Richard Burton News

Maryland Ensemble Theatre (MET) is proud to present Edward Albee's Tony Award winning masterpiece, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? The hilariously dark martial war of words will run every Thursday through Sunday at Maryland Ensemble Theatre now through March 9. Scroll down for a first look at the production!

The internationally acclaimed L.A. Theatre Works is bringing its unique, hybrid radio theater-style production of The Graduate to the McCallum Theatre on February 25 at 8:00 pm. The sly and witty coming-of-age story of a young and innocent college grad seduced by an older woman was a theatrical sensation when it premiered at the Gielgud Theatre in London's West End, then transferred to Broadway. LA based actor Brian Tichnell plays the slightly neurotic Benjamin Bratton in this critically acclaimed production. I had the opportunity to chat with Tichnell about the production. Here are a few excerpts from that conversation.

Hotel Nikko San Francisco and Michael Feinstein announced today that legendary actress Joan Collins is coming to Feinstein's at the Nikko with her internationally acclaimed one-woman show, One Night with Joan, for two performances only - Thursday, April 10 (8 p.m.) and Friday, April 11 (8 p.m.). Featuring stories and secrets of her celebrated life and career as one of the world's most glamorous and intriguing actresses, One Night with Joan is a not-to-be-missed opportunity to spend an intimate evening in the company of a true English Hollywood legend. Joan Collins will take to the stage with honesty, style and grace and with the same engaging wit and frankness that turned her two memoirs, 'Past Imperfect' and 'Second Act' into international bestsellers. Her latest memoir 'Passion for Life' has just been published by Constable & Robinson. Tickets for One Night with Joan range in price from $60 - $75 and are on-sale now and available by calling 866.663.1063 or visiting www.ticketweb.com.

Musical Theatre West presents the second production of their 61st season, Davis Gaines (Los Angeles' longest-running Phantom in The Phantom of The Opera) starring as Professor Harold Hill and Gail Bennett (Mary Poppins) starring as Marian Paroo in Meredith Willson's timeless and joyous, THE MUSIC MAN, book, music and lyrics by Meredith Willson, based on a story by Meredith Willson and Franklin Lacey, musical direction by Corey Hirsch, choreography by John Todd and directed by Jeff Maynard.

Maryland Ensemble Theatre (MET) is proud to present Edward Albee's Tony Award winning masterpiece, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? The hilariously dark martial war of words will run every Thursday through Sunday at Maryland Ensemble Theatre from tonight, February 14 through March 9.

Actors Orlando Bloom, Robert Sean Leonard, Joe Morton, and Condola Rashad will perform at Walt Disney Concert Hall in the LA Phil's Shakespeare-themed TchaikovskyFest concert led by Music Director Gustavo Dudamel with the Simon Bolivar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela, Wednesday, February 26 at 8 p.m. The program (presented without intermission) features Tchaikovsky's three Fantasy-Overtures inspired by Shakespeare plays - Hamlet, The Tempest and Romeo and Juliet. Preceding each of the fantasy-overtures, the cast of actors will perform key scenes from each play, with Orlando Bloom as Romeo, Joe Morton as Prospero, and Condola Rashad as Juliet. Kate Burton, the prolific Tony-nominated stage and screen actress and daughter of the late Richard Burton, directs this all-star cast.

Tony nominated actress Hannah Yelland is about to make her Los Angeles debut in the stage version of Noel Coward's Brief Encounter, the role which garnered her a Tony nomination in 2011. The classically trained actress talks about the role and how she feels about opening in Los Angeles.

Les Miserables star, Samantha Barks has recorded a new song called 'You Fixed My Broken Wings' in aid of BBC Children In Need. The song has been written by composers Daniel and Laura Curtis and will be released Worldwide on the 17th March as part of an album of their work titled 'Love on 42nd Street. All profits made from the album will be going directly to the charity.

The Royal Shakespeare Company will tour Henry IV Parts I and II, Shakespeare's celebrated history plays, to Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Norwich, Salford, Bradford, Bath and Canterbury between September - November 2014. The productions will take to the road after a season at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon between March - September 2014, and before playing at the Barbican in London between November 2014 - January 2015.

For its 22nd annual Spring Gala, the Kennedy Center will salute the more than 13 year tenure of Kennedy Center president Michael M. Kaiser with Camelot in Concert on Sunday, May 4, 2014 at 8 p.m. in the Concert Hall. The famed 1960 musical features book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner with music by Frederick Loewe and this semi-staged concert version will be adapted, directed and choreographed by Tony Award® nominee Marcia Milgrom Dodge. The concert staging will be accompanied by the National Symphony Orchestra conducted by Music Director James Moore. With this concert, Camelot makes its Kennedy Center debut. One of the co-chairs of the 2014 Spring Gala will be Laysha Ward, President, Target Community Relations.

Flashdance - The Musical, the stage adaptation of the 1983 hit film that defined a generation, will run at the Community Center Theater from tonight, February 4 - 9, 2014.

