Ahmanson Theatre News

New York Theatre Workshop (NYTW) Artistic Director James C. Nicola and Managing Director William Russo have announced that the New York premiere of Belleville, written by Amy Herzog and directed by Anne Kauffman, will begin performances Tuesday, February 12 at NYTW, 79 East 4 Street, between Bowery and Second Avenue. Opening night is set for Sunday, March 3 at 7pm. Belleville is scheduled to run through Sunday, March 31.

Cyndi Lauper just visited the Today Show where she chatted with Hoda Kotb and Meredith Vieira about her new reality show, "Cyndi Lauper: Still so Unusual," as well as her Broadway-bound musical KINKY BOOTS. Check out what she had to say below!

After playing the role of Bert for over two years on the North American tour of MARY POPPINS, with a stint on Broadway in Summer 2010, NICOLAS DROMARD will return to the New Amsterdam Theatre, beginning performances on Wednesday, January 9. Tony Award nominee GAVIN LEE played his final performance before taking a leave of absence on Friday, January 4, 2013. He departs to join the West End production of Top Hat through Summer 2013.

War Horse, the 2011 Tony Award-winning Best Play and international sensation seen by more than 2 million people worldwide, will conclude its Broadway run today, January 6, 2013, at the Vivian Beaumont Theater as the longest-running, Tony Award-winning Best Play of the last decade. At time of closing, the production will have played 718 performances and 33 previews. Below, BroadwayWorld takes you through War Horse's battle onto Broadway and beyond with photos, video and more.

The cast is set for the U.S. premiere of "Backbeat," the dramatic new play with music about the birth of one of the greatest rock 'n' roll bands in history, the Beatles. "Backbeat" will have its U.S. premiere at the Ahmanson Theatre, with previews beginning January 20 and performances continuing through March 1, 2013. The opening is set for January 30.

As expected (thankfully) 2012 provided Southern California audiences--specifically here in Orange County and nearby Los Angeles and San Diego--a season full of outstanding, remarkable theater offerings from touring companies, impressive regional productions, and even some tiny black box theaters. And, of course, as is the common practice during the ushering of a new year, the enjoyable past-time of putting together a year-end 'best of' list is something contributor Michael Lawrence Quintos truly looks forward to doing, especially when there's a plethora of great work to choose from--many of which he had the pleasure of reviewing exclusively for BroadwayWorld.

Bring It On: The Musical will play the final performance of its limited engagement today, December 30, 2012, after 21 previews and 173 regular performances at Broadway's St. James Theatre. Below, BroadwayWorld brings you a multimedia flashback with highlights from the musical's run on the Great White Way!

BroadwayWorld brings you the Best of Los Angeles in the year 2012. Check out the Top Theatre Stories from each month during in the year 2012. We look forward to another exciting year of theatre in 2013!

Voting is now underway for the Los Angeles Awards and continues until December 31, 2012. Winners will be announced in early January.

The choices I have made are based solely on the plays and performances that I actually saw. I cannot see all the great talent that is out there in LA; it is physically impossible, as there exist far too many theatre/cabaret performances for one person to cover. So if a choice of yours is not on my list, chances are, I did not see that play or performance...or, it just did not make the final cut. I also do not separate Equity from Equity waiver; I consider all the productions/performances I select to be of top-of-the-line quality/professionalism.

The Old Globe today announced the complete cast and creative team of its 100th anniversary production of the George Bernard Shaw classic Pygmalion. Starring Tony Award winner Robert Sean Leonard (The Invention of Love, Born Yesterday) as Professor Henry Higgins and Charlotte Parry (The Importance of Being Earnest, The Real Thing) as Eliza Doolittle, the production coincides with the 100th anniversary of Pygmalion's 1913 premiere in Vienna, Austria. Directed by Nicholas Martin (Butley, Present Laughter), Pygmalion will run on the Donald and Darlene Shiley Stage in the Old Globe Theatre, part of the Globe's Conrad Prebys Theatre Center, Jan. 12 - Feb. 17, 2013. Preview performances run Jan. 12 - Jan. 16. Opening night is Thursday, Jan. 17 at 8:00 p.m. Tickets can be purchased online at www.TheOldGlobe.org, by phone at (619) 23-GLOBE or by visiting the Box Office at 1363 Old Globe Way in Balboa Park.

Following the performance of The Second City's 'A Christmas Carol: Twist Your Dickens!' on Fridays December 21 and 28, Gino Santini, the lyrically challenged crooner played by Larry Joe Campbell, will be bursting through the fourth wall to host a post-show karaoke party.

Voting is now underway for the Los Angeles Awards and continues until December 31, 2012. Winners will be announced in early January. Check out the live standings below.

Enveloping the audience in a magnitude of musical splendors, the $3.1-million William J. Gillespie Concert Organ, played by world-renowned organist Todd Wilson, captures the beauty, range and colors of popular and traditional holiday music during Pacific Symphony's annual "Holiday Organ Spectacular."

The National Theatre's epic War Horse, winner of five 2011 Tony Awards including Best Play, will come to Chicago this December for a limited three-week engagement from tonight, Dec. 18, 2012 - Jan. 5, 2013 at the Cadillac Palace Theatre (151 W. Randolph St.).

Robert Egan directs the West Coast premiere of OTHER DESERT CITITES, which is currently running through January 6, 2013. Michael Weston joins Jon Robin Baitz, Jeannie Berlin, Robert Foxworth, Robin Weigert and JoBeth Williams. Check out highlights from the production below.

The Second City's "A Christmas Carol: Twist Your Dickens!" by Peter Gwinn and Bobby Mort, will play Center Theatre Group's Kirk Douglas Theatre, directed by Marc Warzecha in a World Premiere, now playing through December 30, 2012. BroadwayWorld has a first look below.

According to the show's official website, the new musical Kinky Boots, from four-time Tony Award-winner Harvey Fierstein (book), Grammy Award-winning rock icon Cyndi Lauper (Music & Lyrics), Tony Award-winner Jerry Mitchell (Director & Choreographer), will begin preview performances on Broadway at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre (302 West 45th Street) on March 3 instead of the previously announced March 5. Opening night remains set for Thursday, April 4, 2013.

A Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, a TV alien, a silver screen starship pilot, a Tony Award nominee, a Mini-Me and others join the collection of stars from the worlds of stage, screen, radio, politics, music, food, fitness, spirituality and interplanetary transport (both real and imagined) who had already signed on for special cameo performances in the world premiere of The Second City's "A Christmas Carol: Twist Your Dickens!" at Center Theatre Group's Kirk Douglas Theatre.

Voting is now underway for the Los Angeles Awards and continues until December 31, 2012. Winners will be announced in early January. Check out the live standings below.