Philip Quast News

Tickets go on sale today for the world premiere of new stage musical From Here to Eternity. The show will preview at the Shaftesbury Theatre from 30th September with Press Night on 23rd October 2013. Tickets can be bought from FromHereToEternityTheMusical.com or by calling box office on 020 7379 5399.

Today we are talking to the king of the modern musical and the most successful theatrical producer in history - the man behind the original productions of countless iconic musicals, among them: LES MISERABLES, THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, CATS, MISS SAIGON, STARLIGHT EXPRESS and MARY POPPINS - the one and only Cameron Mackintosh. Looking back at many of his most remarkable musicals to date and also some of his lesser-known success d'estime projects - such as THE FIX - Mackintosh reveals his dedication and passion for the performing arts and discusses many aspects of his legendary shows and displays the characteristic charm and insight that has gotten him to his enviable position over his forty years producing for Broadway, the West End and around the world. Most importantly, Mackintosh and I analyze the mega-successful feature film adaptation of LES MISERABLES, directed by Tom Hooper, and Mackintosh relates many fascinating insights as to the musical's original genesis and the journey of the film from page to stage to screen - such as working with original composer/lyricist team Claude-Michel Schoenberg, Alain Boublil and Herbert Kretzmer on creating new musical material explicitly for the movie, as well as the audition and casting process for the central characters. Looking ahead, Mackintosh shares thoughts on potential MISS SAIGON and OLIVER feature film adaptations in the future and gamely speculates on casting for each, while also giving us the scoop on a new stage production of BARNUM he is producing, set to star Christopher Fitzgerald, and the exciting enhancements being made to the well-regarded musical for this new revised and reconceived production. All of that, Mackintosh's thoughts on the enduring legacy of THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA and the recent Royal Albert Hall 25th Anniversary Celebration and Broadway anniversary, as well as comments on the new touring productions of LES MISERABLES and PHANTOM coming later this year and next year, as well as the major 2014 LES MISERABLES and MISS SAIGON revivals set for the main-stage of the West End and Broadway - and much, much more!

Emma Rucastle gives her verdict on the most high-profile Les Mis casts...

We've asked a few Les Mis obsessives to compare the movie casts with the others immortalised on recordings and on film...

While many MIZ-heads may have assumed the film adaptation of their beloved musical would never actually come to fruition, here it really is, all too soon available for all to see - lo, more than twenty years after it was first announced byway of an official promo ad in a tour souvenir going as far back as the late-1980s. I was lucky enough to catch an advance screening during the dawning days of December and many small moments, full musical sequences and my first impressions themselves have filled me with a certain kind of inexpressible enrapturing ecstasy heretofore inexperienced, coming as a direct result, no doubt, of the sheer force of power the film exacts in its relentless, barreling, blazingly bravado-bedecked style - a style, I can firmly say, is completely unique in movie history. LES MISERABLES is a lot of things, but, first and foremost, it is that which it is unlike that makes it most remarkable of all; that is: it is unlike any movie musical ever made. And, it is a masterpiece.

The highly-anticipated film version of LES MISERABLES is now in theaters! To celebrate the release, BroadwayWorld brings you an in-depth look at the characters and the actors who portray them. Today, it's all about Inspector Javert (Russell Crowe)!

In 2013 MTC presents four world premieres from some of Australia's most accomplished playwrights and five Australian premieres of works from UK, Europe, South Africa and USA. Melbourne Theatre Company celebrates the opening of its 2013 season and 60th anniversary year with the Australian premiere of THE OTHER PLACE by Sharr White.

Pamela Rabe and Philip Quast star in the classic screwball comedy, His Girl Friday which opens Thursday 16 August 2012 at 8pm at Arts Centre Melbourne, Playhouse in its Australian premiere.

DOMA Theatre Company continues its 2012 musical season with a collection of stories by multiple award-winning composer/lyricist Jason Robert Brown, opens tonight, May 11 at The MET Theatre in Los Angeles. Marco Gomez directs, Dolf Ramos is musical director and Angela Todaro choreographs. The cast is comprised of four singers: Andrea Arvanigian, Malek Hanna, Mookie Johnson and Joanne O'Brien.

Broadway composer Jason Robert Brown has just announced in his blog the release of two seperate sheet music book and accompaniment CD sets of his music. He writes: 'My editor at Hal Leonard, the estimable Rick Walters, called me in 2010 with the idea that we should do a book-and-CD folio of me playing accompaniments to my own songs, with a male and female edition. I thought it was a fantastic idea, and now it's finally out in the world!' The Female edition and Male edition are both available on Amazon.com, as well as iTunes and Sheet Music Direct.

