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BC/EFA TO PRESENT PAMELA’S FIRST MUSICAL

BROADWAY CARES / EQUITY FIGHTS AIDS
PRESENTS

THE FIRST PUBLIC PERFORMANCE OF THE LONG-AWAITED
PAMELA’S FIRST MUSICAL
MUSIC BY CY COLEMAN & LYRICS BY DAVID ZIPPEL
BOOK BY WENDY WASSERSTEIN
DIRECTED BY GRACIELA DANIELE

STARRING DONNA MURPHY

SUNDAY, MAY 18TH, 2008 AT 3:00PM - MATINEE
TOWN HALL (123 WEST 43rd STREET)

Broadway Cares/ Equity Fights AIDS is proud to present a special performance of PAMELA’S FIRST MUSICAL, a new musical with music by Tony Award® winner Cy Coleman, lyrics by Tony Award® winner David Zippel, book by Tony® & Pulitzer Award winner Wendy Wasserstein and directed by Tony Award® nominee Graciela Daniele, on Sunday, May 18 at 3 PM at Town Hall (123 West 43rd Street) with a reception at Sardi’s immediately following. Proceeds will benefit BC/EFA and Theatre Development Fund’s Open Doors Program, which Wasserstein founded.

Two-time Tony Award®-winner Donna Murphy leads the cast in the role of Pamela’s beloved “Aunt Louise.” The all-star cast also includes Lynn Ahrens, Christian Borle, Carolee Carmello, Sandy Duncan, Gregg Edelman, Christine Ebersole, Stephen Flaherty, Kathie Lee Gifford, Adam Heller, Richard Kind, Robert Klein, Tommy Tune and many others. Special guest David Garrison makes an appearance as Producer Bernie S. Gerry. The role of “Pamela” will be announced shortly.

This delightful one-act musical, based on Wasserstein’s 1996 children’s book, tells the story of a young girl from the suburbs who spends an unforgettable birthday with her eccentric, sophisticated Aunt Louise (Murphy) attending a lavish Broadway production and meeting all the glamorous, creative people who made it possible.

“We’re thrilled to present this long-anticipated show as a benefit at Town Hall and particularly happy to have Sardi’s come on board for the reception since this legendary theatre district restaurant is the location for one of the musical’s most delightful scenes,” says BC/EFA Executive Director Tom Viola. “Wendy and Cy were longtime, generous supporters of BC/EFA as both individuals and through the casts of their shows. Their contributions have raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for BC/EFA. I hope they would agree that this special event brings us all full circle.”

The concept of staging Wasserstein’s 1996 children’s book began several years ago. Though Zippel had originally approached Wasserstein about making it into a television movie, they eventually began working with Cy Coleman to turn it into a live stage show. Five years ago, the trio worked to develop the piece, which was essentially complete at the time of Coleman’s death in 2004. It was set to premiere in 2005, but the production was eventually cancelled due to Wasserstein’s tragic death from lymphoma at age 55. Zippel and Daniele, who had directed two workshop productions of PAMELA’S FIRST MUSICAL, have continued working on the project over the last few years. The benefit performance on Sunday, May 18 at Town Hall will be the first public presentation of the show.

PAMELA’S FIRST MUSICAL comes with one of the most impressive pedigrees imaginable. Three-time Tony Award® winner Cy Coleman wrote the music for Sweet Charity, City of Angels, Little Me, Barnum, The Will Rogers Follies and The Life. In a Broadway career that spanned over 50 years, Coleman served as a composer, arranger, producer, writer, lyricist, creative consultant, musical director and musician.

Wendy Wasserstein won the Drama Desk, Tony and Pulitzer Prize for her seminal 1989 work The Heidi Chronicles, the story of an art historian who makes the decision to raise a child on her own, a choice reflected in Wasserstein’s own life as an adoptive parent. Her other plays included the Broadway hit The Sisters Rosensweig (1993), An American Daughter (1997), Isn’t It Romantic? (1984) and Third (2005). Wasserstein’s first novel Elements of Style was published posthumously in 2006.

A dancer, writer, director, choreographer and 10-time Tony Award® nominee, Graciela Daniele’s credits include The Pirates of Penzance (1981), The Rink (1984), Once on This Island (1991), Ragtime (1998), Chita Rivera: The Dancer’s Life (2005), and 1996’s Chronicle of a Death Foretold, which she wrote, choreographed and directed.

David Zippel won a Tony Award® for the score to 1990’s innovative City of Angels. His other credits include The Woman in White and The Goodbye Girl as well as crafting songs for the legendary Barbara Cook. He’s also a two-time Oscar nominee for the Disney films Hercules and Mulan.

