Prince Hal News

Phantom Fan Week: I'll resist the temptation to write 'Phantom Phans' but, in truth, even though I am very used to fans, I've never seen anything quite like this. The deal was that fans of Phantom: The Las Vegas Spectacular (the very aptly named version of the show at The Venetian) could come to Las Vegas and get total immersion in their favorite entertainment. There were behind-the-scenes tours, meet-and-greets with key people in the production, a masquerade ball, dinner with the producers and a farewell brunch. It was three days that fans of anything or anyone - show, actor, singer, sports team - would love. I was fortunate to attend five of the events and, herewith, my report.

John Dossett and Tony Award winner Beth Leavel will be joining the cast of the Broadway production of MAMMA MIA!, playing at the Winter Garden Theatre since 2001. Leavel will play Donna Sheridan, while Dossett will star opposite her as Sam Carmichael. The two take over the roles starting September 22.

The First Lady of British musical theatre, Elaine Paige will release a new album, 'Elaine Paige Live - Celebrating a Life on Stage'. The album will be released worldwide on iTunes on September 21.

Phantom - The Las Vegas Spectacular is hosting the first annual Phantom Fans Week through Sunday, September 20th. This unprecedented gathering of all things Phantom will give fans from around the globe insider access to the show like never before. The culmination of Phantom Fans Week on Saturday will be a keynote address from Tony Award-winning director of PHANTOM, Hal Prince. Prince will talk about his life in theatre, his work with Andrew Lloyd Webber and his reasons for revisiting his classic PHANTOM 20 years later and adapting it for Las Vegas.

Having directed and produced over 50 Broadway productions, Hal Prince has left an indelible mark in the New York theatre history books. He set foot on the scene directing his first musical in 1955, the Tony Award-winning The Pajama Game. In the coming decades, Prince would collaborate with some of Broadway's legends, including Stephen Sondheim, John Kander and Fred Ebb and Andrew Lloyd Webber.

In celebration of this historic event, BroadwayWorld.com was afforded the special opportunity to sit down and chat with one of America's true theatrical legends. Our conversation with the stage icon covered not only The Phantom Of The Opera, but also touched upon the current state of the theatre business and exciting news of his next directing effort, the upcoming production of the new musical, Paradise Found.

In less than a month Phantom Fans from all around the globe will gather in Las Vegas to take part in the first ever Phantom Fans Week.

CityListen Audio Tours Releases Walkin' Broadway, featuring exclusive stories from creators and artists behind dozens of Broadway classics. The Audio Walking Tour of New York City?s theater district is hosted by Peabody Award winning broadcaster and producer Elliott Forrest.

The 2009 Regional Theatre Tony Award winning-Signature Theatre presents the world premiere theater event First You Dream': The Music of Kander & Ebb, September 10 through 27, 2009. A tribute to Broadway's most celebrated songwriting partnership - from Cabaret to Chicago to Curtains - Signature pulls out the stops with Broadway's Heidi Blickenstaff, James Clow, Norm Lewis, Julia Murney, Matthew Scott, and Eleasha Gamble and a 19-piece orchestra, plus staging and set design by Artistic Director Eric Schaeffer and choreography by Karma Camp.

The New York Musical Theatre Festival (NYMF) & Shea Sullivan will present R.R.R.E.D. A Secret Musical for FOUR PERFORMANCES ONLY, October 1-3 at the 45th Street Theater. Based on a true study, R.R.R.E.D., with music & lyrics by Katie Thompson & book by Adam Jackman, Patrick Livingston & Katie Thompson, is directed by Andy Sandberg (Tony Award winning Producer of Hair), with musical supervision by Charlie Alterman (Next to Normal).

The award-winning new musical Empire, by Caroline Sherman and Robert Hull, will hold an industry reading next week in New York City.

The American Theatre Wing has announced that producer Ken Davenport will be the next guest on their popular interview show, 'Downstage Center.' Hosted by American Theatre Wing Executive Director Howard Sherman, 'Downstage Center' features weekly in-depth interviews with the leading artists and professionals working on stage today.

In less than a month Phantom Fans from all around the globe will gather in Las Vegas to take part in the first ever Phantom Fans Week.

The First Lady of British musical theatre, Elaine Paige will release a new album, 'Elaine Paige Live - Celebrating a Life on Stage'. The album will be released worldwide on iTunes on September 21.

The 2009 Regional Theatre Tony Award winning-Signature Theatre presents the world premiere theater event First You Dream': The Music of Kander & Ebb, September 10 through 27, 2009. A tribute to Broadway's most celebrated songwriting partnership - from Cabaret to Chicago to Curtains - Signature pulls out the stops with Broadway's Heidi Blickenstaff, James Clow, Norm Lewis, Julia Murney, Matthew Scott, and Eleasha Gamble and a 19-piece orchestra, plus staging and set design by Artistic Director Eric Schaeffer and choreography by Karma Camp.

CityListen Audio Tours Releases Walkin' Broadway, featuring exclusive stories from creators and artists behind dozens of Broadway classics. The Audio Walking Tour of New York City?s theater district is hosted by Peabody Award winning broadcaster and producer Elliott Forrest.

The First Lady of British musical theatre, Elaine Paige will tour Australia and New Zealand in a new concert tour, beginning in October.

The Candlelight Dinner Playhouse is set to present the thrilling stage production, Phantom, now playing Thursday, Friday, Saturday evenings and Sunday matinees through November 8, 2009.

The Metropolitan Room recently announced its September events.

Tonight - Monday August 10th the hit show 'The Temperamentals' by Jon Marans continues the hit Militant Mondays, series of talk backs following the performance. Joe Masteroff, Marle Becker & Jon Marans will lead the lively discussion this evening. It will be moderated by Stacy Shane.