Michael Grandage News

Max von Essen is scheduled to again step into the role of 'Che' for six performances, August 6-11, in the new Broadway production of EVITA while Ricky Martin is on vacation.

Broadway veteran and GLEE star Jonathan Groff stars opposite original cast member Alfred Molina in the Los Angeles premiere of RED at the Mark Taper Forum. Groff plays Ken (orignally played by Tony winner Eddie Redmayne) in the play, alongside Molina who reprises his Tony-nominated role as Mark Rothko. The production is currently running through September 9. Michael Grandage directs. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the production photos below.

Denver Center Attractions announces an extended season featuring hits straight from Broadway for 2013/14. New this year, the season includes increased payment plan options. For as low as eight payments of $35.63, subscribers will see all 11 shows featuring Tony Award-winning shows such as the 2012 Best Musical ONCE, War Horse, Priscilla Queen of the Desert, EVITA, Million Dollar Quartet and, launching the national tour in Denver, Peter and the Starcatcher- winner of five Tony Awards, the most of any play in 2012.

The Donmar Warehouse production of "Red" By John Logan, featuring Jonathan Groff and Alfred Molina, directed by Michael Grandage, begins previews tonight, August 1 and opens August 12 at Center Theatre Group/Mark Taper Forum. The show will continue through September 9 on Tuesday through Friday at 8 p.m.; Saturday at 2:30 and 8 p.m.; Sunday at 1 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.

The world premiere of Barrow Hill, a first play by new playwright Jane Wainwright, starring Janet Henfrey, and directed by Abbey Wright - whose recent work includes the multi-four star production of Dublin Carol as part of the Donmar at the Trafalgar Studios season - opens at the Finborough Theatre for a limited run of Sunday and Monday evening and Tuesday matinee performances on Sunday, 19 August 2012 (Press Night: Monday, 20 August 2012 at 7.30pm).

A longtime member of the 'Mamma Mia' cast on tour and Bway, Erica's now performing in her 2nd straight Rob Ashford-choreographed show.

According to Perez Hilton, EVITA star Ricky Martin is staying in New York to continue his Broadway career. 'Do I want to come back to Broadway? I would love to do Broadway the rest of my life! Because it's challenging, because it makes me grow as an actor, as an entertainer, as an artist, and that's what I need, that's what I'm hooked on,' Martin told reporters. 'I AM staying here in New York! Those are my plans.'

The world premiere of Barrow Hill, a first play by new playwright Jane Wainwright, starring Janet Henfrey, and directed by Abbey Wright - whose recent work includes the multi-four star production of Dublin Carol as part of the Donmar at the Trafalgar Studios season - opens at the Finborough Theatre for a limited run of nine Sunday and Monday evening and Tuesday matinee performances on Sunday, 19 August 2012 (Press Night: Monday, 20 August 2012 at 7.30pm).

Rehearsals have begun at the Mark Taper Forum for the Donmar Warehouse production of the 2010 Tony Award-winning Best Play "Red" by John Logan, which will open August 12, 2012. Featuring Jonathan Groff and Alfred Molina, "Red" will begin previews August 1; performances continue through September 9. BroadwayWorld brings you photos of Molina and Groff in action below!

Since last October 2011, the most acclaimed production ever of Rodgers and Hammerstein's SOUTH PACIFIC has been thrilling audiences and breaking records in theatres across the UK, playing to well over half a million people, becoming the best-selling show of the Season in venues including Wimbledon and Stoke-on-Trent, and the best-selling two-week musical ever to play in Glasgow and Milton Keynes.

The Minervae, directed by Stephen Kaliski, will be performed free to the public for all performances. Set in the dying days of the Roman Empire, The Minervae - combining both classic theatrical elements with a modern, humorous twist - tells the story of one mythological goddess who refuses to move over for the fashionable new "cult" of Christianity. Jilted, Minerva sets out to re-convert the converted. Standing in her way are the schemes of the other Olympians: bitter Vulcan, volatile Mars, ambitious Apollo, and the enigmatic Diana. The Astoria Free Theatre Project is a bi-annual theatre production produced by On The Square Productions. The aim of this project is to bring a free, professional piece of new writing to a found space in Astoria. Athens Square Park is located in Astoria, Queens at the intersection of 30th Ave and 30th St just off the 30th Avenue stop of the N/Q lines. Admission is first come, first serve.

MASTERWORKS BROADWAY announces that the New Broadway Cast Recording of Evita hasdebuted at #1 on Billboard's Cast Album chart. Produced by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Nigel Wright with Tim Rice as Executive Producer, this is the first complete English language stage recording of the show since the original 1979 Broadway cast album.

Christina DeCicco, the "Eva" alternate in the new Broadway production of EVITA, performs the title role for 14 performances, beginning tonight, July 12 and running through July 19, followed by performances running August 11-18, while Elena Roger is on vacation. With the exception of Saturday, August 11, when Elena Roger will perform the matinee, Jessica Lea Patty will step into the role for the Wednesday evening and Saturday matinee performances during these periods, performing July 18 & August 15 at 8pm, and July 14 & August 18 at 2pm.

Southwark Playhouse presents a major revival of the Jerry Herman/Michael Stewart Hollywood musical, Mack and Mabel, starring Norman Bowman as Mack and Laura Pitt-Pulford (who received rave reviews as Lucille Frank in Parade) as Mabel, directed by Thom Southerland and produced by Danielle Tarento. The show will run for an 8-week season at The Vault at Southwark Playhouse, now through Saturday, August 25. Press night is tomorrow, July 11 at 7.30pm. Get a first look at the revival in the production photos below!

The creative team behind last summer's sold-out, acclaimed Southwark Playhouse musical, Parade - long-listed for The Ned Sherrin Award for Best Musical in the 2011 Evening Standard Awards - are returning to the venue for a major revival of the Jerry Herman/Michael Stewart Hollywood musical, Mack and Mabel. The show runs tonight, July 5 - August 25.

Today we are taking a look at four sparkling new Blu-ray editions of well-regarded films from the Disney vault by focusing on three titles that are also currently running on Broadway in screen-to-stage adaptations at this very moment - EVITA, NEWSIES and SISTER ACT. The current trend of adapting hit films into musicals for the stage has sporadically proven that some stage adaptations can even be more entertaining onstage, while some recent movie musicals have one-upped their stage roots in a way a few Golden Age adaptations also managed to do. Such is the case with EVITA, NEWSIES, SISTER ACT and SISTER ACT 2 (the latter two both acting as inspiration for the Broadway SISTER ACT musical) - all available for the first time on Blu-ray and each certainly justifying consideration for inclusion in your library if only because each is regarded as a modern-day classic - of sorts - in its own unique and special way. And, without these films, we would never have the current versions of the shows now running on Broadway based upon them (even in the case of a classic like EVITA, whose stage version may have come first, but, as seen and heard in the hit Elena Roger/Ricky Martin/Michael Cerveris revival, now includes the film addition, "You Must Love Me"). Whatever the medium, all of these winning entities offer an entertaining way to beat the heat and celebrate the start of summer in style - with some tunes, old and new, you are not soon to forget.