Stephen Daldry News

Renowned actress Helen Mirren reprises her Academy Award winning role as Queen Elizabeth II in The Audience, Live in HD from Britain's National Theatre (NTL) on Saturday, July 20, at 6:30 p.m., a very civilized way to spend a hot summer's night in the cool, calm theater of The Ridgefield Playhouse.

CARNIVAL OF THE ANIMALS is a new musical which will premiere at Riverside Studios in London from tonight, 4 to 14 July for 10 performances only.

Chicagoans can experience the rare privilege of seeing Helen Mirren's acclaimed West End performance as Queen Elizabeth II in The Audience, bowing today, July 3 at the Music Box Theatre.

Last week's poll asked which project you're most excited to see on stage. Check out your response below!

New BroadwayWorld.com Poll - Which Disney project are you most excited for?

The power of live HD broadcasts will allow the audience at The Ridgefield Playhouse to experience the best of British theatre from Britain's National Theatre in London onSaturday, July 20, at 6:30 p.m. when renowned actress Helen Mirren stars in the play The Queen. The Audience reunites writer Peter Morgan and Academy Award-winning actress Helen Mirren following their collaboration on the critically acclaimed movie sensation The Queen. The NTL in HD series brings the best of British theatre live to cinemas worldwide. Media sponsor is WSHU. This event is supported by Starbucks Coffee.

Last week BroadwayWorld reported that Disney Theatrical Productions has been experimenting with bringing a live stage version of THE MUPPETS to Broadway, but according to the New York Times, that's not the only project in the works. Many other shows based on animated Disney classics are being created for the stage including THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME (music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Stephen Schwartz, book by Peter Parnell and direction by Scott Schwartz), for which a table reading was recently held. It was announced several year ago that stage adaptations of DUMBO (direction by Stephen Daldry), and Tim Burton's version of ALICE IN WONDERLAND (direction by Rob Ashford) were in the works, though no new information has been released recently on either project.

Actor and singer-songwriter Matthew James Thomas, currently starring in the title role in the Tony Award winning hit Broadway show Pippin, has released his debut EP No Sound At All, which is available today on iTunes, Amazon and wherever music is sold digitally online. The EP is produced by Grammy & Tony Award winner Duncan Sheik ('Barely Breathing', Spring Awakening) and features complete original music by Thomas.

Billy Elliot the Musical is now booking at the Victoria Palace Theatre until 21 June 2014. Now in its ninth year, Billy Elliot the Musical was recently awarded its fifth Laurence Olivier Award - the BBC Radio 2 Audience Award voted for by the theatregoing public and has been seen by over 4 million people in the West End. Check out photos of the new cast in action below!

Today, Michael Riedel reports that in addition to upcoming productions of MISS SAIGON, BARNUM and a Broadway return of LES MIS that 'As if three shows weren't enough, Mackintosh is also planning a Broadway revival of 'Oliver!' Lionel Bart's chirpy old musical hasn't been seen in New York since a short-lived 1983 production starring Patti LuPone. It's said to be Mackintosh's favorite musical, and it's how he got his start in the theater. 'Oliver!' played the New Theatre in London in 1960, and a teenage Mackintosh got a job polishing the brass railing in the theater lobby.'

The Music Box continues its partnership with the UK's National Theatre Live to exhibit captured live stage performances beamed to Chicago from the prestigious National Theatre in London. The Audience, starring Mirren and directed by Academy Award-nominated director Stephen Daldry (Billy Elliot, The Hours), shows Sunday June 30, 1:30 pm and Wednesday, July 3, 7:30pm at Music Box Theatre, 3733 N. Southport Avenue.

National Theatre Live is pleased to announce that the June 13 live broadcast of Peter Morgan's Olivier Award-winning new play The Audience was seen by nearly 30,000 people in North America and nearly 80,000 people in the UK - the largest audience ever for a live broadcast from National Theatre Live. Due to the record-breaking response to the National Theatre Live broadcast of The Audience, many encore screenings have already been added, and more encores will be added throughout the summer internationally. In North America, there are currently 700 screenings scheduled throughout the summer, with additional encores to be added still; in the UK, nearly 800 screenings will take place - the largest number of screenings for a National Theatre Live broadcast in both North America and the UK ever. The Audience played its final performance at London's Gielgud Theatre on June 15, starring internationally acclaimed actress Helen Mirren as The Queen, directed by Stephen Daldry, and won two 2013 Olivier Awards for Best Actress (Helen Mirren) and Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Richard McCabe).

BY Experience announces the donation and installation of high tech digital projector equipment for their partners at The Actors Fund. The equipment will allow the residents of The Lillian Booth Actors Home to enjoy all National Theatre Live theatrical programming, beginning with The Audience today, June 14.

The record breaking, sell-out production of Peter Morgan's multi Olivier award-winning The Audience, directed by Stephen Daldry, concludes its run at the Gielgud Theatre on 15 June 2013. Tomorrow, Thursday 13 June 2013, there will be an opportunity to watch the production as part of NT live - the National Theatre's ground-breaking project to broadcast the best of British Theatre live from the stage to cinemas across the UK and around the world. An extraordinary number of screenings have now been scheduled due to immense demand.

Let's start at the very beginning... the award-winning North Shore Music Theatre (NSMT) is alive with THE SOUND OF MUSIC as the treasured musical takes the stage for the first time since 1989. Opening tonight, June 11 and playing through Sunday, June 23.

Internationally acclaimed actress Helen Mirren's performance as The Queen in the world premiere of Peter Morgan's THE AUDIENCE, directed by Stephen Daldry, will be seen by cinema audiences worldwide when National Theatre Live broadcasts the play live from London's Gielgud Theatre on June 13, 2013, with varying dates internationally and encore screenings throughout the summer. THE AUDIENCE reunites Mirren and Morgan after collaborating on the 2006 film The Queen, in which Mirren also portrayed Elizabeth II, winning the Academy, Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild (SAG) and BAFTA Awards for Best Actress for her performance. For their performances in THE AUDIENCE, both Mirren and Richard McCabe (as former Prime Minister Harold Wilson) won 2013 Olivier Awards for Best Actress and Best Actor in a Supporting Role.

Let's start at the very beginning… the award-winning North Shore Music Theatre (NSMT) is alive with THE SOUND OF MUSIC as the treasured musical takes the stage for the first time since 1989. Opening Tuesday, June 11 and playing through Sunday, June 23.