Julie Taymor News

Underground Railway Theater presents How Do You Spell Hope?, a theatrical experience for the whole family based on true stories of people who overcame great obstacles to learn to read, playing at the Central Square Theater Friday, February 13 through Sunday, March 1. Written by Melinda Lopez and directed by Underground Railway Theater Artistic Director Debra Wise, How Do You Spell Hope? tells the stories of the road to literacy for a Cambridge high school athlete with severe dyslexia, Frederick Douglass, and a Latina immigrant who learns to read English ? all woven together by puppets and actors in a world of giant pop-up books. The cast features award winning Boston area actors Vincent E. Siders and Ramona Alexander, as well as puppeteer Penny Benson. Press Night is set for Saturday, February 14 at 3 PM.

SPIDER-MAN, Turn Off the Dark, will open on Thursday, February 18, 2010 at Broadway's Hilton Theatre, 213 West 42nd Street (preview performances will begin Saturday, January 16, 2010).

It has been fairly common knowledge in industry circles that Evan Rachel Wood has been cast as 'Mary Jane' in the upcoming SPIDER-MAN musical, but on the E! Network Oscar Red Carpet pre-show the young actress and star of the Oscar nominated The Wrestler revealed that her next project is 'a new Julie Taymor musical on Broadway'.

Natalie Dessay and Juan Diego Fl?rez, who created a sensation last season in La Fille du R?giment, star in a new production of Bellini's La Sonnambula opening March 2, directed by Mary Zimmerman and conducted by Evelino Pid?. Dessay takes the role of the sleepwalker Amina, with Fl?rez as her betrothed Elvino, and Michele Pertusi as the Count who almost ruins their wedding. Performances run through April 3, with Barry Banks singing Elvino at the final performance. Zimmerman returns with the creative team that collaborated on her hit production of Lucia di Lammermoor, which opened the 2007-08 season: Daniel Ostling, set designer; Mara Blumenfeld, costume designer; T.J. Gerckens, lighting designer; and Daniel Pelzig, choreographer.

Bloomberg News is reporting that Spider-Man The Musical will have to wait a little longer for his Broadway debut because of production delays that have troubled the $31.3 million musical featuring songs by U2.

The producers of ROCK OF AGES announced the complete, awesome cast for Broadway's new, smash hit musical today. Constantine Maroulis, ('American Idol' Season 4, Broadway's The Wedding Singer, RENT) reprising his critically acclaimed role as 'Drew', is now joined by Broadway's best 1970's & 1980's period actors Amy Spanger (The Wedding Singer, Kiss Me Kate) as 'Sherrie' and James Carpinello (Saturday Night Fever, VH1's 'So NoTORIous') as 'Stacee Jaxx'.

The Broadway company of CHICAGO is pleased to announce details for the March 2009 installments of 'Talkback Tuesdays,' the unique new series offering post-show discussions and audience Q&A sessions with members of the Broadway company of the record-breaking hit musical.

Underground Railway Theater presents How Do You Spell Hope?, a theatrical experience for the whole family based on true stories of people who overcame great obstacles to learn to read, playing at the Central Square Theater Friday, February 13 through Sunday, March 1. Written by Melinda Lopez and directed by Underground Railway Theater Artistic Director Debra Wise, How Do You Spell Hope? tells the stories of the road to literacy for a Cambridge high school athlete with severe dyslexia, Frederick Douglass, and a Latina immigrant who learns to read English ? all woven together by puppets and actors in a world of giant pop-up books. The cast features award winning Boston area actors Vincent E. Siders and Ramona Alexander, as well as puppeteer Penny Benson. Press Night is set for Saturday, February 14 at 3 PM.

Broadway/San Diego ~ A Nederlander Presentation, is announce its 33rd Season of great theatre. This year, more importantly than ever, theatre lives up to its promise to take us away and teach us about life, love and other cultures whether they are in Africa, uptown Manhattan, the Ivy League or fantastic & funny alternate realities! Take an ?Escapation/PLAYcation? with the entire family and discover the theatrical royalty the 2009-2010 Season offers.

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.

Kansas City opera fans have been waiting 10 years for the Lyric Opera of Kansas City to produce the audience favorite, La Traviata. On March 14, 16, 18, 20, & 22, 2009 the Lyric Opera of Kansas City will present Verdi's spellbinding tragedy, La Traviata at the Lyric Theatre in downtown Kansas City. Under the spell of one exquisite party, Violetta is tempted - and eventually swayed - to abandon her life of endless immoral pleasure to join lovesick Alfredo in the love affair of a lifetime despite Violetta's secret terminal disease. Violetta's colored past proves to be a hurdle for Alfredo's father, who persuades her to leave Alfredo for his own good. The pair is only reunited for the final moments of Violetta's life.

A cast of internationally most acclaimed Verdi singers is showcased in the Met's new production of the Italian master's melodic tour de force, Il Trovatore, which opens February 16. Renowned director David McVicar makes his Met debut, and Gianandrea Noseda conducts a cast that includes Marcelo ?lvarez in his first Met performances of the heroic title role, and three singers who are celebrated interpreters of their parts: Sondra Radvanovsky as Leonora, Dolora Zajick as Azucena, and Dmitri Hvorostovsky as Count di Luna. Kwangchul Youn makes his Met role debut as Ferrando. In later performances, Marco Berti is Manrico; Hasmik Papian is Leonora; Luciana D'Intino is Azucena, ?eljko Lučić is di Luna, and Burak Bilgili is Ferrando, conducted by Riccardo Frizza. Performances run through May 8.

