Leap of Faith - 2010 - Los Angeles Articles Page 14

MEMPHIS, the 2010 Tony® Award Winner for Best Musical, opens at the Fabulous Fox Theatre tonight, May 1, for a limited engagement.

Nominations for the 57th Annual Drama Desk Awards were announced at a news conference this morning by Drama Desk winners Donna Murphy and Brian d'Arcy James. The 57th Annual Drama Desk Awards will take place on Sunday, June 3, 2012 at 8:00 PM at The Town Hall in Manhattan.

Performances for LEAP OF FAITH began on Tuesday, April 3, and the show officially opened tonight at The St. James Theatre. Four-time Tony nominee Raúl Esparza leads the company along with Jessica Phillips, Kendra Kassebaum, Kecia Lewis-Evans, Leslie Odom, Jr., Krystal Joy Brown and Talon Ackerman. Let's see what the critics had to say...

Leap of Faith, based on the 1992 film of the same name, began previews on April 3 and opens on Broadway on tonight at the St. James Theatre. It's been a long road to the Broadway stage, and we highlight key parts of the musical's journey below!

Hockadoo! The 2010 Tony winning Best Musical MEMPHIS will continue to blow the roof off of theatres across the country into the 2012 -2013 season. The season will kick off on September 11th in Portland, OR at the Keller Auditorium, and a return engagement is scheduled in the city where it all began - Memphis, TN at the Orpheum Theatre. On Wednesday, March 14th MEMPHIS celebrated its' 1,000th performance on Broadway where it continues to bring audiences to their feet on a daily basis.

Lee Summers' Just A Piano Concert Series celebrates its' sixth year at the Triad Theatre. Since 2006 The Just A Piano Series has presented top artists. The list includes Broadway Stars, such as Roz Ryan, Norm Lewis, Kecia Lewis-Evans, Tituss Burgess, Alton White, Chester Gregory, Shoshana Beane, Julie Reiber, Jerry Dixon, Kevin Anthony, Aisha DaHaas, Carmen Ruby Floyd, Rhett George, Marva Hicks along with Tony Award Winners like Adriane Lenox, LaChanz, Melba Moore and Lillias White, Grammy Winners and Nominees such as Caron Wheeler and Ryan Shaw, guest TV and Film stars such as Mario Cantone and more. Featured pianists include Shelton Becton, Brian Whitted, Zane Mark, Timothy Graphenreed, Michael Mitchell, Jo Lynn Burks, Ray Leslee, Onaje Allen Gumbs and many more! Guest directors have included Tamara Tunie, Leonard Joseph, Leslie Dockery and more!

MEMPHIS, the 2010 Tony® Award Winner for Best Musical, opens at the Fabulous Fox Theatre on May 1 for a limited engagement.

Florida Studio Theatre (FST) will present the Florida premiere of Geoffrey Nauffts' contemporary drama Next Fall in FST's Keating Theatre (1241 N. Palm Avenue) on Wednesday, January 25 at 8:00pm.

Linda Lavin (Broadway Bound), Sebastian Arcelus (Elf), LaChanze (The Color Purple), Emily Skinner (Side Show), Shuler Hensley (Oklahoma!), Daniel Breaker (Passing Strange) and Sierra Boggess (Love Never Dies, The Little Mermaid) will be among the star players in the upcoming Broadway Hal Prince tribute, PRINCE OF BROADWAY, The New York Times reveals.

Writers' Theatre, under the direction of Artistic Director Michael Halberstam and Executive Director Kathryn M. Lipuma, continues its 20th Anniversary Season with Hesperia by Randall Colburn, directed by Associate Artistic Director Stuart Carden.

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.

The 2012 Grammy for 'Best Song Written for Visual Media' has been awarded to composer Alan Menken and lyricist Glenn Slater.

The Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County presents four-time Tony Award nominee and Miami native Raúl Esparza in a much anticipated solo performance. As part of the 2011-12 Knight Masterworks Season Pop Series, Esparza returns to the Adrienne Arsht Center on February 11, 2012 at 8 p.m. in the John S. and James L. Knight Concert Hall.

The Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County presents four-time Tony Award nominee and Miami native Raúl Esparza in a much anticipated solo performance. As part of the 2011-12 Knight Masterworks Season Pop Series, Esparza returns to the Adrienne Arsht Center on February 11, 2012 at 8 p.m. in the John S. and James L. Knight Concert Hall.

Florida Studio Theatre (FST) will present the Florida premiere of Geoffrey Nauffts' contemporary drama Next Fall in FST's Keating Theatre (1241 N. Palm Avenue) on Wednesday, January 25 at 8:00pm.

Writers' Theatre, under the direction of Artistic Director Michael Halberstam and Executive Director Kathryn M. Lipuma, continues its 20th Anniversary Season with Hesperia by Randall Colburn, directed by Associate Artistic Director Stuart Carden.

The Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County presents four-time Tony Award nominee and Miami native Raúl Esparza in a much anticipated solo performance. As part of the 2011-12 Knight Masterworks Season Pop Series, Esparza returns to the Adrienne Arsht Center on February 11, 2012 at 8 p.m. in the John S. and James L. Knight Concert Hall.

If you're looking for a quick roundup of this week's events, look no further: here are some of the best articles the week had to offer!

Florida Studio Theatre (FST) will present the Florida premiere of Geoffrey Nauffts' contemporary drama Next Fall in FST's Keating Theatre (1241 N. Palm Avenue) on Wednesday, January 25 at 8:00pm.

The Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County presents four-time Tony Award nominee and Miami native Raúl Esparza in a much anticipated solo performance. As part of the 2011-12 Knight Masterworks Season Pop Series, Esparza returns to the Adrienne Arsht Center on February 11, 2012 at 8 p.m. in the John S. and James L. Knight Concert Hall.

Writers' Theatre, under the direction of Artistic Director Michael Halberstam and Executive Director Kathryn M. Lipuma, continues its 20th Anniversary Season with Hesperia by Randall Colburn, directed by Associate Artistic Director Stuart Carden.

The Old Globe presents the World Premiere of Some Lovers, a new musical with book and lyrics by Tony and Grammy Award winner Steven Sater and music by Academy and Grammy Award-winning legend Burt Bacharach.

The LA Stage Alliance Ovation Awards, celebrating theatrical excellence and achievement during the 2010-2011 season, were presented on Monday, November 14, 2011 at the Orpheum Theatre in downtown Los Angeles. Click here for a full list of winners.

Now, the New York Times reports that according to producer Thomas Viertel, the show is indeed now headed to Broadway in the Fall of 2012. No official announcement has yet been made, but Viertel told the paper that 'closed-door developmental readings drew strong feedback' and that 'our creative team has done great work in clarifying the story.'

The LA Stage Alliance Ovation Awards, celebrating theatrical excellence and achievement during the 2010-2011 season, were presented on Monday, November 14, 2011 at the Orpheum Theatre in downtown Los Angeles. Click here for a full list of winners. Check out photos from he event below!