John Doyle News

The Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park has announced casting for the exciting new revival of MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG by Stephen Sondheim and George Furth. The John Doyle-helmed production, in which the actors also serve as the show's musicians, runs March 3 through March 31, 2012 in the Playhouse's Robert S. Marx Theatre.

Rising Circle Theater will produce a 29-hour workshop reading of Say Something, as part of their next-stage play development program The Refinery, featuring Angel Desai (John Doyle's Company), Bhavesh Patel (War Horse), Jeremy Beck (Betrayed) and Sevan Greene (Aftermath).

This January, Voice Afire Pocket Opera & Cabaret will present the U.S. premiere of Butterfly's Trouble, Ray Luedeke's intriguing English language adaptation of Puccini's opera Madama Butterfly and David Belasco's play Madame Butterfly.

The Araca Group has announced the return of AracaWorks, a week-long series of play readings celebrating new work for the theatre.

Tony-Award Winning Star Donna McKechnie Returns to TheatreZone -- Takes on lead role as Marmee in Little Women: The Broadway Musical Broadway star and legendary entertainer Donna McKechnie returns to TheatreZone in Naples, cast as Marmee in Little Women: The Broadway Musical, announced artistic director Mark Danni. Based on Louisa May Alcott's classic novel, the musical follows the adventures of the four remarkable March sisters coming of age during the American Civil War era.

Tony Award-nominee Robert Cuccioli (Jekyll & Hyde, Les Miserables) will headline the December 18th at 3pm and December 30th at 9pm performances of JACQUES BREL RETURNS...The Music of Brel, Blau, Shuman and Jouannest. Joining Cuccioli on December 18th will be Jim Stanek (Lestat, Little Women, …Forum), Arlo Hill (Where's Charley? At Encores! directed by John Doyle), Rick Hip-Flores (who has performed in the pits of Billy Elliot, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, and The Radio City Christmas Spectacular) and Ereni Sevasti (The Bacchae at The Public, Carnival at The Kennedy Center), and joining him on December 30th will be Rick Hip-Flores, Ereni Sevasti and PJ Baccari. Rick Hip-Flores will also serve as musical director for both performances.

Today, BroadwayWorld is extremely proud to present an extensive conversation with the modern master of the musical theatre himself, Stephen Sondheim, all about the incredibly revealing and thoroughly riveting second volume of his complete collected (and annotated) lyrics (covering 1981-2011) - following last year's superlative FINISHING THE HAT - titled LOOK, I MADE A HAT. With ample insights pertaining to the Pulitzer Prize-winning SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE, INTO THE WOODS, ROAD SHOW, THE FROGS and many more, Sondheim and I also discuss some of his Hollywood endeavors - the proposed film adaptation of INTO THE WOODS, as well as the never-produced SINGING OUT LOUD and his Oscar-winning work for Warren Beatty's DICK TRACY - and his affection for - and process of adapting (in the case of WEST SIDE STORY, the CYMBELINE setting in THE FROGS and his recent scoring of the Public Theatre's production of KING LEAR starring Kevin Kline) - the works of William Shakespeare. Additionally, we discuss the upcoming Encores! revival of MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG starring Lin-Manuel Miranda, the currently-running revival of FOLLIES starring Bernadette Peters (as well as its brand new cast album), the West End transfer of the Michael Ball/Imelda Staunton-led SWEENEY TODD in the UK and much, much more!

Modern-day master of musical theatre Stephen Sondheim is about to release the second book of his complete collected lyrics - covering mostly everything written in the last three decades and in this one so far - titled after a line from what may very well be his ultimate masterpiece, the Pulitzer Prize-winning SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE - LOOK, I MADE A HAT; Collected Lyrics (1981-2011) with Attendant Comments, Amplifications, Dogmas, Harangues, Digressions, Anecdotes and Miscellany. So, today, we are going to be taking a look at a litany of the finest moments from Sondheim's post-SWEENEY TODD musicals that are highlighted in LOOK, I MADE A HAT and perhaps discover a few of the many reasons why Sondheim's musicals - whether late-period or early on- are the best of the best Broadway has to offer - now or ever. And, what an absolutely mind-blowing list it is - and what a masterpiece of a book!

Two tremendous Tony-winning triple-threats make a grand return to the town that made them household names over thirty years ago in EVITA and set up show shop for two months - yes, Patti LuPone and Mandy Patinkin are back on Broadway with their new double-showcase concert spectacular, AN EVENING WITH PATTI LUPONE AND MANDY PATINKIN. In honor of these two theatrical heavyweights returning to the Broadway concert stage in this new special limited engagement beginning November 16, today we are shining a bright spotlight on some of Patti and Mandy's most beloved and most electrifying moments in their exceptional careers on stages and on screens large and small - EVITA being the white-hot beginnings of it all. EVITA opened on Broadway back in 1979 under the expert and assured direction of theatrical icon Hal Prince and went on to win 7 Tony Awards, including top honors for LuPone, Patinkin, Prince and the show's authors - Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice (the latter of whom won two) - as well as Best Musical. So, with moments from LES MISERABLES, SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE, GYPSY, THE WILD PARTY and much, much more - in addition to some clips from their concert appearances of more recent vintage, such as when they both appeared in the thrilling SONDHEIM! THE BIRTHDAY CONCERT - today's countdown is sure to perfectly set the stage for the incredible virtuosity to be expected from these titanic talents come Wednesday's first preview (with the show itself running through the holidays until January 13) at the Ethel Barrymore Theater.

Today Producing Artistic Director Edward Stern announced his 20th - and final - season at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park. The Playhouse' s 52nd season includes two world premieres and three regional premiere productions, as well as the return of one of the most popular musicals in its history.

'Patti LuPone: A Memoir,' which was released in September 2010, will be available in paperback on beginning November 8. Chronicling her life from her childhood through her Tony-winng role in 2008's GYPSY, the book will cost $15.

Broadway stars Barbara Walsh (Company) and Stephanie D'Abruzzo (Avenue Q) performed in a sold-out benefit reading of A. R. Gurney's classic play, The Dining Room. Also in the cast were Bill Connington (Zombie), David M. Lutken, (Inherit the Wind), Annmarie Benedict (Robeson) and Tony Wolf (The Action Room).

Audra McDonald brings her luminous soprano and incomparable gift for dramatic truth-telling to the Van Wezel on Sun. Nov. 6, 2011 @ 7:00 PM.

Today Producing Artistic Director Edward Stern announced his 20th - and final - season at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park. The Playhouse' s 52nd season includes two world premieres and three regional premiere productions, as well as the return of one of the most popular musicals in its history.

Just announced is news that Lin-Manuel Miranda will star as 'Charlie' in the upcoming Encores! production of MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG. Merrily has been extended for a two-week run, and will play for 15 performances, February 8-19, 2012 at New York City Center, 55th Street between 6th and 7th Avenues.