Colm Wilkinson News

Broadway World Los Angeles Correspondents Michael Sterling and Jerry Evans of the JLE Media Group were once again on the red carpet Tuesday, February 12, 2013 for the much anticipated Los Angeles opening of the Four-time Tony Nominated Musical Sensation JEKYLL & HYDE. Watch BWW's opening night interviews below!

From Kristin Chenoweth to Deborah Cox to Idina Menzel to Barbra Streisand to Michael Crawford to the Ladies of THE VIEW to Adam Pascal, Patti LuPone, Raul Esparza, Alan Menken, Lea Salonga, Bernadette Peters, Laura Osnes, Victoria Clark, GLEE and Everything in Between - It's the BroadwayWorld.com 2013 Valentine's Day Special - It's the Biggest Ever!

Ramin Karimloo was first bitten by the theatre bug upon seeing Colm Wilkinson in the original production of The Phantom of the Opera in Toronto in the late 80s. Since then he has gone on to play the title role in both The Phantom and Love Never Dies in London's West End, and now will come home to Toronto for the first time in the Mirvish Production of LES MISERABLES which was just announced for their 2013-2014 season. BWW spoke with Ramin about how he feels about coming home, the pressures of the role of Jean Valjean, Sheytoons, protecting his voice and more.

The Nederlander Organization has announced that the four-time Tony nominated musical sensation JEKYLL & HYDE will play the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood for a limited 3 week engagement tonight, February 12 - March 3, 2013.

Unmissable BroadwayWorld reference included, last night's GLEE was a spectacular addition to the theme-show collective of FOX's hit musical comedy series thus far in its rich history, eighty-plus episodes in now in Season Four, with an exceptionally explosive episode directed by Paris Barclay and written by Brad Falchuk, 'Diva.' The leading ladies of legend acted as the foundation of the fodder for the fabulous episode - dramatically, musically, thematically and otherwise - with a music-heavy show featuring a plethora of memorable musical numbers and a generally fancy-free storyline ending in a shocking cliffhanger ending - Santana (Naya Rivera) moves to NYC to live with Rachel (Lea Michele) and Kurt (Chris Colfer), unbeknownst to them; suitcase in tow! Uh oh!

Nederlander Presentations, Inc., Independent Presenters Network, Chunsoo Shin, Luigi Caiola and Stewart F. Lane/Bonnie Comley have just announced the first preview, opening night and ticket on-sale dates for the new Broadway production of JEKYLL & HYDE, starring Tony Award nominee Constantine Maroulis in the dual title role of 'Dr. Henry Jekyll' & 'Edward Hyde' and Grammy-nominated R&B superstar Deborah Cox as 'Lucy'.

The New York Times reports that film producer Mike Medavoy ('Black Swan') and Rick Nicita of RP Media have teamed up to buy the film rights to the Broadway musical JEKYLL AND HYDE. The musical, with a book and lyrics by Leslie Bricusse and music by Frank Wildhorn, is set to return to Broadway's Marquis Theater in Spring 2013 following a 25-week National Tour.

Emma Rucastle gives her verdict on the most high-profile Les Mis casts...

We've asked a few Les Mis obsessives to compare the movie casts with the others immortalised on recordings and on film...

Jule Styne and EY Harburg's Darling of the Day premiere in the U.K. at London's Union Theatre, with previews March 20 and an official opening of March 22, starting Katy Secombe and Rebecca Caine.

"To love another person is to see the face of God" - Colm Wilkinson's Bishop Myriel of Digne and Anne Hathaway's Fantine, together with Hugh Jackman's Jean Valjean, sung those arguably the most indelible lyrics by tail end in the Tom Hooper-helmed musical motion picture, "Les Miserables," a faithful film adaptation based on the 1987 Tony Award-winning musical, written by Claude-Michel Schonberg, Alain Boublil, and Herbert Kretzmer, which in turn was inspired by the French historical novel of the same name, published in 1862, by Victor Hugo, a well-known French Romantic poet and novelist who had evident antipathy toward the leaders of the Roman Catholic Church; but, interestingly, had high regard for the Church's doctrines.

So many people have been emailing me and asking me what I thought of the movie? I have not answered most because I wanted to sit with my "feelings" and make sure that what I thought came from the "right" place. But is there ever a right place when you give an opinion of a show or of some else's work? I mean who the hell am I? Is it a coincidence that I am blogging this month? Do I sit here and give my blah opinion written in black and white forever or do I slash its throat at the helm and let it all hang out? I have certainly gotten my share of evil black and white reviews, some so rotten that it felt like the critic had a personal vendetta against me. Did I deserve it? Well, it's a matter of opinion.

We all knew about the Les Mis alumni that would appear in the movie - but who made the most impact on you?

Kaite Welsh is critical of two of the movie's big stars but recommends it none the less.

Lea Salonga, who starred in the original stage production as 'Eponine' and the 2006 revival as 'Fantine' wrote the following review on the new film for Inquirer. Check it out below!

"To love another person is to see the face of God" - Colm Wilkinson's Bishop Myriel of Digne and Anne Hathaway's Fantine, together with Hugh Jackman's Jean Valjean, sung those arguably the most indelible lyrics by tail end in the Tom Hooper-helmed musical motion picture, "Les Miserables," a faithful film adaptation based on the 1987 Tony Award-winning musical, written by Claude-Michel Schonberg, Alain Boublil, and Herbert Kretzmer, which in turn was inspired by the French historical novel of the same name, published in 1862, by Victor Hugo, a well-known French Romantic poet and novelist who had evident antipathy toward the leaders of the Roman Catholic Church; but, interestingly, had high regard for the Church's doctrines.

BroadwayWorld brings you the Best of Toronto in the year 2012. Check out the Top Theatre Stories from each month during in the year 2012. We look forward to another exciting year of theatre in 2013!

LES MISERABLES fans may opt to listen to the soundtrack of Working Title/Cameron Mackintosh's highly anticipated movie adaptation of the mega-musical three days before the film opens Christmas Day by downloading 20 highlight tracks from the new album 'LES MISERABLES: Highlights From The Motion Picture Soundtrack' for $5 only at Amazon MP3 until Monday, December 31, 2012.

The long awaited feature film version of Les Miserables opens Christmas Day, twenty five years after it first took the world by storm on a West End stage. Directed by Tom Hooper and starring Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway and Amanda Seyfried, the film made the daring choice of having its actors sing live instead of being recorded in a studio. Die-hard fans of the stage production will likely take issue with some of the directorial (and musical choices) but overall the movie is a solid adaptation of Victor Hugo's beloved tale.

While many MIZ-heads may have assumed the film adaptation of their beloved musical would never actually come to fruition, here it really is, all too soon available for all to see - lo, more than twenty years after it was first announced byway of an official promo ad in a tour souvenir going as far back as the late-1980s. I was lucky enough to catch an advance screening during the dawning days of December and many small moments, full musical sequences and my first impressions themselves have filled me with a certain kind of inexpressible enrapturing ecstasy heretofore inexperienced, coming as a direct result, no doubt, of the sheer force of power the film exacts in its relentless, barreling, blazingly bravado-bedecked style - a style, I can firmly say, is completely unique in movie history. LES MISERABLES is a lot of things, but, first and foremost, it is that which it is unlike that makes it most remarkable of all; that is: it is unlike any movie musical ever made. And, it is a masterpiece.