Ellen Richard News

Following its recent sell-out season in London's West End, Stage Entertainment UK is delighted to announce that the critically acclaimed Chichester Festival Theatre production of the musical Singin' In The Rain will tour the UK and Ireland later this year. Opening at Manchester Opera House on Wednesday 13 November 2013 (with previews from Saturday 9 November), the show will play a Christmas and New Year season in Cardiff before visiting cities across the country.

The full cast is announced today as rehearsals begin for the West End transfer of the stunning Menier Chocolate Factory production of the Sondheim/ Furth musical Merrily We Roll Along. Directed by triple Olivier Award winner Maria Friedman, previews begin at the Harold Pinter Theatre on Tuesday 23rd April.

Following a sell-out run at the Menier Chocolate Factory, MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG by Stephen Sondheim and George Furth transfers to the Harold Pinter Theatre for 12 weeks only 100 stalls and dress circle seats at £25 available for every performance until 1 June*

American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.) Executive Director Ellen Richard announced today that The Costume Shop theater, A.C.T.'s 49-seat black-box venue located in San Francisco's Central Market corridor, will be home to a custom-designed Art-o-mat vending machine. Made from revamped vintage cigarette machines, the Art-o-mat machine dispenses small, cigarette pack-sized original pieces of artwork. Ranging from stained glass to watercolors to clay sculptures, the original artwork can be purchased from the machine for $5 per item. An official public unveiling, curated by Art-o-mat creator Clark Whittington, will take place at A.C.T.'s Costume Shop theater (1117 Market Street) on Monday, April 8, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Lionsgate's THE LAST STAND hits theaters in just a few weeks on Jan. 18. Check below for all of the details on the upcoming action flick starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, including the latest trailer!

MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG began performances 16 November 2012 - 23 February 2013. Stephen Sondheim and George Furth, with triple Olivier award winner Maria Friedman are making her professional directorial debut at the Chocolate Factory.

The first pictures from Merrily We Roll Along at the Menier Chocolate Factory, directed by Maria Friedman

National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Chairman Rocco Landesman announced today that American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.) is one of 832 nonprofit organizations nationwide to receive an NEA Art Works grant. A.C.T. is recommended for a $40,000 grant to support the world premiere of Stuck Elevator. With a libretto by Aaron Jafferis and music by Byron Au Yong, this music-theater work will make its debut at A.C.T.'s Geary Theater April 4-28, 2013.

MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG begins performances 16 November 2012 - 23 February 2013. Stephen Sondheim and George Furth, with triple Olivier award winner Maria Friedman are making her professional directorial debut at the Chocolate Factory.

American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.) Executive Director Ellen Richard has announced that A.C.T. is the recipient of two grants-one from San Francisco Neighborhood Arts Collaborative and one from The Kenneth Rainin Foundation. The funding provided from both grants will cover the necessary facilities, maintenance, and staffing costs to enable A.C.T. to provide no-cost rehearsal and performance space to local arts organizations at The Costume Shop theater, A.C.T.'s 49-seat black-box venue located in San Francisco's Central Market corridor.

Following its past sold-out Christmas musicals (Sunday in the Park with George, Little Shop of Horrors, La Cage aux Folles, A Little Night Music, Sweet Charity and Pippin), Menier Chocolate Factory announces the casting for its hugely anticipated revival of the Sondheim / Furth musical Merrily We Roll Along as its Christmas 2012 show.

American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.) Director of Education Elizabeth Brodersen announced today the successful launch of Back to the Source, a new training institute for schoolteachers and teaching artists who use theater techniques in the classroom.

The Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts (TAPA)honors extraordinary talent in the Toronto performing arts community as they host the 33rd annual Dora Mavor Moore Awards tonight, Monday, June 25, at the St. St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts in the Bluma Appel Theater. As with all awards, BroadwayWorld brings you full coverage of the ceremony. Keep checking back as the list of winners is updated below! And stay tuned in the next couple of days for special photo coverage!

American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.) Director of Education Elizabeth Brodersen announced today the successful completion of A.C.T.'s first-year partnership with Downtown Continuation High School-a project-based public school in the San Francisco Unified School District dedicated to serving teenagers who have not experienced success in traditional comprehensive high schools-and their new Acting for Critical Thought project.

Rumours that The Public Theatre's production of INTO THE WOODS will transfer to Broadway have been fueled once more by The New York Post, which reports that extentions to Donna Murphy, Amy Adams and the rest of the cast's contracts are being negotiated.

Mayor Edwin M. Lee today announced American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.)'s purchase of the Strand Theater-a historic cinema that has been closed since 2006-providing another boost to the Central Market area of San Francisco. First opened in 1917, this newly revitalized theater will give A.C.T. a much-needed second space in which to produce and present new work and new artists as part of the rapidly transforming Central Market neighborhood.

According to a report by Michael Riedel of nypost.com, The Public Theater is already considering a Broadway transfer for the revival of INTO THE WOODS which plays the Delacorte in Central Park this Summer.

American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.) Executive Director Ellen Richard announced today that A.C.T. will extend Higher, the acclaimed new play by A.C.T. Artistic Director Carey Perloff, with direction by A.C.T. Associate Director Mark Rucker.

BroadwayWorld.com has learned that the hit open-air production of INTO THE WOODS that played London's Regent's Park Theatre in 2011 is now planning for a transfer to Central Part's Delacorte Theater as part of the Public Theater's Summer 2012 programming. Casting is said to be underway already for the role of 'The Witch' and that the producers are seeking a big name. Nothing officially has been announced on a possible transfer, as The Public is expecting to announce the 2012 summer season at the Delacorte sometime next month. The Public Theatre had no comment by press time.

American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.) is proud to open a new performance space, The Costume Shop. San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee helped celebrate this momentous occasion at the opening celebration event, which took place today from 4:30 to 6 p.m., and was attended by A.C.T.'s family of artists and supporters, as well as representatives from numerous arts organizations around the Bay Area.