Thomas Meehan News

Shout! Factory, and its Broadway cast imprint Shout! Broadway, has just announced that it will release and distribute the New Broadway Cast Recording for the critically- acclaimed production of the classic Broadway musical, Annie.

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts today announced its 2013-2014 theater season. Reaching hundreds of thousands of audience members annually, the theater season features a new Kennedy Center re-imagining of Henry Krieger and Bill Russell's Side Show, in association with La Jolla Playhouse with revisions by Krieger and Russell and direction by Academy Award winning director Bill Condon; touring productions of Sister Act, Elf, Flashdance – The Musical, Peter and the Starcatcher, An Evening with Patti LuPone and Mandy Patinkin, and Disney's The Lion King; and an international theater festival highlighting renowned companies from around the world. The season will also bring the seventh season of Barbara Cook's Spotlight series, individually showcasing five Broadway performers in a cabaret setting. Committed to arts education, creation of new works, and community and national involvement, the Center also hosts the 12th annual Page-to-Stage new play festival and the 46th annual Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival.

Circle Theatre presents the Chicago premiere of DEATH TAKES A HOLIDAY, directed by Elizabeth Margolius. A romantic love story, written by a trio of musical theatre greats, Death Takes a Holiday will transport audiences to the post-war Italian countryside. The show feaures music & lyrics by Maury Yeston and book by Peter Stone and Thomas Meehan.

The Garden Theatre, located at 160 West Plant Street in historic Winter Garden, announces its 2013-2014 Theatre Season, running from September 2013-May 2014. In addition to the five full-length theatrical presentations and the StarLite Film Festival, the season will be dotted with weekend events such as music and dance concerts, as well as movies and holiday offerings, which will be announced in the next few months. Subscriptions will go on sale April 1 to past passholders, April 15 for new subscribers, and May 1 for single tickets.

SRO Theatre Company in association CATCO is Theatre presents Hairspray, staged February 22 - March 10, 2013, at the Shedd Theatre in the Columbus Performing Arts Center, 549 Franklin Avenue, Columbus, OH.

Overbrook Entertainment, Marcy Media, director Will Gluck and Sony Pictures Entertainment have cast Academy Award nominee Quvenzhane Wallis, the star of Beasts of the Southern Wild, in the title role of Annie, it was announced today by Doug Belgrad, president of Columbia Pictures, and Hannah Minghella, president of Production for the studio.

Largely responsible for the movie musical revolution of the 21st century, setting the stage first with their mega-successful work on TV in the 1990s like GYPSY, CINDERELLA and ANNIE, then, with their feature film entries since - beginning with CHICAGO and continuing with HAIRSPRAY and many more - executive producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron have bridged the gap between Broadway and Hollywood like no other producers - and, all the while, on their own terms. Opening up about a vast array of projects, ranging from the aforementioned modern classic TV musicals all the way through to the films and stage shows - successful revivals of PROMISES, PROMISES and HOW TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS WITHOUT REALLY TRYING included - and their affiliation with NBC's musical drama series SMASH, Zadan and Meron paint a vivid portrait displaying their fierce dedication to the performing arts and desire for excellence in all of their many, many endeavors. Plus, most importantly, Zadan and Meron clue us in on what we can anticipate from this Sunday's Academy Awards telecast, which they are producing - such as their experiences collaborating with controversial triple-threat host Seth MacFarlane, amassing the starriest assortment of musical performers in Oscar history (Barbra Streisand, Adele, Shirley Bassey, Norah Jones, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Jennifer Hudson among the performers announced so far), creating spectacular tributes to both James Bond in his fiftieth year on film and the modern movie musical revolution (showcasing no less than the reunions of cast members from CHICAGO, DREAMGIRLS and this year's multi-nominated hit LES MISERABLES) as well as what will make this show truly unique. Additionally, Zadan and Meron shed some light on their current and future plans and productions, among them: a BONNIE & CLYDE miniseries for the History Channel starring Emile Hirsch; the currently-running second season of NBC's musical drama series SMASH; two original movie musicals in development and original stage projects, too. All of that, memories of the remarkable LIFE WITH JUDY GARLAND: ME & MY SHADOWS, Lifetime's record-breaking broadcast of a new STEEL MAGNOLIAS, comments on DROP DEAD DIVA's recent cancellation, news on the upcoming e-book edition of Zadan's peerless SONDHEIM & CO. biography, the NBC TV version of THE SOUND OF MUSIC starring Carrie Underwood and much, much more!