1. Top East Coast Editor 2013: Marina Kennedy, New Jersey. Our Senior Editor of New Jersey, Marina Kennedy writes articles and reviews for Broadwayworld.com on performance venues in New York and New Jersey. She also has a weekly column in BWWFitnessWorld.com, 'Fit Food Finds,' which discusses healthy eating in the New York City area. Her interest in fitness, dance, and theatre stem from the many years she owned and operated a dance school, 'Dance Unlimited' in New Jersey in the late 70's and 80's. She enjoys an active journalism career and loves writing for BroadwayWorld.com. 2. Top West Coast Editor 2013: Don Grigware, Los Angeles, CA. Our Senior Editor of Los Angels, Don Grigware is an Ovation nominated actor and writer whose contributions to theatre through the years have included 6 years as theatre editor of NoHoLA, a contributor to LA Stage Magazine and currently on his own website: www.grigwaretalkstheatre.com. Don hails from Holyoke, Massachusetts and holds two Masters Degrees from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst in Education and Bilingual Studies. Don is a teacher of foreign language and ESL. Don is a member of the prestigious Road Theatre Company in NoHo and is in his fifth year with BWW, currently serving as Senior Editor of the Los Angeles Page. 3. Top Southeast Editor 2013: Jennifer Perry, Washington, D.C. Our Senior Editor of Washington, D.C., Jennifer Perry has been a DC resident since 2001 having moved from Upstate New York to attend graduate school at American University's School of International Service. When not attending countless theatre, concert, and cabaret performances in the area and in New York, she works for the US Federal Government as an analyst. Jennifer previously covered the DC performing arts scene for Maryland Theatre Guide, DC Metro Theater Arts, and DC Theatre Scene. 4. Top Southwest Editor 2013: Jeff Davis, Austin, TX. Jeff Davis is a graduate of the UCLA School of Theater, Film, and Television where he obtained his Bachelor's Degree in Theater with an emphasis in Directing. 5. Top International Editor 2013: Oliver Oliveros, Philippines. Our Senior Editor of the Philippines, Oliver recently received a master's degree in public relations and corporate communication from New York University while serving as regional director for BroadwayWorld.com. For nearly 20 years, Oliver has been handling public relations and corporate communication for numerous brands (including Pepsi), Broadway shows, Broadway stars, non-profit organizations, and mainstream celebrities. He is also the editor-in-chief for FIL-AM WHO'S WHO, a monthly magazine that tells the real-life success stories of Filipino Americans from the New York Tri-State area. 6. Top New International Editor 2013: Barry Lenny, Adelaide, Australia. Our Senior of Adelaide, born in London, Barry was introduced to theatre as a small boy, through being taken to see traditional Christmas pantomimes, as well as discovering jazz and fine music at a very young age. High school found him loving the works of Shakespeare, as well as many other great playwrights, poets and novelists. Moving to Australia, he became a jazz musician, playing with big bands and his own small groups, then attended the Elder Conservatorium of Music at the University of Adelaide, playing with several orchestras. This led to playing in theatre pits, joining the chorus, playing character roles, playing lead roles (after moving into drama), then directing, set and lighting design, administrative roles on theatre boards and, finally, becoming a critic. After twenty years of writing he has now joined the Broadway World team to represent Adelaide, in South Australia. Barry is also a long time member of the prestigious Adelaide Critics Circle. 7. Top New Editor 2013: Teresa Rodrick, Boise, ID. Senior Editor of Boise, ID, Teresa Rodrick was born in Edmonds, Washington - grew up in Mountlake Terrace (WA), married a man from Everett (WA) and her folks moved to Lake Stevens (WA). She lived in England for 2 years, Germany for 6 years and moved to San Antonio, Texas. In San Antonio, she decided she had put her own career off long enough and started going to Palo Alto Community College. She got my Associates Degree in Drama in May 2005. From San Antonio, she moved back to England for just over 3 years. She did one stint in community theatre then moved to Boise, Idaho where she received her Bachelors in Arts in Theatre Arts with an emphasis in Secondary Education in May 2012 from Boise State University. 8. Most Creative Male Editor 2013: Stephen Hanks, Cabaret. Senior Editor of BWWCabaret. During more than 30 years as a magazine editor/writer, website writer, and book author for a variety of national magazines and websites,Stephen Hanks has written about sports, health and nutrition, parenting, politics, the media, and most recently, musical theater, and cabaret. While by day, Stephen is the Advertising Sales Director forHabitat Magazine (a publication covering life in New York Metro area co-ops and condos), by night he writes reviews and columns about New York City cabaret for BroadwayWorld.com. Stephen also writes feature stories about cabaret for Cabaret Scenes Magazine and CabaretScenes.org. He is also the Board President of Manhattan Musical Theatre Lab, which workshops new musicals in New York City, and he is the founder, producer and director of theBroadway Musical Fantasy Camp, which is a workshop for amateur performers that rehearses and presents staged readings of classic Broadway Musicals. In 2011, Stephen was an Associate Producer for the Off-Broadway show The Fartiste. Stephen most recently staged his debut solo cabaret show, 'Beyond American Pie: The Don McLean Songbook' at the Metropolitan Room in New York. Please contact Stephen with your comments and questions at: stephenhanks41@gmail.com 9. Most Creative Female Editor 2013: Marakay Rogers, Central PA. Senior Editor of Central PA. America's most uncoordinated childhood ballet and tap student before discovering that her talents were music and writing, Marakay Rogers finally traded in her violin for law school when she realized that she might make more money in law than she did performing with the Potomac Symphony and in orchestra pits around the mid-Atlantic. Unfortunately, she forgot to factor in the student loan repayments! She has never recovered from being chewed out by Terrence Mann in public for hanging up her bow. A graduate of Wilson College (PA), Marakay is also a writer, film reviewer and interviewer for the Wilkes-Barre (PA) Independent Gazette, science-fiction publications, and other news outlets. Additionally, as of 2014, she serves as vice-chair of the Advisory Board of the revived Beaux Arts Society, Inc. She's also taught college-level communications, writing, and English literature classes, has received multiple writing awards for several small-press novels, and is listed in Marquis' 'Who's Who in America'. She has done additional post-collegiate coursework with Open University (UK) in drama and literature. Her junior high English teacher was Broadway star Katrina Yaukey's mother, Kay Yaukey. (Her high school math teacher was Ordean Yaukey, Katrina Yaukey's father, but between Marakay's mother, an editor, and Katrina's mother, English won out.) Marakay is senior theatre critic for Central Pennsylvania and a senior editor for BWWBooksWorld as well as a classical music reviewer. In her free time, Marakay practices law and often gets it right. 10. Best Overall Editor 2013: David Clarke, Houston, TX. Senior Editor of Houston, TX and Editor-in-Chief of Broadway Recordings, David Clarke has had a lifelong love and passion for the performing arts, and has been writing about theatre both locally and nationally for years. He joined BroadwayWorld.com running their Houston site in early 2012 and began writing as the site's official theatre recording critic in June of 2013.

