Jessica Lewis - Page 194

As BroadwayWorld has previously reported, Dreamgirls co-choreographer Shane Sparks was arrested last year, December 18, 2009, on eight counts of felony child molestation charges. Sparks was arrested at his home in Hollywood and taken to a Van Nuys, California jail. Bail is set at $590,000. Said LAPD spokesman, Richard French, to TVGuide.com, Sparks has been the 'subject of an ongoing child molestation investigation.'

EW.com reports today that the Broadway-bound musical Houdini, starring Hugh Jackman, has a new writer at the helm in Aaron Sorkin. According to EW: 'an impressive creative team has quietly assembled around the project, including playwright Aaron Sorkin, composer Danny Elfman, lyricist Glenn Slater, and director Jack O'Brien - and despite repeated delays, Elfman says work on Houdini is now well underway.'

Veteran stage and film actress Dame Judi Dench recently released her autobiography entitled 'And furthermore' in the UK. 'And Furthermore' was published by Weiderfeld & Nicolson and focuses on Dench's professional career as well as her 30-year marriage to actor Michael Williams who passed away in 2001 after succumbing to lung cancer. The book is set for release in the US in February 2011.

In a stint promoting his Broadway run of The Pee-wee Herman Show, Pee-wee himself appeared on WWE's Raw yesterday, November 1, and took on former pro-wrestler, Mike 'The Miz' Mizanin. Click below to watch Pee-wee taunt the daunting fighter and see who wins!

Lynne Meadow (Artistic Director) and Barry Grove (Executive Producer) announce that two-time Emmy Award winner Andre Braugher will appear in Manhattan Theatre Club's upcoming New York premiere of the critically acclaimed historical drama THE WHIPPING MAN by Matthew Lopez, directed by Tony Award winner Doug Hughes.

On October 18, the Joel Grey-directed, 25th anniversary staged reading of Larry Kramer's ground-breaking play, The Normal Heart, earned a heartfelt standing ovation at the Walter Kerr Theatre. The reading starred Glenn Close, Victor Garber, Jason Butler Harner, John Benjamin Hickey, Joe Mantello, Jack McBrayer, Michael Stuhlbarg, and Patrick Wilson in the one-night-only event that raised $150,000 for The Actors Fund and Friends In Deed.

WENN News reports this morning that Sienna Miller and Kelly Brook will be among the participants in Kevin Spacey's The 24 Hour Plays in the West End on November 21, 2010. The event, which features plays written, rehearsed and produced in 24 hours, will be hosted by John Cleese. Additional participants include Ronni Ancona, Samuel Barnett and Niamh Cusack.

Weekend movie box office update: October 29-October 31, 2010.

Former 'Saturday Night Live' and Comedy Central star Colin Quinn will move his one-man show Colin Quinn Long Story Short, directed by Jerry Seinfeld, to Broadway's Helen Hayes Theatre for an 11-week limited engagement. Preview performances began on Friday, October 22nd and will officially open on Tuesday, November 9th. The production will play through Saturday, January 8th. The first production photos have been released and appear below!

The newest trailer for Burlesque, starring Christina Aguilera and Cher, has just been released!

On Saturday, October 30, Broadway vet and FOX's Raising Hope star Martha Plimpton belted out her rendition of 'God Bless America' for game 3 of the World series at the Rangers ballpark in Arlington Texas. The Giants currently lead the Series. Click below to hear Plimpton's performance!

Asolo Repertory Theatre recently announced the complete cast of its upcoming production of Bonnie & Clyde a thrilling new musical with book by Ivan Menchell (The Cemetery Club, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang); music by Frank Wildhorn (Jekyll & Hyde, The Scarlet Pimpernel); lyrics by Tony Award-winner Don Black (Sunset Boulevard, Song and Dance); Music Supervision, Arrangements and Orchestrations by John McDaniel; and direction and musical staging by Tony Award- winner Jeff Calhoun (Deaf West's Big River and Pippin, Grease!). The production runs from November 16 - December 19, 2010 on the Asolo Rep mainstage-The Mertz Theatre. The press opening is November 19, at 8 p.m. Last week, BroadwayWorld presented the show's first official behind-the-scenes videos of the production, hosted by Asolo Rep's David J. Valdez! Today, we bring you the latest from Sarasota, a look at the show's road to Asolo and a peak into the cast costume fitting!

The nation's most cherished procession returns to the Big Apple once more for a dazzling dose of spectacle, enchantment and tradition as the 84th Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade® kicks off the holiday season. On Thursday, November 25, 2010 at 9:00 AM at the sound of Let's Have a Parade(TM), America's favorite holiday spectacular will step off to entertain more than 3.5 million spectators lining the streets of Manhattan and more than 50 million viewers nationwide with its signature giant helium balloons, floats of fantasy, marching bands, clowns, celebrity and large performance groups, and the one-and-only Santa Claus.

The New York Times reports this afternoon that a second SPIDER-MAN performer has come forward to report an injury as a result of the show's complicated stunts. This second performer - who is remaining anonymous - claims to have broken both feet during the same catapult stunt from which Kevin Aubin broke both wrists, as BroadwayWorld reported earlier today.

At the Saturn Awards, Collider.com spoke with Richard Donner and Lauren Shuler Donner. Among the topics discussed were musical adaptations of 'The Goonies' and 'Dave.'

Last night, the cast of GLEE was joined by Jack Nicholson, Danny DeVito, Barry Bostwick and Tim Curry themselves in a Rocky Horror Tribute concert at the Wiltern in Hollywood. Click below for some of the show's highlights!

When Pop Icon Michael Jackson put his stamp of approval on Larry Hart's award winning, critically acclaimed musical, 'Sisterella', he probably would have never imagined his young nephew TJ Jackson would one day grow up to star in the role that was originally developed for him. When TJ Jackson steps into the role of Prince Jean Luc, he will be fulfilling part of his famous uncle's Legacy to American theater. Sisterella, was originally developed by it's author Larry Hart at MJJ Music, with Jackson in mind to play the Prince. 'We were going through Sisterella archives a few weeks ago and found those original Costume sketches for Michael' Hart said, 'it was a surreal, bittersweet moment. Michael loved Sisterella, and at the time was looking for a creative role in Theater.

Yesterday, October 28, Kristin Chenoweth served as the guest judge on NBC's 'The Apprentice.' Click below to watch Chenoweth's return to the small screen.

In anticipation of the November 2, 2010 release of The Sound of Music: 45th Anniversary Edition Soundtrack and Blu-Ray film, Oprah welcomed the cast of the original film on The Oprah Winfrey Show yesterday, October 28. Click below for the segments!

Yesterday evening, Gore took the stage of the Nederlander Theatre to join the cast of MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET in the special encore. Click below to see her performances of 'When Will I Be Loved' and 'It's My Party.'