Ahmanson Theatre News

BroadwayWorld.com is excited to present a new series of artwork created by Broadway ad agency Serino/Coyne to celebrate the end of FOLLIES' Broadway run and to remind everyone that time is running out to see this beautiful production. The Kennedy Center's critically acclaimed Broadway production of James Goldman and Stephen Sondheim's Tony Award-winning musical 'Follies' closes at Broadway's Marquee Theatre on January 22. The photo below features Danny Burstein who plays Buddy in the show.

Saycon Sengbloh is set to reprise the powerful role of Sandra Iszadore in the landmark Tony Award winning Broadway musical, FELA!, for a one week engagement at the Ahmanson Theatre (Los Angeles).

The Best in LA Theatre for 2011 (alphabetical listings) (artists performing outside LA may be included in performance categories)

2012 is quickly approaching, and in celebration of the new year, BroadwayWorld will celebrate 2011 with lists of our biggest features of the year! Below are BroadwayWorld.com's most popular videos from 2011 (in no particular order)! Catch up below on anything that you might have missed from the past year on BroadwayWorld.com!

Since the announcement that the hit Kennedy Center-originated production of FOLLIES would be heading to LA after its Broadway closing, speculation has been running rampant about which cast members would transfer with the production. In a new interview with CBS2 New York, FOLLIES star Ron Raines tells host Dana Tyler that 'pretty much' everybody will be transferring to Los Angeles, noting that there's 'a lot of puzzle pieces.' Click below to play the full interview.

Casting for the Los Angeles engagement of Follies has not yet been announced, and while it is presumed that at least some of the cast will be heading west, one star who will not make the trip is Bernadette Peters, who plays Sally Durant. A spokesperson for Peters tells BroadwayWorld that the star has concert obligations she must fulfill next spring, which will prevent her from continuing with the production. Peters will, of course, finish out the Broadway run through January 22.

The Fred Ebb Foundation (Mitchell Bernard, Trustee) has just announced that its 2011 donation to Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS will total $1.2 million dollars, marking the largest single contribution in BC/EFA history. The foundation, which is funded by royalties from the late award-winning lyricist Fred Ebb's vast catalogue of work, makes an annual donation to BC/EFA. This contribution tops last year's donation of $1 million dollars which was, at the time, the largest single contribution in BC/EFA history.

The North American tour of Green Day's AMERICAN IDIOT kicks off in Toronto on December 28 and run through January 15 before continuing on to 14 other markets across the United States. As a warm up the company will play two public preview performances tonight, December 21, and tomorrow, December 22 at the Stanley Theatre in Utica, New York before heading north to prep for the December 28 premiere. Check out the company in rehearsal below!

The Old Globe today announced the cast and creative team for the World Premiere of Jonathan Caren's hard-hitting drama, The Recommendation. Directed by Jonathan Munby, The Recommendation will run Jan. 21 - Feb. 26, 2012 in the Sheryl and Harvey White Theatre, part of the Globe's Conrad Prebys Theatre Center. Preview performances run Jan. 21 - Jan. 25. Opening night is Thursday, Jan. 26 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.

'Fela!,' the 2010 Best Musical Tony Award-nominated musical, opened on December 14th, at 8 p.m. at the Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatre. The musical, filled with the exuberant music of Afrobeat legend Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, will continue through January 22, 2012. Go inside opening night in the video below!

Executive Producer Aaron Grant is presenting an industry-only reading of Gary Morgenstein's new play, A Tomato Can't Grow in the Bronx today at the Jerry Orbach Theatre at the Snapple Theatre Center.

BroadwayWorld.com is excited to present a new series of artwork created by Broadway ad agency Serino/Coyne to celebrate the end of FOLLIES' Broadway run and to remind everyone that time is running out to see this beautiful production. The Kennedy Center's critically acclaimed Broadway production of James Goldman and Stephen Sondheim's Tony Award-winning musical 'Follies' closes at Broadway's Marquee Theatre on January 22. The photo below features Elaine Paige who plays Carlotta in the show.

Hollywood's newest holiday tradition, The Blank Theatre's production of 'The Santaland Diaries' by David Sedaris, this year will star Paolo Andino and once again be directed by Michael Matthews. 'Santaland' begins preview performances on Saturday, November 19, and opening night is set for Saturday, November 26 at 8:00 at the Stella Adler Theatre in Hollywood.

'Original: No Artificiality' intones in song Sahr Ngaujah as Fela Anikulapo Kuti, Nigerian multi-instrumentalist musician and human rights activist (1938-1997). Originality in everything was indeed what Kuti represented. He travelled the world and not only brought innovations to music with his Afrobeat, but also through exposure to American Black Powerattempted to fight European imperialism and 'change the world'. He unsuccessfully ran for President of Nigeria. In 1977 his mother Funmilayo (Melanie Marshall) was violently assassinated and his wives brutally attacked and raped by the Nigerian military. Despite rejection and humiliation, he never gave up fighting until his death in 1997.

The North American tour of Green Day's AMERICAN IDIOT will premiere in Toronto on December 28 and run through January 15 before continuing on to 14 other markets across the United States. Rehearsal shots have been released and BroadwayWorld brings you a look below!

'Fela!,' the 2010 Best Musical Tony Award-nominated musical, opened last night, December 14th, at 8 p.m. at the Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatre. The musical, filled with the exuberant music of Afrobeat legend Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, will continue through January 22, 2012. Check out photos from opening night below!

"Fela!," the 2010 Best Musical Tony Award®-nominated musical, opened December 14th, at 8 p.m. at the Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatre.

Roundabout Theatre Company just announced that Julie Halston (The Divine Sister) will assume the role of "Evangeline Harcourt" on Tuesday, January 17th & Robert Petkoff (Ragtime) will assume the role of "Lord Evelyn Oakleigh" on Friday, January 13th.

The Broadway productions of FOLLIES and RELATIVELY SPEAKING will host special, additional performances to benefit The Actors Fund in January, 2012. FOLLIES will play an nineth weekly show at the Marquis Theatre on Sunday, January 15 at 8pm. RELATIVELY SPEAKING will perform an additional weekly performance on January 29 at 8pm at its home, the Brooks Atkinson.

"Fela!," the 2010 Best Musical Tony Award®-nominated musical, opens next Wednesday, December 14, at 8 p.m. at the Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatre. The musical, filled with the exuberant music of Afrobeat legend Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, will continue through January 22, 2012. There will be one preview performance December 13, 2011.