Theater

'Clybourne Park'

© Clybourne Park

Jordan Roth of Jujamcyn Theatres issued a statement today stating that the dark comedy Clybourne Park will open on Broadway after all.

Between the sensitive topics of whites/blacks race relations and sudden cast changes, Clybourne Park's transfer from Los Angeles to Broadway seemed in jeopardy. But everything looks to be moving forward to a Broadway Opening Night of April 12, 2012, at the Walter Kerr Theatre at 219 West 48th Street.

Currently playing at Center Theater Group, Bruce Norris' Pulitzer Prize-winning play sets Act I in 1959 with Act II set in 2009. Loosely based on A Raisin in the Sun, Clybourne Park examines race tensions then and now in a provocative, biting comedic style that is suitable for adult audiences only.

Clybourne Park will play in L.A. until February 26th then move to Broadway. Tickets go on sale March 1, 2012.

Race-y 'Clybourne Park' Still On for Broadway Opening originally appeared on About.com Theater on Friday, February 3rd, 2012 at 11:07:28.

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"The Book of Mormon the Musical" on Broadway

© BOM

Tickets for the national tour of 2011's Tony-winning, smash-hit farcical musical, The Book of Mormon, went on sale January 22nd and immediately sold out its first stop in Denver.

The Book of Mormon's Broadway national tour will open in Denver at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House and run from August 14 to September 2, 2012. Selling out the day the tickets went on sale, I asked over Twitter if they would add more shows. The rep for the @DenverCenter wrote: "@TrishCausey @BookofMormonBWY It's book[ed] in another city after us, but I'm sure it will be back in Denver." (Guess the chart-busting cast album will have to tide BOM-ers over!)

The BOM tour will be ringing doorbells in Los Angeles September 4 to November 11th, Chicago for the month of December 2012, Des Moines, IA, January 24th to February 3, 2013, and Minneapolis, MN, February 5 to 17th. To get tickets to one of the touring performances, visit BOM's tour page.

The Book of Mormon on Broadway won 9 Tony Awards including Best Musical, Best Director, Best Score, Best Orchestrations, Best Book, Best Sound, and Best Lighting.

'Book of Mormon' Tour Tickets On Sale - But Denver Sold Out! originally appeared on About.com Theater on Thursday, February 2nd, 2012 at 10:26:57.

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"SMASH" on NBC

© NBC

In an interesting marketing ploy, NBC releases its Broadway-themed mid-season opener "SMASH" online before its official premiere on television.

To garner attention from would-be fans and keep the buzz flowing, NBC is allowing audiences to watch the pilot episode of "SMASH" on their own site as well as Hulu.

Called "Glee for Grown-Ups," "SMASH" centers around a Broadway writing team (Tony winner Debra Messing and Christian Borle) who must deal with the harsh realities, both personally and professionally, of putting on a Broadway show. Meanwhile, two young starlets (Broadway's Megan Hilty and "American Idol's" Katharine McPhee) have their own behind the scenes dramas as they vie for the lead role of "Marilyn Monroe."

Produced by Academy Award winner Steven Spielberg, "SMASH" has had theatre lovers in suspense for months, but now you can see for yourself if the hype was worth it! "SMASH" premieres on NBC February 6, 2012.

'SMASH' Opens Online Before TV Premiere on NBC originally appeared on About.com Theater on Thursday, February 2nd, 2012 at 09:51:48.

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Megan Hilty

© Astrd Stawiarz/Getty Images

The lead of NBC's new hit "SMASH" has landed her next gig, and it also encompasses the legacy of Marilyn Monroe.

Megan Hilty will play "Lorelei Lee" in Encores! upcoming production of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. Made famous on Broadway by Tony Award winner Carol Channing and later in film by Marilyn Monroe, "Lorelei Lee" goes on a whirlwind trip to Europe to land a rich husband with her partner in crime "Dorothy Shaw," played by Jane Russell in the film.

Helmed by director John Rando, Music Direction is provided by Rob Berman and Choreography by Randy Skinner. But get tickets fast! This short-run production is bound to sell-out, especially since Hilty's foray into her Marilyn alter-ego in "SMASH." Look for Gentlemen Prefer Blondes to play May 9 to 13, 2012, at New York City Center, 55th Street. Tickets are available on the website.

Hilty rose to fame playing "Glinda" in Wicked and then Dolly Parton's famous role "Doralee" in Broadway's9 to 5. She is currently in NBC's hit "SMASH" about two young performers vying for the role of Marilyn Monroe in a Broadway musical.

Megan Hilty Lands Her Next Smash Role as a Preferred 'Blonde' originally appeared on About.com Theater on Thursday, February 2nd, 2012 at 09:21:41.

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Samantha Barks in 'Oliver!"

© Cameron Macintosh

Crisis averted! Everyone who loves Musical Theatre can now breathe a well-earned sigh of relief. Taylor Swift will not be playing "Eponine" in the Les Miz film.

The theatre world was horror-stricken that the film version of the beloved Tony Award-winning musical, Les Misérables, might be treading a treacherous path of stunt casting. Thespians everywhere cried out in pain when Taylor Swift was announced as a candidate to play "Eponine," the belty dream role of every female teenager.

Live on stage, after a performance of Oliver! in the West End, Cameron Macintosh himself announced that Oliver's Samantha Barks will indeed play the role in the film.

The joy felt in musical lovers' hearts cannot be overstated. Confirmed casting includes Russell Crowe and Tony winner Hugh Jackman. Now, if only the film versions of Wicked and Gypsy were moving along so swimmingly...

