Eric Schaeffer News

BroadwayWorld.com presents Twitter Watch, which brings you only the best and most interesting reports straight from the mouths of Broadway stars, shows and more on the hot social networking service - Twitter! On Twitter, Terri White, who will play Stella Deems in the upcoming revival of FOLLIES had this to say @TheTerriWhite

Virginia's Signature Theatre has announced that resident director Matt Gardiner will be the Theatre's new Associate Artistic Director, working in collaboration with co-founder and Artistic Director Eric Schaeffer.

Virginia's Signature Theatre has announced that resident director Matt Gardiner will be the Theatre's new Associate Artistic Director, working in collaboration with co-founder and Artistic Director Eric Schaeffer. In his new role, Gardiner will have greater responsibility in helping to conceive, develop, and implement the unique artistic vision and focus of Signature and will play a leading role in the day-to-day operations of the company.

MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET resumed performances yesterday, July 28, at New World Stages after closing on Broadway on June 12, 2011. MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET played nearly 500 performances on Broadway and won a Tony Award and an Outer Critics Circle Award, and received Tony nominations for Best Musical and Best Book of a Musical, a Drama Desk nomination for Outstanding Musical Revue and three Drama League nominations including Distinguished Production of a Musical and two Distinguished Performance nominations. BroadwayWorld was on hand for the off-Broadway opening and brings you photo coverage below.

MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET will resume performances tonight at its new home at New World Stages.

Signature Theatre's 22nd season kicks off by making musical theatre history with its American Musical Voices Project: Next Generation 'World Premiere Repertory Series' - the first time in the history of the American theatre that two world premiere musicals will be presented in rotating repertory, in full production. The eight-week series, beginning previews on August 23rd, will produce The Hollow (book by Hunter Foster; music and lyrics by Matt Conner), to be directed by Signature Theatre's Associate Artistic Director Matthew Gardiner. Check out the just-released trailer for the show by clicking below!

MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET, the smash-hit musical that will resume performances this Thursday at New World Stages (340 West 50th Street), announces that Michael Sherman of Chicago, IL has won the show's online casting contest 'Do You Have What It Takes?'

Rehearsals begin today and full casting is confirmed for the Broadway transfer of the Kennedy Center's acclaimed production of James Goldman and Stephen Sondheim's FOLLIES, directed by Eric Schaeffer, with choreography by Warren Carlyle and music direction by James Moore. FOLLIES will begin previews on Sunday, August 7, 2011 and open on Monday, September 12, 2011 at the Marquis Theatre. Tickets are now on sale.

Whether you've been living under a rock for the past week, or you're just in the mood for a recap of everything theatre, BroadwayWorld's new feature, 'This Week in Pictures' is here to satisfy your end of the week fix. Take a look below to catch up on the latest happenings from the Great White Way to the West End (and everywhere in between) with coverage of press events, rehearsals, opening nights and more!

Signature Theatre's 22nd season kicks off by making musical theatre history with its American Musical Voices Project: Next Generation 'World Premiere Repertory Series' - the first time in the history of the American theatre that two world premiere musicals will be presented in rotating repertory, in full production. The eight-week series, beginning previews on August 23rd, will produce The Hollow (book by Hunter Foster; music and lyrics by Matt Conner), to be directed by Signature Theatre's Associate Artistic Director Matthew Gardiner; and The Boy Detective Fails (book by Joe Meno; music and lyrics by Adam Gwon), directed by Signature Theatre Artistic Associate Joe Calarco. Both musicals have been commissioned by Signature Theatre as part of its groundbreaking American Musical Voices Project: The Next Generation.

