Raymond Lee News

As the clock ticks towards 2012, BroadwayWorld caught up with 100 of your Broadway favorites and industry supporters about their hopes for themselves and those they love in the new year.

Times Square Alliance and Countdown Entertainment, organizers of Times Square New Year's Eve, today announced that there are 19 days left for the public to submit their New Year's Eve wishes at the Times Square Visitor Center, located on Seventh Avenue between 46th and 47th Streets, or online at www.TimesSquareNYC.org. Wishes collected at the Center and online will become part of the confetti that flutters down at midnight in Times Square on New Year's Eve 2012. Stars who have contributed personal wishes to help celebrate the countdown to 2012 include Mayor Bloomberg, Robert De Niro, Jessica Biel, Matthew Broderick, Abigail Breslin, Hot Chelle Rae, Brian Williams, Sanjay Gupta MD, Wendy Williams, Carson Daly, and Jake T. Austin.

Fresh off their Top of the Fringe win at the 2011 Hollywood Fringe, Four Clowns toured the nation with their original show this summer. And now that it's all said and done they are back home, in Los Angeles for their Homecoming Stretch in a new tightened seventy-five minute version with a fresh ending, that was sculpted as they traversed the country.

Star Profile: Name: Kevin Munhall Show: Anything Goes Character: FBI Agent, Passenger, Crew

What starts out as a playful show with and about Four Clowns, ends up being a tiny masterpiece about the obscenities and atrocities of humanity. It's not without joy, though, as there is much physical comedy with tumbles and pratfalls, but the emphasis seems to veer in the direction of violence and crude behavior. Its mission is clearly to make a life-affirming statement. As children play and start to hit one another innocently, a simple slap turns into a slug or punch and that punch encompasses bullying and abuse of others; aggression in its earliest stages can lead to all-out hostility and war. And it does with chaotic consequences. Like a caricature of life, Four Clowns leaves an indelible impression.

FOUR CLOWNS is a physical, musical and emotional journey into what it means to be human. Follow four clowns who represent the four clown archetypes; the sad clown, the mischievous clown, the angry clown and the nervous clown as they lament and reminisce about their past.

Thursday, Mar. 4th, an exceptional cast will open an 8 show run of FOUR CLOWNS conceived and directed by Jeremy Aluma at the Long Beach Playhouse Studio Theater.

This year as the Long Beach Playhouse is celebrating their 81st season as a company, Alive Theatre will be starting their 4th year as one. Yet, this March the two companies will be joining together to co-produce 4 Clowns. 4 Clowns, conceived and directed by Jeremy Aluma premiered at the 2010 Hollywood Fringe Festival and won the Award for Best in Physical Theater and Dance and was nominated for two other awards in its short five show sold-out run.

Thursday, Mar. 4th, an exceptional cast will open an 8 show run of FOUR CLOWNS conceived and directed by Jeremy Aluma at the Long Beach Playhouse Studio Theater.

This year as the Long Beach Playhouse is celebrating their 81st season as a company, Alive Theatre will be starting their 4th year as one. Yet, this March the two companies will be joining together to co-produce 4 Clowns. 4 Clowns, conceived and directed by Jeremy Aluma premiered at the 2010 Hollywood Fringe Festival and won the Award for Best in Physical Theater and Dance and was nominated for two other awards in its short five show sold-out run.

Broadway and US television stars Lea Salonga (Gloria Suzuki), George Takei (old Sam Omura), Telly Leung (young Sam Omura), Allie Trim (Hannah Campbell), Michael K. Lee (James Omura), Paolo Montalban (Ben Chin/Mike Masaoka), Christine Toy Johnson (Kimiko Omura), Alan Ariano (Tatsuo Omura) and Jason Tam (Frankie Suzuki) led two public staged readings of 'American Idiot' associate producers Lorenzo Thione and Jay Kuo's Broadway bound musical 'Allegiance' on Monday, October 25, 2010 at the Julia Miles Theatre, 424 W55th St. New York, NY. BroadwayWorld.com has been covering the new Asian American play's different stages of development since its private staged reading in Los Angeles, CA last year.

TEARS OF HEAVEN, the first original American commission for South Korea, will have its industry reading on Friday, September 11th. This original musical is produced by Creative Production and Seol & Company, and will debut in Seoul in 2010, with an original book by Phoebe Hwang, lyrics by Robin Lerner (An Officer & Gentleman, Grammy-nominated songwriter and CMA winner), music by Frank Wildhorn (Jekyll & Hyde, The Scarlet Pimpernel, The Civil War, and the upcoming Bonnie & Clyde, Havana, and Wonderland), and directed by Gabriel Barre (Andrew Lippa's Wild Party, Camille Claudel, and Wildhorn's international Carmen in Prague), with musical direction by Adrian Werum (Steinman's Dance of the Vampires and Wildhorn's Carmen). Chris Choi (Broadway Overseas Management) is the general manager.

Range View Productions is thrilled to present EURYDICE, written by Sarah Ruhl and directed by Trevor Biship. EURYDICE will preview on Thursday, April 9 at 8pm and will open on Friday, April 10 and run through Saturday, May 16 at the Hayworth Theatre, 2511 Wilshire Blvd. in Los Angeles.

Range View Productions is thrilled to present EURYDICE, written by Sarah Ruhl and directed by Trevor Biship. EURYDICE will preview on Thursday, April 9 at 8pm and will open on Friday, April 10 and run through Saturday, May 16 at the Hayworth Theatre, 2511 Wilshire Blvd. in Los Angeles.

The 20th Annual GYPSY OF THE YEAR COMPETITION announced a total of $3,061,000 had been raised by the 63 participating Broadway, Off-Broadway, and National Tour companies to benefit Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. BroadwayWorld.com's cameras had VIP access on all levels to bring you the most complete coverage of this very special event!

The 20th Annual GYPSY OF THE YEAR COMPETITION announced a total of $3,061,000 had been raised by the 63 participating Broadway, Off-Broadway, and National Tour companies to benefit Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. BroadwayWorld.com's cameras had VIP access on all levels to bring you the most complete coverage of this very special event!

New York City Center Encores! celebrated the closing night of its 2008 season opener, the 1970 Tony Award-winning hit, Applause, directed and choreographed by Kathleen Marshall with Music Direction by Rob Berman. Applause played five performances, from February 7-10 at New York City Center

New York City Center Encores! celebrated the closing night of its 2008 season opener, the 1970 Tony Award-winning hit, Applause, directed and choreographed by Kathleen Marshall with Music Direction by Rob Berman. Applause played five performances, from February 7-10 at New York City Center.

New York City Center Encores! begins its 2008 season tonight with the 1970 Tony Award-winning hit, Applause, starring Christine Ebersole, Kate Burton, Mario Cantone, Tom Hewitt, Michael Park, Megan Sikora, Chip Zien and Erin Davie. Directed and choreographed by Kathleen Marshall with Music Direction by Rob Berman, Applause will play five performances, from February 7-10 at New York City Center

New York City Center Encores! begins its 2008 season with the 1970 Tony Award-winning hit, Applause, starring Christine Ebersole, Kate Burton, Mario Cantone, Tom Hewitt, Michael Park, Megan Sikora, Chip Zien and Erin Davie. Directed and choreographed by Kathleen Marshall with Music Direction by Rob Berman.