The producers of the current Australian tour of Yes, Prime Minister starring Philip Quast as the suave and cynical Cabinet Secretary, Sir Humphrey Appleby and Mark Owen-Taylor as the embattled Prime Minister Jim Hacker, have announced an additional preview performance of the West End comedy hit on Tuesday 22 May at 6.30pm.

DOMA Theatre Company continues its 2012 musical season with a collection of stories by multiple award-winning composer/lyricist Jason Robert Brown, opens on May 11 at The MET Theatre in Los Angeles. Marco Gomez directs, Dolf Ramos is musical director and Angela Todaro choreographs. The cast is comprised of four singers: Andrea Arvanigian, Malek Hanna, Mookie Johnson and Joanne O'Brien.

Today we are talking to the composing half of one of the most talented and consistently exciting songwriting teams in musical theatre, Dempsey/Rowe - the force behind ZOMBIE PROM, THE FIX, THE WITCHES OF EASTWICK, and, now, the brand new rock musical at Washington, D.C.'s lauded and progressive Signature Theatre, BROTHER RUSSIA - Dana Rowe. Discussing the finer details of his previous collaborations with John Dempsey on the West End iterations of THE FIX and THE WITCHES OF EASTWICK, as well as their subsequent American premieres at the Signature, Rowe and I dissect his career thus far, with a particular focus on his edgy new hard rock theatre piece, BROTHER RUSSIA, directed by frequent Dempsey/Rowe director, previous InDepth InterView participant Eric Schaeffer. In addition to all about the boundary-breaking and genre-spanning BROTHER RUSSIA and his other notable musicals, Rowe and I also outline his influences and his own personal favorite scores, as well as shine a light on his enthusiasm for the musical genre at large and what makes his exceedingly complimentary partnership with Dempsey so elemental to the success of their risky and rewarding shows, ZOMBIE PROM until now. All of that and much, much more!

Starving Artist Studios, a new performing arts training facility in Central Florida, brings Tony-Award winning composer and lyricist Jason Robert Brown to Orlando for a Concert and Master Class.

Starving Artist Studios, a new performing arts training facility in Central Florida, brings Tony-Award winning composer and lyricist Jason Robert Brown to Orlando for a Concert and Master Class.

After an intense internal auditing process, the results are in for the 2011 Australia Awards! This year's awards broke traffic records and we couldn't be more excited to announce the 2011 BroadwayWorld Australia Award winners!

Today we are taking a look at the very best theatre-related entities in a variety of different categories - books, music, television, film, and, of course, theatre - as we look back on 2011 and all of the many marvelous moments of excitement, passion, joy and exultation that only theatre and theatre-related projects can possibly hope to provide. From Stephen Sondheim's LOOK, I MADE A HAT on the bookshelves of every Broadway baby worth their weight in sequins to Neil Patrick Harris and Patti LuPone in Sondheim's COMPANY on the big screen courtesy of Fathom to the stunning Broadway revival of FOLLIES starring Bernadette Peters and its tremendous new cast album, all the way to the thrills and chills of Andrew Lloyd Webber's PHANTOM OF THE OPERA LIVE AT THE ROYAL ALBERT HALL on the big screen and Blu-ray to the BOOK OF MORMON breaking Broadway records and even TV's best drama and comedy, both from mastermind Ryan Murphy - GLEE and AMERICAN HORROR STORY. Plus, we also have top film picks in the categories of Drama and Comedy, as well as the best of the best of them all, with Lars Von Trier's apocalyptic masterpiece MELANCHOLIA, George Clooney's play adaptation THE IDES OF MARCH and the 80s music video stylized thriller/drama DRIVE topping the list. All of that and a whole lot more awaits in this all-encompassing look back at the theatrical highlights in all entertainment realms in 2011, as well as a look ahead to what we cannot wait for in 2012!

It's almost over! There's just THREE days of voting remaining for the 2011 Australia Awards and here is the latest update! Have you voted yet, and helped to spread the word to support your favorites in the hopes that they will be the recipients of a 2011 BroadwayWorld Australia Award? There is no time to waste, click on the voting link and make your opinion count! Below are the stats so far as of Monday December 26, 2011. Voting ends at midnight on 12/31 so time is running out.

There's just days left to go in voting for the 2011 Australia Awards and here is the latest update! Have you voted yet, and helped to spread the word to support your favorites in the hopes that they will be the recipients of a 2011 BroadwayWorld Australia Award?