Merrily We Roll Along Revival 2002 - Articles Page 9

Big Noise Theatre Company will open its 2012-13 season with the engaging rock-opera JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR, opening September 28th and playing weekends through October 21, 2012. Performances will be held at Prairie Lakes Theatre in Des Plaines, IL. The production is directed by Stacey Flaster, and Robert Deason returns to Big Noise as the show's music director.

Broadway's new musical CHAPLIN begins previews tomorrow at 8pm and opens September 10 at the Barrymore Theatre (243 West 47th Street). Meet the cast below!

The producers of the new musical CHAPLIN have just announced full casting for the production, which will star Rob McClure in the title role, as previously announced. The production will also feature Jim Borstelmann (Alf Reeves), Jenn Colella (Hedda Hopper), Erin Mackey (Oona O'Neill), Michael McCormick (Sennett, McGranery, Emcee), Christiane Noll (Hannah Chaplin), Zachary Unger (Young Charlie, Jackie) and Wayne Alan Wilcox (Sydney Chaplin).

Transport Group, the Drama Desk and OBIE award-winning theatre company, presents a one-night-only, all-star concert of the acclaimed 1983 Broadway musical Baby, taking place tonight, Monday, June 18 at 7pm at the Lucille Lortel Theatre, 121 Christopher Street.

In the videos below, FIRST YOU DREAM cast members James Clow and Alan H. Green talk about their journey from hometown to Broadway and the excitement of performing in the Kander & Ebb First You Dream revue at The Kennedy Center, beginning performances tonight!

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts previously announced casting for its production of First You Dream: The Music of Kander & Ebb in the Eisenhower Theater tonight, June 8 to July 1, 2012.

Oscar Productions presents The Last Five Years, with music and lyrics by Jason Robert Brown, directed by Peter Berube, with music direction by Lauren Fraley. One preview performance plays tonight, June 7th at 7:15pm and the show runs Saturday, June 16th, 17th, 22nd, and 23rd at 5:30pm. All performances are presented as part of the Hollywood Fringe Festival.

The cast and director Eric Schaeffer of the musical revue First You Dream, set to open this month at the Kennedy Center, discuss the work of their show's muses, John Kander and Fred Ebb, the songwriting team who created Cabaret, Chicago, Kiss of the Spider Woman, Zorba, and many more Broadway hits. Watch video interviews, plus footage of the cast in reherasal, below!

Transport Group, the Drama Desk and OBIE award-winning theatre company, has announced final casting for its one-night-only, all-star concert of the acclaimed 1983 Broadway musical Baby, which will take place Monday, June 18 at 7pm at the Lucille Lortel Theatre, 121 Christopher Street.

The Public Theater announced today that Tony Award winner Denis O'Hare has been cast as The Baker in Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine's beloved musical INTO THE WOODS, directed by Timothy Sheader with co-direction by Liam Steel. INTO THE WOODS will be O'Hare's Shakespeare in the Park debut. Previews begin on Monday, July 23 at the Delacorte Theater and continue for five weeks through Saturday, August 25, with an official press opening on Thursday, August 9.

Oscar Productions presents The Last Five Years, with music and lyrics by Jason Robert Brown, directed by Peter Berube, with music direction by Lauren Fraley. One preview performance plays June 7th at 7:15pm and the show runs Saturday, June 16th, 17th, 22nd, and 23rd at 5:30pm. All performances are presented as part of the Hollywood Fringe Festival.

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts presents First You Dream: The Music of Kander & Ebb in the Eisenhower Theater June 8 to July 1, 2012.

Classic Stage Company, under the leadership of Artistic Director Brian Kulick and Executive Director Greg Reiner announced today that acclaimed/awarding winning actresses Judy Kuhn and Melissa Errico will star as Fosca and Clara in the company's new production of Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine's Tony Award-winning musical PASSION, to be directed by John Doyle (the Tony Award-winning revivals of Sondheim's Sweeney Todd and Company). PASSION is slated to begin performances in February, 2013. Additional casting will be announced in the coming weeks and months, as well as full creative team. PASSION opened on Broadway in May of 1994 and received the Tony Award that year for Best Musical.

Walnut Street Theatre today annonuced that it will celebrate multiple honorees this year with the 2012 Edwin Forrest Award at its landmark 203rd Anniversary Gala.

The Daily Mail UK reports that Julian Ovenden will star in a musical version of the film Finding Neverland, which starred Johhny Depp and Kate Winslet and followed the the story of J.M. Barrie's inspiration for his famous children's book, Peter Pan.

The Public Theater has announced additional casting today for the 50th Anniversary season of free Shakespeare in the Park at the Delacorte. David Furr (Orlando) and Stephen Spinella (Jaques) join the previously announced MacIntyre Dixon (Adam), Renee Elise Goldsberry (Celia), Omar Metwally (Oliver), and Lily Rabe (Rosalind) in Shakespeare's comedy AS YOU LIKE IT, directed by Daniel Sullivan.

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts today announced casting for its production of First You Dream: The Music of Kander & Ebb in the Eisenhower Theater June 8 to July 1, 2012.

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts today announced casting for its production of First You Dream: The Music of Kander & Ebb in the Eisenhower Theater June 8 to July 1, 2012. The musical revue will star Heidi Blickenstaff, James Clow, Alan H. Green, Leslie Kritzer, Patina Miller, and Matthew Scott. Originally produced at Signature Theatre in Virginia and co-conceived by David Loud and Eric Schaeffer, the production features music by John Kander, lyrics by Fred Ebb, and will be directed by Eric Schaeffer. Jon Kalbfleisch will conduct the 22-piece Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra. Press opening night is Wednesday, June 13, 2012 at 7:30 p.m.

