Jessica Lewis - Page 102

New Line Cinema's film adaptation of the smash hit Broadway musical 'Rock of Ages' has begun principal photography under the direction of Adam Shankman ('Hairspray'). The movie musical stars Julianne Hough ('Burlesque'), with actor/singer Diego Boneta in his feature film debut, Oscar nominee Paul Giamatti ('Cinderella Man'), Russell Brand ('Arthur,' 'Get Him to the Greek'), R&B queen Mary J. Blige, Malin Akerman ('The Proposal'), multiple Emmy winner Bryan Cranston (TV's 'Breaking Bad,' 'The Lincoln Lawyer') and Academy Award winner Catherine Zeta-Jones ('Chicago'), with Oscar nominees Alec Baldwin ('The Cooler') and Tom Cruise ('Born on the Fourth of July').

Actors' Equity Association (Equity) announced today that The Public Theater's acclaimed production of THE MERCHANT OF VENICE is the recipient of its Extraordinary Excellence in Diversity on Broadway Award for the 2010-2011 Season. The Award will be presented at a reception at the Equity headquarters in New York City on Tuesday, June 7, 2011. In addition, Equity will receive a Mayoral Proclamation, presented by Commissioner Katherine Oliver, designating June 7th as Diversity on Broadway Day.

New York Theatre Workshop (NYTW) Artistic Director James C. Nicola and Managing Director William Russo have announced that the new musical Once, based on the Academy Award-winning film, rounds out the theatre's 2011-2012 season.

Get ready for those ‘summer nights' with the Rydell High gang - Sandy, Danny, The Pink Ladies and The T-Birds, as Surflight Theatre's Grease, the original high school musical, hits the Jersey Shore in an all-new production featuring the unforgettable songs from the hit motion picture: 'You're The One That I Want,' 'Hopelessly Devoted To You,' 'Sandy,' and the title song 'Grease!'

THE ADDAMS FAMILY, Broadway's musical comedy based on the bizarre and beloved family of characters created by legendary cartoonist Charles Addams, will receive its first international production when it debuts at Teatro Abril in Sao Paulo, Brazil next spring (2012), produced in partnership with Time for Fun Productions.

Principal cast changes have been announced for the Broadway production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, the longest-running show in Broadway history.

The Public Theater will begin previews on Monday, June 6 for the 2011 Shakespeare in the Park summer season featuring MEASURE FOR MEASURE, directed by David Esbjornson, and ALL'S WELL THAT ENDS WELL, directed by Daniel Sullivan. The two shows will run in repertory with the same company of actors through Saturday, July 30 at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park.

Richard Fleeshman and Caissie Levy lead the cast of Ghost The Musical playing Sam and Molly in Matthew Warchus' stage musical version of the Academy Award® winning film. Accompanied by Sharon D Clarke as Oda Mae Brown and Andrew Langtree as Carl, Ghost The Musical has new music and lyrics by Grammy® award winning Dave Stewart and Glen Ballard as well as featuring the iconic song Unchained Melody. Oscar® winning Bruce Joel Rubin has adapted his original screen play for the stage. Set and costume designs are by Rob Howell, choreography is by Ashley Wallen with musical supervision and arrangements by Christopher Nightingale, illusions by Paul Kieve, lighting by Hugh Vanstone and projection design by Jon Driscoll. Matthew Wachus directs.

Inside Broadway's Executive Director Michael Presser is pleased to announce that stage, film, & TV star Brooke Shields, New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, and managing partner & co-founder of Stonehenge Partners, Ofer Yardeni, will all be honored at Inside Broadway's 2011 Broadway Beacon Awards, being held at 5:30pm on June 23rd, 2011 at the historic Players Club at Gramercy Park. FOX5 reporter Julie Chang will serve as emcee.

Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus' MAMMA MIA!, now in its 10th year on Broadway, will welcome new principals John Hemphill, David Beach, Jordan Dean and Jacob Pinion to the Winter Garden Theatre (1634 Broadway) on Monday, June 6, 2011.

According to the Daily Beast, Julie Taymor has not received payments owed for her pervious participation on the Spider-Man project. Says Laura Penn, executive director of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society that represents Taymor, 'Julie was paid $125,000 five years ago. For nine years of work on this project that is all she has been paid...It's startling. People assume it's an $85 million production and she made $10 million or walked away with a settlement in the six figures. And it's just not true...One of the requirements we have from producers,' Penn continued, 'is that they provide us with statements of activities, things like box-office receipts and operating costs. And not only are they not paying her, they're not providing us with those statements. We have no information.'

San Francisco's American Conservatory Theatre is now presenting Armistead Maupin and Jake Shear's TALES OF THE CITY, based on the novels. First serialized in The Chronicle, Armistead Maupin's bittersweet novel 'Tales of the City,' is set in San Francisco and consists of interlaced stories of dewy-eyed newcomers and dissolute social climbers, gay coming-out stories and paisley-clad hippies. The story captures the era of the mid-'70s in San Francisco, complete with disco and drugs, fern bars and pickup night at the Marina Safeway, as well as feelings of hope, heartbreak, innocence and laughter. Click below for an interview with the creators!

