Christopher Ashley News

La Jolla Playhouse announces a special engagement of Steppin' Out with Ben Vereen as part of its cabaret series, running on Friday, March 29, 2013 at 8:00 pm, Saturday, March 30 at 2:00 pm and 8:00 pm and Sunday, March 31 at 2:00 pm. The four performances will take place in the Playhouse's specially-designed performance space in the Sheila and Hughes Potiker Theatre, created by the Playhouse's scene shop artisans for the theatre's 2011, 2012 and 2013 Galas.

La Jolla Playhouse announces the cast and creative team for Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, a world-premiere musical featuring a story by The Flaming Lips' Wayne Coyne and Playhouse Director Emeritus Des McAnuff (Jersey Boys, Jesus Christ Superstar), music and lyrics by The Flaming Lips, and direction by Des McAnuff. The show will run tonight, November 6 - December 16, 2012 in the Mandell Weiss Theatre.

MEMPHIS, the 2010 Tony Award Winner for Best Musical, comes to Community Center Theater from tonight, Oct. 30 - Nov. 4, the first show in the 2012-13 Broadway Sacramento season.

La Jolla Playhouse presents Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, a world-premiere musical featuring a story by The Flaming Lips' Wayne Coyne and Playhouse Director Emeritus Des McAnuff (Jersey Boys, Jesus Christ Superstar), music and lyrics by The Flaming Lips, and direction by Des McAnuff. The show will run November 6 - December 16, 2012 in the Mandell Weiss Theatre. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the rehearsals below.

From the underground black dance clubs of 1950s Memphis, Tennessee to Broadway San Jose and the bay area comes a musical that bursts off the stage with explosive dancing, irresistible songs and a thrilling tale of fame and forbidden love. Winner of four 2010 Tony Awards including Best Musical--and loosely based on real-life DJ Dewey Phillips--'Memphis' tells the story of Hey Calhoun, the first DJ to play 'race' music on a white radio station.

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!

East West Players (EWP), the nation's longest running professional theatre of color and the largest producer of Asian American artistic work, led a candid discussion on race politics in the American theatre on Monday, October 22, 2012, at East West Players David Henry Hwang Theater in Little Tokyo Los Angeles. Scroll down for photos from the event, featuring Grey's Anatomy's Sandra Oh, actor Tamlyn Tomita and more!

East West Players (EWP), the nation's longest running professional theatre of color and the largest producer of Asian American artistic work, will lead a discussion on race politics in the American theatre today, October 22, 2012 at 2:00 pm PDT/5:00 pm EDT at East West Players David Henry Hwang Theater in Little Tokyo Los Angeles.

East West Players (EWP), the nation's longest running professional theatre of color and the largest producer of Asian American artistic work, will lead a discussion on race politics in the American theatre on Monday, October 22, 2012 at 2:00 pm PDT/5:00 pm EDT at East West Players David Henry Hwang Theater in Little Tokyo Los Angeles.

MEMPHIS, the 2010 Tony® Award Winner for Best Musical, and the show that's currently blowing the roof off Broadway, opens at Marcus Center for the Performing Arts on January 3-8, 2013 for a limited engagement.

Deadline.com reports that a deal is now in place for Belle Pictures and the Mark Gordon Company to head a film adaption of Memphis at Warner Brother's Aclon Entertainment. The film will be produced by Mark Gordon, Molly Smith and Alcon's Andrew Kosove and Broderick Johnson with a new script by Tony-winner Joe DiPietro.

La Jolla Playhouse has announced the award-winning contemporary hit Tribes by Nina Raine as part of its 2013/2014 season (dates TBA).

MEMPHIS, the 2010 Tony® Award Winner for Best Musical, comes to Community Center Theater from Oct. 30 - Nov. 4, the first show in the 2012-13 Broadway Sacramento season.

Tony nominee Ra?l Esparza plays the recurring role of ?DA Rafael Barba? on Law & Order: SVU beginning last night, October 10. The episode, titled ?Twenty-Five Acts,? centered on the author of a best-selling erotic novel (Anna Chlumsky) who accuses a high-profile talk show host (Roger Bart) of rape. The SVU detectives face an uphill battle when they find that her account of the rape is exactly like the chapters in her book, and along with the DA?s office (Esparza), they struggle to keep the case from turning into a media circus. Watch the full episode below!

Tony nominee Raul Esparza will play the recurring role of "DA Rafael Barba" on Law & Order: SVU beginning on Wednesday, October 10. The episode, titled "Twenty-Five Acts," centers on the author of a best-selling erotic novel (Anna Chlumsky) who accuses a high-profile talk show host (Roger Bart) of rape. The SVU detectives face an uphill battle when they find that her account of the rape is exactly like the chapters in her book, and along with the DA's office (Esparza), they struggle to keep the case from turning into a media circus. In the video below, Esparza chats about his character on the series!

East West Players (EWP), the nation's longest running professional theatre of color and the largest producer of Asian American artistic work, will lead a discussion on race politics in the American theatre on Monday, October 22, 2012 at 2:00 pm PDT/5:00 pm EDT at East West Players David Henry Hwang Theater in Little Tokyo Los Angeles.