Allan Williams News

The Tony Awards has just announced members of the 2012-13 Administration and Management Committees for next season's ceremony. The 2012-13 management committee will include: Mark Abrahams, Kristin Caskey, Ted Chapin, Sondra Gilman, James Higgins, Heather Hitchens, Paul Libin, William Ivey Long, Michael Price, Jane Safer, Charlotte St. Martin, Scott Sanders, Nick Scandalios, Thomas Viertel, Robert Wankel, and Barry Weissler.

The June 2012 broadcast of the 65th Annual Tony Awards was honored last night with a fourth Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Variety Special. The award was accepted by Glenn Weiss, who had previously won an Emmy for Outstanding Directing for a Variety, Music or Comedy Program in 2003 for the 56th Annual Tony Awards. The 2012 Tony Awards Telecast was also honored with three Emmy Awards, which were presented at the Creative Arts Emmy ceremony last week.

Alan Wasser, Allan Williams, and Alison Spiriti are pleased to announce that L. Glenn Poppleton and AVID Touring have joined forces with AWA Touring to create a new full-service Booking Agency called AWA Partners.

Just released is a statement from Charlotte St. Martin, Executive Director of The Broadway League & Heather Hitchens, Executive Director of the American Theatre Wing:

For the first time ever, Broadway fans can own the entire 2012 Tony Awards Telecast, through iTunes and Amazon.com. Starting now, fans can purchase and watch this year's exciting telecast on their computer, tablet, phone and other devices.

Nominations in 26 competitive categories for THE 66th ANNUAL TONY AWARDS® were announced today by Emmy and Golden Globe Award-winning actor Jim Parsons and Tony and Emmy Award-winning actress Kristin Chenoweth at the Tony Award Nominations Announcement.

The 2012 Commemorative Tony Program will be distributed to the guests at the Beacon Theatre and for the first time, more than 25,000 copies will be made available to Broadway fans outside of the theatre.

The Tony Awards® Administration Committee has announced this year's recipient for the Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre. This year's award will be presented to producer Emanuel "Manny" Azenberg. The Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre will be presented at the 2012 Tony Awards on Sunday, June 10th. The Tony Awards are presented by The Broadway League and the American Theatre Wing.

Coming to the Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatre direct from Broadway for six weeks only, the Kennedy Center's critically acclaimed Broadway production of James Goldman and Stephen Sondheim's "Follies," has now completed casting. "Follies" stars four-time Tony Award nominee Jan Maxwell as Phyllis Rogers Stone, Tony Award winner Victoria Clark, two-time Tony Award nominee Danny Burstein as Buddy Plummer, three-time Emmy Award nominee Ron Raines as Benjamin Stone and Olivier Award winner Elaine Paige as Carlotta Campion. Maxwell, Burstein, Raines and Paige are all returning to the roles they originated on Broadway.

Glenn Weiss and the directing team of the 65th Annual Tony Awards, have been honored with a Directors Guild award in the category of Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Musical Variety. This is Mr. Weiss' eighth DGA nomination and third win. He won the Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Musical Variety in 2010 for the 64th Annual Tony Awards and in 2007 for The 61st Annual Tony Awards; and was previously nominated in this category in, 2008, 2006, 2005, 2002 and 2001 for the 62nd, 60th, 59th, 56th and 55th Annual Tony Awards.

The Kennedy Center's critically acclaimed Broadway production of James Goldman and Stephen Sondheim's Tony Award®-winning musical Follies will transfer to the Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles for six weeks, and as BroadwayWorld reported last month, Bernadette Peters will not continue on with the rest of the cast for the transfer of the production. Now we have confirmed that Tony winner Victoria Clark will take over the role of Sally in her place. Also now officially confirmed to transfer with the production are co-stars Jan Maxwell, Danny Burstein, Ron Raines and Elaine Paige.

The critically acclaimed Kennedy Center revival of FOLLIES, book by James Goldman and music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, begins its final 16 performances tonight at the Marquis Theatre (1535 Broadway). The production, directed by Eric Schaeffer with choreography by Warren Carlyle and music direction by James Moore, will play its final performance on Sunday, January 22 prior to an engagement at the Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles for six weeks only, May 3 through June 9, 2012.

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 IRON LADY is coming to theaters on December 16h from The Weinstein Company. The historical drama is directed by Phyllida Lloyd and written by Abi Morgan. The cast includes Meryl Streep, Jim Broadbent, Anthony Head, Richard E. Grant and Roger Allam.

The LA Times is reporting the breaking news that 'Center Theatre Group announced Tuesday that it would import the production now on Broadway that originated in May at Washington's Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Michael Ritchie, CTG's artistic director, said "we are currently in discussions" to lure members of the Broadway cast led by Bernadette Peters, Elaine Page, Jan Maxwell, Jayne Houdyshell and Danny Burstein. "Follies" is scheduled to close on Broadway Jan. 22 after a four-month run.'

PS Classics, the label dedicated to the heritage of Broadway and American popular song, will release the new two-disc set Broadway cast album of the Kennedy Center's acclaimed revival of FOLLIES on Tuesday, November 29, 2011. On Thursday, December 1st, Stephen Sondheim, Bernadette Peters, Jan Maxwell, Danny Burstein, Ron Raines, Elaine Paige and other members of the cast of FOLLIES will sign copies of the album at Barnes & Noble (150 E. 86th St; between Lexington & 3rd Ave.) beginning promptly at 4:00 p.m. and ending at 5:30 p.m. The album is produced by Tommy Krasker.

PS Classics, the label dedicated to the heritage of Broadway and American popular song, will release the new two-disc set Broadway cast album of the Kennedy Center's acclaimed revival of FOLLIES on Tuesday, November 29, 2011. NPR is currently featuring an exclusive first listen of the album, which you can check out by clicking here.

THE IRON LADY is coming to theaters on December 16h from The Weinstein Company. The historical drama is directed by Phyllida Lloyd and written by Abi Morgan. The cast includes Meryl Streep, Jim Broadbent, Anthony Head, Richard E. Grant, Roger Allam, Harry Lloyd, Alexandra Roach, Susan Brown, Olivia Colman, Nick Dunning, Julian Wadham, Michael Pennington, David Westhead, Richard Dixon and Hugh Ross