Susan Stroman News

FINDING NEVERLAND has found its new leading man! Tony Award nominee Tony Yazbeck (On The Town) will take over the role of Peter Pan creator J.M. Barrie in the smash hit, record-breaking Broadway musical starting tonight, January 26, 2016.

On Friday, March 11, 2016 at 8:00PM, The New York Pops, led by Music Director Steven Reineke, will continue its 33rd season at Carnegie Hall's Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage with 42nd on 57th: Broadway Today. With guest artists Darren Criss (Glee) and Betsy Wolfe (The Mystery of Edwin Drood), the concert brings the best of Broadway uptown. The program will feature a variety of musical theatre hits. Darren Criss replaces the previously announced Jeremy Jordan, who is unavailable due to a scheduling issue.

While certainly far from a perfect show (both in staging and execution), the bus-and-truck version of BULLETS OVER BROADWAY - THE MUSICAL---the quirky and highly-amusing stage musical adaptation of the 1994 big screen comedy penned by Woody Allen and Douglas McGrath---is nonetheless a supremely fun and engaging stage iteration had me in stitches for much of its two hilarious acts, which have been enhanced by lots of silly, old-fashioned antics and an array of surprisingly top-notch musical/acting performances from a solid, mostly young cast. I can honestly say that this production---now finishing up its Los Angeles premiere performances at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood through January 24---is quite possibly the most enjoyable non-equity first national tour I've watched in a long, long time---a wonderful surprise considering such enterprises have a long, contentious history of enticing lots of industry controversy and skepticism even before the curtain goes up.

Feinstein's/54 Below, Broadway's Supper Club, presents John Riddle in 'KEEP IT SIMPLE' tonight, January 21st, 2016.

The national tour of the new musical comedy BULLETS OVER BROADWAY, written by Woody Allen and based on the screenplay by Allen and Douglas McGrath for the 1994 film, will make its Seattle premiere from February 2 - 7 at The Paramount Theatre. Tickets are available on-line at stgpresents.org and tickets.com, by calling 877-STG-4TIX (784-4849) or in person at select Ticketmaster locations and at The Paramount Theatre Box Office (Monday through Friday, 10am to 6pm).

As BroadwayWorld reported this morning, Bette Midler will indeed return to Broadway in one of the most cherished shows in musical theater history when she takes on the role of Dolly Gallagher Levi in Michael Stewart's (book) and Jerry Herman's (music and lyrics) masterpiece, Hello, Dolly!. Directed by four-time Tony Award® winner Jerry Zaks, Hello, Dolly! will begin performances on Broadway on March 13, 2017, with an official opening night of April 20, 2017. Rehearsals begin one year from today. This new production of Hello, Dolly!, the first new production of this classic musical to appear on Broadway since it opened more than fifty years ago, will have at its helm Jerry Zaks as its director, and will feature choreography by Tony Award-winner Warren Carlyle. The new Dolly! will pay tribute to the original work of legendary director/choreographer Gower Champion, which has been hailed both then and now as one of the greatest stagings in musical theater history. Below, reacquaint yourself with the creative team, old and new!

A playwright who needs someone to back his next show. A mobster who needs some way to please his showgirl girlfriend. This could be the start of a beautiful friendship - or a brand new musical comedy! Loaded with big laughs, colorful characters and the songs that made the 20s roar, Bullets Over Broadway brings musical comedy back with a bang at the Harris Center for the Arts!

Award-­winning comic sensation THE PRODUCERS takes the stage at the Morrison Center March 1-3 at 7:30pm as part of the Fred Meyer Broadway In Boise series.

BroadwayWorld is excited to report the full cast for the world premiere of THE WILDNESS: SKY-PONY'S ROCK FAIRY TALE, with text by Obie Award winner Kyle Jarrow and Lauren Worsham and songs by Kyle Jarrow. 

The Sixth Annual Clive Barnes Awards for Theatre and Dance will be held this afternoon, January 11, at 3 p.m. at The Walter Reade Theatre, Lincoln Center. One recipient from each category will be chosen and the winners announced today. All finalists will receive a cash prize, with the winners in each category receiving an award of $5,000.

This just in- FINDING NEVERLAND has found its new leading man! As BroadwayWorld previously reported, there are just over two weeks left to see Tony Award®-nominee and star of TV's 'Glee,' Matthew Morrison as Peter Pan creator J.M. Barrie in the smash hit, record-breaking Broadway musical Finding Neverland. Morrison's final performance will be Sunday, January 24. Before he goes, however, audiences will have only one week to catch Morrison on stage again with his opening night co-star, Emmy Award®-winner Kelsey Grammer, who returns to the show on Tuesday, January 19. (Grammer was previously announced to begin his run on January 15, however, his engagement will now commence on Monday, January 19.) Tony Award®-nominee Tony Yazbeck (On The Town) will take over the role of J.M. Barrie alongside Grammer, beginning Tuesday, January 26.