Tickets for PAMELA’S FIRST MUSICAL may be purchased by calling BC/EFA at (212) 840-0770 x: 268 or online by visiting www.BroadwayCares.org.

Ticket packages to PAMELA’S FIRST MUSICAL are:
· FRIENDS of CY and WENDY @ $1,000 – 1 Prime Center Orchestra seat; 1 ticket to the VIP post-show reception at Sardi’s; the event poster signed by the PAMELA’S FIRST MUSICAL cast.
· FRIENDS of AUNT LOUISE @ $500 each – 1 Prime Center Orchestra seat; 1 ticket to the VIP post-show reception at Sardi’s; the event Playbill signed by the cast
· FRIENDS of PAMELA tickets @ $250 each – 1 VIP Center Orchestra seat or Front Mezzanine ; 1 ticket to the VIP post-show reception at Sardi’s
· RESERVED GENERAL Admission tickets @ $95
Includes 1 orchestra seat or front mezzanine.
· RESERVED BALCONY Admission @ $60

BROADWAY CARES/ EQUITY FIGHTS AIDS (BC/EFA) is the nation’s leading industry-based, nonprofit AIDS fund raising and grant making organization. BC/EFA is the on-going, committed response from the American theater community to an urgent worldwide health crisis. By drawing upon the talents, resources and generosity of this community, BC/EFA raises funds for AIDS-related causes across the United States. Since it’s founding in 1988, BC/EFA has raised over $140 million for critically needed services for people with AIDS, HIV and other related illnesses.

PAMELA’s FIRST MUSICAL is sponsored by
The New York Times, Continental Airlines & Sardi’s

For more information, please visit the BC/EFA website at www.BroadwayCares.org
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TOP GIRLS DIRECTOR JAMES MACDONALD FEATURED IN THE NEW YORK TIMES

TOP GIRLS DIRECTOR
JAMES MACDONALD
FEATURED IN THE NEW YORK TIMES

TOP GIRLS director James Macdonald, was featured in this Sunday’s New York Times. The acclaimed director is currently in rehearsals for the Broadway premiere of Caryl Churchill’s groundbreaking work.

TOP GIRLS begins previews at MTC’s Biltmore Theatre on Tuesday, April 15 for a Wednesday, May 7 opening.

Below is the Arts & Leisure feature by reporter Robert Simonson.

A Collaboration Moves Forward Into the Past

By ROBERT SIMONSON
New York Times
March 23, 2008

When the British director James Macdonald — who drew praise for his productions of Caryl Churchill’s recent plays “A Number” and “Drunk Enough to Say I Love You?” — was asked by Manhattan Theatre Club to direct a Broadway revival this season of Ms. Churchill’s early success, “Top Girls,” he gave that 1982 work a quick reread.

His reaction? “Well, it’s pretty talky, isn’t it?” he said. “Whole sentences.”

Not just that, but whole acts. Three of them. And more than a dozen characters and identifiable locations, like an office and a house. It’s the frequently surrealistic Ms. Churchill working in a large and naturalistic vein. At least naturalistic for her. The central character of “Top Girls” does, after all, have dinner with Pope Joan and the English adventurer Isabella Bird.

By contrast Mr. Macdonald’s production of “Drunk Enough,” which had its premiere in London in 2006 and is currently running at the Public Theater, depicts a dysfunctional love affair between two men allegorically named “Sam, a country,” and “Guy, a man.” (Guess which country Sam is.) Their fragmentary sentences seldom begin or end, floating in a sea of lowercase letters and implied ellipses. The lovers themselves drift in darkness, buoyed by an ever-levitating couch. And like “A Number” and “Far Away” (another Churchill work) before it, the play easily runs its course in under an hour.

“I think that’s quite a common thing with mature artists, that their works get shorter,” said Mr. Macdonald, who talks softly and smiles small smiles. “You see it in Shakespeare, don’t you? You get less interested in dotting the i’s and crossing the t’s as you get older. You’re more interested in pure form and less in detail…”

TO READ THE COMPLETE FEATURE,
CLICK HERE


INFORMATION ON TOP GIRLS
The cast of TOP GIRLS features Mary Catherine Garrison (Rabbit Hole, Assassins), three-time Tony Awardâ nominee Mary Beth Hurt (A Delicate Balance, The World According to Garp), Jennifer Ikeda (As You Like It), four-time Obie Award winner Elizabeth Marvel (Seascape and An American Daughter on Broadway), Drama Desk Award winner Martha Plimpton (Shining City at MTC, The Coast of Utopia), Ana Reeder (No Country For Old Men, Sight Unseen at MTC), and Academy Award® winner Marisa Tomei (My Cousin Vinny and In the Bedroom, seen on Broadway in Salomé) .

