Simon Baker News

The BPM Festival returns to Playa del Carmen, Mexico, from December 31st, 2010 to January 9th, 2011 and is excited to announce its stellar 2011 lineup of globally renowned DJs and nightly events schedule.

Two stars of the stage - Kelli O'Hara and Nathan Gunn -will join the New York Philharmonic for an evening of songs and duets from the Golden Age of Broadway, conducted by Tony Award winner Ted Sperling, Monday, March 21, 2011, at 7:30 p.m. Ms. O'Hara, fresh off her highly successful run as Nellie Forbush in South Pacific at Lincoln Center Theater, returns to the New York Philharmonic following two previous appearances, including her acclaimed starring role as Eliza Doolittle in the Orchestra's 2007 production of My Fair Lady. Baritone Nathan Gunn returns after winning hearts as the swashbuckling Sir Lancelot in the Philharmonic's 2008 Camelot production and his featured role in last season's SONDHEIM: The Birthday Concert! The two stage luminaries will perform selections from classic Broadway musicals by Rodgers and Hammerstein, Cole Porter, Kurt Weill, and Stephen Sondheim, ranging from Carousel to Follies.

Sheffield Theatres has today announced casting for its production of ME AND MY GIRL this December. Daniel Crossley takes the lead role of Bill Snibson, Jemima Rooper will play Sally and Miriam Margolyes will take the part of the Duchess. The production is the first musical to be staged at the Crucible following its £15.3 million redevelopment. The production will be directed by Anna Mackmin. The production will run from 2 December until 29 January 2011.

The acclaimed Broadway revival of David Hirson's Olivier Award-winning comedy LA BÊTE starring Tony and Olivier Award winner Mark Rylance, Tony and Emmy Award winner David Hyde Pierce, and BAFTA Award winner (and star of 'Absolutely Fabulous') Joanna Lumley will play through Sunday, January 9th, 2011 at the Music Box Theatre (239 West 45th Street), capping off a limited 16-week Broadway engagement. LA BÊTE began previews on Broadway on September 23rd and officially opened October 14th. The Broadway run immediately follows a critically and commercially successful engagement at the Comedy Theatre in London's West End. LA BÊTE will have played a total of 23 preview performances and 101 regular performances on Broadway.

Warner Bros. Consumer Products (WBCP), DC Entertainment and Nick Grace of Water Lane Productions Ltd (WLP) announced that BATMAN LIVE - a unique action-packed live show - will tour arenas for the first time ever across the UK and Europe, beginning in summer 2011 and arriving in North America by summer 2012.

The nominees for the PEOPLE'S CHOICE AWARDS 2011 were announced this morning by Malin Akerman ('27 Dresses,' 'Watchmen'), Michael Chiklis, ('No Ordinary Family'), Zachary Levi ('Chuck'), AnnaLynne McCord ('90210'), Jeff Probst ('Survivor') and Audrina Patridge ('The Hills'), along with host Queen Latifah and Executive Producer Mark Burnett at The London West Hollywood Hotel. Prior to the announcement, over 35 million votes were cast by fans across the country. Fans were invited to pick new categories and determine the nominees for the annual awards show that celebrates fan favorites in movies, music and television.

Warner Bros. Consumer Products (WBCP), DC Entertainment and Nick Grace of Water Lane Productions Ltd (WLP) announced today that BATMAN LIVE - a unique action-packed live show - will tour arenas for the first time ever across the UK and Europe, beginning in summer 2011 and arriving in North America by summer 2012.

Richard Redlin (actor, producer, writer, director) will guest star on THE MENTALIST episode #3.9 'Red Moon' (scheduled air date November 18th) as Joe Hunniker, a Vietnam vet who uses a wheelchair and a shot gun to defend what's left of his family. Written by series creator Bruno Heller, Simon Baker directs his first episode of THE MENTALIST.

Sheffield Crucible is to stage its first musical since its £15 million redevelopment with a revival of Me and My Girl.

Roundabout Theatre Company (Todd Haimes, Artistic Director) in association with David Pugh & Dafydd Rogers and Cineworld is thrilled to announce a four-week extension of Kneehigh Theatre's critically acclaimed production of Noël Coward's Brief Encounter, now through Sunday, January 2nd, 2011 at Studio 54 (254 W54th St.) on Broadway.

