Tim Rice News

Today, in honor of the American premiere of ELAINE PAIGE: CELEBRATING FORTY YEARS ONSTAGE being broadcast on PBS this week is a sneak peek of an upcoming InDepth InterView with legendary star of Broadway and the West End, Elaine Paige. In this portion of the interview we discuss the writing of CHESS with ABBA's Benny Andersson & Bjorn Ulvaeus and lyricist Tim Rice, as well as her thoughts on contemporaries like Patti LuPone and, of course, originating the leads in EVITA, CATS, CHESS. We also preview her new album produced by Phil Ramone and featuring a duet with Barry Manilow. We also discuss the new song written for her by Stiles & Drewe for the concert.

According to reports from The Star- JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR will be the main musical featured in the 2011 Stratford Shakespeare Festival. Artistic Director Des McAnuff will be control the staging.

The Orange County return of DISNEY'S THE LION KING opens tonight, Friday, May 28 at 7:30 p.m. in Segerstrom Hall at the Orange County Performing Arts Center for a limited engagement of three weeks through Sunday, June 13.

The MIT Musical Theatre Guild has announced that auditions for Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR will be held on Monday, June 14th and Tuesday, June 15th from 7-9pm. The location of the auditions will be announced.

Complete casting has been announced for the Signature Theatre's staging of CHESS, joining the previously announced Jill Paice, Jeremy Kushnier and Euan Morton will be Eleasha Gamble, Russell, Sunday. Chris Sizemore, Christopher Bloch, Jamie Eacker, Christopher Mueller, Gregory Maheu, Rachel Zampelli, Jonathan Atkinson, James Gardiner, Katie McManus and Bayla Whitten.

The New York Times is reporting that EVITA is officially set for a Spring 2012 revival, produced by Hal Luftig and Scott Sanders, directed by Michael Grandage (who directed the recent London revival) and starring Elena Roger and Ricky Martin.

JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR, the Tony Award nominated, groundbreaking theatrical masterpiece by legendary writing team Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice, will be playing only at Theatre at the Center, 1040 Ridge Road, Munster, IN, July 8 through August 8.

The Jeff Awards for the 2009-2010 season of non-equity theater in Chicago were presented on June 7, 2010, the Chicago Sun-Times reported today. Tracy Letts' (AUGUST:OSAGE COUNTY) KILLER JOE, presented by the Profiles Theatre, won the award for best production of a play, while CHESS, written by Tim Rice, Benny Andersson, and Bjorn Ulvaeus and presented by the Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre in association with Michael James, won the award for best production of a musical. Both productions also picked up additional awards--CHESS for best director, choreographer, principal actor, principal actress, supporting actor, and musical direction and KILLER JOE for best director and principal actor.

It is always so exciting going to see a World Premiere of a musical. This happens often at the Signature Theatre thanks to the their 'American Musical Voices Project' (the largest single musical theater commissioning and producing initiative of any U.S. theater) sponsored by the Shen Family Foundation.

This summer, the Tony Award-winning Signature Theatre features exciting performances ranging from its specialty, fully staged musicals with Ititle of show] and Chess, to its popular cabaret evenings of show tunes, jazz, blues, and rock.

Broadway's landmark musical event THE LION KING is pleased to welcome to the company beginning Tuesday, June 15: GARETH SAXE as the evil and power-hungry lion Scar; ALTON FITZGERALD WHITE as Mufasa, the great lion warrior and ruler of the Pridelands; CAMERON POW as the prim and proper hornbilled bird Zazu; BEN JEFFREY as the carefree warthog Pumbaa; FRED BERMAN as the wisecracking meerkat Timon; and CHAUNTEÉ SCHULER as the loyal lioness Nala.

FEINSTEIN'S AT LOEWS REGENCY, the nightclub proclaimed 'Best of New York' by New York Magazine and 'an invaluable New York institution' by The New York Post, will continue its Spring/Summer 2010 season with the return of ADAM PASCAL, the award-winning star of Broadway's Rent and Aida on June 20 and 21.

The Barn Players Seeks Directors For 2011 Season, 7/15 Deadline

After almost a decade of traveling the country (to go along with countless international productions as well as a recently planted sit-down production in Las Vegas), the National Touring company of DISNEY'S THE LION KING returns to the Orange County Performing Arts Center for a strictly-limited three-week run through June 13, to dazzle a new generation of wide-eyed audiences, offering the chance for many to relive one of the most celebrated, most creatively-staged musicals to ever grace the Broadway stage. There is no denying the awe-inspiring wonder this show elicits out of its rapt audience; even after years of seeing the show's last visit to the O.C. (as well as the three-year sit-down production that christened the newly-refurbished Pantages Theatre in Hollywood back in 2000), the show surprisingly holds up well with age, especially when you consider what other shows have followed in its wake.

Sacramento Music Circus has announced the casting for its sixtieth summer season. The seven-show season will include the Music Circus premieres of 'Spamalot,' 'Dirty Rotten Scoundrels' and 'The Marvelous Wonderettes' and new stagings of 'Oklahoma!,' 'Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,' '42nd Street' and 'Funny Girl,' the latter returning to Music Circus after an 18-year absence.

The Orange County return of DISNEY'S THE LION KING opens tonight, Friday, May 28 at 7:30 p.m. in Segerstrom Hall at the Orange County Performing Arts Center for a limited engagement of three weeks through Sunday, June 13.

MTG Seeks Directorial Staff For JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR

Disney's THE LION KING set new box office records in Madison during each week of its four-week premiere engagement which concluded on Sunday, May 23. THE LION KING is the highest grossing theatrical production to ever play Overture Center for the Arts where it grossed over $4.8 million and entertained more than 68,000 people.

Whatsonstage.com is reporting that famed lyricist Tim Rice may be revisiting an old partnership with Andrew Lloyd Webber for the upcoming West End production of The Wizard of Oz. The production found its Dorothy last week via the BBC talent show Over The Rainbow, casting Danielle Hope in the role that Judy Garland has made famous.

The latest in unauthorized gossip and buzz from the heart of Chicago's showtune video bars, and musical theater news from Chicago to Broadway. Dominic Missimi gala, Diana Ross, 'Fuerza Bruta,' 'Billy Elliot,' 'Legally Blonde,' 'Oh, Boy!,' more...