Stephen Mear News

Video highlights of the 2010 Olivier Awards!

All the news from the Grosvenor as UK theatre's most prestigious gongs are given out...Mark Rylance and Rachel Weisz win actor/actress, Iwan Rheon, Samantha Spiro and Aneurin Barnard win the musical awards, with Wicked picking up the brand-new audience award and Spring Awakening getting the nod for best new musical

The Olivier Awards take place on Sunday evening - and you can follow all the news here!

The North American tour of MARY POPPINS opened in Denver on Friday, March 5 at the Buell Theatre to rave reviews from Denver's top theatrical critics. Produced by Cameron Mackintosh and Thomas Schumacher, MARY POPPINS features original UK Tour star Caroline Sheen in the title role and original London and Broadway star Gavin Lee, reprising their roles as the world's most famous nanny and chimney sweep.

The 2010 Olivier Awards will take place on 21 March 2010 at the Grosvenor House Hotel, with Spring Awakening, Enron, Jerusalem and A Little Night Music among the standouts of the season with the most nominations. The Laurence Olivier Awards were established in 1976 as The Society of West End Theatre Awards, and Lord Olivier agreed to have his name associated with them in 1984. The Awards are run by The Society of London Theatre but are adjudicated by panels that are equally made up of members of the theatregoing public and experts chosen for their knowledge and professional experience. For more information and updates, visit www.officiallondontheatre.co.uk/olivier_awards.

Verity Hunt-Ballard from Adelaide has won the most hotly contested role in Australian theatre. She will play the world's best loved nanny in the world's Supercalifragilistic musical, MARY POPPINS, opening at Her Majesty's Theatre, Melbourne in July.

Matthew White is directs the Tony Award-winning musical Sweet Charity at the Menier Chocolate Factory. Sweet Charity runs through March 7th, 2010.

The Denver engagement of the MARY POPPINS NORTH AMERICAN TOUR opens tonight, Friday March 5 at 7:30pm at the Buell Theatre, performing for five weeks through Sunday, April 4.

Producers Cameron Mackintosh and Thomas Schumacher are pleased to announce full casting for the Denver engagement of MARY POPPINS. Denver's most eagerly anticipated stage production will begin performances at the Buell Theatre on Thursday, March 4 for a limited engagement of five weeks through April 4. The opening night is Friday, March 5 at 7:30pm.

Producers Cameron Mackintosh and Thomas Schumacher are pleased to announce full casting for the Cincinnati engagement of MARY POPPINS. Cincinnati's most eagerly anticipated stage production will begin performances at the Aronoff Center on Thursday, April 8, 2010 for a limited engagement of three weeks through Sunday, April 25, 2010. The opening night is Friday, April 9, 2010 at 8:00pm.

As reported here previously, the Menier's production of Sweet Charity, starring Tamzin Outhwaite, is to transfer to the Theatre Royal Haymarket.

Composed by Richard Thomas, in his first large-scale production since the legendary West End and Broadway hit 'Jerry Springer-The Opera' is partnering with director and choreographer Stephen Mear for a new dance revue called 'Shoes' slated to premiere at Sadler's Wells for a limited engagement September 3-11, 2010.

After flying high in Los Angeles for 13-weeks, MARY POPPINS folded her umbrella at the Ahmanson Theatre for the final time on Sunday, February 7. During the premiere engagement, the production played 100 performances, entertained over 188,000 theater patrons, grossed $13.7 million at the box office and achieved the milestone of being Los Angeles' highest grossing theatrical event in 2009.

The next Olivier Awards will take place on 21 March 2010.

Mary Poppins playing at the Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles will close on February 7, 2010.

Producers Cameron Mackintosh and Thomas Schumacher are pleased to announce that Caroline Sheen will reprise the role of 'Mary Poppins' in the North American Tour of MARY POPPINS, after originating the title role in the critically acclaimed UK Tour. Sheen replaces Ashley Brown, who will play her final performance in Los Angeles at The Ahmanson Theatre on Sunday, February 7. Sheen joins the production in Tempe, AZ where performances begin at ASU Gammage Auditorium on Thursday, February 11 for a limited engagement of 3 weeks through Sunday, February 28, 2010. The opening night is Friday, February 12 at 7:30pm.

The Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle has announced its nominations and special awards for excellence in Los Angeles and Orange County theatre for the year 2009. The 41st Annual Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Awards ceremony will take place on Monday, March 22 at the Colony Theatre, thanks to the generous donation of the Colony's management. The theatre is located at 555 N. Third Street, in Burbank.

In a journal entry on the Arts Beat blog, New York Times theatre critic Ben Brantley writes of his recent outing to two of the most-talked about shows in the West End at the moment: the revival of 'Sweet Charity' running at the Menier starring Tamzin Outhwaite and 'The Misanthrope' with Kiera Knightley making her West End debut.

Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes treated daughter Suri Cruise to evening out at the Ahmanson Theatre to see the LA engagement of the beloved stage musical, MARY POPPINS. This is the second time Suri has seen the world's most famous nanny on stage. Katie brought her to see the smash hit Broadway production in August 2008 during NY rehearsals for her own Broadway debut in Arthur Miller's All My Sons.

      A great way to celebrate the holiday season in Los Angeles is to spend it with Mary and Bert in the magical "Mary Poppins," which will have a special two-week holiday schedule including a 6:30 p.m. performance on New Year's Eve, Thursday, December 31, 2009, and 2 p.m. matinees on Wednesday, December 23, Thursday, December 24 and Wednesday, December 30. There will be no performances on Christmas and New Year's Day.  As one of the musical's beloved songs says, it'll be a "Jolly Holiday" at the Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatre.