J.R.R. Tolkien News

Following its acclaimed 2018 national tour, C.S. Lewis Onstage: The Most Reluctant Convert starring Max McLean as C.S. Lewis has eleven performances at The Broad Stage Thursday, July 11 to Sunday, July 21 (press opening is Friday, July 12). The play is presented in Santa Monica by Fellowship for Performing Arts, the producers of The Screwtape Letters and The Great Divorce.

Emery Entertainment will welcome actor/playwright David Payne back to the Playhouse @ Westport Plaza stage in his new two-man production LEWIS & TOLKIEN, OF WARDROBE & RINGS for six performances June 13-16. Tickets are $50 and on sale now. Tickets may be purchased through MetroTix at www.metrotix.com or by calling 314/534-1111. Additionally, tickets will be available at the Playhouse @ Westport Plaza box office one hour prior to show time. Groups of ten or more should call 314/402-2430 for special rates.

Fathom Events partners with Fox Searchlight Pictures for the theatrical debut of “Tolkien,” giving audiences the chance to see this much-anticipated film on May 7 ahead of its theatrical nationwide release on May 10.  The Fathom cinema event will also feature an exclusive live Q&A with stars Nicholas Hoult, Lily Collins and director Dome Karukoski, moderated by Tolkien super-fan Stephen Colbert host of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on CBS. “Tolkien” tells the story of how J. R. R. Tolkien transformed from a lonely orphan into one of the great storytellers of all time — a story that is itself an enchanting tale lit with the power of imagination, the bonds of fellowship and the forging of purpose in the fires of love and war.

For those who have yet to experience this critically-acclaimed musical, THE BOOK OF MORMON tour is as funny and fresh as it was with the original cast on Broadway. Please note this show is not for children. It's not even for some adults. Nothing is off limits.

Accept an invitation to a grand adventure when Children's Theatre Company (CTC) of Minneapolis produces a condensed, world premiere version of J.R.R, Tolkien's "The Hobbit." The popular novel, which happens to be a best selling children's book of all time, has remained in print since being published in 1937. This classic, literary legend will be transformed by British actor, director and playwright Greg Banks, who travelled from his home in the Cotswolds, England, just north of Bath, to frigid and then spring-like Minnesota so he could direct the production. From his cozy, Cotswolds environment, Banks' renown hails from rewriting literary classics into a condensed version where the story shines, especially in theater for young audiences.

On a middle of the month March weekend, Children's Theatre Company (CTC) of Minneapolis on the United Health Group Stage, offered their audiences a Middle Earth journey when they presented the World Premiere The Hobbit.  Based on one of J.R.R. Tolkien's bestselling novels, the British actor, director and playwright Greg Banks adapted and then directed the production, which featured an original musical score by fellow Brit Tom Johnson. The classic story of Middle Earth Dwarves reclaiming their culture and treasure stolen form them by a fire breathing creature imagines adventure and exhilaration galore, enough to last an entire evening and long after the actors leave the stage.

Broadway In Chicago is thrilled to announce its next season will feature the Pre-Broadway world premiere ONCE UPON A ONE MORE TIME, OSLO, MEAN GIRLS, ONCE ON THIS ISLAND, SUMMER: THE DONNA SUMMER MUSICAL and Disney's FROZEN. The off-season specials will include: AN EVENING WITH C.S. LEWIS STARRING DAVID PAYNE, IRVING BERLIN'S WHITE CHRISTMAS and THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA. Current subscribers can now renew by visiting BroadwayInChicago.com or calling (312) 977-1717.

Children's Theatre Company presents The Hobbit, based on the beloved novel by J.R.R. Tolkien, running from March 12 through April 14, 2019, adapted for the stage and directed by Greg Banks, with music by Thomas Johnson. The cast for this new, nimble ensemble play includes Joy Dolo (Gandalf, Bombur, Troll, Gollum, Elven King, Ensemble), H. Adam Harris (Kili, Troll, Smaug, Ensemble), Becca Hart (Balin, Troll, Bard, Ensemble), Acting Company member Dean Holt (Bilbo Baggins), and Acting Company Member Reed Sigmund (Dwalin, Thorin, Spider, Ensemble) with Victor Zupanc and Bill Olson as the onstage musicians. Multiple special event nights are listed below.

