Matthew Wright News

Liza Minnelli once said, 'The greatest thing about [John] Kander and [Fred] Ebb is you sing their songs and you feel good.' She was referring to the multi-award winning Broadway writing team who gave the world such songs as, 'How Lucky Can You Get?,' 'Maybe This Time,' 'All That Jazz,' 'Cabaret,' and 'But The World Goes Round.'

CLOSE TO YOU, a new musical featuring Burt Bacharach's songbook, makes its highly anticipated West End transfer to the Criterion Theatre from 3rd October.

Cleveland Public Theatre's Executive Artistic Director Raymond Bobgan announces the 2015-2016 Season, which delivers on CPT's mission of raising consciousness and nurturing compassion through theatre that is daring, relevant and socially-conscious.

Some of Broadway's most prominent players are donating their time to mentor the next generation of industry writers and those writers have been announced!

Pixie Lott will star as Holly Golightly in a limited 12-week season of Breakfast at Tiffany's at the Theatre Royal Haymarket in London's West End in 2016.  This will follow the first UK and Ireland tour of Truman Capote's classic tale brought to life so memorably by Audrey Hepburn in the 1961 film.  It will be presented in a co-production with the Curve Theatre, Leicester.  The novella has been adapted for the stage by Pulitzer Prize-winning Finalist and Tony and Olivier Award-winning playwright Richard Greenberg (Take Me Out, Three Days of Rain), and contains memorable songs from the era as well as original music by Grant Odling (One Man, Two Guvnors). 

Jamie Wilson, Paul Elliott and Duncan C Weldon present the Watermill theatre production of "CALAMITY JANE" and have announced that SOPHIA RAGAVELAS will join the cast as 'Katie Brown from Tuesday 26 May.

Some people go to the theatre to be educated. Some go to see/listen to a pleasing combination of music and lyrics enclosed in a story. Others go to just have a good time. The latter group should run to their phones or computers right now and make reservations for LEND ME A TENOR. Beck's production is farce at its finest!

Beck Center for the Arts is pleased to present the classic farce, Lend Me a Tenor, March 27 through April 26, 2015 on the Mackey Main Stage. Show times are 8 p.m. Friday and Saturdays, and 3 p.m. Sundays. There are no performances on April 4 and 5; an 8 p.m. performance has been added on Thursday, April 23. Tickets are now on sale.

Beck Center for the Arts will present the classic farce, Lend Me a Tenor, tonight, March 27 through April 26, 2015 on the Mackey Main Stage. Show times are 8 p.m. Today and Saturdays, and 3 p.m. Sundays. There are no performances on April 4 and 5; an 8 p.m. performance has been added on Thursday, April 23. Tickets are now on sale. Buy early and save with promo code: TENOR to receive $5 off each adult/senior ticket purchased by March 26.

Following a sell-out run at The Watermill Theatre in Newbury "CALAMITY JANE" has embarked on a national UK tour coming to the King's Theatre Glasgow from Tuesday 16 until Saturday 20 June 2015. "CALAMITY JANE" stars Jodie Prenger in the title role, Tom Lister as 'Wild Bill Hickok, Alex Hammond as 'Danny' and Phoebe Street as Katie Brown.

On Friday 27 March, more than 70 performers from the local community will celebrate the reinterment of King Richard III at Leicester Cathedral, by performing an original piece of theatre devised by Curve Artistic Director Nikolai Foster and choreographer Mel Knott, as part of the Service of Reveal of the Tomb and Celebration for King Richard III.

Beck Center for the Arts will present the classic farce, Lend Me a Tenor, March 27 through April 26, 2015 on the Mackey Main Stage. Show times are 8 p.m. Friday and Saturdays, and 3 p.m. Sundays. There are no performances on April 4 and 5; an 8 p.m. performance has been added on Thursday, April 23. Tickets are now on sale. Buy early and save with promo code: TENOR to receive $5 off each adult/senior ticket purchased by March 26.

Columbia Children's Theatre (CCT), the Midlands' only professional theatre for families and young audiences will present the hilarious musical adaptation of Deborah and James Howe's popular book Bunnicula Feb. 20 - March 1.

Pulitzer Prize winner Paula Vogel is noted for crafting play scripts which impact directly on the lives of people. A review of her works illustrates that she writes about issues that need to be expressed (AIDS, sexual abuse, prostitution, degradation of the individual), she favors writing about emotional circumstances which she expresses in narrative structures, and her works contain theatrical requirements that make for better viewing, than reading.

The Daily Mail writes that Emma Williams has joined the company of Nikolai Foster's production of Irving Berlin's WHITE CHRISTMAS, which runs at the West Yorkshire Playhouse 24 November 2014 - 17 January 2015. She joins previously announced Darren Day and Oliver Tompsett in the cast.

National Theatre Wales' next production, Bordergame, will be a fully interactive theatre game of two halves… The Autonomous Republic of Cymru is an independent state operating a points-based migration system. Its borders have come under increasing pressure recently - its health and education systems are still free, and there is plenty of work for skilled workers. A recent outbreak of TB in the Royal United Kingdom of New Britain and Northern Ireland (or NewK) has forced the issue to breaking point.

Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber's EVITA returns to London's West End for a strictly limited season at the Dominion Theatre. The musical considered by many to be Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's masterwork will play for 55 performances only in the West End, with musical theatre and pop icon Marti Pellow playing Che, Ben Forster playing Augustin Magaldi, and newcomer Madalena Alberto in the title role. EVITA officially opens tonight, 22 September. Let's see what the critics had to say...

The Watermill Theatre Newbury, Jamie Wilson, Paul Elliott and Duncan C Weldon are delighted to announce full casting and further touring dates for the forthcoming new production of the musical 'CALAMITY JANE', opening at The Watermill Theatre, Newbury on Thursday 17 July 2014 where it will play until Saturday 6 September 2014 prior to embarking on a national tour that opens at the Plymouth Theatre Royal on Thursday 16 September. Tour schedule attached. More dates to be announced.

National Youth Music Theatre will present an exciting season of work for summer 2014, including a new commission to commemorate the centenary of the outbreak of the Great War. The company of over 150 actors, musicians, creative and backstage teams aged between 11 and 23 will stage The Ragged Child at the Rose Theatre, Kingston (23 - 27 July), The Hired Man at the St. James Theatre, London (13 - 16 August) and Brass at the City Varieties Music Hall, Leeds (20 - 23 August).

Greater Cleveland is blessed with a vital theatre scene. It is the purpose of the TIMES THEATRE TRIBUTES to recognize theatrical experiences that, in the view of this reviewer, were excellent and deserve recognition.