Sam Mendes News

Alexander Greenfield (Asst. Director, BORN YESTERDAY) will direct a cast that includes Jason Michael Snow (The Book of Mormon), Tobias Segal (The Miracle Worker), Arden Myrin (Chelsea Lately), Lucas Near-Verbrugghe (Bloody, Bloody Andrew Jackson) Maggie Low (Times of War) and Elizabeth West (The Women) in a reading of Pulitzer- nominated Tom Diggs' new play LOVE IN THE TIME OF REAGAN at an industry reading in midtown Manhattan one day only on May 16, 2011 at 3 pm in an undisclosed location.

DreamWorks Theatricals and Neal Street Productions, Ltd. are pleased to announce that SHREK THE MUSICAL with book and lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire and music by Jeanine Tesori, directed by Jason Moore and Rob Ashford, will play the Times Union Center's Moran Theater for one week only, May 10-15, 2011.

Legends in their own time, ascending to the top ranks of the Hollywood and Broadway songwriting landscape, Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman have accomplished and climbed to heights most of what many film fans, Broadway babies and general entertainment junkies only dream of witnessing and ascending to. Marc Shaiman's work with Trey Parker and Matt Stone on SOUTH PARK: BIGGER, LONGER & UNCUT prompted Stephen Sondheim - as he told me himself - to cite it as one of the best musicals of the era. And, it is - as is their Tony-winning Best Musical HAIRSPRAY, based on the film by Pope of Trash John Waters. Featuring John Travolta, Michelle Pfeiffer, Zac Efron, Queen Latifah and an all-around-amazing cast of triple-threats, the stunning Craig Zadan/Neil Meron-produced film version of HAIRSPRAY may be the greatest cinematic Shaiman and/or Wittman accomplishment so far. Then, there is CATCH ME IF YOU CAN - one of the snappiest new scores on Broadway in a strangely strong season of original scores - boasting boss Sinatra blues and sizzling Shirelles riffs and everything else that's swingin' in between. Up next for the team - onstage and off - is a stage adaptation of Roald Dahl's CHARLIE & THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY directed by Oscar-winning director Sam Mendes, in addition to what is perhaps the most exciting prospect on their impossibly cluttered horizon: the new Steven Speilberg/Craig Zadan/Neil Meron musical/comedy/drama series SMASH which has just been picked up for the Fall season on NBC! In this exclusive, extensive and exhaustive conversation we cover it all from HAIRSPRAY to CATCH ME to CHARLIE to all about SMASH and far, far beyond!

With a 2011 Tony nomination for Best Featured Actor In A Play for his magnetic turn in the critically-hailed revival of Larry Kramer's THE NORMAL HEART on Broadway and a leading role on Showtime's THE BIG C co-starring real-life close friend Laura Linney, as well as a busy film career that boats memorable turns in THE REF, ME & MY SHADOWS: LIFE WITH JUDY GARLAND, FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS, the recent remake of THE TAKING OF PELHAM 123 and TRANSFORMERS: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN, John Benjamin Hickey is a very busy man. Nevertheless, he was kind enough to recently take some time out of his beyond busy schedule to talk all about his stage and screen career - including sharing some revealing anecdotes about starring in THE CRUCIBLE with Liam Neeson and Linney, as well as working with the esteemed playwright Arthur Miller himself, in addition to his work in Terrance McNally's LOVE, VALOUR, COMPASSION, Sam Mendes and Rob Marshall's revival of CABARET, and, of course, all about the George C. Wolfe/Joel Grey production of THE NORMAL HEART starring director/actor Joe Mantello that he is participating in now. Plus, we have his thoughts on his recent GOOD WIFE appearance, feelings on the place of political theatre in society today, what roles he would like to take on in the future, his affection for the work of Edward Albee - and much, much more.

Atlantic Theater Company (Neil Pepe, Artistic Director; Jeffory Lawson, Managing Director) is proud to announce the first production of its 2011-2012 season, the U.S. premiere of Simon Stephen's play BLUEBIRD, directed by Gaye Taylor Upchurch and starring Olivier Award winner and Tony Award® nominee Simon Russell Beale, Tobias Segal and Atlantic Theater company members Kate Blumberg, Mary McCann, and Todd Weeks.

Atlantic Theater Company has announced the first production of its 2011-2012 season, the U.S. premiere of Simon Stephen's play BLUEBIRD, directed by Gaye Taylor Upchurch and starring Olivier Award winner and Tony Award® nominee Simon Russell Beale, Tobias Segal and Atlantic Theater company members Kate Blumberg, Mary McCann, and Todd Weeks.

