Des McAnuff News

The producers of ROCK OF AGES announced yesterday that after an extremely successful off Broadway run and the sale of the film rights to New Line Cinema, the new, smash hit musical will transfer to Broadway's Brooks Atkinson Theatre, 256 W. 47th Street, and open on Tuesday, April 7, 2009. Previews begin on Friday, March 20, 2009. Variety is reporting that they might be offering in-seating cocktail service to allow the party feel of the show to truly come alive uptown.

The producers of ROCK OF AGES announced today that after an extremely successful off Broadway run and the sale of the film rights to New Line Cinema, the new, smash hit musical will transfer to Broadway's Brooks Atkinson Theatre, 256 W. 47th Street, and open on Tuesday, April 7, 2009. Previews begin on Friday, March 20, 2009.

JERSEY BOYS opened at the August Wilson Theatre on Broadway to critical acclaim on November 6, 2005. The JERSEY BOYS National Tour opened to rave reviews in San Francisco on December 1, 2006, played a record breaking run in Los Angeles and is still breaking house records in cities across North America. There are six current productions of JERSEY BOYS: New York, London, Chicago, Las Vegas, Toronto, a US National tour, and a seventh production will open in Melbourne, Australia in July, 2009.

The Path Fund / Rockers on Broadway presented The Who's TOMMY: 15th Anniversary Benefit Concert. Directed by Donnie Kehr, this one-night-only milestone event featuring the original cast of the groundbreaking Broadway musical took place Monday, December 15 at 8:00 PM at the August Wilson Theatre (245 West 52nd Street). BroadwayWorld's cameras were there for the historic event.

Producer Howard Panter for Ambassador Theatre Group and co-producers Tulchin/Bartner/Jenkins, Bill Kenwright, Northwater Entertainment, Darren Bagert, and Tom Gregory announced the complete cast and design team for the new Broadway production of the greatest musical comedy GUYS AND DOLLS. The first joint Broadway project by two-time Tony Award winning director Des McAnuff and choreographer Sergio Trujillo since their collaboration on the Tony Award winning musical Jersey Boys, GUYS AND DOLLS will begin previews on February 3, 2009 at Broadway's newly refurbished Nederlander Theatre (208 West 41st Street). Opening Night is March 1, 2009.

Lauren Graham (Golden Globe Award nominee for 'Gilmore Girls') will make the leap back into primetime reports Variety. The entertainment trade publication reveals that 'ABC has given a production commitment to a new comedy starring Graham, who will play a self-help guru who teaches women how to live a stress-free life -- but struggles to follow her own advice when her boyfriend dumps her.'

Nick Adams returned to his hometown, Erie, PA, this week to perform as a special guest with the Erie Philharmonic. The annual holiday pops concert is performed a the Warner Theatre and this year's concert on Saturday, December 13th is called 'Come Home for the Holidays'.

The Path Fund / Rockers on Broadway presents The Who's TOMMY: 15th Anniversary Benefit Concert. Directed by Donnie Kehr, this one-night-only milestone event featuring the original cast of the groundbreaking Broadway musical will take place Monday, December 15 at 8:00 PM at the August Wilson Theatre (245 West 52nd Street). Proceeds will benefit Broadway Cares / Equity Fights AIDS, Broadway Dreams Foundation and the Bachmann-Strauss Dystonia and Parkinson Foundation. The event was announced in September to great excitement, the evening is set to be a truly exciting concert.

Broadway In Chicago is thrilled to report that the Chicago company of Jersey Boys has raised $41,524 to benefit Chicago Public Schools through the VH1 Save The Music Foundation.

Dates have been announced for the Boston engagement of JERSEY BOYS, the story of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons, playing the Citi Performing Arts Center Shubert Theatre for six weeks only! The musical will make its Boston premiere on Thursday, July 23 and play through Sunday, August 30. Press night is scheduled for Wednesday, July 29 at 7 PM. Tickets go on sale in time for the holiday gift giving season on Sunday, December 7 at 10AM.

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts selected the individuals who will receive the Kennedy Center Honors of 2008. Recipients to be honored at the 31st annual national celebration of the arts are: actor Morgan Freeman, singer George Jones, actress and singer Barbra Streisand, choreographer Twyla Tharp, and musicians Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey of The Who. They were given personal kudos by some of their talented peers in Variety.

Producer Howard Panter for Ambassador Theatre Group and co-producers Tulchin/Bartner/Jenkins, Bill Kenwright, Darren Bagert, and Tom Gregory announced today that Craig Bierko (Tony Award nominee for The Music Man; Scary Movie 4) will star as 'Sky Masterson' and Kate Jennings Grant (Proof) will also star as 'Sarah Brown' in the new Broadway production of the greatest musical comedy GUYS AND DOLLS.

Instinct Magazine's annual 'Best and Worst of The Year' issue featured Broadway's Nick Adams on its cover and within the pages of the special issue. Instinct gave BroadwayWorld an exclusive peek at what is sure to be a big 'hit' with readers, the December 2008/January 2009 issue will be available on newsstands starting December 11th.

Jersey Boys Las Vegas, which recently marked six months of successful performances at The Palazzo Resort-Hotel-Casino, welcomes Deven May to the talented company. May assumes the role of Tommy DeVito on December 1 as current cast member Erik Bates returns to the Jersey Boys national tour.

Beggin,' one of the hit songs in the Broadway smash JERSEY BOYS, is featured in an Adidas commercial. The Tony? and Grammy? award-winning musical JERSEY BOYS recently celebrated three standing-room-only years on Broadway.

Jersey Boys Las Vegas, which recently marked six months of successful performances at The Palazzo Resort-Hotel-Casino, welcomes Deven May to the talented company. May will assume the role of Tommy DeVito on December 1 as current cast member Erik Bates returns to the Jersey Boys national tour.

The Broadway production of the international hit musical JERSEY BOYS now offers ShowTrans, a state-of-the-art customer service that provides multi-lingual 'play-by-play' commentary of a theatrical production for the non-English speaking audience. ShowTrans gives the patrons continual plot and dialogue information that enables them to follow the action, intention, humor, and emotion of the show. Commentary for JERSEY BOYS is available in Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish and German.

Today Dancap Productions announces the new cast for the Canadian production of JERSEY BOYS. The new cast includes: Derek Krantz as Bob Gaudio, Jeremy Kushnier continuing in the role of Tommy DeVito, Michael Lomenda as Nick Massi, and Jeff Madden in the role of Frankie Valli, plus Timothy Sell in the role of Gyp DeCarlo and Shawn Wright in the role of Bob Crewe. Performances begin Friday, December 12, 2008 at the Toronto Centre for the Arts (5040 Yonge Street).

La Jolla Playhouse is pleased to announce the Performance Outreach Program (POP) Tour 2009, Miss Electricity, written by Kathryn Walat and directed by Melissa Kievman.

Due to popular demand, Dodger Theatricals and Dancap Productions Inc., announce additional Toronto performances for the smash hit musical JERSEY BOYS, now playing at the Toronto Centre for the Arts (5040 Yonge Street) through November 9, 2008.