Angela Lansbury News

As first reported exclusively by BroadwayWorld, ANASTASIA - A New Musical is being brought to the stage in a 29-hour reading, which entered rehearsals last week, based on the hit 1997 animated motion picture from Fox Animation Studios. The musical, which is in its early stages of development, will feature the five songs from the film along with fifteen new songs written for the stage. Joining the creative team of Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty will be bookwriter Terrence McNally and music director Ben Cohn. Joining the previously announced cast is Kelli Barrett in the title role of Anya (Anastasia). Patrick Page once again dons the role of the villain, Vladimir. Angela Lansbury will reprise her role from the film as the Empress Maria, and Aaron Tveit will play Dimitri.

Producer Clifford Bell (www.Cabarabia.com) brings an eclectic collection of the best of the best working in the Cabaret Scene-Brad Ellis of 'Glee' and 'The Glee Project', recent Emmy nominee for his work on Jason Segel's Muppets Song on 'Saturday Night Live', Eli Brueggemann, the newest musical director, composer and arranger on 'SNL' (www.elibmusic.com), Joanne Tatham, direct from 'Feinstein's At Loews Regency' in New York, with a preview of her new show 'CINEMA NYC: Music From Movies Made In Manhattan' (www.joannetatham.com), Kid Hollywood, a hot new up and coming band generating a lot of buzz (www.kidhollywood.net), and a special appearance by singer-songwriter Sarah White (soundcloud.com/sarah_white), on Sunday, August 5 at 8 p.m.

Candice Bergen, Eric McCormack, Kerry Butler, Michael McKean, and Angela Lansbury have now been replaced in the Tony-nominated Broadway revival of Gore Vidal's THE BEST MAN by Cybill Shepherd, John Stamos, Kristin Davis, Mark Blum, and Elizabeth Ashley, respectively. Original cast members James Earl Jones, John Larroquette and Jefferson Mays will remain with the production through its final performance on Sunday, September 9, 2012. BroadwayWorld brings you a first look at the new cast of THE BEST MAN on stage in the photos below!

According to the Associated Press, Broadway producer and agent Archer King died in New York City of natural causes on July 19, 2012. He was 95.

Howard Panter (Mr West End himself) for The Ambassador Theatre Group presents Monty Python's Spamalot, a new musical lovingly ripped off from Monty Python and the Holy Grail by Eric Idle and John Du Prez, directed by Christopher Luscombe. Galloping into the West End for a truly bespoke season at the Harold Pinter Theatre (long pause) tonight, 24 July - Sunday 9 September 2012 (press night Tuesday 31 July). Tickets on sale now.

Hottest Articles on BroadwayWorld.com from this weekend Sunday, July 22, 2012 - Sunday, July 22, 2012.

Tony Award winner Angela Lansbury leaves her role as Mrs. Sue-Ellen Gamadge in the Tony-nominated Broadway revival of Gore Vidal's THE BEST MAN today, July 22, 2012. Original cast members Candice Bergen, Eric McCormack and Kerry Butler also departed the production this month.

The Broadway community mourns the loss of Celeste Holm, who passed away on Sunday at age 95. The marquees of Broadway theatres in New York will be dimmed in her memory on Wednesday, July 18th, at exactly 8:00 p.m. for one minute.

Yesterday, July 14, Bernadette Peters and Mary Tyler Moore hosted the 14th annual BROADWAY BARKS!, a star-studded dog and cat adoption event benefiting New York City animal shelters and adoption agencies. BroadwayWorld was there and brings you full video coverage of the event, including the opening performance by ONE MAN, TWO GUVNOR's band The Craze, plus interviews with the hostesses, as well as Julie Halston, Newsies' Jeremy Jordan, The Book of Mormon's Andrew Rannells, The Lyons' Dick Latessa (CQ) and many of the rescue groups in attendance, plus footage of Linda Lavin, Angela Lansbury and more presenting the animals available for adoption. Watch the video below!

