Ahmanson Theatre News

'Ain't Misbehavin' The Fats Waller Musical Show, based on the Life and Music of Thomas 'Fats' Waller, conceived and Directed by Richard Maltby, Jr. opens at Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatre At the Music Center, 135 N. Grand Avenue in Downtown L.A. Ain't Misbehavin is based on an Idea by Murray Horwitz and Richard Maltby, Jr.

'Ain't Misbehavin',' The Fats Waller Musical Show, opens Friday, April 24 at 8 p.m. at the Ahmanson Theatre. Performances of the Center Theatre Group production continue through May 31.

9 To 5: The Musical marks the Broadway debut of seven-time Grammy Award winning singer, songwriter and musician Dolly Parton as composer and lyricist. Megan Hilty, who stars in the production as 'Doralee Rhodes', the role Ms. Parton made famous in the big screen version is featured in NEXT magazine. Hilty reveals her favorite NYC spot to grab a quick bite!

The Mary Poppins national tour continues its high flying success coast to coast with enormous box office grosses in its inaugural engagement in Chicago and an itinerary that now stretches through August 2010. Additionally, tickets go on sale for the show's Cleveland engagement today and for the St. Louis engagement this Sunday, April 26th.

RUSKIN GROUP THEATRE will continue to run BURN THIS by Landford Wilson through April 25, 2009. Lanford Wilson's 38th play first opened in Los Angeles in January 1987 and put John Malkovich on the 'international' road to stardom shortly afterwards. Garnering multiple awards in several categories, and written with a ?pas de quatre' style in mind, this contemporary and romantic story begins shortly after a funeral brings four self-distancing and comical characters together.

The new Broadway musical-comedy, 9 To 5: The Musical starring four-time Emmy Award winner and Tony Award nominee Allison Janney, Stephanie J. Block, Megan Hilty, and two-time Tony Award nominee Marc Kudisch began preview performances on Tuesday, April 7, 2009 and will open Thursday, April 30, 2009, at the Marriott Marquis Theatre (1535 Broadway). 9 To 5: The Musical marks the Broadway debut of seven-time Grammy Award winning singer, songwriter and musician Dolly Parton as composer and lyricist. The beloved music icon, Parton, surprised the fans after a performance and BroadwayWorld.com's cameras were there!

March 2, 2009 Los Angeles - The Off-Broadway hit ?Back to Bacharach and David? will have a short 23 performance engagement at The Music Box @ Fonda April 15 to May 17 (opening April 19).

The new Broadway musical-comedy, 9 To 5: The Musical starring four-time Emmy Award winner and Tony Award nominee Allison Janney, Stephanie J. Block, Megan Hilty, and two-time Tony Award nominee Marc Kudisch will begin preview performances on Tuesday, April 7, 2009 and will open Thursday, April 30, 2009, at the Marriott Marquis Theatre (1535 Broadway). 9 To 5: The Musical marks the Broadway debut of seven-time Grammy Award winning singer, songwriter and musician Dolly Parton as composer and lyricist.

Manhattan Theatre Club (Lynne Meadow, Artistic Director; Barry Grove, Executive Producer) is pleased to announce that Lisa Banes, Mary Catherine Garrison and Byron Jennings will join the previously announced David Hyde Pierce and Charles Kimbrough in its upcoming Broadway production of Samson Raphaelson's Accent on Youth.

Center Theatre Group (CTG), Los Angeles? leading non-profit theatre company has announced the appointment of Dale S. Miller and Timothy A. Regler to a two-year term to its board of directors.

The new Broadway musical-comedy, 9 To 5: The Musical starring four-time Emmy Award winner and Tony Award nominee Allison Janney, Stephanie J. Block, Megan Hilty, and two-time Tony Award nominee Marc Kudisch will begin preview performances on Tuesday, April 7, 2009 and will open Thursday, April 30, 2009, at the Marriott Marquis Theatre (1535 Broadway). 9 To 5: The Musical marks the Broadway debut of seven-time Grammy Award winning singer, songwriter and musician Dolly Parton as composer and lyricist.

After a 48 year absence, Bye Bye Birdie will return to Broadway this fall presented by Roundabout Theatre Company (Todd Haimes, Artistic Director) in a production starring John Stamos (Albert Peterson), Gina Gershon (Rose Alvarez), Bill Irwin (Mr. Harry MacAfee) and Jayne Houdyshell (Mrs. Mae Peterson). Directed & choreographed by Robert Longbottom, Bye Bye Birdie has a book by Michael Stewart, lyrics by Lee Adams and music by Charles Strouse. Roundabout is proud to welcome back three artists who have previously worked at the theatrical institution: John Stamos, Gina Gershon and Bill Irwin.

As part of Center Theatre Group's DouglasPlus, Los Angeles playwright Michael Sargent's new play 'The Projectionist' will run for seven performances only at the Kirk Douglas Theatre, beginning Thursday, March 26 and continuing through Saturday, April 4, 2009.

Variety reports that Stacy Keach will return to the role of Richard Nixon for three perfs in the national tour of 'Frost/Nixon,' currently onstage at the Ahmanson Theater. After Keach suffered a mild stroke last week, his understudy, Bob Ari, took over the role of the former president in the Peter Morgan-penned play, helmed by Michael Grandage. Ari understudied the role under Frank Langella in the Broadway production.

RUSKIN GROUP THEATRE will continue to run BURN THIS by Landford Wilson through April 25, 2009. Lanford Wilson's 38th play first opened in Los Angeles in January 1987 and put John Malkovich on the ?international' road to stardom shortly afterwards. Garnering multiple awards in several categories, and written with a ?pas de quatre' style in mind, this contemporary and romantic story begins shortly after a funeral brings four self-distancing and comical characters together.

'Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo' by Rajiv Joseph, directed by Mois?s Kaufman makes its World Premiere. A lyrical, haunting new play set against the backdrop of the war in Iraq, in which the lives and, in some cases, the afterlives of two American soldiers, an Iraqi translator, the ghosts of Saddam Hussein's sons Uday and Ousay, and a Bengal tiger all intersect in a surreal, darkly humorous and gently balanced view of war and its aftermath.

Stacy Keach, who had been hospitalized earlier today has been diagnosed as having suffered a very mild stroke, according to a statement released by Center Theatre Group, which can be read below.

FOX News is reporting that Stacy Keach has been hospitalized and was replaced by his understudy in a Los Angeles stage production of 'Frost/Nixon.'

As part of Center Theatre Group's DouglasPlus, Mike Daisey performs his acclaimed monologue 'How Theater Failed America' for four performances only at the Kirk Douglas Theatre, opening Wednesday, March 18 and continuing through Saturday, March 21 (all performances are at 8 p.m.). A special roundtable discussion will be held following the March 20 performance on the state of American theatre. Daisey will also workshop a new piece, 'The Last Cargo Cult' on Sunday, March 22 at 3 p.m.

The Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle announced the winners and special awards for excellence in Los Angeles and Orange County theatre for the year 2008. The 40th Annual Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Awards ceremony took place Monday, March 16 at the historic El Portal Theatre in North Hollywood, and was co-hosted by Vicki Lewis and Wenzel Jones.