Christopher Ashley News

La Jolla Playhouse presents the world premiere of The Darrell Hammond Project, written by Saturday Night Live star Darrell Hammond and Elizabeth Stein and directed by Playhouse Artistic Director Christopher Ashley. Performed by Hammond, this world-premiere, one-man show will run February 6 - March 8, 2015 in the Sheila and Hughes Potiker Theatre.

According to an Equity casting notice, Disney Theatrical Productions will soon hold a developmental lab for a musical version of Freaky Friday. Christopher Ashley will helm the project, which will feature music and lyrics by Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey (If/Then, Next to Normal) and a book by Bridget Carpenter. The lab will take place March 31 through April 10, 2015.

Good morning, BroadwayWorld! Because we know all our readers eat, sleep and breathe Broadway, what could be better than waking up to it? Today's big news: Off-Broadway is teeming with new shows, including TEXAS IN PARIS, THE MYSTERY OF LOVE AND SEX, KILL ME LIKE YOU MEAN IT and more!

The Drama League welcomes a roster of special guest performers for the 31st Annual Musical Celebration of Broadway honoring the legendary Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony Award (EGOT) winner James Earl Jones to be held this evening, February 2, 2015 at the famed Pierre Hotel (2 East 61st Street).

Producers of Memphis THE MUSICAL, which recently celebrated its 100th performance at the Shaftesbury Theatre, are delighted to announce that the Original London Cast Album is now available to purchase online for download. The CD will be available from 9 February at the Shaftesbury Theatre and via First Night Records.

La Jolla Playhouse is pleased to bring back its acclaimed new play development initiative, the DNA New Work Series, a two-week run of workshops and readings of new works, taking place February 16 - March 1, 2015.

La Jolla Playhouse announces that Tony Award-winning actor BD Wong has been named the theatre's latest Artist-in-Residence beginning January, 2015.

The Drama League has announced the roster of special guest performers for the 31ST Annual Musical Celebration of Broadway honoring the legendary Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony Award (EGOT) winner James Earl Jones to be held on Monday evening, February 2, 2015 at the famed Pierre Hotel (2 East 61st Street).

In a continued outpouring of solidarity among a giant consortium of the American theater's artistic directors, more than 30 additional artistic directors have signed the open letter that was issued yesterday in support of Ari Roth, following his recent dismissal from the Jewish Community Center in Washington, D.C., where he has served as Artistic Director of Theater J for the past 18 years.

La Jolla Playhouse announces the appointment of Jaime Castañeda to the new position of Associate Artistic Director. In addition to joining the Playhouse's artistic team, Castañeda will direct several projects, including the final subscription show for the 2015/16 season, to be announced shortly.

La Jolla Playhouse announces the latest presentation in its acclaimed Without Walls (WoW) series, THE GRIFT at the Lafayette Hotel, a world-premiere, immersive theatre piece, conceived, written and directed by Diabolical Muse's Tom Salamon, creator of the Playhouse's wildly-successful WoW production of Accomplice: San Diego. The show will run January 27 - February 22, 2015 at North Park's historic Lafayette Hotel.

On November 17, at the Annual Membership Meeting in New York City, SDC announced the results of the 2014 Executive Board Elections.

On the next episode of NBC's LAW & ORDER: SVU titled 'Spousal Privilege,' Detective Tutuola (Ice-T) comes across leaked security footage of a violent domestic dispute in a parking garage

La Jolla Playhouse announces five shows for its 2015/2016 season, featuring all new works, including the world-premiere musical Come from Away, featuring book, music and lyrics by acclaimed Canadian husband-and-wife team Irene Sankoff and David Hein, directed by Playhouse Artistic Director Christopher Ashley; the world premiere of Indecent, co-created by director Rebecca Taichman (Playhouse's Sleeping Beauty Wakes, Milk Like Sugar), and Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Paula Vogel (How I Learned to Drive), co-produced with Yale Repertory Theatre; and Blueprints to Freedom: An Ode to Bayard Rustin, by Michael Benjamin Washington (Memphis, The Wiz), directed by The Cosby Show's Phylicia Rashad, which had its first workshop during the Playhouse's 2014 DNA New Work Series.

The Playwrights Realm will present the world premiere of City Of by Anton Dudley, directed by Stephen Brackett (Buyer & Cellar). The production runs January 26 through February 21, 2015 with a February 5 opening at the Peter Jay Sharp Theater (416 W. 42nd Street, NYC). Tickets will go on sale to the public beginning December 29th, 2014.

MEMPHIS THE MUSICAL has today announced that 320,000 tickets are being put on sale as booking extends to 31st October 2015. The additional tickets will be available through the Box Office and all ticket agents from this Friday 7th November at 9am. Opening at the Shaftesbury Theatre to public and critical acclaim last month, David Bryan and Joe DiPietro's new musical, winner of four Tony® Awards including Best Musical, has been heralded as the West End's newest hit show

La Jolla Playhouse presents the U.S. premiere production of The Hunchback of Notre Dame, featuring a score by the multiple Academy, Grammy and Tony Award-winning team of composer Alan Menken (Newsies, Little Shop of Horrors) and lyricist Stephen Schwartz (Wicked, Pippin), book by Peter Parnell (The West Wing, On a Clear Day You Can See Forever) and direction by Scott Schwartz (Playhouse's Jane Eyre, Broadway's Golda's Balcony). Produced in association with Paper Mill Playhouse, by special arrangement with Disney Theatrical Productions, The Hunchback of Notre Dame begins tonight, October 26, and runs through December 14, 2014 in the Playhouse's Mandell Weiss Theatre.

The West End production of hit Broadway musical Memphis, directed by Christopher Ashley, opens tonight, October 23, 2014, at the Shaftesbury Theatre. Winner of four 2010 Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Memphis has an Award-winning original score by Bon Jovi founding member David Bryan and book by Joe DiPietro. Let's see what the critics had to say...

Happy Birthday Raul Esparza! Since making his Broadway debut, Esparza has become only the second actor to receive Tony nominations in all four eligible acting categories. Most recently he took on the role of con artist Jonas Nightingale in the Broadway musical adaptation of Leap of Faith directed by Christopher Ashley. Additional Broadway credits include The Rocky Horror Show, Taboo, Company, Arcadia, and more!

The West End production of hit Broadway musical Memphis at the Shaftesbury Theatre has its Opening Night on 23 October 2014. Winner of four 2010 Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Memphis has an Award-winning original score by Bon Jovi founding member David Bryan and book by Joe DiPietro. Click below to watch highlights from the show!