Virginia Stage Company has announced their 41st season, spanning from September 2019 - June 2020: The Family You Choose. The season promises a vibrant array of productions where there is something for everyone - including the return of Tennessee Williams' Pulitzer Prize winning Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. The electrifying Tony Award winning musical, Guys and Dolls, kicks off the season lineup in a reimagined production that will set the tone for Virginia Stage's continued commitment to inclusive theatre-making.

Children's Theatre Company (CTC) is proud to announce the production of The Hobbit, based on the beloved novel by J.R.R. Tolkien, running from March 12 through April 14, 2019, adapted for the stage and directed by Greg Banks, with music by Thomas Johnson. The cast for this new, nimble ensemble play includes Joy Dolo (Gandalf, Bombur, Troll, Gollum, Elven King, Ensemble), H. Adam Harris (Kili, Troll, Smaug, Ensemble), Becca Hart (Balin, Troll, Bard, Ensemble), Acting Company member Dean Holt (Bilbo Baggins), and Acting Company Member Reed Sigmund (Dwalin, Thorin, Spider, Ensemble) with Victor Zupanc and Bill Olson as the onstage musicians. Multiple special event nights are listed below.

On Tuesday, February 12 at The Sheen Center for Thought & Culture (18 Bleecker Street at the corner of Elizabeth Street in NYC) gets a behind-the-scenes look at 'Tolkien: Maker of Middle-earth,' the most extensive public display of original Tolkien material for several generations. For one night only at The Sheen Center's Loreto Theater, hear about the Tolkien and the landmark exhibition (currently running through May 12 at The Morgan Library & Museum) from John T. McQuillen, Ph.D., Associate Curator of Printed Books & Bindings and organizing curator of the exhibit for the Morgan Library, and Holly Ordway, Ph.D., Professor of English at Houston Baptist University and author of the forthcoming book Tolkien's Modern Sources: Middle-earth Beyond the Middle Ages. Moderated by Corey Olsen, Ph.D., the 'Tolkien Professor' and President of Signum University.

A release of new music from composer/writer Johanna Telander's project in development: Kalevala the Musical has created thousands of online video plays and significant media buzz in New York and Northern Europe in the very brief time since its online distribution began.

The creative team of Kalevala the Musical has launched a mesmerizing promotional video highlighting their cast, production, and concept inspired by the national epic poem of Finland. Kalevala The Musical is a story of ancient legends, told by the spirits of the haunted forest of Kalevala. Passed down from generation to generation, these tales were collected in a book of poems by Elias Lonnrot in 1835, widely cherished across the world. Kalevala has been a source of inspiration to many fantasy authors, including J.R.R. Tolkien.

Tolkien, the Fox Searchlight film about the Lord of the Rings author is set to open in theaters on May 10, according to Deadline.

Last year I posted an article on my website about the top 10 shows I was the most excited for that would be in the Twin Cities across the 2018-2019 season. Some of them premiered in 2018 like Mamma Mia at the Ordway and, of course, the traveling production of Hamilton. However, as I look back at the least, a large majority of them are in 2019 and I'm still just as excited to see these productions as I was last year when I posted about them. Below are 9 shows that I can't wait to see in 2019!

Children's Theatre Company (CTC) presents its production of The Hobbit, based on the beloved novel by J.R.R. Tolkien, running from March 12 through April 14, 2019, adapted for the stage and directed by Greg Banks, with music by Thomas Johnson. The cast for this new, nimble ensemble play includes Stephanie Bertumen (Balin, Troll, Bard, Ensemble), Joy Dolo (Gandalf, Bombur, Troll, Gollum, Elven King, Ensemble), H. Adam Harris (Kili, Troll, Smaug, Ensemble), Acting Company member Dean Holt (Bilbo Baggins), and Acting Company Member Reed Sigmund (Dwalin, Thorin, Spider, Ensemble) with Victor Zupanc as the musician. Single tickets and subscription packages are now on sale. Learn about their favorite fantasy stories and adventures here.

Summertime leads into September and the upcoming Minneapolis Children's Theatre Company's (CTC) fall 2018-2019 season. The company's first world premiere, which played this July and August, titled 'The Best Summer Ever' featured nationally renowned playwright and storyteller Kevin Kling. In this first CTC World Premiere production, Kling remembers life changing moments from his boyhood in Minnesota, which he narrates, and completely charms the audience.

The score to "The Lord of the Rings," an award-winning symphony bearing the name of the J.R.R. Tolkien novel that inspired it, has been added to Marquette University's extensive archival collections on the famed English author.