Sonia Friedman News

Josie Rourke's production of William Shakespeare's timeless comedy Much Ado About Nothing starring David Tennant and Catherine Tate will complete its run at the Wyndham's Theatre on 3 September 2011, as previously scheduled. Breaking all Wyndham's Box Office records, Much Ado About Nothing has sold out its entire run and recouped within a few weeks of opening.

It's just been announced that Lauren Ambrose will star as Fanny Brice in FUNNY GIRL, in the first Broadway production of the musical since it originally opened in 1964. FUNNY GIRL, which features music by Jule Styne, lyrics by Bob Merrill and book by Isobel Lennart, will be directed by Tony Award-winner Bartlett Sher.

Tony Award-winner Matthew Broderick will soon return to Broadway in the Kathleen Marshal-helmed NICE WORK IF YOU CAN GET IT, but according to the NY Post, he will have to first recover from back surgery that he recently under-went. His spokesperson told NYP, 'Matthew had a sports injury some time ago. He pulled something in his back and recently underwent routine surgery. It was a simple procedure, he is fine and is up and about and back at home.'

Ian Rickson's critically acclaimed production of Harold Pinter's Betrayal, starring Kristin Scott Thomas, Douglas Henshall and Ben Miles, will end its scheduled run at the Comedy Theatre on 20 August 2011 having recouped its investment.

Today, 27 July 2011, a further quarter of a million tickets are released for sale for the Laurence Olivier award-winning Legally Blonde The Musical, taking bookings to 27 October 2012. Since its opening at the Savoy Theatre in December 2009, almost 600,000 patrons have now seen Jerry Mitchell's multi award-winning production.

Ian Rickson's new production of Harold Pinter's Betrayal, starring Kristin Scott Thomas, Douglas Henshall and Ben Miles, is currently playingat the Comedy Theatre in the West End. Betrayal, produced by Sonia Friedman Productions, is booking until 20 August 2011.

Today (26 July 2011), Michael Attenborough, Artistic Director of the Almeida Theatre, announces Julia Potts is to be his new Executive Director.

According to a recent article in the NY Times, London-based producer Sonia Friedman, revealed that she is currently looking at the possibility of bringing the West End revival of Harold Pinter's BETRAYAL to Broadway. Set to close in London on August 20, the transfer would bring along current star Kristin Scott Thomas.

It was announced today that world renowned Grammy Award®-winning saxophonist and Tony Award® nominee Branford Marsalis (Fences) will join the creative team as composer of original music for the upcoming Broadway premiere of the new play, The Mountaintop, by Katori Hall, starring Academy Award-nominee Samuel L. Jackson as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Academy Award-nominee & Golden Globe-winner Angela Bassett as Camae. Directed by Tony Award® nominee Kenny Leon (Fences, A Raisin in the Sun), The Mountaintop will begin performances on September 22, 2011, at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre (242 West 45th Street), with an official opening on Thursday, October 13, 2011.

Touring theatre company Out of Joint, led by legendary Artistic Director Max Stafford-Clark, today announced the full list of four shows which it will be presenting in London this autumn.

Max Stafford-Clark's new production of Caryl Churchill's Top Girls is to transfer to the Trafalgar Studios following its critically acclaimed, sell-out run at the Minerva Theatre, Chichester. Top Girls, produced in the West End by Sonia Friedman Productions, will run at the Trafalgar Studios from 5 August - 15 October 2011 with press night on 16 August 2011. Designs are by Tim Shortall with lighting by Jason Taylor, sound by Ian Dickinson and video design by Finn Ross. Stafford-Clark's Out of Joint/ Chichester Festival Theatre co-production reunites him with producer Sonia Friedman, with whom he co-founded Out of Joint Theatre Company in 1993.

Ian Rickson's Royal Court Theatre production of Jez Butterworth's Jerusalem will return to London's West End for a strictly limited 14 week engagement hot on the heels of a triumphant Broadway run. Mark Rylance will reprise his Olivier and Tony award-wining performance as Johnny 'Rooster' Byron, directed by Ian Rickson. Previewing at the Apollo Theatre from 8 October 2011, with press night on 17 October, Jerusalem is booking until 14 January 2012. Designs are by Ultz, with lighting by Mimi Jordan Sherin, sound by Ian Dickinson for Autograph and music by Stephen Warbeck. Jerusalem is produced in the West End by Royal Court Theatre Productions and by Sonia Friedman Productions.

Carley Stenson, Natalie Casey, Peter Davison, Siobhan Dillon, Lee Mead and Simon Thomas star in the Olivier Award winning show Legally Blonde The Musical, which is currently booking until 31 March 2012 at the Savoy Theatre.

Kim Cattrall and Paul Gross will star on Broadway this autumn in Noël Coward's Private Lives directed by Richard Eyre at the Music Box Theatre (239 West 45th Street). Previews will begin on Sunday November 6; opening night is Thursday November 17. The limited engagement runs through February 5 2012.

Producers Jean Doumanian and Sonia Friedman announced today that Academy Award-nominee and Golden Globe-winner Angela Bassett will return to the Broadway stage in the role of Camae starring opposite Academy Award-nominee Samuel L. Jackson as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in the Broadway production of the new play, The Mountaintop, by Katori Hall directed by Tony Award-nominee Kenny Leon (Fences, A Raisin in the Sun). The Mountaintop will begin performances on September 22, 2011, at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre (242 West 45th Street), with an official opening on Thursday, October 13, 2011.

Today, 20 June 2011, Lee Mead joins the West End cast of the Olivier award-wining Legally Blonde The Musical to play Emmett Forrest. He joins Susan McFadden as Elle Woods, Natalie Casey as Paulette, Carley Stenson as Margot, Nicola Brazil as Serena, Siobhan Dillon as Vivienne and Peter Davison as Professor Callahan.

The Tony® nominated revival of Tom Stoppard's ARCADIA directed by David Leveaux, concludes its limited engagement tonight at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre (243 West 47th Street). ARCADIA will have played 73 regular performances and 35 preview performances.

Three time Tony Award-winner Kathleen Marshall (Anything Goes, Pajama Game, Wonderful Town) will direct and choreograph the new musical comedy NICE WORK IF YOU CAN GET IT starring Tony Award-winner Matthew Broderick (The Producers, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, Brighton Beach Memoirs).

This morning on a Today Show appearance, Angela Bassett revealed that she's 'weighing coming to New York to do a Broadway show' to the show's hosts, Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb.

The Tony® nominated revival of Tom Stoppard's ARCADIA directed by David Leveaux, begins the final week of its limited engagement tonight at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre (243 West 47th Street).