The production is directed by James Macdonald (Drunk Enough To Say I Love You?, A Number).

This limited engagement will begin previews at MTC’s Biltmore Theatre (261 West 47th Street) on Tuesday, April 15 and will open on Wednesday, May 7.

TOP GIRLS marks the Broadway debut of a Caryl Churchill's groundbreaking work. At the Top Girls Employment Agency in London in the early 1980s, Marlene has just been appointed head of the firm. But as this ambitious career woman celebrates her achievements, can we applaud her values? This bold and ingenious work from the singularly talented author of Far Away and Cloud Nine offers one of the theatre's most honest portraits of what it means to be a woman in the modern world.

The creative team for TOP GIRLS includes Tom Pye (scenic design), Laura Bauer (costume design), Christopher Akerlind (lighting design), Darron L West (sound design), Matthew Herbert (original music), Paul Huntley (hair and wig design) and Elizabeth Smith (dialect consultant).

Under the leadership of Artistic Director Lynne Meadow and Executive Producer Barry Grove, MTC has become one of the country’s most prominent and prestigious theatre companies. MTC productions have earned a total of 16 Tony Awards and five Pulitzer Prizes as well as numerous other awards. Renowned MTC productions include LoveMusik; Blackbird; Translations; Shining City; Rabbit Hole; Doubt; Proof; The Tale of the Allergist’s Wife; Kimberly Akimbo; Love! Valour! Compassion!; Sylvia; Four Dogs and a Bone; Putting It Together; Lips Together, Teeth Apart; Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune; Crimes of the Heart; and Ain’t Misbehavin’.

In 2003, MTC reopened Broadway’s landmark, long-neglected Biltmore Theatre, following a two-year, $35 million capital campaign. In addition to the Biltmore, MTC operates two theatres at New York City Center, its Off-Broadway home since 1984.

During Meadow’s sabbatical this season, Daniel Sullivan, a close associate of MTC and director of several Manhattan Theatre Club productions (Rabbit Hole, Brooklyn Boy, Sight Unseen, Proof, Psychopathia Sexualis), is serving as Acting Artistic Director. Sullivan will continue consulting with Meadow and MTC's artistic staff on the planning of the 2007-2008 season. Meadow will return to MTC for the 2008-2009 season and will consult on the planning of that season.

For information on how to subscribe please visit www.ManhattanTheatreClub.com.

TICKET INFORMATION:
Tickets to TOP GIRLS are available by calling Telecharge.com at (212) 239-6200, (800) 432-7250 outside the NY metro area, online at Telecharge.com, and at the Biltmore Theatre box office (261 West 47th Street, between Broadway and 8th Avenue). Tickets range in price from $46.50-$91.50. For group ticket information, call (800) 432-7780. Student rush tickets are available the day of the performance at the Biltmore Theatre box office for $26.50.

PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE:
Tuesday, April 15 – Sunday, April 20 (please note this is a seven performance week): Tuesday through Saturday at 8 PM. Sunday at 2 and 7 PM.
Tuesday, April 22 – Sunday, May 11: Tuesday through Saturday at 8 PM. Sunday at 7 PM. Matinees Saturday and Sunday at 2 PM.
Tuesday, May 13 – Sunday, June 29: Tuesday through Saturday at 8 PM. Matinees Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday at 2 PM.

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THE LITTLE MERMAID STAR SIERRA BOGGESS FEATURED ON PLAYBILL.COM

DISNEY’S THE LITTLE MERMAID
STAR SIERRA BOGGESS
FEATURED ON PLAYBILL.COM

Sierra Boggess is currently playing ‘Ariel’ in Disney’s THE LITTLE MERMAID. The playing schedule for THE LITTLE MERMAID is as follows: Tuesday – Saturday evenings at 8pm, Wednesday and Saturday matinees at 2pm, and Sunday matinees at 3pm. Tickets for are $51.50 - $121.50 (includes a $1.50 facility fee), available through Ticketmaster at (212) 307-4747, online at www.DisneyOnBroadway.com, or in-person at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre (205 West 46th Street).

The original Broadway cast recording of THE LITTLE MERMAID was released by Walt Disney Records on Tuesday, February 26th and is available now at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, in music stores nationwide and at online retailers.

PLAYBILL.COM
ONSTAGE & BACKSTAGE: Mermaid Boggess' Tales
By Seth Rudetsky24 Mar 2008
A week in the life of actor, musician and Chatterbox host Seth Rudetsky.
*
I'm back on dry land. The sixth R Family cruise has ended and I'm in my typical post-vacation depression. Let me cheer myself by describing everything.
First of all, I need to tell you about the Chatterbox I did before I left with the star of The Little Mermaid, Sierra Boggess. Turns out, Sierra grew up in Denver and spent her childhood training as an ice skater! It sounded so fun and I began to regret that I didn't spend my childhood doing it until she told me that she didn't train after school, she trained before…at 5 AM. What the — ? The only reason I'd have gotten up that early as a child would be if Patti LuPone had rung my doorbell. And even then I would have made her wait in the living room while I made my coffee.