Emmy Award-winning actress Jane Lynch, who stars in the hit FOX television show 'Glee' as ruthless cheerleading coach Sue Sylvester, will take on another great tyrannical role as evil orphanage matron Miss Hannigan in the new Broadway production of ANNIE at the Palace Theatre (1564 Broadway between 46th and 47th Streets). Lynch, a stage veteran of Chicago's Steppenwolf Theatre Company and The Second City, will be making her Broadway debut. She will play Miss Hannigan for eight weeks only, from Thursday, May 16 through Sunday, July 14.

BroadwayWorld has confirmed that Sadie Sink and Brooklyn Shuck have joined the cast of Annie at the Palace Theatre as standbys for sevral of the orphans. Sink will be the standby for Annie, Tessie, Duffy, July and Kate, and Shuck for Molly, Kate, Tessie, July and Duffy.

On February 9, Newnan Theatre Company presented its 2013 Gala, NTC's celebration of its 2013/2014 season opening. Season ticket holders and guests were treated to drinks, hors d'oeuvres and desserts. They participated in a silent auction of an intriguing array of items, profits to benefit the theatre, and they were given an opportunity to renew or purchase season memberships at discount prices.

From Kristin Chenoweth to Deborah Cox to Idina Menzel to Barbra Streisand to Michael Crawford to the Ladies of THE VIEW to Adam Pascal, Patti LuPone, Raul Esparza, Alan Menken, Lea Salonga, Bernadette Peters, Laura Osnes, Victoria Clark, GLEE and Everything in Between - It's the BroadwayWorld.com 2013 Valentine's Day Special - It's the Biggest Ever!

Almost twenty-five years to the day John Waters' iconic film was released, the Kean Department of Theatre will present the Tony Award-winning musical adaptation of Hairspray from Friday, February 22nd to Saturday, March 2nd in Kean University's Wilkins Theatre. Featuring music by Mark Shaiman, lyrics by Scott Wittman and Mr. Shaiman, and a book by Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan, Hairspray is based on Mr. Waters' popular 1988 comedy of the same name, and received its Broadway premiere on August 15, 2002. Hairspray ran for nearly six-and-a-half years on Broadway (over 2,500 performances), and collected an unprecedented thirteen Tony Award nominations in 2003, going on to win in eight categories (including Best Musical), the most wins by any production nominated that year. It has subsequently toured throughout the United States and received several high-profile international productions, including a successful run in London's West End in 2008 that garnered a record eleven Laurence Olivier Award nominations, ultimately winning four awards (including Best New Musical). In 2007, a second feature film adaptation of Hairspray - based on the original film and Broadway musical - was released, starring John Travolta and Michelle Pfeiffer.

John Waters' tale of hair hoppers and integrationists receives a workman-like production in Broad Brook.

BroadwayWorld.com noticed something today as we scoured Facebook and it's something that we really liked, so we wanted to share it with you because it's not so often that you find such generosity for actors. This weekend, all roads lead to St. Louis as actors are headed there from all over the country to audition for the Muny's summer production of LES MISERABLES directed by Richard Jay-Alexander and with music direction by Kevin Stites.

Willow Smith, the 'Whip My Hair' tween hitmaker daughter of Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith, has withdrawn from the forthcoming feature film remake of ANNIE. Charles Strouse, Thomas Meehan and Martin Charnin's Tony Award-winning stage musical ANNIE has previously been filmed twice, the first time in 1982 with John Huston in the director's chair and later in a made-for-TV adaptation produced by Disney and helmed by CHICAGO director Rob Marshall in 1999.

The new Broadway production of ANNIE celebrates its 100th performance on Saturday, February 2 at the Palace Theatre (Broadway at 47th Street). The cast of the acclaimed production will celebrate the milestone with cupcakes generously provided by Magnolia Bakery.

Deadline reports that Sony Pictues has hired Will Gluck to take on directing duties for its upcoming reboot of the Broadway musical ANNIE. While Will and Jada Smith's daughter Willow was in line to take on the title role, she is no longer attached to the project.

Early Monday evening, the Venice Theatre announced their 2013 to 2014 theatre season at a special Kickoff gathering at their theatre located at 140 West Tampa Avenue in Venice, Florida. Hosting the event were Exective/Artisitic Director Murray Chase and Producing Director Allan Kollar. Highlighted by performances from local actors, the duo revealed their exciting upcoming schedule: