Thomas John News

Richard Briers pulls out of 'career-closing' Endgame, Hamlet makes a 3D move, and Ruthie Henshall heads out on tour. Miriam Zendle reports.

Shakespeare's Hamlet will be turned into a 3D musical as part of Shakespeare 4 Kidz's new movie series. S4K's Hamlet in 3D will be the first of a series of six movie adaptations of the musical versions of the Bard's plays originally created by the acclaimed UK theatre company Shakespeare 4 Kidz.

MacIntyre Dixon, whose Broadway career spans five decades, will assume the role of Henry in The Fantasticks, the world's longest-running musical, on Monday, August 17, 2009. He replaces John Thomas Waite, whose final performance is August 16.

Dennis Parlato, seen on Broadway in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, The Sound of Music and The Graduate, will assume the role of El Gallo in Off Broadway's The Fantasticks from July 13 through August 2, 2009 while Lewis Cleale, who normally plays the role, appears in Camelot at The Muny.

Fresh from his acclaimed stint as Jordan 'Bick' Benedict in the Signature Theatre's production of Michael John LaChiusa's Giant, Lewis Cleale has returned to the role of El Gallo in The Fantasticks. He previously played the role from September 2008 through March 2009. Addi McDaniel will join the cast as Luisa on Monday, June 29, 2009. They replace, respectively, Bradley Dean and Ramona Mallory.

Fresh from his acclaimed stint as Jordan 'Bick' Benedict in the Signature Theatre's production of Michael John LaChiusa's Giant, Lewis Cleale has returned to the role of El Gallo in The Fantasticks. He previously played the role from September 2008 through March 2009. Addi McDaniel will join the cast as Luisa on Monday, June 29, 2009. They replace, respectively, Bradley Dean and Ramona Mallory.

The theater community recentky kicked off The Fantasticks 50th anniversary year with an early curtain of the show and a post-performance cocktail reception at The Snapple Center on Monday May 4th. The beloved hit also recently welcomed a number of new cast members, including the charming young actress Ramona Mallory as 'Luisa.'

The theater community kicked off The Fantasticks 50th anniversary year with an early curtain of the show (7PM) and a post-performance cocktail reception at The Snapple Center on Monday May 4th.

Tonight the theater community will kick off The Fantasticks 50th anniversary year with an early curtain of the show (7PM) and a post-performance cocktail reception at The Snapple Center with performances by Daphne Rubin-Vega (Rent, Anna in the Tropics, Jack Goes Boating), Rita Gardner (original 1960 production of The Fantasticks, The Cradle Will Rock, The Wedding Singer), Orfeh (Legally Blonde, Footloose), Aaron Lazar (The Light in the Piazza, A Tale of Two Cities, Les Miserables), GrooveLily (Striking 12) and Jill Paice (Curtains, The Woman in White). In addition, The Office of New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg will offer a special proclamation declaring Fantasticks Day in New York City.

The Fantasticks, the world's longest-running musical, will kick off its 50th Anniversary Year with a two-day celebration featuring a reunion of 50 years' worth of cast members and performances by some of the theater industry's biggest names.

Developed by a team of 25 writers, musicians, actors, dancers, and film/video professionals, this is art house productions' most ambitious play to date. HEAVY CRAFT/SOFT LANDING follows a human life cycle from birth to death, incorporating dance, poetry, and a dream-like videoscape projected onto the stage. for the first time in art house productions' theatrical history, HEAVY CRAFT/SOFT LANDING will incorporate an original musical score performed live by an eight piece orchestra using instruments ranging from laptop computers to bubbles blown in cups of water.

Last Lion Productions will present the World Premiere of 'DEAD, THEREFORE I AM,' a Goth-Punk comedy written and directed by Max Leavitt, starring Max Leavitt, Nicholas Tucci, Karen Jean Olds and Nicholas Vitulli.

The Fantasticks, the world's longest-running musical, will kick off its 50th Anniversary Year with a two-day celebration featuring a reunion of 50 years' worth of cast members and performances by some of the theater industry's biggest names.

In conjunction with her Goodman Theatre world-premiere production of Magnolia, playwright Regina Taylor announces Eyes on Chicago, a competition of 'cell short takes'-films that are 5-10 minutes in length and filmed entirely on cell phone cameras-for Chicago students aged 15-30. Cell short takes should address one of three questions: 'How are you, as a Chicagoan, affected by the numerous changes, good and bad, America is currently facing?

Bradley Dean, Jonathan Schwartz, Ramona Mallory and Douglas Ullman, Jr. will join the Off Broadway cast of The Fantasticks as El Gallo, Matt, Luisa and The Mute, respectively, beginning Monday, March 30, 2009.

Bradley Dean, Jonathan Schwartz, Ramona Mallory and Douglas Ullman, Jr. will join the Off Broadway cast of The Fantasticks as El Gallo, Matt, Luisa and The Mute, respectively, beginning Monday, March 30, 2009.

Last Lion Productions will present the World Premiere of 'DEAD, THEREFORE I AM,' a Goth-Punk comedy written and directed by Max Leavitt, starring Max Leavitt, Nicholas Tucci, Karen Jean Olds and Nicholas Vitulli.

The Friend Center at the Jewish Community Center of San Francisco (JCCSF) continues the 2008-09 season in the New Year with an expansive array of performing arts events, including participation in Evolve, the citywide celebration of Charles Darwin?s The Origin of Species publication. Also new are two films in the series Let the Games Begin, focusing on the world of sport in a tribute to the upcoming JCC Macabbi Games this summer.

The Writers Guild of America, West and the Writers Guild of America, East today announced nominations for outstanding achievement in television, radio, news, promotional writing, and graphic animation during the 2008 season to be honored at the upcoming 2009 Writers Guild Awards on February 7, 2009, in Los Angeles and New York.

The Fantasticks, 'the most child-friendly show currently playing in the theater district' (Terry Teachout, Arts Journal), invites kids to see the show for free at select weekend performances throughout February. Children age 16 and under will receive a free ticket and a free Fantasticks CD sampler with each paying adult for performances on Saturdays at 2 PM and Sundays at 3 PM and 7:15 PM. The Fantasticks plays at The Snapple Theater Center, 210 West 50th Street at Broadway. To take advantage of the offer, call the box office at (212) 921-7862 or Ticketmaster.com at (212) 307-4100 and use the code KIDS09. Tickets must be purchased by Monday, February 23.