Gregg Barnes News

Warner Bros. Theatre Ventures in association with Unique Features announced today that the new Broadway musical ELF will star Tony® Award winner Beth Leavel (Emily), Tony® Award nominee Mark Jacoby (Walter), Matthew Gumley (Michael), Valerie Wright (Deb), Michael McCormick (Mr. Greenway), Michael Mandell (Store Manager) and six-time Emmy® Award winner George Wendt (Santa). Full casting including the lead roles of Buddy and Jovie will be announced shortly.

As previously reported and confirmed today by Whatsonstage.com, West End's 'Elle Woods' and 'Paulette,' Sheridan Smith and Jill Halfpenny, respectively, will be departing LEGALLY BLONDE on October 23, 2010. It has been rumored that Jennifer Ellison was in talks to take over the role of Elle, in addition to Broadway's original Elle Woods, Laura Bell Bundy.

Executive Producer Lou Spisto today named Tony Award-winning costume designer Gregg Barnes and actress Patricia Conolly Associate Artists of The Old Globe. They are the 54th and 55th artists to receive the prestigious honor which recognizes their unique contributions to the institution.

Based on the rat pack film of the 60s of the same title with Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis, Jr. and Peter Lawford, Robin & the 7 Hoods is now a classy, sassy, jazzy musical, set in the early 60s... with all the glorious old standards by Sammy Cahn and Jimmy Van Heusen, and helmed by the ingenious Casey Nicholaw, whose staging and choreography send it soaring. There is something to please everyone: an engagingly upbeat gangster storyline, that includes not one but two love scenarios, the aforementioned sensational music and dance, and a fabulous dream cast that infuse the whole proceedings with a winning team spirit.

Executive Producer Lou Spisto today announced the cast and creative team for the World Premiere of Robin and the 7 Hoods - A New Musical featuring a book by Tony Award winner Rupert Holmes and songs by four-time Academy Award winners Sammy Cahn and Jimmy Van Heusen.

The original London live cast recording of Legally Blonde The Musical starring Sheridan Smith, Duncan James, Jill Halfpenny, Peter Davison and Alex Gaumond and coordinated for First Night Records by John Craig, will be released on 16 August 2010.

The original London live cast recording of Legally Blonde The Musical starring Sheridan Smith, Duncan James, Jill Halfpenny, Peter Davison and Alex Gaumond and coordinated for First Night Records by John Craig, will be released on 16 August 2010. Recorded at the Savoy Theatre and featuring music and lyrics by Laurence O'Keefe and Nell Benjamin, the Legally Blonde cast album features eighteen numbers from the show including Omigod You Guys, Serious, Whipped Into Shape, Bend and Snap and So Much Better. The cast of Legally Blonde The Musical will be signing the new cast recording at Dress Circle (57-59 Monmouth Street, London WC2H 9DG) on Saturday 21 August at 12noon.

Actress Sheridan Smith will depart the West End's LEGALLY BLONDE on October 23, whatsonstage.com reports. Smith, who plays Elle Woods, made the announcement via her twitter account. As previously reported on BroadwayWorld, Jennifer Ellison is being considered to replaced Smith; however, no official announcement has been made.

Actress Jennifer Ellison is in 'talks and talks' to take on the role of Elle Woods in the West End production of LEGALLY BLONDE, The Daily Mail's Baz Bamigboye reports. Ellison would replace Sheridan Smith, who is currently playing the role and is to leave in September or October.

The Stratford Shakespeare Festival has announced that it has commissioned a new musical from Bob Martin, Don McKellar, Lisa Lambert, and Greg Morrison, the creators of THE DROWSY CHAPERONE. The musical will be presented at the 2011 Festival.

On Friday, June 25 the hip-hop dance crew, Jabbawockeez, who won the first season of America's Best Dance Crew, attended the 9:00 p.m. performance of PEEPSHOW at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas. Following the show, the group jumped on stage and took photos with Holly Madison and the sexy PEEPSHOW cast.

Richard Fleeshman will join the cast of the critically acclaimed Legally Blonde The Musical from 16 June to play Warner Huntington III opposite Sheridan Smith as Elle Woods, Jill Halfpenny as Paulette, Peter Davison as Professor Callahan and Alex Gaumond as Emmett. Fleeshman takes over the role of Warner Huntington III from Duncan James whose final performance will be 14 June 2010. Legally Blonde The Musical, which opened at the Savoy Theatre earlier this year, is currently booking until 20 February 2011.

Yesterday, June 14, Holly Madison and friends Josh Strickland, Angel Porrino and Laura Croft attended the Annual Burger Badge Bash at the Hard Rock Cafe in Las Vegas. BroadwayWorld brings you coverage of the event below.

Yesterday, June 13, E! Entertainment Televisions' Holly's World celebrated it's premiere with a viewing party at Planet Hollywood Resort in Las Vegas. Holly Madison, a former Girl Next Door, stars in Holly's World, a new E! reality show about her new life in Las Vegas post-the Playboy mansion. BroadwayWorld brings you coverage of the premiere's red carpet below.

Holly Madison works in a Tickets & Tours booth at Caesars Palace Forum Shops selling tickets to her show Peepshow. A portion of the proceeds from every ticket sold was donated to the Animal Foundation, Las Vegas, NV. June 11, 2010

The West End production of LEGALLY BLONDE: THE MUSICAL will receive its own cast recording, according to a post on the musical's Facebook page on May 21st. The show will be recorded live on June 12, 13, and 14 for a yet-to-be-announced release date.

Today, June 11, PEEP SHOW's Holly Madison was featured as a Bunny dealer at The Palms Resort in Las Vegas, as The Palms celebrates 50 Years of the Playboy Club and Playboy Bunny. Madison, a former 'Girl Next Door' can be seen nighly alongside Tarzan vet Josh Strickland in PEEPSHOW on the strip.

Josh Strickland opens up about his PEEPSHOW role, working for Disney, and discusses (for the first time) his sexuality in a new interview with Advocate.com.

Today, Tuesday 08 June 2010, Legally Blonde The Musical extends booking to 29 October 2011, releasing over 311,000 new tickets for sale.

Richard Fleeshman joins the cast later this month to play Warner Huntington III opposite Sheridan Smith as Elle Woods, Jill Halfpenny as Paulette, Peter Davison as Professor Callahan and Alex Gaumond as Emmett.