Catherine Martin News

Baz Luhrmann's new Netflix Original Series, The Get Down, has cast its first four young male leads, a rag tag group of teenagers who are wild in the streets of the Bronx in the late 70's.

(WASHINGTON)—Washington National Opera (WNO), led by Artistic Director Francesca Zambello, today announced its 60th anniversary season, one that highlights classic, contemporary, and American works. The 2015-2016 season includes a new-to-Washington staging of Bizet's Carmen, the world premiere of a newly revised version of Appomattox by composer Philip Glass and librettist Christopher Hampton, a revival of WNO's charming holiday production of Hansel and Gretel, the company premiere of Kurt Weill's Lost in the Stars in a gripping production from Cape Town Opera, and WNO's first complete staging of Wagner's extraordinary four-part Ring Cycle, with a world-class cast under the direction of Francesca Zambello and featuring the WNO Orchestra conducted by WNO Music Director Philippe Auguin. Highlights from the 2015-2016 season will be performed by the WNO Orchestra and special guests at a free preview concert on Wednesday, May 20, 2015 at 6 p.m. as part of the Kennedy Center Millennium Stage.

Global Creatures confirmed today that Baz Luhrmann's much-loved hit show STRICTLY BALLROOM THE MUSICAL will open in Brisbane at the Lyric Theatre, Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC) in September 2015.

The Get Down, A new Netflix Original Series, from visionary director Baz Luhrmann, will premiere exclusively on Netflix in all territories in 2016. The series marks Luhrmann's first music-driven drama since the global hit Moulin Rouge!

The Wattle Spray brooch, presented to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II by the Australian government during her 1954 Commonwealth tour, has returned to Australia as part of the Powerhouse Museum exhibition A fine possession: jewellery and identity, from 16 January. This exquisite and rare brooch, created especially for The Queen, symbolises the links between the Royal Family and Australia.

Let's see what the critics had to say...

Baz Luhrman's Strictly Ballroom 'The Musical' opened in Melbourne last night to great fanfare. Based on Luhrman's 1992 iconic Australian film, and Presented by Global Creatures, the team behind the musical King Kong, there is only one word that can describe this show...boring. It's long, drawn out and uneventful sequences result in an underwhelming piece of theatre. It is a stretch to call this show a musical, in fact you can't. Though originally written as a play by Luhrman this production is a re-working of a film for the stage. The show pastiches cliched classics from varied eras and combines them with a smattering of original songs resulting in a score that is flavorless and unmemorable. The action never reaches the heightened state it needs to in order to warrant a song, leaving the show brimming full of unfulfilled moments that cheat the public out of anything that could be deemed a real or satisfying moment.

American Symphony Orchestra presents the play and the opera THE LONG CHRISTMAS DINNER at Alice Tully Hall tonight, December 19, 2014.

American Symphony Orchestra presents the play and the opera THE LONG CHRISTMAS DINNER at Alice Tully Hall on December 19, 2014. This will be the first time that Thornton Wilder's one-act play and Paul Hindemith's one-act opera will be performed together in the United States.

Every November, BWW-Austin teams up with other Austin-based theater publications to announce the Central Texas Excellence in Theatre Awards. The nominations were announced last night. Scroll down for the full list!

THE RIVER opened last night, Nov. 16, at Circle in the Square (50th Street between Broadway and Eighth Avenue). A new play by Jez Butterworth, The River stars Hugh Jackman, Laura Donnelly andCush Jumbo and is directed by Ian Rickson. The production will play a strictly limited 13-week engagement through Sunday, January 25, 2015. BroadwayWorld was on hand for all of the opening night festivities and you can check out photos from the star-studded theatre arivals below!

Regina Gil founder, and Caroline Sorokoff Director, had a surprise for Film Festival patrons last night. Hugh Grant one of the most well known actors in the world decided to check out the Gold Coast International Film Festival, which is in it's fourth year successful year. Needless to say, the seats were filled at the Soundveiw Cinema in Port Washington as this international movie star and producer shared his views on many topics.

The Gold Coast International Film Festival began its seven-day run on Nov. 3rd. It will feature more than 40 short films, art films foreign films and appearances by filmmakers. In just its fourth year, the festival has grown so large and so popular that it will need theaters in Great Neck, Manhasset, Roslyn and Port Washington to accommodate all of the screenings and doings.

From November 3-9, 2014 the Gold Coast Arts Center, in conjunction with the Town of North Hempstead, will present the 4th annual Gold Coast International Film Festival (GCIFF), and everyone's invited-again-to join us for this special week of films, parties, panels, and glamour!

Barneys New York announced the 2014 Holiday campaign: BAZ DAZZLED Holiday; a collaboration with world renowned writer/director/producer Baz Luhrmann and designer Catherine Martin. A multi-platform initiative, BAZ DAZZLED Holiday will merge the iconic visual language of Luhrmann's award winning film work with the wit and surprise of the legendary Barneys New York annual holiday initiatives. Luhrmann and Martin, along with the Barneys New York team under the direction of creative director Dennis Freedman, have conceived a modern holiday world filled with decadent textures and fantastical characters set against the backdrop of iconic holiday concepts.

The Helpmann Awards, which has recognised the achievements in live performance in Australia since 2001, is the Australian industry's equivalent of the Tony Awards and the Olivier Awards.

Baz Luhrmann's much-loved hit show STRICTLY BALLROOM THE MUSICAL will open in Melbourne at Her Majesty's Theatre in January 2015.

The Helpmann Awards are Australia's version of Broadway's Tony Awards and London's Olivier Awards. The annual awards recognise achievement in live performance including musical theatre, contemporary music, comedy, cabaret, opera, classical music, theatre, dance and physical theatre.

This fall the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will present the final showing of the groundbreaking multimedia exhibition Hollywood Costume in the historic Wilshire May Company building

While riding along the freeway, drivers are often faced with the oxymoron of a car wreck on the side of the road. Though it is often gruesome and inappropriate to stare, it is equally as challenging to look away. No matter how shocking or repugnant, your eyes are glued to the scene, both attempting to understand what has just happened, and seeing what will happen next. Such was my experience at the Salvage Vanguard Theatre, watching the regional premiere of Silence! The Musical. Did I love it? No. But despite its raunchy lyrics and eye roll-worthy dialogue, its redeeming music and talented ensemble kept me in my seat for nearly an hour and a half.