Donald Holder News

As the 2013 calendar year comes to a close, Disney's landmark musical event, THE LION KING, celebrates several milestones around the globe.

Beginning previews in March at the St. James Theatre, five time Tony Award winning director and choreographer Susan Stroman will bring BULLETS OVER BROADWAY to the stage with an award winning design team of Broadway veterans including Tony Award winners Santo Loquasto (scenic design),William Ivey Long (costume design), Donald Holder (lighting design), Doug Besterman (orchestrations) and Glen Kelly (musical arrangements and supervision) and Peter Hylenski (sound design) and Andy Einhorn (musical direction). The marquee just went up at the St. James Theatre and you can check it out below!

Composer Jake Heggie and librettist Gene Scheer's award-winning opera Moby-Dick, will be broadcast on THIRTEEN's Great Performances tonight, November 1, 2013 at 9 p.m. on PBS (check local listings), as part of the PBS Arts Fall Festival.

ANNIE, Broadway's favorite musical for all ages, invites your family to celebrate Halloween at the Palace Theatre (Broadway at 47th Street) tonight, October 31st. Come in your Halloween costume and get a trick-or-treating surprise.

ANNIE, Broadway's favorite musical for all ages, invites your family to celebrate Halloween at the Palace Theatre (Broadway at 47th Street) on Thursday, October 31st. Come in your Halloween costume and get a trick-or-treating surprise.

The Tempe return of Disney's THE LION KING opens tonight, October 24 at 7:30 p.m. at ASU Gammage for a limited engagement of four weeks through November 17. In Tempe, THE LION KING plays Tuesday through Saturday evenings at 7:30 p.m., Saturday matinees at 2:00 p.m., and Sundays at 1:00 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. "We are thrilled to have THE LION KING back in Tempe," said Colleen Jennings Roggensack, Executive Director of ASU Gammage. "There are still wonderful seats available, so be sure not to miss this show and create lasting memories with your family."

Disney's THE LION KING continues to reign across North America with a sold-out engagement in Dallas, which concluded on Sunday, October 20 at The Music Hall at Fair Park. The triumphant three-week return grossed over $4.9 million at the box office and entertained more than 79,000 patrons during 24 performances. The award-winning musical returned to Dallas following a six-week sold-out premiere in 2002 and a successful five-week return in 2007 at The Music Hall.

Casting has been announced for the Los Angeles return engagement of Disney's THE LION KING. Los Angeles' most eagerly awaited stage production ever will leap onto the Hollywood Pantages stage from November 20, 2013 - January 12, 2014. The press opening night is Friday, November 22 at 8pm. The landmark musical will return to Los Angeles for the first time since its triumphant return engagement in November 2006, where the production played a sold-out run at Hollywood Pantages.

Nico Muhly's opera Two Boys will have its North American premiere at the Met October 21, in a production conducted by David Robertson and directed by Bartlett Sher. The two-act opera, which features a libretto by award-winning playwright Craig Lucas, is loosely based on true events and follows a lonely detective whose investigation of a seemingly simple crime draws her into a complex web of online intrigue. Alice Coote sings the role of Detective Inspector Anne Strawson and Paul Appleby sings Brian, the 16-year-old boy at the center of her investigations. Sher's staging, a co-production with English National Opera, premiered in London in 2011. Check out a sneak peek below!

TONY and EMMY Award nominee Ron Raines returns to Broadway as Daddy Warbucks in the new Broadway production of ANNIE at the Palace Theatre (1564 Broadway between 46th and 47th Streets). He will begin performances on Tuesday, December 10. Australian superstar Anthony Warlow will play his final performance as Daddy Warbucks on Sunday, December 8.

Nico Muhly's opera Two Boys has its North American premiere at the Met tiday, October 21, in a production conducted by David Robertson and directed by Bartlett Sher. The two-act opera, which features a libretto by award-winning playwright Craig Lucas, is loosely based on true events and follows a lonely detective whose investigation of a seemingly simple crime draws her into a complex web of online intrigue. Alice Coote sings the role of Detective Inspector Anne Strawson and Paul Appleby sings Brian, the 16-year-old boy at the center of her investigations. Sher's staging, a co-production with English National Opera, premiered in London in 2011.

Disney's award-winning musical THE LION KING has now entered its 15th year at London's Lyceum Theatre. Since the UK premiere in London on Tuesday 19th October 1999, the show has welcomed over 11 million guests and remains the West End's best-selling stage production. Tickets are currently on sale until 20 July 2014.

According to the New York Post's Michael Riedel, some of Broadway's biggest leading ladies are vying for the role of Helen Sinclair in the upcoming stage adaptation of Woody Allen's BULLETS OVER BROADWAY.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, this month, Disney's THE LION KING will become the first Broadway show to reach $1 billion in cumulative gross

Nico Muhly's opera Two Boys will have its North American premiere at the Met October 21, in a production conducted by David Robertson and directed by Bartlett Sher.

October is Adopt-a-Dog month, and ANNIE on Broadway is celebrating by showing support for those who adopt shelter dogs. From October 15 through 31, at participating shelters around the city, individuals who adopt a dog from a participating shelter will receive a voucher for two tickets to see ANNIE in November, while supplies last. ANNIE has partnered with a select number of shelters and rescue groups in NYC, all of which are members of the Mayor's Alliance for NYC's Animals, to participate. Participating shelters include The Humane Society of NY, New York Animal Care & Control, Animal Haven, Sean Casey Animal Rescue and Louie's Legacy. More shelters will be announced via social media.

BroadwayWorld's Richard Ridge was there for teh special celebration and you can check out what the cast and creative team had to say about the new musical at the after party below!

BIG FISH opened last night, October 6 on Broadway at the Neil Simon Theatre and BroadwayWorld.com was there to capture the excitement and the magic of the evening.The production stars two-time Tony Award winner Norbert Leo Butz as Edward Bloom, Tony Award nominee Kate Baldwin as Sandra Bloom, and Tony Award nominee Bobby Steggert as Will Bloom. Below, we bring you photos from the star-studded theatre arrivals, PART 2! Click here to check out PART 1.

Zach Braff is heading back to the stage in BULLETS OVER BROADWAY, which is set to open on April 10, 2014, and last night at the BIG FISH opening night red carpet, he shared his excitement about making his Broadway debut. He told Richard Ridge: 'I've done Second Stage, and the Public, and the Delacorte, but never Broadway! So I'm going to the St. James and I'm very honored and excited.'

BroadwayWorld's Richard Ridge was on the red carpet to chat with the stars as they arrived at the Neil Simon Theatre, and you can check out what Whoopi Goldberg, Perez Hilton, Zach Braff and more had to say below!