Max Woodward News

A salute to Max Woodward will take place at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. on Monday November 21, 2022 at 3:00PM. Woodward, who went to work at Kennedy Center the week it opened and retired after forty-five years as Vice-President of Theater Programming, died on October 14, 2022 in Washington, D.C.

Director John Benitz, who has been with the show since making its world premiere at Chapman University where he teaches, graciously answered a few questions over email about the project, and how it came to the Kennedy Center, what draws him to the material, and what experience the show will offer to Kennedy Center audiences.

The return engagement of Disney's THE LION KING opens this week in the Kennedy Center Opera House for a limited nine-week engagement through August 17. In Washington, D.C., THE LION KING plays Tuesdays through Sunday evenings at 7:30pm with 1:30pm matinees on Saturdays and Sundays. There will be 1:30pm matinees on Wednesday, July 2, Wednesday, July 30 and Wednesday, August 13. There will not be a performance on Friday, July 4.

Coming to the Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatre direct from Broadway for six weeks only, the Kennedy Center's critically acclaimed Broadway production of James Goldman and Stephen Sondheim's "Follies," has now completed casting. "Follies" stars four-time Tony Award nominee Jan Maxwell as Phyllis Rogers Stone, Tony Award winner Victoria Clark, two-time Tony Award nominee Danny Burstein as Buddy Plummer, three-time Emmy Award nominee Ron Raines as Benjamin Stone and Olivier Award winner Elaine Paige as Carlotta Campion. Maxwell, Burstein, Raines and Paige are all returning to the roles they originated on Broadway.

The Kennedy Center's critically acclaimed Broadway production of James Goldman and Stephen Sondheim's Tony Award®-winning musical Follies will transfer to the Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles for six weeks, and as BroadwayWorld reported last month, Bernadette Peters will not continue on with the rest of the cast for the transfer of the production. Now we have confirmed that Tony winner Victoria Clark will take over the role of Sally in her place. Also now officially confirmed to transfer with the production are co-stars Jan Maxwell, Danny Burstein, Ron Raines and Elaine Paige.

The critically acclaimed Kennedy Center revival of FOLLIES, book by James Goldman and music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, begins its final 16 performances tonight at the Marquis Theatre (1535 Broadway). The production, directed by Eric Schaeffer with choreography by Warren Carlyle and music direction by James Moore, will play its final performance on Sunday, January 22 prior to an engagement at the Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles for six weeks only, May 3 through June 9, 2012.

Casting for the Los Angeles engagement of Follies has not yet been announced, and while it is presumed that at least some of the cast will be heading west, one star who will not make the trip is Bernadette Peters, who plays Sally Durant. A spokesperson for Peters tells BroadwayWorld that the star has concert obligations she must fulfill next spring, which will prevent her from continuing with the production. Peters will, of course, finish out the Broadway run through January 22.

The LA Times is reporting the breaking news that 'Center Theatre Group announced Tuesday that it would import the production now on Broadway that originated in May at Washington's Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Michael Ritchie, CTG's artistic director, said "we are currently in discussions" to lure members of the Broadway cast led by Bernadette Peters, Elaine Page, Jan Maxwell, Jayne Houdyshell and Danny Burstein. "Follies" is scheduled to close on Broadway Jan. 22 after a four-month run.'

PS Classics, the label dedicated to the heritage of Broadway and American popular song, will release the new two-disc set Broadway cast album of the Kennedy Center's acclaimed revival of FOLLIES on Tuesday, November 29, 2011. On Thursday, December 1st, Stephen Sondheim, Bernadette Peters, Jan Maxwell, Danny Burstein, Ron Raines, Elaine Paige and other members of the cast of FOLLIES will sign copies of the album at Barnes & Noble (150 E. 86th St; between Lexington & 3rd Ave.) beginning promptly at 4:00 p.m. and ending at 5:30 p.m. The album is produced by Tommy Krasker.

The Broadway cast of FOLLIES will be heading to the recording studio this week, and PS Classics is set to release the new cast recording for the revival on November 29. To pre-order the double-disc album online at $14.95, visit www.psclassics.com.

PS Classics, the label dedicated to the heritage of Broadway and American popular song, will release the new two-disc set Broadway cast album of the Kennedy Center's acclaimed revival of FOLLIES on Tuesday, November 29, 2011. NPR is currently featuring an exclusive first listen of the album, which you can check out by clicking here.

PS Classics, the label dedicated to the heritage of Broadway and American popular song, will release the new two-disc set Broadway cast album of the Kennedy Center's acclaimed revival of FOLLIES on Tuesday, November 29, 2011. On Thursday, December 1st, Stephen Sondheim, Bernadette Peters, Jan Maxwell, Danny Burstein, Ron Raines, Elaine Paige and other members of the cast of FOLLIES will sign copies of the album at Barnes & Noble (150 E. 86th St; between Lexington & 3rd Ave.) beginning promptly at 4:00 p.m. and ending at 5:30 p.m. The album is produced by Tommy Krasker.

PS Classics has revealed the complete track list for the the new cast recording for the revival of FOLLIES on November 29. To pre-order the double-disc album online at $14.95, visit www.psclassics.com. The album will feature 33 tracks with some dialogue lead-ins, scenes, and speeches in a two-disc set, complete with 52-page full-color booklet with essay, synopsis, lyrics and production photos. Limited song clips are available now as well on the PS Classics web site. Tracks will include:

PS Classics is set to release the new cast recording for the revival of FOLLIES on November 29. To pre-order the double-disc album online at $14.95, visit www.psclassics.com. According to PS Classics.com, the album will feature 33-34 songs with some dialogue lead-ins, scenes, and speeches.

Michael Riedel reports in today's New York Post that producers of FOLLIES on Broadway had been trying to convince the Nederlanders to allow the show to extend past its current January 22, 2012 closing date at the Marquis Theater. Doing this, Riedel reports would require forcing the upcoming revival of Andrew Lloyd Webber's EVITA starring Ricky Martin, Elena Roger and Michael Cerveris to move theatres, which they were unwilling to do.

Cast members of Follies turned out yesterday as Serendipity 3 (225 E 60th Street btwn. 2nd and 3rd) revealed a special Follies sundae. The 'Live, Laugh, Love Sundae' will be on sale at the popular midtown restaurant through the end of October. The sundae is a 'Big Apple Pie' with cinnamon ice cream, caramel sauce, topped with whipped cream, red heart candy, large pink whimsical hearts and a twisted swirl lollipop on top. Check out photos from the big event below!

Star of the current Broadway revival of FOLLIES, Bernadette Peters stopped by 'The View' today where she chatted about the show and her upcoming appearance on NBC's SMASH. Click below watch Peters' full interview!

Star of the current Broadway revival of FOLLIES, Bernadette Peters stopped by 'The View' today where she chatted about the show and her uping appearance on NBC's SMASH. Click below to go backstage with Ms. Peters, and check back later to watch her full interview!

The Broadway cast of FOLLIES will be heading to the recording studio this week, and PS Classics is set to release the new cast recording for the revival on November 29. To pre-order the double-disc album online at $14.95, visit www.psclassics.com.

The Kennedy Center's critically acclaimed revival of James Goldman and Stephen Sondheim's masterpiece FOLLIES joined the million dollar club, grossing $1,122,778 million in the week ending September 25th. This is also the highest weekly gross for any Broadway musical production featuring both music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. The production, which opened to rave reviews on September 12, 2011, is currently playing a limited engagement through January 22, 2012 at the Marquis Theatre.