Jeffrey Seller News

More than 50 years after it opened at the National Theatre, the new production West Side Story , under the direction of the legendary Arthur Laurents, returned to the National in preparation for its Broadway opening. DC audiences and critics alike embraced Karen Olivo's stunning portrayal of Anita. Before Karen Olivo left Washington for New York, she spoke to DCTheatreScene.com, click here to read the interview. Karen Olivo's many credits include In The Heights, Rent, Brooklyn, Hair- 40th Anniversary Concert (director Diane Paulus), Miracle Brothers (director Tina Landau). 'Law & Order,' 'Law & Order: SVU,' 'Conviction.' Film: Adrift in Manhattan, Sibling, Late In The Game, Two Lovers. Directed by multiple Tony Award winner and author of the musical Arthur Laurents, West Side Story features scenic designs by James Youmans (Gypsy), costumes by Tony Award nominee David C. Woolard (The Farnsworth Invention, The Who's Tommy), lighting by Tony Award winner Howell Binkley (Gypsy, Jersey Boys), hair by Mark Adam Rampmeyer (The Farnsworth Invention) and sound design by Tony Award nominee Dan Moses Schreier (Gypsy, A Catered Affair). The original Jerome Robbins choreography is being reproduced by Tony Award nominee Joey McKneely (The Boy from Oz, The Life).

Broadway in San Diego has announced that the National Tour of IN THE HEIGHTS will play San Diego's Civic Theatre in 2010. The Tony winning musical will play July 27th through August 1st at the Civic, no other tour dates are not known at this time. Casting details are also unknown, but news of the tour production should be released in the next number of months. IN THE HEIGHTS opened to critical acclaim, going on to win four 2008 Tony Awards (Best Musical, Best Score, Best Choreography, Best Orchestrations), and garnering a 2008 Grammy Award nomination for the original cast album. In November, 2008, Universal Pictures acquired the rights to produce a feature film based on IN THE HEIGHTS. In The Heights broke the house record at the Richard Rodgers Theatre set by Disney's Tarzan the week of December 28, 2008, earning $1,121,695. IN THE HEIGHTS then topped its own record the week of January 4, 2009, earning $1,136,062.

The contest to replace the 'George Bush' line in the finale 'For Now' in the Tony Award-winning musical AVENUE Q (on Broadway at the Golden Theatre and on national tour) resulted in over 2,000 entries from contest participants coast-to-coast in the United States, as well as from overseas in Brazil, Australia, Ukraine and Israel, to name a few. On Friday, January 15th, the winners were revealed in a special press event, the entire Avenue Q gang was there and so was BroadwayWorld! AVENUE Q -- which opened on Broadway in 2003 and six years later continues to entertain audiences on Broadway (at the Golden Theatre, 252 W. 45 St.), on national tour and in London's West End -- concludes with the musical number 'For Now,' which reminds us that 'everything in life is only for now,' including 'sex, your hair and George Bush.' The contest (conducted Dec. 22, 2008 to Jan. 12, 2009) invited the general public to submit suggestions for a new lyric to replace 'George Bush' as he will leave the office of President of the United States on Inauguration Day, January 20, 2009 and forfeit his spot as a lyric in a hit Broadway show, as well.

West Side Story returned to where it all began for the show in 1957, the National Theatre in Washington, DC. official out of town performance period. West Side Story played a limited engagement at the National with the final 'Somewhere' being sung 'Tonight' (forgive us-but too easy) January 17th, 2009. The cast will next bring the classic story to life on the stage of The Palace Theatre on Febuary 23rd, the first scheduled preview performance. West Side Story's official Opening Night on Broadway is set for March 19th, 2009. The producers of West Side Story have assembled a dynamic cast for the new Broadway production. The cast of 37 stars Matt Cavenaugh (A Catered Affair, Grey Gardens) as 'Tony,' Karen Olivo (In the Heights) as 'Anita,' Cody Green (Movin' Out) as 'Riff' and George Akram (The Farrelly's Stuck on You) as 'Bernardo.' The role of 'Maria' will be played by Broadway newcomer Josefina Scaglione. The 21 year old actress comes directly, by special arrangement with Actors' Equity Association, from Buenos Aires after an exhaustive international search for the role. She created the role of Amber Von Tussle in the Argentinean production of Hairspray and the title role in Cinderella. Miss Scaglione is a classically trained opera singer who has received critical acclaim appearing as a soloist in the nation's most prestigious concert halls.

With President George W. Bush set to leave office on January 20, 2009, the creators and producers of the Tony Award-winning musical AVENUE Q have announced four possible winners of their 'Only for Now' contest to replace the lyric in the show's final number, 'For Now,' which astutely observes that everything in life -- including 'George Bush!' -- is only for now. They picked four new potential lyrics, each will be given a test drive, they are; 'Recession' 'Prop 8' 'This Show' 'Your Mother-in-Law' The 'Only for Now' contest invited participants to enter their suggestion for a new person (not necessarily a political figure), place, thing, event, fad, etc. to be considered as a substitute for the soon-to-be-outdated reference to 'George Bush' in the musical's finale. The winning entry will be performed in AVENUE Q on Tuesday, January 20, 2009, the day Barack Obama is inaugurated as the 44th President of the United States.

