Ahmanson Theatre News

One of the most infamous incidents in baseball is the springboard for a powerful discussion of retribution and forgiveness in "Juan and John," the new work created and performed by Roger Guenveur Smith.

This new musical comedy, direct from Broadway, is based on the hit movie and features Dolly Parton's original hit title song along with her new Tony Award® and Grammy-nominated score. The book is by Patricia Resnick (co-writer of the original screenplay). The touring production will be directed and choreographed by Tony nominated, Jeff Calhoun. Diana DeGarmo stars as Doralee, and recently performed on Good Morning Texas. View her performance below!

The Austin-based theatre collective Rude Mechs bring their characteristically inventive, lively and playful production, "The Method Gun," to the Kirk Douglas Theatre June 14 through 26, 2011, as part of Center Theatre Group's DouglasPlus.

Stage and screen star Brooke Shields will join THE ADDAMS FAMILY in the role of Morticia beginning Tuesday, June 28 at the Lunt Fontanne Theatre (205 West 46th Street). Two-time Tony Award winner Bebe Neuwirth will play her final performance in the role on Sunday, June 26. Ms. Shields will play opposite Roger Rees, who stars as Gomez. Access Hollywood got a first look at the star getting into costume!

Foothill Music Theatre cracks the case with its summer production of CURTAINS, the hilarious musical whodunit. With music and lyrics by the immortal John Kander and Fred Ebb (Chicago, Cabaret) and book by Rupert Holmes, CURTAINS was nominated for eight Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Best Book, and Best Original Score.

Alexander Greenfield (Asst. Director, BORN YESTERDAY) will direct a cast that includes Jason Michael Snow (The Book of Mormon), Tobias Segal (The Miracle Worker), Arden Myrin (Chelsea Lately), Lucas Near-Verbrugghe (Bloody, Bloody Andrew Jackson) Maggie Low (Times of War) and Elizabeth West (The Women) in a reading of Pulitzer- nominated Tom Diggs' new play LOVE IN THE TIME OF REAGAN at an industry reading in midtown Manhattan one day only on May 16, 2011 at 3 pm in an undisclosed location.

Executive Producer/Creator Tom Diggs is pleased to announce Alex Wyse (Mrs. Sharpe, Bored to Death), Alex Brightman (Wicked), Allison Strong (Bye, Bye Birdie), Paul Cereghino (Tony and Tina's Wedding) and ARDEN MYRIN (Chelsea Lately, Mad TV) will join the cast of THE PERKS OF WRITING A MUSICAL, a new scripted musical web series to be launched this spring on blip.tv and YouTube.

Multi-award winning Rogue Machine brings David Harrower's critically acclaimed play Blackbird to Los Angeles for the first time. The company's recently extended run of Small Engine Repair (CRITIC'S CHOICE-LA Times; GO- LA Weekly, CRITIC'S PICK-Backstage, Ovation RECOMMENDED) will run simultaneously with this production, in Rogue Machine's larger space at Theatre Theater, during the first few weeks in June.

Based on the recommendation of Center Theatre Group's Education and Community Partnerships department, The Broadway League has selected Lisa Okikawa, teacher of visually impaired students in the Pasadena Unified School District, as the first teacher to receive a League Educator Apple Award in the Los Angeles area.

Cameron Mackintosh's new 25th anniversary production of Les Misérables welcomes J. Mark McVey to the role of Jean Valjean beginning in Tempe, AZ, at ASU Gammage June 7-12, 2011. The all new production of Les Misérables features glorious new staging and spectacular reimagined scenery inspired by the paintings of Victor Hugo.

The National Theatre's epic WAR HORSE, now a five-time Tony® Award nominee currently playing at Lincoln Center Theater and in the West End in London, will embark on a national tour in June 2012, bringing the hit play to 20 U.S. cities during the 2012-2013 season.

First introduced to locals here in Southern California back in 2008 during its pre-Broadway tryouts at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles, the 1st National Tour of the retooled 9 TO 5: THE MUSICAL has arrived in Orange County for a week of shows ending May 10 at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts. Zippier and more compact than its previous stage incarnations, the show--featuring original songs written by Dolly Parton--takes the original hit 1980 film comedy and repurposes it into a cute, charming musical about the struggles of women in a male-dominated workplace.

Glorya Kaufman Presents Dance at the Music Center announces the ninth season of its international dance series. Six companies representing the United States, Scotland, France, Switzerland and Russia will participate in 22 performances at the Music Center's Dorothy Chandler Pavilion and Ahmanson Theatre, in a season that is not only culturally diverse, but also boasts a residency by Diavolo Dance Theater, a Music Center co-commission with Penn State and a part of Pacific Standard Time: Art in L.A. 1945-1980, an initiative of the Getty in collaboration with more than 60 cultural institutions across Southern California.

The all new production of 'Les Misérables,' featuring glorious new staging and spectacular re-imagined scenery inspired by the paintings of Victor Hugo, will play at the Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatre, opening June 17, with previews June 14 -16, and performances continuing through July 31, 2011.

This by Melissa James Gibson is directed by Daniel Aukin

The National Theatre's epic WAR HORSE, now a five-time Tony® Award nominee currently playing at Lincoln Center Theater and in the West End in London, will embark on a national tour in June 2012, bringing the hit play to 20 U.S. cities during the 2012-2013 season. A new production will also be mounted at Toronto's Princess of Wales Theatre in February 2012 for an open-ended run.

9 to 5: The Musical was nominated for four 2009 Tony® Awards including Original Score and received a record breaking 15 Drama Desk nominations including Outstanding Musical.

Alexander Greenfield (Asst. Director, BORN YESTERDAY) will direct a cast that includes Jason Michael Snow (The Book of Mormon), Tobias Segal (The Miracle Worker), Arden Myrin (Chelsea Lately), Lucas Near-Verbrugghe (Bloody, Bloody Andrew Jackson) Maggie Low (Times of War) and Elizabeth West (The Women) in a reading of Pulitzer- nominated Tom Diggs' new play LOVE IN THE TIME OF REAGAN at an industry reading in midtown Manhattan one day only on May 16, 2011 at 3 pm in an undisclosed location.

9 TO 5: THE MUSICAL was nominated for four 2009 Tony® Awards including Original Score and received a record breaking 15 Drama Desk nominations including Outstanding Musical.

9 TO 5: THE MUSICAL was nominated for four 2009 Tony® Awards including Original Score and received a record breaking 15 Drama Desk nominations including Outstanding Musical.