Baz Luhrmann News

It's thirty years since Strictly Ballroom set the world dancing and to celebrate its incredible journey, the Powerhouse Museum is presenting The Strictly Ballroom Story, a new exhibition opening today 5 April 2014.

Roundabout Theatre Company's production of VIOLET, starring Sutton Foster, Colin Donnell, Alexander Gemignani and Joshua Henry, begins previews tomorrow, March 28, 2014. VIOLET officially opens on April 20, 2014 at the American Airlines Theatre on Broadway (227 West 42nd Street). Scroll down to learn more about the full company and check out a sneak peek performance and interviews with the cast!

It's thirty years since Strictly Ballroom set the world dancing and to celebrate its incredible journey, the Powerhouse Museum is presenting The Strictly Ballroom Story, a new exhibition opening on Saturday 5 April 2014.

Shrunken Shakespeare Company (SSC), in association with Joe Paradise, has announced the full cast for their 2014 Fundraiser Gala, including Broadway, Off-Broadway and TV vets set to perform in Paul Sorvino's world premiere adaption of Lear. The Gala will be held on Monday, April 21st at 7:30pm, at TBG Theatre located at 312 W 36th Street, 3rd Floor in NYC.

Baz Luhrmann's exciting, action packed STRICTLY BALLROOM THE MUSICAL, presented by Global Creatures, will begin previews tonight, Tuesday, March 25. STRICTLY BALLROOM THE MUSICAL is the inspiring story of a championship ballroom dancer who defies all the rules to follow his heart. This uplifting and courageous tale will open on Saturday, April 12 at Sydney's Lyric Theatre, Star City.

Everything old is new again--and vice versa-at PAST IS PRESENT, up-and-coming lyricist SARAH REBELL's Metropolitan Room debut March 24 at 9:30pm. By turns hilarious and touching, sexy and historical, this concert features Rebell's lyrics paired with the music of promising young composers including DANNY ABOSCH (Fancy Nancy), WILL BUCK (Only Anne), JOSH FREILICH, (The Star Child), ELIZABETH HAGSTEDT (Rose Petals), TERESA LOTZ (The Birds and the Bees) , MADELINE MYERS (Legends and Lore) and WILLEM OOSTHEUYSEN (Prodigy).

Shrunken Shakespeare Company's 2014 Fundraiser Gala will be hosting the New York City premiere of "Lear" adapted by and starring Paul Sorvino. This cut of William Shakespeare's "King Lear" will be presented as a staged reading, produced by SSC in collaboration with director and producer Joe Paradise. In addition to Sorvino and Paradise, actor/comedian Wayne Powers, Michael Sorvino, and Tyler Hollinger of The Public Theatre and The Mint, will also be taking part in "Lear." Complete casting is to be announced. The Gala will take place on Monday, April 21 at 7:30pm, at The Barrow Group located at 312 W. 36th Street, 3rd Floor.

The hit romantic comedy Handle With Care at The Westside Theatre (407 West 43rd Street), a Critics' Pick from the New York Times, which calls it 'a hilarious and heartwarming romantic comedy' that 'exudes gobs of comic energy and insight', concludes its run this Sunday and celebrates with two special talkbacks this week. The play, by Emmy Award nominee Jason Odell Williams and directed by Karen Carpenter ('Love, Loss and What I Wore'), will end its run with the March 9th, 3pm performance, two weeks after its originally announced end date. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.handlewithcaretheplay.com, TeleCharge.com or call 212-239-6200

The 2014 Academy Awards telecast was lovely, lengthy and a generally low-key affair, filled with more than a few buzz-worthy moments worth a replay or two as well as some spectacular song sequences, too - as would be expected from two noted and similarly Oscar-winning producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron. Ellen Degeneres delivered on the humor as expected, if not surpassing expectations in doing more than merely decently, whereas the winners themselves were generally smart and savvy choices, all said - 12 YEARS A SLAVE and DALLAS BUYER'S CLUB nabbing many top awards. Plus, FROZEN took home a well-earned trophy or two and its sensational lead Idina Menzel was responsible for not only the performance of the night - a Swarovski explosion of epic proportions, with vocals to match - but also the viral video, too, byway of John Travolta's unfortunate faux pas introduction mispronouncing the Broadway superstar's name. Oops, Oohs, Ahhs, and, well, OZ, the 2014 Oscars fulfilled its promise of entertaining, if perhaps overstaying its welcome - yet, who would want to sacrifice those fabulous speeches; or anything else, for that matter? Everyone got their moment - but maybe just a moment or two too many.

Disney's super successful animated movie musical FROZEN can count yet another astounding accomplishment now in having two of its breakout hit songs make the list for the most popular Spotify soundtrack selections of the last 12 months.

Today we are turning our attention to the recently announced stage adaptation of visionary theatre and film director Baz Luhrmann's blazing 1992 'Red Curtain Trilogy' entry STRICTLY BALLROOM, for which he has aligned a particularly impressive assortment of creative team members, with rehearsals currently underway for an opening set at the end of next month.

On Tuesday 25 February 2014 internationally renowned director, BAZ LUHRMANN, who is hard at work in the rehearsal room at Carriageworks, announced the extraordinary composers he and co-writer CRAIG PEARCE have collaborated with in order to bring STRICTLY BALLROOM THE MUSICAL to life on stage.

The romantic comedy, Handle With Care, which runs through March 9th at Westside Theatre (407 West 43rd Street) celebrates romance tonight, Tuesday, February 25th following the evening performance at 7PM. Elizabeth Davis (Tony-nominee for Once on Broadway) and Jordan Richard (Television Director) will host a talk back. The couple met their first week of college when they were 18 years old. They 'found' each other again in NYC years later and their friendship grew into love. The couple married in 2008.

Martin Charnin & Shelly Burch celebrate romance this week at Handle With Care. Talkbacks are set for each Tuesday in February (and the first Tuesday in March prior to the show concluding its run on March 9). At each talk, one of four romantic duos will wax poetic on their life and love. Details below!

It was announced today by director, Baz Luhrmann that for the world premiere season of the highly anticipated and much loved STRICTLY BALLROOM THE MUSICAL Producers Global Creatures and Bazmark would partner with MELANOMA INSTITUTE AUSTRALIA.

The hit romantic comedy Handle With Care, a Critics' Pick from the New York Times, which calls it 'A Hilarious and Heartwarming Romantic Comedy' that 'exudes gobs of comic energy and insight', will conclude its run at the Westside Theatre March 9, 2014, two weeks after its originally announced end date. The play, by Emmy Award nominee Jason Odell Williams is directed by Karen Carpenter ('Love, Loss and What I Wore'), will have played 112 performances including 15 previews.

To celebrate the imminent Opening of a truly Sydney musical, Strictly Ballroom The Musical (previewing from 25 March), Baz Luhrmann has collaborated with Global Creatures and Destination NSW to create STRICTLY SYDNEY, the largest outdoor ballroom dancing event ever seen in Australia. This spectacular community event with 4,000 ballroom dancers will be held around the Sydney Opera House on Sunday 23 February from 9am.

With the ubiquity of smart phones and rise in photo-sharing services, the world has recently exploded with photographers from all backgrounds who are embracing new technology to tell their stories in innovative ways.

Rehearsals are underway. Sequins are flying. Feet are pounding. Stars are about to be born. To celebrate all this activity and excitement new tickets for this hotly anticipated World Premiere musical will go on sale on Monday 10 February. New tickets are now available to the general public for performances up to Sunday 29 June 2014.

The 2013-2014 Broadway season is particularly notable for its preponderance of screen-to-stage adaptations, ranging from ALADDIN to ROCKY to BULLETS OVER BROADWAY and more - not to mention this week's big announcement of KING KING: THE MUSICAL coming to Broadway soon, as well as BACK TO THE FUTURE hitting the West End - so today we are looking at some of the reasons why these properties in particular are perfect for the boards, and, hopefully, the box office.