Broadway Across America News

MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET, Broadway's new musical sensation, is thrilled to announce that music legend Jerry Lee Lewis, the last surviving member of the real ‘Million Dollar Quartet,' will join the cast of the Tony nominated Best Musical for a special encore during the Friday evening, September 10 performance.

The five-time Tony Award-nominated smash-hit musical ROCK OF AGES will be rocking Boston's Colonial Theatre for a limited two-week engagement October 6 - 17, 2010. Coming to you direct from Broadway is previously announced Tony Award Nominee, 'American Idol' finalist, and Boston Conservatory graduate, Constantine Maroulis, who will reprise his acclaimed performance as Drew.

As reported previously, Ellen Degeneres made a surprise cameo in PROMISES, PROMISES September 7, performing alongside Sean Hayes and Kristin Chenoweth. Footage from her surprise performance will air September 15 on the season premiere of her show on NBC.

The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust presents Esperanza Spalding on Wednesday, September 29, 2010, at 7:30 p.m., at the Byham Theater. Ms. Spalding's current tour features music from her current release Chamber Music Society.

As BroadwayWorld had previously reported, the UK is abuzz with talks of MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET making its way across the pond. The show's official UK website seems to validate the rumors, as casting calls for the roles of Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash and Elvis Presley have been announced in Glasgow, London, Liverpool, Bristol, and Dublin. No word as to whether or not the show is West End-bound specifically or if any of the original Broadway cast members will be making the move.

Kelsey Grammer, Tony Award nominee for LA CAGE AUX FOLLES and this year's host of the annual 'Broadway on Broadway' concert on Sunday, September 12, will guest on 'The Wendy Williams Show,' Thursday, September 9. In the New York area, 'The Wendy Williams Show' airs on WNYW-TV Channel 5 at 10:00 AM and WWOR-TV Channel 9 at 10:00 PM. Check local listings.

PNC Broadway Across America presents THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA at Benedum Center. Performances began Wednesday, August 25 and run through Sunday, September 19.

The producers of PROMISES, PROMISES are thrilled to announce that 'Saturday Night Live' alumnus and 'Superstar' Molly Shannon will make her Broadway debut in the smash hit musical comedy as Marge MacDougall for a limited 11 week run from Tuesday, October 12, 2010 through Sunday, December 26, 2010. This new production of PROMISES, PROMISES, directed and choreographed by Tony and Emmy Award winner Rob Ashford with Neil Simon's funny and touching book and Burt Bacharach and Hal David's hit-packed score, began previews at the Broadway Theatre (1681 Broadway) Saturday, March 27, 2010, and opened on Sunday, April 25, 2010.

Last night, September 7, Ellen DeGeneres made a surprise cameo in PROMISES, PROMISES as the 'Nurse' in Act 1, performing alongside Sean Hayes and Kristin Chenoweth. The cameo was orchestrated as a promo for the upcoming season of her talk show, The Ellen DeGeneres show. In a move that surprised everyone, her walk-on was kept under wraps until her debut last night, with media not being alerted until midnight following the performance.

The Toronto indie-rock collective Broken Social Scene is known for the improvisational easiness of its live sets and a steady following on college radio.

The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust is proud to present Celtic Thunder, a group of six Irish and Scottish male vocalists backed by a superb orchestra. Celtic Thunder will perform powerful ballads, popular hits and heartwarming songs of love and loss at the Benedum Center on Wednesday, September 29, 2010, at 7:30 p.m. This performance is part of the 2010-2011 Trust Presents series, sponsored by Cohen & Grigsby.

After breaking box office records and selling out in record time in 2007, WICKED, the smash-hit musical, will return to Orlando's Bob Carr Performing Arts Centre February 23 through March 27, 2011.

UK Theatre Site WhatsOnStage.com is reporting the buzz that MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET might be headed to the West End in 2011 with talks underway. There's no word at the current time on potential opening dates or whether or on what cast members might be headed over.

A Dog's Tale (or The Thing About Getting), a new play by playwright Paul Downs Colaizzo, will be featured in the Kennedy Center's Page-to- Stage festival this September.

The Tony Award-winning revival of HAIR: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical will bow early in the West End on September 4, 2010, producers have revealed. While the production was scheduled to run through January 2011, the producers have reportedly decided not to recast the show after the current cast's contracts are up on September 4. The production opened at the Gielgud Theatre in London's West End April 14th, 2010.

On Friday, September 3, the cast of Broadway's MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET, will perform on FOX News' 'Fox & Friends' (6:00AM-9:00AM EST on Channel 44 in New York. Check local listings).

The first national tour of the current Broadway production of WEST SIDE STORY is coming to Omaha. WEST SIDE STORY will be presented at the Orpheum Theater October 19 - 24, 2010 by Omaha Performing Arts and Broadway Across America. Tony Award-winning librettist Arthur Laurents' Broadway direction will be recreated for the tour by David Saint, the Associate Director on Broadway. The original Jerome Robbins choreography is reproduced by Tony Award-nominee Joey McKneely (The Boy from Oz, The Life).

After breaking box office records and selling out in record time last year, WICKED, Broadway's biggest blockbuster, will return to Indianapolis' Murat Theatre at Old National Centre December 15-January 1. Tickets for the return engagement go on sale Friday, October 15.

A Dog's Tale (or The Thing About Getting), a new play by playwright Paul Downs Colaizzo, will be featured in the Kennedy Center's Page-to- Stage festival this September.

After breaking box office records and selling out in record time when the show last played Boston, WICKED, the smash-hit musical, will return to the Boston Opera House for a limited engagement September 1 - October 17.