Scott Wittman News

Tony Award winner Jerry Mitchell has been announced as the director/choreographer of the Hollywood Bowl's production of HAIRSPRAY, the 2003 winner of eight Tony Awards including Best Musical, in addition to holding the record as the 20th longest running show in Broadway history. Lon Hoyt has been announced as the musical director of the production. Mitchell was the original choreographer of Hairspray on Broadway, and Hoyt was the original musical director of the Broadway production.

DanceOn, YouTube's partnership channel exclusive to dance, released the fourth episode of DIARY OF A CHORUS GIRL today. The first webseries of its kind, DIARY OF A CHORUS GIRL documents the making of Broadway's CATCH ME IF YOU CAN from its first rehearsal to opening night through the eyes of a real-life chorus girl in her Broadway debut, Alex Ellis. From grueling dance rehearsals in 6-inch heels, to glamorous photo shoots, to balancing a personal life, Alex Ellis takes viewers on a theatrical journey showing what it really takes to make it on the Great White Way. Check out the fourth episode below!

Arkansas Repertory Theatre, or The Rep, will present the musical comedy favorite Hairspray from Friday, April 8 to Sunday, May 8. Two preview performances will play Wednesday, April 6 and Thursday, April 7 at 7 p.m., with a preshow discussion with the directors at 6:15 p.m. This production will be directed and choreographed by Michael Barnard and Robert Kolby Harper.

Arlington VA's Signature Theatre has announced that their 2011-2012 season will feature the world premiere of 5 new works that include two new musicals that will run in repertory as part of the American Musical Voices Project Repertory Series. The season will also feature some old favorites such as HAIRSPRAY and XANADU and the Washington area premiere of GOD OF CARNAGE.

You've seen her Tony Award-winning performances on the Broadway stage; you've watched her on the small screen; you've read her best-selling autobiography, 'Patti LuPone: A Memoir;' big thanks to the Celebrity Series of Boston for bringing her to Symphony Hall

The Way Off Broadway Dinner Theatre's 2011 Season continues this summer when it brings the Frederick premiere of the smash hit musical comedy Hairspray to the stage.

Whether you've been living under a rock for the past week, or you're just in the mood for a recap of everything theatre, BroadwayWorld's new feature, ‘This Week in Pictures' is here to satisfy your end of the week fix. Take a look below to catch up on the latest happenings from the Great White Way to the West End (and everywhere in between) with coverage of press events, rehearsals, opening nights and more! For last week's biggest events: visit THIS WEEK IN PICTURES: March 21-26.

Now in previews, CATCH ME IF YOU CAN will open on Broadway Sunday, April 10, 2011 at the Neil Simon Theatre. This new musical, created by a team of Tony winners, features a book by Terrence McNally, music by Marc Shaiman, lyrics by Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman, choreography by Jerry Mitchell and is directed by Jack O'Brien. The first production shots appear below!

Beck Center for the Arts is proud to announce its 2010/2011 professional theater season, featuring something for every taste and the reopening of the Studio Theater.

There is so much energy, enthusiasm and heart found in Street Theatre Company's Hairspray that it's certain to keep your spirits buoyed for a long time after leaving the theater. Brought to the stage by a competent creative team and a huge cast of committed performers, the Scott Wittman-Marc Shaiman musical - featuring a book by Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan based on John Waters' wholly original film - Hairspray is great big fun, featuring some lovable characters and one of the most infectious musical theatre scores around.

CATCH ME IF YOU CAN has launched a new seat upgrade initiative offering every audience member the chance to upgrade their seat to a pair in the 'First Class' section of the orchestra. During preview performances, beginning 30 minutes before curtain, audience members can text in to a number listed in their Playbill and one winner will be chosen at random 10 minutes prior to show time. Every audience member who enters, regardless of seat location in the theater, is eligible to be upgraded. The seat upgrade is sponsored by JetBlue - the Official Airline of CATCH ME IF YOU CAN, opening Sunday, April 10 at The Neil Simon Theatre (250 West 52nd Street).

Following smash hit productions in Australia, London and Toronto, PRISCILLA QUEEN OF THE DESERT THE MUSICAL began previews on Broadway on February 28 and opened on Sunday night, March 20, 2011. Here's part two of our photo coverage of the show's starry opening night red carpet arrivals!

In the roughly five years between November of 1935 and December of 1940, the team of Rodgers and Hart opened nine new musicals on Broadway.  These included revolutionary shows like On Your Toes, which changed the use of dance in musical theatre, and the underappreciated Pal Joey, which brought new sophistication to the characters and themes that could be featured in a musical.  There were also popular hits like Babes In Arms, The Boys From Syracuse, Jumbo and Too Many Girls that introduced classic American songbook entries like 'My Funny Valentine,' 'The Lady Is A Tramp,' 'Falling In Love With Love,' 'My Romance' and 'I Didn't Know What Time It Was.'

Hairspray, one of Broadway's most beloved musicals and winner of eight Tony® Awards, including Best New Musical, will have Rep audiences dancing in their seats just in time for spring!

Arkansas Repertory Theatre, or The Rep, will present the musical comedy favorite Hairspray from Friday, April 8 to Sunday, May 8. Two preview performances will play Wednesday, April 6 and Thursday, April 7 at 7 p.m., with a preshow discussion with the directors at 6:15 p.m. This production will be directed and choreographed by Michael Barnard and Robert Kolby Harper.

DIARY OF A CHORUS GIRL, directed by Sara Wolkowitz, is an original webseries the follows the making of Broadway's CATCH ME IF YOU CAN through the eyes of Alex Ellis, a cast member making her Broadway debut! A 10 episode journey, each episode will go live on Wednesdays from March 16, 2011 through May 18, 2011 on www.DanceOn.com.

Broadway Beat recently went behind the scenes of Broadway's newest musical, CATCH ME IF YOU CAN, which just began previews at the Neil Simon Theatre last week. During their visit at the rehearsal studio, they stopped to chat with Aaron Tveit, who plays leading man Frank Abagnale Jr. in the production.

Broadway Beat recently went behind the scenes of Broadway's newest musical, CATCH ME IF YOU CAN, which just began previews at the Neil Simon Theatre last week. During their visit at the rehearsal studio, they stopped to chat with Tony winner Norbert Leo Butz, who plays lovable FBI agent Carl Hanratty in the show.

Sh-k-boom will release the cast recording of Broadway's newest musical, CATCH ME IF YOU CAN. The show, which began previews at the Neil Simon Theatre last week, is based on the hit DreamWorks film and the incredible true story that inspired it. A release date for the album has not yet been announced.

Theater Talk, the series devoted to the world of the stage, is co-hosted by Michael Riedel, Broadway columnist for the New York Post and series producer Susan Haskins.