THE WORD BEGINS now runs Thursdays - Sundays at 8pm through August 7, 2011. ROGUE MACHINE is located at 5041 W. Pico Blvd., LA, CA 90019 (in Theatre Theater). Tickets are $20-$35.Reservations: 855-585-5185 or at www.roguemachinetheatre.com

The Tony Award-winning Signature Theatre has announced that national radio host Robert Aubry Davis (WETA's 'Around Town' and Sirius/XM Radio) will be making his stage debut, playing the iconic role of Edna in its upcoming production of the celebrated musical Hairspray. Directed by Signature Artistic Director Eric Schaeffer, Hairspray will run from November 21st through January 29th. Based on the 1988 cult film directed by John Waters, Hairspray features music by Marc Shaiman, lyrics by Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman, and a book by Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan. The musical, which played on Broadway for 6 ½ years, took home eight 2003 Tony Awards, including 'Best Musical.'

Rehearsals began today for the Broadway transfer of the Kennedy Center's acclaimed production of James Goldman and Stephen Sondheim's FOLLIES, directed by Eric Schaeffer, with choreography by Warren Carlyle and music direction by James Moore. FOLLIES will begin previews on Sunday, August 7, 2011 and open on Monday, September 12, 2011 at the Marquis Theatre. Tickets are now on sale. The marquee is now going up and BroadwayWorld brings you a first look!

Rehearsals begin today and full casting is confirmed for the Broadway transfer of the Kennedy Center's acclaimed production of James Goldman and Stephen Sondheim's FOLLIES, directed by Eric Schaeffer, with choreography by Warren Carlyle and music direction by James Moore. FOLLIES will begin previews on Sunday, August 7, 2011 and open on Monday, September 12, 2011 at the Marquis Theatre. Tickets are now on sale.

Virginia's Signature Theatre heats up during the dog days of summer with their annual Sizzlin' Summer Cabaret, a 3-week series featuring thirteen individual acts sure to keep things red hot.

A free matinee performance of The Word Begins for up to 100 young, artists and organizers from all over Los Angeles and Sylmar will be offered on Thursday, July 21st.

On Twitter Watch, Follies Broadway wrote 'Elaine Paige will be on NPR's Weekend Edition with Scott Simon tomorrow morning at 8:40am! Elaine Paige will return to Broadway joining Bernadette Peters,Jan Maxwell, Danny Burstein and Ron Raines in the Broadway transfer of the Kennedy Center's acclaimed production of James Goldman and Stephen Sondheim's FOLLIES, directed by Eric Schaeffer, with choreography by Warren Carlyle and music direction by James Moore. FOLLIES will begin previews on Sunday, August 7, 2011 and opens on Monday, September 12, 2011 at the Marquis Theatre (1535 Broadway). Tickets went on sale today and are now available through www.Ticketmaster.com online or at 877-250-2929, and in person at the Marquis Theatre box office. '

Virginia's Signature Theatre opens its doors for their annual Target Open House on Saturday, July 23rd. Free and open to the public, this special event runs from noon - 10:00pm and has something for everyone: performances, demonstrations, exhibits, kids' activities, classes, a 'concert on the plaza,' and the return of the very popular Signature Idol Competition, sponsored by Northern Virginia magazine, and mediated by a celebrity panel of judges which includes Broadway star Hunter Foster (Urinetown), national radio host Robert Aubry Davis and Signature's Artistic Director Eric Schaeffer. The Target Open House is held throughout the Signature complex and on the Plaza.

The producers of MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET are thrilled to announce that original cast members Eddie Clendening (Elvis Presley), Lance Guest (Johnny Cash), and Robert Britton Lyons (Carl Perkins) will be joining the cast of the hit musical when it resumes performances at its new home at New World Stages (340 West 50th Street) on Thursday, July 28. They will be joined by MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET alums David Abeles (Jerry Lee Lewis), Victoria Matlock (Dyanne), and James Moye (Sam Phillips).

Additional casting is set for the Broadway transfer of the Kennedy Center's acclaimed production of James Goldman and Stephen Sondheim's FOLLIES, directed by Eric Schaeffer, with choreography by Warren Carlyle and music direction by James Moore. FOLLIES will begin previews on Sunday, August 7, 2011 and open on Monday, September 12, 2011 at the Marquis Theatre (1535 Broadway). Tickets are now on sale.