Des McAnuff News

It was announced today that The Stratford Shakespeare Festival's hit production of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR, directed by the Festival's Artistic Director Des McAnuff, will open at the Neil Simon Theatre on Broadway on Thursday, March 22, 2012. Previews will begin Thursday, March 1, 2012.

The Path Fund, Inc. will present two-time Tony Award winning director Des McAnuff (Jersey Boys, The Who's Tommy) as part of the cast of 'ROCKERS ON BROADWAY - HALLOWEEN SPOOKTACULAR', the latest edition of Broadway's favorite benefit Rock and Roll concert series will take place on Monday October 31st at the Midtown Theatre at the HA! Comedy Club (163 West 46th Street, NYC) with shows at 7PM and 10PM. Proceeds will benefit The Broadway Dreams Foundation, Broadway in South Africa and Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.

Upcoming MTI Shows - 10/30 for Toronto

The Metropolitan Opera received confirmation today that tenor Jonas Kaufmann is doing well after his recent surgery and will return to the Met as planned for his October 30 recital and to begin rehearsals for the new production of Faust which opens November 29.

On Sunday night the stars of Toronto's musical theatre scene came out to pay tribute to Des McAnuff as he received an honourary doctorate from Ryerson University for his contribution to the arts over the last few decades. Including cast members from the original Toronto production of Jersey Boys and the current Stratford Festival production of Jesus Christ Superstar, the evening was filled with good music and fantastic tales from Des' extraordinary life. BWW was on hand to bring its readers exclusive photos from the performances and the after party.

Barnes & Noble welcomes a slew of Broadway performers to presentations throughout October.

The Stratford Shakespeare Festival has just announced the filming of the 2011 production of Twelfth Night, directed by Artistic Director Des McAnuff. The production will be screened exclusively at Cineplex and participating theatres across Canada in 2012.

Upcoming MTI Shows - 10/23 for Toronto

The Royal Conservatory will present a Tribute Concert to honour Des McAnuff, Broadway's Canadian visionary director and Tony Award-winner.

In London, the cast of JERSEY BOYS is led by Ryan Molloy as Frankie Valli, Matthew Wycliffe as Bob Gaudio, Jon Boydon as Tommy DeVito and Eugene McCoy as Nick Massi. Jon Lee plays the role of Frankie Valli at certain performances. The cast also includes Carl Au, Charlie Bull, Mark Carroll, Michael Conway, Chris Gardner, Lucinda Gill, Lauren Hall, Trina Hill, Mark Isherwood, Paul Iveson, Stuart Milligan, Tom Oakley, Jake Samuels, Jo Servi, Wayne Smith, Ben Wheeler and Rachael Wooding. THe show just celebrated 1500 performances, and you can go behind the scenes of the celebration below!

On Sunday October 23rd the Ryerson Theatre School is holding a special one night only concert at Koerner Hall to celebrate the achievements of Tony Award Winning director Des McAnuff. It has been a banner year for McAnuff, with his production of Jesus Christ Superstar a runaway hit at the Stratford Festival and bound for Broadway in March of 2012. The concert will feature songs from many of Des' shows, as well as cast members from Jesus Christ Superstar, Toronto's Jersey Boys and more. BWW spoke to Peggy Shannon, Chair of the Ryerson Theatre School, on what we can expect at the event and on the new scholarship the school is offering in Des' honour.

Casting has been announced for the Hartford return engagement of the Tony, Grammy and Olivier Award-winning hit musical JERSEY BOYS, the story of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons, playing The BushnellTM October 19-November 6, 2011.

The Path Fund, Inc.has just announced that two-time Tony Award winning director Des McAnuff (Jersey Boys, The Who's Tommy) has joined the cast of 'ROCKERS ON BROADWAY - HALLOWEEN SPOOKTACULAR', the latest edition of Broadway's favorite benefit Rock and Roll concert series will take place on Monday October 31st at the Midtown Theatre at the HA! Comedy Club (163 West 46th Street, NYC) with shows at 7PM and 10PM. Proceeds will benefit The Broadway Dreams Foundation, Broadway in South Africa and Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.

Barnes & Noble welcomes a slew of Broadway performers to presentations throughout October.

Upcoming MTI Shows - 10/16 for Toronto

The Met: Live in HD, the Metropolitan Opera's award-winning series of live transmissions to movie theaters around the world, returns for a sixth season Saturday, October 15 with the Met premiere production of Donizetti's Anna Bolena, featuring Anna Netrebko in the title role.

Cineplex Entertainment (TSX:CGX), via our Front Row Centre Events announces the very popular series The Met: Live in HD is returning to participating Cineplex theatres.

National CineMedia (NCM), the operator of the largest digital in-theater network for cinema advertising, entertainment and events in North America, today announced an agreement with the Metropolitan Opera (the 'Met') to bring the Emmy and Peabody award-winning The Met: Live in HD series to U.S. movie theaters for the 2011-12 Met season.

The Washington, D.C., return engagement of the Tony, Grammy and Olivier Award-winning hit musical JERSEY BOYS, the story of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons is playing the National Theatre November 10, 2011, to January 7, 2012. The cast of JERSEY BOYS will be led by Preston Truman Boyd (Bob Gaudio), Joseph Leo Bwarie (returning to D.C. as Frankie Valli), John Gardiner (Tommy DeVito), and Michael Lomenda (Nick Massi) and as The Four Seasons, with Jonathan Hadley and Washington-area native, Joseph Siravo.

Beginning with tonight's performance, Andy Karl and Quinn Van Antwerp have joined the Broadway cast of Jersey Boys. Karl (Legally Blonde, Wicked) steps in the role of Tommy DeVito; Dominic Nolfi departed on September 25th. Direct from the national tour of JERSEY BOYS, VanAntwerp steps in the role of Bob Gaudio; Ryan Jesse departed October 9. Erik Bates played the role of Tommy DeVito for performances September 27 through October 9. Check out photos of the new Jersey Boys in action below!