Maggie Smith News

One of Broadway's most legendary sopranos, Tony nominee Inga Swenson, joins Rob and Kevin via phone to look back on her incredible career which includes films like The Miracle Worker, television like Benson and The Golden Girls, and theater credits including New Faces of 1956, Peer Gynt, Camelot, 110 in the Shade, Baker Street and many others!

NBC previews RETURN TO DOWNTON ABBEY: A GRAND EVENT, airing Sept. 19, featuring cast insights and a look at the upcoming film.

United Solo, the world's largest solo theatre festival, is proud to present the nominees of the 2019 United Solo Special Award. The Special Award recognizes and celebrates outstanding solo performers. These are artists who create captivating performances outside the United Solo Festival and have brought the art of solo theatre to new heights. It is United Solo's mission to provide a platform to solo artists who are committed to creating solo theatre that focuses on the uniqueness of the human being. These artists have pushed the boundaries of solo theatre in unique ways and the Special Award will honor an artist whose work in the last year deserves particular recognition. Previous recipients of the Special Award include Anna Deavere Smith (2010), Patti LuPone (2011), John Leguizamo (2012), Fiona Shaw (2013), Billy Crystal (2014), James Lecesne (2015), Staceyann Chin (2016), Michael Moore (2017), and Renée Taylor (2018).

Award-winning actor-singer-comedian Andrea Martin is being celebrated by the Stratford Festival as the 2019 Legacy Award recipient, at a gala to be held on September 23 at Toronto's Four Seasons Hotel.

Former Harry Potter co-stars Maggie Smith and Imelda Stanton have reunited in a clip from the upcoming Downton Abbey film!

It's time to grab your best gal pals and head to Ogunquit Playhouse for the hilarious musical comedy Menopause The Musical®, on stage September 4 through September 14. A raucous celebration of womanhood created by Jeanie Linders and inspired by a hot flash and a bottle of wine, Menopause The Musical® applauds women who are on the brink of, in the middle of, or have survived a?oeThe Change.a?? The show is produced by special license from GFour Productions, the producers of MENOPAUSE THE MUSICAL®, now in its 18th year, and 14th as the longest-running musical in Las Vegas history. The director of the Ogunquit Playhouse production is Tony Award®-winner Seth Greenleaf. This joyful parody of 25 re-lyricized classic hits from the '60s, '70s, and '80s features chart-toppers including a?oeI Heard it Through the Grapevine that You No Longer See 39,a?? and the disco favorite a?oeStayin' Awake, Stayin' Awake!a?? 

Porchlight Music Theatre announces the return of its popular series New Faces Sing Broadway at SPACE, 1245 Chicago Ave. in Evanston and The Arts Club of Chicago, 201 E. Ontario Street.

Focus Features has released a sneak peek featurette for the highly-anticipated Dowtown Abbey film, only in theaters this September.

Susan R. Williamson, Director of the Palm Beach Poetry Festival, and Dr. Blaise Allen, Director of Community Outreach, today invited local poets and poetry fans to two special events in September

Robert ('Bob') Ullman (left), the legendary theatre press agent, whose career included Ethel Merman and Mary Martin: Together on Broadway, A Chorus Line (from workshop to Public Theater to Broadway), Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne in The Visit, Lauren Bacall in Cactus Flower, The Dining Room, Driving Miss Daisy, Sunday in the Park with George, and over 150 additional Broadway and off-Broadway plays and musicals, died on July 31, 2019 in Bayshore, Long Island, New York. He was 97. The cause of death was cardiac arrest. Bob's death was announced by Rev. Joshua Ellis, a long-time Ullman friend, a former Broadway press agent, and now, an Interspiritual minister.

A major new photography exhibition by world renowned photographer Simon Annand will present rare images of the privacy actors experience backstage in the half hour before performing on the stage a?" the intense transformation from everyday life that is completely hidden from the audience. To celebrate their 25th anniversary as a prestigious multi-arts organisation, The Half opens this September at the Lawrence Batley Theatre in Huddersfield.

Susan R. Williamson, Director of the Palm Beach Poetry Festival (PBPF), today announced that the 16th annual festival is returning to Old School Square for six days of literary workshops and public events, including readings, talks, interviews, panel discussions and more, January 20-25, 2020.

Following two sold-out seasons at the London Coliseum, the internationally acclaimed St Petersburg Ballet Theatre is set to perform at Bord Gáis Energy Theatre this autumn, with their full-length classic production of Swan Lake. Last year's run in London was such a success that extra performances were added due to unprecedented demand. The 2019 season is strictly limited and takes place between Tuesday 22nd a?" Saturday 26th October, with an extra matinee performance having just been added on Wednesday 23rd October following huge demand for tickets.

Santa Monica Playhouse has been a cultural treasure in the seaside community for 60 years. Now, the Playhouse is giving love back with its Fourth Annual Binge Free Festival (BFF), a full month of free performances, workshops, readings, music and poetry in Santa Monica's ONLY fringe festival. The BFF's primary focus will be on Santa Monica and Los Angeles-based artists.

There has never been a lack of extraordinary talent at United Solo. Year by year, audiences have witnessed some of the most amazing solo artists from all over the world share their talents and stories. Some of these artists have made a particularly incredible mark on the audience's hearts through their performances on the United Solo stage at Theatre Row on 42nd Street in Manhattan. Therefore, during the first two weeks of the 10th anniversary season of United Solo, nearly thirty award-winning performers will be gracing the stage once again in THE BEST OF category.

Susan Williamson, Director of the Palm Beach Poetry Festival, today congratulated Joy Harjo, who will be the Special Guest Poet at the 16th annual festival, for being named the 23rd U.S. Poet Laureate yesterday. A poet, writer and musician from Oklahoma, Harjo-a member of the Muscogee Creek Nation-often draws on Native American stories, languages and myths.

Agatha Christie is missing and barmy ace detective, Miss Clarissa Marbles, needs your help in solving the crime. Was it the cook, the husband, the secret admirer . . . or you? Everyone is a suspect in this fun-filled murder mystery. If you have a criminal record or any skeletons in your closet, she'll find out. And of course don't hesitate to inform on your neighbours. The audience votes on the best solution to this rollicking whodunit and a lovely prize will be awarded to the winner!

PRIVATE LIVES is one of Noel Coward's greatest works. It is timeless in its humour and with the right cast, it is a delightfully hilarious exploration of all sides of love and passion. The cast assembled in the Stratford Festival's production does justice to Coward's clever use of words and wit, all but guaranteeing the audience a fun night out at the theatre.

 National Endowment for the Arts Acting ChairmanMary Anne Carter has approved more than $80 million in grants as part of the Arts Endowment's second major funding announcement for fiscal year 2019.

Susan Williamson, Director of the Palm Beach Poetry Festival, today announced that Joy Harjo will be the Special Guest Poet at the 16th annual festival that will be held January 20-25, 2020 at Old School Square in Delray Beach. An award-winning Native American poet and musician from Oklahoma, Harjo was recently named a Chancellor of the Academy of American Poet.