Working Title News

The 'MIZ Kids' have been announced for Cameron Mackintosh's acclaimed new production of Alain Boublil & Claude-Michel Schonberg's Tony Award-winning musical masterpiece LES MISERABLES, which returns to Broadway beginning Saturday, March 1 at the Imperial Theatre. The official opening night isSunday, March 23.

Cameron Mackintosh, widely considered to be the most successful theatrical producer of all-time, becomes the first British producer ever to be inducted into The Theater Hall of Fame at a ceremony this evening Monday, January 27 at the Gershwin Theatre in New York. Mackintosh is joined by this year's fellow inductees actors Cherry Jones and Ellen Burstyn; directors Jerry Zaks,George C. Wolfe and Lynne Meadow; designer David Hays; and, posthumously, playwright Lorraine Hansberry. Shubert Organization Co-CEO and President, Robert Wankel, will accept the honor on Mackintosh's behalf, who is unable to attend due to a long-planned trip to Myanmar.

The Parrish Art Museum has announced its Advanced Exhibition Schedule for 2014 and through 2017.

Oscar nominee and Emmy and Golden Globe winner Sharon Stone (Casino) has signed to play the Vice President of the United States in TNT's new action-drama pilot Agent X (working title).

Experiments in Opera announces their upcoming performances of six Radio Operas – short 10-15 minute long world premiere works that draw themes and inspirations ranging from a Samuel Becket story, a skateboarding legend, founding father Thomas Paine, and stamp collecting, to a Martian colony, and more. This production, the second in Experiments in Opera's 2013-14 Season at Abrons Arts Center, explores the questions: What does opera gain when it is presented without visuals? And, how do the different media of opera and radio play combine?

Possum Point Players brings the thriller Laura to their Possum Hall stage beginning Friday, January 31, 2014. Vera Caspary, Laura's novelist, playwright and screenwriter, wrote thrillers -- but not like any other author of her time, male or female. Her specialty was a specific type that she pioneered - the psycho thriller. Typically, thrillers focus on plot development as opposed to character development. They focus on an action arc as opposed to a psychological arc. But a successful psychological thriller does both, more or less equally. The suspense comes from the human interaction between characters who prey on each other's thoughts, trying either to confuse, destroy, or deceive.

Bravo Media is set to pour salt in old wounds with the greenlight of the brand new culinary competition series 'Top Chef Extreme' (working title) which will premiere in Summer 2014.

Deadline reports that Quentin Tarantino has finished writing first draft of a script for his next project, with working title THE HATEFUL EIGHT. Tarantino revealed on The Tonight Show in November that his next movie would be a Western.

HBO announced yesterday that they will debut an array of diverse, timely and thought-provoking documentary films in the coming months including LARRY KRAMER (working title) this May.

Essential Theatre has just announced Theroun Patterson and Karla Jennings as co-winners of the 2014 Playwriting Competition. 'It's taken us a long while to come to a decision this year,' observes Peter Hardy, Founding Artistic Director of the theatre, 'because of the large number of strong submissions we received. But we feel that both of these plays are worthy of the prizes and will be excellent contributions to our Festival this summer.' Both playwrights will receive a $600 cash prize and a full production in this summer's Essential Theatre Festival.

Rehearsals begin Monday, January 13 in New York for Cameron Mackintosh's acclaimed new production of Alain Boublil & Claude-Michel Schonberg's Tony Award-winning musical masterpiece LES MISERABLES, which returns to Broadway beginning Saturday, March 1 at the Imperial Theatre. The official opening night for LES MISERABLES is Sunday, March 23. The cast of the new LES MIZ features Ramin Karimloo (West End and current acclaimed Toronto star of LES MISERABLES, and The Phantom of the Opera and Love Never Dies in London) as Jean Valjean; Will Swenson (Tony Award-nominated star of Broadway's Hair and Priscilla Queen of the Desert) as Javert; Caissie Levy (West End and Broadway star of Ghost and Hair and Elphaba in Broadway's Wicked) as Fantine; Nikki M. James (Tony Award winner for The Book of Mormon) as Eponine; Andy Mientus (who captured the hearts of TV viewers with his portrayal of Kyle Bishop on the NBC series 'Smash') as Marius; talented newcomer Charlotte Maltby as Cosette; acclaimed Canadian actor Cliff Saunders (The 39 Steps) as Thenardier; Tony Award-nominee Keala Settle (Hands on a Hardbody) as Madame Thenardier and Kyle Scatliffe, (the West End production of The Scottsboro Boys) as the revolutionary Enjolras.

