Ahmanson Theatre News

The exclusive U.S. engagement of "The Last Confession," a gripping new play of intrigue and mystery by Roger Crane, starring David Suchet, opens June 11 at the Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatre. Directed by Jonathan Church, "The Last Confession" begins previews tomorrow, June 7, 2014, continues through July 6. Following the engagement at the Ahmanson, "The Last Confession" will tour cities around Australia. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the show below!

The North American touring production of WAR HORSE will conclude this summer as the highest grossing and most attended touring non-musical play in US history, recouping its investment in the process. The tour, which opened in June 2012 at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles, has been seen by over 1.1 million audience members to date and, by its conclusion, will have played 68 engagements and 749 performances. The tour's final stop will be a four-week run at Tokyo's Theatre Orb, marking the play's Asian debut.

Center Theatre Group Artistic Director Michael Ritchie has set the 11th season at the CTG/Kirk Douglas Theatre in Culver City.

COCKED follows 'Richard Paxson (Trammell), a Washington D.C. management consultant who's estranged from his father Wade (Dennehy) and brother but is pulled back in to the fray of his family's gun manufacturing company after a corporate rival, run by their uncle, moves to take them over.'

Earn your blood at the tag team match of the century, with the survival of two families in the balance. The Echo Theater Company presents the world premiere of an outrageously violent, seriously dark and surprisingly funny new play about backyard wrestling. Larry Biederman directs Backyard by Mickey Birnbaum, opening tonight, May 31 at the Echo's new home, Atwater Village Theatre.

Lythgoe Family Productions (LFP) in association with The Pasadena Playhouse, announced today a new production for kids and their families -- PRINCESS AND PIRATES Sing-a-Long Concert, directed and choreographed by Spencer Liff (Emmy nominee So You Think You Can Dance and currently represented on Broadway for the musical staging of Hedwig and the Angry Inch starring Neil Patrick Harris) and musical supervisor Michael Orland (American Idol).

On May 12th company members from the national tour of The Gershwin's Porgy and Bess presented Inspired By Love: The Music of Brett Macias Upstairs at Vitellos, benefiting Artists Striving to End Poverty (ASTEP). Inspired By Love featured selections from composer Brett Macias's musicals Gumbo, Beautiful Dreamer, and Beneath the Surface as well as a world premiere song cycle based on the love sonnets of Pablo Neruda. Scroll down for photos from the concert!

Due to a shift in planning, the producers of 'Heartbeat of Home' have delayed their 2014-2015 national tour dates including the previously announced engagement at the Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatre, December 9, 2014, through January 18, 2015.

NEW DRAMATISTS, Tony Honor recipient and the nation's premiere playwright development workshop, just honored five-time Tony Award winning director/choreographer Susan Stroman with their 2014 Lifetime Achievement Award at its 65th Annual Spring Luncheon tribute. Among the Stroman collaborators offering tributes was Theatre World Award winning actor Jason Danieley (Next to Normal, Curtains, The Full Monty, Candide) and New York City Ballet's Tiler Peck performing a selection from Little Dancer, Taylor Mac performing a selection from The Last Two People on Earth, Tony nominee Marin Mazzie performing from Bullets Over Broadway; and Contact collaborator John Weidman, Karen Ziemba performing a selection from Crazy For You, and cast members from The Scottsboro Boys: John Cullum, Brandon Victor Dixon, Shavey Brown, Max Kumangai, James T. Lane, Deandre Leatherbury, J.C. Montgomery, Justin Prescott, Clinton Roane, and David Bazemore. The event co-chairs are Letty Aronson, Roy Furman, and Julian Schlossberg.

