Royal Shakespeare Company News

In an Almeida Theatre and Headlong co-production, Lyndsey Turner will direct the World Premiere of Lucy Kirkwood's Chimerica. The new dates for this production are 20 May - 6 July 2013, with press night on 28 May. Set designs are by Es Devlin with costumes by Christina Cunningham, lighting by Tim Lutkin, sound by Carolyn Downing and video design by Finn Ross.

There's no place like home and there's no place like the Fine Arts Center for the 2013-2014 theatre season, featuring the iconic musical, The Wizard of Oz.

To conclude its 45th season, Berkeley Repertory Theatre welcomes back a pair of acclaimed collaborators: Sarah Ruhl and Les Waters, the creators of Eurydice, Three Sisters, and In the Next Room (or the vibrator play), return to Berkeley Rep with another tale of love and longing in Dear Elizabeth.

The fables, foibles and falls of the British Monarchy are delightfully exposed in WordStage's performances of John Barton's 'The Hollow Crown', running at 8:00pm tonight and Saturday, April 5 & 6, 2013.

Two things we love here at BroadwayWorld Jr.: Broadway shows for families and the development of terrific new public schools in New York City. Here's your opportunity to be a part of both. The Hebrew Charter School Center (HCSC) is inviting fans of great family theater to a special benefit performance of Matilda on Sunday April 21st at 3:00 pm. All proceeds of the benefit will go to HCSC, which is working to develop high quality Hebrew language charter schools in the New York area and across the country.

The Astoria Performing Arts Center (APAC) has announced Willy Russell's (Educating Rita and Shirley Valentine) BLOOD BROTHERS, musical staging by Christine O'Grady, musical direction by Julianne B. Merrill, and directed by Tom Wojtunik. BLOOD BROTHERS will play a limited engagement at the Good Shepherd United Methodist Church (30-44 Crescent St, Astoria, NY 11102. Entrance on 30th Road.) Performances begin Thursday, May 2 and continue through Saturday, May 18.

With a new leadership team of Gregory Doran, Artistic Director, and Catherine Mallyon, Executive Director, at the helm, the Royal Shakespeare Company returns to New York this spring with two productions, Julius Caesar and Matilda The Musical. Both began their lives at the RSC's Stratford-upon-Avon home and reflect the Company's continuing commitment to Shakespeare and the work of contemporary playwrights and theatre artists, as it celebrates one hundred years of touring work from Shakespeare's birthplace to the US.

Today we are talking to the originator of Jean Valjean in LES MISERABLES onstage and a preeminent Phantom (and the first to actually play the role) in THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA who has clearly made a major mark with his performances in the theatre - not to mention his work on the original concept albums of EVITA and JEKYLL & HYDE - who now makes the leap to the big screen in his featured role in the super-successful feature film iteration of the Claude-Michel Schonberg/Alain Boublil musical based on the Victor Hugo novel - the titanically talented Colm Wilkinson. Opening up about his work in the original Royal Shakespeare Company production of LES MISERABLES and his collaboration with the creative team and cast of actors as well as his association with producer Cameron Mackintosh, director Trevor Nunn and more, Wilkinson details the finer points of creating one of the modern musical theatre's most memorable characters, from his first audition through to the West End, Broadway and beyond. Additionally, Wilkinson reveals all about shooting the feature film version, with Broadway/Hollywood superstar Hugh Jackman taking over the leading role and whether he would consider taking on another character in the show after having essaying Jean Valjean onstage and the Monsignor onscreen - maybe Javert? Plus, Wilkinson shares backstage stories involving fellow theatrical luminaries like Trevor Nunn, Tim Rice, Andrew Lloyd Webber and more in this career-spanning conversation with one of the mega-musical era's most major of stars - - all of that and much, much more awaits!

Eva Laporte directs the regional premiere of Rebecca Gilman's Dollhouse, a 2004 Goodman-commission adapted from Ibsen's A Doll's House. Set at the cusp of the economic downturn of the past decade, Gilman's Dollhouse explores the economy of a relationship in America. The play is particularly poignant in the after-math of the mortgage crisis and the continuing economic struggles in America.