Stay tuned for more Les Miz casting news!

'Les Miz' Film "Eponine" Cast - and it's NOT Taylor Swift! originally appeared on About.com Theater on Wednesday, February 1st, 2012 at 10:47:56.

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Anything Goes

© Roundabout Theatre

The Tony Award-winning Best Revival of a Musical, the 2011 smash hit, Anything Goes, has announced that it will extend well into 2012.

Starring Sutton Foster and Joel Grey, Anything Goes will now play the Stephen Sondheim Theatre through September 9, 2012. No casting changes were announced with the news.

Anything Goes, the legendary showtune-filled escapist musical by Cole Porter, won several Tonys at the 2011 Tony Awards. Along with Best Revival of a Musical, Kathleen Marshall won for Best Choreographer, and Sutton Foster took the Best Actress in a Musical trophy.

For information on tickets, go to the show's website.

'Anything Goes' Extends Again originally appeared on About.com Theater on Thursday, January 19th, 2012 at 10:24:25.

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Tony Awards

© Tony Awards

The date is set! The Tony Awards will once again play the Beacon Theatre this June.

The annual celebration of the best on Broadway will take place on June 10, 2012, at the Beacon Theatre as the 66th Annual Tony Awards are televised live on CBS.

Presented jointly by The Broadway League and the American Theatre Wing, this year's Tony eligibility cut-off date is Thursday, April 26, 2012, for all original Broadway plays and musicals, as well as revivals, that open during the 2011-2012 season.

While Follies has taken the theatre district by storm early this season, look for a slew of shows coming to the Great White Way in March and April. Hitting the boards this Spring are the London transfer of Ghost the Musical, the new Kathleen Marshall musical Nice Work if You Can Get It starring Matthew Broderick and Kelli o'Hara, Death of a Salesman with Philip Seymour Hoffman, the musical version of Alfred Hitchcock's Rebecca, the play Wit starring Cynthia Nixon, and the highly anticipated revival of Jesus Christ Superstar.

The 64th Annual Tony Awards won 2 Primetime Emmy Awards, and Neil Patrick Harris' opening number for the 65th Tony Awards is already legendary. How will they top that? We will have to tune in to CBS on June 10, 2012 to see!

2012 Tony Awards' Date Set at Beacon Theatre originally appeared on About.com Theater on Tuesday, January 17th, 2012 at 11:47:25.

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On a Clear Day You Can See Forever

© On a Clear Day

Too many changes and concepts have sealed the fate of the star vehicle, On a Clear Day You Can See Forever.

Harry Connick, Jr.'s, return to Broadway will be short-lived thanks to less than stellar reviews of this revival at the St. James Theatre. The revised script  - that gave his role more meat than it may have deserved - turned out to be a turn-off with audiences. The show will close January 29, 2012.

But when one show closes another is waiting in the wings to take the stage and shoot for Broadway glory. Entering stage left, Leap of Faith will open at the St. James Theatre in April 2012, just in time for Tony Award consideration.

Leap of Faith features music by Academy Award-winning composer Alan Menken, a book by Janus Cercone and Warren Leight, with lyrics by Glenn Slater, who was nominated for Tony Awards for The Little Mermaid and Sister Act. The show will be directed by Christopher Ashley with choreography by Sergio Trujillo, of Next to Normal, Memphis, and Jersey Boys fame.

Leap of Faith is based on the film of the same name about a minister/revivalist and the sheriff intent on running him out of town. The show will star Tony favorite Raul Esparza, plus Jessica Phillips, and Kendra Kassebaum.

Previews for Leap of Faith begin April 3, 2012, and an official Opening Night will be announced shortly.

'On a Clear Day' Closing Early & 'Leap of Faith' Moving In originally appeared on About.com Theater on Thursday, January 12th, 2012 at 20:17:42.

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Into the Woods

© Into the Woods

Rob Marshall has been tagged by Disney to bring Sondheim and Lapine's dramedy musical, Into the Woods, to the big screen.

Marshall has had numerous successes on stage and in film. Nominated for six Tony Awards, his stagework includes Kiss of the Spider Woman - The Musical, Damn Yankees, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, and Company, to name a few. Marshall has also been nominated for the Academy Award for his creative vision on films such as Chicago, Nine, Memoirs of a Geisha, and Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides.

The only current film version of Into the Woods is a production featuring Tony Award winner Bernadette Peters - currently on Broadway in Follies, Chip Zien, Joanna Gleason, and and an incredible cast of performers who expertly bring Sondheim's intelligent score and Lapine's witty book to life.

Look for casting and release dates to be announced soon.

Disney to Make New Film of Sondheim's 'Into the Woods' originally appeared on About.com Theater on Wednesday, January 11th, 2012 at 10:37:57.

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William Shatner

© William Shatner

Will wonders never cease? William Shatner is confirmed to play a limited engagement on Broadway. No, he's not taking over as the "Phantom" or "Fiyero." He'll play a role much more down to earth.

Most famous for playing the cheezy "Captain Kirk" on "Star Trek" and the even campier commercials for a travel website, Shatner will perform in a one-man show, Shatner's World: We Just Live In It at the Music Box Theatre from February 14 to March 4, 2012.

Shatner is not just an Emmy and Golden Globe-winning actor, he is also a best-selling author, comic book creator, and recording artist.

The creative team will be announced shortly. Tickets for Shatner's World: We Just Live In It can be purchased through Telecharge.

William Shatner to Play Broadway Limited Engagement originally appeared on About.com Theater on Wednesday, January 11th, 2012 at 10:09:05.

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