Mike Nadajewski News

The Stratford Festival is celebrating the 450th anniversary of the birth of William Shakespeare all season long, with five Shakespeare productions on its stages and a series of more than 20 special events at the Forum.

The 2014 season is off to a strong start, with brisk advance ticket sales. To meet demand, the Stratford Festival is adding performances of Antony and Cleopatra and A Midsummer Night's Dream: A Chamber Play.

It's Saturday, and that means it's time for BroadwayWorld's 'Saturday Intermission Pics' round-up. Today's photos come from the casts of SOUL DOCTOR, TOP HAT in the West End, KINKY BOOTS, ANYTHING GOES, MAMMA MIA!, THE FANTASTICKS, WICKED, PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, MATILDA, THE BOOK OF MORMON, MOTOWN, and HELLO, DOLLY! at Goodspeed and more!

Stratford Festival's production of FIDDLER ON THE ROOF leaves very few human emotions un-experienced by its characters and the audience alike. It explores: human values, happiness in everyday life, newfound love, fear of changes-big and small, the agony and frustration that comes from ignorance and discrimination, and the internal conflict of trying to rectify what you believe with what that means for those you love. This musical is about tradition, joy, heartache, change, faith, family, and most of all…LIFE. FIDDLER is a beloved classic, and to say Director/Choreographer, Donna Feore's production does it justice, is an understatement. First class acting, singing, and dancing; beautiful music; clever set design, and…did I say DANCING? This timeless musical is sure to dazzle audiences of all ages.

It's Saturday, and that means it's time for BroadwayWorld's 'Saturday Intermission Pics' round-up. Today's photos feature NYC Pride-inspired pics from MATILDA, THE NANCE, THE FANTASTICKS, and Stratford Festival's FIDDLER ON THE ROOF, plus images from THE BOOK OF MORMON, KINKY BOOTS, TOP HAT, and lots of regional shows!

The Stratford Festival kicked off it's 61st season with a 'original principles' version of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, starring Daniel Briere and Sara Topham and directed by Tim Carroll. BWW was on hand to review the first show of the season.

The Festival Theatre stage will transform into a small Jewish village through the heartwarming tale of hope, faith and tradition that is Fiddler on the Roof. One of Broadway's longest-running and most celebrated musicals begins previews in Stratford on Tuesday, April 23, marking the first performance of the 2013 season.

BroadwayWorld's Senior Photographer Walter McBride has picked his favorite onstage photos from the year and you can check out his full collection below! CLICK HERE to check out Part 2.

Following celebrated runs at the Toronto Stratford Shakespeare Festival, the La Jolla Playhouse in San Diego, and on Broadway at the Neil Simon Theatre, JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR takes its final Broadway bow tonight, July 1. Upon closing, the show will have played 116 regular performances and 24 preview performances. One of Andrew Lloyd Webber's most famous shows, the Stratford production undeniably had a great run and introduced some exciting new stars to the Great White Way, including Tony nominee Josh Young, Jesus himself Paul Nolan, and Chilina Kennedy. Below, BroadwayWorld revisits the journey of SUPERSTAR!

As BroadwayWorld reported last week the Broadway production of JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR announced that unless business improves, the musical will close at the Neil Simon Theatre on Sunday, July 1. Now according to the show's official website, the production will indeed take its final bow on July 1. As of that date, the show will have played 116 regular performances and 24 previews.

The producers of the Broadway production of JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR have announced that unless business improves, the musical will close at the Neil Simon Theatre on Sunday, July 1. As of that date, the show will have played 116 regular performances and 24 previews.

My first dose of musical theater was through my uncle's old screechy phonograph recording of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's hippie, loud, angst-laden rock musical "Jesus Christ Superstar" (JCS). The classic stage hit, which was originally a concept album before evolving into a full-blown Broadway musical that follows the passion and death of Jesus Christ as seen through the eyes of Judas Iscariot, had completed its three-year run on Broadway (1971-1973), and its first commercial movie release (1973) by the time I got to experience JCS's electrifying, personally-impactful songs in the '80s though. So when the Stratford Shakespeare Festival in Toronto, Canada announced late last year that its critically-acclaimed, deemed revolutionary production of JCS, directed by Tony winner Des McAnuff, was coming to Broadway, I was delighted to hear the news; and more so when I learned that three Filipino-Canadian musical theater artists - brothers Julius and Jason Sermonia, and Laurin Padolina - are part of the show.

Josh Young and the cast of the Tony nominated Broadway musical JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR performed 'Superstar' on ABC's THE VIEW today. Check out the electric performance below!

The cast of the Tony®-Nominated Broadway revival JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR will perform on 'The View' today, May 24th at 11:00 am ET/PT on ABC.

BroadwayWorld has confirmed that on May 25, Leo Ash Evens will replace Jonathan Winsby as Phillip in Broadway's JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR, due to an injury. Evens will remain with the production through July 1.

Do you ever wonder what your favorite Broadway, Off-Broadway, National Tour and regional stars are doing during intermission? Thanks to NEWSIES' Andrew Keenan-Bolger (@KeenanBlogger), dedicated performers and excited fans, now you can see for yourself.

The cast of the Tony®-Nominated Broadway revival JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR will perform on 'The View' on Thursday, May 24th at 11:00 am ET/PT on ABC.

Josh Young, who is starring as 'Judas' in Broadway's JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR after originating the role in both the Startford and La Jolla productions of the show, returned to the production on Friday evening, April 13th after successfully battling laryngitis. Audience members there for his return tell us that Young returned to the show feeling healthy and sounding great.

Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR, directed by the Stratford Shakespeare Festival's Artistic Director and 2-time Tony Award winner Des McAnuff, JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR just opened on March 22, 2012 at the Neil Simon Theatre (250 West 52nd Street). Earlier today, Paul Nolan performed 'God Bless America' at the Yankees home opener during the seventh-inning stretch. Click here to watch his performance!

Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR, directed by the Stratford Shakespeare Festival's Artistic Director and 2-time Tony Award winner Des McAnuff, JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR just opened on March 22, 2012 at the Neil Simon Theatre (250 West 52nd Street). In the video below, Chilina Kennedy, who plays Mary in the show, chats with NBC New York about making her Broadway debut in the show. Click below to hear what she had to say!