John Caird News

After it's highly successful staging in NYC in June 2010, Allan Buchman has announced the West Coast debut of Twin Spirits on Tuesday, February 15th at the Mark Taper Forum at the Music Center of Los Angeles County. Presented by Culture Project, Sting and Trudie Styler will reprise their roles as classical composer Robert and his wife, pianist Clara Schumann; reading the couple's poignant letters with accompaniment from a six-member ensemble of classical musicians. A portion of the evening's proceeds will be used to support the ongoing work of Culture Project, the Royal Opera House and Mustardseed Arts Trust.

Situated above the Latchmere pub in Battersea, South London, Theatre503 has been in the last few years a training ground for such hugely successful playwrights as the Olivier-award winning writers Katori Hall (The Mountaintop) and Mike Bartlett (Cock, Earthquakes in London). Under Artistic Directors Paul Robinson and Tim Roseman, and without any regular government funding, Theatre503 has established a formidable reputation as a producer of fearless new writing to match any theatre of its size in the country.

The 25th Anniversary Tour of the Tony winning Les Miserables opened last night at the Broward Center and I am here to report that it is the best time at Les Miz I have ever had.

The LA Stage Alliance Ovation Awards, celebrating theatrical excellence and achievement during the 2009-2010 season, were presented on Monday, January 17, 2011 at the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza, home of Cabrillo Music Theatre.

Jane Austen's Emma - A Musical Romantic Comedy, with book, music and lyrics by Tony Award nominee Paul Gordon and direction by Tony Award nominee Jeff Calhoun, will run in the Old Globe Theatre Jan. 15 - Feb. 27. Preview performances run Jan. 15 - Jan. 22. Opening night is Jan. 23 at 7:00 p.m.

Executive Producer Lou Spisto today announced that Jane Austen's Emma - A Musical Romantic Comedy with music, lyrics and book by Tony Award nominee Paul Gordon will fill the final slot of the 2010-11 Winter Season.

Acclaimed actress Anna Aimee White takes on the role of Ginger Rogers in Backwards In High Heels:The Ginger Musical, the captivating story of the star's journey from her hometown to Hollywood and from one love affair to another.

The longest running musical of all time, Les Misérables, will sweep U.S. audiences off their feet in a special one-night, in-theater event on Wednesday, Nov. 17 at 7:30 p.m. local time. Presented by NCM Fathom, Omniverse Vision and Cameron Mackintosh, in association with The Broadway League and Nederlander/First, Les Misérables in Concert - The 25th Anniversary Event was recorded live from London's famous O2 theater on Oct. 3 and will be released on Blu-ray on February 22.

In the following clip, the cast and creative team discuss the Globe's upcoming production of 'Jane Austen's Emma - A Romantic Musical Comedy.' Click below to take a sneak peek at the production!

From Tony Award-Winning playwright John Caird (Nicholas Nickleby, Les Miserables) and Tony nominated composer Paul Gordon (Jane Eyre) comes the World Premiere of the romantic musical Daddy Long Legs, running November 30 - December 26 at The Laguna Playhouse.

The Laguna Playhouse (606 Laguan Canyon Rd.) present the world premieres of I LOVED LUCY from October 5th to the 31st, and DADDY LONG LEGS from November 30th to December 26th. Tickets may be purchased on line at www.lagunaplayhouse.com or by calling (949) 497-2787 ext. 1 (group tickets ext. 229).

Acclaimed actress Anna Aimee White takes on the role of Ginger Rogers in Backwards In High Heels:The Ginger Musical, the captivating story of the star's journey from her hometown to Hollywood and from one love affair to another.

In Orange County, several local theaters big and small are presenting a plethora of yuletide-themed shows designed to put you in an even more festive mood-certainly a welcome break from all the parties and all that shopping you'll surely be busy with, of course. There are also many non-Holiday related presentations debuting or playing this month that will make great holiday gifts for the theater lovers in your midst. Whether you're looking for traditional fare or something a bit more quirky and off the beaten path, you will likely find something that will suit your tastes.

Laguna Playhouse announces its 2010-2011 schedule.

Executive Producer Lou Spisto today announced the complete cast and creative team for Jane Austen's Emma - A Musical Romantic Comedy. The musical, with book, music and lyrics by Tony Award nominee Paul Gordon and direction by Tony Award nominee Jeff Calhoun, will run in the Old Globe Theatre Jan. 15 - Feb. 27. Preview performances run Jan. 15 - Jan. 22. Opening night is Jan. 23 at 7:00 p.m. Tickets can be purchased online at www.TheOldGlobe.org, by phone at (619) 23-GLOBE or by visiting the Box Office at 1363 Old Globe Way in Balboa Park.

In Orange County, several local theaters big and small are presenting a plethora of yuletide-themed shows designed to put you in an even more festive mood-certainly a welcome break from all the parties and all that shopping you'll surely be busy with, of course. There are also many non-Holiday related presentations debuting or playing this month that will make great holiday gifts for the theater lovers in your midst. Whether you're looking for traditional fare or something a bit more quirky and off the beaten path, you will likely find something that will suit your tastes.

In Orange County, several local theaters big and small are presenting a plethora of yuletide-themed shows designed to put you in an even more festive mood-certainly a welcome break from all the parties and all that shopping you'll surely be busy with, of course. There are also many non-Holiday related presentations debuting or playing this month that will make great holiday gifts for the theater lovers in your midst. Whether you're looking for traditional fare or something a bit more quirky and off the beaten path, you will likely find something that will suit your tastes.

Cameron Mackintosh's 25th Anniversary production of Les Misérables, presented by The Paper Mill Playhouse, has finally hit the friendly American shores after touring Britain, and perhaps symbolic of its Atlantic crossing is the new opening picture devised by co-directors Laurence Conner and James Powell.  Sure, 24601 (a/k/a Jean Valjean) is still a prisoner in chains for the crime of stealing a loaf of bread for his starving sister and her family, but he and his fellow inmates are now rowing oars on a galley ship.  The music (Claude-Michel Schonberg) and words (Herbert Kretzmer, based on the original French text by Alain Boublil and Jean-Marc Natel) of this world-famous adaptation of Victor Hugo's 1862 novel, set against the backdrop of Paris' 1832 student revolution, are unchanged, but the new locale not only starts the evening off with a visually striking image, but signals to the musical's two-and-a-half decades worth of fans that this will not be just another variation of the original Trevor Nunn/John Caird production they are accustomed to.  (A production that can still be enjoyed on the West End.)

The Les Miserables 25th Anniversary O2 concert, which played its last performance on October 2, 2010 starred Ramin Karmiloo, Samantha Barks, Alfie Boe, Nick Jonas,Norm Lewis, Matt Lucas, Lea Salonga, Jenny Galloway, and Katie Hall. Click below to watch a sneak preview of the DVD, which was released November 29.

In Orange County, several local theaters big and small are presenting a plethora of yuletide-themed shows designed to put you in an even more festive mood-certainly a welcome break from all the parties and all that shopping you'll surely be busy with, of course. There are also many non-Holiday related presentations debuting or playing this month that will make great holiday gifts for the theater lovers in your midst. Whether you're looking for traditional fare or something a bit more quirky and off the beaten path, you will likely find something that will suit your tastes.