Maggie Smith News

Houston Grand Opera (HGO) continues its 54 th season with Verdi's haunting and tragic tale Rigoletto. Rigoletto, which was last performed at HGO in 2001, returns to the Wortham Theater Centerwith a powerful new staging of Michael Yeargan's classic production that was inspired by Italianpainter Giorgio di Chirico.

On April 7, ArkivMusic released eight long-unavailable cast recordings on cd for the first time. New releases include DisinHAIRited, Hazel Flagg, Jimmy, The Last Sweet Days of Isaac, Let It Ride!, New Faces of 1952, New Faces of '56, and The Threepenny Opera.

Celebrated stage and screen actor (and Knight of the Realm) Sir John Standing takes to the stage of Pizza on the Park for an extended run of his critically acclaimed show Singing NOEL COWARD which sold out at Bellamy's earlier this year. Standing, who has appeared onstage on Broadway and The West and in numerous Hollywood movies, including V for Vendetta and Walk Don't Run (with Cary Grant), knew Coward personally and presents a razor sharp programme of the composer and dramatist's beloved repertoire, peppered with personal anecdotes.

VOTE! is a fresh, new look at politics through the eyes of three high school students who are after the ultimate prize - Student Body President! Written by Ryann Ferguson and Steven Jamail, this intelligent and timely show offers a sharp, entertaining look at elections and the moral dilemmas they produce. The bright and imaginative score features many sure-to-be-hit numbers.

VOTE! New Musical Premieres March 6-8 in Bloomington! Indiana Try-Out Before NYC Summer Production VOTE! is a fresh, new look at politics through the eyes of three high school students who are after the ultimate prize - Student Body President! Written by up-and-coming New York City songwriters Ryann Ferguson and Steven Jamail, this intelligent and timely show offers a sharp, entertaining look at elections and the moral dilemmas they produce. The bright and imaginative score features many sure-to-be-hit numbers.

Gloucester Stage Artistic Director Eric C. Engel recently announced Gloucester Stage's 30th Anniversary Season.

Alan Ayckbourn's comic trilogy of plays, THE NORMAN CONQUESTS, will come to Broadway directly following its sold out critically acclaimed run in London. The production, the latest success for The Old Vic Theatre Company under the artistic leadership of Kevin Spacey, will play for 16 weeks only. THE NORMAN CONQUESTS, directed by Matthew Warchus, opens Thursday, April 23 at Circle in the Square Theatre (235 West 50th Street). Previews begin Tuesday, April 7.

DOG RUN REP presents WINTER THEATRE AT SOUTH STREET SEAPORT featuring Dog Run Rep, Abraxas Stage Company, Studio 42, and Unknown Productions. Celebrating its 3rd season, Dog Run Rep?s mission is to enhance cultural programming in Lower Manhattan. As part of its Seaport Semester program, General Growth Properties, the owners of the South Street Seaport, is teaming up with the collaboration by providing the @Seaport! venue at 210 Front Street for Winter Theatre at South Street Seaport. The line up includes: *DOG RUN REP presents Moliere?s Tartuffe, adapted and directed by Jeff Cohen. Tartuffe, set in 1930?s New York, begins performances on Friday, March 6th and runs through Sunday, March 29. *ABRAXAS STAGE COMPANY?s Crazy Head Space, a new musical, begins performances on Thursday March 12th and runs through Sunday April 5. *STUDIO 42?s New Play Reading Series will be presented on Monday evenings, February 16th through March 30th. *UNKNOWN PRODUCTION?s New Play Reading Series featuring work by Emily Conbere, Crystal Skillman, Maggie Smith, and Jeff Cohen will be presented on Sunday afternoons, March 15th through April 5th.