Click on this Link to Read the Full Article

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39 STEPS CONCLUDES ITS LIMITED ENGAGEMENT AT THE AMERICAN AIRLINES THEATRE

ROUNDABOUT THEATRE COMPANY
Final Week!

Alfred Hitchcock’s
THE 39 STEPS

Concludes its limited engagement at the American Airlines Theatre
on Saturday, March 29th, 2008

Performances continue at the Cort Theatre on April 29th, 2008


“Absurdly enjoyable! This gleefully theatrical riff on Hitchcock’s film is fast and frothy. A perfect soufflé!”
– Ben Brantley, New York Times

“This fast-paced fun ride is a dizzy delight!” - Joe Dziemianowicz, Daily News

“There is never a dull moment in this gleeful four-person retelling of Alfred Hitchcock’s ‘The 39 Steps’”
– John Lahr, New Yorker

at the American Airlines Theatre on Broadway

Roundabout Theatre Company’s (Todd Haimes, Artistic Director) limited engagement of The 39 Steps will play its final performance on Saturday, March 29th at 8:00 PM. Performances will resume on Tuesday, April 29th at Broadway’s Cort Theatre (138 West 48th Street, between Sixth and Seventh Avenues).

Roundabout’s critically acclaimed New York premiere of Alfred Hitchcock’s The 39 Steps is adapted by Patrick Barlow and directed by Maria Aitken, based on an original concept by Simon Corble and Nobby Dimon and on the book by John Buchan.

The 39 Steps will have played 12 preview performances and 87 regular performances at the American Airlines Theatre (227 West 42nd). Previews began on Friday, January 4th, 2008 and opened officially on Tuesday, January 15th, 2008. The hit show was extended to March 29th.

The company is led by Arnie Burton (Man #2), Charles Edwards (Richard Hannay), Jennifer Ferrin (Pamela/Margaret) and Cliff Saunders (Man #1). The company also includes Claire Brownell, Cameron Fulmar and Mark Shanahan.

Mix an Alfred Hitchcock masterpiece with a juicy spy novel, add a dash of vintage Monty Python and you have THE 39 STEPS, a hilarious whodunit, part espionage thriller and part slapstick comedy, adapted for the stage from the famous film and novel. Shots ring out across a crowded theatre and Richard Hannay is lured into a world of intrigue by a mysterious woman claiming to be a spy. When she winds up dead in his flat, he flees London with the police hot on his trail. A runaway hit in London and the winner of the 2007 Olivier Award for Best New Comedy.

TICKET INFORMATION

FOR PERFORMANCES THROUGH MARCH 29 AT THE AMERICAN AIRLINES THEATRE:
Tickets are available by phone at 212- 719-1300, online at www.roundabouttheatre.org or at the American Airlines Theatre (227 West 42nd St). Performances are Tuesday through Saturday evenings at 8:00PM with a Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday matinee at 2:00PM.

FOR PERFORMANCES BEGINNING APRIL 29 AT THE CORT THEATRE:
Tickets are available from TeleCharge at 212-239-6200, online at www.telecharge.com or at the Cort Theatre box office (138 West 48th Street, between Sixth and Seventh Avenues). Performances are Tuesday at 7:00 PM, Wednesday through Saturday at 8:00 PM, with matinees Wednesday and Saturday at 2:00 PM, Sunday at 3:00 PM.

www.roundabouttheatre.org

www.whatarethe39steps.com

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PARLOUR SONG'S JEZ BUTTERWORTH NEW YOURK TIMES FEATURE AND ONLINE SLIDESHOW

ATLANTIC THEATER COMPANY’S

“PARLOUR SONG” PLAYWRIGHT

JEZ BUTTERWORTH

New York Times “Arts & Leisure” Feature &
Online Audio Slide Show

Click Below to Read the Full Print Feature:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/23/theater/23piep.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

Watch & listen to the Online Slide Show:
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2008/03/23/theater/20080323_JEZ_FEATURE.html#section1


Olivier Award® winning playwright and screenwriter Jezz Butterworth’s world premiere new play PARLOUR SONG, is now playing at Atlantic Theater Company.
He is featured this week in both a New York Times Arts & Leisure print feature and an online audio/photo slide show.

PARLOUR SONG began previews February 15, opened March 5, 2008, and has been extended through Sunday, April 6, 2008 Off-Broadway at Atlantic Theater Company at the Linda Gross Theater (336 West 20 Street).

