Herbert Kretzmer News

BBC TV hopefuls from 'I'd do Anything' and 'Maria' to join West End 'Les Miserables.'

'Marguerite' at the Royal Haymarket Season.

The final production in Jonathan Kent's Theatre Royal Haymarket Season will be the world premiere of 'Marguerite' a new musical starring Ruthie Henshall, Julian Ovenden, and Alexander Hanson. 'Marguerite' will begin performances on May 7th.

There will be two invitation only industry readings of the original new musical Empire, written by Caroline Sherman and Robert Hull. Directed by Clayton Phillips, New Hampshire Theater's Best Direction Award winner, the cast will include Matt Cavenaugh (A Catered Affair, Grey Gardens), Karen Ziemba (Curtains, Contact), Michael McCormick (Curtains, The Pajama Game), Mark Lotito (Jersey Boys, Fiddler on the Roof), Megan Sikora (Curtains, Wonderful Town), and Kevyn Morrow (Smokey Joes Café, Dreamgirls). A 2003 Ovation Award winner in Los Angeles and 2004 featured production at Connecticut's Stamford Center for the Arts, Empire is a celebration of the American spirit embodied by those who bravely banded together to build what was then the tallest structure in the world, the Empire State Building. Michael, an architect, hired to build the Empire State building in record time, takes on politicians, deadlines, and a nosy but beautiful reporter, Hildy, dead set on derailing the project. A classic struggle of idealism versus advancement, Empire is filled with romance, dreams, and the struggles that surrounded us when we face a monumental challenge. Written in the spirit of the classic musicals of the 40's and the 50's with big dance numbers and pop-driven melodies, the musical premiered at LA's Hudson Backstage Theatre in 2003. At the Hudson, Empire played to sold out audiences, excellent reviews and garnered 3 LA Theatre Ovation Award-nominations, including Best Musical, and won the award for Best Choreography. Daily Variety called the show 'A fast, flavorful, exciting tale … joyously fresh …', and Backstage West said Empire was a 'Tribute and testimony to the dreamers, doers, and unsung heroes … big and brave, like the building it celebrates …'. The production was then chosen to open the 2004 season for the SCA's Rich Forum and was called 'An outstanding new musical' by the Scarsdale Inquirer. Clayton Phillips, who recently won the New Hampshire Theater Award for Best Direction and Best Musical for Slow Dance with a Hot Pickup by John Pielmeier and Matty Selmen, has been at the helm of the production since its York Theater reading in 2001. The industry readings will be produced by Ricky Stevens and John O'Boyle whose credits include, Is He Dead by Mark Twain, A Catered Affair, by Harvey Fierstein and John Bucchino, Glory Days by Nick Blaemire and James Gardiner, and Marguerite Music by Michel Legrand, Book by Alain Boublil/Claude-Michel Schönberg, Lyrics by Herbert Kretzmer.

Prior to the opening performances of Marguerite and for one night only - Sunday April 13 at 7PM - jazz legend and triple Oscar-winning composer Michel Legrand will give a rare London concert performing his own work accompanied by two of the world's top jazz musicians.

Christopher B. Manos, Producer of Theater of the Stars, has announced the 2008-09 season, celebrating their 20th year as the resident theater company at the Fabulous Fox Theatre, including Mamma Mia!, Tarzan, The Color Purple, High School Musical 2 and Oklahoma

Marriott Theatre celebrated its opening night of their regional premiere production of Les Miserables. The reception benefited Season of Concern, the Chicagoland theatre community's fund raising effort in the fight against AIDS. Having established a national reputation for launching Broadway musicals into the regional market, The Marriott Theatre is one of only five theatres chosen to produce this epic musical post-Broadway

The final production in Jonathan Kent's Theatre Royal Haymarket Season will be the world premiere of Marguerite, a new musical with music by Michel Legrand, book by Alain Boublil, Claude-Michel Schönberg and Jonathan Kent, lyrics by Herbert Kretzmer from the original French lyrics by Alain Boublil and orchestrations and arrangements by Michel Legrand and Seann Alderking. Marguerite will run at the Haymarket from May 7, with press night on May 20. Ruthie Henshall to star.

The legendary musical Les Miserables will make its highly anticipated premiere at The Marriott Theatre, 10 Marriott Drive. Preview performances begin February 13th, the opening is February 20th, and the show runs through May 11th, 2008. Having established a national reputation for launching Broadway musicals into the regional market, The Marriott Theatre is one of only five theatres chosen to produce this epic musical post-Broadway.

Jonathan Kent's production of William Wycherley's The Country Wife will have its last performance on 12 January 2008 as previously announced.

Much heralded Northeast regional premiere of Boublil and Schönberg's epic pop opera is solidly mounted but fails to soar

The world's longest running musical, the legendary Les Miserables will celebrate its 9,000th performance in London on Friday, August 10th at the Queen's Theatre.

The world's longest running musical, the legendary Les Miserables will celebrate its 9,000th performance in London on Friday 10 August at the Queen's Theatre.

From the second that the new Watermill theatre production of 'Martin Guerre' begins through to its final chilling note, the audience is totally captivated in the atmosphere of a spine-tingling dramatic and musical world that represents all that is best in musical theatre. In the Watermill's intimate space - with the aid of Diego Pitarch's highly effective set, Richard G. Jones's evocative and atmospheric lighting and Sarah Travis's beautifully crafted orchestrations - a group of 12 talented actor-musicians under the masterful direction of Craig Revel Horwood succeed in not only telling a story that tears everyone's emotions apart but also in creating a musical sound that is quite beautiful throughout.

The Swedes cast Spamalot, Joseph's stage breaks down on opening night, Drowsy closes in London, The Producers cancels tour and Ruthie returns to West End

Newly created, under artistic director Jonathan Kent, The Theatre Royal Haymarket's new West End season has been confirmed

The Theatre Royal Haymarket has announced a season of shows directed by Jonathan Kent.

California Musical Theatre has announced its 2007 Music Circus season with seven large-scale musical productions and seasoned Broadway veterans helming casts! Nancy Opel, Laura Griffith, Adinah Alexander, James Barbour, Walter Charles, Michael Gruber and others star!

On November 9th, 2006, the opening night of Broadway's Les Miserables, BroadwayWorld introduced the artwork of Christine Jimenez. Recently, the talented artist created more caricatures and portraits of Les Miz stars, and is pleased to share them with BWW readers.

Rosie O'Donnell may be the next to play feisty innkeeper's wife Madame Thenardier in Broadway's Les Miserables,