tick, tick... BOOM! - 2005 - London Fringe Articles Page 16

13, A New Musical, with music and lyrics by Tony Award winner Jason Robert Brown, will begin previews on Tuesday, September 16, 2008 and officially open at The Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre (242 W. 45th Street) on Sunday, October 5, 2008.

The 20th Anniversary revival of DAVID MAMET's Speed-The-Plow announces its final cast member.

Tony Award nominee Gavin Creel (Thoroughly Modern Millie) and 'American Idol' finalist Diana DeGarmo (Hairspray) will star in the new Broadway production of GODSPELL. The first Broadway revival of the landmark rock musical will officially open on Broadway at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre (243 West 47th Street) on Thursday, October 23, 2008. Previews will begin on Monday, September 29, 2008.

The 20th Anniversary revival of DAVID MAMET's Speed-The-Plow will begin performances on Friday, October 3, 2008 at the Belasco Theatre (111 West 44th Street) under the direction of NEIL PEPE (David Mamet's Romance, Ethan Coen's Almost an Evening).

RAÚL ESPARZA, who electrified Broadway last season with his Tony-nominated performance in Harold Pinter's The Homecoming, has graduated to DAVID MAMET.

Ruth & Stephen Hendel and Roy Gabay present the world premiere of Fela!, a new musical based on the life of groundbreaking African composer, performer and activist Fela Anikulapo Kuti. Directed and choreographed by Tony® Award winner Bill T. Jones (Spring Awakening) with a book by Jim Lewis and Bill T. Jones, Fela! will feature Kuti's rousing music performed live onstage by Antibalas and other members of the New York Afrobeat community.

Ethan Paulini will star in Counter Productions' 'tick, tick...BOOM!' and 'The Full Monty.'

Village Theatre is pleased to announce its exciting director line-up for the 2008-2009 Mainstage Season. Andrea Dymond, Resident Director of Victory Gardens Theater in Chicago, will direct the new musical and season opener, Saint Heaven. Dymond comments, 'I'd originally directed an earlier version of Saint Heaven in a developmental workshop production, about five years ago, at the Stages Festival at Theatre Building Chicago. That's when I got to know Marty [Martin Casella, book writer] and Keith [Keith Gordon, lyricist and composer] who are every bit as gorgeous to work with as is their musical. I think Saint Heaven is unique in the fullness of its telling, the richness of its characters, and the variety of forms of deeply American music it uses to engage us in the story.' At Victory Gardens Theater, Dymond has staged a wealth of productions such as Gloria Bond Clunie's Shoes (Best Director nomination, Black Theatre Alliance) and Charles Smith's Free Man of Color (winner of the Jeff award for Best New Work). Steve Tomkins, Artistic Director for Village Theatre is set to direct the charming Disney classic Beauty and the Beast. Tomkins gave his directorial debut at Village Theatre with the 1988 production of Gypsy. This upcoming season marks his sixteenth season as Artistic Director for Village Theatre. David Ira Goldstein will direct Oscar Wilde's classic play The Importance of Being Earnest. 'I have been eager to direct Wilde's greatest comedy ever since I directed his earlier play A Woman of No Importance for the University of Washington School of Drama in 1994. If any play can invoke a spirit of pure pleasure for two hours, it is certainly Wilde's Earnest,' Goldstein comments. As artistic director of Arizona Theatre Company (ATC), Goldstein has received the 2003 Governor's Arts Award as Individual Artist for his contributions to the arts in Arizona. He has directed over 30 mainstage productions for ATC and has been a guest director across the country. Before living in Arizona, he was the associate Artistic Director of A Contemporary Theatre in Seattle. Steve Tomkins will also take on the original work Stunt Girl this season. His last three new musical projects, which include Once Upon A Time in New Jersey (2006-2007), Girl of My Dreams (2005-2006), and The Ark (2002-2003), quickly became huge hits amongst Village Theatre audiences. Lastly, Village Theatre is thrilled to announce Jerry Dixon as the director of the musical masterpiece, Show Boat. Dixon began his career as an actor with original Broadway cast performances in Once On This Island and Five Guys Named Moe, with other original roles in Bright Lights, Big City, The Bubbly Black Girl Sheds Her Chameleon Skin, new yorkers, and tick, tick…BOOM!. Dixon's directing credits vary and include tick, tick…BOOM! (Korea and Singapore), Crowns (Kalamazoo Civic), and concerts and special events for Tony winner LaChanze, recording artist Raúl Midón, Carnegie Hall, and the Belgium National Symphony. Dixon's directorial work was last seen at Village Theatre in 2007, when he was brought from New York to direct the Village Originals production of Barnstormer.

