Angela Lansbury News

James Earl Jones, who most recently starred as Hoke Colburn, the chauffeur in Driving Miss Daisy will return to Broadway in the role of the feisty, folksy and wily ex- U.S. President Arthur Hockstader in GORE VIDAL'S THE BEST MAN coming to Broadway in the spring of 2012. Reported first by Variety, he revealed last night while being honored with the Monte Cristo Award at Bridgewaters-South Street Seaport that starring alongside him will be five-time Tony Winner Angela Lansbury making her return to the stage after most recently appearing as Madame Armfeldt in A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC.

TACT/The Actors Company Theatre will celebrate the success of its 2010/11 season and honor the accomplishments of Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara -"Stiller & Meara" - one of the country's most renowned and recognizable partnerships, at its annual spring gala on Monday, May 9th at The Edison Ballroom (240 West 47th Street).

The Actors Fund is hosting another Musical Monday at The Pantages, celebrating the life and career of beloved composer and lyricist, Billy Barnes with a special evening of 'Billy Barnes and Friends.' Joining Billy will be Eileen Barnett, Carole Cook, Nancy Dussault, Jane A. Johnston, Karen Morrow, Barry Williams and JoAnne Worley with others to follow.

Whether you've been living under a rock for the past week, or you're just in the mood for a recap of everything theatre, BroadwayWorld's new feature, 'This Week in Pictures' is here to satisfy your end of the week fix. Take a look below to catch up on the latest happenings from the Great White Way to the West End (and everywhere in between) with coverage of press events, rehearsals, opening nights and more!

From the Broadway Beat archives today is rare interview with Arthur Laurents, interviewed by Sidney Myer, talking about GYPSY, Merman & More.

On Twitter Watch, Harvey Fierstein wrote 'Rest easy, if doing anything the easy way is possible for you, Arthur. Hell, you couldn't even just slide down a hill. You had to make sport'

First reported by Deadline.com was the sad news that legendary director and writer Arthur Laurents has passed away at 93 years old, dying in his sleep. The Los Angeles Times has added a short statement from Jonathan Lomma, Laurents' agent at William Morris Agency who confirmed his death Thursday, saying that 'he died earlier this evening, peacefully in his sleep, at his home in New York City, after a short illness.' I the video above, watch as Laurents goes behind the recent 2009 revival of WEST SIDE STORY.

First reported by Deadline.com was the sad news that legendary director and writer Arthur Laurents has passed away at 93 years old, dying in his sleep. The Los Angeles Times has added a short statement from Jonathan Lomma, Laurents' agent at William Morris Agency who confirmed his death Thursday, saying that 'he died earlier this evening, peacefully in his sleep, at his home in New York City, after a short illness.'

Eve Plumb and the company of the hit new Off-Broadway comedy MISS ABIGAIL'S GUIDE TO DATING, MATING, AND MARRIAGE! are pleased to announce that Ms. Plumb's acclaimed 'Brady Bunch' co-star Barry Williams will make a special cameo apperance as part of the 2 p.m. matinee performance on Wednesday, May 4, 2011 at the Downstairs Cabaret Theatre at Sofia's (221 West 46th Street, next to the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre in Times Square).

Last night, May 2, Steven Reineke led a roster of artists including Tyne Daly, Tom Wopat, Gregg Edelman, Aaron Lazar, Tony DeSare, Michele Lee, Jamie Barton, Christine Ebersole, Kelli O'Hara, Maurice Hines, Cartier Williams, Randy Redd, Zak Resnick, Matt Dengler and special guest Angela Lansbury in the New York Pops' 28th Birthday Gala concert, Celebrate Hope. The evening celebrated the legacy of late actor and comedian Bob Hope and honored decades of support by Interpublic Group.

Last night, May 2, Steven Reineke led a roster of artists including Tyne Daly, Tom Wopat, Gregg Edelman, Aaron Lazar, Tony DeSare, Michele Lee, Jamie Barton, Christine Ebersole, Kelli O'Hara, Maurice Hines, Cartier Williams, Randy Redd, Zak Resnick, Matt Dengler and special guest Angela Lansbury in the New York Pops' 28th Birthday Gala concert, Celebrate Hope. The evening celebrated the legacy of late actor and comedian Bob Hope and honored decades of support by Interpublic Group.

Musical Theatre West is proud to announce a staged reading of ANYONE CAN WHISTLE. ANYONE CAN WHISTLE is the fourth reading offered in the inaugural season of the Reiner Reading Series.

Hottest Articles on BroadwayWorld.com from this weekend Sunday, May 1, 2011 - Sunday, May 1, 2011.

Marin Ireland, Eric Bogosian, Isiah Whitlock Jr. and John Guare join the previously announced Blythe Danner, Ted Danson, Parker Posey, Peter Dinklage, Lili Taylor, Michael Stuhlbarg at the Soho Rep SPRING GALA 2011 honoring Marian Seldes. Co-hosted by Mr. Bogosian and Tim Blake Nelson the evening will also feature musical performances by Jomama Jones & The Lisps. The stage performance will feature scenes and songs from past and upcoming Soho Rep shows. Special musical guest will be Jomama Jones - who had a critically acclaimed run at Soho Rep earlier this season - in addition to The Lisps, performing a song from their new musical FUTURITY. Doors open on Monday, May 2nd at 6:30pm at the Highline Ballroom (431 West 16th Street) in Manhattan; for tickets please visit the Soho Rep website - www.SohoRep.org or call 212-647-1828.

