John McMartin News

The Lincoln Center Theater production of John Guare's new play, A FREE MAN OF COLOR, directed by George C. Wolfe, begins previews tomorrow (Saturday, October 23) at 8pm at the Vivian Beaumont Theater.

Lincoln Center Theater (under the direction of Andre Bishop, Artistic Director, and Bernard Gersten, Executive Producer) has announced final casting for its upcoming production of John Guare's new play A FREE MAN OF COLOR. Justina Machada (HBO's Six Feet Under and Broadway's , In The Heights) and veteran actor John McMartin (Follies, Into The Woods, Showboat, Sweet Charity) will join Paul Dano, mos and Jeffrey Wright in the production, to be directed by George C. Wolfe.

Lincoln Center Theater has announced that the first preview of its upcoming production of A FREE MAN OF COLOR , a new play by John Guare, directed by George C. Wolfe, has been rescheduled to Saturday evening, October 23 at 8pm. The new preview date will allow the production, which was originally scheduled to begin previews two days earlier on Thursday, October 21, additional technical rehearsal time. Opening night remains as originally scheduled on Thursday, November 18 at 6:45pm

Image Entertainment is proud to share a celebration of the life and wondrous work of one of Broadway's greatest legends - the incomparable Stephen Sondheim. For the master composer and lyricist's 80th birthday, scores of the musical theater's brightest stars gathered to perform more than two dozen sensational numbers from Sondheim's unsurpassed canon. Many of these enduring songs are rarely heard and several are performed by the original Broadway cast members. David Hyde Pierce hosts this magical event with Sondheim's longtime collaborator Paul Gemignani conducting the New York Philharmonic. Directed for the stage and television by Lonny Price and filmed live March 15-16, 2010 at Avery Fisher Hall in New York City, this is a must-have addition for every musical theatre aficionado. SONDHEIM! The Birthday Concert will be available at an SRP of $24.98 for the DVD and $29.98 for the Blu-ray; the concert will also be available via digital download. Pre-book is October 19, 2010.

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts announced back in August that Bernadette Peters will star as Sally Durant Plummer in the Kennedy Center production of Follies in the Eisenhower Theater May 7 to June 5, 2011. Additionally, BroadwayWorld.com had heard that starring alongside Peters could be Sex and the City star and Golden Globe winner Kim Cattrall as Phyllis, Danny Burstein as Buddy and John Dossett as Ben, all of whom were cast and were then in contract negotiations. We've now heard from reliable sources that neither Cattrall or Dossett were able to work out their contract deals for the production and that both sides have moved in. Now said to be in talks? First lady of the British Musical Theatre Elaine Paige and Linda Lavin, who was most recently a 2010 Tony nominee for Collected Stories. More information to come soon...

As previously reported, on October 25th, James Goldman and Stephen Sondheim's never-before-staged Evening Primrose - will take a one-night-only bow to benefit the St. George's Society of New York 's Anglo-American Cultural Awards at the Gerald W. Lynch Theater at John Jay College. In addition to Candice Bergen, John McMartin, Sean Palmer, Bill Duell, and John Windsor Cunningham, Jessica Grove is also joining the production. Grove is currently starring in A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC on Broadway.

EVENING PRIMROSE, the 1966 made-for-television Stephen Sondheim musical about a secret society of people living in department stores, will make its first appearance onstage on October 25, in a performance benefitting the St. George's Anglo-American Cultural Awards. The star-studded cast will include Candice Bergen, John McMartin, Sean Palmer, Bill Duell, John Windsor Cunningham, Carmen de Lavallade, Frederic Franklin, and Sondra Lee. The rest of the cast has yet to be announced.

In a year chock full of star-studded 80th birthday tributes to legendary Broadway composer and lyricist Stephen Sondheim, the March 15-16 gala evenings with the New York Philharmonic at New York's Lincoln Center stood tall.

As BroadwayWorld has reported, The New York Philharmonic's SONDHEIM: The Birthday Concert, which took place on March 15-16, 2010 at Avery Fisher Hall, will be broadcast on THIRTEEN'S Great Performances on PBS on Wednesday, November 24 (check local listings). WNET, Channel 13 in New York City, will air the concert at 9:30 p.m. that evening. Today, it has been revealed that the Image Entertainment will release the program DVD and Blu-Ray on November 16, 2010. The concert includes songs and orchestral pieces from Sondheim musical theater favorites such as Company, Follies, A Little Night Music, Sweeney Todd, Merrily We Roll Along, Into the Woods, and Sunday in the Park with George. Today, it has been announced that in addition to the PBS telecast, the concert will be released on DVD in November by Image Entertainment.

