Dutch Reporter - Page 2

De Nationale Reisopera, a Dutch opera company dedicated to operatic productions that tour the Netherlands, will present Stephen Sondheim's SWEENEY TODD in 2014.

Stage Entertainment have announced it will start a nationwide search for young boys to take on the title role in a Dutch production of Billy Elliot. A training program has been devised with the purpose to convince the English creatives that indeed there are sufficient boys of sufficient talent to guarantee a succesful run of the show in the Netherlands.

Dutch actress Pia Douwes will star in the German premiere of the Brian Yorkey/Tom Kitt musical NEXT TO NORMAL, due to open in Furth on October 11th.

Tim Driesen, Dieter Spileers, Robbert van den Bergh and Rene van Kooten will be portraying Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons in the Dutch version of JERSEY BOYS, due to open on September 22nd in Utrecht.

Watch Willemijn Verkaik, Broadway's current Elphaba in WICKED, perform 'Defying Gravity' in the three languages she has performed the role in: Dutch, German and English.

After Celinde Schoenmaker, who currently plays the role of Fantine in West End's LES MISERABLES, another Dutch musical actress has been cast for this role: Na-Young Jeon, best known for playing Kim in the Dutch 2012 revival of MISS SAIGON.

The Dutch musical theatre community participated actively today in the festive ceremony with which HRH Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands passed the torch to her son, Willem Alexander.

BroadwayWorld brings you a sneak peak into current and upcoming musicals in the Netherlands through the commercials that have been put online for each of them. We include the teaser for LOVE STORY (just released) and ANNIE (closing soon).

Theme park 'De Efteling', the largest theme park in the Netherlands, announced a new musical to be performed in the Efteling theatre: Klaas Vaak (Sandman). The show will have a cast of 17, including children, and open in September 2013.

Stage Entertainment announced today it will bring WAR HORSE to the Netherlands in 2014. No dates or venues have been announced yet.

The Dutch 2013-2014 season is quickly taking shape. It is already clear it will be brand-marked by the financial crisis raging in Europe. Fewer productions, smaller casts. What's to expect after the summer? BroadwayWorld comments on the most prominent titles.

Thirty years after it came out, the movie Yentl will be made into a musical starring just one actress: Vera Mann. The one-woman musical will premiere in October and tour the Netherlands until January 2014.

With Whoopi Goldberg in the audience, the Dutch version of Sister Act premiered in Scheveningen on March 2nd. Helmed by director Carline Brouwer, starring Carolina Dijkhuizen as Doloris Van Cartier, the show opended to largely positive reviews. Here's BroadwayWorld's summary of the reviews by the national newspapers.

Stage Entertainment in the Netherlands has issued a casting call for a Dutch version of JERSEY BOYS, the hit musical about Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. JERSEY BOYS will open in the Beatrix Theatre in September 2013.

In the wake of the upcoming Broadway opening of FLASHDANCE, a Dutch touring production will open late 2013, based on the current US Tour.

The extraordinary success of the Dutch musical SOLDAAT VAN ORANJE (Soldier of Orange), based on the movie by the same title, shown no signs of coming to an end soon. The production has just been announced to be extended again: bookings are now open to September 2013.

The first of the three cast changes has been announced for the Antwerp run of the Dutch production of SHREK, currently playing the RAI Theatre in Amsterdam. Chris van den Purpel will be SHREK, taking over from William Spaaij for four weeks.

The Dutch production of WICKED, currently playing the Circustheater in Schevening, will close today, January 11, 2013 after about 400 performances.

In the upcoming musical exploring the relationship between Liza Minelli and Judy Garland, Janke Dekker will portray Liza, Jelka van Houten will play Judy. Theo Nijland, who will compose several new songs to accompagny the well-known hits by the two diva's, will be featured in the show as well.

In June 2012, she celebrated her 1000th performance as Elphaba in three subsequent production of Wicked: in Stuttgart and Oberhausen (Germany) and in Scheveningen (The Netherlands). On February 12th Willemijn Verkaik will make her Broadway debut and play the green witch for 15 weeks at the Gershwin Theatre.