Julie Taymor News

The Broadway Channel® and International Media present BROADWAY PROFILES a one hour special and first of a series premiere airing on Public Television stations nation wide, in late May and mid June during national pledge week. The series is hosted and narrated by Broadway's Kate Shindle, most recently starring in Legally Blonde the Musical.

The Las Vegas premiere of Disney's award-winning Broadway phenomenon, THE LION KING, begins preview performances tonight at 8 p.m. at Mandalay Bay Theatre. The sit-down production will join the seven other highly successful companies of THE LION KING currently running all over the world, including New York, London, Hamburg, Paris, Tokyo and Fukuoka, as well as the North American National Tour.

Disney Theatrical Productions and WestCoast Entertainment announced today that tickets for the highly-anticipated production of Disney's THE LION KING will go on sale to the public on Saturday, May 2 at 7am at the Alaska Center for the Performing Arts.

Disney Theatrical Productions and Broadway/San Diego ~ A Nederlander Presentation announced today that tickets for the long-awaited return engagement of Disney?s The Lion King will go on sale to the public on Thursday, May 14 at 10AM. San Diego?s most eagerly awaited return will once again leap onto the Civic Theatre stage on Tuesday, October 13 for a limited engagement of four weeks through Sunday, November 8. The opening night is Thursday, October 15 at 7:30PM. This North American National Tour is currently one of seven productions running worldwide along with New York, London, Hamburg, Tokyo, Paris, and Fukuoka. A new sit-down production will begin in Las Vegas at the Mandalay Bay Theatre on May 5.

On Wednesday, April 29, at the historic Hudson Theatre in the Millennium Hotel, Tony Award-winner Roger Rees will host Sing Happy!, The Collegiate Chorale's spring benefit celebrating 'The Great White Way'. The evening features special musical guest and Tony Award-winning actress Victoria Clark, who recently starred in the The Chorale's highly praised concert revival of Kurt Weill & Ira Gershwin's Firebrand of Florence on March 12.

Industry circles have buzzed that actress Evan Rachel Wood has been set for the role of 'Mary Jane' in the upcoming 'SPIDER-MAN:Turn Off The Dark' musical, but the young actress and star of the new Woody Allen release, 'Whatever Works' and the recent Oscar nominated The Wrestler revealed to MTV News that all is not set in 'comic book' stone.

The producers of THE COLOR PURPLE are proud to announce that American Idol Season 3 winner Fantasia Barrino will reprise her starring role of Celie for the Chicago Engagement. Returning to its debut home of Chicago, THE COLOR PURPLE will make its home at The Arie Crown Theater for two weeks, September 2 -13, 2009. Tickets

Following a six week sold-out run earlier this year, Brooklyn's famed Billie Holiday Theatre will present a nine week return engagement of THE HIGH PRIESTESS OF DARK ALLEY, a new play by playwright/director Jackie Alexander.

SPIDER-MAN Turn Off The Dark, featuring direction by Julie Taymor (Across The Universe, Frida, The Lion King on Broadway), music and lyrics by 22-time Grammy® Award-winners Bono and The Edge (from U2), and written by Taymor and Glen Berger (Underneath The Lintel), held an open casting call Monday, April 13 (10 AM - 5 PM) at The Knitting Factory (74 Leonard Street) in New York City as part of an ongoing nationwide casting tour.

El?na Garan?a sings the title role of La Cenerentola, Rossini's charming version of the Cinderella story, for the first time with the company beginning May 1. The Latvian mezzo-soprano made her highly acclaimed Met debut last season as Rosina in Il Barbiere di Siviglia.

Stage and screen casting titan Bernie Telsey chats with MTV about American Idol favorite Adam Lambert's Broadway past, present...and future!

Theatre for a New Audience's acclaimed production of Othello directed by Arin Arbus in her Off-Broadway directing debut, returns to the stage with the entire cast intact for twelve performances only, April 15 through April 24, at The Duke on 42nd StreetSM, a New 42nd Street? project, 229 West 42nd Street. Othello is following Theatre for a New Audience's production of Hamlet, directed by David Esbjornson. Hamlet begins previews Tuesday, March 17, at 7:30pm, opening Thursday, March 26, at 6:30pm, and running through Sunday, April 12.

