Laurence Olivier News

Rupert Goold, The Almeida Theatre's Artistic Director, directs the World Premiere ofAmerican Psycho, a new musical thriller with book by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and music and lyrics by Duncan Sheik, based on the novel by Bret Easton Ellis. It will run beginning tonight, 3 December 2013 to 25 January 2014 with Press Night on 12 December.

Disney's landmark musical event, THE LION KING, played its 6,681st performance on Saturday evening, November 30th, surpassing the original Broadway production ofLes Miserables (6,680 performances) to become the fourth longest-running show in Broadway history.

Show times are 7:00 PM. Tickets are $55 and $50 and can be purchased by visiting the State Theatre Box Office, 453 Northampton Street, Easton, by calling 1-800-999-STATE, 610-252-3132 or online at www.statetheatre.org. Sponsored by 100.7 WLEV and Brown-Daub Dealerships. Part of the Capital Blue Cross Family Series.

According to the Chicago Tribune, Broadway veteran Louise Pitre will lead GYPSY when it plays Chicago Shakespeare Theatre next year. Directed by Gary Griffin, the production will run at Chicago Shakespeare's Courtyard Theater, February 6- March 23.

Ian Rickson's critically acclaimed West End revival of Jez Butterworth's award-winning Mojo today announces a further two weeks of performances due to public demand. Mojo, which is playing to packed houses at the Harold Pinter Theatre, will now complete its run on 8 February 2014 with its original cast - Brendan Coyle (Mickey), Rupert Grint (Sweets), Tom Rhys Harries (Silver Johnny), Daniel Mays (Potts), Colin Morgan (Skinny) and Ben Whishaw (Baby).

Rising up to the task are Shana Rebilas Bousard, Brad Bond, Cynthia Elek, Tony Hodges, Matt MacDougall, Tina Khalil, Diana Thompson and Dorothy Gaynor. Musical direction is provided by Joe Bousard, and accompaniment includes Scott Hay on drums, Joe Bousard on piano and Diana Thompson on woodwinds, with choreography by Tina Khalil.

WaterTower Theatre Producing Artistic Director Terry Martin presents Ken Ludwig's The Game's Afoot (or Holmes for the Holidays) running December 13 - January 5, 2014 on the Main Stage at the Addison Theatre Centre. The cast features Greg Holt as William Gillette; Allyn Carrell as Martha Gillette; Randy Pearlman as Felix Geisel; Emily Scott Banks as Madge Geisel; Christian Genco as Simon Bright; Kaycee Reininger as Aggie Wheeler; Krista Scott as Inspector Goring and Sherry Hopkins as Daria Chase. BroadwayWorld has a sneak peek below!

The 39 Steps is a melodrama adapted from the 1915 novel by John Buchan and the 1935 film by Alfred Hitchcock. The play's concept calls for the entirety of the 1935 adventure film The 39 Steps to be performed with a cast of only four. One actor plays the hero, Richard Hannay, an actress (or sometimes actor) plays the three women with whom he has romantic entanglements, and two other actors play every other character in the show: heroes, villains, men, women, children and even the occasional inanimate object. This often requires lightning fast quick-changes and occasionally for them to play multiple characters at once. Thus the film's serious spy story is played mainly for laughs, and the script is full of allusions to (and puns on the titles of) other Alfred Hitchcock films, including Rear Window, Psycho, Vertigo and North by Northwest.

Once again, Coventry's Belgrade Theatre is covering all bases this Christmas, with festive fun for the family on the Main Stage in its traditional pantomime Jack and the Beanstalk, and a yuletide treat for grown-ups in its brand new B2 Xmas Show, Oh No It Isn't!, starring RSC actress Katy Stephens.