Goodspeed Musicals', the only two-time Tony Award winning theatre in the country, latest production, 13, a new musical comedy about coming of age, teen traumas and high school survival, will hit the stage at The Norma Terris Theatre in Chester, Connecticut, May 9 - June 8. 13 is sponsored by Essex Savings Bank.

Rubicon Theatre Company presents 'My Antonia,' the stage adaptation of Pulitzer Prize-winner Willa Cather's classic novel by Stephen and Scott Schwartz.

Michael Kadin Craig will take over the role of Matthew in Altar Boyz, succeeding Chad Doreck.

Upright Cabaret's always sold-out audience was greeted a special treat on Monday, September 24th when producers Chris Isaacson and Shane Scheel along with music director Trapper Felides welcomed Stephen Oremus and friends to Eat on Sunset...

Anna also designed four other shows currently running in NY: 'Curtains,' 'In the Heights,' 'Avenue Q' and 'Altar Boyz.'

Following its staging of the UK premieres of musicals 'Tick, Tick Boom' in 2005 and 'The Last Five Years' in 2006, the Menier Chocolate Factory will go one better this summer by staging the World Premiere of the new Maltby and Shire musical, 'Take Flight' from July 25 to September 22 (previewing from July 13). The Menier will hope to repeat the success of its other 2005 musical production, 'Sunday In the Park With George', as 'Take Flight' reunites the artistic team that presented the award winning Sondheim revival - director Sam Buntrock and designer David Farley.

Due to a high demand for tickets, the Ahmanson Theatre engagement of Jersey Boys, the 2006 Tony Award-winner for Best Musical, has been extended three weeks through Sunday, August 26

This Sunday, March 18 at 7:30 pm, one lucky audience volunteer will share the stage and match spelling acumen (that's right - A-C-U-M-E-N) with three Broadway stars -- Tony Award nominee RAUL ESPARZA (Company) and Tony Award-winners LEA SALONGA (Les Miserables) and BRIAN STOKES MITCHELL (Man of LaMancha) -- at the first ever 'Broadway Night at the Bee' at the hitmusical THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE.

Tony Award-winners Christine Ebersole and Brian Stokes Mitchell, as well as Tony Award-nominee Raul Esparza, will join the cast of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee for one night only as guest spellers at the Bee's first ever 'Broadway Night at the Bee' on Sunday, March 18 at 7:30pm

Previews for GREAT EXPECTATIONS begin Wednesday, November 8 at Off-Broadway Lucille Lortel Theatre (121 Christopher St.).

L.A. Stage Alliance announces presenters for 2006 Ovation Awards...

The producers of JERSEY BOYS, winner of this year's Tony® Award for Best Musical, have announced the cast that will launch the National Tour in San Francisco.

All-Star Benefit Concert to Feature Top Country Artists and Broadway Performers Kicking Off 'Nashville Celebrates Country,' a Week of Activities Leading up to 'The 40th Annual CMA Awards'

Full casting has been set for the upcoming national tour of Sweet Charity, starring Molly Ringwald as vulnerable taxi dancer Charity Hope Valentine

tick, tick… Boom! originally presented as a 'rock monologue' entitled Boho Days, was performed by composer/lyricist Jonathan Larson as an autobiographical look at his dream of leaving his mark on the musical theater landscape. Larson was working on Boho Days at the same time he was writing the ground-breaking musical RENT, though, of course, his tragic death meant that he did not live to see his dream become a reality.

Sarah Litzsinger will succeed Ashley Brown as Beauty and the Beast's Belle on May 30th