Stephen Schwartz News

The 40th Anniversary production and first-ever Broadway revival of Stephen Schwartz's rock musical GODSPELL officially opened at the Circle in the Square Theater on November 7. The cast of the show spent some time in the recording studio last month to work on a new cast album, and according to Amazon.com, it will be released on January 31, 2012. It is currently available for pre-order.

Not a Broadway season goes by without a soap star dipping their toe in the Chicago pool at the Ambassador Theatre-so well oiled is that bare-bones revival that it was able to survive the placement of Ashlee Simpson. It's become a petri dish for stunt casting experiments. A few blocks north, at the Circle in the Square Theatre, heartthrob Hunter Parish-he gained notoriety for 'playing' dense on Showtime's Weeds-is dancing around as the lord and savior in Godspell. Hunter has been no savior for the Stephen Schwartz musical, or so say the critics. Kara DioGuardi, Christie Brinkley-the stunts go on and on.

As familiar and beloved asThe Wizard of Oz? Not quite, but getting there, slowly but surely, Wicked has an international fan following to boggle the mind. And it has sold more t-shirts than any show in Broadway history. Now in a return engagement at the Pantages, this scaled down tour of Wicked still catches fire, due mostly to a gifted cast.

BroadwayWorld has confirmed Twitter reports that the Chigo cast of MILION DOLLAR QUARTET will make an appearance on OWN's 'The Rosie Show' on December 6, and Broadway's GODSPELL will stop by to perform on December 8. 'The Rosie Show' premiered on Oct. 10 on OWN and airs weekdays at 7 p.m. Visit http://www.oprah.com/rosie/rosie.html for additional information.

On Twitter Watch, GODSPELL wrote 'Follow us tomorrow as @GeorgeSalazar takes over the @BwayGodspell account to live tweet the cast trip to Chicago to tape 'The Rosie Show'! Guess who's up early!? Baristas, insomniacs, and the cast of @BwayGodspell! Step 1 of our trip to Chicago: Getting out of the apartment. Step 2 of our trip to ROSIE: Hailing a cab that'll pick up Charlie Alterman and Morgan James along the way. #uws #sweettalking Nothing starts a travel day off right like a 700 calorie breakfast sandwich at FIVE GUYS with @AnnaMariaPdT, @hinkleystomp, & @ericmkrop! Its a good thing I know all the lyrics to 'Bless The Lord' because I'm throwing Lindsay off the plane today. Ok, we're about to board, so the tweets will have to seize. Just know this: @AnnaMariaPdT has seven rows to herself. About to take off! @Rosie, get those #kooshballs ready! @BwayGodspell's comin!! http://pic.twitter.com/ssZ0JC1Z The 40th Anniversary production and first-ever Broadway revival of Stephen Schwartz's rock musical GODSPELL officially opened at the Circle in the Square Theater on November 7. The cast just visited 'The View' where they performed a medley of songs from the show. Click below to check it out! The show is directed by Daniel Goldstein and choreographed by Tony Award nominee Christopher Gattelli (South Pacific), and stars a diverse company of 10 young actors, lead by Hunter Parrish as Jesus and Wallace Smith as Judas, and co-starring Uzo Aduba, Nick Blaemire, Celisse Henderson,Morgan James, Telly Leung, Lindsay Mendez, Anna Maria Perez de Tagle and George Salazar. GODSPELL features scenic design by David Korins (Passing Strange, Bridge and Tunnel), costume design by Miranda Hoffman (Well), lighting design by Ben Stanton (Angels in America) and orchestrations by Michael Holland (Hurricane). Conceived and originally directed by John-Michael Tebelakwith music and new lyrics by Academy and Grammy Award winner Stephen Schwartz (Wicked, Pippin), GODSPELL's Tony-nominated score features instantly recognizable hits including 'Day by Day,' 'Turn Back, O Man,' 'Learn Your Lessons Well, 'Prepare Ye the Way,' 'Light of the World' and many more. For tickets and more information, visit www.godspell.com. '

Back by 'Popular' demand, Broadway's biggest blockbuster, WICKED returned to its Los Angeles home, the Pantages Theatre, for a strictly-limited engagement this holiday season running through January 29, 2012. When it first played the Pantages in 2005, it broke box office records and sold out in record time. WICKED returned two years later to begin an extended engagement that would go on to run two years, becoming one of the longest-running Broadway musicals in L.A. history. Check out phots fromt he starry opening below!

In December, The Coterie, Hollywood's newest supper club, will showcase the best and brightest talent from Broadway this holiday season.