DOMA Theatre Company kicks off its 2012 season of musical theater with a revival of The Who's Tommy. Hallie Baran directs the Tony Award-winning rock opera that features a book by Pete Townshend and Des McAnuff; music and lyrics by The Who's Pete Townshend; and additional music and lyrics by John Entwistle, Keith Moon and Sonny Boy Williamson. Musical director is Chris Raymond and Angela Todaro choreographs. Performances take place March 23 through April 15 at The MET Theatre in Los Angeles.

It is a rare enough occurrence for a genuine born and bred Broadway star to emerge post-millennium, but one as astonishingly versatile as Raul Esparza, having scored accolades since his blazing debut in a string of hit plays and musicals, ranging from Mamet and Sondheim and Pinter to CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG and his aforementioned Broadway bow in THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW, is a downright cause for celebration. Esparza makes his grand return to the Broadway stage in a musical with his upcoming starring role in Alan Menken & Glenn Slater's adaptation of the Steve Martin film LEAP OF FAITH, featuring a country and gospel influenced score and a spirited, energetic production by Christopher Ashley (who, incidentally, helmed Esparza's first Broadway show, ROCKY HORROR). While Esparza has been seen in many - most, if not quite all - Broadway seasons in the decade since 2001, he has also scored in leading roles in regional productions such as 2002's spectacular SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE and MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG revivals, part of the unprecedented Sondheim Celebration, as well as the Cincinnati Playhouse COMPANY, directed by John Doyle, which transferred to Broadway and was subsequently preserved on DVD and Blu-ray, in addition to being presented on PBS as part of Great Performances. Besides Esparza's many notable musical revival performances (lest we forget his essaying of the Emcee in CABARET), he also created the Broadway iterations of his roles in the controversial and brilliantly scored TABOO, produced by Rosie O'Donnell and composed by Boy George, as well as the stage adaptation of the hit family classic CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG, as well as originating the lead role in TICK, TICK...BOOM! Having played three of Sondheim's most memorable male roles was not enough, though, apparently, for Esparza recently took on the part of the hapless Hapgood in Sondheim's ANYONE CAN WHISTLE when it was revived at City Center's Encores! - with Tony-winners Donna Murphy and Sutton Foster his co-stars, no less - with much success. Yet, in one of a myriad of examples of the broad spectrum of Esparza's abilities, it is instructive to remember he first made a name for himself with the role of Che in an Andrew Lloyd Webber & Tim Rice show, directed by no less than the ultimate man of the theatre himself, Harold Prince - EVITA, which, of course, is being revived this season with Ricky Martin in the role of Che. Besides Esparza's many musical roles throughout the past decade and prior, he has also carved out a seriously impressive straight drama resume, having appeared in plays by the great playwrights of our age, such as Pinter (THE HOMECOMING), Mamet (SPEED-THE-PLOW), Stoppard (ARCADIA) and, the greatest of all, Shakespeare (AS YOU LIKE IT, part of Shakespeare In The Park). ROCKY HORROR to ARCADIA to, now, with LEAP OF FAITH, Esparza constantly and consistently surprises fans and audiences alike with his audacious choice in roles and electrifying performances that are indelibly enjoyable in their uniqueness, variety and sheer breadth of emotion - time and time again. Yes, indeed, Raul Esparza is the best of the best Broadway has to offer, so let us hope LEAP OF FAITH is the ideal star vehicle for one of the most charismatic and multi-talented leading men of the 21st century and that it brings him his well-deserved Best Actor Tony at last.

DOMA Theatre Company kicks off its 2012 season of musical theater with a revival of The Who's Tommy. Hallie Baran directs the Tony Award-winning rock opera that features a book by Pete Townshend and Des McAnuff; music and lyrics by The Who's Pete Townshend; and additional music and lyrics by John Entwistle, Keith Moon and Sonny Boy Williamson. Musical director is Chris Raymond and Angela Todaro choreographs. Performances take place March 23 through April 15 at The MET Theatre in Los Angeles.

Lonny Price, Raul Esparza and a fellow singing it in Hebrew.

BroadwayWorld.com reported the news exclusively on January 9, 2012 and now the The Public Theater has officially announced the line-up for the 50th Anniversary Shakespeare in the Park season at the Delacorte. Daniel Sullivan, who directed acclaimed productions of All's Well That Ends Well, The Merchant of Venice and Twelfth Night in the Park, will return to direct AS YOU LIKE IT in June with Lily Rabe as Rosalind. The second show of the 50th Anniversary summer season will be Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine's beloved musical INTO THE WOODS, directed by Timothy Sheader with co-direction by Liam Steel. Based on the Olivier Award-winning Regent's Park Open Air Theatre London production in 2010, The Public Theater's INTO THE WOODS will be an all new production with an American cast and designers and will be staged in one of the most beautiful outdoor venues in the world-the Delacorte Theater. INTO THE WOODS will begin performances at the end of July.

These two incredibly talented sisters are longtime friends of the Royal Room. This will be Ann Hampton Callaway's seventh visit since 2002 and Liz Callaway's third engagement since 2005 - but the FIRST TIME that the two have appeared here together. They have recently been performing together in BOOM!, celebrating songs from the 60s and 70s.

These two incredibly talented sisters are longtime friends of the Royal Room. This will be Ann Hampton Callaway's seventh visit since 2002 and Liz Callaway's third engagement since 2005 - but the FIRST TIME that the two have appeared here together. They have recently been performing together in BOOM!, celebrating songs from the 60s and 70s.