Thomas Kail News

The 2008 Tony and Grammy Award-winning Best Musical In The Heights welcomed platinum recording artist and 2007 'American Idol' winner Jordin Sparks on August 19th, making her Broadway debut as Nina Rosario at Broadway's Richard Rodgers Theatre (226 West 46th Street). Sparks will play a limited 12 week engagement through Sunday, November 14, 2010. Today, the first production photos of Sparks in In The Heights have been released!

Dan Lauria, who will star as football great Vince Lombardi in the new American play LOMBARDI on Broadway this fall, will be interviewed on Fordham University's WFUV Radio (90.7 FM) this Saturday August 21 just after 2 PM by Bob Ahrens.

The 2008 Tony and Grammy Award-winning Best Musical In The Heights welcomed platinum recording artist and 2007 'American Idol' winner Jordin Sparks last night, August 19th, making her Broadway debut as Nina Rosario at Broadway's Richard Rodgers Theatre (226 West 46th Street). Sparks will play a limited 12 week engagement through Sunday, November 14, 2010.

The 2008 Tony and Grammy Award-winning Best Musical In The Heights welcomed platinum recording artist and 2007 'American Idol' winner Jordin Sparks on Thursday, August 19th, making her Broadway debut as Nina Rosario at Broadway's Richard Rodgers Theatre (226 West 46th Street). Sparks will play a limited 12 week engagement through Sunday, November 14, 2010. Jordin Sparks will perform 'Breathe' from In The Heights on Thursday, August 19th on 'Live! With Regis & Kelly.'

Dan Lauria, who will star as football great Vince Lombardi in the new American play LOMBARDI on Broadway this fall, will be interviewed on Fordham University's WFUV Radio (90.7 FM) this Saturday August 21 just after 2 PM by Bob Ahrens.

Lincoln Center Theater (under the direction of Andre Bishop, Artistic Director and Bernard Gersten, Executive Producer) has announced that Justin Guarini will join de'Adre Aziza, Laura Benanti, Danny Burstein, Nikka Graff Lanzarone, Patti LuPone, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Mary Beth Peil and Sherie Rene Scott in the cast of its upcoming production of the new musical WOMEN ON THE VERGE OF A NERVOUS BREAKDOWN, based on the film by Pedro Almodóvar, with a book by Jeffrey Lane, music and lyrics by David Yazbek and direction by Bartlett Sher.

Lincoln Center Theater (under the direction of Andre Bishop, Artistic Director and Bernard Gersten, Executive Producer) has announced that Justin Guarini will join de'Adre Aziza, Laura Benanti, Danny Burstein, Nikka Graff Lanzarone, Patti LuPone, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Mary Beth Peil and Sherie Rene Scott in the cast of its upcoming production of the new musical WOMEN ON THE VERGE OF A NERVOUS BREAKDOWN, based on the film by Pedro Almodóvar, with a book by Jeffrey Lane, music and lyrics by David Yazbek and direction by Bartlett Sher. This world premiere production will begin previews on Saturday, October 2 at 8pm and open on Thursday, November 4 at 6:45pm on Broadway at the Belasco Theatre (111 W. 44 Street).

The 2008 Tony and Grammy Award-winning Best Musical In The Heights welcomed platinum recording artist and 2007 'American Idol' winner Jordin Sparks on Thursday, August 19th, making her Broadway debut as Nina Rosario at Broadway's Richard Rodgers Theatre (226 West 46th Street).

As BroadwayWorld has previously reported, Lincoln Center Theater will present the new musical WOMEN ON THE VERGE OF A NERVOUS BREAKDOWN, based on the film by Pedro Almodóvar, with a book by Jeffrey Lane, music and lyrics by David Yazbek and direction by Bartlett Sher. This world premiere production will begin previews on Saturday, October 2 at 8pm and open on Thursday, November 4 at 6:45pm on Broadway at the Belasco Theatre (111 W. 44 Street). The production stars Patti LuPone, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Laura Benanti and Sheri Rene Scott. The marquee is in its first stages of going up at the Belasco Theatre and BroadwayWorld brings you a look below!

Chris Jackson, who recently left the company of In the Heights after playing leading man Benny since 2002, was presented by his castmates with a truly inspirational tribute video. Receivng the help of Rascal Media, which also made IN THE HEIGHTS:CHASING BROADWAY DREAMS, Chris left the cast with this touching sendoff.