The Actors Fund is proud to continue their 'Musical Monday' benefits - a special series of intimate concerts with some of theatre's finest performers including Brian Stokes Mitchell, Melissa Manchester, Peter Gallagher, Valarie Pettiford, Alice Ripley and Emily Skinner, Sam Harris, Stephen Schwartz and Carol Channing. The Actors Fund presents a very special Musical Monday -in the historic lobby of the Pantages Theatre with TONY Award Winner Betty Buckley in 'AH MEN! The Boys of Broadway.' The concert will be held on Monday, December 5th - 8:30pm.

WICKED, the most anticipated musical production of the 2011 - 2012 Broadway Sacramento season will go on sale to the public this Saturday, December 3 at 7:00 a.m. exclusively in person at the Community Center Theater Box Office, 1301 L Street, in Sacramento. Beginning at 10:00 a.m., remaining tickets will be available for purchase by phone at (916) 557-1999, (916) 808-5181, in person at The Wells Fargo Pavilion Box Office at 1419 H Street in Sacramento, and online through Tickets.com. There is an 8-ticket limit per person.

Whether you've been living under a rock for the past week, or you're just in the mood for a recap of everything theatre, BroadwayWorld's feature, 'This Week in Pictures' is here to satisfy your end of the week fix. Take a look below to catch up on the latest happenings from the Great White Way to the West End (and everywhere in between) with coverage of press events, rehearsals, opening nights and more!

Following on from Sunday in the Park with George, Little Shop of Horrors, La Cage aux Folles, A Little Night Music and Sweet Charity, the Menier Chocolate Factory is currently presenting Stephen Schwartz and Roger O. Hirson's Pippin. Pippin began previews on Tuesday, 22 November, opens officially on 7 December, and will run through 25 February, 2012. Buzz about West End and Broadway transfers of the production has already begun, with Stephen Schwartz fully supportive of both ideas. Below, BroadwayWorld brings you a first look at Pippin at Menier Chocholate Factory!

The 40th Anniversary production and first-ever Broadway revival of Stephen Schwartz's rock musical GODSPELL officially opened at the Circle in the Square Theater on November 7. The cast just visited 'The View' where they performed a medley of songs from the show. Click below to check it out!

WICKED, the most anticipated musical production of the 2011 - 2012 Broadway Sacramento season will go on sale to the public this Saturday, December 3 at 7:00 a.m. exclusively in person at the Community Center Theater Box Office, 1301 L Street, in Sacramento. Beginning at 10:00 a.m., remaining tickets will be available for purchase by phone at (916) 557-1999, (916) 808-5181, in person at The Wells Fargo Pavilion Box Office at 1419 H Street in Sacramento, and online through Tickets.com. There is an 8-ticket limit per person.

The Biblical-inspired musical Children of Eden, by Stephen Schwartz and John Caird is to be revived in the West End for one night only in a spectacular star-studded charity gala at the Prince of Wales?Theatre on Sunday 29 January at 7pm.

Break out the tinsel, pour the eggnog, and light up the yule log! The holiday season is here and that means Signature Theatre will be hosting its annual holiday celebration, Holiday Follies from December 13th - December 23rd.

In December, The Coterie, Hollywood's newest supper club, will showcase the best and brightest talent from Broadway this holiday season.

Tribute artist Peter Mac, nominated for 4 BWW Awards 2011, left his dresses in the closet November 25 and 26 to present an intimate evening of song at the Gardenia in honor of his favorite composers.Potpourri was almost the title of the show, Mac explained, because the composers as diverse as Harold Arlen and Bobby Darin, who composed the opener and title song 'As Long As I'm Singing', created tunes with a mix of styles. Very few impressionists can strip away the makeup and perform as themselves. Jim Bailey did it on occasion, and Peter Mac is following gloriously in his footsteps. Mac has a terrific vocal range, and much, much more... he's sexy and has an aura, a charismatic spirit that never lets down. Anecdote follows anecdote, and he keeps his audience on their toes as they are asked to take commemorative journeys with him. Such TV programs as Dark Shadows and everyone's fav vampire Barnabas Collins played into a couple of his songs. Remember? Those who did not live through the 60s had either collected those delightful Shadows videos like Mac himself or had found themselves entertained by the gothic soap's actors, such as David Selby or Lara Parker, at yearly conventions/festivals. If none of the preceding, you can look forward to the new film starring Johnny Depp as Collins. Mac essayed 'If I Can't Love Her' from Beauty and the Beast and really delved into this in depth love that he compared to that of Barnabas and his beloved Josette Dupres.

Pittsburgh CLO will welcome Liz Callaway back to Pittsburgh in 2012 to star as Norma Desmond in Pittsburgh CLO's inaugural production of Sunset Boulevard. Ms. Callaway charmed audiences and critics alike last summer in Pittsburgh CLO's premiere of Love Changes Everything: The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber. The remainder of the cast for this extraordinary production will be announced in the coming months.