Sonia Friedman News

Tony, Grammy & Golden Globe Award winner Bernadette Peters begins performances in A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC alongside Tony & Emmy Award winner Elaine Stritch tonight, Tuesday, July 13th.

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.

Due to popular demand, Neil Simon's award-winning comedy The Prisoner of Second Avenue has extended its run at the Vaudeville Theatre until 25 September 2010. Directed by Terry Johnson and starring Jeff Gold blum and Mercedes Ruehl, The Prisoner Of Second Avenue is the first West End production to be staged by The Old Vic Theatre Company.

Mark Rylance (Valere), David Hyde Pierce (Elomire) and Joanna Lumley (The Princess) are joined by Stephen Ouimette (Bejart), Lisa Joyce (Marquise-Therese Du Parc), Greta Lee (Dorine), Robert Lonsdale (Rene Du Parc), Michael Milligan (De Brie), Liza Sadovy (Catherine De Brie) and Sally Wingert (Madeleine Bejart) in Matthew Warchus' production of David Hirson's La Bête.

Mark Rylance (Valere), David Hyde Pierce (Elomire) and Joanna Lumley (The Princess) are joined by Stephen Ouimette (Bejart), Lisa Joyce (Marquise-Therese Du Parc), Greta Lee (Dorine), Robert Lonsdale (Rene Du Parc), Michael Milligan (De Brie), Liza Sadovy (Catherine De Brie) and Sally Wingert (Madeleine Bejart) as rehearsals begin for Matthew Warchus' production of David Hirson's La Bête.

Actress Jennifer Ellison is in 'talks and talks' to take on the role of Elle Woods in the West End production of LEGALLY BLONDE, The Daily Mail's Baz Bamigboye reports. Ellison would replace Sheridan Smith, who is currently playing the role and is to leave in September or October.

Goldblum_20010101 Following a highly successful career on Broadway, Oscar and Tony award-winning actress Mercedes Ruehl joins Jeff Goldblum in THE PRISON OF SECOND AVENUE at the Vaudeville Theatre. Directed by Terry Johnson, Neil Simon's hit comedy THE PRISONE OF SECOND AVENUE will mark Mercedes' London stage debut and will open for previews on June 30th and run until September 11th.

LA CAGE AUX FOLLES, the 2010 Tony Award winner for Best Revival of a Musical, broke the house record at the Longacre Theatre last week for the third time. The show grossed $747,615.62 at the 1,057-seat playhouse for the week ending June 27, breaking its previous record of $687,824.90 for the week ending June 20.

Mark Rylance (Valere), David Hyde Pierce (Elomire) and Joanna Lumley (The Princess) are joined by Stephen Ouimette (Bejart), Lisa Joyce (Marquise-Therese Du Parc), Greta Lee (Dorine), Robert Lonsdale (Rene Du Parc), Michael Milligan (De Brie), Liza Sadovy (Catherine De Brie) and Sally Wingert (Madeleine Bejart) as rehearsals begin for Matthew Warchus' production of David Hirson's La Bête.

Today, A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC's new ladies, Bernadette Peters and Elaine Stritch met the press in anticipation of their July 13th debut in Trevor Nunn's acclaimed production at the Walter Kerr Theatre, which is currently on hiatus while the new leads rehearse. Broadway Beat was there to talk to the show's new stars...

Tony, Grammy & Golden Globe Award winner Bernadette Peters, who begins performances in A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC alongside Tony & Emmy Award winner Elaine Stritch on Tuesday, July 13th, will be Regis Philbin's co-host tomorrow, Friday, June 25 on 'Live with Regis & Kelly,' airing at 9 a.m. Check local listings (Channel 7, WABC in the tri-state area).

Today, A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC's new ladies, Bernadette Peters and Elaine Stritch met the press in anticipation of their July 13th debut in Trevor Nunn's acclaimed production at the Walter Kerr Theatre, which is currently on hiatus. BroadwayWorld was on hand for the photocall.

This past weekend, Elaine Stritch performed her 'Singin' Sondheim' cabaret in West Hartford, CT. As reported by the Hartford Courant, the A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC-bound star was simultaneously in private rehearsals with director Trevor Nunn. According to the report, Stritch and Peters were in New York working on scenes with Nunn, who then rode to Hartford with Stritch to continue discussions over the two-hour car ride. They continued work at the Roberts Theatre, the same space Stritch performed 'Singin' Sondheim' that evening. Jeremy Cohen, associate artistic director of Hartford Stage, is quoted as saying that watching Stritch and Nunn 'was like [being] a kid in a candy shop ... He's definitely an actor's director and listening them talk about Sondheim was incredible. It's as if they had been working together for decades because they spoke in the common vocabulary of Sondheim.'

LA CAGE AUX FOLLES, the 2010 Tony Award winner for Best Musical Revival, broke the house record at the Longacre Theatre last week for the second time. The show grossed $687,824.90 at the 1,057-seat playhouse for the week ending June 20, breaking its previous record of $673,706.50 for the week ending May 11.

Tony, Grammy & Golden Globe Award winner Bernadette Peters and Tony & Emmy Award winner Elaine Stritch will return to Broadway in Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler's Tony Award-winning masterpiece A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC, directed by Tony Award-winner Trevor Nunn.

Kelsey Grammer, currently starring in his Broadway musical debut in LA CAGE AUX FOLLES, will be a guest on CBS' 'The Early Show' on Saturday, June 19. In the New York area, 'The Early Show' airs on WCBS Channel 2 between 7:00 and 9:00 AM. Check local listings.

Howard Davies' critically acclaimed production of All My Sons at the Apollo Theatre has extended its run by 3 weeks and is now booking until 2 October 2010. Acknowledged as Arthur Miller's first great success, this current production of All My Sons starring David Suchet and Zoë Wanamaker with Stephen Campbell Moore, Daniel Lapaine and Jemima Rooper has been universally hailed by the critics.

American playwright Katori Hall's The Mountaintop was named Best Play at the 2010 Olivier Awards in London. Marking the first time a female African American playwright has received the honor in the Olivier Awards' 34-year history, Ms. Hall's play was nominated alongside such new works as Jerusalem, Enron and Red.

Richard Fleeshman will join the cast of the critically acclaimed Legally Blonde The Musical from 16 June to play Warner Huntington III opposite Sheridan Smith as Elle Woods, Jill Halfpenny as Paulette, Peter Davison as Professor Callahan and Alex Gaumond as Emmett. Fleeshman takes over the role of Warner Huntington III from Duncan James whose final performance will be 14 June 2010. Legally Blonde The Musical, which opened at the Savoy Theatre earlier this year, is currently booking until 20 February 2011.

The American Theatre Wing's 64th Annual Antoinette Perry 'Tony' Awards were held at Radio City Music Hall on Sunday, June 13, 2010 and broadcast on the CBS Television Network. For more information visit tonyawards.com.