Norma Valverde News

New Line Theatre, 'the bad boy of musical theatre, ' closes its 23rd season of adult, alternative musical theatre with the American regional premiere, straight from Broadway, of the country-rock musical HANDS ON A HARDBODY, running May 29-June 21 (May 29 is a preview). New Line is the first company in the country to produce this show since its Broadway run last season.

Cameron Mackintosh's acclaimed new production of Alain Boublil & Claude-Michel Schonberg's Tony Award-winning musical masterpiece LES MISERABLES begins previews on Broadway tomorrow, Saturday, March 1 at the Imperial Theatre. The official opening night for LES MISERABLES is Sunday, March 23. Scroll down to learn more about the full cast, plus watch a video of the company in rehearsal!

Casting is complete for the leads of the upcoming 2014 Broadway revival of LES MISERABLES, and Cameron Mackintosh announced today that acclaimed Canadian actor Cliff Saunders (The 39 Steps) and Tony Award-nominee Keala Settle (Hands on a Hardbody), will play the Thenardiers in his new production of Alain Boublil & Claude-Michel Schonberg's Tony Award-winning musical.

New Line's season closes with the regional premiere of this new rock musical, inspired by true events, with music and lyrics by Amanda Green (High Fidelity, Bring It On), music by Trey Anastasio (of the rock band Phish), and a script by Doug Wright (Pulitzer Prize winner, I Am My Own Wife), adapted from the 1997 documentary of the same name.

As a fan of S.R. Bindler's acclaimed and quirky 1997 documentary, I closely followed the creation and development of HANDS ON A HARDBODY. Previews for the initial La Jolla Playhouse production begin in April 2012, and it officially opened on May 12. The musical was well received by critics and audiences alike in California, generating buzz for it transfer to Broadway. The entire La Jolla cast reunited for the New York premiere of the show, which started previews on February 23, 2013 and officially opened at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre on March 21, 2013. Sadly, the well-reviewed small show had a hard time finding an audience and had its final Broadway bow on Saturday, April 13. However, Ghostlight Records excited fans and those of us who were interested in the project when that announced they'd be recording an Original Broadway Cast Recording on that same fateful Saturday in April.

Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's names have become synonymous with musical theatre. Even if you've never seen a musical on stage or don't care for the art form it's almost a definite that you have at least heard of their works: Jesus Christ Superstar, Evita, and Phantom of the Opera. JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT is yet another highlight of the pair's resume, and having been performed all over the world for nearly 30 years, it has become a beloved favorite of theatre goers. The Ogunquit Playhouse's new production of JOSEPH… will leave no doubt in your mind as to why this musical is so loved.

La Jolla Playhouse, in association with the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, has announced casting for its re-imagining of Henry Krieger (music) and Bill Russell's (book and lyrics) Side Show, produced in association with the Kennedy Center. Helmed by Academy Award-winning director Bill Condon and choreographed by Anthony Van Laast, the production will run in the Playhouse's Mandell Weiss Theatre November 5 - December 15, 2013 and will run in the Kennedy Center Eisenhower Theater June 14 - July 13, 2014. Tickets for the Playhouse run go on sale September 8 and are available atLaJollaPlayhouse.org or by calling Patron Services at (858) 550-1010.

Fordham, Drama Desk held a panel this past Monday, June 17th with stars of screen and television discussing their Broadway debuts. The event was held at the Pope Auditorium, Lincoln Center campus and was moderated by Robin Milling, Drama Desk member and the host of Milling About on Blogtalk Radio. BroadwayWorld brings you photos from the event below!

The Drama Desk will present its Summer Panel Discussion tonight, June 17th at 6:30 pm at the Pope Auditorium on the Lincoln Center campus of Fordham University. Entitled 'Making My Broadway Debut,' the panel will feature stars of screen and television discussing their Broadway debuts.

The Drama Desk will present its Summer Panel Discussion on Monday, June 17th at 6:30 pm at the Pope Auditorium on the Lincoln Center campus of Fordham University. Entitled “Making My Broadway Debut,” the panel will feature stars of screen and television discussing their Broadway debuts.

