Preston Sadleir News

To keep up with the ultra-fast pace of the modern age is difficult for most 'normal' people. Dealing with emotional pain or loss on top of average daily strife can be overwhelming. It may easily destroy a life and those connected to it as well. In the Pulitzer Prize winning Next to Normal, the problem is presented via a wife and mother, who has been diagnosed as bi-polar. Her behavior patterns show extreme mental instability verging on insanity, and the effects on her husband and teen daughter are astronomical. Eventually a heartfelt loss from the past unravels that is at the core of the woman's suffering. Structured in a most unique way, Next to Normal is akin to a rock opera, but it is not completely sung; there is intermittent dialogue. The most emotional moments, though, come through song, so the music and book flow together, and with the three tiered open set and loosely structured staging, it all comes together as an unparalleled musical drama.

Next to Normal, with music by Tom Kitt and lyrics by Brian Yorkey, is making its west coast premiere at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles. With a thrilling contemporary score, 'Next to Normal' is an emotional powerhouse of a musical about a family trying to take care of themselves and each other. The Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize-winning musical features original Broadway star Alice Ripley, who won the Tony for her performance. Next to Normal also features Asa Somers (Dan), Curt Hansen (Gabe), Emma Hunton (Natalie), Jeremy Kushnier (Dr. Madden/Dr. Fine) and Preston Sadleir (Henry).

Next to Normal, with music by Tom Kitt and lyrics by Brian Yorkey, is making its west coast premiere at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles.With a thrilling contemporary score, 'Next to Normal' is an emotional powerhouse of a musical about a family trying to take care of themselves and each other. The Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize-winning musical features original Broadway star Alice Ripley, who won the Tony for her performance. Next to Normal also features Asa Somers (Dan), Curt Hansen(Gabe), Emma Hunton (Natalie), Jeremy Kushnier (Dr. Madden/Dr. Fine) and Preston Sadleir (Henry).

The startling new musical NEXT TO NORMAL, winner of the 2010 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, will start the Denver Center Attractions 2011 season on an dramatic high note, playing the Ellie Caulkins Opera House January 4-16.

The national tour of 'Next to Normal' opens at the Ahmanson Theatre on Sunday, November 28, 2010. Previews of the Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize-winning musical begin November 23; performances will continue through January 2, 2011.

Many of everyone's Broadway and off-Broadway favorites, including Michael Urie, Wesley Taylor, Jennifer Damiano, Karen Olivo, Mitchell Jarvis and more have teamed up on the webisode project Billy Green. BroadwayWorld last brought you the seventh episode in the series and today brings you the latest installment, 'The Performance.'

Alice Ripley, who received the 2009 Tony Award® for Best Actress in a Musical for her performance in the Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award®-winning Next to Normal, will reprise her acclaimed performance in the musical's 36-week multi-city North American tour, launching in November. It will play in San Diego January 18 - 23, 2011 at the Balboa Theatre, as a Broadway/San Diego ~ A Nederlander Presentation.

New musicals Darling (Music and Lyrics by Ryan Scott Oliver, Book by B.T. Ryback) and Little Miss Fix-It (Lyrics and Book by Kirsten Guenther, Music by Joy Son) will be featured on NBC's The Apprentice October 28.

New musicals Darling (Music and Lyrics by Ryan Scott Oliver, Book by B.T. Ryback) and Little Miss Fix-It (Lyrics and Book by Kirsten Guenther, Music by Joy Son) will be featured on NBC's The Apprentice October 28.

Alice Ripley, who received the 2009 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her performance in the Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning Next to Normal, will reprise her acclaimed performance in the musical's 36-week multi-city North American tour, launching November 23 with a six-week engagement at the Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles. Following the premiere, the tour has confirmed engagements in Denver, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Des Moines, Providence, Hartford, Pittsburgh, St. Louis, Chicago, St. Paul, Cleveland, Philadelphia, Charlotte, Washington, DC, and Toronto.

Sh-K-Boom Records is set to release composer and lyricist Will Van Dyke's debut album, 'Chasing The Day,' on October 19, featuring tracks performed by Stephanie J. Block, Matt Doyle, Katie Rose Clarke, and several other Broadway performers.

Sh-K-Boom Records is set to release composer and lyricist Will Van Dyke's debut album, 'Chasing The Day,' on October 19, featuring tracks performed by Stephanie J. Block, Matt Doyle, Katie Rose Clarke, and several other Broadway performers.

Rehearsals are now underway for the Playwrights Horizons (Tim Sanford, Artistic Director; Leslie Marcus, Managing Director) New York premiere of Edward Albee's ME, MYSELF & I, a new play by the three-time Pulitzer Prize and three-time Tony Award winner (A Delicate Balance; Seascape; Three Tall Women; Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?; The Goat or, Who Is Sylvia?). The production opens the theater company's 40th Anniversary Season, in which Mr. Albee will be making his Playwrights Horizons debut. The play is Mr. Albee's 30th.