MATILDA THE MUSICAL, with Penguin Young Readers Group, has launched a monthly book club in celebration of Roald Dahl. Tonight at 7:30 EDT fans can watch Lucy Dahl during a Google+ Hangout video chat as she explores topics and themes from the book "Matilda" and shares her own stories of growing up as the daughter of best-selling author Roald Dahl. To watch the Google+ Hangout visit: www.MatildaTheMusical.com/bookclub.

According to the New York Times, Shakespeare's classic romatic tradgedy Romeo and Juliet is coming back to Broadway this summer. Helmed by David Leveaux, the production will star Tony nominee Condola Rashad and Orlando Bloom- making his Broadway debut in the role. Joining them in the play, which is set to open on September 19 at the Richard Rodgers Theatre, will be Jayne Houdyshell as the Nurse and Joe Morton as Lord Capulet.

3rd Kulture Kids launches its In Transit reading series taking place on the 8th, 15th and 22nd of April at Somethin' Jazz, 212 E 52nd Street at 6:30pm (readings will start at 7).

Mary T. & Lizzy K. stitches together an insider's look at the unique friendship between Mary Todd Lincoln and her talented dressmaker, the successful freed slave Elizabeth 'Lizzy' Keckly. Written and directed by Thompson, Mary T. & Lizzy K. runs now through April 28, 2013 in the Arlene and Robert Kogod Cradle at Arena Stage. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast in action below!

"The Hollow Crown" was devised for the Royal Shakespeare Company as a celebratory entertainment by and about the kings and queens of England, and its 'informative, yet lively and entertaining glimpses into British history and the private lives of the monarchs have delighted audiences from London to Broadway.'

The Shakespeare Theatre Company, recipient of the 2012 Regional Theatre Tony Award, probes the burdens of leadership and the price of power in its Hero/Traitor Repertory of Coriolanus and Wallenstein. In the hands of The Studio Theatre's Artistic Director David Muse and STC's Artistic Director Michael Kahn, this pairing of Shakespearean and German epics challenges the concept of control among military and government institutions. Coriolanus and Wallenstein play at Sidney Harman Hall (610 F Street NW) from tonight, March 28-June 2, 2013.

Here are some of the familiar Broadway faces appearing in prime time tonight (Wednesday, March 27, 2013)!

Chris Larkin joins David Bark-Jones, Maureen Beattie, Simon Bubb, Danielle Flett, Geoffrey Freshwater, Neil Pearson, Thomasin Rand and Sasha Waddell in the UK tour of Michael Frayn's multi- award-winning backstage comedy Noises Off, directed by Lindsay Posner. Following its acclaimed run at The Old Vic and then at the Novello Theatre in the West End, Noises Off will tour theatres across the UK and Ireland from tonight, 27 March 2013. New dates have also been confirmed, which include Birmingham New Alexandra Theatre, Cardiff's Wales Millennium Centre, Glasgow King's Theatre and the Wycombe Swan.

About Face Theatre will kick off LGBTQ Pride Month with the Chicago premiere of the Oliver Award-winning drama THE PRIDE by Alexi Kaye Campbell, directed by Artistic Director Bonnie Metzgar, playing June 6 - July 13, 2013 at Victory Gardens Richard Christiansen Theater, 2433 N. Lincoln Ave. in Chicago. Tickets for THE PRIDE are available at www.aboutfacetheatre.com or by calling the Victory Gardens Box Office at (773) 871-3000. The press opening is Thursday, June 13 at 7:30 pm.

MATILDA THE MUSICAL, produced by The Royal Shakespeare Company and The Dodgers, will open on April 11, 2013 at Broadway's Shubert Theatre (225 West 44th Street). The four girls sharing the title role are Sophia Gennusa, Oona Laurence, Bailey Ryon and Milly Shapiro, each of whom will be making her Broadway debut. BroadwayWorld brings you a first look at the four leading ladies in action below!

The Flea Theater has announced a unique collaboration between The Museum of Jewish Heritage, The Public Theater, The Flea Theater, and individuals, Luna Kaufman, Emmanuel Ruranga, M.S. L.P.C., Daniel Neiden and Erika Feldman. In commemoration of the 19th anniversary of the start of the Rwandan genocide, the group will produce a one time only public reading performance of a new play by Jay O. Sanders.