Menier Chocolate Factory News

London's theatre The Menier Chocolate Factory, with American producer Bob Boyett, have signed a three-year partnership to present Chocolate Factory productions in the United States.

Take Flight is a new musical by award-winning song writing duo Richard Maltby, Jr., and David Shire, with book by John Weidman. The creative team sees the award-winning trio of Sam Buntrock (Director), David Farley (Designer) and Caroline Humphris (Musical Supervisor) return fresh from their Olivier Award-winning success with Sunday in the Park with George.

The current revival of Little Shop of Horrors will vacat its current home, The Duke of Yorks, and set up shop at The New Ambassadors.

The Menier Chocolate Factory's hit revival of Little Shop of Horrors, which moved to the West End earlier this year, will switch from the Duke of York's to the Ambassadors Theatre (formerly the New Ambassadors).

Whatsonstage.com reports that Ian Bartholomew (Tommy, Into the Woods), Michael Jibson (Our House, Brighton Rock), Sam Kenyon (Sweeney Todd, Amadeus) and Elliot Levey (Beauty and the Beast) and Whatsonstage.com Award winner Sally Ann Triplett in the world premiere of Take Flight, the new musical by Richard Maltby Jr. and David Shire, set for its world premiere at London's Menier Chocolate Factory July 13, before running July 25-September 22.

After a jam-packed Autumn season last year, with 8 musicals in 8 weeks, the West End goes one better and gives us 10 musicals to look forward to over the summer months. With Broadway imports, popular reality TV cast musicals, new musicals and short-run revivals, there's certainly something for everyone, so read on for the full lowdown..

Following its staging of the UK premieres of musicals 'Tick, Tick Boom' in 2005 and 'The Last Five Years' in 2006, the Menier Chocolate Factory will go one better this summer by staging the World Premiere of the new Maltby and Shire musical, 'Take Flight' from July 25 to September 22 (previewing from July 13). The Menier will hope to repeat the success of its other 2005 musical production, 'Sunday In the Park With George', as 'Take Flight' reunites the artistic team that presented the award winning Sondheim revival - director Sam Buntrock and designer David Farley.

Roundabout Theatre Company, in association with Boyett Ostar Productions, David Babani, Caro Newling for Neal Street Productions and Mark Rubinstein, has announced that Olivier Award winners Daniel Evans and Jenna Russell will reprise their roles as George and Dot in The Menier Chocolate Factory's Olivier Award winning production of Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine's Pulitzer Prize winning musical Sunday in the Park with George, directed by Sam Buntrock.

Whatsonstage.com reports that The Menier Chocolate Factory is premiering a new play by Jonathan Lewis and Miranda Foster. The husband/wife writing team's last play, Our Boys, was a hit at the Donmar Warehouse in 1995.

Take Flight, a new musical by Richard Maltby Jr. and David Shire 'about flying, about the invention of the airplane, about creativity, and about the human need to take risks' will have its world premiere at London's Menier Chocolate Factory.

The West End transfer of the Menier Chocolate Factory revival of Little Shop of Horrors begins previews March 6, and will officially open at London's Duke of York's Theatre March 12.

Sunday in the Park with George dominates the Laurence Olivier Awards, Jason Robert Brown's Parade comes to London and Daniel Radcliffe gets naked on stage..

Artistic Director Michael Grandage has announced that the new season at London's Donmar Warehouse will include the Jason Robert Brown/Alfred Urhy musical 'Parade'. This will be the long overdue West End premiere of one of the most controversial and powerful pieces of musical theatre to have graced a Broadway stage during the 1990s.

The Roundabout Theatre Company will most likely be bringing the hit Menier Chocolate Factory production of Sunday in the Park with George to Broadway next season

The Menier Chocolate Factory's hit revival of Little Shop of Horrors will extend its tendrils into the West End this spring

Kathleen Turner and Rufus Sewell are among the winners of the London Evening Standard Awards

The possibility of a Broadway transfer of the Menier Chocolate Factory's hit revival of Sunday in the Park with George is looking increasinly likely

Daniel Radcliffe gets naked in Equus, Maria Von Trapp turns reality TV star, Harold Pinter plans London stage return and Sunday plans a Broadway transfer

The producers of Sunday in the Park With George have confirmed that the show will close on September 2nd, following a successful run which began on May 13th

A weekly column on Broadway, Baltimore, and Washington theater.