Lincoln Center Theater (under the direction of Andre Bishop, Artistic Director, and Bernard Gersten, Executive Producer) has announced final casting for its upcoming production of John Guare's new play A FREE MAN OF COLOR. Justina Machada (HBO's Six Feet Under and Broadway's , In The Heights) and veteran actor John McMartin (Follies, Into The Woods, Showboat, Sweet Charity) will join Paul Dano, mos and Jeffrey Wright in the production, to be directed by George C. Wolfe.

Lincoln Center Theater has announced final casting for its upcoming production of John Guare's new play A FREE MAN OF COLOR. Justina Machada (HBO's Six Feet Under and Broadway's , In The Heights) and veteran actor John McMartin (Follies, Into The Woods, Showboat, Sweet Charity) will join Paul Dano, mos and Jeffrey Wright in the production, to be directed by George C. Wolfe. Also joining the cast of 32 will be Yao Ababio, Derric Harris, Esau Pritchett, Jerome Stigler and Senfaub Stoney. A FREE MAN OF COLOR will begin performances Thursday, October 21 at 8pm at the Vivian Beaumont Theater. Opening night is Thursday, November 18 at 6:45pm.

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts today announced Bernadette Peters will star as Sally Durant Plummer in the Kennedy Center production of Follies in the Eisenhower Theater May 7 to June 5, 2011.

In a new interview with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, in which Hal Prince reflects on the current state of musical theatre, the influx (and 'need') of Hollywood stars on Broadway for limited runs and more, Prince also talked about plans to revise and continue work on Paradise Found, noting that:

As BroadwayWorld reported yesterday, The New York Philharmonic's SONDHEIM: The Birthday Concert, which took place on March 15-16, 2010 at Avery Fisher Hall, will be broadcast on THIRTEEN'S Great Performances on PBS on Wednesday, November 24 (check local listings). WNET, Channel 13 in New York City, will air the concert at 9:30 p.m. that evening. The concert includes songs and orchestral pieces from Sondheim musical theater favorites such as Company, Follies, A Little Night Music, Sweeney Todd, Merrily We Roll Along, Into the Woods, and Sunday in the Park with George. Today, it has been announced that in addition to the PBS telecast, the concert will be released on DVD in November by Image Entertainment.

NY Philharmonic's 'Sondheim: The Birthday Concert' will air as part of PBS' 'Great Performances' series at 9:30pm on November 24. The concert took place March 15-16 at Avery Fisher Hall.

Paradise Found runs 19th May - 26th June 2010. The Book is by Richard Nelson, Lyrics by Ellen Fitzhugh, Music by Johann Strauss II. The show is adapted & Arranged by Jonathan Tunick

Theatre legends Hal Prince and Susan Stroman, in an interview with The Times Online, discuss their opinions and frustrations on the state of the musical and theatre, their pasts and their directorial collaboration on Paradise Found, set to begin previews this week at London's Menier Chocolate Factory.

Tamzin Outhwaite is joined by Mark Umbers in the West End transfer of the Tony Award-winning musical, Sweet Charity. Matthew White's production of Sweet Charity, which completed its sell-out run at the Menier Chocolate Factory last month, will open at the Theatre Royal Haymarket on 23 April 2010 with press night on 4 May and is currently booking until 8 January 2011.

Harold Prince and Susan Stroman will direct an all-American cast in the world premiere of Paradise Found at the Menier Chocolate Factory. Based on the novel The Tale of the 1002nd Night by Viennese author Joseph Roth, Paradise Found previews from 19 May with press night on 26 May. With music by Johann Strauss II, adapted and arranged by Jonathan Tunick, Paradise Found has book by Richard Nelson and lyrics by Ellen Fitzhugh. The production will run until 26 June. Set design is by Beowulf Boritt, with costumes designed by Judy Dolan, lighting by Howell Binkley and sound by Gareth Owen.