Vanessi News

Trevor Nunn will direct the Old Vic and Chichester Festival Theatre's production of KISS ME, KATE, with Music and lyrics by Cole Porter and Book by Sam and Bella Spewack, which is scheduled for London performances from tonight, the 20th of November and a Chichester premiere in June.

In a bi-coastal celebration of the season, internationally acclaimed soprano Lisa Vroman is performing with 150 members of the National Children's Chorus (NCC) and a chamber orchestra in two evening concerts themed "Candlelight" - Thursday, November 29 in Los Angeles and Saturday, December 8 in New York.

If I were to die very soon, there's no doubt that I would go to heaven, because Rachel York and the all-singing/all-dancing company of Anything Goes took me and a couple of thousand other people up to the heavenly gates with their spectacular opening night performance of "Blow, Gabriel, Blow."

Much like Dixie Wilson-the character she played in Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice's Turn of the Century at Chicago's Goodman Theatre in 2008-actress Rachel York, the clarion-voiced leading lady whose timeless appeal has made her one of Broadway's most beloved stars, might be a time traveler. For certain, the woman who now plays Reno Sweeney in the national tour of Roundabout Theatre's acclaimed revival of Anything Goes, readily admits she could very possibly have been born in the wrong era, any and all science fiction possibilities notwithstanding.

Featuring book and lyrics by Kathie Lee Gifford and music by David Pomeranz and David Friedman, SCANDALOUS begins performances at Broadway's Neil Simon Theatre (250 W. 52nd St.) on Saturday, October 13, 2012. SCANDALOUS is led by two-time Tony Award nominee Carolee Carmello (Sister Act, Mamma Mia, Parade) as Aimee Semple McPherson, two-time Tony Award winner George Hearn (Sunset Blvd., La Cage aux Folles, Sweeney Todd) as James Kennedy and Brother Bob. In this edition, Richard chats with the Broadway-bound duo about bringing the story to Broadway, some of their favorite past roles, and so much more! Click below to watch the full interview.

Don't miss Clear Creek Community Theatre's 48th Season Opener, the hit Cole Porter Musical 'Kiss Me, Kate', running now through 23 September.

The Board of CCCT kicks off its season with the hit musical 'Kiss Me Kate', running 7-23 September. The story involves the production of a musical version of William Shakespeare's 'The Taming of the Shrew' and the conflict on and off-stage between Fred Graham, the show's director, producer, and star, and his leading lady, his ex-wife Lilli Vanessi. A secondary romance concerns Lois Lane, the actress playing Bianca, and her gambler boyfriend, Bill, who runs afoul with some gangsters. Lots of fun and songs by Cole Porter. Show times are 8.00pm on Fridays/Saturdays and 2.30pm on Sundays.

As announced on the Thursday, July 19 edition of NBC 'Today,' this fall, two-time Tony Award nominee Carolee Carmello (Parade, Mamma Mia!, Sister Act) will star in the new Broadway musical SCANDALOUS: The Life and Trials of Aimee Semple McPherson.

Trevor Nunn will direct the Old Vic and Chichester Festival Theatre's production of KISS ME, KATE, with Music and lyrics by Cole Porter and Book by Sam and Bella Spewack, which is scheduled for London performances from the 20th of November and a Chichester premiere in June.

Roundabout Theatre Company has announced that critically acclaimed Broadway actress Rachel York will star as "Reno Sweeney" in the national tour of the 2011 Tony® Award winning Anything Goes. Presented by Roundabout Theatre Company, the national tour will set sail in Cleveland this fall. Anything Goes is the winner of three Tony® Awards including Best Musical Revival.

Hannah Waddingham will play Lilli Vanessi in Trevor Nunn's Kiss Me Kate at the Chichester Festival Theatre, which will open June 18, the UK Daily Mail reports. She will star opposite the previously announced Australian actor Adam Garcia, who will play ladies' man Bill Calhoun, as well as Clive Rowe and David Burt, who will play the pair of gangsters who sing Brush Up Your Shakespeare. Stephen Mear will choreograph.

Saturday, March 17 at 8 p.m., the Valley Performing Arts Center at California State University Northridge will present Broadway's husband and wife team, Marin Mazzie and Jason Danieley, in Standard Time, with music direction by Eric Stern.

For the past several weeks, Broadway's Davis Gaines has took to the stage as Don Quixote in the Musical Theatre West production of Man of La Mancha at the Richard and Karen Carpenter Center for the Performing Arts. Having received rave notices since its February 10 opening of a fourteen performance run, BWW TV's Los Angeles Correspondents Michael Sterling and Jerry Evans visited Gaines and company to reflect on the run as it prepares for closing on Sunday, February 26. Click below to check out the video!

Saturday, March 17 at 8 p.m., the Valley Performing Arts Center at California State University Northridge will present Broadway's husband and wife team, Marin Mazzie and Jason Danieley, in Standard Time, with music direction by Eric Stern.

Broadway composer/lyricist Stephen Schwartz went to see yesterday's matinee of Musical Theatre West's production MAN OF LA MANCHA. At the evening performance, Martha Wasserman (widow of Dale Wasserman) showed up with French actor David Serero, who is doing the role of Cervantes in the French production. See the photos below!

MAN OF LA MANCHA, opened on Broadway in 1965. This Tony Award Winner for Best Musical features one of Broadway's great standards, 'The Impossible Dream,' and takes place during the height of the Spanish Inquisition. While awaiting a hearing with the Inquisition, Miguel de Cervantes presents a play as his defense in a mock trial for the prisoners. In it, he plays Alonso Quijana, a man who has set his own reality aside and becomes Don Quixote De La Mancha. Assisted by Sancho Panza, Quixote attempts to avoid his mortal enemy, the Enchanter, and woo the serving wench and prostitute, Aldonza, who he takes to be the Lady Dulcinea.

MAN OF LA MANCHA opened February 10 at Musical Theatre West. It will run for fourteen performances through February 26, 2012. Check out the pictures of opening night below!

Paul Garman, Executive Director/Producer, and Steven Glaudini, Artistic Director, are proud to announce the cast of MAN OF LA MANCHA, previewing February 10 and running for fourteen performances through February 26, 2012.

Paul Garman, Executive Director/Producer, and Steven Glaudini, Artistic Director, have announced the opening of MAN OF LA MANCHA, previewing February 10 and running for fourteen performances through February 26, 2012.

With a score filled with so many Cole Porter tunes that you're fairly drunk with delight after hearing them, the expert direction and choreography of musical theatre aficionado Kate Adams-Johnson, and a cast of extraordinarily gifted performers breathing vigorous life into the time-honored text, the new production of Kiss Me, Kate at The Keeton Theatre should be atop your list of must-see theatrical events in this very busy month of February. Sam and Bella Spewack's witty, sparkling script is brought to life with flourish, proving this period piece-which was named winner of the very first Tony Award for best musical-to be, in fact, a timeless classic, a musical theatre masterpiece that deserves to be seen over and over again.