DreamWorks Theatricals and Neal Street Productions, Ltd. are pleased to announce that SHREK THE MUSICAL with book and lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire and music by Jeanine Tesori, directed by Jason Moore and Rob Ashford, will play the Times Union Center's Moran Theater for one week only, May 10-15, 2011.

Alexander Greenfield (Asst. Director, BORN YESTERDAY) will direct a cast that includes Jason Michael Snow (The Book of Mormon), Tobias Segal (The Miracle Worker), Arden Myrin (Chelsea Lately), Lucas Near-Verbrugghe (Bloody, Bloody Andrew Jackson) Maggie Low (Times of War) and Elizabeth West (The Women) in a reading of Pulitzer- nominated Tom Diggs' new play LOVE IN THE TIME OF REAGAN at an industry reading in midtown Manhattan one day only on May 16, 2011 at 3 pm in an undisclosed location.

Following on from the Menier Chocolate Factory's acclaimed productions of Sunday in the Park with George and A Little Night Music, Stephen Sondheim's latest musical, ROAD SHOW, directed and designed by the Tony Award-winning John Doyle and featuring David Bedella, Michael Jibson, Jon Robyns and Gillian Bevan, premieres in a brand new production at the Menier Chocolate Factory on 6 July 2011.

What is the true meaning of justice? That is the question posed to audiences in A Time to Kill, the world premiere and first stage adaptation of a novel by John Grisham.

Nominations in 26 competitive categories for the American Theatre Wing's 65th Annual Antoinette Perry 'Tony' Awards were announced May 3, 2011 by Tony Award winning actor Matthew Broderick and Tony Award winning actress Anika Noni Rose, at the Tony Award Nominations Announcement sponsored by IBM.

Sam Bain, co-creator of Channel 4's Peep Show and co-writer of Chris Morris' 'Four Lions' introduce a rare screening of one of Britain's most celebrated cult comedy classics 'Withnail and I' as part of the Time Out Film Club.

DreamWorks Theatricals and Neal Street Productions, Ltd. are pleased to announce that SHREK THE MUSICAL with book and lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire and music by Jeanine Tesori, directed by Jason Moore and Rob Ashford, will play at The Fox Theatre, for one week only, closing on May 1, 2011, as part of the Broadway Across America - Atlanta 2010-2011 season.

Acclaimed actor Derek Jacobi reunites with Tony Award-winning Artistic Director Michael Grandage for the Donmar production of King Lear. Presented at BAM in its US premiere, the production opened at the Donmar in December 2010, followed by an eight-week tour of the UK. It was also broadcast to more than 22 countries worldwide in collaboration with National Theatre Live.

Sam Bain, co-creator of Channel 4's Peep Show and co-writer of Chris Morris' 'Four Lions' introduce a rare screening of one of Britain's most celebrated cult comedy classics 'Withnail and I' as part of the Time Out Film Club.

DreamWorks Theatricals and Neal Street Productions, Ltd. are pleased to announce that SHREK THE MUSICAL with book and lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire and music by Jeanine Tesori, directed by Jason Moore and Rob Ashford, will play at The Fox Theatre, for one week only, April 26-May 1, 2011, as part of the Broadway Across America - Atlanta 2010-2011 season.

SHREK THE MUSICAL with book and lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire and music by Jeanine Tesori, directed by Jason Moore and Rob Ashford, will play the Aronoff Center thru April 24, 2011 as part of a Fifth Third Bank Broadway in Cincinnati 10/11 Season Presentation.

50 of America's top young theatre artists will be travelling to London this May as part of The 2011 TS Eliot US/UK Exchange - a project run by the historic The Old Vic Theatre in London, currently under the artistic direction of Kevin Spacey.

The full company is announced for the final season of The Bridge Project featuring Kevin Spacey, artistic director of The Old Vic, in the title role of Richard III. The Bridge Project will open at The Old Vic in London on June 29, 2011 and then embark on an international tour including the Athens & Epidaurus Festival, Spain's Centro Niemeyer, Hong Kong Arts Festival, and Singapore Repertory Theatre, arriving at BAM's Harvey Theater in New York in January 2012. Further international tour dates to be announced shortly.

DreamWorks Theatricals and Neal Street Productions, Ltd. are pleased to announce that SHREK THE MUSICAL with book and lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire and music by Jeanine Tesori, directed by Jason Moore and Rob Ashford, will play the Times Union Center's Moran Theater for one week only, May 10-15, 2011.