The New York Times now has further details, including word that the Stafford Arima directed production is aiming for Off Broadway, produced by MCC and to play the Lucille Lortel Theater. Seller and McCollum are no longer involved with the production which has said to be further revamped, including the removal of the ACT II opener - Out for Blood. Click here for the full scoop!

NEXT: Now Entering the Crossroads of Theatre presents The Music of Will Van Dyke followed by a NEXT Networking Event Monday, October 4th at 7PM

Concluding BroadwayWorld's exclusive three-part series on Edward Albee's newest masterpiece ME, MYSELF & I, comes this exciting and energized interview with the youngest star of the show, playing one of the titular twosome both named Otto, the enthusiastic and expressive Preston Sadleir! In this in-depth conversation we discuss working with Elizabeth Ashley and Brian Murray on ME, MYSELF & I as well as the director, Emily Mann, and the master writer himself, Edward Albee. Additionally, we discuss the rehearsal process at Playwrights' Horizons, the themes of the play, the acting process onstage acting every night with two of the greats, as well as what the play means to not only himself as an actor, but also to the twenty-first century audience coming to see the show (which has just been extended and now runs to October 31st). We also talk about the exciting workshop productions and readings of two burgeoning musicals that are eyeing Broadway soon, including the much anticipated Broadway revival of CARRIE and a new original cougar-themed musical starring Jane Krakowski called MRS. SHARP! Few performers are so at ease in plays and musicals as Preston is - and at barely twenty-five years old - so here is a chance to see why he is one of the hottest new theatrical stars on the rise! Enjoy!

Earlier this month I had the chance to conduct an InDepth InterView with Drama Desk-winning stage actor and director Brian Murray who currently co-stars with Elizabeth Ashley in Edward Albee's new off-Broadway absurdest farce ME, MYSELF & I and our conversation now constitutes the second part in BroadwayWorld's exclusive 3-part series on the new Albee masterpiece. In this illuminating conversation, in addition to a thorough discussion of ME, MYSELF & I, Murray also dishes on his new 2011 'horrific chiller' co-starring Daniel Craig, Rachel Weisz and Naomi Watts directed by esteemed director Jim Sheridan (MY LEFT FOOT, THE BOXER, GET RICH OR DIE TRYIN', BROTHERS), as well as playing Alec Baldwin and Nathan Lane's alcoholic father on 30 ROCK (married to Elaine Stritch!) and his warm words to his TWELFTH NIGHT co-star Kyra Sedgwick on her recent Emmy win as Best Actress for THE CLOSER! Plus, working with Kevin Kline, Helen Hunt, Marian Seldes, Nathan Lane, Alec Baldwin, Tina Fey and much, much more! Enjoy the intelligent wit and impassioned dedication Murray feels for his craft in this introspective InDepth InterView!

Today we have Part I of the BWW Exclusive two-part InDepth InterView with legendary stage and screen actress - and, bar none, the greatest Tennessee Williams actress alive - Tony-winning star, and a legend in her own time: Elizabeth Ashley! In this first part, we talk her early stage career from TAKE HER, SHE'S MINE directed by George Abbott and produced by Hal Prince in the 60s up to AGNES OF GOD opposite Amanda Plummer and Geraldine Page in the early 80s continuing to Tracy Letts' Pulitzer-prize winning opus AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY in 2007 - to say nothing of the central focus of our extended conversation: her most recent role playing the mother of twin sons named Otto (and/or 'otto') in Edward Albee's newest absurdist masterpiece, ME, MYSELF & I, which can currently be seen at Playrights' Horizons! From the grande dame of Williams, to life with Orson Welles, to living on the road (by choice), and a life in the theatre (no choice), Ms. Ashley is a fabulous, veritable walking, talking history of the American theatre in the last forty years and no one - I repeat, no one - can tell a story better than she can! From Mohammad Ali to Edward Albee, this interview has it all! She is one of the greats, onstage and off. There will never be another Liz Ashley and this first part is just half the reason why!

NEXT: Now Entering the Crossroads of Theatre presents The Music of Will Van Dyke followed by a NEXT Networking Event Monday, October 4th at 7PM

This afternoon I had the pleasure of speaking to Lesley Gore, the iconic 60s pop star and legendary recording artist of 'It's My Party', 'You Don't Own Me' and more, who will be appearing in MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET for one night only on Friday night, September 24, 2010. In our discussion we touched upon the work her brother Michael Gore , the accomplished Oscar-winning songwriter best known for FAME and FOOTLOOSE, has been doing on his 1980s musical version of the Stephen King novel and Brian De Palma film CARRIE. Gore exclusively confirms to BroadwayWorld that plans are indeed afoot to bring CARRIE back to Broadway in a big, beautiful, brilliant new way with a slew of new songs! Be sure to check out the complete SOUND OFF SPECIAL INTERVIEW with Lesley Gore coming later this month!