Tyne Daly, Tom Wopat, Gregg Edelman, Aaron Lazar, Tony DeSare, Michele Lee and Jamie Barton have joined the roster of guest artists to perform at The New York Pops' 28th Birthday Gala, Celebrate Hope, on May 2, 2011. A grand gala evening celebrating the legacy of late actor and comedian Bob Hope and honoring decades of support by Interpublic Group, the event begins at 7:00 PM with a concert at Carnegie Hall featuring a special lineup of concert artists, followed by a black tie dinner and dance held at the luxurious Plaza Hotel.

In a very short time since his Broadway debut roughly ten years ago, Aaron Lazar has crafted a particularly impressive career consisting of a striking series featured and leading roles in everything from LES MISERABLES and A TALE OF TWO CITIES to THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA - and the sensational PBS Live From Lincoln Center telecast of it - to his superb turn as Count Carl Magnus in the recent revival of Stephen Sondheim's A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC starring Catherine Zeta-Jones and Angela Lansbury to, most recently, Lonny Price's rapturously received presentation of Sondheim's COMPANY: IN CONCERT starring Neil Patrick Harris and Patti LuPone at Lincoln Center - which will soon be seen in 500+ movie theaters nationwide starting in June. In this revealing conversation we discuss all of the aforementioned peformances, as well as what we can expect from the forthcoming Clint Eastwood film J. EDGAR starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Josh Lucas, written by Dustin Lance Black, with Lazar in a featured role, as well as his upcoming dates premiering his new show at Feinstein‘s in June. Before all of that, you can catch Aaron live and in person May 2 at the NY Pops Tribute to Bob Hope, which will also feature performances by Kelli O'Hara, Tom Wopat and many more in addition to a special presentation by Angela Lansbury. More information about the event - and tickets - is available here.

Reprise Theatre Company presents Ray Romano Live for one performance only on Tuesday, June 7 at 8:00 pm, at Royce Hall on the campus of UCLA. Ticket sales from Ray Romano Live support Reprise's mission to produce musical theatre of the highest artistic quality and to make this art form accessible to new audiences through education and outreach programs.

One of the busiest leading men on Broadway since his two-year stint in the smash hit revival of Irving Berlin's ANNIE GET YOUR GUN co-starring Bernadette Peters (and, later, Susan Lucci and Reba McIntire), having appeared in Joe Mantello's highly-lauded revival of David Mamet's Pulitzer Prize-winning GLENGARRY GLEN ROSS and last season's Sondheim musical retrospective SONDHEIM ON SONDHEIM, the original star of DUKES OF HAZZARD himself, Tom Wopat, can currently be seen eight times a week in the jet-set new musical CATCH ME IF YOU CAN by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman. In this career-spanning retrospective interview, Wopat and I take a look at his TV work ranging from directing DUKES to co-starring on CYBILL and bring it all the way to today with TAKING CHANCE on HBO and last year's JONAH HEX feature film. We also have news on John Doyle's directorial debut MAIN ST. co-starring Orlando Bloom, Ellen Burstyn and many more, as well as a thorough discussion of his musical side: Sondheim, his recording career, upcoming albums, concerts and more - plus, a complete consideration of his newest Broadway venture CATCH ME IF YOU CAN in anticipation of the NY Pops tribute to Bob Hope that he is co-starring in alongside Kelli O'Hara, Aaron Lazar and many more this Monday, also featuring a special presentation by legendary theatre icon Angela Lansbury. More information - and tickets - are available here.

From her creation of the pivotal roles of Susan in Marvin Hamlisch & Craig Carnelia's simply smashing (if underappreciated) SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS and Clara in Adam Guettel & Craig Lucas's five-time Tony-winning THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA, to her effortless essaying of two of the most beloved female roles in the musical theater canon, opposite two of the biggest leading men on Broadway - THE PAJAMA GAME with Harry Connick, Jr. and SOUTH PACIFIC with Matthew Morrison (and Paulo Szot) - in addition to her work in Frank Wildhorn's JEKYLL & HYDE and DRACULA, Stephen Sondheim's FOLLIES and SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE, along with her stunning studio albums - all of these are just some of the reasons why Kelli O'Hara is in a very special class of performers. In this all-encompassing conversation we discuss all of the aforementioned shows, as well as working with all of her fabulous co-stars and collaborators, and we also take a look at her recording studio work with Harry Connick, Jr. and take a look ahead to her sophomore solo album, ALWAYS which will be released on June 3. Plus, we have first news on her new roles in the musical versions of THE BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY, written by Jason Robert Brown, and FINDING NEVERLAND by Scott Frankel. We even have dish on working with Liza Minnelli and shooting SEX & THE CITY 2! This is all coming in anticipation of the tribute to Bob Hope at the NY Pops gala on May 2, which will also feature performances by Tom Wopat and Aaron Lazar - both of whom we will continue our SPOTLIGHT ON NY POPS series with later on this weekend. Don't miss them or a special presentation by theatre legend Angela Lansbury! Further information about the NY POPS event - including tickets - is available here.