Click on the following link to watch and listen to the photo/audio slide show entitled “From Song to Stage” in the Multimedia section of the New York Times Theater home page:

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2008/03/23/theater/20080323_JEZ_FEATURE.html#section1

An excerpt of the Arts & Leisure print feature follows:

New York Times – Sunday, March 23, 2008

An Edge-of-Town Story as Simple as the Blues

By Eric Piepenburg

JEZ BUTTERWORTH’S new play, “Parlour Song,” a darkly comic drama about a man, his wife and their cocksure next-door neighbor, received great reviews when it opened this month at the Atlantic Theater Company’s Linda Gross Theater. (Ben Brantley, writing in The New York Times, called it “smart and rueful.”) But you wouldn’t know it by asking the author.

“I’d desperately like to read reviews, but from experience I can’t, really,” Mr. Butterworth, 39, said. “It just throws you off one way or the other.”

“Parlour Song” is his third production at the Atlantic. “Mojo,” his first full-length play, which he wrote when he was 24, received rave reviews when it was staged there in 1997. Mr. Butterworth also directed the film version that same year. His play “The Night Heron” received strong but less effervescent reviews when the Atlantic production opened in 2003.

Shortly after “Parlour Song” opened, Erik Piepenburg spoke with Mr. Butterworth about studying hard, writing for the screen and finding inspiration in an unusual trio named Pinter, Friel and Waits. These are excerpts from the conversation.

‘Parlour Song’
I grew up in a very similar environment to the one the play is set in. I grew up in a house that was probably about five years old when we moved into it. It was on an estate where all of the houses were pretty much the same. ... All your friends lived in the same house as you. You could go into them and you knew your way around, and yet each had such a distinct character. ... It’s one of those estates that’s kind of on the edge of countryside and on the edge of town. As they say in the play, you don’t have to drive far to see a cow. It’s that kind of suburban hinterland. “Birthday Girl,” the film I made with Nicole Kidman, is set in that same locale, where out of the front of the house is the town, and if you go out the back of the house, there’s a forest. I’ve always been fascinated by those kinds of liminal settings where it’s sort of no man’s land. ... The original genesis for this play was to take as simple a story as I possibly could lay my hands on and to try and tell it as truthfully as possible. I was listening to a lot of blues at the time, and “Parlour Song” is simply the story of a blues song. It’s “my baby’s going to leave me for my best friend, she’s taking all my money, and I’m going to kill her.” It’s as simple as can be. There’s a song by Tom Waits — I think it’s on “Real Gone” — I think the lines are, “She took all my money and my best friend, you know the story, here it comes again.” And I thought, yes, sure, here it comes again. It was an exciting challenge to not look around for a plot, to just take a very, very simple do-not-covet-your-neighbor’s-wife story and try to walk a tightrope between, on the one hand, cliché and, on the other hand, soap opera.

To Read the Rest of the Feature, Click the Following Link:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/23/theater/23piep.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

PARLOUR SONG plays Tuesday through Friday at 8p, Saturday at 2p & 8p, Sundays at 3:00p.

Week of March 31 schedule: Monday and Tuesday, dark. Wednesday – Saturday at 8p, Matinees on Saturday 2p and Sunday at 3p. Final performance Sunday, April 6 at 7p.

Atlantic Theater Company at the Linda Gross Theater is located at 336 West 20th Street (between 8th and 9th Avenues). Tickets are $55.00 and available by calling Ticket Central at 212-279-4200 (ticketcentral.com).
www.atlantictheater.org

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GUTHRIE THEATER'S KUSHNER CELEBRATION IN THE MINNEAPOLIS STAR TRIBUNE

Tony Tony Tony!
Tony Kushner, the hot-button playwright who is best known for "Angels in America," will take over all three stages at the Guthrie next year.

By GRAYDON ROYCE, Star Tribune
March 21, 2008
The clock is ticking. In 13 months, Twin Cities audiences will get the nation's first look at Tony Kushner's newest play. "The Intelligent Homosexual's Guide to Capitalism and Socialism With a Key to the Scriptures" brings Kushner to work in Minneapolis for the first time and signals a dramatic new direction for the Guthrie Theater.
Now, all that needs to happen is for Guthrie director Joe Dowling and Kushner to agree on a cast, a director, designers, workshops, previews, process, marketing.
Oh, and Kushner must sit down and start writing the thing.
The new play will be the centerpiece of a Kushner-fest at the Guthrie in the spring of 2009. While "The Intelligent Homosexual" gets its shakedown cruise on the proscenium stage, "Caroline, or Change," his 2003 musical, will play the larger thrust stage, and several small works (not yet announced) will show in the 200-seat studio.
Never has the Guthrie focused so intently on a living playwright, and not just any writer. Kushner is arguably the leading American playwright/provocateur. His "Angels in America" remains a modern masterpiece; "Homebody/Kabul" took on religious fundamentalism, and "Caroline" attacked racial issues in the early 1960s.
"This is not a bland writer who is not going to offend anyone," said Dowling. "We're taking those risks and that chance because this is what the theater needs to be about."
This bold gesture, Dowling said, is the first inkling of his vision for the new three-stage theater completed in 2006. He promises more, and with it a heightened national profile for the Guthrie. "We're not afraid of a higher visibility," he said. "We're not afraid of the quality of work we do."
To read the complete article, click on the following link: http://www.startribune.com/entertainment/onstage/16862846.html
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www.GuthrieTheater.org

