Michael Grandage News

Casting has been announced for the major London revival of the Jerry Herman/Michael Stewart Hollywood musical, Mack and Mabel at Southwark Playhouse, which runs Thursday 5 July - Saturday 25 August, 2012.

Today we are talking to one of the entertainment industry's most celebrated Broadway/Hollywood crossover stars, who has gone from memorable cameo childhood roles on the big screen in hit properties such as NATIONAL LAMPOON'S VACATION and FATAL ATTRACTION to big Broadway success with her stints in STARLIGHT EXPRESS and GRAND HOTEL later that decade, to small screen success with ALLY MCBEAL in the 90s all the way to Tony-winning and Olivier-winning glory with the sensational revival of NINE in 2003 on Broadway, directed by David Leveaux, and GUYS & DOLLS in the West End, directed by Michael Grandage - as well as three Emmy nominations for her seven-year stint on NBC's richly awarded and highly celebrated Tina Fey comedy 30 ROCK - the precocious, alluring and arousing Jane Krawkowski. Sharing the details about her upcoming concert performance at Town Hall on June 8, Krakowski opens up about the many lauded composers and creators she has collaborated with over the years - Andrew Lloyd Webber, Stephen Sondheim, Marc Shaiman, Scott Wittman, Maury Yeston, Tommy Tune, Steven Spielberg and many more - and what we can expect from her brassy and bawdy solo show, in addition to shedding some light on her Broadway days; whether on roller skates in STARLIGHT EXPRESS and the workshop of XANADU or treading the boards in workshops and productions for master director Tommy Tune. Also, Krakowski clues us in on where her classic 30 ROCK character Jenna Maroney will end up in the final, seventh season of the show that begins shooting in August and reveals her affection for her 30 ROCK and DAMN YANKEES co-star Cheyenne Jackson and their experiences filming the recent live episode (and singing the theme song). Plus, potential future stage roles she would like to essay someday - KISS OF THR SPIDER WOMAN, perhaps? Or, maybe, a reprise of her Adelaide in GUYS & DOLLS? Dot in SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE, even? - as well as Milliken Breakfast Show memories from the 1970s and much, much more!

Spanish conductor Rafael Fruhbeck de Burgos returns to the New York Philharmonic to conduct music from two secular cantatas: selections from Falla's Atlantida, and Orff's complete Carmina burana - which the Orchestra has not performed since 1995 - tonight, May 31, 2012, at 7:30 p.m., Friday, June 1, at 8:00 p.m., and Saturday, June 2, at 8:00 p.m. The international cast that Mr. Fru?hbeck has assembled for these performances features American soprano Erin Morley, American tenor Nicholas Phan (in his Philharmonic debut), South African baritone Jacques Imbrailo (debut), the Spanish chorus Orpheo?n Pamplone?s, Igor Ijurra Ferna?ndez, director (debut), and the Brooklyn Youth Chorus, Dianne Berkun, director.

Just yesterday, Ricky Martin, current star of the revival of EVITA on Broadway, hosted a fundraising event for President Barack Obama in New York City. We previously brought you a video of Martin thanking President Obama for his support of marriage equality and the Latino community, and today we bring you the President's following speech, which includes a shoutout to EVITA. Check it out below!

Producers Hal Luftig and Scott Sanders announced today that the Tony Award Nominated Best Revival of a Musical, Tim Rice's and Andrew Lloyd Webber's EVITA, will launch a first national tour in the fall of 2013 at Providence Performing Arts Center in Providence, Rhode Island. Casting and additional information will be announced at a later date.

Ricky Martin, current star of the revival of EVITA on Broadway, hosted a fundraising event for President Barack Obama today, May 14, in New York City. Martin took a moment to thank President Obama for his support of marriage equality and the Latino community. Watch his speech in the video below!

Outer Critics Circle, the organization of writers and commentators for media covering New York theatre announced today its award winners for the 2011-12 season in 24 categories.

Ricky Martin, currently starring in the new revival of EVITA, will host a fundraising event today, May 14th to support the re-election of President Barack Obama.

Jonas Kaufmann, Marina Poplavskaya, and Rene Pape in New Production of Gounod's Faust on THIRTEEN's Great Performances at the Met, today, May 13 at 12 p.m. on PBS stations, with director Des McAnuff in his Met debut, with Yannick Nezet-Seguin conducting the classic opera for the first time at the Met, Three of the opera world's leading stars-Jonas Kaufmann, Marina Poplavskaya, and Rene Pape-sing the principal roles in a new production of Gounod's Faust, directed by Tony Award winner Des McAnuff in his Met debut. Yannick Nezet-Seguin conducts his first Met performances of the opera, which airs on THIRTEEN's Great Performances at the Met Sunday, May 13 at 12 p.m. on PBS (check local listings). In New York, THIRTEEN premiered the program Thursday, May 10 at 8:30 p.m. with an encore presentation today, May 13 at 12:30 p.m.

Under the MASTERWORKS BROADWAY label, the New Broadway Cast Recording of Evita was recorded in April in anticipation of a June 19th 2012 release. The album is now available for pre-order on Amazon.com. The album cover art has just been released and BroadwayWorld brings you a first look below!