Yesterday, July 14, Bernadette Peters and Mary Tyler Moore hosted the 14th annual BROADWAY BARKS!, a star-studded dog and cat adoption event benefiting New York City animal shelters and adoption agencies. Check out photos full photo coverage of the hosts with Tom Edden, Nancy Opel, Montego Glover from Memphis, Megan Hilty and Anjelica Huston from NBC's Smash, and Bebe Neuwirth and her husband Chris Calkins, below!

Yesterday, July 14, Mary Tyler Moore and Bernadette Peters hosted the 14th annual BROADWAY BARKS!, a star-studded dog and cat adoption event benefiting New York City animal shelters and adoption agencies. See a photo of the hosts onstage below, and check back later for full coverage!

Mary Tyler Moore and Bernadette Peters host the fourteenth annual BROADWAY BARKS!, a star-studded dog and cat adoption event benefiting New York City animal shelters and adoption agencies, today!

On July 9, friends and family of Bradshaw Smith (Founder & Executive Producer of "Broadway Beat" and Applause Video), gathered at the New Signature Theatre space to honor the former cabaret star and beloved videographer at an intimate memorial celebration.

Happy Birthday Arthur Laurents! Laurents' first play, Home of the Brave, opened on Broadway in 1945, followed by many others. He wrote his first musical, West Side Story, in 1957, followed by Gypsy and others. His first screenplay was The Snake Pit in 1948, followed by others including Rope, Anastasia, The Way We Were and The Turning Point. His own play, Invitation to a March in 1960, was the first of several he directed. I Can Get It for You Wholesale in 1961 was the first musical he directed, followed by others including La Cage aux Folles and Gypsy with Angela Lansbury, then Tyne Daly and most recently, Patti LuPone. He pased away in May 2011.

One of my favorite things in life was the Broadway musical, but I'd never actually seen one. I had seen school and community and regional productions of musicals with Broadway origins. I had seen Equity and non-Equity tours that replicated Broadway staging. I had even had the incredible opportunities to see the pre-Broadway tryouts of The Little Mermaid and Shrek the Musical with their original star-studded casts in Denver and Seattle, respectively. But not on Broadway.

For over twenty-five years, the late Bradshaw Smith (Founder & Executive Producer of "Broadway Beat" and Applause Video) was the theater world's preeminent videographer, capturing over 1,000 performances on Broadway, off-Broadway, in cabaret halls and beyond that now, because of him, live on today. Bradshaw Smith died on January 16, 2012, at age 57, following a sudden and severe stroke. To conclude the intimate memorial, Bradshaw's longtime friend and editor, Jonathan Frank, compiled the best of Bradshaw's work as a video artist. For a look back at your favorite performances nearly three decades long, all captured through Bradshaw's lens, click below!

This was indeed a "Grand Night for Singing" and celebrating for the town of New Hope as they welcome all to the re-opening their cultural jewel The Buck's County Playhouse.

Pittsburgh CLO will present Fiddler on the Roof, July 13-22 at the Benedum Center. This classic tale is filled with 'memorable music, rousing dances and a touch of human wisdom.'

Mary Tyler Moore and Bernadette Peters will host the fourteenth annual BROADWAY BARKS!, a star-studded dog and cat adoption event benefiting New York City animal shelters and adoption agencies. Produced by Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, sponsored by the ASPCA (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) and with additional sponsorship by the New York Times, the event will take place on Saturday, July 14 in Shubert Alley, the heart of the Broadway Theater District (located between 44th and 45th Streets, between Broadway and Eighth Avenues). The festivities begin at 3:30 p.m.; celebrity presentations of pets from animal shelters citywide will take place between 5-6:30 p.m.

A devout theater fan knows no holiday, and thankfully, many of Broadway's most beloved shows and performers nationwide don't either. So what's a theater enthusiast to do on this Independence Day? Check out a sampling of this year's most exciting 4th of July offerings and click below to revisit some of your favorites saluting our nation in song!