HANDS ON A HARDBODY will play its final performance tonight, April 13, 2013, after playing 28 preview and 28 regular performances at Broadway's Brooks Atkinson Theatre (256 West 47th Street). Hands on a Hardbody began previews on Saturday, February 23, 2013 and officially opened on Thursday, March 21, 2013. Below, BroadwayWorld takes you back through HANDS ON A HARDBODY's journey from La Jolla to Broadway!

Musicals Tonight! continues its ongoing salute to Broadway and Off-Broadway Standbys, Understudies and Alternates with its next edition of At This Performance… to be held tonight, April 7th at The Lion Theatre, 410 West 42nd Street at 7 PM.

Musicals Tonight! continues its ongoing salute to Broadway and Off-Broadway Standbys, Understudies and Alternates with its next edition of At This Performance… to be held on Sunday, April 7th at The Lion Theatre, 410 West 42nd Street at 7 PM.

The new American musical Hands on a Hardbody just celebrated opening night on March 21, at Broadway's Brooks Atkinson Theatre (256 West 47th Street). Inspired by true events and based on the acclaimed 1997 documentary of the same name, the musical tells the story of ten Texans with dreams of changing their lives by winning a truck. BroadwayWorld recently chatted with the show's stars about bringing the stories of real people to life on the Broadway stage, and in this final video of the series, Hunter Foster discusses his real-life counterpart- Benny Perkins.

The new American musical Hands on a Hardbody just celebrated opening night on March 21, at Broadway's Brooks Atkinson Theatre (256 West 47th Street). Inspired by true events and based on the acclaimed 1997 documentary of the same name, the musical tells the story of ten Texans with dreams of changing their lives by winning a truck. BroadwayWorld recently chatted with the show's stars about bringing the stories of real people to life on the Broadway stage, and in the video below, Keala Settle discusses her real-life counterpart- Norma Valverde.

The new American musical Hands on a Hardbody just celebrated opening night last night, March 21, at Broadway's Brooks AtkinsonTheatre (256 West 47th Street). BroadwayWorld was there for the cast's first official Broadway bow and you can check out full coverage from the curtain call below!

The new American musical Hands on a Hardbody just celebrated opening night last night, March 21, at Broadway's Brooks AtkinsonTheatre (256 West 47th Street). The cast and creative team gathered at the Roseland Ballroom with their real-life counterparts from the documentary on which the musical is based. BroadwayWorld was there for all of the opening festivities and you can check out photos from the after party below!

Recently, La Jolla Playhouse's world premiere of HANDS ON A HARDBODY, starring Tony Award-nominees Keith Carradine, Hunter Foster and Mary GorDon Murray, previewed their songs in a rehearsal hall, and the production team talked about the show.

HANDS-ON-A-HARDBODY-Opens-at-La-Jolla-Playhouse-20010101 La Jolla Playhouse's world premiere of Hands on a Hardbody, starring Tony Award-nominees Keith Carradine, Hunter Foster and Mary Gordon Murray, as well as Allison Case and more, opens tonight, May 12, and runs through June 17, 2012 in the Mandell Weiss Theatre. The commissioned musical has a book by Pulitzer Prize winner Doug Wright (I Am My Own Wife, Creditors), lyrics by Amanda Green (High Fidelity), music by Trey Anastasio (lead singer of the popular band Phish) and Amanda Green, with direction by Neil Pepe (Speed-the-Plow) and musical staging by Benjamin Millepied (BLACK SWAN).

La Jolla Playhouse's Hands on a Hardbody will run through June 17, 2012 in the Mandell Weiss Theatre. The world-premiere, commissioned musical has a book by Pulitzer Prize winner Doug Wright (I Am My Own Wife, Creditors), lyrics by Amanda Green (High Fidelity), music by Trey Anastasio (lead singer of the popular band Phish) and Amanda Green, with direction by Neil Pepe (Speed-the-Plow) and musical staging by Benjamin Millepied (BLACK SWAN).