Tickets for the NY debut of Colman Domingo's DOT at Vineyard Theatre will go on sale January 6 at Noon. Directed by multiple Tony Award winner Susan Stroman - returning to The Vineyard for the first time since she directed the theater's acclaimed world premiere of THE SCOTTSBORO BOYS - DOT begins previews February 4, 2016 prior to opening February 23. For tickets and more information, please call the box office at (212) 353-0303 or visit www.vineyardtheatre.org.

As Helen Sinclair (Emma Stratton) holds her hand over playwright David Shayne's (Michael Williams) mouth (picture above), fans of the 1994 film Bullets Over Broadway are bound to chuckle as they remember the famously unforgettable line spoken by the movie's Helen Sinclair Oscar winner Dianne Weist, 'Don't speak!' Weist, Jennifer Tilly as Olive and Chaz Palminteri as Cheech stole the brilliant film, so when I heard a couple of years ago that they were rehashing this for a Broadway musical, my reaction was 'Sacrilege! Why? Don't tamper with perfection!' Well, they didn't listen to me, obviously, as the musical went forward, and for some sketchy reasons, was a flop on Broadway. Let me tell you, as reluctant as I was to see the musical now onstage at the Pantages through January 24, I am glad I did, for it is actually quite good, with mostly sparkling performances, ingenious choreography recreated from Susan Stroman's original, fabulous costumes by William Ivey Long...and it's faithful to the film. No one dared to touch Woody Allen's uncannily sharp plot, dialogue and laugh lines. Yes, it could have an original score, but what is accomplished with the old standards aiding in moving the story forward, kind of like in Mamma Mia, works damn well. It's fun, ear and eye-filling entertainment!

Feinstein's/54 Below, Broadway's Supper Club, presents John Riddle in 'KEEP IT SIMPLE' on January 21st, 2016. An evening of music from the American songbook, pop, folk, Broadway and soul.

Marjorie Johnson - who played the title role in Colman Domingo's DOT during its premiere engagement at the Actors Theatre of Louisville's HUMANA FESTIVAL earlier this year - will return to the role when DOT has its NY debut at Vineyard Theatre (108 E. 15 St.). Directed by multiple Tony Award winner, Susan Stroman - returning to The Vineyard for the first time since she directed the theater's acclaimed world premiere of THE SCOTTSBORO BOYS - DOT begins previews February 4, 2016 prior to opening February 23. The company just met the press and BroadwayWorld was there for the big day. Check out photos of the whole gang below!

Marjorie Johnson - who played the title role in Colman Domingo's DOT during its premiere engagement at the Actors Theatre of Louisville's HUMANA FESTIVAL earlier this year - will return to the role when DOT has its NY debut at Vineyard Theatre (108 E. 15 St.). Directed by multiple Tony Award winner, Susan Stroman - returning to The Vineyard for the first time since she directed the theater's acclaimed world premiere of THE SCOTTSBORO BOYS - DOT begins previews February 4, 2016 prior to opening February 23.

We're just three days into the New Year, and we can't wait for all the new shows set to open around the corner from Broadway! Below, BroadwayWorld brings you a look at some of the upcoming plays and musicals from The Public, Classic Stage, Atlantic Theater, Second Stage, Manhattan Theatre Club, Signature Theatre, Roundabout, the Encores! series and more, currently slated to open off-Broadway in 2016!

BULLETS OVER BROADWAY became a screwball Broadway musical comedy in 2014, written by Woody Allen (adapted from his film) and directed and choreographed by Susan Stroman. The production, which consists of songs adapted from those popular in the Roaring Twenties, was nominated for six Tony awards. The BULLETS national tour will stop at Riverside's Fox Performing Arts Center for one show on the evening of Wednesday, January 27, 2016. BWW spoke to Jemma Jane, who plays Olive.

The Vineyard Theatre today announced that their 2016 Gala will honor Vineyard Board President and award-winning actress Kathleen Chalfant and New York theatrical press agent Sam Rudy. The annual Gala Fundraiser will take place on Monday, March 14, 2016, beginning at 6:30pm, at Edison Ballroom (240 West 47th Street between Broadway and Eighth Avenue).

Happy Holidays! It's the last week to vote for the 2015 BroadwayWorld Washington, DC Regional Awards! Check out the latest live stats as of December 18. Nominations were reader-submitted and after the nomination period ended, BroadwayWorld's local editors proofed the list for eligibility and errors. Voting runs through December 31!