Mike White News

SCHOOL OF ROCK - THE MUSICAL is bursting with kids, all of them bursting with talent. Based on the 2003 movie starring Jack Black, the stage version is the brainchild of Andrew Lloyd Webber, a guy who knows a thing or two about creating successful musicals. Nominated for four 2016 Tony Awards, the show ran for more than three years on Broadway, a little over a year in London, and the national tour has been on the road since September, 2017. It's a feel good musical with a happy ending, something to lighten up the winter doldrums.

BroadwayWorld presents a comprehensive weekly roundup of regional stories around our Broadway World, which include videos, editor spotlights, regional reviews and more. This week, we feature HAMILTON, BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, and More!

Plays Through The 5th of January, 2019

On last night's finale of 'Survivor' it was down to the final three: Nick Wilson, Angelina Keeley, and Mike White. 

In this long-awaited sequel to the popular musical "The 1940s Radio Hour," it's Christmas Eve, 1943, and the Feddington Players are now broadcasting from a hole-in-the-wall studio in Newark, New Jersey. The company's take on Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol descends into all the comedic mayhem and madness of a live radio show, resulting in a heart-warming dramatic climax.

In this long-awaited sequel to the popular musical "The 1940s Radio Hour," it's Christmas Eve, 1943, and the Feddington Players are now broadcasting from a hole-in-the-wall studio in Newark, New Jersey. The company's take on Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol descends into all the comedic mayhem and madness of a live radio show, resulting in a heart-warming dramatic climax.

School of Rock, presented by Greasepaint Theatre, rolls into town ROCKtober 26 through- November 4

School of Rock, presented by Greasepaint Theatre, rolls into town ROCKtober 26 through- November 4

George Christie spent nearly four decades as one of the most influential and controversial leaders of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club. Now, he is about to put his experience to use as a cast member and technical advisor on the forthcoming television crime drama 'The MobKing.'

Make no mistake about it: School of Rock isn't your mum's - nor your nan's - Andrew Lloyd Webber musical extravaganza. There are no massive chandeliers to come crashing into the orchestra, no fascist dictators to fear, no silent screen divas yearning for a comeback, nor are there are any human-sized felines staring at you across the footlights. Nope, Sir Andrew (as he's known across the pond) has crafted an energetic rock musical that's based on a movie that starred Jack Black and it will rock your freakin' socks off!

CBS announced today the 20 castaways who will compete against each other on SURVIVOR when the Emmy Award-winning series returns for its 37th season with a special 90-minute premiere, Wednesday, Sept. 26 (8:00-9:30 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.

With back to school season upon us, students young and old are eagerly anticipating their first day of classes. But, for two handfuls of miniature musicians, the major assignment this school year is rocking around the country in the first national tour of SCHOOL OF ROCK, now onstage at the Music Hall at Fair Park, which concludes Dallas Summer Musicals 2017-2018 Broadway series. And even when the star teacher fails to make the grade, the kiddos pull together to ace the group project.

When it comes to seeing a fresh new show with low or even non-existent expectations, nothing is more pleasurable and satisfying than walking out at the end of it with a huge, beaming smile on your face. That was the giddy communal feeling that I and an ecstatic audience experienced recently during the highly enjoyable Orange County opening night performance of SCHOOL OF ROCK - The Musical, the charming 2015 Broadway musical now continuing its national tour stop at Costa Mesa's Segerstrom Center for the Arts for two weeks through August 5. While certainly not a groundbreaking, game-changing musical by any means, the nonetheless engaging SCHOOL OF ROCK is a definite crowdpleaser worth checking out. The kids in the show? Spectacular!

Andrew Lloyd Webber's smash hit School of Rock - The Musical, announced today that the show will play its final Broadway performance at the Winter Garden Theatre on January 20, 2019. By that date, the show will have run for more than 3 years, playing 1,307 performances and 31 previews. The production recouped its entire Broadway investment in May of 2017.

Over time, we have come to a point where the musical theater genre is as identifiable as any other genre. In today's age, we have come full circle in that the line between musical theater and other genres is thinner than ever. Lin Manuel's Hamilton is a perfect example of the next generation of musical theater, as is DCPA's latest touring production, School of Rock

According to Deadline, Helen Mirren and Danny DeVito have signed on to join the voice cast of the upcoming THE ONE AND ONLY IVAN. The new Disney film is set to be a hybrid of live action and CGI. The two join the cast already consisting of Bryan Cranston, Ramon Rodriquez, Arianna Greenblatt, Indira Varma, Eleanor Matsuura,  Angelina Jolie, Sam Rockwell, and Brooklynn Prince. Read more about it from Deadline here!

Production has commenced at Pinewood Studios outside London on “The One and Only Ivan,” a live-action/CG hybrid adaptation of the children's book by Katherine Applegate directed by Thea Sharrock (“Me before You”). The screenplay is by two-time Independent Spirit Award winner Mike White (“Pitch Perfect 3,” “The School of Rock”) based on Applegate's award-winning book and the producers are Oscar® and three-time Golden Globe® winner Angelina Jolie (“First They Killed My Father,” “Maleficent”), the late Allison Shearmur (“Solo: A Star Wars Story,” “Cinderella”) and Brigham Taylor (“Christopher Robin,” “The Jungle Book”).

Andrew Lloyd Webber's smash hit School of Rock - The Musical, now in its third year on Broadway, announced today that the show celebrates its 1,000th Broadway performance on Saturday, April 28, 2018, with the release of photos from the show's recent alumni reunion at the Winter Garden Theatre.

The 33rd Film Independent Spirit Award ceremony aired live on IFC on Saturday, March 3 at 2:00 pm PT/5:00 pm ET. Nick Kroll and John Mulaney returned to host the event.

SLATE Live has teamed up with Employee of the Month with Catie Lazarus to celebrate the ninth year anniversary of the talk show, which The New York Times calls as a "beloved downtown institution." On Thursday, March 15th, downtown darling Catie Lazarus will interview and honor comedian Hannibal Buress (30 Rock, Broad City), Tony Award-winning Broadway and (now film) music conductor and director Alex Lacamoire (Hamilton, Dear Evan Hansen, Incredibles II); actor Emily Mortimer (The Party, Marry Poppins, Newsroom), musical guest The Resistance Revival Chorus, fresh from The Grammy's with Kesha and the Women's March.