William Wild News

Following on from its hugely successful opening in July and due to popular demand, the critically acclaimed production of Green Day's explosive award-winning Broadway musical American Idiot will be extending its run at The Arts Theatre, Leicester Square and is now booking until 22 November 2015. 

Got caught up watching Lin-Manuel singing NEWSIES at the 'Ham4Ham' Lottery? Celebrated National Vanilla Ice Cream Day with too many Schmakary's ice cream sandwiches? Didn't have time check in on all of the latest Broadway news? Well don't worry BroadwayWorld has rounded up some of the biggest stories from this week from Broadway and beyond with BroadwayWorld's 'This Week in Pictures.'

Green Day's explosive award-winning Broadway musical American Idiot opened in the UK on 17 July at The Arts Theatre, Leicester Square. The full cast are Luke Baker (Theo), Natasha Barnes (Heather), Alexis Gerred (Tunny), Llandyll Gove (Gerard), Raquel Jones (Extraordinary girl), Natasha Karp (Alysha) Robyn Mellor (Libby), Lucas Rush (St. Jimmy), Steve Rushton (Will), Aaron Sidwell (Johnny) and Ross William Wild (Favorite Boy). They join the previously announced X Factor star, Amelia Lily who is playing Whatsername.

Green Day's explosive award-winning Broadway musical American Idiot blasts into the UK, opening tonight 22 July at The Arts Theatre, Leicester Square.

Full casting is announced for Green Day's explosive award-winning Broadway musical American Idiot as it blasts into the UK from 17 July, at The Arts Theatre, Leicester Square.  Check out a first look below!

I have to admit I had never seen the 2001 MGM movie, Legally Blonde before seeing LEGALLY BLONDE The Musical at the Morgan-Wixson Theatre in Santa Monica. And I am happy to say it is great fun for all ages in every aspect from the effervescent musical numbers presented by the remarkably energetic cast to the over-the-top bright pink costumes designed by Kristie Rutledge. Director/Musical Director Anne Gesling and choreographer Lauren Blair surely spent hours on end putting together the many incredibly intricate musical numbers, including the momentous "What You Want," Elle's video essay to get into Harvard, which includes at least 3 set changes, several costume changes by dozens of cast members, and many types of dance from tap to jazz. That 12-minute number alone is worth the price of admission on its own!

Full casting is announced for Green Day's explosive award-winning Broadway musical American Idiot as it blasts into the UK from 17 July, at The Arts Theatre, Leicester Square.  Check out a first look at the rehearsals below!

Full casting is announced for Green Day's explosive award-winning Broadway musical American Idiot as it blasts into the UK from 17 July, at The Arts Theatre, Leicester Square. The full cast are Luke Baker (Theo), Natasha Barnes (Heather), Alexis Gerred (Tunny), Llandyll Gove (Gerard), Raquel Jones (Extraordinary girl), Natasha Karp (Alysha) Robyn Mellor (Libby), Lucas Rush (St. Jimmy), Steve Rushton (Will), Aaron Sidwell (Johnny) and Ross William Wild (Joshua). They join the previously announced X Factor star, Amelia Lily who is playing Whatshername.

Garry Lake and Jon Smith have just announced that LIKE ME - THE SOCIAL MEDIA MUSICAL will be presented on Broadway to an invited audience of potential investors and production partners, July 2015. Check out clips from the show below!

Garry Lake and Jon Smith have just announced that LIKE ME - THE SOCIAL MEDIA MUSICAL will be presented on Broadway to an invited audience of potential investors and production partners, July 2015.

NEXT TO NORMAL tells the story of a mother, Diana Goodman, who struggles with bipolar disorder and the effect that her illness has on her family. This contemporary musical is an emotional powerhouse that addresses such issues as grieving a loss, ethics in modern psychiatry, and the day-to-day reality of suburban life. With provocative lyrics and a thrilling score, this musical shows how far two parents will go to keep themselves sane and their family's world intact. The production plays more like a modern operetta as there is little dialogue with most of the story being told via the story-forwarding song lyrics.

A playground altercation between eleven-year-old boys brings together two sets of parents for a meeting to resolve the matter in GOD OF CARNAGE, now onstage at Santa Monica's Morgan-Wixson Theatre through February 8, 2015. At first, diplomatic niceties are observed, but as the meeting progresses and the rum flows, tensions emerge and the gloves come off, with the parents becoming increasingly childish, resulting in the evening devolving into chaos.

Dreamboats and Petticoats has done the UK tour rounds on several occasions as well as having a very successful West End run. There has also been a massive franchise of CDs that have been released which have acted as another good marketing tool. Because of all this, Bill Kenwright along with his creative team have put a sequel on the road entitled Dreamboats and Miniskirts.

In 1970, Michael Frayn, the English playwright who would go on to write NOISES OFF, was standing backstage in the wings watching a performance of another farce he had written, "The Two of Us." Of this performance, he said, 'It was funnier from behind than in front, and I thought that one day I must write a farce from behind.' By the late 70s, Frayn had taken a crack at the concept with a short-lived one-act play called "Exits" before fleshing out and expanding the piece into the hilarious three-act NOISES OFF, now brilliantly staged at the Morgan-Wixson in Santa Monica.

SPRING AWAKENING is the 2007 Tony Award winning rock musical adaptation of Frank Wedekind's 1891 expressionist play about the trials and tribulations as well as the exhilaration of the teen years, exploring the confusion and desperation that ensue when the onrushing tide of hormones meets the ignorance of children.

Gary Naylor goes on an emotional rollercoaster with definitely not the kids from Fame.

It's difficult to know where to start with my praise for this outrageously spectacular production. Starting with a remarkable cast able to transform themselves into what seemed to be hundreds of characters in a matter of seconds, every single element combined brilliantly to make the production shine from start to finish.

Nothing is ever as it seems in Five Points...BBC AMERICA and Cineflix Studios promise no shortage of twists and turns for season two of COPPER, announcing today thatfamed New Yorker, William 'Billy' Baldwin (Gossip Girl, Hawaii Five-O) will guest star in the last two episodes of the upcoming season as William 'Wild Bill' Eustace - a ­­­­­charming Tammany Hall power broker. Also joining Baldwin at the end of the season is Lindy Booth (Kick-Ass 2, Fairly Legal) as Teresa Trembley - protected witness of a high-profile murder in Five Points.COPPER, BBC AMERICA's highest-rated original drama set in 1860s New York City, returns Sunday, June 23, 10:00pm ET/PT.

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK: The Oliviers sweep through London, Megan Hilty sings at NY Pops and Matilda shows off its Revolting Children.

The Union Theatre has proved once again how excellent fringe theatre can be, with this superb presentation of a challenging musical. bare: the rock musical runs at the Union Theatre until 25 May 2013.