Judi Dench News

New England audiences were treated to the uncensored, uncut and as unpredictable as ever, comedian Billy Connolly in June 2007 at the American Repertory Theatre. Now he returns to Boston with his hilarious, oxygen-depriving new show BILLY CONNOLLY LIVE! for two performances only on May 6 & 7, 2010 (8pm) at the Citi Performing Arts Center Shubert Theatre, 265 Tremont Street in Boston's Theater District.

New England audiences were treated to the uncensored, uncut and as unpredictable as ever, comedian Billy Connolly in June 2007 at the American Repertory Theatre. Now he returns to Boston with his hilarious, oxygen-depriving new show BILLY CONNOLLY LIVE! for two performances only on May 6 & 7, 2010 (8pm) at the Citi Performing Arts Center Shubert Theatre, 265 Tremont Street in Boston's Theater District.

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment will release Rob Marshall's film musical NINE on Blue-ray and DVD on May 4, according to Blue-ray.com. It is reported that bonus features will accompany the discs, including an exclusive interview with Sophia Loren, commentary by Rob Marshall and producer John DeLuca as well as three music vidoes.

Broadway Across America (John Gore, Thomas B. McGrath, Beth Williams), Craig Zadan, Neil Meron, Candy Spelling and The Weinstein Company will present the first-ever Broadway revival of PROMISES, PROMISES this spring at the Broadway Theater (1681 Broadway). Previews will begin on Sunday, March 28th, 2010 with an opening night slated for Sunday, April 25th, 2010. The musical is written by legends Neil Simon (book), Burt Bacharach (music), and Hal David (lyrics). Emmy Award winner Sean Hayes will make his Broadway debut starring in the role of Chuck Baxter opposite Tony and Emmy Award winner Kristin Chenoweth, returning to Broadway as Fran Kubelik. Tony and Emmy Award winner Rob Ashford will also make his Broadway directorial debut and choreograph. More casting and creative team members will be announced in the near future.

Richard Eyre, the renowned British director of theater and film, explores the passionate drama of Bizet's Carmen and the power of her desires in his new production at the Metropolitan Opera, which premieres on THIRTEEN'S Great Performances at the Met series. 'Her sexuality is a life force, it's a defining force,' he explains.

Executive Producer Lou Spisto today announced the complete cast and creative team for the Globe's 2010 Shakespeare Festival performed in repertory in the outdoor Lowell Davies Festival Theatre.

Today we are taking a look at the extended streak of genius exhibited by Stephen Sondheim, along with director/producer Hal Prince, following the resounding success of COMPANY in 1970. Throughout the rest of the 70s they would continue to change the form of theatre itself with four momentous musicals tackling every topic from aging showgirls singing one last tune to Ingmar Bergman sunsets and a topic for a concept musical no less epic than the westernization of Japan in the wake of Commodore Perry - plus, who could forget the remorseful Barber and his knife (or should that be “wife“?). Without question, these are four richly-encrusted crowning achievements of a legendary career and these musical jewels are still sparkling and shining, as glistening and beautiful as ever dazzling us and enticing us to inspect them closer...

British actress and comedienne Maureen Lipman joins the judging panel for The Stephen Sondheim Society Student Performer Of The Year Competition & The Stiles and Drewe Best New Song of 2010 Awards, to be hosted by West End star Hannah Waddingham at The Queen's Theatre on Sunday 6th June.

While Sex and the City has clearly led to many opportunities for Kim Cattrall, things have really not changed for women in Hollywood...

This week, we are taking a listen to the sparkling new cast recording of the hit 2009 Broadway revival of Stephen Sondheim & Hugh Wheeler's A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC. While tickets are hard to come by due to the star-wattage on display each night at the Martin Beck, Tommy Krasker & Co. at PS Classics have given us an embarrassment of riches with this near-note-complete, 2-disc recording of the Sondheim masterpiece.

New England audiences were treated to the uncensored, uncut and as unpredictable as ever, comedian Billy Connolly in June 2007 at the American Repertory Theatre. Now he returns to Boston with his hilarious, oxygen-depriving new show BILLY CONNOLLY LIVE! for two performances only on May 6 & 7, 2010 (8pm) at the Citi Performing Arts Center Shubert Theatre, 265 Tremont Street in Boston's Theater District.

As the United Nations declares 2010 the International Year for the Rapprochement of Cultures, Theatre Communications Group (TCG), which serves as the U.S. Center of the International Theatre Institute (ITI-US), invites all theatres, individual artists, government institutions and audience to celebrate World Theatre Day (WTD) on March 27, 2010.

The Royal Shakespeare Company has confirmed that MATILDA, A MUSICAL will begin performances this November at the Courtyard Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon. The show will run from November 9th through January 2011 under the direction of Tony Award winner Matthew Warchus, with book by Dennis Kelly and music and lyrics by Tim Minchin.

West End star Hannah Waddingham will host a prestigious awards ceremony, now in its fourth year, on Sunday 6th June at The Queens Theatre, London. The Stephen Sondheim Society Student Performer Of The Year Competition & The Stiles and Drewe Best New Song of 2010 Awards are presented by The Stephen Sondheim Society and Mercury Musical Developments (MMD).

March 27, 2010 marks the international celebration of World Theatre Day. Created in 1961 by the International Theatre Institute (ITI), World Theatre Day is celebrated each March 27 by the world theater community. To commemorate the day, each year, the ITI invites a world-renowned member of the theatre community to share their thoughts on the theme of Theatre. This message is then translated into more than 20 languages and distributed around the world. Dame Judi Dench was selected to pen the 2010 international message. A copy of her message is below. Also, for the first time ever, Theatre Communications Group/ITI-U.S. has extended an invitation to an artist to deliver a national message. Pulitzer Prize winning playwright Lynn Nottage was selected for the honor. Her message can also be found below.

CELEBRATING SONDHEIM AT 80: Highlights from The Paley Center for Media Collection screened March 19 to April 4, 2010. Screenings are Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays at 1:00 p.m.; Thursdays at 5:30 p.m.

As the United Nations declares 2010 the International Year for the Rapprochement of Cultures, Theatre Communications Group (TCG), which serves as the U.S. Center of the International Theatre Institute (ITI-US), invites all theatres, individual artists, government institutions and audience to celebrate World Theatre Day (WTD) on March 27, 2010.

CELEBRATING SONDHEIM AT 80: Highlights from The Paley Center for Media Collection screened March 19 to April 4, 2010. Screenings are Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays at 1:00 p.m.; Thursdays at 5:30 p.m.

Veteran stage and film actress Dame Judi Dench is writing her autobiography entitled 'And furthermore' set for a release in October 2010, reports IMDB.com.

2010 will mark the seventh year that The Greater Vancouver Professional Theatre Alliance has organized local World Theatre Day celebrations. While World Theatre Day was established by the International Theatre Institute on March 27th, 1961, many theatre artists are still unfamiliar with this one day a year when we commemorate Theatre.