John Gielgud News

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis (The Rep) begins its 2009-2010 Mainstage series with Peter Shaffer's towering story of betrayal, guilt, genius and heavenly music, Amadeus

Reprise Theatre Company presents Brian Stokes Mitchell Sings Broadway, a program especially created for Reprise. It will have one performance only on Monday, May 11 at 8 pm, at UCLA's Freud Playhouse.

Today Berkeley Repertory Theatre announced an addition to the royally talented cast of You, Nero. Mike McShane - the popular comic who became a regular on Whose Line is it Anyway? - takes the local stage for the first time in more than 20 years to perform in this smart and sassy show.

WNET.ORG, the public media provider in New York City, will honor Meredith Brokaw, Jamie Dimon and Kevin Kline at its 16th Annual Gala Salute, which will take place Monday, May 4 at Gotham Hall in New York City.

With a new book out, Grodin discusses his work as an actor, director, playwright, activist and commentator.

Richard Eyre's production of The Last Cigarette, adapted by Hugh Whitemore and Simon Gray from Gray's critically acclaimed The Smoking Diaries, is to transfer to the West End having previously opened the 2009 Season at the Chichester Festival Theatre. Starring Felicity Kendal, Nicholas le Prevost and Jasper Britton, who all perform as Simon Gray, The Last Cigarette will run at Trafalgar Studios from 21 April - 1 August, with opening night 28 April 2009. Designs are by Rob Howell with lighting and projection by John Driscoll and music by George Fenton.

Richard Eyre's production of The Last Cigarette, adapted by Hugh Whitemore and Simon Gray from Gray's critically acclaimed The Smoking Diaries, is to transfer to the West End having previously opened the 2009 season at the Chichester Festival Theatre. Starring Felicity Kendal, Nicholas Le Prevost and Jasper Britton, who all perform as Simon Gray, The Last Cigarette will run at Trafalgar Studios from 21 April - 1 August, with opening night 28 April 2009. Designs are by Rob Howell with lighting and projection by John Driscoll and music by George Fenton.

WNET.ORG, the public media provider in New York City, will honor Meredith Brokaw, Jamie Dimon and Kevin Kline at its 16th Annual Gala Salute, which will take place Monday, May 4 at Gotham Hall in New York City.

Former Theatre Critic-turned-Playwright Nicholas de Jongh's first full-legth play, PLAGUE OVER ENGLAND - currently running at the Duchess Theatre through May 2 - will be moving to the big screen. de Jongh will pen the adaptation.

Richard Eyre's production of The Last Cigarette, adapted by Hugh Whitemore and Simon Gray from Gray's critically acclaimed The Smoking Diaries, is to transfer to the West End having previously opened the 2009 Season at the Chichester Festival Theatre. Starring Felicity Kendal, Nicholas le Prevost and Jasper Britton, who all perform as Simon Gray, The Last Cigarette will run at Trafalgar Studios from 21 April - 1 August, with opening night 28 April 2009. Designs are by Rob Howell with lighting and projection by John Driscoll and music by George Fenton.

Performance Workshop Theatre is marking the 50th anniversary of Sir John Gielgud's triumphant debut of Ages of Man in America by presenting his intimate selection of Shakespeare's monologues and sonnets during their award-winning 2008-09 season. The one-man show features celebrated actor Marc Horwitz interpreting 24 of Shakespeare's characters in a brilliant tour de force that opens March 13 and runs through April 11.

Oskar Eustis, Artistic Director of The Public Theater, has announced the 26-member Broadway cast of HAIR: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical. Newcomers to the cast include Gavin Creel, Caissie Levy and Sasha Allen, who join the rest of the tribe, who are reprising their roles from Central Park last summer. HAIR begins preview performances on Friday, March 6 at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre (302 West 45th Street, NYC) with an Opening Night set for Tuesday, March 31, 2009.

Nicholas de Jongh the national theatre critic has penned to great success Plague over England?. It's a look at a life, the law, celebrity at a time when homosexuality, the role of a well known figure, public morals were being challenged from all sides.

Reprise Theatre Company presents Brian Stokes Mitchell Sings Broadway, a program especially created for Reprise. It will have one performance only on Monday, May 11 at 8 pm, at UCLA's Freud Playhouse.

Performance Workshop Theatre is marking the 50th anniversary of Sir John Gielgud's triumphant debut of Ages of Man in America by presenting his intimate selection of Shakespeare's monologues and sonnets during their award-winning 2008-09 season. The one-man show features celebrated actor Marc Horwitz interpreting 24 of Shakespeare's characters in a brilliant tour de force that opens March 13 and runs through April 11.

London Evening Standard theatre critic Nicholas de Jongh's Plague Over London, which was first presented at the tiny Finbourgh Theatre in Earls Court will transfer to the West End. It begins a limited engagement at the Duchess Theatre on February 11th, 2009.

Alan Ayckbourn's comic trilogy of plays, THE NORMAN CONQUESTS, will come to Broadway directly following its sold out critically acclaimed run in London. The production, the latest success for The Old Vic Theatre Company under the artistic leadership of Kevin Spacey, will play for 16 weeks only. THE NORMAN CONQUESTS, directed by Matthew Warchus, opens Thursday, April 23 at Circle in the Square Theatre (235 West 50th Street). Previews begin Tuesday, April 7.

George C. Scott created some of the 20th century's most memorable performances on stage and screen-the cunning prosecutor in Anatomy of a Murder, the manipulative gambler in The Hustler, the buffoonishly warmongering chief of staff in Dr. Strangelove, and, of course, the brilliant and rebellious Patton. He also played Willy Loman, Richard III, Mussolini, Scrooge, Fagin, and countless others. But his offstage life was as filled with drama and controversy as any of the lives he portrayed with such intensity. He refused the Oscar for Patton, battled with TV networks to include realistic elements in his series 'East Side/West Side,' invested (and lost) his own money on Broadway and in the scandalous film The Savage Is Loose, married five times (twice to Colleen Dewhurst) and had a tempestuous affair with Ava Gardner, traveled to Vietnam at the height of the war to write an article for Esquire, and weathered a damaging sexual harassment suit.

Oskar Eustis, Artistic Director of The Public Theater, has announced the 26-member Broadway cast of HAIR: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical. Newcomers to the cast include Gavin Creel, Caissie Levy and Sasha Allen, who join the rest of the tribe, who are reprising their roles from Central Park last summer. Currently in rehearsal at the Union Square Theatre, HAIR begins preview performances on Friday, March 6 at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre (302 West 45th Street, NYC) with an Opening Night set for Tuesday, March 31, 2009.

Variety has reported that Edmund Purdom, best known as Prince Karl in the 1954 MGM musical 'Student Prince,' died January 1st of natural causes in Rome, Italy. Purdom was 85.