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the production highlights below.

La Jolla Playhouse presents Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, a world-premiere musical featuring a story by The Flaming Lips' Wayne Coyne and Playhouse Director Emeritus Des McAnuff (Jersey Boys, Jesus Christ Superstar), music and lyrics by The Flaming Lips, and direction by Des McAnuff. The show is currently running through December 16, 2012 in the Mandell Weiss Theatre. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the production below.

La Jolla Playhouse announces the cast and creative team for Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, a world-premiere musical featuring a story by The Flaming Lips' Wayne Coyne and Playhouse Director Emeritus Des McAnuff (Jersey Boys, Jesus Christ Superstar), music and lyrics by The Flaming Lips, and direction by Des McAnuff. The show will run tonight, November 6 - December 16, 2012 in the Mandell Weiss Theatre.

La Jolla Playhouse presents Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, a world-premiere musical featuring a story by The Flaming Lips' Wayne Coyne and Playhouse Director Emeritus Des McAnuff (Jersey Boys, Jesus Christ Superstar), music and lyrics by The Flaming Lips, and direction by Des McAnuff. The show will run November 6 - December 16, 2012 in the Mandell Weiss Theatre. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the rehearsals below.

La Jolla Playhouse announces the cast and creative team for Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, a world-premiere musical featuring a story by The Flaming Lips' Wayne Coyne and Playhouse Director Emeritus Des McAnuff (Jersey Boys, Jesus Christ Superstar), music and lyrics by The Flaming Lips, and direction by Des McAnuff. The show will run November 6 - December 16, 2012 in the Mandell Weiss Theatre.

Following celebrated runs at the Toronto Stratford Shakespeare Festival, the La Jolla Playhouse in San Diego, and on Broadway at the Neil Simon Theatre, JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR takes its final Broadway bow tonight, July 1. Upon closing, the show will have played 116 regular performances and 24 preview performances. One of Andrew Lloyd Webber's most famous shows, the Stratford production undeniably had a great run and introduced some exciting new stars to the Great White Way, including Tony nominee Josh Young, Jesus himself Paul Nolan, and Chilina Kennedy. Below, BroadwayWorld revisits the journey of SUPERSTAR!

As BroadwayWorld reported last week the Broadway production of JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR announced that unless business improves, the musical will close at the Neil Simon Theatre on Sunday, July 1. Now according to the show's official website, the production will indeed take its final bow on July 1. As of that date, the show will have played 116 regular performances and 24 previews.

The producers of the Broadway production of JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR have announced that unless business improves, the musical will close at the Neil Simon Theatre on Sunday, July 1. As of that date, the show will have played 116 regular performances and 24 previews.

66th Tony Awards, the most prestigious theatrical awards in the United States, which airs on Velvet Channel on Monday, June 11, 8 a.m., has announced its lineup of performances that includes "Godspell" (Filipino actors Anna Maria Perez de Tagle and George Salazar are part of the cast), "Ghost" (Filipino-American singer and dancer Albert Guerzon is part of the ensemble), and Tony-nominated musicals "Evita," "Follies," The Gershwin's "Porgy and Bess," "Jesus Christ Superstar" (Filipino Canadian actors Julius Sermonia, Jason Sermonia, and Laurin Padolina are cast members), "Leap of Faith," Disney's "Newsies," (Filipino-American actor Aaron Albano is part of the ensemble), "Nice Work If You Can Get It," and "Once."

My first dose of musical theater was through my uncle's old screechy phonograph recording of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's hippie, loud, angst-laden rock musical "Jesus Christ Superstar" (JCS). The classic stage hit, which was originally a concept album before evolving into a full-blown Broadway musical that follows the passion and death of Jesus Christ as seen through the eyes of Judas Iscariot, had completed its three-year run on Broadway (1971-1973), and its first commercial movie release (1973) by the time I got to experience JCS's electrifying, personally-impactful songs in the '80s though. So when the Stratford Shakespeare Festival in Toronto, Canada announced late last year that its critically-acclaimed, deemed revolutionary production of JCS, directed by Tony winner Des McAnuff, was coming to Broadway, I was delighted to hear the news; and more so when I learned that three Filipino-Canadian musical theater artists - brothers Julius and Jason Sermonia, and Laurin Padolina - are part of the show.