Mark O'Donnell News

The Way Off Broadway Dinner Theatre's 2011 Season continues this summer when it brings the Frederick premiere of the smash hit musical comedy Hairspray to the stage.

Beck Center for the Arts is proud to announce its 2010/2011 professional theater season, featuring something for every taste and the reopening of the Studio Theater.

There is so much energy, enthusiasm and heart found in Street Theatre Company's Hairspray that it's certain to keep your spirits buoyed for a long time after leaving the theater. Brought to the stage by a competent creative team and a huge cast of committed performers, the Scott Wittman-Marc Shaiman musical - featuring a book by Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan based on John Waters' wholly original film - Hairspray is great big fun, featuring some lovable characters and one of the most infectious musical theatre scores around.

Hairspray, one of Broadway's most beloved musicals and winner of eight Tony® Awards, including Best New Musical, will have Rep audiences dancing in their seats just in time for spring!

Arkansas Repertory Theatre, or The Rep, will present the musical comedy favorite Hairspray from Friday, April 8 to Sunday, May 8. Two preview performances will play Wednesday, April 6 and Thursday, April 7 at 7 p.m., with a preshow discussion with the directors at 6:15 p.m. This production will be directed and choreographed by Michael Barnard and Robert Kolby Harper.

Goodspeed Musicals will honor the tremendous creative team that introduced the world to Annie nearly 35 years ago when it debuted at the Goodspeed Opera House. The incomparable team of Thomas Meehan, Charles Strouse and Martin Charnin will be celebrated at a Gala evening on Saturday, June 4, 2011 when they will each receive The Goodspeed Award for Outstanding Contribution to Musical Theatre in recognition of their extraordinary careers. Previous award recipients include Julie Andrews, Ira Gershwin, Jerry Herman, William Ivey Long, Michael P. Price, Gerald Schoenfeld, Stephen Schwartz, Susan Stroman, Tommy Tune and Paul Williams. Proceeds from the Gala will support Goodspeed Musicals' Education Programs through The Max Showalter Center for Education in Musical Theatre.

The Way Off Broadway Dinner Theatre's 2011 Season continues this summer when it brings the Frederick premiere of the smash hit musical comedy Hairspray to the stage.

Paul Garman, Executive Director/Producer and Steven Glaudini, Artistic Director/Producer of Musical Theatre West, are proud to announce the 2011-2012 season at the beautiful Carpenter Performing Arts Center in Long Beach.

The Guthrie Theater today announced that Emmy and Tony Award-winning actor David Hyde Pierce will appear for an In Conversation with Joe Dowling on Sunday, March 13, at 7:00 p.m. on the Wurtele Thrust Stage at the Guthrie. Tickets range in price from $25 to $50 and go on sale to the public on February 17 through the Guthrie Theater Box Office at 612.377.2224, toll-free 877.44.STAGE, and online at www.guthrietheater.org.

The Guthrie Theater today announced that Emmy and Tony Award-winning actor David Hyde Pierce will appear for an In Conversation with Joe Dowling on Sunday, March 13, at 7:00 p.m. on the Wurtele Thrust Stage at the Guthrie. Tickets range in price from $25 to $50 and go on sale to the public on February 17 through the Guthrie Theater Box Office at 612.377.2224, toll-free 877.44.STAGE, and online at www.guthrietheater.org.

From the Cast of ANYTHING GOES and SPIDER-MAN, to the Ladies of THE VIEW, Raul Esparza, Barbra Streisand, Alan Menken, Bernadette Peters, Susan Boyle, Kelsey Grammer, GLEE and everyone in between...it's the BroadwayWorld.com 2011 Valentine's Day Special! Its Biggest Ever!

First reported by BroadwayWorld.com back in December, the Hollywood Bowl has now officially confirmed that they have chosen their summer musical... Drum roll please... HAIRSPRAY! The Hollywood Bowl has been knocking these musicals out of the ballpark these last three years with LES MISERABLES, GUYS & DOLLS and RENT.

Roundabout Theatre Company (Todd Haimes, Artistic Director) is pleased to announce the world premiere of the new musical Death Takes a Holiday, with a book by Peter Stone & Thomas Meehan, music & lyrics by Maury Yeston, directed by Doug Hughes. Death Takes a Holiday is based on the dramatic play by Alberto Casella, rewritten for the American stage by Walter Ferris, and originally produced by Messrs. Shubert.

Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre's 38th season is filled with fabulous favorites and exciting new shows for a big and beautiful 2011!

Beck Center for the Arts is proud to announce its 2010/2011 professional theater season, featuring something for every taste and the reopening of the Studio Theater.

New Line Theatre, 'the Bad Boy of Musical Theatre,' will open the company's season of rock theatre in October 2011 with the St. Louis premiere of PASSING STRANGE, the all-black Broadway musical about a young man searching for meaning and authenticity in our contemporary world.

Marquee Productions presents the Broadway sensation, Hairspray, at the Montgomery Theater in downtown San Jose, December 3 - 12, 2010. Winner of eight Tony Awards and four prestigious Laurence Olivier Awards, including 'Best Musical,' this smash-hit musical about a girl with big hair, a big heart and big dance numbers is piled high with bouffant laughter, romance and deliriously fun show tunes. Hairspray is directed by Children's Musical Theater San Jose's Artistic Director Kevin R. Hauge.

Perhaps the Broadway musical would enjoy a complete and total renaissance of quality if only Thomas Meehan would agree to co-author the book of every new show that hits town.  The writer whose main stem debut was the perfectly crafted Annie has gone on to spend the bulk of his career co-authoring with the likes of Mel Brooks, Mark O'Donnell and Lee Adams.  And while I'm certainly not dismissing the contributions of his collaborators, the Thomas Meehan name in a Playbill seems to guarantee that no matter how the dialogue and the score turn out, the elements will be housed in a sturdy structure that firmly establishes its story arc, gives us reasons to care about the characters and steadily glides along to a satisfying conclusion.

We are hearing HUGE rumblings that the Hollywood Bowl has chosen their summer musical... Drum roll please... HAIRSPRAY! The Hollywood Bowl has been knocking these musicals out of the ballpark these last three years with LES MISERABLES, GUYS & DOLLS and RENT.

Marquee Productions presents the Broadway sensation, Hairspray, at the Montgomery Theater in downtown San Jose, December 3 - 12, 2010. Winner of eight Tony Awards and four prestigious Laurence Olivier Awards, including 'Best Musical,' this smash-hit musical about a girl with big hair, a big heart and big dance numbers is piled high with bouffant laughter, romance and deliriously fun show tunes. Hairspray is directed by Children's Musical Theater San Jose's Artistic Director Kevin R. Hauge.