John Wilson News

Conductor John Wilson talks to BWW:UK about his new show, Cole Porter in Hollywood, the great musicals of the 20th Century and having dinner with Stephen Sondheim.

David Byrne and Fatboy Slim's immersive musical HERE LIES LOVE, which has returned to The Public Theatre (425 Lafayette St.), after enjoying four extended runs last year, recently staged a special performance for predominantly Filipino audiences--another special performance is set October, in celebration of Filipino American History Month.

The St. James Studio will be presenting its newest series 'The Wonderful Music Of Jazz' after having such a successful summer series Jazz Divas this summer

Get ready for a wickedly good time when the bewitching musical comedy, The Witches of Eastwick, hits the Ogunquit Playhouse stage September 3 through 27. Based on the Warner Brothers hit motion picture, this hysterical and devilish show with its beautiful original score was declared "musical comedy heaven" by London's Daily Mail. The Ogunquit Playhouse is proud to have been selected by world-renowned theatre producer Cameron Mackintosh as the American Northeast premiere of his hit stage adaptation of The Witches of Eastwick.

Yazbeck, who is currently in rehearsals for a concert version of KISS ME KATE at London's Royal Albert Hall, recently took the time to chat with BroadwayWorld about the concerts, preparing for ON THE TOWN, and much more. Check out the full interview below!

Following the enormous success of the semi-staged performance of My Fair Lady at the Proms in 2012, John Wilson returns to perform Cole Porter's Tony Award-winning musical Kiss Me, Kate. Joining John Wilson and the John Wilson Orchestra, Broadway stalwarts Ben Davis, Alexandra Silber, Tony Yazbeck and West End star Louise Dearman lead the cast in an irreverent reworking of Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew -- a play within a play. This is the BBC Proms debut for all four performers as they sing the energetic score in its original 1948 arrangement.

Mary Poppins is set to fly over the rooftops of London and into the Ogunquit Playhouse tonight, July 30 to August 30! This family musical features the delightful songs from the cherished Disney film including 'A Spoonful of Sugar,' 'Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious' and 'Step in Time.' Winner of 44 major theatre awards from around the globe, Mary Poppins has captivated audiences for generations with its enchanting story, unforgettable songs and dazzling dance numbers.

Step Up Productions will launch its 2014-15 season with the Chicago premiere of Theresa Rebeck's new comedy DEAD ACCOUNTS, directed by Jason Gerace (2014 Jeff Award, Best Director, Great Expectations), playing October 3 - November 2, 2014 at The Den Theatre - Mainstage, 1333 N. Milwaukee Ave. in Chicago. Tickets go on sale August 15, 2014 at www.stepupproductions.org or by calling (312) 316-8255. The press performance is Tuesday, October 7 at 7:30 pm.

Mary Poppins is set to fly over the rooftops of London and into the Ogunquit Playhouse July 30 to August 30! This family musical features the delightful songs from the cherished Disney film including “A Spoonful of Sugar,” “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” and “Step in Time.” Winner of 44 major theatre awards from around the globe, Mary Poppins has captivated audiences for generations with its enchanting story, unforgettable songs and dazzling dance numbers.

The Daily Mail reports that Natalie Mendoza, who played 'Arachne' in Broadway's SPIDER-MAN: TURN OFF THE DARK during its long preview period, will step into the role of 'Imelda Marcos' in HERE LIES LOVE when it comes to London this fall at the National's Dorfman Theatre.

Following the enormous success of the semi-staged performance of My Fair Lady at the Proms in 2012, John Wilson returns to perform Cole Porter's Tony Award-winning musical Kiss Me, Kate. Joining John Wilson and the John Wilson Orchestra, Broadway stalwarts Ben Davis, Alexandra Silber, Tony Yazbeck and West End star Louise Dearman lead the cast in an irreverent reworking of Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew -- a play within a play. This is the BBC Proms debut for all four performers as they sing the energetic score in its original 1948 arrangement.

The New York Philharmonic will present a semi-staged production of Kern & Hammerstein's Tony Award-winning musical Show Boat, November 5 - 8, 2014. Vanessa Williams will star as Julie, Julian Ovenden will star as Gaylord Ravenal, and Lauren Worsham will star as Magnolia, all in their Philharmonic debuts. Additional casting will be announced at a later date.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is extending invitations to join the organization to 271 artists and executives who have distinguished themselves by their contributions to theatrical motion pictures. Those who accept the invitations will be the only additions to the Academy's membership in 2014.

Multi-award-winning lyricist Tim Rice discusses his contributions to long-running Broadway and West End mega-hit THE LION KING as well as his new musical FROM HERE TO ETERNITY and classics such as JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR and EVITA as part of a wide-ranging new conversation with John Wilson now available to hear in full.

Continuing with its new 'incite change' mission, Collaboraction presents SKETCHBOOK: 2049, a rapid-fire, raucous festival of 17 world premiere theatre pieces ranging from under a minute to 20 minutes in length, all set in a positive post-apocalypse and reflective of contemporary society's current challenges. Scroll down for a sneak peek at the productions!

Following the record-breaking attendance of Festival 2013, Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival announces the full 2014 Festival free and ticketed event schedule. Jacob's Pillow is a National Historic Landmark, home to America's longest-running dance festival, and a recipient of the National Medal of Arts. Noted dance writer Jennifer Dunning has called the Pillow "the dance center of the nation, possibly the world."

May and June sees some new artists and some returns at The Crazy Coqs, including: Harold Sanditen (May 2-3); Simon Green with David Shrubsole (May 6-10); Lauren Fox with Jon Weber (May 13 - 17); Gary Williams (May 20 -24); KT Sullivan and Mark Nadler (May 26-28); Opera Tottie (May 29 - 31); Bryan Batt (June 3 - 7); Judy Carmichael with Colin Oxley (June 10 -14); Elaine Delmar (June 17 - 21) and more. Details below!

Sideshow Theatre Company concludes its 2013-14 season with the world premiere of TYRANT by Artistic Associate Kathleen Akerley, co-directed by Kathleen Akerley and Ensemble Member Megan A. Smith, playing May 24 - June 29, 2014 at Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave. in Chicago. Tickets for TYRANT are available at www.theaterwit.org, in person at the Theater Wit Box Office or by calling 773-975-8150. The press opening is Saturday, May 31 at 7:30 pm.

Opera Colorado announced today that it will present Giacomo Puccini's Madama Butterfly(November 2014), W.A. Mozart's The Magic Flute (May 2015), Giuseppe Verdi's Aida (November 2015), and the world premiere of Lori Laitman's The Scarlet Letter (May 2016) starring Elizabeth Futral as Hester Prynne. A vital presence in Denver's cultural ecology, Opera Colorado is the Rocky Mountain region's preeminent grand opera company. The Opera's programming includes mainstage productions, artist development initiatives, and education and community engagement programming.

Ahead of Gavin Creel's Singular Sensations appearance on April 20th at the Charing Cross Theatre, we today reveal that musical theatre fans can expect an exclusive treat as it is confirmed that he will perform a track of his own. This is a charity event in support of Gavin's nominated charity West End Serves and some of his fellow The Book of Mormon cast members will be on hand to help with a bucket collection at the end of the show.