FEINSTEIN'S AT LOEWS REGENCY, the nightclub proclaimed 'Best of New York' by New York Magazine, and 'an invaluable New York institution' by The New York Post, continues its Fall 2010 season with the debut engagement of Broadway star and three-time Tony Award nominee Kelli O'Hara last night, October 19. In her new show, which runs through October 30, Ms. O'Hara takes a journey beyond the ingénue by mixing songs by newer songwriters like Tom Kitt and Ricky Ian Gordon with classics by Frank Loesser ('Somebody, Somewhere') Irving Berlin ('Always'). All performances, which feature a quartet led by Music Director Dan Lipton, will be at the Regency Hotel (540 Park Avenue at 61st Street). This program will also be performed at the Tilles Center on Long Island (November 5). BroadwayWorld was on hand for O'Hara's debut last night and brings you photo coverage below.

FEINSTEIN'S AT LOEWS REGENCY, the nightclub proclaimed "Best of New York" by New York Magazine, and "an invaluable New York institution" by The New York Post, continues its Fall 2010 season with the debut engagement of Broadway star and three-time Tony Award nominee KELLI O'HARA from October 19 - 30.

Talk Show Listings for Monday, October 18, 2010.

Talk Show Listings for Monday, October 18, 2010.

After a record-breaking turnout in 2010, with over 18,000 people in attendance, The BPM Festival is returning to Playa del Carmen, Mexico for its 4th year of world-class DJs and parties on the sunny shores of the Mayan Riviera.

The first major revival of David Hirson's Olivier Award-winning comedy LA BÊTE starring Tony and Olivier Award winner Mark Rylance, Tony and Emmy Award winner David Hyde Pierce, and BAFTA Award winner (and star of 'Absolutely Fabulous') Joanna Lumley began previews at Broadway's Music Box Theatre (239 West 45th Street) on September 23, 2010. This new production, helmed by acclaimed director Matthew Warchus (God of Carnage, Boeing-Boeing, The Norman Conquests), will officially open tonight, October 14. This immediately follows a limited summer engagement at the Comedy Theatre in London's West End from June 26-September 4, 2010 with opening night of July 7. Click below for a video preview of LA BETE!

The first major revival of David Hirson's Olivier Award-winning comedy LA BÊTE starring Tony and Olivier Award winner Mark Rylance, Tony and Emmy Award winner David Hyde Pierce, and BAFTA Award winner (and star of 'Absolutely Fabulous') Joanna Lumley will open on Broadway October 14, 2010 at the Music Box Theatre. Joining Rylance, Pierce, and Lumley in both London and New York are Stephen Ouimette, Lisa Joyce, Greta Lee, Robert Lonsdale, Michael Milligan, Liza Sadovy, Sally Wingert, Deanne Lorette, and Steve Routman.

For decades, the great and not-so-great vocal artists of cabarets and nightclubs have put their own personal spins on the songs of the sumptuous Noel Coward catalogue; changing a tempo here, adjusting a rhythm there.  Similarly, adaptor/director Emma Rice makes a marvelous party out of her theatrical riff on Coward's bitter sweet one-act romance, Still Life, by way of the play's 1945 film version, Brief Encounter.  The happy result is a stage play where characters occasionally dissolve into glorious black and white screen images or evolve into musicAl Hall entertainers singing commentary on the tense and understated love story.

They say we've become a society anesthetized from violent images since the days when graphic television news footage from Vietnam helped spark the largest anti-war movement this country had seen up until that time.  But the video clips from Gaza shown in Pulitzer-winning journalist Lawrence Wright's solo piece, The Human Scale, are enough to test any playgoer's stomach.

The first major revival of David Hirson's Olivier Award-winning comedy LA BÊTE starring Tony and Olivier Award winner Mark Rylance, Tony and Emmy Award winner David Hyde Pierce, and BAFTA Award winner (and star of 'Absolutely Fabulous') Joanna Lumley began previews at Broadway's Music Box Theatre (239 West 45th Street) on September 23, 2010. This new production, helmed by acclaimed director Matthew Warchus (God of Carnage, Boeing-Boeing, The Norman Conquests), will officially open October 14, 2010. This immediately follows a limited summer engagement at the Comedy Theatre in London's West End from June 26-September 4, 2010 with opening night of July 7. The first Broadway production shots have been released and BroadwayWorld brings you a look below.