Ahmanson Theatre News

R&B superstar Michelle Williams of Destiny's Child fame has joined the cast of 'Fela!' The musical, produced by Shawn 'Jay-Z' Carter, Will and Jada Pinkett Smith, and Stephen and Ruth Hendel, is filled with the exuberant music of Afrobeat legend Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, and will be presented from tonight, April 26 through May 5, 2013.

Music Theatre International (MTI) has announced that Leap of Faith by award-winning composer Alan Menken (Disney's Beauty and The Beast and Little Shop of Horrors), is now available for licensing. The Leap of Faith score is inspired by the sounds of gospel, country, and American roots music. The creative team also includes book writers Janus Cercone and Tony winner Warren Leight (Side Man) and Grammy winning lyricist Glenn Slater (Tangled).

Casting has been announced for 'Joe Turner's Come and Gone,' which begins previews April 24 at the Center Theatre Group/Mark Taper Forum at the Los Angeles Music Center. Opening night is May 8 and performances run through June 9, 2013. BroadwayWorld has a video of Director, Phylicia Rashad, discussing the show. Check it out below!

NEVA, written and directed by Guillermo Calderon, in an English translation by Andrea Thome, will be co-produced by the South Coast Repertory and La Jolla Playhouse in A DouglasPlus Workshop Presentation in the Kirk Douglas Theatre rehearsal room, Upstairs @ KDT. Performances begin June 11 and continue through June 16, 2013.

Casting has been announced for "The Scottsboro Boys," which begins previews May 21 at the Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatre at the Los Angeles Music Center. Opening night is May 29 and performances run through June 30, 2013.

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts today announced it will produce the world premiere original musical production of Little Dancer featuring book and lyrics by Tony Award winner Lynn Ahrens, music by Tony Award winner Stephen Flaherty, and direction and choreography by five-time Tony Award winner Susan Stroman. The musical will begin performances in the Kennedy Center Eisenhower Theater in October 2014. Casting and additional details about Little Dancer will be announced at a later date.

Kentwood Players presents Neil Simon's comedy 'California Suite', May 10 to June 15, 2013 at the Westchester Playhouse. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the production below.

"Fela!," the 2010 Tony Award nominee for Best Musical which celebrated a successful run at the Ahmanson in 2011, returns to the Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatre, opening Friday, April 26 at 8 p.m. at the Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatre.

The National Tour of THE GERSHWINS' PORGY AND BESS, winner of the 2012 Tony Award for Best Musical Revival, will star Theatre World Award winner and original Broadway cast member PHILLIP BOYKIN, who will reprise his Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critic Circle Award-nominated role as Crown. Boykin joins previously announced original Broadway cast members NATHANIEL STAMPLEY as Porgy and ALICIA HALL MORAN as Bess. The national tour, which begins in the late fall of 2013 will travel to more than 20 cities in its first season, including Los Angeles (Ahmanson Theatre), Seattle (5th Avenue Theatre), Dallas (Winspear Opera House), Charlotte, Detroit, Pittsburgh, Des Moines, Tampa, Las Vegas, Cleveland, West Palm Beach, Tempe, St. Paul and Greenville with additional cities to be announced in the coming days.

Last night, April 12, Jay Leno's guests included Adam Levine and Cyndi Lauper, with musical guest The Airborne Toxic Event. Lauper discussed her Broadway musical KINKY BOOTS, and you can check out the interview below!

Tonight, April 12, Jay Leno's guests include Adam Levine and Cyndi Lauper, musical guest The Airborne Toxic Event. Lauper will talk about her Broadway musical KINKY BOOTS. Get a sneak peek of her visit on The Tonight Show below!

The Guthrie Theater today announced that Oliver Award winner and Tony Award nominee Tracie Bennett, best known for her tour-de-force performance as Judy Garland in End of the Rainbow, will appear in BEHOLD: A Gala Performance celebrating the Guthrie's 50th anniversary on June 22, 2013. Bennett returns to the Guthrie stage following the play's electrifying run at the Belasco Theatre on Broadway and at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles this spring.

North Coast Repertory Theatre presents THE ODD COUPLE by Neil Simon, directed by Andrew Barnicle. The show will run in previews tonight, April 10 - 12, 2013 and continues April 13 - May 5, 2013.

This year, fans of Broadway veterans Dale Kristien and Bill Hutton don't have to wait until Christmas to hear them. On May 19th, they will be at The Grove Theatre, performing some of your favorite Broadway tunes as a fundraiser for the Cancer Research Collaboration and The Grove Theatre. Dale and Bill, who have performed together for many years, are traditional holiday favorites at The Grove, performing in their annual 'Home for the Holidays' for the past 17 years.

The National Tour of THE GERSHWINS' PORGY AND BESS, winner of the 2012 Tony Award for Best Musical Revival, will star original Broadway cast members ALICIA HALL MORAN as Bess and NATHANIEL STAMPLEY as Porgy. The national tour, which begins in the late fall of 2013 will travel to more than 20 cities in its first season, including Los Angeles (Ahmanson Theatre), Seattle (5th Avenue Theatre), Dallas (Winspear Opera House), Charlotte, Detroit, Pittsburgh, Des Moines, Tampa, Las Vegas, Cleveland, West Palm Beach, Tempe and St. Paul, with additional cities to be announced in the coming days.

New York's Rattlestick Playwrights Theater presents the Los Angeles premiere of the critically-acclaimed play Slipping, written and directed by Daniel Talbott, which begins previews tonight, April 4, 2013 at Elephant Stages' Lillian Theatre in Hollywood, CA. The five-week limited engagement is scheduled to open Sunday, April 7, 2013 at 7:00pm and run through Sunday, May 5, 2013.

The cast has been set for the world premiere of the powerful, intense new play 'The Royale' by Marco Ramirez. Directed by Daniel Aukin, 'The Royale' delivers a knock-out punch with its vivid depiction of a man fighting for his place in history. 'The Royale' begins previews April 28, opens May 5 and performances continue through June 2, 2013.

'Joe Turner's Come and Gone' begins previews April 24 at the Center Theatre Group/Mark Taper Forum at the Los Angeles Music Center. Opening night is May 8 and performances run through June 9, 2013. Get a sneak peek of the cast and creative team in rehearsals below!

North Coast Repertory Theatre presents THE ODD COUPLE by Neil Simon, directed by Andrew Barnicle. The show will run in previews April 10 - 12, 2013 and continues April 13 - May 5, 2013.

The world premiere of 'The Nether,' a new play by Jennifer Haley that explores the moral complexity of our increasingly virtual existence, opened at Center Theatre Group's Kirk Douglas Theatre on Sunday, March 24. Performances continue through April 14, 2013. BroadwayWorld has photos from the opening night festivities below!