A cast of internationally most acclaimed Verdi singers is showcased in the Met's new production of the Italian master's melodic tour de force, Il Trovatore, which opens February 16. Renowned director David McVicar makes his Met debut, and Gianandrea Noseda conducts a cast that includes Marcelo ?lvarez in his first Met performances of the heroic title role, and three singers who are celebrated interpreters of their parts: Sondra Radvanovsky as Leonora, Dolora Zajick as Azucena, and Dmitri Hvorostovsky as Count di Luna. Kwangchul Youn makes his Met role debut as Ferrando. In later performances, Marco Berti is Manrico; Hasmik Papian is Leonora; Luciana D'Intino is Azucena, ?eljko Lučić is di Luna, and Burak Bilgili is Ferrando, conducted by Riccardo Frizza. Performances run through May 8.

Casting is announced today for the Seattle engagement of Disney's THE LION KING. Seattle's most eagerly awaited stage production ever will leap onto the Paramount Theatre stage from Wednesday, February 11 through Sunday, March 15. The media opening night is Friday, February 13 at 8 pm. This Seattle engagement is one of seven current productions running worldwide along with New York, London, Hamburg, Tokyo, Paris and Fukuoka.

Eight new productions, four of which are company premieres, will highlight the Metropolitan Opera's 2009-10 season. General Manager Peter Gelb and Music Director James Levine jointly announced plans that include: the Met premieres of Rossini's Armida, Verdi's Attila, Jan?ček's From the House of the Dead, and Shostakovich's The Nose; new productions of Bizet's Carmen, Offenbach's Les Contes d'Hoffmann, Thomas's Hamlet, and Puccini's Tosca; and 18 revivals from the company's repertory. The season is the first to be entirely planned under Gelb's leadership, in collaboration with Levine (the past three seasons were planned before Gelb became General Manager in 2006-07 but included some productions, repertoire, and casting changes made by Gelb).

Broadway's most talked about new musical and the biggest Tony Award?-winner in years is coming to the Fabulous Fox Theatre in St. Louis. Spring Awakening, the 8-time Tony Award? winning Broadway musical, will play a two-week engagement from February 10-22, 2009. Curtain times for the U.S. Bank Broadway Series presentation are Tuesdays through Fridays at 8 p.m.; Saturdays at 2 & 8 p.m.; Sunday, February 15 at 2 & 7:30 p.m.; and Sunday, February 22 at 2 p.m. There is also a weekday matinee on Thursday, February 19 at 1 p.m.

Brooklyn?s famed Billie Holiday Theatre will present the world premiere of THE HIGH PRIESTESS OF DARK ALLEY, a new play by playwright/director Jackie Alexander. The production will play a strictly limited engagement February 19 through March 22, 2009. Previews are Thursday, February 19 through Saturday, February 27. Opening night is Saturday, February 28. The performance schedule is Thursdays ? Saturdays at 8:00 p.m., Saturdays at 3:00 p.m. and Sundays at 4:00 p.m. Tickets are $15-$23, with additional discounts available for seniors and students. Tickets can be purchased online at www.zerve.com/BHolidayInc/DrkAlley by phone at 212.209.3370, or at the theatre?s box office at Restoration Plaza, 1368 Fulton Street.

Maria Guleghina and Pl?cido Domingo star in Cilea's Adriana Lecouvreur, which opens at the Metropolitan Opera on February 6 with Domingo returning to sing the role of his Met debut 40 years ago. Guleghina sings Adriana, the famous actress in love with the military hero Maurizio, sung by Domingo. Olga Borodina sings the Principessa di Bouillon, Adriana's rival for Maurizio's affections, and Roberto Frontali is Adriana's faithful friend Michonnet. Marco Armiliato conducts all performances, and Marcello Giordani sings the role of Maurizio on February 17. All the principal singers other than Domingo are performing their roles for the first time at the Met. Mark Lamos stages this revival, with set designs by C.M. Cristini after sketches by Camillo Paravicini and costume designs by Ray Diffen with additional costumes by Jane Greenwood. Lighting design is by Duane Schuler and choreography by Sergei Gritsai.

Theatre for a New Audience and director, Arin Arbus, is set to present Othello. The show will feature John Douglas Thompson as Othello, Ned Eisenberg as Iago, and Juliet Rylance as Desdemona. Previews begin February 14 at 7 pm. The show opens February 22.

Maria Guleghina and Pl?cido Domingo star in Cilea's Adriana Lecouvreur, which opens at the Metropolitan Opera on February 6 with Domingo returning to sing the role of his Met debut 40 years ago. Guleghina sings Adriana, the famous actress in love with the military hero Maurizio, sung by Domingo. Olga Borodina sings the Principessa di Bouillon, Adriana's rival for Maurizio's affections, and Roberto Frontali is Adriana's faithful friend Michonnet. Marco Armiliato conducts all performances, and Marcello Giordani sings the role of Maurizio on February 17. All the principal singers other than Domingo are performing their roles for the first time at the Met. Mark Lamos stages this revival, with set designs by C.M. Cristini after sketches by Camillo Paravicini and costume designs by Ray Diffen with additional costumes by Jane Greenwood. Lighting design is by Duane Schuler and choreography by Sergei Gritsai.