Richard East News

Benny Andersson and Bj?rn Ulvaeus' global smash hit musical MAMMA MIA! will end its record-breaking engagement at Mandalay Bay Theatre this Sunday, January 4, 2009. After nearly six years on The Las Vegas Strip, MAMMA MIA! set the precedent for musicals in Las Vegas celebrating more than 2,200 performances and 2 million guests.

The Shakespeare Society (Michael Sexton, Artistic Director) will present Richard Easton, Christian Camargo, Jeremy Strong, Elisabeth Waterston, and Professor David Scott Kastan in Politics, Prince Hal, and the Making of a Leader on Monday, November 3 at 6:30pm at the Kaye Playhouse at Hunter College, East 68 Street, between Park and Lexington Avenues.

The Shakespeare Society (Michael Sexton, Artistic Director) will present Liev Schreiber, Richard Easton, and Professor David Scott Kastan in Politics, Prince Hal, and the Making of a Leader on Monday, November 3 at 6:30pm at the Kaye Playhouse at Hunter College, East 68 Street, between Park and Lexington Avenues.

The Shakespeare Society (Michael Sexton, Artistic Director) will present Richard Easton, Christian Camargo, Jeremy Strong, Elisabeth Waterston, and Professor David Scott Kastan in Politics, Prince Hal, and the Making of a Leader on Monday, November 3 at 6:30pm at the Kaye Playhouse at Hunter College, East 68 Street, between Park and Lexington Avenues.

The Old Vic announced a new line up of productions for 2009 that will begin in January with the World Premiere of the new play, COMPLICIT by Joe Sutton and directed in-the-round by Kevin Spacey. Following the hugely successful The Norman Conquests, which runs through to late December 2008, the new program brings further diversity and originality to one of London's oldest theatres.

Tonight, October 13th, a staged reading of Bertolt Brecht's The Good Person of Sezuan, adapted by Tony Kushner and directed by Tony Speciale, will take place at Classic Stage Company's, as part of their popular First Look Festival - a program of one-night only staged readings, performed by notable actors.

Sam Mendes directs a transatlantic company of actors in a double-bill of classic works for The Bridge Project's inaugural 2009 season. The Mendes productions will launch BAM's 2009 Spring Season. The 2009 BAM Spring Season comprises eight theater, dance, and music engagements, and features BAMcinématek series, BAMcafé Live weekend music performances, artist talks, visual art exhibitions, and literary event.

The Shakespeare Society (Michael Sexton, Artistic Director) will present Liev Schreiber, Richard Easton, and Professor David Scott Kastan in Politics, Prince Hal, and the Making of a Leader on Monday, November 3 at 6:30pm at the Kaye Playhouse at Hunter College, East 68 Street, between Park and Lexington Avenues.

Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus' global smash hit musical MAMMA MIA! welcomes Sean Alan Krill as 'Sam Carmichael,' Allison Case as 'Sophie Sheridan' and Chris Peluso as 'Sky' to the Broadway company when they begin performances at the Winter Garden Theatre (1634 Broadway), tonight, Wednesday, September 24th, 2008.

Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus' global smash hit musical MAMMA MIA!, based on the songs of ABBA, will play its final performance at Mandalay Bay Theatre in Las Vegas on Sunday, January 4, 2009. Tickets for the final performance go on sale this Friday, September 26, 2008 at 10:00 a.m.

Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus' global smash hit musical MAMMA MIA! welcomes Sean Alan Krill as 'Sam Carmichael,' Allison Case as 'Sophie Sheridan' and Chris Peluso as 'Sky' to the Broadway company when they begin performances at the Winter Garden Theatre (1634 Broadway) on Wednesday, September 24th, 2008.

The Shakespeare Society (Michael Sexton, Artistic Director) will present Lyrics by W. Shakespeare, an evening of songs set to lyrics by Shakespeare, presided over by former U.S. Poet Laureate Robert Pinsky, on Monday, September 15 at 6:30pm at the Kaye Playhouse at Hunter College, East 68 Street, between Park and Lexington Avenues.

The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center has acquired the papers of renowned performers and acting teachers Uta Hagen and Herbert Berghof. The collection consists of thousands of pages of unpublished correspondence, diaries, scripts and manuscripts, photographs, clippings and other documentation relating to the dynamic theatrical careers of both Hagen and Berghof. This collection of professional and personal papers, spanning nearly 100 years of theater history, is being made public for the first time. To celebrate the bequest, the Library is planning a series of eight free public programs featuring many close friends and colleagues of Ms. Hagen and Mr. Berghof's including such figures as Harold Prince, Edward Albee, David Hyde Pierce and Eli Wallach. Programs take place in the Bruno Walter Auditorium in The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center located at 111 Amsterdam Avenue (between 64th and 65th streets). Admission to all programs is free and first come, first served. For information, please call (212) 642-0142 or visit www.nypl.org/lpaprograms. Programs are curated by Alan Pally, Manager of Public Programs at the Library for the Performing Arts.

On September 4th, 2008 MAMMA MIA! became the sixteenth longest running show in Broadway history, surpassing Hello Dolly! Nearly seven years after opening at the Winter Garden Theatre, MAMMA MIA! has remained in the Million Dollar Club, and among Broadway top five selling musicals for the past seven consecutive weeks, a landmark not achieved since 2002.

This week Mamma Mia! The Movie continued to prove its strength at the box office, coming in at number seven. The film grossed $6.5 million at the week's end bringing its total net gross up to $116 million.

Mamma Mia! The Movie Soundtrack achieves platinum status. The MAMMA MIA! - The Movie Soundtrack is the bona fide hit of the summer, reaching #1 on Billboard's Top 200 Chart, and achieving platinum status today, after only its fifth week of release. Featuring Meryl Streep and Pierce Brosnan singing the hits of super group ABBA, the CD is also #1 on the Billboard Soundtrack Chart for the fourth consecutive week, and has been the top selling album on iTunes for three consecutive weeks.

The Williamstown Theatre Festival has announced the full casting for Home by David Storey. Joining the previously announced Richard Easton (Tony Award - Invention of Love, Noises Off) and Dana Ivey (Tony Nominations - The Rivals, Butley) are Philip Goodwin (Tartuffe), Roberta Maxwell (Othello, Merchant of Venice) and C.J. Wilson (Festen, Long Day's Journey into Night). Directed by Tony Award-winner Joseph Hardy (Child's Play), Home will play the Main Stage from August 13-24, 2008 and marks the final Main Stage production of WTF's 2008 season.

Starting August 13th, 2008 actor Michael Pemberton will join casting of Mamma Mia! on Broadway as Bill Austin. Pemberton will play the role through September 7th. After September 7th Pierce Bunting will resume the role.

Starting August 13th, 2008 actor Michael Pemberton will join casting of Mamma Mia! on Broadway as Bill Austin. Pemberton will play the role through September 7th. After September 7th Pierce Bunting will resume the role.

The Broadway production of Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus' global smash hit musical MAMMA MIA!, held firm in the Million Dollar Club again last week grossing $1,038,790. for 8 performances ending August 3rd and topping the previous week's gross of $1,022,164. (week ending July 27th).