Simon Phillips News

Due to popular demand, New York City's legendary Magnolia Bakery has announced a return of the official cupcake of PRISCILLA QUEEN OF THE DESERT THE MUSICAL in celebration of the Tony Awards.

Due to popular demand, New York City's legendary Magnolia Bakery has announced a return of the official cupcake of PRISCILLA QUEEN OF THE DESERT THE MUSICAL in celebration of the Tony Awards.

LOVE NEVER DIES composer, Andrew Lloyd Webber, stopped by opening night and gave his thoughts at the end of the performance. View his speech below!

PRISCILLA QUEEN OF THE DESERT has been honored with three Best Musical award nominations from the Drama Desk, Drama League and Outer Critics Circle Award organizations. Olivier Award nominee Tony Sheldon has received a Tony Award® nomination for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical in addition to Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle and Drama League Best Actor nominations. Academy Award winning design team Tim Chappel and Lizzy Gardiner have also been nominated for a Tony Award® for their costume design for the stage production. Check out a 'diva-mix' of songs featured in the show by clicking below!

A lack of enthusiasm embodied me as I entered the Regent Theater on Saturday night for the Australian opening of Love Never Dies, the sequel to Andrew LLoyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera. Having seen the show twice at the Adelphi Theater in London I had a fair idea of what I was in for and quite honestly I felt that the two previous times where more than enough to convince me that this show, no matter how hard LLoyd Webber tries, simply does not work. How wrong I was. This is a brand new show from Overture to Curtain and even the familar story and score seemed to rise in this herculean effort by an Australian creative team led by Director Simon Phillips and Designer Gabriela Tylesova. The vast minimalist expanses of the Adelphi stage were now filled with a carnival of lights, carousels, and a cast of freaks and outcast characters that finally gave the show the vibe it needed. One cannot help but be wowed by the spherical design employed by Tylesova in the Coney Island Waltz in the early stages of Act 1, and in reality, it is the design of the show that is its star attraction. That and Phantom Ben Lewis. Lewis' character is vocally as powerful a Phantom that I have seen. However, it wasn't Lewis' vocal ability that won me over, it was his tender acting performance. So much so that what in the past was a particularly unmoving final scene became one of the most finite and complete in recent memory. The audience either side of me were fossicking for their handkerchiefs and it left me wishing I had brought one myself.

The continuation of Broadway's longest-running musical, The Phantom of the Opera, Love Never Dies has opened the Regent Theatre in Australia.

Andrew Lloyd Webber has let the world know what he thinks of the Melbourne version of LOVE NEVER DIES, his sequel to PHANTOM OF THE OPERA which opened last Thursday. The $9 million production has many differences from the LOVE NEVER DIES that has been playing in London for over a year.

Following hit productions in Australia, London and Toronto, PRISCILLA QUEEN OF THE DESERT THE MUSICAL opened to critical acclaim on March 20 at the Palace Theatre (1564 Broadway). The show will give its 100th performance on Broadway, tonight, Friday, May 27th, and the cast recently celebrated the milestone with a Cupcake Toast. BroadwayWorld brings you full coverage of the event below!

To celebrate PRISCILLA QUEEN OF THE DESERT's 100th performance on Broadway, tonight, Friday, May 27th -- the smash hit new musical is counting down 100 'memorable' fun facts and backstage secrets leading up to the landmark performance.

Hottest Articles on BroadwayWorld.com from this weekend Sunday, May 22, 2011 - Sunday, May 22, 2011.

Today we are setting our sights on the revamped, rewritten version of Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical sequel to THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA which opens this weekend in Australia - the once-slightly muddled, but melodically rich and dramatically rife LOVE NEVER DIES. Simon Phillips - known for his extravagant opera productions, as well as his musicals such as the recent Australia premieres of William Finn's SPELLING BEE and the Australian, Toronto and Broadway productions of PRISCILLA: QUEEN OF THE DESERT, which just opened this season - has completely re-imagined the show complete with roller coasters, carousels and more thrills than Coney Island - which is just as it should be given the story! Finally - thrills, chills and some operatic trills. Plus - showgirls, freaks, a carousel, the Phantom's son, and more! Down once more to the Phantom's lair we go…

The continuation of Broadway's longest-running musical The Phantom of the Opera, Love Never Dies will open today, May 21 2011 at the Regent Theatre.

Love Never Dies is set to open this month at the Regent Theatre in Australia, running concurrently with the production currently in London. The Australian production will not be a carbon copy of the London production, however, and instead utilizes a new design. Check out the brand new, reimagined LOVE NEVER DIES below!

Host of Broadway At Bedtime, WILL CONYERS, caught up with the Director of the 're-imagined' version of LOVE NEVER DIES, Simon Phillips, at The Regent Theatre in Melbourne. Invited to the 'Sitzprobe', the cast's first exposure to the full 21 piece orchestra, they also got a sneak peek at the amazing technical install and set for this Australian Production of Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber's 'Phantom of the Opera' sequel. You can listen in to Broadway At Bedtime Sundays at 9pm, Mondays at 1am, Wednesdays at 9am, Thursdays at 2pm and Saturday at 6pm - all times are Australian Eastern Daylight Savings - on RadioB@B, Live365.com. For more information on LOVE NEVER DIES, visit http://www.loveneverdies.com.au/. View the interview with Phillips below!

Last night, May 14, the cast of PRISCILLA QUEEN OF THE DESERT was treated to a visit by GLEE's Dot-Marie Jones (Coach Beiste). After taking in the performance, everyone's favorite footballer congratulated the cast backstage. BroadwayWorld was on hand for the photo op and brings you coverage below.

A new block of tickets will go on sale for PRISCILLA QUEEN OF THE DESERT THE MUSICAL on Monday, May 16, 2011. Tickets for Broadway's new smash hit will now be available through January 29, 2012.

A new block of tickets will go on sale for PRISCILLA QUEEN OF THE DESERT THE MUSICAL on Monday, May 16, 2011. Tickets for Broadway's new smash hit will now be available through January 29, 2012.

PRISCILLA QUEEN OF THE DESERT THE MUSICAL will make sure Mom is treated like a Queen all week long, and not just on Mother's Day, with a series of special restaurant and flower arrangement offers - the perfect accessory in bringing the "Diva" in your life to a performance of the new hit Broadway musical at the Palace Theatre (1564 Broadway).

PRISCILLA QUEEN OF THE DESERT THE MUSICAL will make sure Mom is treated like a Queen all week long, and not just on Mother's Day, with a series of special restaurant and flower arrangement offers - the perfect accessory in bringing the "Diva" in your life to a performance of the new hit Broadway musical at the Palace Theatre (1564 Broadway).

Love Never Dies is set to open this month at the Regent Theatre in Australia. The Australian production will not be a carbon copy of the London production, and instead utilizes a new design. Tickets for Love Never Dies in Australia have been on sale since October 2010, and are selling through July. Visit http://www.loveneverdies.com/ for tickets and more information; check out a behind the scenes clip of the load in to the Regent Theatre below!