Fred Shuman News

BroadwayWorld has just learned that Lincoln Center Theater's Tony Award winning production of Rodgers & Hammerstein's THE KING AND I will be the only Broadway production performing on New Year's Eve - Thursday, December 31, at 7:00 pm. In honor of the holiday, Lincoln Center Theater will offer complimentary glasses of Champaign to patrons prior to the performance that evening.

Ghostlight Records will release the PRELUDES Original Cast Recording in digital formats and in stores on January 8, 2016. Produced by LCT3, Lincoln Center Theater's initiative devoted to producing the work of new artists and engaging new audiences, PRELUDES is a new musical by Dave Malloy, inspired by the music of Sergei Rachmaninoff, developed with and directed by Rachel Chavkin.

Megan Hilty will star in New York City Center's annual Gala Annie Get Your Gun: In Concert, a one-night-only performance of the classic Irving Berlin musical, on October 27, 2015. Directed by Tony Award winner John Rando, the Gala will feature The Encores! Orchestra led by Encores! Music Director Rob Berman. Additional casting will be announced at a later date. The event will help fund New York City Center's artistic and education programs.

Brandon Victor Dixon and Steven Pasquale will join the previously announced Sutton Foster in Andrew Lippa's The Wild Party, running July 15 - 18, 2015 at New York City Center. (NOTE: Brandon Victor Dixon will replace the previously announced Joshua Henry, who has had a scheduling conflict.) The production will be directed by Leigh Silverman, with choreography by Sonya Tayeh. Jeanine Tesori is the Artistic Director of Encores! Off-Center and Chris Fenwick is Music Director.

Jenni Barber, Quentin Earl Darrington, Bradley Dean, Dan Fogler, Ana Gasteyer, Josh Lamon, Aaron Lazar, Alyse Alan Louis and Rema Webb will join the previously announced Jonathan Groff in the Encores! Off-Center production of William Finn and James Lapine's A New Brain, running June 24 - 27, 2015. The production will be directed by James Lapine, with choreography by Josh Prince.

The 2016 season of New York City Center's Tony-honored Encores!series will open with Cabin in the Sky on February 10–14, 2016, followed by 1776 and Do I Hear a Waltz?. Jack Viertel is the artistic director of Encores!; Rob Berman is its music director.

Lincoln Center Theater (under the direction of Producing Artistic Director,  Andre Bishop) has extended the run of its critically acclaimed production of Rodgers and Hammerstein's THE KING AND I, directed by Bartlett Sher, indefinitely at the Vivian Beaumont Theater (150 West 65 Street).  In addition, the Ambassador Theatre Group and NETworks Presentations LLC will launch a national tour of the Lincoln Center Theater production, which was recently nominated for 9 Tony Awards including Best Revival of a Musical, in November 2016 in Providence, RI.   The National Tour will play multi-week and single week engagements throughout the 2016-17 touring season and beyond. Casting and additional engagements for the tour will be announced at a future date.

John Turturro will star in the title role of Zorba, joined by Adam Chanler-Berat , Robert Cuccioli, Elizabeth A. Davis, Santino Fontana, Marin Mazzie, Robert Montano, Carlos Valdes and Zoe Wanamaker in Zorba!, running for seven performances, May 6 - 10, 2015. Zorba! will be directed by Walter Bobbie (Chicago) and choreographed by Josh Rhodes (Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella) with musical direction by Rob Berman. Zorba! is the final production of New York City Center's 2015 Encores! season.

The New York Times writes that John Turturro will star in ZORBA! for Encores!, running May 6-10, 2015.

New York City Center has announced that due to an overwhelming demand for tickets, the Encores! Off-Center production of Little Shop of Horrors will now play for two performances, on July 1 and 2, 2015.

Douglas Sills has joined the cast of George and Ira Gershwin's Lady, Be Good, joining previously announced cast members Tommy Tune, Colin Donnell, Danny Gardner, Jeff Hiller, Erin Mackey, Patti Murin, Richard Poe, Jennifer Laura Thompson and Kirsten Wyatt. The opening production of New York City Center's 2015Encores! season, directed by Mark Brokaw and choreographed by Randy Skinner, will run for seven performances, February 4 - 8, 2015. Founding Encores! Music Director Rob Fisher will return as Guest Music Director and has supervised the restoration of the Gershwins' original score.

Lincoln Center Theater has announced that Ruthie Ann Miles (as Lady Thiang), Ashley Park (as Tuptim), Conrad Ricamora (as Lun Tha), Edward Baker-Duly (as Sir Edward Ramsey), Jon Viktor Corpuz (as Prince Chulalongkorn), Murphy Guyer (as Captain Orton), Jake Lucas (as Louis), Paul Nakauchi (as Kralahome), and Marc Oka (as Phra Alack) will be featured in its upcoming production of Rodgers & Hammerstein's THE KING AND I. The production, which will feature a cast led by Kelli O'Hara (as Anna Leonowens) and Ken Watanabe (as the King of Siam), will be directed by Bartlett Sher, and will begin previews Thursday, March 12 and open on Thursday, April 16 at the Vivian Beaumont Theater (150 West 65 Street).

According to The New York Times, City Center has set the 2015 Encores! 2015, which will open with George and Ira Gershwin's first complete musical, LADY, BE GOOD,. Performances are slated to begin on Feb. 4, and run through Feb. 8.

Jennifer Bowles will play the title role opposite Rob McClure in New York City Center Encores! production of Irma La Douce, running for seven performances,May 7 - 11, 2014. The final production of the 2014 Encores! season will also feature Sam Bolen, Allan Corduner, Ben Crawford, Stephen DeRosa, Ken Krugman, Zachary James and Chris Sullivan. Irma La Douce will be directed by John Doyle and choreographed by Chase Brock, with music direction by Rob Berman.

Casting is complete for the New York City Center Encores! production of Frank Loesser's The Most Happy Fella, running for seven performances, April 2 - 6, 2014.

Robert Creighton, David Garrison, Harriet Harris, Judy Kaye, Lewis J. Stadlen, Lee Wilkof, Tony Yazbeck and Rachel York will join Christian Borle in Cy Coleman and Carolyn Leigh¹s Little Me, the opening production of New York City Center¹s 2014 Encores! season, running for seven performances, February 5 - 9. The show will be directed by John Rando with music direction by Rob Berman and choreography by Joshua Bergasse.

Tony Yazbeck will join the previously announced Christian Borle in Cy Coleman and Carolyn Leigh's Little Me, the opening production of New York City Center Encores! series, running for seven performances, February 5 - 9, 2014. Joshua Bergasse will choreograph the production, along with the previously announced Director John Rando and Music Director Rob Berman.

Laura Benanti and Cheyenne Jackson will join the previously announced Shuler Hensley in the New York City Center Encores! production of Frank Loesser's Musical The Most Happy Fella, running for seven performances April 2 - 6, 2014. The Most Happy Fella will be directed and choreographed by Casey Nicholaw, with music direction by Rob Berman

The 2014 season of New York City Center's Tony Award-winning Encores! series will open with Little Me directed by John Rando and starring Christian Borle ('Smash,' Peter and the Starcatcher) on February 5, 2014. The season will continue with The Most Happy Fella, directed and choreographed by Casey Nicholaw and starring Shuler Hensley (Oklahoma!, The Whale), followed by Irma La Douce, directed by John Doyle. Encores! Music Director Rob Berman will helm all shows.