Joe DiPietro News

The Hollywood Reporter has revealed that the Canadian distributor Fremantle has acquired the international rights to Broadway's MEMPHIS. They write: 'Toronto-based Fremantle will start shopping the two-hour, HD musical special event from Broadway Worldwide at MIP-TV 2011.'

The Ordway Center for the Performing Arts has announced its complete 2011-2012 season. This includes the Ordway Theater Season and the Target® World Music and Dance Series. Subscriber packages for the whole season are available now.

Actor, poet, and playwright Dael Orlandersmith is winner of the 2011 William Inge Theatre Festival's Otis Guernsey New Voices in the American Theatre Award

Broadway/L.A. announces the lineup for its 2011-2012 PANTAGES SEASON, a seven-show package that includes six Los Angeles premieres of recent Broadway productions - COME FLY AWAY, BILLY ELLIOT THE MUSICAL, THE ADDAMS FAMILY, MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET, LA CAGE AUX FOLLES and MEMPHIS - and the return of the most successful show in Pantages Theatre's history, WICKED.

Broadway Across America - Atlanta welcomes theatre sojourners to discover Broadway through magical lands, bustling towns and cultural epicenters. Featuring four Tony Award® winning musicals, the 2011-2012 season lineup of Broadway sensations brings a series of imaginative worlds to The Fabulous Fox Theatre. Audiences will travel across the globe - and beyond - with the debuts of DR. SEUSS' HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS! THE MUSICAL, MEMPHIS and BILLY ELLIOT THE MUSICAL paired with award-winning fan favorites LES MISÉRABLES and JERSEY BOYS.

Jane Austen's Emma - A Musical Romantic Comedy with music, lyrics and book by Tony Award nominee Paul Gordon will close the Winter Season on February 27, 2011. Directed by Tony Award nominee Jeff Calhoun.

New Subscription Season Features Broadway's Top Shows Including ROCK OF AGES, BILLY ELLIOT THE MUSICAL, MEMPHIS, HAIR, FELA!, WEST SIDE STORY

Ordway Center for the Performing Arts today unveiled its 2011-2012 performance season. The diverse schedule will offer a full menu of entertaining experiences, from dinner with The Addams Family to the amusingly intimate car ride during a blind date, and transport audiences from the streets of Africa to the darkened stage of a Parisian opera house.

Bella Vita Entertainment, with Anthony Gruppuso, Calvin Remsberg, and Tricia Stabile announces the Los Angeles premiere of Glory Days. Glory Days has music and lyrics by Nick Blaemire and book by James Gardiner, and will be directed by Calvin Remsberg. Glory Days will preview at 8 pm on Thursday, March 17 and Friday, March 18 with opening night at 8:00 pm on Saturday, March 19 and run through April 24 (Thursday through Sunday) at the Lillian Theatre.

The 2010 Tony winning Best Musical MEMPHIS announced today that Nancy Opel has joined the cast of MEMPHIS as 'Mama.' Opel will begin performances on Tuesday, March 15th. Along with Opel, current cast member John Jellison will take over the role of 'Mr. Simmons,' also beginning performances on Tuesday, March 15th. Cass Morgan and Michael McGrath will play their final performances on Sunday, March 13th.

Jenn Gambatese arrived at DHS Monday to give the cast advice on how to make their musical a success. She also had a special one-on-one chat with the girl who will be playing Samantha Mason, the role Gambatese has played.

Founding Artistic Director Robert Kelley and Managing Director Phil Santora of TheatreWorks, the nationally-acclaimed theatre of Silicon Valley, unveiled a line-up for its 2011-2012 season.

Usually when we think of taking our kids to a Broadway show, we think of the shows that seem child-like....Lion King, Mary Poppins....basically anything Disney. The Tony Award-winning musical Memphis, a show about segregation and prejudice in the deep south during the 1950's and the birth of rock n' roll, might not be the first show that comes to mind. But those of us with older kids (I'm talking over age ten) might want to take a clue from the hundreds of school teachers who have already taken their students to see this blockbuster musical that not only entertains, it educates.

AUBREY DAN, President, Dancap Productions Inc., today announced Dancap's 2011 Subscription Series featuring the Canadian premiere of five new musicals direct from Broadway, and the return of The Lincoln Center Theater production of Rodgers & Hammerstein's SOUTH PACIFIC.

Gexa Energy Broadway at the Hobby Center turns the spotlight on the newest hits from Broadway in its 2011-2012 season, announced today. Houston theater audiences will be captivated with new Broadway shows this season!

TheatreWorks, the nationally-acclaimed theatre of Silicon Valley, has announced the line-up for its 2010-2011 season. Founding Artistic Director Robert Kelley and Managing Director Phil Santora announced a 41st season that will include three world premieres (bringing the company's total to 56); three regional premieres including the newest play by the author of AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY, Broadway's quirky hit musical about writers writing a quirky hit musical and a spell-binding mystery about a Japanese-American veteran charged with murder; and two Broadway favorites. The company will once again lead off with an extensive New Works Festival.

San Jose Repertory Theatre's Artistic Director Rick Lombardo today announced the Rep's highly anticipated 2011-2012 Season, with seven productions starting September 2011 through July 2012. This season includes two major Broadway hits, a World Premiere and several Bay Area Premieres. The shows will appeal to an especially wide range of audiences, with drama, alternative rock, comedy and challenging themes.

Just in time for Valentine's Day, director Larry Tobias and music director Rollie Mains have ushered the clever little musical (with book and lyrics by Joe DiPietro and music by Jimmy Roberts) to the stage, featuring the delightful - and supremely on-target - talents of Bakari King, Tyson Laemmel, Megan Murphy Chambers and Cathy Sanborn Street. The talented quartet take audiences on a roller-coaster ride of sorts as they give us a look at the contemporary dating scene, which is apparently 'all heterosexual, all the time' - and which could be the revue's one element that dates the material to the 1990s.

Fort Wayne Civic Theatre MUSICAL AUDITIONS for I LOVE YOU, YOU'RE PERFECT, NOW CHANGE in collaboration with the ACPL

Jefferson Performing Arts Society (JPAS) is pleased to present the Off-Broadway musical hit, I LOVE YOU, YOU'RE PERFECT, NOW CHANGE (Book and Lyrics by Joe DiPietro with Music by Jimmy Roberts) on stage at the Teatro Wego! Theatre, 177 Sala Ave in Westwego, February 4-20, 2011. Performances are Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30PM with Sunday Matinees at 2PM. With direction by Andrew Crusse, choreography by Alicia Grubb and musical direction by Jonne Dendinger, I LOVE YOU, YOU'RE PERFECT... stars MATIAS GRAU, III, KATHERINE McCLAIN AEA, WENDY MIKLOVIC AEA and CLIFF THOMPSON. Tickets are $20 for students, $27 for Seniors, $30 for Adults**. **Leave the kids at home! This show contains adult humor and adult situations!**For tickets, call the JPAS Box Office at 504-885-2000 or online at www.jpas.org. JPAS has great group rates!