ROUNDABOUT THEATRE COMPANY CELEBRATES ANNUAL GALA

“FEELING GROOVY: Pop Songs of the 60s”
ROUNDABOUT THEATRE COMPANY’s
2008 SPRING GALA


Roseland Ballroom
Monday, April 7th, 2008

Roundabout Theatre Company (Todd Haimes, Artistic Director) will host its annual 2008 Spring Gala on Monday, April 7th, 2008. Roundabout will celebrate the dynamic time period of the 1960s with a unique evening called “Feeling Groovy: Pop Songs of the 60s.”

Roundabout Theatre Company opened its doors in 1965, a time that also marked the dawning of a brand-new age. While Roundabout redefined classic plays on stage, pop music and fashion were being redefined as a seismic shift changed the American cultural landscape forever.

For one night only, Roundabout will recapture this powerful moment in time as guests are treated to a gourmet dinner and an original musical revue performances from Broadway’s hottest stars at Roseland Ballroom (239 West 52nd St, NYC) on Monday, April 7th, 2008 at 7:00PM. Catering will be provided by Creative Edge Parties.

Roundabout Theatre Company’s 2008 Spring Gala will begin at 7:00PM with a gourmet dinner and live auction. The musical celebration kicks off at 9:00PM, directed by Tony Award® winner Kathleen Marshall and including performances by Rosie Perez, Jane Krakowski, Kelli O'Hara,
Alan Cumming, Mark Kudisch, Daniel Evans, Jenna Russell, Alex Gemignani, Kevin Chamberlin,
Ana Gasteyer, Mario Cantone, Katie Finneran, Brian D'Arcy James, Brooks Ashmanskas, Capathia Jenkins and more! Underwriter and above ticket buyers are also invited to a private VIP Cocktail Party with guest artists and other entertainment VIP's at 6:00PM. All celebrity appearances are subject to change.

Ticket prices are:
$1,250 Patron Single Ticket (includes dinner and the musical performance).
**$1,500 Benefactor Single Ticket (includes dinner and the musical performance).
**$2,500 Underwriter Single Ticket
(includes VIP cocktail reception, dinner and the musical performance).
**$3,500 Celebrity Circle Single Ticket
(includes VIP cocktail reception, dinner and the musical performance).
**$5,000 Producer’s Circle Single Ticket
(includes VIP cocktail reception, dinner and the musical performance).
**10-person group table seating also available at this level.

The Gala chairmen are Lois Robbins-Zaro and Andrew Zaro
All proceeds from this event benefit Roundabout Theatre Company’s Musical Theatre Fund.

To purchase tickets to Roundabout’s 2008 Spring Gala contact: Steve Schaeffer, Director of Special Events, at 212-719-9393 ext 312. For more information: http://roundabouttheatre.org/gala.htm

ROUNDABOUT THEATRE COMPANY is one of the country's leading not-for-profit theatres. The company contributes invaluably to New York's cultural life by staging the highest quality revivals of classic plays and musicals as well as new plays by established writers. Roundabout consistently partners great artists with great works to bring a fresh and exciting interpretation that makes each production relevant and important to today's audiences.

Roundabout Theatre Company’s season includes Alfred Hitchcock’s Olivier Award winning comedy The 39 Steps, directed by Maria Aitken; Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine’s Pulitzer Prize winning musical Sunday in the Park with George starring Daniel Evans and Jenna Russell, directed by Sam Buntrock; Beth Henley’s Crimes of the Heart, directed by Kathleen Turner; Christopher Durang’s The Marriage of Bette and Boo, directed by Walter Bobbie and Christopher Hampton’s Les Liaisons Dangereuses starring Laura Linney & Ben Daniels, directed by Rufus Norris.