Ricky Martin, currently starring in the new revival of EVITA, will host a fundraising event on May 14th to support the re-election of President Barack Obama.

Ricky Martin and the cast of Broadway's EVITA performed 'And the Money Kept Rolling In' live today on ABC's 'The View.' View the performance below!

Thank you to all those who entered the 'Throw Your Arms Up, Evita!' contest - it was a sheer success! Today, BroadwayWorld is thrilled to congratulate Michael Yavorsky, whose entry won him a trip to New York to see the Tony Award-nominated production and dinner for two at the Chimichurri Grill! Check out his winning entry below, taken on the balcony of the Casa Rosada in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

This Tuesday marked the second most exciting day of any given year for Broadway babies - the Tony Award nominations. The actual awards ceremony on CBS - Broadway's night of nights - is still a few weeks off, but now is certainly an ideal time to size up the competition(s) and see who will most likely walk away with Tony gold come June 10 - and this year's ceremony, more than most before, could very well be as surprising as this season was; or Tuesday's nominations themselves were, for that matter. While the 2011-2012 Broadway season certainly fell far short of the heady promise many ascribed to its prospects way back last Summer, we certainly saw the fulfillment of some big dreams for some notable names if not an all-in-all banner year for Broadway when collectively considered. The highly-praised Off-Broadway critical darling LYSISTRATA JONES landed with a thud early in the season, as did the re-jiggered, gender-bending revival of ON A CLEAR DAY YOU CAN SEE FOREVER and its star Harry Connick, Jr., and, even the lauded and relatively successful revival of Stephen Sondheim's peerless masterpiece FOLLIES failed to make any money and closed. GODSPELL did not fare much better, though it is still running. The two highly-anticipated revivals of Andrew Lloyd Webber's classic early successes JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR and EVITA were met with indifferent reviews - with the latter receiving some nasty press for its stars, neither of whom received Tony nominations - but receptive audiences so far. THE GERSHWINS' PORGY & BESS could take Best Revival, after all - but will NICE WORK's Kelli O'Hara edge out four-time Tony recipient Audra McDonald? New plays did not fare much better than the measly crop of musicals, but OTHER DESERT CITIES and VENUS IN FUR seemed to hit their target demographics squarely, but CLYBOURNE PARK looks to be the frontrunner for Best Play despite all that. We shall see. Mike Nichols may take home another Best Director for his sensitive, if workmanlike revival of Arthur Miller's DEATH OF A SALESMAN, as conceivably could Philip Seymour Hoffman and Andrew Garfield. John Lithgow is offering up some fierce competition in THE COLUMNIST, though. The acting races are tight, for sure, in both plays and musicals, with more newcomers and first-time nominees than any season this century.

The Donmar Warehouse production of "Red" By John Logan, featuring Jonathan Groff and Alfred Molina, directed by Michael Grandage, will begin previews on August 1 and open August 12 at Center Theatre Group/Mark Taper Forum. The show will continue through September 9 on Tuesday through Friday at 8 p.m.; Saturday at 2:30 and 8 p.m.; Sunday at 1 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.

The creative team behind last summer's sold-out, acclaimed Southwark Playhouse musical, Parade - long-listed for The Ned Sherrin Award for Best Musical in the 2011 Evening Standard Awards - are returning to the venue for a major revival of the Jerry Herman/Michael Stewart Hollywood musical, Mack and Mabel. The show runs July 5 - August 25.

Outspoken and always opinionated radio 'shock jock' Howard Stern, the newly appointed judge of 'America's Got Talent,' makes his first guest appearance on THE VIEW live, MAY 10. Stern is the show's sole featured guest for the entire hour and will be seated alongside all five co-hosts.

Jonas Kaufmann, Marina Poplavskaya, and Rene Pape in New Production of Gounod's Faust on THIRTEEN's Great Performances at the Met, Sunday, May 13 at 12 p.m. on PBS stations, with director Des McAnuff in his Met debut, with Yannick Nezet-Seguin conducting the classic opera for the first time at the Met, Three of the opera world's leading stars-Jonas Kaufmann, Marina Poplavskaya, and Rene Pape-sing the principal roles in a new production of Gounod's Faust, directed by Tony Award winner Des McAnuff in his Met debut. Yannick Nezet-Seguin conducts his first Met performances of the opera, which airs on THIRTEEN's Great Performances at the Met Sunday, May 13 at 12 p.m. on PBS (check local listings). In New York, THIRTEEN will premiere the program Thursday, May 10 at 8:30 p.m. with an encore presentation Sunday, May 13 at 12:30 p.m.

Paul Taylor-Mills will present BASH, a new production of Neil LaBute's collection of three darkly brilliant one-act plays, at Barons Court Theatre from Tuesday 5 - Sunday 17 June. James Le Feuvre and Faye Winter, who both appeared in Michael Grandage's production of Hamlet with Jude Law both in the West End End and on Broadway, will star under director Olivia Rowe. Opening night is Wednesday 6 June at 7.45pm.

This week - it's all about EVITA! The show opened April 5th, at Broadway's Marquis Theatre, Directed by Tony and Olivier Award-winner Michael Grandage and choreographed by Tony Award-winner Rob Ashford.