Tony®-winning Broadway hits and blockbuster musical productions pack the Orange County Performing Arts Center?s 2009-2010 Broadway and Curtain Call Series, which are complimented by a line-up of bonus events. Audiences will enjoy Tony Award-winning shows and six Center premieres in a season that holds something for everyone. The Broadway Series includes Monty Python?s Spamalot starring John O?Hurley (October 6 ? 18, 2009); eight-time Tony Award-winning Spring Awakening (November 17 ? 29, 2009); ?80s flashback Xanadu (December 15 ? 27, 2009); a reenvisioned mounting of the Academy® Award-winning Dreamgirls (April 20 ? May 2, 2010); the 2008 Tony Award-winning Best Musical In the Heights (August 3 ? 15, 2010); and Mel Brooks? stage incarnation of his classic film, Young Frankenstein (September 7 ? 19, 2010). The companion Curtain Call Series offers The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber (February 16 ? 21, 2010); the smash-hit Hairspray (April 6 ? 11, 2010); and the runaway-sensation Disney?s The Lion King (May 26 ? June 13, 2010). Three bonus events have also been added to the season ? the return engagement of two Center favorites: Rent (October 20 ? 25, 2009) with original stars Adam Pascal and Anthony Rapp; the 30th anniversary tour of Annie (January 29 ? 31, 2010); and Rain ? A Tribute to the Beatles (March 22 ? 29, 2010), which showcases the music of England?s legendary Fab Four.

SPIDER-MAN Turn Off The Dark, featuring direction by Julie Taymor (Across The Universe, Frida, The Lion King on Broadway), music and lyrics by 22-time Grammy® Award-winners Bono and The Edge (from U2), and written by Taymor and Glen Berger (Underneath The Lintel), will be holding an open casting call Monday, April 13 (10 AM - 5 PM) at The Knitting Factory (74 Leonard Street) in New York City as part of an ongoing nationwide casting tour.

SPIDER-MAN Turn Off The Dark, featuring direction by Julie Taymor (Across The Universe, Frida, The Lion King on Broadway) with music and lyrics by 22-time Grammy Award-winners Bono and The Edge (from U2) will be holding open casting calls at major cities across the country starting next week.

Scottish born actor Alan Cumming served as Grand Marshall of New York's Tartan Day Parade. On April 4th, Cumming lead the parade of bagpipers, Scottish-American organizations, dignitaries, and even Scotties and Westies, up 6th Avenue.

Disney Theatrical Productions and Broadway Across Canada announced today that tickets for the long-awaited production of DISNEY'S THE LION KING will go on sale to the public on Saturday, April 4, 2009 at 7:00 a.m. Edmonton's most eagerly awaited stage production begins performances at the Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium on Thursday, July 2, 2009 for a limited engagement of five weeks through Sunday, August 2, 2009. The opening night is Saturday, July 4, 2009 at 8:00 p.m. This North American National Tour is currently one of seven productions running worldwide along with New York, London, Hamburg, Tokyo, Paris and Fukuoka. A new sit-down production will begin performances in Las Vegas at the Mandalay Bay Theatre on May 5.

Scottish born actor Alan Cumming will serve as Grand Marshall of New York's Tartan Day Parade. On April 4th, Cumming will lead the parade of bagpipers, Scottish-American organizations, dignitaries, and even Scotties and Westies, up 6th Avenue.

SPIDER-MAN Turn Off The Dark, featuring direction by Julie Taymor (Across The Universe, Frida, The Lion King on Broadway) with music and lyrics by 22-time Grammy Award-winners Bono and The Edge (from U2) will be holding open casting calls at major cities across the country starting next week.

Donizetti's comic masterpiece L'Elisir d'Amore returns to the Met with Angela Gheorghiu reprising her acclaimed portrayal of Adina and three tenors singing the role of Nemorino for the first time with the company: Massimo Giordano, Rolando Villazón, and Joseph Calleja. Other members of the cast also making role debuts include Franco Vassallo as Belcore and Simone Alaimo as the quack Doctor Dulcamara.