David Hess News

It's the hard-knock life! Paper Mill Playhouse (Mark S. Hoebee-Producing Artistic Director, Todd Schmidt-Managing Director), recipient of the 2016 Regional Theatre Tony Award, has announced today the cast and creative team of the hit Broadway Tony Award-winning musical Annie, based on Little Orphan Annie, with book by Thomas Meehan, music byCharles Strouse, and lyrics by Martin Charnin, directed by Paper Mill's Producing Artistic Director Mark S. Hoebee, with choreography by JoAnn M. Hunter and musical direction by Jeffrey Saver. Performances begin Wednesday, November 22, 2017, at 7:00 p.m., for a limited run through Sunday, December 31, 2017, at Paper Mill Playhouse (22 Brookside Drive) in Millburn, NJ.

Though GUYS & DOLLS might not offer deep self reflection, it continues to be a staple of the American musical tradition for accomplishing the one thing musical theater set out to offer in the first place: An escape. A sense of sheer joy. A break from the monotony of reality and our own personal problems. A chance to be part of a fantasy world of song and dance for a few hours where the laughs are rehearsed and the guy gets the girl and leave with a smile.

GUYS AND DOLLS runs through October 29 at Milwaukee Repertory Theatre, and the critics are weighing in!

Milwaukee Repertory Theater presents Guys and Dolls, a Tony Award-winning musical in the intimate Quadracci Powerhouse, running now through October 29. BroadwayWorld has an exclusive first look at the cast in action below!

Milwaukee Repertory Theater presents the Tony Award-winning musical Guys and Dolls in the Quadracci Powerhouse tonight, September 19, through October 29.

Milwaukee Repertory Theater  presents Guys and Dolls, a Tony Award-winning musical in the intimate Quadracci Powerhouse this September 19 - October 29.

Milwaukee Repertory Theater announced casting for the Tony Award-winning musical Guys and Dolls in the Quadracci Powerhouse this September 19 - October 29. 

The Broadway at Birdland concert series was thrilled to present Glenn Close and the cast of Sunset Boulevard in "Vintage Hollywood," a fundraising concert for Bring Change 2 Mind, which works to end the stigma and discrimination surrounding mental illness.

Producers Paul Blake and Mike Bosner and The Nederlander Organization announced today the launch of an online ticket lottery for Andrew Lloyd Webber's iconic musical, Sunset Boulevard. The Sunset Boulevard Digital Lottery will open daily at 8 am EST (8 pm EST the evening prior for matinee performances), beginning Tuesday, March 7, 2017, for entrants to win a limited number of $55 same day tickets to that day's performance(s). See below for rules and regulations. The Sunset Boulevard digital lottery is powered by Broadway Direct.

An invitation-only reading of the new musical Other World will take place on Thursday, March 9 (2:30pm) and Friday, March 10 (11:00am) at the Lyric Theatre Studios (Lyric Theatre - Studio A, 214 West 43rd Street, NY, NY 10036).  Other World features a book by Hunter Bell, music and lyrics by Jeff Bowen and Ann McNamee, and will be directed by Gabriel Barre.

Three-time Tony Award-winner Glenn Close won London's Evening Standard Award for her iconic portrayal of Norma Desmond in Andrew Lloyd Webber's Tony Award-winning Best Musical, Sunset Boulevard. Close made her West End debut in bravura sold-out limited engagement at the English National Opera (ENO) in April 2016. The award was presented last night, Sunday, November 13, at a ceremony hosted by Sir Elton John and Evening Standard owner Evgeny Lebedev.

Midtown Direct Rep (MDR) continues its 2016-17 staged reading series, Theater at The Woodland, with a presentation of TORN ASUNDER, written by Obie Award-winner Nikkole Salter and directed by Janeece Freeman Clark

Midtown Direct Rep (MDR) continues its 2016-17 staged reading series, Theater at The Woodland, with a presentation of TORN ASUNDER, written by Obie Award-winner Nikkole Salter and directed by Janeece Freeman Clark. This staged reading will be performed for one night only on Sunday, December 11, 2016 at 7pm at The Woodland (60 Woodland Rd. Maplewood, NJ), where MDR is the resident theater company. The reading is $15 (advance purchase), $20 (if purchased at the door) and open to the public. Student/Senior discounts are also available. Tickets can be purchased online through Brown Paper Tickets (http://tornasunder.bpt.me) by clicking the direct link HERE OR by calling 1-800-838-3006.

The New Victory Theater, a leading presenter of Theater for Young Audiences, is presenting a special invitational reading of The Great Blueness, a new musical with book, music and lyrics by Andrew Gerle (Meet John Doe) on Thursday, November 10, 2016, as part of the 2016-17 New Victory LabWorks Artists series.

Jason Robert Brown proves once again to be one of Broadway's brightest and best composers.

Growing up with fairy tales we are used to a happy ending. In the movie, the guy always gets the girl. But THE BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY playing at Starlight Theatre changes all of those preconceived notions.

?The Kennedy Center has announced the full casting for the Washington area premiere of The Bridges of Madison County starring Elizabeth Stanley (On the Town, Million Dollar Quartet) as Francesca and Andrew Samonsky (The Hunchback of Notre Dame, South Pacific) as Robert.

BroadwayWorld has just learned that the national tour of THE BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY will be ending July 26 in Greenville, SC, after completing all of its officially announced engagements. A tour rep shared that not continuing the tour for a second season was 'a purely logistical decision for the producers.'

Based on the novel by Robert James Waller, that people seem to either love or loath, THE BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY would seem to be a story which relies very heavily on particular imagery conjured up in the readers' mind by the landscape the characters occupy. The film version did make a valiant effort to convey that, even if it had a number of shortcomings. But, that would seem to be a rather large hurdle to clear for a stage production, much less a musical. So, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I genuinely enjoyed this musical adaptation. Jason Robert Brown's music and lyrics (book by Marsha Norman) fit each character and moment like a glove, while dancing around different styles to reflect various moods and emotions. Plus, the story is compelling enough to translate to a wide audience, especially those who like their stories a bit sentimental and bittersweet. The current touring production onstage at The Fox Theatre is certainly well worthy of your time and attention, and you can see it through April 17th, 2016.

Victoria Theatre Association has announced the full casting for the Dayton premiere of Premier Health Broadway Series presentation of THE BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY starring Elizabeth Stanley (On the Town, Million Dollar Quartet) as Francesca and Andrew Samonsky (The Hunchback of Notre Dame, South Pacific) as Robert. THE BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY runs at the Benjamin & Marion Schuster Performing Arts Center, March 15-20. Tickets are on sale now at Ticket Center Stage, located in the WIntergarden of the Schuster Center, by calling 937-228-3630, toll-free 888-228-3630 or online at www.ticketcenterstage.com.