The Pasadena Playhouse News

The creatives answered questions from participating media and shared the latest developments in their work on the show.

Panto at The Playhouse, now in its fifth year, has become a "must-do" holiday tradition for Southern California residents. A CINDERELLA CHRISTMAS is the latest Holiday Spectacular  presented by The Pasadena Playhouse and Lythgoe Family Panto in the style of the traditional British Panto. A Panto is interactive holiday fun for all ages, and the timeless tale of Cinderella will feature comedy, magic, dancers from "So You Think You Can Dance" and contemporary music from Taylor Swift to the Bee Gees. Panto at The Playhouse productions have featured luminaries from the worlds of music, theatre and television, including Sabrina Carpenter, John O'Hurley, Ariana Grande, Ben Vereen, Olivia Holt and Lucy Lawless.

The Pasadena Playhouse announced today it will move the second production of its 2016-2017 Season to a later date in 2017 and will be canceling M. BUTTERFLY. The decision was made after The Playhouse was unable to secure rights to present the play later in its 2016-2017 Season. 

Updated this week! Check out upcoming Equity Auditions from Sunday, May 8, 2016 for both productions in your area and around the country including what/when/where and how to audition!

The Countess of Storyville, a new original American musical, will be performed at an invitation only developmental lab on October 22nd and 23rd at The Pearl Studios. Directed by Mark Waldrop,The Countess of Storyville, has music by Martin Silvestri, lyrics by Joel Higgins, book by R.M. Cohen and is choreographed by Denis Jones. The musicalis presented by The Pasadena Playhouse in association with Margot Astrachan and Michael Rubenstein.

In an all-new interview with ET, Fran Drescher, who made her Broadway debut in 2014 as Cinderella's stepmother, 'Madame' in CINDERELLA, speaks about her charity Cancer Schmancer

The Pasadena Playhouse presents A NIGHT WITH JANIS JOPLIN. Conceived, written and directed by Randy Johnson, with choreography by Patricia Wilcox and musical direction by Tyler Evans. A NIGHT WITH JANIS JOPLIN stars Mary Bridget Davies, following her Tony Award nominated Broadway run. Pasadena native Kacee Clanton, also from the Broadway production of A NIGHT WITH JANIS JOPLIN, will alternate the role of Janis Joplin with Davies.

The Pasadena Playhouse presentes A NIGHT WITH JANIS JOPLIN. Conceived, written and directed by Randy Johnson, with choreography by Patricia Wilcox and musical direction by Tyler Evans. A NIGHT WITH JANIS JOPLIN stars Mary Bridget Davies, following her Tony Award nominated Broadway run. Pasadena native Kacee Clanton, also from the Broadway production of A NIGHT WITH JANIS JOPLIN, will alternate the role of Janis Joplin with Davies.  Check out a first look below!

The Pasadena Playhouse presents A NIGHT WITH JANIS JOPLIN. Conceived, written and directed by Randy Johnson, with choreography by Patricia Wilcox and musical direction by Tyler Evans. A NIGHT WITH JANIS JOPLIN stars Mary Bridget Davies, following her Tony Award nominated Broadway run. Pasadena native Kacee Clanton, also from the Broadway production of A NIGHT WITH JANIS JOPLIN, will alternate the role of Janis Joplin with Davies. Check out Mary Bridget Davies and the Joplinaires on Good Day LA! 

The Hollywood Bowl's upcoming production of Monty Python'sSpamalot, the parody of the Arthurian Legend which won the Tony for Best Musical in 2005, will star Merle Dandridge as The Lady of the Lake, Warwick Davis as Patsy,Jesse Tyler Ferguson as Sir Robin, Eric Idle as the Historian and Craig Robinson as King Arthur. BT McNicholl will direct. Spamalot will be conducted by Todd Ellison and choreographed by Scott Taylor. Additional casting is to be announced.

Asked about what's ahead for her in the near future the actress revealed, 'I'm in development on two projects. One is a feature that I will direct, and that's been on my bucket list. One is a Broadway musical that I would be a writer and producer on. Neither of which I'm ready to pitch.'

GO FIGURE! Productions, LLC is thrilled to announce the world premiere of GO FIGURE! THE RANDY GARDNER STORY, starring World Champion Figure Skater Randy Gardner and written & directed by Josh Ravetch (the co-creator and director of Carrie Fisher's Wishful Drinking, Dick Van Dyke's, Step In Time, and long distance swimmer, Diana Nyad's, ONWARD!). GO FIGURE! will preview on Thursday, May 14 at 8:00pm and will open on Friday, May 15 at 8:00pm and will run through Sunday, June 14th before moving on to West Hollywood, Las Vegas and Boston where it will appear in concert with the 2016 Ice Skating World Championships.

'Jane Austen UnScripted' is a performance-based dalliance into the charmingly erudite world of Austenian wit and social propriety, executed via improvisational implementation.

Hockey Hall of Famer Luc Robitaille and his wife artist/author Stacia will be honored at the “Golden Ticket” Show featuring “Frank Marino's Divas Las Vegas,” featuring some of the most talented female impersonators representing the most iconic & legendary performers of our time - Joan Rivers, Diana Ross, Cher, Britney Spears, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Liza Minnelli, Reba McIntyre, Bette Midler, Tina Turner, and more, March 13 from 6pm-9:30pm.

The Pasadena Playhouse (Artistic Director Sheldon Epps and Executive Director Elizabeth Doran) presents A CONVERSATION WITH PATRICIA MORISON, a 100th Birthday Celebration, on Sunday, March 15, 2015. This special event, honoring Broadway legend Patricia Morison (the original star of KISS ME, KATE) four days before her 100th birthday, takes place from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. at The University Club of Pasadena at 175 North Oakland Avenue, Pasadena, CA 91101.

Fran Drescher, who recently made her Broadway debut as Cinderella's stepmother Madame in RODGERS + HAMMERSTEIN's CINDERELLA, wed Dr. Shiva Ayyadurai at the couple's beach home over the weekend.

Pasadena Playhouse presents Kiss Me, Kate from Sept. 16 to Oct. 12. Music and lyrics by Cole Porter, book by Bella and Samuel Spewack, and directed by Sheldon Epps.

The Pasadena Playhouse announced today that Wayne Brady will star as Fred/Petruchio in the Cole Porter Broadway musical KISS ME, KATE. The multi-Emmy Award winning Brady will head a cast of 17. Epps will direct the 2014-2015 Season opener, which will run from September 16- October 12, 2014 with the official press opening on September 21. The production also stars Merle Dandridge (Broadway's Spamalot and Tarzan) as Lily/Kate.

Acclaimed blues singer MARY BRIDGET DAVIES--nominated for a Tony this year in the “Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical” category for her Broadway lead in “A Night With Janis Joplin”--will return to The Pasadena Playhouse for four nights July 17-20. She first wowed Pasadena, CA crowds in 2013 with the Janis Joplin role, marking The Playhouse's highest-grossing production in its history.

The Jewish Museum's extensive program offerings in November will include celebrated author Joyce Carol Oates in conversation with NPR book critic Alan Cheuse; an interactive performance conceived by innovative fashion collective threeASFOUR; artists Amy Sillman and Peter Doig in discussion about contemporary painting issues, and a lecture on Marc Chagall by noted scholar Kenneth E. Silver. These programs continue The Jewish Museum's expanded fall series of lectures, conversations and events.