In this week's edition, we caught up with Joanna Glushak who is starring in A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder- currently playing at the Walter Kerr Theatre.

Penny Dreadful Theatre will present a brand new show about love, death and science; the world premiere and national tour of HOW TO BE IMMORTAL, by Mira Dovreni. Directed by Kirsty Housley, created with the cast: Clare Perkins, Anna-Helena McLean and John McKeever, and with scientists Gareth Ackland (UCL), Anna Gutierrez-del-Arroyo (UCL), and Duncan Wilson (Manchester). The show is designed by Angela Simpson, and features lighting design by Matt Haskins, music and sound design by Barnaby Race, with animation artist Gemma Burditt.

Musical Theatre West presents the second production of their 61st season, Davis Gaines (Los Angeles' longest-running Phantom in The Phantom of The Opera) starring as Professor Harold Hill and Gail Bennett (Mary Poppins) starring as Marian Paroo in Meredith Willson's timeless and joyous, THE MUSIC MAN, book, music and lyrics by Meredith Willson, based on a story by Meredith Willson and Franklin Lacey, musical direction by Corey Hirsch, choreography by John Todd and directed by Jeff Maynard.

The 22nd Annual Movieguide Awards will air on Reelz on Saturday, March 1, 2014 at 2pm ET/ 11am PT, with an additional broadcast on Oscar Day, Sunday, March 2 at 2pm ET/ 11am PT.

Come and experience the greatest English language play ever written - Shakespeare's sublime story of treachery and revenge, The Tragedy of Hamlet, the Prince of Denmark. Hamlet teeters on the edge of madness when he learns his uncle has killed his father and married his mother. Hamlet plays in the Marian Theatre February 13 - March 2, 2014.

Maryland Ensemble Theatre (MET) is proud to present Edward Albee's Tony Award winning masterpiece, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? The hilariously dark martial war of words will run every Thursday through Sunday at Maryland Ensemble Theatre from February 14 through March 9.

Flashdance - The Musical, the stage adaptation of the 1983 hit film that defined a generation, will run at the Community Center Theater from February 4 - 9, 2014, as part of California Musical Theatre's Broadway Sacramento series. With electrifying dance at its core, Flashdance - The Musical tells the inspiring and unforgettable story of Alex Owens, a Pittsburgh steel mill welder by day and a bar dancer by night with dreams of one day becoming a professional performer. When romance with her steel mill boss threatens to complicate her ambitions, Alex learns the meaning of love and its power to fuel the pursuit of her dream.

Following international shows celebrating the 100th year of Vivien Leigh's birth, actress Susie Lindeman brings her highly acclaimed performance Vivien: Letter to Larry to Sydney for one special night at the Independent Theatre on Sunday February 23.