Portia News

Just in time for previews, which start tonight 11 February in the West End, MOTOWN THE MUSICAL has announced an extension through 18 February 2017. The Daily Mail revealed this evening that 200,000 new tickets are now on sale.

Charl Brown (Smokey Robinson) and Sifiso Mazibuko (Marvin Gaye) join Cedric Neal (Berry Gordy) and Lucy St. Louis (Diana Ross) in the West End production of MOTOWN THE MUSICAL, beginning tonight 11 February 2016 with press night on 8 March 2016.

Freestyle Digital Media, the recently-acquired Digital Film Distribution of Entertainment Studios, announced today that the New York-set mobster farce FRIENDS AND ROMANS will be released on VOD on March 8th, 2016.

Titan Theatre Company Artistic Director Lenny Banovez and Producer Kevin Beebee announced today the concept, full cast and creative team for Titan Theatre Company's ambitious new production of Julius Caesar, Shakespeare's brilliant political drama. Performances begin at Queens Theatre in Flushing Meadows Park on March 25th, 2016 and will run through April 10, 2016. 

Katy Lipson for Aria Entertainment and Guy James will present FOREVER PLAID, directed and staged by Grant Murphy. Lighting design by Ben Rogers at St. James Studio, London from 5 - 24 April 2016. Press Performance:  Friday, 8 April at 8pm.

?Connecticut Repertory Theatre will present Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility by adapted for the stage by Joseph Hanreddy and J.R. Sullivan as the fourth show of its 2015-2016 season. The show is directed by Kristin Wold, a faculty member at UConn and member of Shakespeare & Company in Lenox, MA.  Sense and Sensibility will be held in the Harriet S. Jorgenson Theatre from February 25 through March 6, 2016. For tickets and information please visit crt.uconn.edu or call (860) 486 2113.

There is no perfect way to realize Shakespeare's vision, but employing an all-female cast is apt to be among the less successful ways. In the alternative, you can say the hell with realizing Shakespeare's vision, and simply have fun with your own. And that, I think, is the approach that director Wendy C. Goldberg has chosen to pursue at Center Stage

Through February 6th, Intrepid Fringe is staging the classic Shakespearean tragedy JULIUS CAESAR - with a twist. Set in the year 4000 CE in a galaxy far away, the play, written with only two small speaking roles for women, has been partially gender swapped, with six women now commanding lead roles. Today Broadwayworld.com talks to the co-owners of Intrepid Fringe hal evans (also JULIUS CAESAR's director) and Tracy Hults about the challenges and the relevance of JULIUS CAESAR and what happens when you gender swap one of Shakespeare's most manly of plays.

Grace Gummer will appear as a series regular in the second season of USA Network's hit drama series MR. ROBOT.

Labyrinth Theater Company presents the New York premiere of The Way West by Mona Mansour. The production, February 25-April 6, is directed by Labyrinth Artistic Director Mimi O'Donnell and features Labyrinth Company Member and Obie award-winner Deirdre O'Connell. The Way West is a new, offbeat comedy about life and debt.

Two of television's hottest series are joining the diverse lineup of events at this year's PaleyFest LA, the William S. Paley Television Festival celebrating TV's most acclaimed series.

Lannie's Clocktower Cabaret will be celebrating the month of love with some fun shows and lovely Valentine offerings. Plus, Lannie Garrett returns with her cult show, 'The Hilarious Patsy DeCline Show' on Saturday, February 27th at 8pm (continues Saturdays through April 9th).

The Obie Award-winning Foundry Theatre will continue its tradition of producing theater laced with radical politics by artists and thinkers at the forefront of experimentation with the world premiere of O, EARTH, tonight, January 23, through February 20, 2016 at HERE.

Roundabout Theatre Company has confirmed the lineup for its fifth annual Roundabout Underground Reading Series this morning, a five-night event that includes nightly readings of new works written and directed by emerging artists, as well as curtain speeches by Roundabout Underground artist alumni and post-show receptions. The Reading Series will feature new works by Ben Steinfeld, Alexander Gemignani, Jireh Breon Holder, Sylvia Khoury, Martin Zimmerman and Jessica Moss.

A Sephardic-themed production of Shakespeare's MERCHANT OF VENICE -- with an added score of Jewish ladino songs -- debuts this month at the Center for Jewish History (15 W. 16 St.) in New York City.  MERCHANT is the first of three professional productions with Sephardic themes to be presented by American Sephardi Federation; subsequent productions include NABUCCO in April and OTHELLO in June.

On the heels of winning the Golden Globe for Best TV Drama, MR. ROBOT, the most buzzed-about show of 2015, is releasing its first season Blu-ray/DVD on Tuesday, January 12th. The show, a trippy look into the mind of an unstable hacker anarchist hell-bent on leveling the financial playing field, received both critical and public acclaim when it debuted in June. Showrunner Sam Esmail created a world in which nothing was what it seems, prompting the online intelligentsia to speculate about what was actually going on.

Hailed as one of the year's best new series, USA Network's hit drama from Universal Cable Productions, MR. ROBOT has viewers and critics buzzing with excitement.

A Sephardic-themed production of Shakespeare's MERCHANT OF VENICE -- with an added score of Jewish ladino songs -- debuts this month at the Center for Jewish History (15 W. 16 St.) in New York City.  MERCHANT is the first of three professional productions with Sephardic themes to be presented by American Sephardi Federation; subsequent productions include NABUCCO in April and OTHELLO in June.

As rehearsals begin for the West End production of Motown the Musical, full casting is announced  led by Cedric Neal as Berry Gordy, Lucy St. Louis as Diana Ross, Charl Brown as Smokey Robinson andSifiso Mazibuko as Marvin Gaye. Check out a sneak peek below!

There was a time when the movie was considered the epitome of pop culture entertainment. At the cinema you could find comedy, action, romance, intriguing characters, and the most creative minds in America. While there is still all of the above in movies today, television is quickly stealing the popular artistic prestige that movies has enjoyed since snatching it from the musical theatre six decades ago.