Ahmanson Theatre News

Just announced is official word that the new production of RODGERS & HAMMERSTEIN'S CINDERELLA will arrive on Broadway this season with previews set for January 21, 2013 prior to Opening Night on February 21 at the Broadway Theatre (1681 Broadway), it has been announced by the musical's producers Robyn Goodman, Stephen Kocis and Jill Furman in association with Center Theatre Group.

The World Premiere of Kinky Boots, the new musical brings together four-time Tony® Award-winner Harvey Fierstein (Book) and Grammy® Award-winning rock icon Cyndi Lauper (Music & Lyrics). Directed and choreographed by Tony® Award-winner Jerry Mitchell, Kinky Boots will play the Bank of America Theatre (18 West Monroe Street, Chicago, IL) beginning October 2 through November 4, 2012, in advance of a Broadway opening. In the video below, Lauper sings 'Sex is In the Heel' from the new show at the Broadway in Chicago concert. Check it out below!

Additional casting has been announced for the upcoming national tour of Roundabout Theatre Company's ANYTHING GOES, the new Broadway revival of Cole Porter's timeless classic musical theatre masterpiece, which will make its Cleveland premiere October 2, 2012 at PlayhouseSquare as part of the KeyBank Broadway Series. Previously announced actress Rachel York will star as Reno Sweeney and Fred Applegate will star as Moonface Martin. The principal cast also includes Erich Bergen as Billy Crocker, Jeff Brooks as Purser, Joyce Chittick as Erma, Alex Finke as Hope Harcourt, Dennis Kelly as Elisha Whitney, Vincent Rodriguez III as Luke, Marcus Shane as John, Sandra Shipley as Mrs. Evangeline Harcourt, Edward Staudenmayer as Sir Evelyn Oakleigh, and Chuck Wagner as Captain.

The return engagement of the award-winning production Fela! is set to close after 32 performances at Broadway's Al Hirschfeld Theatre tonight, August 4.

Winner of the 2012 Off Broadway Alliance Award for Best Musical, SILENCE! The Musical the unauthorized parody of The Silence of the Lambs, with book by Hunter Bell, music & lyrics by Jon and Al Kaplan, and direction & choreography by Christopher Gattelli, will open a Los Angeles company with performances beginning August 31, at the Hayworth Theatre. This engagement marks the West Coast Premiere of the Off-Broadway hit. The press opening is scheduled for Saturday, September 8, 2012. SILENCE! The Musical is produced by Theater Mogul.

Celebration Theatre in association with DEMAND PRoductions and Peter Schneider have announced the first show of its celebratory 30th Anniversary Season, the world premiere musical, JUSTIN LOVE, with book by Patricia Cotter and David Elzer, story by David Elzer and Bret Calder, music by Lori Scarlett and David Manning and lyrics by Lori Scarlett. The show will be directed by Michael Matthews with choreography by Janet Roston and musical direction by Gregory Nabours. JUSTIN LOVE will begin previews on Friday, September 7, and will open on Friday, September 21, running through Sunday, November 18, 2012, at Celebration Theatre, 7051B Santa Monica Blvd in Hollywood.

Jeff Goldblum will star in SEMINAR by Theresa Rebeck, directed by Sam Gold and produced by Jeffrey Finn, Jill Furman, John N. Hart Jr., Patrick Milling Smith, Roy Furman, David Ian, David Mirvish, Amy Nauiokas and James Spry, in its West Coast Premiere at Center Theatre Group's Ahmanson Theatre. The show begins previews October 10, opens on October 17, and runs through November 18, 2012.

Victoria Clark, Harriet Harris, Ann Harada and Peter Bartlett will join Laura Osnes as Cinderella and Santino Fontana as the Prince in a workshop of the new production of Rodgers & Hammerstein's CINDERELLA August 2nd and 3rd in New York, it has been announced by the musical's producer Center Theatre Group in association with Robyn Goodman, Stephen Kocis and Jill Furman.

