Robert Lopez News

Just last night, the Dramatists Guild Foundation (DGF) gathered the best of Broadway at the Hudson Theatre to toast the life and work of one of American theatre's greatest living composers, Stephen Schwartz, on Monday, April 23, 2018 at 7pm EST. The star-filled concert, sponsored in part by the Ambassador Theatre Group (ATG) and the Hudson Theatre, showcased and shined a spotlight on Schwartz's beloved songs, stories, and legacy in celebration of his 70th Birthday.

Outer Critics Circle, the organization of writers and commentators covering New York theater for out-of-town newspapers, national publications and other media beyond Broadway, announced today (April 24, 2018) its nominees for the 2017-18 season. Broadway's "Come From Away" starJenn Colella along with "The Band's Visit" sensation Katrina Lenk presided over the (11AM) announcement ceremony in the Oak Room at New York's renowned Algonquin Hotel (59 W 44th Street). 

Musical Theatre is unquestionably the most popular form of theatergoing today worldwide. Yet in Norway, granted it being a small country, have had up until just a handful new productions each year compared to our Scandinavian neighbors. But a small, yet determined, non-profit organization called Norwegian musical theatre forum (MTF) is working hard to educate both the public and the industry on why musical theatre is an art form to be taken seriously.

Here is your chance to enjoy 2 premium house seats to the Broadway smash hit, The Book of Mormon!

THE BOOK OF MORMON is a satirical musical with book, lyrics, and music by Trey Parker, Robert Lopez and Matt Stone. Parker and Stone, the creators of the long running Comedy Central animated series South Park, along with Lopez, the co-composer/co-lyricist of Avenue Q and Frozen, have created a show that simultaneously deconstructs the American musical while paying loving homage to it. THE BOOK OF MORMON is the story of two young Mormon missionaries who are sent to Uganda on their first mission. The only thing the two boys have in common is their naive outlook on life. When they try to spread 'the word' among the locals they discover that religion is the last thing the villagers are concerned about.

The Drama League (Gabriel Stelian-Shanks, Executive Artistic Director) today announced the 2018 Drama League Awards Nominees for Outstanding Production of a Play, Outstanding Revival of a Play, Outstanding Production of a Musical, Outstanding Revival of a Musical, and the much-coveted Distinguished Performance Award. The nominations were announced this morning by Tony® Award winners Harriet Harris, Julie White and Tony® Award nominee Christopher Sieber at the official announcement event at Sardi's Restaurant, which was streamed live online right here at BroadwayWorld.com.

THE LIGHTNING THIEF: THE PERCY JACKSON MUSICAL, an 'electrifying' (Newsday) musical adaption of the New York Times best-selling novel written by Rick Riordan, will launch its national tour in Chicago in January 2019 before heading across the country, with engagements announced in Seattle, Detroit, Charlotte, San Antonio and more. Additional tour cities and casting will be announced at a later date.

In a season where Disney's "Frozen" is heating up the box office on Broadway and an American commoner is preparing to marry an English prince, one of Broadway's most charming princesses, two-time Tony nominee Laura Osnes ("Rodgers + Hammerstein's Cinderella" on Broadway) is bringing her own Princess Party to Bucks County Playhouse. The concert is being presented in New Hope as part of the Bucks County Playhouse Visiting Artist Series.

The Eugene O'Neill Theater Center announced today the 2018 summer season of plays, musicals, and other works in development at the National Puppetry Conference, National Music Theater Conference, National Playwrights Conference, and Cabaret & Performance Conference.

CMT Mainstage, featuring local performers ages 14-20, presents the 2004 Tony Triple Crown (Best Score, Best Book, Best Musical) laugh-out-loud musical, Avenue Q, May 11-20.

As THE BOOK OF MORMON tours around North America, it has sold-out in city after city. Locals enjoy the opportunity to laugh and have a fun evening watching THE BOOK OF MORMON while they forget their outside worries. Currently on tour with the company is Andy Jones who is playing the role of Elder McKinley. BWW recently caught up with him as the tour prepared to come to Austin, Texas.