Following its hit production Other People's Money, Shattered Globe Theatre will continue its 2013-14 season with Timberlake Wertenbaker's six-time Tony Award-nominated and Olivier Award-winning drama OUR COUNTRY'S GOOD, directed by Roger Smart, playing January 9 - February 22, 2014 at its new artistic home Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave. in Chicago. Tickets are available at www.theaterwit.org, in person at the Theater Wit Box Office or by calling (773) 975-8150. The press performance is Sunday, January 12, 2014 at 3 pm.

LEGALLY BLONDE at Greasepaint Youtheatre Pink Power! Greasepaint Youtheatre presents LEGALLY BLONDE, a tale about overcoming stereotypes and believing in yourself. This romantic musical comedy is presented December 13 through December 22 at the historic Stagebrush Theater in Scottsdale.

The Los Angeles return of Disney's THE LION KING opens tonight, Friday, November 22, 2013 at 8pm at the Hollywood Pantages for a limited eight-week engagement through January 12, 2014. Hollywood Pantages General Manager Martin Wiviott says "The Circle of Life is once again complete as THE LION KING returns to its Los Angeles home. From its initial debut here in 2000 until now, the excitement and enthusiasm for this spectacular stage production hasn't diminished, but has instead grown by leaps (of the gazelles) and bounds. All of us here at the Hollywood Pantages look forward to a holiday season full of good cheer and great theatre. Welcome home, Lion King!"

Disney's THE LION KING celebrated its third smash engagement in Tempe, which concluded on Sunday, November 17 at ASU Gammage. The triumphant four-week return entertained more than 80,000 patrons during 32 performances. The majority of theater-goers were Valley residents but also included ticket buyers from all over the Southwest and even Mexico.

Disney Theatrical Productions and Fifth Third Bank Broadway in Atlanta announced today that tickets for the long-awaited return engagement of Disney's THE LION KING will go on sale to the public on Sunday, December 8 at 10:00 a.m. Atlanta's most eagerly awaited return will leap onto the Fox Theatre stage for the first time on April 10, 2014 for a limited engagement of three weeks through April 27, 2014. Preview performances are Thursday, April 10, Friday, April 11 and the matinee performance on Saturday, April 12 with the official opening night performance on Saturday, April 12 at 8:00 p.m.

Kultur is proud to announce the DVD release of the acclaimed feature film, Othello starring Sir Laurence Olivier and co-starring Maggie Smith, Frank Finlay and Joyce Redman available now.

Acclaimed actor David Bradley has been cast in the role of 'Professor Abraham Setrakian' in the FX drama series The Strain, from Academy Award(R) nominated filmmaker Guillermo del Toro, author Chuck Hogan and writer/producer Carlton Cuse, which is based on the best-selling vampire novel trilogy of the same title written by del Toro and Hogan.

It was announced today that the Broadway production of Shakespeare's timeless love story ROMEO AND JULIET, starring international film star Orlando Bloom in his Broadway debut opposite two-time Tony Award nominee Condola Rashad, will play two weeks past its originally announced 14-week limited Broadway engagement - with a final performance set for Sunday, December 8, 2013, after 27 previews and 93 regular performances at the Richard Rodgers Theatre (226 West 46th Street).

The Almeida Theatre's five-star production of Ibsen's Ghosts, adapted and directed by Richard Eyre, will transfer to Trafalgar Studios, playing from Tuesday 17 December. Lesley Manville, Jack Lowden, Brian McCardie and Charlene McKenna will reprise their roles and are joined by Adam Kotz as Pastor Manders.

Rising up to the task are Shana Rebilas Bousard, Brad Bond, Cynthia Elek, Tony Hodges, Matt MacDougall, Tina Khalil, Diana Thompson and Dorothy Gaynor. Musical direction is provided by Joe Bousard, and accompaniment includes Scott Hay on drums, Joe Bousard on piano and Diana Thompson on woodwinds, with choreography by Tina Khalil.

Director Richard Eyre's adaptation of Ibsen's GHOSTS, running at The Almeida Theatre now through 23 November, will transfer to Trafalgar Studios beginning 9 December 2013, according to the Daily Mail.