Mike McGowan News

Good morning, BroadwayWorld! Because we know all our readers eat, sleep and breathe Broadway, what could be better than waking up to it? Today's big news: DISASTER! closes off-Broadway, the stars of THE BOOK OF MORMON take to Twitter, and coming up on Sunday, LADY DAY opens on Broadway!

Paper Mill Playhouse continues its 75th Anniversary Season with the classic Rodgers and Hammerstein musical South Pacific. With music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, and book by Oscar Hammerstein II and Joshua Logan, South Pacific is directed by Rob Ruggiero and choreographed by Ralph Perkins. Check out highlights from the production, featuring Erin Mackey, below!

Paper Mill Playhouse continues its 75th Anniversary Season with the classic Rodgers and Hammerstein musical South Pacific. With music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, and book by Oscar Hammerstein II andJoshua Logan, South Pacific is directed by Rob Ruggiero and choreographed by Ralph Perkins. The full company just met the press and BroadwayWorld's Richard Ridge was there for the big event. Check out interviews with the cast and a performance preview below!

Paper Mill Playhouse continues its 75th Anniversary Season with the classic Rodgers and Hammerstein musical South Pacific. With music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, and book by Oscar Hammerstein II and Joshua Logan, South Pacific is directed by Rob Ruggiero and choreographed by Ralph Perkins. BroadwayWorld got an inside look at the rehearsal process- check below for pictures!

Paper Mill Playhouse continue its 75th Anniversary Season with the classic Rodgers and Hammerstein musical South Pacific. With music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, and book by Oscar Hammerstein II and Joshua Logan, South Pacific will be directed by Rob Ruggiero and choreographed by Ralph Perkins. Mike McGowan joins this enchanting cast as Emile de Becque replacing the previously announced Jason Howard.

Mike McGowan, (PRISCILLA, GREASE, RAGTIME) currently on tour in BOOK OF MORMON will reunite with his KISS ME KATE cohort, Broadway veteran Michele Ragusa (YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN, URINETOWN, RAGTIME) to star in a staged concert version of the classic musical with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Matthew Kraemer and directed by James Brennan.

Buffalo native Michele Ragusa, who has been seen on Broadway in Young Frankenstein, Titanic and Ragtime, will play Lilli/Kate in a staged concert version of Cole Porter's Kiss Me, Kate April 27 with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra.The 8 PM performance will be conducted by Matthew Kraemer and directed by James Brennan.

'The Book of Mormon' may be outrageous, irreverent, and puerile in the extreme, but the most offensive thing about this insipid show is its insulting lack of wit.

Mike McGowan, (PRISCILLA, GREASE, RAGTIME) currently on tour in BOOK OF MORMON will reunite with his KISS ME KATE cohort, Broadway veteran Michele Ragusa (YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN, URINETOWN, RAGTIME) to star in a staged concert version of the classic musical with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Matthew Kraemer and directed by James Brennan.

With the help of stars from some of Broadway's biggest hit musicals - including Kinky Boots, Wicked, Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, Hairspray and GHOST The Musical - No Bully raised over $75,000 at the first-ever "Broadway Against Bullying" holiday cabaret which took place on Monday, December 3 at Club Fugazi, home of Steve Silver's Beach Blanket Babylon.

BroadwayWorld collected as many of Saturday's evening Intermission Pics as we could to bring you Part 2 of our November 10th SIP round-up! The evening photos feature the casts of PETER AND THE STARCATCHER, THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, WICKED, ONCE, THE BOOK OF MORMON, MARY POPPINS, SCANADLOUS, BRING IT ON, and quite a few regional theaters getting in on the 'green' theme!

The West Coast Premiere of THE BOOK OF MORMON, winner of nine Tony Awards including Best Musical, officially opened September 12 at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood. Broadway World TV's Los Angeles Correspondent and Co-Producer Michael Sterling and Co-Producer Jerry Evans of JLE Media, Inc. were on hand for the red carpet festivities which included such celebrities as Jason Alexander, Rosanna Arquette, Simon Baker, Eric Balfour, Justin Bartha, Beth Behrs, Juie Bowen, Cher, Don Cheadle, Viola Davis, Heather Graham, Laura Dern, Jonathan Groff, Daryl Hannah, Kathy Griffin, Marica Gay Harden, John Hawkes, Lisa Kudrow, Diane Ladd, Tobey Maquire, Bill Maher, Garry Marshall, Julia Ormand, Dermot Mulroney, Carl Reiner, Parker Posey, Jane Seymour, and Alicia Silverstone. Trey Parker, Robert Lopez and Matt Stone were also in attendance. The much anticipated run of THE BOOK OF MORMON will continue through November 25, 2012.

Arguably the most anticipated Broadway musical to ever hit the road in recent decades, the worship-worthy comedy THE BOOK OF MORMON--whose first national tour is now cheerfully spreading its gospel at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood through November 25--certainly lives up to its massive box office draw, critical and audience acclaim, and, of course, its cart-full of nine well-earned Tony Award wins, including one for Best Musical. A giddy, crass, and surprisingly heart-felt stage show full of winking cynicism, this truly genius creation is, hands down, the best, most thoroughly entertaining musical comedy to ever be mounted on a stage for quite some time. It's rude, crude, and shamelessly offensive... and you're going to adore every single minute of it.

The West Coast Premiere of THE BOOK OF MORMON, winner of nine Tony Awards including Best Musical, is now playing a strictly limited 12-week engagement through November 25, 2012 at the Pantages Theatre in Los Angeles. The official opening night gala is this week, Wednesday September 12 at 7pm. Original Broadway cast member Jared Gertner stars as Elder Cunningham and Broadway star Gavin Creel stars as Elder Price. Featured in THE BOOK OF MORMON are Samantha Marie Ware as Nabulungi, with Grey Henson as Elder McKinley and Kevin Mambo as Mafala Hatimbi. Check out photos of the National Tour cast onstage below!

The First National Tour of THE BOOK OF MORMON launched earlier this month in Denver, running through September 2 at The Ellie Caulkins Opera House. Original Broadway cast member Jared Gertner stars as Elder Cunningham, along with Gavin Creel as Elder Price. Samantha Marie Ware joins as Nabulungi, as well as Grey Henson as Elder McKinley and Kevin Mambo as Mafala Hatimbi. View photos below!

Let's see what the Denver critics had to say...

The First National Tour of THE BOOK OF MORMON launches in Denver today, running through September 2 at The Ellie Caulkins Opera House.

The First National Tour of THE BOOK OF MORMON launches in Denver tomorrow, August 14-September 2 at The Ellie Caulkins Opera House. In the video below, Colorado natives Matt Stone and Trey Parker Chat with In Focus' Eden Lane about creating their first Broadway musical, and launching the tour. Gavin Creel talks about his first visit to Denver, a new appreceation of touring, and reveals his thoughts about taking on a role orginated by a close friend.