Lincoln Center Theater (under the direction of André Bishop, Artistic Director, and Bernard Gersten, Executive Producer) has announced that Peter Bartlett, Nicole Beharie, Arnie Burton, Rosal Colon, Veanne Cox, Paul Dano, Sara Gettelfinger, Joseph Marcell, Nick Mennell, mos, Teyonnah Parris, Brian Reddy, Reg Rogers, Triney Sandoval, Robert Stanton, Wendy Rich Stetson, David Emerson Toney and Jeffrey Wright will be featured in it upcoming production of A FREE MAN OF COLOR, a new play by John Guare, directed by George C. Wolfe, which will begin performances Thursday, October 21 at 8pm at the Vivian Beaumont Theater. Opening night is Thursday, November 18 at 6:45pm.

IN THE HEIGHTS, winner of four 2008 Tony Awards and the 2008 Grammy Award for Best Musical Show Album, is coming to the Orange County Performing Arts Center in Costa Mesa from August 3 - 15, 2010. Note: In The Heights will play the Pantages Theatre in Los Angeles June 22 - July 25, 2010 prior to the Center's engagement.

LOMBARDI Box Office Opens Monday, August 9. Get a FREE NFLShop.com gift card when you buy tickets to LOMBARDI in person at the Circle in the Square Box Office

Producers Tony Ponturo and Fran Kirmser will present LOMBARDI at Broadway's Circle in the Square Theatre this fall starring Dan Lauria as Vince Lombardi and Judith Light as Marie Lombardi, written by Academy Award winning playwright Eric Simonson and directed by Tony Award nominee Thomas Kail. Joining Ponturo and Kirmser as special producing partner is the National Football League, marking the organization's first foray on Broadway. LOMBARDI, a new American play, is based on the best-selling biography When Pride Still Mattered: A Life of Vince Lombardi, by Pulitzer Prize winning author David Maraniss. BroadwayWorld brings you the first production shots, taken during the show's out of town engagement in Great Barrington Mass., just released, below!

LOMBARDI Box Office Opens Monday, August 9. Get a FREE NFLShop.com gift card when you buy tickets to LOMBARDI in person at the Circle in the Square Box Office

The new American play LOMBARDI, starring Dan Lauria and Judith Light, goes into rehearsal later this month for its Broadway engagement at the Circle in the Square Theatre. The production will begin previews on Thursday, September 23, 2010 and officially open on Thursday, October 21.

Lincoln Center Theater has announced the roles to be played by the leading cast members of the upcoming musical WOMEN ON THE VERGE OF A NERVOUS BREAKDOWN, based on the film by Pedro Almodóvar, with a book by Jeffrey Lane, music and lyrics by David Yazbek and direction by Bartlett Sher. This world premiere production will begin previews on Saturday, October 2 at 8pm and open on Thursday, November 4 at 6:45pm on Broadway at the Belasco Theatre (111 W. 44 Street).

Lin-Manuel Miranda and his hip-hop/rap group, Freestyle Love Supreme, will perform at New York's Gramercy Theatre at 7pm on August 5. Miranda founded the group at Wesleyan University along with Bill Sherman, Anthony Veneziale, and Thomas Kail; others joined the group in New York. In performance, Freestyle Love Supreme uses words supplied by the audience in order to create new rap songs.

Lincoln Center Theater (under the direction of Andre Bishop, Artistic Director and Bernard Gersten, Executive Producer) has announced that Laura Benanti will join de'Adre Aziza, Danny Burstein, Nikka Graff Lanzarone, Patti LuPone, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Mary Beth Peil and Sherie Rene Scott in the cast of its upcoming production of the new musical WOMEN ON THE VERGE OF A NERVOUS BREAKDOWN, based on the film by Pedro Almodóvar, with a book by Jeffrey Lane, music and lyrics by David Yazbek and direction by Bartlett Sher. This world premiere production will begin previews on Saturday, October 2 at 8pm and open on Thursday, November 4 at 6:45pm on Broadway at the Belasco Theatre (111 W. 44 Street).

On the surface, taking over the lead role of Usnavi in the National Tour of IN THE HEIGHTS-now performing at the Orange County Performing Arts Center through August 15-seems like a daunting task to tackle, especially after observing first-hand the man who created the role reprising it for six weeks in the tour's celebrated Los Angeles stop. But for actor Joseph Morales, assuming the role full-time directly following Lin-Manuel Miranda is nothing short of a realization of a dream. Morales spoke briefly with BroadwayWorld's Michael Lawrence Quintos to talk about what it means for him to play the lead role in one of musical theater's biggest new hits.