Des McAnuff News

Twenty years after its Broadway premiere, Tommy returns to the stage in a new production helmed by its co-creator and original director, Des McAnuff at the Stratford Festival. The spectacular musical that swept the Tony Awards in 1993 started previews on Saturday, May 4, at the Avon Theatre, and plays through October 19. Check out 'Pinball Wizard' and 'I'm Free' below!

Robert Markus, Paul Nolan and Jeremy Kushnier star in Des McAnuff's new Stratford Festival rock musical, The Who's Tommy, opening May 30 at the Avon Theatre in Ontario and running through October 19.

The Stratford Festival is officially home of one of the newest GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS. One hundred 'pinball wizards' took over First Canadian Place in Toronto today to successfully log the greatest number of pinball machines being played simultaneously at a single venue.

The third rock musical produced by the Festival in recent years, Tommy will be the biggest musical ever staged at Stratford. The show features massive LED screens and extraordinary automated set pieces that light up, explode, spin and tilt - get a first look below!

This weekend, WABC-7 airs a half-hour special covering highlights of the spring season on Broadway, including ANNIE, THE ASSEMBLED PARTIES, I'LL EAT YOU LAST, JERSEY BOYS, LUCKY GUY, MATILDA THE MUSICAL, MOTOWN THE MUSICAL, PIPPIN, and more. 'Broadway Backstage: Spring Preview' airs tonight, May 18 from 7:00-7:30PM.

Based on The Who's 1969 concept album of the same name, Tommy tells the story of a young man who, despite having lost the faculties of speech, sight and hearing, becomes a pinball virtuoso - and the centre of a celebrity cult. In a new production helmed by its original Tony Award-winning director, Des McAnuff (who co-wrote the show with The Who's Pete Townshend), the explosive rock opera features such unforgettable hits as 'Pinball Wizard,' 'See Me, Feel Me,' 'Acid Queen' and 'We're Not Gonna Take It.'

This weekend, WABC-7 airs a half-hour special covering highlights of the spring season on Broadway, including ANNIE, THE ASSEMBLED PARTIES, I'LL EAT YOU LAST, JERSEY BOYS, LUCKY GUY, MATILDA THE MUSICAL, MOTOWN THE MUSICAL, PIPPIN, and more. "Broadway Backstage: Spring Preview" airs tomorrow, Saturday, May 18 from 7:00-7:30PM.

Based on The Who's 1969 concept album of the same name, Tommy tells the story of a young man who, despite having lost the faculties of speech, sight and hearing, becomes a pinball virtuoso - and the centre of a celebrity cult. In a new production helmed by its original Tony Award-winning director, Des McAnuff (who co-wrote the show with The Who's Pete Townshend), the explosive rock opera features such unforgettable hits as 'Pinball Wizard,' 'See Me, Feel Me,' 'Acid Queen' and 'We're Not Gonna Take It.' The production features Robert Markus as Tommy, Jewelle Blackman as the Gypsy, Kira Guloien as Mrs. Walker, Jeremy Kushnier as Captain Walker, Paul Nolan as Cousin Kevin and Steve Ross as Uncle Ernie. BroadwayWorld brings you photos of the cast in action below!

Ramping up the excitement for the new Stratford Festival revival production of The Who's seminal rock opera TOMMY even more, festivities are just coming to a close for Pinballapalooza - an attempt to break the world record for simultaneous pinball play.

Tony Award-winning composer/lyricist and rock icon Pete Townshend attended the revival production of his seminal rock opera TOMMY at the Stratford Festival in Canada last night and joined the cast onstage for the curtain call.

Calling all pinball wizards! The Stratford Festival invites you to be a part of history. Today, May 16, the Festival will be in Toronto to host Pinballapalooza, an exciting event to celebrate the opening of its much-anticipated rock musical, Tommy.

Billy Crystal will return to Broadway this fall for a 9-week-only limited engagement of his Tony Award-winning, record-breaking play 700 SUNDAYS. This will mark the final engagement of this production. Previews will begin Tuesday, November 5, 2013 at the Imperial Theatre (249 West 45th Street) with opening night scheduled for Wednesday, November 13, 2013 and a final performance set for Sunday, January 5, 2014. 700 SUNDAYSis performed and written by Mr. Crystal with additional content by Alan Zweibel and direction by Des McAnuff.

New subscriptions to the 2013-2014 Broadway Across America - Arizona season at ASU Gammage in Tempe go on sale May 13. It will be a Broadway extravaganza with a seven-show series and three special engagements. The top touring market has done it again bringing some of the biggest Broadway hits to town including EVITA, THE GERSHWINS' PORGY & BESS, PETER AND THE STARCATCHER, ONCE as well as the long awaited return of JERSEY BOYS and DISNEY'S THE LION KING.

This weekend, WABC-7 airs a half-hour special covering highlights of the spring season on Broadway, including ANNIE, THE ASSEMBLED PARTIES, I'LL EAT YOU LAST, JERSEY BOYS, LUCKY GUY, MATILDA THE MUSICAL, MOTOWN THE MUSICAL, PIPPIN, and more. 'Broadway Backstage: Spring Preview' airs on Saturday, May 18 from 7:00-7:30PM.

Casting has been announced for the Salt Lake City engagement of the Tony, Grammy and Olivier Award-winning hit musical JERSEY BOYS, the story of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons, playing the Capitol Theatre June 4-16. The cast of JERSEY BOYS will be led by Brandon Andrus (Nick Massi),Nick Cosgrove (Frankie Valli), Nicolas Dromard (Tommy DeVito) and Jason Kappus (Bob Gaudio) as The Four Seasons, with Barry Anderson and Thomas Fiscella.

La Jolla Playhouse announced today that nationally-renowned scenic designer Robert Brill has been named the theatre's inaugural Artist-in-Residence. This new, multi-month residency program, supported in part by a generous donation from Playhouse Director Emeritus Des McAnuff, is designed to give artists the freedom to focus on their ongoing body of work while becoming fully integrated into all aspects of the institution, from the stage to the boardroom to the classroom. In addition to designing the sets for His GirlFriday and Sideways this season, Brill will participate in the Playhouse's artistic planning, education and outreach activities, lead master classes at UC Dan Diego and serve as a community liaison for arts advocacy in San Diego, among other Playhouse activities.

FLASHDANCE - THE MUSICAL, the stage adaptation of the 1983 hit film that defined a generation, will make its Segerstrom Center premiere tonight, May 7 - 19, 2013.

Jeremy Kushnier sat down with BWW on a sunny morning in Stratford to talk about his character in "Tommy", revisiting The Who's "Tommy" after 17 years, rehearsing for both "Tommy" and "Fiddler on the Roof" at the same time, and how becoming a father has changed his role as an actor.

ZACH Theatre has announced its 2013-14 season-the second in the acclaimed new Topfer Theatre-with a lineup of six plays and musicals chosen to build on the dynamic and intimate experiences audiences are enjoying in this spectacular first season.

Des McAnuff was invested into the Order of Canada at a ceremony presided over by the Governor General in Ottawa this morning. The Stratford Festival extends heartiest congratulations to Mr. McAnuff, who was Artistic Director from 2008 through 2012, and is currently directing Tommy, a musical based on the album by The Who, which he helped composer-lyricist Pete Townshend create.