The Tony Awards Administration Committee met on April 12 for the third time this season to decide the eligibility of Broadway productions for the American Theatre Wing's 2018 Tony Awards®, presented by The Broadway League and the American Theatre Wing. The Committee will meet regularly throughout the 2017-2018 Broadway season to make eligibility determinations.

The Denver Center for the Performing Arts announces today the addition of more seats for THE BOOK OF MORMON at The Ellie. Due to popular demand, performances for the fourth Denver engagement of THE BOOK OF MORMON will begin June 13 and now run an additional week through July 7, 2018. The added performances are on public sale now at denvercenter.org.

Award winners Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez will be presenting sponsors at the 4th annual Brooklyn Children's Theatre's SPRING SING on Saturday, April 14, 2018. Kristen, an Oscar and Grammy winner, co-wrote Broadway's first a capella show, IN TRANSIT. Bobby, co-creator of BOOK OF MORMON and AVENUE Q, is the only person ever to double EGOT - winning at least two Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony awards. Together they wrote music for Disney's FROZEN and Disney Pixar's COCO.

Acclaimed Off-Broadway theater company Playwrights Horizons (Tim Sanford, Artistic Director; Leslie Marcus, Managing Director) will hold its annual Spring Gala on Monday evening, May 7 at 583 Park Avenue. The evening will honor Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Playwrights Musical Theater Fellowship alumnus Robert Lopez, the Academy Award and Grammy Award-winning songwriters of Frozen and Coco.

Nashville Repertory Theatre will open its 2018-19 season - its 33rd - with a production of the Broadway hit musical Avenue Q, opening on September 8 at the Andrew Johnson Theatre at Nashville's Tennessee Performing Arts Center.

The company of Disney Theatrical's new Broadway musical Frozen, led by Broadway veterans Caissie Levy as Elsa and Patti Murin as Anna, is currently laying down tracks for the show's Original Broadway Cast Recording, to be released by Walt Disney Records later this spring. The album is produced by Kristen Anderson-Lopez, Robert Lopez, Stephen Oremus, Dave Metzger and Chris Montan.

Back by popular demand, The Book of Mormon, which played a record-breaking, two-week run in 2016, returns to Columbus for a limited engagement May 22-27 at the Ohio Theatre. Tickets start at $34 and are on sale now. They can be purchased at the CAPA Ticket Center (39 E. State St.), all Ticketmaster outlets, and online at www.ticketmaster.com. To purchase by phone, please call (614) 469-0939 or (800) 745-3000. Orders for groups of 20 or more may be placed by calling (614) 719-6900.

THE BOOK OF MORMON, winner of nine Tony Awards including Best Musical, is pleased to announce a lottery ticket policy for the National Tour, which begins April 10th at POPEJOY HALL in Albuquerque and plays a limited one-week engagement through April 15th. In Albuquerque, the production will conduct a pre-show lottery at the box office, making [a limited number of tickets available at $28 apiece on a cash only basis.The wildly popular lottery for the Broadway production has attracted as many as 800 entries at some performances.

The Dramatists Guild Foundation (DGF) today announced that Tony Award-winning performers Ben Platt (DEAR EVAN HANSEN), Rachel Bay Jones (DEAR EVAN HANSEN) and Laura Benanti (GYPSY); Tony, Grammy and Academy Award-winning composer Alan Menken; multiple Grammy and Academy Award-winning songwriter Kristen Anderson-Lopez (FROZEN, COCO) and double E.G.O.T.-winning songwriter Robert Lopez (FROZEN, COCO, AVENUE Q, BOOK OF MORMON); along with acclaimed soprano Renee Fleming (currently appearing on Broadway in CAROUSEL), will take the stage at the Hudson Theatre to toast the life and work of one of American theatre's greatest living composers, Stephen Schwartz, on Monday, April 23, 2018 at 7pm EST. The star-filled concert, sponsored in part by the Ambassador Theatre Group (ATG) and the Hudson Theatre, will showcase and shine a spotlight on Schwartz's beloved songs, stories, and legacy in celebration of his 70th Birthday.