New York Live Arts has announced the schedule for Live Artery 2014, a three-day event at New York Live Arts connecting dance and body-based artists with curators, presenters and the public. Presented during the annual Association of Performing Arts Presenters conference, Live Artery 2014 will feature two full remounts; excerpts from three new works and seven work-in-progress showings of New York Live Arts commissions; along with work-in-progress showings by the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company (New York Live Arts' Resident Dance Company) and Kyle Abraham/Abraham.In.Motion (New York Live Arts' Resident Commissioned Artist), offering no less than eleven public events.

The eclectic nature of Fort Point Theatre Channel's 2014 programming is a direct result of the creative forces that drive FPTC's 15 artistic directors. These artists are rooted in Boston's only arts-centered neighborhood and resident in a building that is now experiencing a tenant-to-owner momentum. FPTC celebrates its 7th year amidst this surge of artistic development specifically within their Midway neighborhood, an especially exciting place to be at the moment.

The producers of the hit musical CINDERELLA on Broadway announce new cast members who will join the company in the coming weeks: starting January 28, Joe Carroll begins performances as Prince Topher, taking over the role from original cast member and Tony Award nominee Santino Fontana, who concludes his year-long run in the musical. Also beginningJanuary 28, Todd Buonopane will replace original cast member Greg Hildreth as the rebel Jean-Michel; and CINDERELLA ensemble member Stephanie Gibson will replace Marla Mindelle as stepsister Gabrielle. On January 21, Tony Award winner Victoria Clark will return as Cinderella's Fairy Godmother Marie, which she originated and for which she received a Tony Award nomination. Tony nominee Rebecca Luker has performed the role of Marie since September.

Gator Boys forerunners - Paul Bedard and Jimmy Riffle - are saddled up and ready to ring in the New Year with a batch of 10 all-new adventurous episodes. The successful Animal Planet series follows the men and women of Gator Boys Alligator Rescue as they risk life and limb to Capture wild alligators using their bare hands, and swim with them unprotected in the Florida waters. As the Gator Boys grow in popularity, Jimmy finds his time strained by alligator wrestling road shows, appearances, and now a recently purchased barbeque restaurant. When Gator Boys returns tonight, January 5, at 9pm ET/PT, the gators may be the only ones smiling until balance is restored to a team that's spread too thin. Leading up to the premiere, there will be a 'Top 10 Best Catches' (working title) special airing at 8pm ET/PT, highlighting the biggest, riskiest and most unusual catches of Gator Boys history.

New York Live Arts has announced the schedule for Live Artery 2014, a three-day event at New York Live Arts connecting dance and body-based artists with curators, presenters and the public. Presented during the annual Association of Performing Arts Presenters conference, Live Artery 2014 will feature two full remounts; excerpts from three new works and seven work-in-progress showings of New York Live Arts commissions; along with work-in-progress showings by the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company (New York Live Arts' Resident Dance Company) and Kyle Abraham/Abraham.In.Motion (New York Live Arts' Resident Commissioned Artist), offering no less than eleven public events.

Aurora Theatre proudly announces Justin Anderson has been appointed the new Associate Artistic Director. One of Atlanta's busiest and most successful freelance stage directors has found an artistic home and Aurora Theatre could not be happier. Mr. Anderson will join the full-time staff at Aurora Theatre beginning January 6, 2014. Over the past two years he has made a significant impact on the theatre as the director of several successful productions including Tigers Be Still, Petite Rouge, Pater Pan and Wendy and Les Miserables. Les Miserables took home 5 Suzi Bass Awards including Best Musical and Best Director of Musical for Mr. Anderson.

Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. (TBS, Inc.) has secured the network television premiere window for the #1 movie in the country, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug.

Beginning January 2014, auditions for the children's cast of Billy Elliot the Musical will take place countrywide to find young boys and girls to join the internationally acclaimed show which is now in its ninth year at the Victoria Palace Theatre in the West End. 2014 auditions take place on 11 January in Leeds, 1 February in Newcastle, 15 March in London, 26 April in Bristol and 17 May in Manchester.