The Menier Chocolate Factory News

As reported last night, the producers of the eight-time Tony award-winning musical Once today announce that Declan Bennett and Zrinka Cviteši? will lead the cast as Guy and Girl respectively in John Tiffany's West End production of the Broadway hit musical opening at the Phoenix Theatre in Spring 2013.

It was confirmed today that the new musical version of classic novel From Here to Eternity will open at the Shaftesbury Theatre in autumn 2013 after the run of Burn The Floor. It will preview from September 30th and press night will be 23rd October 2013.

Following its European premiere at the 2012 Edinburgh Fringe, Without You, written and performed by Rent star Anthony Rapp, now transfers to the Menier Chocolate Factory, London from 29th August - 15th September 2012.

Harvey Fierstein's TORCH SONG TRILOGY, helmed by Tony and Olivier Award winner Douglas Hodge, opened last night at the Menier Chocolate Factory. See what the critics had to say below.

In advance of the opening tonight, we at BroadwayWorld have got our hands on some preview photographs of the SONG OF THE SEAGULL at the Menier Gallery.

As Russia's "brightest young stars" gather on the banks of the Volga one sultry summer's evening in 1886, the death of a seagull changes all of their lives forever.

LA CAGE AUX FOLLES starring George Hamilton and Christopher Sieber, will arrive in Wilmington, Delaware at the DuPont Theatre for eight (8) performances through March 11, 2012

According to TVLine.com, actor Scott Bakula will be making a guest star appearance in the final season of ABC's DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES.

Lindsey Crow, the young British soprano whose five-week adventure from Athens to Edinburgh using just classical singing as her only means of survival won her the six-part Sky Arts TV series The Art of Survival, is to play Nina in Song of the Seagull.

As Russia's "brightest young stars" gather on the banks of the Volga one sultry summer's evening in 1886, the death of a seagull changes all of their lives forever.

LA CAGE AUX FOLLES starring George Hamilton and Christopher Sieber, will arrive in Wilmington, Delaware at the DuPont Theatre for eight (8) performances on March 6-11, 2012

With all the hooplah surrounding the casting of Taylor Swift, who has yet to be officially announced, in the upcoming big screen adaptation of Les Miserables, it seemed like the perfect time to show off a Youtube treasure of the original Tony-winning Eponine, Frances Ruffelle. In the video below, Rufelle sings the strret urchin's anthem, 'On My Own.' Click below to check it out!

Following on from Sunday in the Park with George, Little Shop of Horrors, La Cage aux Folles, A Little Night Music and Sweet Charity, the Menier Chocolate Factory is currently presenting Stephen Schwartz and Roger O. Hirson's Pippin. Pippin began previews on Tuesday, 22 November, opened officially last night, 7 December, and will run through 25 February, 2012. Buzz about West End and Broadway transfers of the production has already begun, with Stephen Schwartz fully supportive of both ideas.

Following on from Sunday in the Park with George, Little Shop of Horrors, La Cage aux Folles, A Little Night Music and Sweet Charity, the Menier Chocolate Factory is currently presenting Stephen Schwartz and Roger O. Hirson's Pippin. Pippin began previews on Tuesday, 22 November, opened officially last night, 7 December, and will run through 25 February, 2012. Buzz about West End and Broadway transfers of the production has already begun, with Stephen Schwartz fully supportive of both ideas.

Stephen Ashfield (Emmett) and Ben Freeman (Warner) join Carley Stenson (Elle Woods), Natalie Casey (Paulette) and Peter Davison (Professor Callahan) in the Olivier Award winning show Legally Blonde The Musical, which is currently booking until 27 October 2012 at the Savoy Theatre.

From 10 October 2011 Stephen Ashfield (Emmett) and Ben Freeman (Warner), will be joining Carley Stenson (Elle Woods), Natalie Casey (Paulette) and Peter Davison (Professor Callahan) in the Olivier Award winning show Legally Blonde The Musical, which is currently booking until 27 October 2012 at the Savoy Theatre.

The London revival of Parade, the acclaimed Broadway musical by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Alfred Uhry and award-winning composer Jason Robert Brown, will play a 6-week season in the atmospheric new double-chambered Vault theatre space at Southwark Playhouse, from Wednesday August 10 - Saturday September 17.

Scott Bakula, the actor arguably best known for his role on Quantam Leap, has been announced to join Caroline Quentin, Andy Nyman, and Caroline Quentin in the premiere of Saul Rubinek's Terrible Advice at the Menier Chocolate Factory.

Casting has been announed for a major London revival of Parade, the acclaimed Broadway musical by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Alfred Uhry and award-winning composer Jason Robert Brown.

Parade, the acclaimed Broadway musical by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Alfred Uhry and award-winning composer Jason Robert Brown, was nominated for nine Tony Awards on its premiere in 1998 - winning Best Book and Best?Score - and subsequently won both the Drama Desk and New York Drama Critics' Circle Awards for Best New Musical.