Donald Holder News

Disney Theatrical Productions and Broadway Across Canada announced today that tickets for the long-awaited production of DISNEY'S THE LION KING will go on sale to the public on Saturday, April 4, 2009 at 7:00 a.m. Edmonton's most eagerly awaited stage production begins performances at the Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium on Thursday, July 2, 2009 for a limited engagement of five weeks through Sunday, August 2, 2009. The opening night is Saturday, July 4, 2009 at 8:00 p.m. This North American National Tour is currently one of seven productions running worldwide along with New York, London, Hamburg, Tokyo, Paris and Fukuoka. A new sit-down production will begin performances in Las Vegas at the Mandalay Bay Theatre on May 5.

The Lincoln Center Theater presents the new musical HAPPINESS at the Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater. HAPPINESS has a book by John Weidman, music by Scott Frankel, lyrics by Michael Korie and direction and choreography by Susan Stroman, and features Fred Applegate. Sebastian Arcelus, Miguel Cervantes, Hunter Foster, Joanna Gleason, Ken Page, Robert Petkoff, Jenny Powers, Phyllis Somerville and Pearl Sun.

Lincoln Center Theater production of the new musical HAPPINESS at the Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater. HAPPINESS, which has a book by John Weidman, music by Scott Frankel, lyrics by Michael Korie and direction and choreography by Susan Stroman, and features Fred Applegate. Sebastian Arcelus, Miguel Cervantes, Hunter Foster, Joanna Gleason, Ken Page, Robert Petkoff, Jenny Powers, Phyllis Somerville and Pearl Sun. Opens tonight Monday, March 30.

It became official when, SPIDER-MAN, Turn Off the Dark, was announced to open on Thursday, February 18, 2010 at Broadway's Hilton Theatre, 213 West 42nd Street (preview performances will begin Saturday, January 16, 2010). Directed by Tony Award-winner Julie Taymor with 22-time Grammy Award-winning Bono and The Edge creating new music and lyrics, SPIDER-MAN will be written by Julie Taymor and Glen Berger. Well 'True Believers', since that official statement, the 'webslinging' work has heated up, and the creative process is in full 'swing' (forgive us the pun, but c'mon...).

It became official when, SPIDER-MAN, Turn Off the Dark, was announced to open on Thursday, February 18, 2010 at Broadway's Hilton Theatre, 213 West 42nd Street (preview performances will begin Saturday, January 16, 2010). Directed by Tony Award-winner Julie Taymor with 22-time Grammy Award-winning Bono and The Edge creating new music and lyrics, SPIDER-MAN will be written by Julie Taymor and Glen Berger. Well 'True Believers', since that official statement, the 'webslinging' work has heated up, and the creative process is in full 'swing' (forgive us the pun, but c'mon...).

Currently in previews, Lincoln Center Theater's production of the new musical HAPPINESS will open at the Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater on Monday, March 30 at 6:45pm. HAPPINESS, which has a book by John Weidman, music by Scott Frankel, lyrics by Michael Korie and direction and choreography by Susan Stroman. The Tony winning Stroman talked about the new musical with New York Newsday, to read the interview click here.

Twyla Tharp's pulsating rock ballet set to the music of Billy Joel tells a stirring tale of love, loss, war and coming home through a cleverly staged blend of dance and song

Disney Theatrical Productions and Broadway Across Canada announced today that tickets for the long-awaited production of DISNEY'S THE LION KING will go on sale to the public on Saturday, April 4, 2009 at 7:00 a.m. Edmonton's most eagerly awaited stage production begins performances at the Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium on Thursday, July 2, 2009 for a limited engagement of five weeks through Sunday, August 2, 2009. The opening night is Saturday, July 4, 2009 at 8:00 p.m. This North American National Tour is currently one of seven productions running worldwide along with New York, London, Hamburg, Tokyo, Paris and Fukuoka. A new sit-down production will begin performances in Las Vegas at the Mandalay Bay Theatre on May 5.

The 16th Annual Merritt Award for Excellence in Design and Collaboration program, honoring world class scenic designer Todd Rosenthal (August: Osage County), will take place on Monday, April 27, at the Steppenwolf Merle Reskin Garage Theatre. The doors open at 5:30 p.m. with a viewing of the third annual ?Theater Design Expo' showcasing the works of over 20 Chicago-area emerging theatrical designers and a student portfolio review. Martha Lavey, Artistic Director of Steppenwolf Theatre Company, will moderate an inclusive discussion, 'Moving Chicago Productions to New York and Beyond' with the awardees, Director Anna Shapiro and Joshua Schmidt, composer and librettist, from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Casting has been announced for the Las Vegas production of Disney's THE LION KING. The eagerly awaited sit-down production will leap onto the Mandalay Bay Theatre stage with preview performances May 5, and celebrate its official opening May 15. It will join the seven other highly successful companies of THE LION KING currently running all over the world, including New York, London, Hamburg, Paris, Tokyo and Fukuoka, as well as the North American National Tour. Tickets will go on sale to the public March 14.

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts today announced a one week extension for its production of RAGTIME. The musical will now run in the Eisenhower Theater April 18 through May 17, 2009. Based on a 1975 novel by E.L. Doctorow, the production features book by Terrence McNally, music by Stephen Flaherty and lyrics by Lynn Ahrens, and will be directed and choreographed by Marcia Milgrom Dodge. The musical is part of the Kennedy Center?s Broadway: The Third Generation, a series celebrating the current generation of Broadway musical composers. The official press night will take place on Saturday, April 25, 2009 at 7:30 p.m.

Currently in previews, Lincoln Center Theater production of the new musical HAPPINESS will open at the Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater on Monday, March 30 at 6:45pm. HAPPINESS, which has a book by John Weidman, music by Scott Frankel, lyrics by Michael Korie and direction and choreography by Susan Stroman, features Fred Applegate. Sebastian Arcelus, Miguel Cervantes, Hunter Foster, Joanna Gleason, Ken Page, Robert Petkoff, Jenny Powers, Phyllis Somerville and Pearl Sun.

Lincoln Center Theater (under the direction of Andre Bishop, Artistic Director and Bernard Gersten, Executive Director) has announced that Laura Osnes will assume the role of Ensign Nellie Forbush in its Tony Award winning production of Rodgers & Hammerstein's SOUTH PACIFIC, directed by Bartlett Sher, beginning Tuesday, March 10 at the Vivian Beaumont Theater.

The iconic rock band U2 graces the cover of Rolling Stone this month, the mega group is also featured inside in a wide ranging interview by writer Brian Hiatt. He trailed the world's biggest band from its Horizon recording sessions in England to its Dublin headquarters right up to President Obama's inauguration festivities.

Marvel Editor-in-Chief Joe Quesada used his 'Twitter' feed to comment on the upcoming musical 'SPIDER-MAN, Turn Off the Dark'. Quesada, a comic industry icon, excitedly stated that 'Spider-Man at it's core is a very 'classic' story in structure. Done well as it will be by Taymor. Bono and Edge, it will ROCK!' SPIDER-MAN, Turn Off the Dark, will open on Thursday, February 18, 2010 at Broadway's Hilton Theatre, 213 West 42nd Street (preview performances will begin Saturday, January 16, 2010).

MOVIN' OUT, the Tony Award-winning new musical conceived, choreographed and directed by Twyla Tharp and based on 24 classic songs by Billy Joel, comes back to Atlanta for a special engagement at The Fabulous Fox Theatre May 1 - 3, 2009, presented as a season special by Fidelity Investments Broadway Across America - Atlanta. Tickets will go on sale to the public Sunday, March 8.

Kelli O'Hara, the Tony nominated star of South Pacific is has a new 'production' in the works that will demand she take leave from the Lincoln Center hit starting in March, she is expecting her first child with husband Greg Naughton. The star's web site now lists March 7, 2009 as her final performance.

Performances begin tonight (Friday, February 27) for the Lincoln Center Theater production of the new musical HAPPINESS at the Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater. HAPPINESS, which has a book by John Weidman, music by Scott Frankel, lyrics by Michael Korie and direction and choreography by Susan Stroman, features Fred Applegate. Sebastian Arcelus, Miguel Cervantes, Hunter Foster, Joanna Gleason, Ken Page, Robert Petkoff, Jenny Powers, Phyllis Somerville and Pearl Sun. Opening night is scheduled for Monday, March 30.

MOVIN' OUT, the Tony Award-winning new musical conceived, choreographed and directed by Twyla Tharp and based on 24 classic songs by Billy Joel, is movin' in to Pittsburgh's Benedum Center on Friday, February 27, through Sunday, March 1, 2009. Tickets ($24-$62) will go on sale on Friday, January 16, 2009, at the Box Office at Theater Square, online at pgharts.org and by calling 412-456-6666. MOVIN' OUT is a special presentation of the PNC Broadway Across America - Pittsburgh series, presented by The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, Pittsburgh Symphony and Broadway Across America.

Lincoln Center Theater (under the direction of Andre Bishop, Artistic Director, and Bernard Gersten, Executive Producer) has announced that Fred Applegate. Sebastian Arcelus, Miguel Cervantes, Hunter Foster, Joanna Gleason, Ken Page, Robert Petkoff, Jenny Powers, Phyllis Somerville and Pearl Sun will be featured in its upcoming production of the new musical HAPPINESS.