Roundabout Theatre Company’s critically acclaimed Broadway production of Reginald Rose’s Twelve Angry Men has extended its multi-award winning touring production for a second year. Directed by Tony-nominated director Scott Ellis (Curtains) and starring Richard Thomas as “Juror #8,” Twelve Angry Men is currently appearing in numerous cities across the country including Hartford, Charlotte, Nashville and Toronto.

http://www.roundabouttheatre.org/gala.htm

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BROADWAY CARES/ EQUITY FIGHTS AIDS PRESENTS THE 22nd ANNUAL EASTER BONNET COMPETITION

BROADWAY CARES/ EQUITY FIGHTS AIDS
PRESENTS

THE 22nd ANNUAL
EASTER BONNET COMPETITION

MONDAY, APRIL 28 at 4:30 PM
TUESDAY, APRIL 29 at 2:00 PM

MINSKOFF THEATRE
(200 West 45th Street)

PROCEEDS TO BENEFIT BROADWAY CARES/EQUITY FIGHTS AIDS

Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS will present the 22nd Annual Easter Bonnet Competition on Monday, April 28 (4:30 PM) and Tuesday, April 29 (2 PM) at the Minskoff Theatre (200 West 45th Street). The proceeds from the event will benefit BC/EFA.

The Easter Bonnet Competition, the two-day Broadway spectacular that features the companies of more than 20 Broadway, off-Broadway and touring productions singing, dancing, and donning original Easter bonnets, has become an annual Broadway tradition. There will be two opportunities for the public to see the Easter Bonnet Competition: Monday, April 28 at 4:30 PM and Tuesday, April 29 at 2:00 PM.

The Easter Bonnet Competition is the culmination of six intensive weeks of fundraising efforts by Broadway and Off-Broadway company members as well as numerous productions currently on national tour. Curtain speeches, autographed poster and program sales, auctions, and cabaret performances bring in hundreds of thousands of dollars from audiences prior to the competition. The winner of the competition will be the company that raises the largest amount of money for BC/EFA. A second award is granted to the company with the best bonnet design and presentation. Awards are also presented to the Broadway Play, National Tour and Off-Broadway production raising the most money for BC/EFA.

BROADWAY CARES/ EQUITY FIGHTS AIDS (BC/EFA) is the nation’s leading industry-based, nonprofit AIDS fund raising and grant making organization. BC/EFA is the on-going, committed response from the American theater community to an urgent worldwide health crisis. By drawing upon the talents, resources and generosity of this community, BC/EFA raises funds for AIDS-related causes across the United States. Since it’s founding in 1988, BC/EFA has raised over $140 million for critically needed services for people with AIDS, HIV and other related illnesses.

Tickets prices are as follows: $350 VIP Orchestra; $200 Priority Orchestra (Center); $120 Side Orchestra and Front Mezzanine; $40 Middle Side Section of Orchestra and Middle Mezzanine; $20 Rear Side Section of Orchestra and Rear Mezzanine.

Tickets are available now at www.broadwaycares.org or by calling (212) 840-0770 Ext. 268.

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The Easter Bonnet Competition is sponsored by:
The New York Times
and
Continental Airlines, the official airline of BC/EFA,
For more information, please visit the BC/EFA website at www.broadwaycares.org.

THE 39 STEPS STAR CLIFF SAUNDERS FEATURED IN THE TORONTO STAR

Toronto's Cliff Saunders stars in acclaimed The 39 Steps in New York TheStar.com - entertainment - Toronto's Cliff Saunders stars in acclaimed The 39 Steps in New York
Star of four-man show The 39 Steps hailed as `a natural offbeat clown' by The New York Times

March 22, 2008
Richard OuzounianTheatre Critic
NEW YORK – There are some uniquely Canadian things that America discovers after we've known about them for a long time.
Diana Krall, Alice Munro and Keith's India Pale Ale, to name three.
And now to that list you can add Cliff Saunders, who has been dazzling the Big Apple in The 39 Steps, the clever four-person adaptation of the John Buchan-Alfred Hitchcock thriller that made a splash in London's West End last year and is currently one of the solid hits of the Broadway season.
Its limited run as part of the Roundabout Theatre's subscription proved so successful it announced last week the show would be transferring to another Broadway house for an open-ended run starting April 29.
The 45-year-old Saunders has been the go-to theatre guy in Toronto for decades when it comes to outrageous physical humour combined with underlying integrity.
To read the rest of the article, click on the following link: http://www.thestar.com/article/349142

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Alfred Hitchcock’s THE 39 STEPS plays through Saturday, March 29 at Roundabout Theatre Company’s American Airlines Theatre (227 West 42nd Street). The production moves to the Cort Theatre (138 West 48th Street), starting performances on Tuesday, April 29.

www.WhatAreThe39Steps.com

SPAMALOT WELCOMES BRADLEY DEAN TO CAMELOT

SPAMALOT WELCOMES
BRADLEY DEAN
TO CAMELOT

DEAN TO JOIN CAST TUESDAY, MARCH 25
AT THE SHUBERT THEATRE

On Tuesday, March 25, Monty Python’s SPAMLAOT will welcome its newest knight, Bradley Dean to the cast of the funniest show in the universe. Dean will assume the roles of Sir Dennis Galahad, The Black Knight, et al.

