Sam Mendes News

Enrollment applications are being accepted now for Segerstrom Center's Six Days of Broadway summer musical theater camp, which returns to the Center's campus June 24 through July 7. Students will participate in week-long intensives that feature classes in musical performance, monologue interpretation, audition technique, scene work, dance and more. Tony Award nominee and Broadway/film star Erin Dilly returns to lead the program along with Broadway veterans Stephen Buntrock, Danny Gurwin, Hank Stratton and other guest instructors.

Ben Miles will play Thomas Cromwell and Lucy Briers will play Katherine of Aragon in the Royal Shakespeare Company's much-anticipated double bill of Hilary Mantel's Man Booker prize-winning novels, Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies, adapted by Mike Poulton.

The theatre programme for the Manchester International Festival 2013 has been announced. MIF13 commissions include: The Machine, The Old Woman, Macbeth, The Masque of Anarchy and The Rite of Spring.

Just last week, the Supreme Court struck down California's Proposition 8. The decision comes after the Court held hearings about the legality of the state's gay marriage ban in March. The decision will now allow gay marriage to resume in California, however it does not legalize it in other states. Stage and screen star John Barrowman just posted a video (below) announcing that he and partner Scott Gill would be taking advantage of their new rights by tying the knot. BroadwayWorld sends our congratulations to the happy couple!

The F.U.D.G.E. (FRIENDS UNITED DEVELOPING GENUINE ENTERTAINMENT) Theatre Company will present their 12th Anniversary Season's production of Stephen Sondheim (Music & Lyrics) and John Weidman's (Book) award-drenched, internationally acclaimed musical, "ASSASSINS," 'which will open on Friday, July 12 at The Arsenal Center for the Arts Black Box Theatre (321 Arsenal Street, Watertown, MA) where it will play through Saturday, July 20.

Sam Mendes' Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, which opened Tuesday, June 26th on London's West End, just added six months to its run and is now set to continue until May 31, 2014. The official trailer was just released and you can watch it below!

The National Alliance for Musical Theatre (NAMT) announced on June 28 the nine musicals selected to be part of the 25th Annual Festival of New Musicals on Thursday, October 17 and Friday, October 18 at New World Stages (340 West 50th Street).

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK: BROADWAY BARES is back, TKTS celebrates 40 years, Willy Wonka gets a West End debut, and so much more!

Tony award-winning singer, actress and American icon, Bernadette Peters performs with the Pasadena POPS for one night only tonight, June 29 at 7:30 pm at the Los Angeles Arboretum. The star of stage, film and television will sing from her extensive songbook including 'Let Me Entertain You' (Gypsy), 'No One Is Alone' (Into the Woods), 'Some Enchanted Evening' (South Pacific), 'Send in the Clowns' (A Little Night Music), 'Being Alive' (Company) plus signature songs from her illustrious career.

Producers Letty Aronson and Julian Schlossberg have announced initial casting, preview and opening dates for the world premiere production of BULLETS OVER BROADWAY, the new Broadway musical adaptation of Woody Allen's and Douglas McGrath's screenplay of the 1994 film.

The UK's The Guardian reports that Sam Mendes' CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY, which opened Tuesday, June 26th on London's West End, will add six months to its run

Douglas Hodge stars as Willy Wonka in the brand-new production of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory at Theatre Royal Drury Lane in London. Directed by Academy Award winner Sam Mendes, the story is brought to life with music by Marc Shaiman and lyrics byScott Wittman and Marc Shaiman (Grammy winners for Hairspray; Smash), with a book by award-winning playwright and adaptor David Greig (The Bacchae; Tintin In Tibet). The show opened last night, June 25 and you can check out highlights of the cast in action below!

Douglas Hodge stars as Willy Wonka in the brand-new production of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory at Theatre Royal Drury Lane in London. Directed by Academy Award winner Sam Mendes, the story is brought to life with music by Marc Shaiman and lyrics by Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman (Grammy winners for Hairspray; Smash), with a book by award-winning playwright and adaptor David Greig (The Bacchae; Tintin In Tibet). The shows opened last night, June 25 and you can check out photos from the opening night curtain call and after party below!

Douglas Hodge stars as Willy Wonka in the brand-new production of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory at Theatre Royal Drury Lane in London. Directed by Academy Award winner Sam Mendes, the story is brought to life with music by Marc Shaiman and lyrics by Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman (Grammy winners for Hairspray; Smash), with a book by award-winning playwright and adaptor David Greig (The Bacchae; Tintin In Tibet). The show opens tonight, June 25. Let's see what the critics had to say...

Douglas Hodge stars as Willy Wonka in the brand-new production of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory at Theatre Royal Drury Lane in London. Directed by Academy Award winner Sam Mendes, the story is brought to life with music by Marc Shaiman and lyrics by Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman (Grammy winners for Hairspray; Smash), with a book by award-winning playwright and adaptor David Greig (The Bacchae; Tintin In Tibet). The shows opens tonight, June 25 and you can check out photos from the opening night red carpet below!

When it comes to sky-high expectations, this production of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory has it harder than most, the challenge being how to satisfy an audience likely to have read and loved Roald Dahl's book and seen the story already realised - twice.

Peep behind the scenes at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane where the cast of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory are getting ready for another show before this week's opening night!