The highly acclaimed Broadway production of End of the Rainbow, written by Peter Quilter and directed by Tony® Award winner Terry Johnson, will play its final performance on Sunday, August 19, it was announced today. The production, which began performances on Monday, March 19, 2012 and opened to rave reviews on Monday, April 2, will have played a total of 176 performances at Broadway's Belasco Theatre.

Universal Pictures Stage Productions/Glenn Ross, Beacon Communications/Armyan Bernstein and Charlie Lyons and Executive Producers Kristin Caskey and Mike Isaacson present the new musical comedy Bring It On: The Musical, opening on Broadway tonight, August 1, 2012 at The St. James Theatre (246 W. 44th Street) direct from a 13-city National Tour, for a 12-week limited engagement through Sunday, October 7, 2012.

Center Theatre Group has announced that Robert Egan is set to direct Jon Robin Baitz's immensely entertaining "Other Desert Cities" at the Mark Taper Forum. The play that received a 2012 Tony nomination for Best Play will be presented in its West Coast premiere at the Taper and will close out the Taper's 45th season at the Los Angeles Music Center.

Tickets go on sale today, July 26 for "Elephant Room" at the Kirk Douglas Theatre. Bringing pure, unadulterated fun and transforming the space into a mystical place of wonder and amusement, "Elephant Room" runs August 22 through September 16, 2012. The opening is set for August 26.

Gate Theatre Dublin's production of "Krapp's Last Tape" by Samuel Beckett, performed by John Hurt and directed by Michael Colgan, comes to Center Theatre Group's Kirk Douglas Theatre from October 10 through November 4, 2012.

Tickets go on sale Thursday, July 26 for "Elephant Room" at the Kirk Douglas Theatre. Bringing pure, unadulterated fun and transforming the space into a mystical place of wonder and amusement, "Elephant Room" runs August 22 through September 16, 2012. The opening is set for August 26.

Producers Bob Boyett and the National Theatre of Great Britain present the U.S. tour of the 2011 Tony Award-winning Best Play, WAR HORSE, which launched at the Center Theatre Group's Ahmanson Theatre on June 14 and continues through next Saturday, July 29. Michael McKean (Gore Vidal's The Best Man on Broadway), Annette O'Toole, and Annette's daughter Nell Geisslinger recently visited with Joey after the show. Check out a photo of the group below!

Brimmer Street Theatre Company presents the world premiere of All Your Hard Work by Miles Brandman, directed by Michael Matthews, at the Lillian Theatre in Hollywood, with performances beginning on Thursday, July 19. Opening night is set for tonight, July 21 at 8:00. All Your Hard Work will play a strictly limited engagement through August 25.

Center Theatre Group and producers Thomas Schumacher of Disney Theatrical Productions and Cameron Mackintosh are pleased to announce full casting for the award-winning musical "Mary Poppins" at the Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles. "Mary Poppins" begins performances August 9 and continues through September 2, 2012, as a bonus option to the 2011-2012 Ahmanson season. Press Opening Night is set for Friday, August 10 at 7:30 p.m.

STATE OF THE ARTS (SOTA), the critically acclaimed weekly performing arts radio series which previously, since its May 31, 2010 premiere, aired live on Mondays from 4:00 - 4:50 pm PST on the LATalkRadio.com Network, is moving its weekly broadcast to Thursdays beginning today, July 19, 2012, it was previously announced by State of the Arts co-producer/co-hosts and theatre professionals MICHAEL STERLING & Paul Stroili.

Broadway leads Nicolas Dromard (Mary Poppins), Carrie Manolakos (Mamma Mia) and Leah Horowitz (Follies) have joined 15 other Broadway and Hollywood performers in helping to kick off the inaugural season of the Transcendence Theatre Company's Broadway Under The Stars in Jack London State Park concert series this summer in Sonoma, California. The concert is currently playing through September 1, and BroadwayWorld has a video of the highlights below.

Broadway leads Nicolas Dromard (Mary Poppins), Carrie Manolakos (Mamma Mia) and Leah Horowitz (Follies) have joined 15 other Broadway and Hollywood performers in helping to kick off the inaugural season of the Transcendence Theatre Company's Broadway Under The Stars in Jack London State Park concert series this summer in Sonoma, California, beginning July 14. Check out the production photos below!