The Fourth Annual Goodspeed Festival of New Artists, the highlight of Goodspeed Musicals' Max Showalter Center for Education in the Musical Theater New Artist Program, kicks off its much anticipated three day festival of brand new works on Friday, January 16, at the Goodspeed Opera House with a staged reading of Life on the Mississippi. On Saturday, January 17, Goodspeed Musical's first ever commissioned musical, the hilarious Band Geeks!, will debut. On the final day of the festival, Factory Girls will be presented. Several special events will round out this exciting weekend.

Various online reports are indicating that Tony Winner Lin-Manuel Miranda will play his final performance as 'Usnavi' in his acclaimed Broadway hit, IN THE HEIGHTS on Sunday, February 15th, 2009 at 7pm. IN THE HEIGHTS opened to critical acclaim, going on to win four 2008 Tony Awards (Best Musical, Best Score, Best Choreography, Best Orchestrations), and garnering a 2008 Grammy Award nomination for the original cast album. In November, 2008, Universal Pictures acquired the rights to produce a feature film based on IN THE HEIGHTS.

The New York Times hailed AVENUE Q as 'a breakthrough musical of a very different stripe. Savvy, sassy and delicious!' and Entertainment Weekly claimed it was 'one of the funniest shows you're ever likely to see!' This critic found the show to be filled with wit and intelligence as well as being very naughty and full of excellent show tunes. In short, a total delight.

The Fourth Annual Goodspeed Festival of New Artists, the highlight of Goodspeed Musicals' Max Showalter Center for Education in the Musical Theater New Artist Program, kicks off its much anticipated three day festival of brand new works on Friday, January 16, at the Goodspeed Opera House with a staged reading of Life on the Mississippi. On Saturday, January 17, Goodspeed Musical's first ever commissioned musical, the hilarious Band Geeks!, will debut. On the final day of the festival, Factory Girls will be presented. Several special events will round out this exciting weekend.

Kevin McCollum, Jeffrey Seller and Jill Furman, the lead producers of the 2008 Tony Award-winning Best Musical IN THE HEIGHTS, announced today in a statement the recoupment of the show's $10 million investment after running only 10 months (337 performances) since opening on Broadway Sunday, March 9, 2008, at the Richard Rodgers Theatre (226 West 46th Street).

West Side Story returned to where it all began for the show in 1957, the National Theatre in Washington, DC. last night for its official out of town opening night. West Side Story will play a limited engagement at the National through January 17th, 2009. BroadwayWorld made sure to capture the opening night curtain call for this iconic classic!

The Washington Post has a wonderful article on the Spanish language additions to the iconic Broadway bound West Side Story. The Bilingual staging is getting much acclaim as it woos Washington D.C. audiences with the rich melodies of Leonard Bernstein.

The new national tour of RENT kicks off on January 6, 2009 in Cleveland, Ohio and runs through August 30, 2009 in Tokyo, Japan has just announced additional cast members for the highly anticipated tour.

The box office will open on Sunday, January 4, 2009 at 12:00 p.m. for the new Broadway production of WEST SIDE STORY. Directed by multiple Tony Award winner and author of the musical Arthur Laurents, WEST SIDE STORY will begin preview performances at the Palace Theatre (1564 Broadway) on Broadway on Monday, February 23, 2009 with an official opening on Thursday, March 19, 2009.

The box office will open on Sunday, January 4, 2009 at 12:00 p.m. for the new Broadway production of WEST SIDE STORY. Directed by multiple Tony Award winner and author of the musical Arthur Laurents, WEST SIDE STORY will begin preview performances at the Palace Theatre (1564 Broadway) on Broadway on Monday, February 23, 2009 with an official opening on Thursday, March 19, 2009.

Jeff Marx, the Tony and Grammy winning co-creator of Avenue Q recently debuted a new Kwanzaa song titled, 'White Kwanzaa' on CNN's D.L. Hughley Breaks The News. Jeff and his team sent us at BWW TV the video so we could share it with you too!

This spring, WEST SIDE STORY returns to Broadway in a groundbreaking new production. WEST SIDE STORY has returned to where it all began for the show in 1957, the National Theatre in Washington, DC. WEST SIDE STORY will play a limited engagement at the National through January 17th, 2009.

BroadwayWorld.com is proud to announce its newest addition to the BroadwayWorld.TV family - StageTube! Presenting the best in viral, viewer-created videos, StageTube will connect BroadwayWorld.com visitors with the best of user driven video content. For the debut of Stage Tube we put the spotlight on the talented gang of [title of show] as they begin Season Two of their online series. Episode One of Season Two is fittingly enough at this holiday time of year a 'Christmas Spectacular Show Special Show'.

'Avenue Q' is looking for some inspired help regarding President George W. Bush leaving the White House. You see he is not only leaving office, he's also exiting Broadway. 'For Now,' the closing number in the Tony Award-winning musical 'Avenue Q,' sings out that everything in life is temporary - even George W. Bush is 'only for now.' But change is coming to those lyrics. A contest that starts today Monday, December 22nd at noon will allow participants to submit suggestions for a new person, place, fad or anything else to substitute for the soon-to-be-outdated reference.

The New York Times hailed AVENUE Q as 'a breakthrough musical of a very different stripe. Savvy, sassy and delicious!' and Entertainment Weekly claimed it was 'one of the funniest shows you're ever likely to see!' This critic found the show to be filled with wit and intelligence as well as being very naughty and full of excellent show tunes. In short, a total delight.