The British dramatist Sir John Mortimer has died at age 85 after a long illness. Mortimer is best known for his Rumpole of Bailey series of books, plays, and TV episodes. Horace Rumpole's speciality is defending those accused of crime in London's Old Bailey. Mortimer created Rumpole for Rumpole of the Bailey, a 1975 contribution to the BBCs Play For Today anthology series. Played with gusto by Leo McKern, the character proved popular, and was developed into a Rumpole of the Bailey television series for Thames Television and a series of books (all written by Mortimer). In September/October 2003, BBC Radio 4 broadcast four new 45-minute Rumpole dramatizations by Mortimer starring Timothy West in the title role. He also dramatised many of the real-life cases of the barrister Edward Marshall-Hall in a radio series starring ex-Doctor Who star Tom Baker. In 1986, his description of what he saw as Britain's descent into the viciousness of Thatcherism - Paradise Postponed - was televised.

Producer Howard Panter for Ambassador Theatre Group and co-producers Tulchin/Bartner/Jenkins, Bill Kenwright, Northwater Entertainment, Darren Bagert, and Tom Gregory announced the complete cast and design team for the new Broadway production of the greatest musical comedy GUYS AND DOLLS. The first joint Broadway project by two-time Tony Award winning director Des McAnuff and choreographer Sergio Trujillo since their collaboration on the Tony Award winning musical Jersey Boys, GUYS AND DOLLS will begin previews on February 3, 2009 at Broadway's newly refurbished Nederlander Theatre (208 West 41st Street). Opening Night is March 1, 2009.

Roundabout Theatre Company (Todd Haimes, Artistic Director) is proud to announce John Goodman (Pozzo) and David Strathairn (Lucky) will join Bill Irwin (Vladimir) and Nathan Lane (Estragon) in a new Broadway production of Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett and directed by Tony? award winner Anthony Page.

Lazar was the legendary agent who represented Nixon in extracting a record fee for his interviews with Frost. While he handled the biggest movie stars-including Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, Cary Grant and Gregory Peck-he also represented some of the greatest names in that era's literature-including Ernest Hemingway, Truman Capote, Vladimir Nabokov, Clifford Odets, William Saroyan and Tennessee Williams-and music icons from Cole Porter and Ira Gershwin to Madonna. Toby Jones found the role quite interesting. 'Playing a character like Irving Lazar...I've met lots of people who knew him, so it was slightly intimidating,' he says. 'There's very little information about him available other than one ghosted autobiography. My impression is of a man very driven. He started off in a poor Russian-Jewish family in Brooklyn and basically fought his way up to become the top literary agent in the business.'

Whoopi Goldberg revealed a few hints about the upcoming musical adaptation of her movie hit, Sister Act on today's episode of The View. She'll be among the producers of the show, and gave a preview of the production's poster artwork. Whoopi was visibly excited as she discussed the upcoming musical.

UK theatre website Whats On Stage is reporting that Sister Act: The Musical will receive its European premiere in the West End next year, opening June 2nd, 2009 at the London Palladium, the current home of The Sound of Music. Sister Act: The Musical will begin previews on May 7th, 2009.

What's On Stage is reporting that Brenda Blethyn will return to the Manchester Royal Exchange theatre to star in Edna O'Brien's Haunted. The production will be the play's world premiere.

On Monday, October 27th, at 8:00pm the New Globe Theater presents SHAKESPEARE IN THE BRAVE NEW WORLD (from the Colonies to Bart Simpson) at NYU Skirball Center.

On Monday, October 27th, at 8:00pm the New Globe Theater presents SHAKESPEARE IN THE BRAVE NEW WORLD (from the Colonies to Bart Simpson) at NYU Skirball Center.

Roundabout Theatre Company has announced Tony award winners Bill Irwin as 'Vladimir' and Nathan Lane as 'Estragon' in a new Broadway production of Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett and directed by Tony award winner Anthony Page.

Alex Jennings will make his ENO debut as Doctor Pangloss/Voltaire in Robert Carsen's new production of Leonard Bernstein's Candide; opens June 23, 2008 at the London Coliseum for 13 performances only.

Well known to film audiences for roles as varied as Professor Sprout from the Harry Potter films and her BAFTA Award-winning performance in Martin Scorsese's The Age of Innocence, acclaimed stage and screen actress Miriam Margolyes will make her Broadway debut as Madame Morrible in the musical Wicked, beginning performances January 22.