Sam Mendes News

Following sell out seasons at the 2008 Edinburgh Festival and the Summer Play Festival in New York, Dougal Irvine's hit musical comedy Departure Lounge opens at London's Waterloo East Theatre on 30 September 2010, with previews from 28 September.

The Landor Theatre's acclaimed production of ‘Smokey Joe's Cafe' is to extend its record-breaking run by three weeks. The first major production of the musical since its West?End run at the?Prince of Wales Theatre in 1996, will now play until Sunday September 12. It had been booking to August 12.

Warner Bros. Theatre Ventures in association with Unique Features announced today that the new Broadway musical ELF will star Tony® Award winner Beth Leavel (Emily), Tony® Award nominee Mark Jacoby (Walter), Matthew Gumley (Michael), Valerie Wright (Deb), Michael McCormick (Mr. Greenway), Michael Mandell (Store Manager) and six-time Emmy® Award winner George Wendt (Santa). Full casting including the lead roles of Buddy and Jovie will be announced shortly.

As The Prince of Homburg opens at the Donmar, Michael Grandage, the company's Artistic Director announces a major expansion to the run of his forthcoming production of King Lear, which will see the company tour nationally, and will be broadcast to over 22 countries worldwide in collaboration with National Theatre Live.

UK Daily Mail reports that Amanda Holden, a judge for 'Britain's Got Talent,' has been cast as 'Princess Fiona' in the West End production of SHREK. A contract has yet to be signed, though the casting has been finalized. Rehearsals for the Theatre Royal Drury Lane musical are expected to begin in the spring, with previews beginning in May. Holden previously worked with Rob Ashford on THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE.

As The Prince of Homburg opens at the Donmar, Michael Grandage, the company's Artistic Director announces a major expansion to the run of his forthcoming production of King Lear, which will see the company tour nationally, and will be broadcast to over 22 countries worldwide in collaboration with National Theatre Live.

New York University's Program in Vocal Performance will produce THE FIX Sept. 30 through Oct. 4, 2010 at the Frederick Loewe Theatre at 35 West 4th Street. The show features book and lyrics by John Dempsey, music by Dana P. Rowe (writers of ZOMBIE PROM, THE WITCHES OF EASTWICK), and was originally produced by Cameron Mackintosh. John Simpkins directs. This production will feature a great many recent changes made to the script and score; the writers will be collaborating with Simpkins and the cast throughout the entire process.

The Landor Theatre's acclaimed production of ‘Smokey Joe's Cafe' is to extend its record-breaking run by three weeks. The first major production of the musical since its West?End run at the?Prince of Wales Theatre in 1996, will now play until Sunday September 12. It had been booking to August 12.

Anthony Bregman of Likely Story and Peter Saraf and Marc Turtletaub of Big Beach announced today that Hugh Dancy ('Confessions of a Shopaholic,' 'Adam'), Kathryn Hahn ('Revolutionary Road,' 'Step Brothers'), Academy Award-nominated actress Shirley Knight, and Janet Montgomery ('Black Swan'), have joined the cast of the Jesse Peretz directed, 'My Idiot Brother,' a comedy about family and the sacrifices it takes to deal with them.

La Jolla Playhouse presents its production of A Midsummer Night's Dream, directed by Playhouse Artistic Director Christopher Ashley, playing in the Sheila and Hughes Potiker Theatre July 20 - August 22, 2010 (press opening: July 27 at 7:00 pm).

Rattlestick Playwrights Theater has announced the cast and creative team for the world premiere of Little Doc, written by award-winning filmmaker Dan Klores and directed by John Gould Rubin. Opening the company's 16th Season, performances of Little Doc will begin Friday, June 11 at Rattlestick Theatre (224 Waverly Place).

After just two days of preview performances as the loveable green ogre ‘Shrek' in SHREK THE MUSICAL, Chicagoan Eric Petersen and his wife Lisa Morabito Petersen proudly gave birth to their own beautiful baby. Sophia Marie Petersen, weighing 8 lbs, 7 ounces and 20.5 inches long, was born at 5:12 p.m., Thursday, July 15, 2010 at Chicago's Northwestern Memorial's Prentice Women's Hospital.

Broadway In Chicago along with producers DreamWorks Theatricals and Neal Street Productions, Ltd. are thrilled to announce SHREK THE MUSICAL will begin the First National Tour in Chicago in five weeks!

Confirming speculation previously reported by BroadwayWorld, the Old Vic today announced three new productions today, marking the seventh season of work under Kevin Spacey's tenure as Artistic Director. This new season continues The Old Vic's tradition as a great actors' theatre, championing both established and young talent under the guidance of some of the greatest theatre directors in Britain.

As BroadwayWorld has previously reported, The Donmar Warehouse will play special tribute to Stephen Sondheim in honor of his 80th birthday this year with a host of special events, including a production of Passion starring Elena Roger and directed by Jamie Lloyd opening September 10, Michael Grandage and Sam Mendes in conversation about staging Sondheim at the Donmar on September 16, and Stephen Sondheim in conversation about his life and career on October 11. Today, Baz Bamigboye reveals in the UK Daily Mail that concert versions of Company and Merrily We Roll Along presented by the Donmar will play the West End at the Queen's Theatre. Merrily will play two performances on October 31, with evening and matiness shows. Company will play the same schedule on November 7. The concerts were initially scheduled to be performed at the Donmar's own space, but have been moved to accommodate more patrons.

Despite MGM's many postponements of 'Bond 23,' the as yet untitled twenty-third film in the James Bond franchise, star Daniel Craig and director Sam Mendes will still work on the film, contactmusic.com reports.

The third and final installment in the Bridge Project collaboration between the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM), London's Old Vic Theater, and Sam Mendes's Neal Street Productions has been postponed until 2012 due to 'scheduling issues,' Bridge Project press representative Jackie Green told the New York Times.

ADAM PASCAL & ANTHONY RAPP are coming to the New York's Town Hall Monday, January 10, 2011 at 8pm. Tickets will go on sale Wednesday, July 7th and are available from Ticketmaster and Ticketmaster.com starting at noon. General public tickets will cost $25-60 and limited VIP seats will cost $95. Town Hall is locarted at 123 West 43rd Street (between 6th Avenue & Broadway).

DreamWorks Theatricals and Neal Street Productions announced today that SHREK THE MUSICAL® will open at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane in May 2011, with a press night on June 7, 2011. The new stage musical is based on the story and characters from William Steig's book 'Shrek!' and the Oscar-winning DreamWorks Animation feature film 'Shrek,' the first chapter in the series of irreverent fairy tales.

According to Baz Mabigboye in The Daily Mail, Britain's Got Talent's Amanda Holden scored in her SHREK audition for the West End production and reportedly 'played a blinder and was brilliant.' No casting has been announced as of yet, however rumors are abuzz that Holden will be the choice lady ogre.