NEW DRAMATISTS, Tony Honor recipient and the nation's premiere playwright development workshop, just honored five-time Tony Award winning director/choreographer Susan Stroman with their 2014 Lifetime Achievement Award at its 65th Annual Spring Luncheon tribute. Among the Stroman collaborators offering tributes was Theatre World Award winning actor Jason Danieley (Next to Normal, Curtains, The Full Monty, Candide) and New York City Ballet's Tiler Peck performing a selection from Little Dancer, Taylor Mac performing a selection from The Last Two People on Earth, Tony nominee Marin Mazzie performing from Bullets Over Broadway; and Contact collaborator John Weidman, Karen Ziemba performing a selection from Crazy For You, and cast members from The Scottsboro Boys: John Cullum, Brandon Victor Dixon, Shavey Brown, Max Kumangai, James T. Lane, Deandre Leatherbury, J.C. Montgomery, Justin Prescott, Clinton Roane, and David Bazemore. The event co-chairs are Letty Aronson, Roy Furman, and Julian Schlossberg.

NEW DRAMATISTS, Tony Honor recipient and the nation's premiere playwright development workshop, proudly announces that they will honor five-time Tony Award winning director/choreographer Susan Stroman with their 2014 Lifetime Achievement Award at its 65th Annual Spring Luncheon tribute, to be held today, May 22 at the New York Marriott Marquis.

In honor of the legendary actress, comedian, singer and writer Carol Burnett, Center Theatre Group is hosting a special tribute to the star's late daughter Carrie Hamilton with a one-night-only reading of Burnett and Hamilton's Broadway play "Hollywood Arms," at the Mark Taper Forum on Sunday, June 22, 2014 at 7 p.m. Inspired by Burnett's early life in Hollywood, "Hollywood Arms" will be directed by Jason Alexander and will feature a star- studded cast (to be announced).

NEW DRAMATISTS,Tony Honor recipient and the nation's premiere playwright development workshop, will honor five-time Tony Award winning director/choreographer Susan Stroman with their 2014 Lifetime Achievement Award at its 65th Annual Spring Luncheon tribute. The sold out event will be held tomorrow, today, May 22 at the New York Marriott Marquis.

The Old Globe presents Christopher Durang's Tony Award-winning farce Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, which will include Candy Buckley as Masha, Marcia DeBonis as Sonia, Tyler Lansing Weaks as Spike, Allison Layman as Nina, Martin Moran as Vanya, and Haneefah Wood as Cassandra. Jessica Stone will direct, based on the Tony-nominated Broadway direction of Old Globe Associate Artist Nicholas Martin, whose loss on April 30 devastated the theatre world*. Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike will run today, May 17 - June 22, 2014 on the Donald and Darlene Shiley Stage in the Old Globe Theatre, part of the Globe's Conrad Prebys Theatre Center. Preview performances run tonight, May 17 through the 21st. Opening night is May 22 at 8:00 p.m.

The world premiere of Kimber Lee's 'different words for the same thing' opened last weekend on May 11 at the Center Theatre Group / Kirk Douglas Theatre in Culver City. Performances continue through June 1, 2014. Scroll down for photos from the opening night festivities!

The world premiere of Kimber Lee's 'different words for the same thing' opened last weekend on May 11 at the Center Theatre Group / Kirk Douglas Theatre in Culver City. Performances continue through June 1, 2014. Click below to go behind the scenes with the playwright as she talks about her writing process and more!

Many members of the cast of the national tour of The Gershwin's Porgy and Bess will be Inspired By Love May 12th Upstairs at Vitello's at 8:00pm in Studio City, Los Angeles to benefit ASTEP (Artists Striving to End Poverty).

Many members of the cast of the national tour of The Gershwin's Porgy and Bess will be Inspired By Love May 12th Upstairs at Vitello's at 8:00pm in Studio City, Los Angeles to benefit ASTEP (Artists Striving to End Poverty).

The world premiere of Kimber Lee's 'different words for the same thing' opens this Sunday, May 11 at 6:30 p.m. at the Center Theatre Group / Kirk Douglas Theatre in Culver City. Performances continue through June 1, 2014. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast in action below!

The Old Globe today announced the cast of Christopher Durang's Tony Award-winning farce Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, which will include Candy Buckley as Masha, Marcia DeBonis as Sonia, Tyler Lansing Weaks as Spike, Allison Layman as Nina, Martin Moran as Vanya, and Haneefah Wood as Cassandra.