Rattlestick Playwrights Theater today announced its roster of plays for 2011-12, the award-winning company's 17th season. The all world-premiere season will feature new works by Dan Klores, Dael Orlandersmith, Daniel Talbott, José Rivera, David Adjmi and a play written by Academy-Award nominee Jesse Eisenberg (The Social Network).

As Signature Theatre Company prepares for the January 2012 opening of their new Frank Gehry-designed home, Signature Center, they have launched a new video series featuring interviews with a wide array of playwrights, directors, actors, and others connected to the Theatre. Called 'Signature Stories,' the videos capture personal reminiscences about time spent at Signature and offer a 'behind the scenes' glimpse into the inner-workings of the Company. The first three multi-subject videos in the series have featured architect Frank Gehry and Signature alumni Ethan Hawke, Frankie Faison, Kate Mulgrew and more talking about the Company's new home, as well as past Signature Playwrights-in-Residence, actors, directors and designers reflecting on their artistic experiences at Signature.

SPIDER-MAN Turn Off The Dark, the most ambitious production ever under­taken on Broadway with original direction by Julie Taymor and music by U2's Bono and The Edge, is currently in previews at the Foxwoods Theatre on West 43rd Street. After struggling to find its voice since beginning previews in the fall of 2010, director Philip William McKinley, writer Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, and choreographer Chase Brock were brought onto the creative team by lead producers Michael Cohl and Jeremiah J. Harris to help implement new staging, book rewrites, and additional choreography, respectively. The show is on track to open on June 14, 2011 after several delays. Yesterday, May 31, BroadwayWorld got some one-on-one time with McKinley, the newest captain of the SPIDER-MAN ship, entrusted with revamping Julie Taymor's original vision into the worldwide commercial success the team hopes the show will become. Speaking candidly, McKinley reveals the pros and cons of reworking the troubled project, his new approach, additions and changes audiences can expect, and why the cast has been the key to the show's longevity to date.

Theatre World Awards for Outstanding Broadway or Off-Broadway Debut performances during the 2010-2011 theatrical season will be presented by former Theatre World Award winners, including: Tammy Blanchard (Gypsy, 2003), Gabriel Byrne (A Moon for the Misbegotten, 2000), Zoe Caldwell (Slapstick Tragedy, 1966), Billy Crudup (Arcadia, 1995), Blythe Danner (The Miser, 1969), Edie Falco (Side Man, 1998), Tovah Feldshuh (Yentl, 1976), Jonathan Groff (Spring Awakening, 2007), Rosemary Harris (The Climate of Eden, 1953), Kevin Kilner (The Glass Menagerie, 1995), and Andrea McArdle (Annie, 1977). There will also be performances by former Theatre World Award winners, including: Karen Akers (Nine, 1982), Ernestine Jackson (Raisin, 1974), and John Lloyd Young (Jersey Boys, 2006).

The City of New York and the United States Navy and Fleet Week Committee celebrated the 24th annual Fleet Week, last week through May 30, 2011. Fleet Week is America's premier tribute and 'thank you' to the men and women who serve in the armed forces. On Friday, May 27, cast members from current Broadway shows PRISCILLA QUEEN OF THE DESERT, ANYTHING GOES, JERSEY BOYS, CHICAGO, MAMMA MIA and ROCK OF AGES performed for the troops. This year's festivities were hosted by Tony winner Gregory Jbara. BroadwayWorld was on hand to film the concert and brings you video highlights below!

Broadway Sings Tori: a Benefit for RAINN, will celebrate and support the work of the Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network. The event will take place on Monday June 27th at 8pm at New World Stages, and will feature songs written by 10-time Grammy nominee Tori Amos, who was the first spokesperson for RAINN.

Jane Lynch can now add media mogel to her list of accomplishments. While News Corp. CEO Rupert Murdoch is out of the country, Lynch stepped in as his interim replacement at the D9 tech conference. Performing a routine in only the way the classically cynical Lynch can, she claimed that as interim CEO she would be cancelling the iPad paper 'The Daily' and adding a comics section to the Wall Street Journal. Sarah Palin, she also joked, would be guest-starring on GLEE. On Palin's participation she remarked, 'I'm pretty sure we got Sarah Palin to do a guest spot on Glee. She'll perform an original tune I penned: 'Look at Me, I'm Bats--t Crazy.'

In a new article out in Billboard today, country sweetheart Taylor Swift reveals that the insiration for her groundbreaking, genre-defying concerts is good old fashion live theater. She tells Billboard: 'The first time that I fell in love with performing is when I went to go see theater in my hometown in Pennsylvania...I would see it done incredibly well -- going to see Broadway plays of 'Wicked' -- things like that just really inspired me from an early age to love putting on a theatrical performance where there are storylines and characters, and you're always seeing a scene change into another scene. I love telling a story in any way possible.'