Dean joins SPAMALOT after having played Sir Galahad in the national tour. He was most recently seen in the Broadway production of Company and The Man of La Mancha.

Dean joins a cast headed by Tony Awardâ nominee Jonathan Hadary and Olivier Award nominee Hannah Waddingham who play King Arthur and The Lady of the Lake respectively. They are joined by “American Idol” finalist Clay Aiken, Tom Deckman, Rick Holmes, David Hibbard, and Tony Awardâ nominee Brad Oscar.

SPAMALOT won the 2005 Tony Award for Best Musical, the 2005 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Musical, and the 2005 Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Musical.

SPAMALOT features a book and lyrics by Eric Idle, music by John Du Prez and Eric Idle, direction by Mike Nichols, choreography by Casey Nicholaw and is based on the screenplay of Monty Python and the Holy Grail by Monty Python creators Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones and Michael Palin, with an entirely new score with two songs from the 1975 film and the Python classic “Always Look On The Bright Side of Life” from 1979’s The Life of Brian.

Hannah Waddingham is appearing with the permission of Actors’ Equity Association pursuant to an exchange program between American Equity and UK Equity. The producers gratefully acknowledge Actors’ Equity Association for its assistance of this production.

In addition, to the Tony Award for Best Musical, SPAMALOT received the Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical (Mike Nichols) and Best Featured Actress in a Musical (Sara Ramirez).

BIOGRAPHY
BRADLEY DEAN (Sir Dennis Galahad, The Black Knight, Prince Herbert’s Father). Broadway: Company, Man of La Mancha, Jane Eyre. National Tours: Spamalot (Sir Galahad), Evita (Che). International: Dr. Frank N. Furter in The Rocky Horror Show in over a dozen countries. Regional: No Way to Treat a Lady, Falsettos, The Caretaker, Loot, The Tempest and the title roles in Phantom, The Scarlet Pimpernel and Macbeth at such theaters as Papermill Playhouse, The Alliance, and St. Louis Rep. TV: “All My Children,” “Guiding Light.” Graduate of Carnegie Mellon. Bradley Lives in New Jersey with his wife, Eileen and their children, Emma (Age 5) and Oliver (10 Months).

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www.MontyPythonsSpamalot.com

ROUNDABOUT ANNOUNCES FOSSE'S DANCIN' ON BROADWAY

ROUNDABOUT THEATRE COMPANY
in association with
Greg Young, Elaine Krauss, Dancap Productions, Richard Levi
presents
a new Broadway production of

Bob Fosse’s
DANCIN’

Creative Consultants are NICOLE FOSSE & ANN REINKING
Choreography by BOB FOSSE
Original Choreography Recreated by KATHRYN DOBY
Directed by GRACIELA DANIELE

Previews begin April 17th, 2009
Official Opening Tuesday, May 5th, 2009
on Broadway at Studio 54

Roundabout Theatre Company (Todd Haimes, Artistic Director), in association with Greg Young, Elaine Krauss, Dancap Productions and Richard Levi, is proud to present a new Broadway production of Bob Fosse’s DANCIN’, directed by Graciela Daniele. DANCIN’ will begin previews April 17th, 2009 and open officially Tuesday, May 5th, 2009 at Studio 54 on Broadway (254 West 54th Street). This will be a limited engagement on Broadway. A national tour of DANCIN’ will open in the fall of 2009.

Bob Fosse’s original choreography will be recreated by his career-long assistant and dancer Kathryn Doby. In addition, creative consultation will be provided by Nicole Fosse (Bob Fosse’s daughter) and Ann Reinking (original cast member).

The design team will include original design team members Peter Larkin (sets), Willa Kim (costumes), and Jules Fisher (lights & projections). Additional creative team members include Jonathan Deans (sound).

The cast will be announced shortly.

DANCIN’ is legendary director/choreographer Bob Fosse’s classic tribute to the art of dance. This production marks its return to the stage for the first time in a generation. The essence of Fosse will take center stage in this loving recreation of his original production. Fosse was one of the greatest and most influential figures in dance and theatre history, with works including Cabaret, Chicago, Sweet Charity , Lenny, Star 80, and Pippin, as well as two Tony Awards, three Emmys and an Academy Award®.

DANCIN’ features an evening of dance set to hit songs from the pop music cannon.

DANCIN’ premiered on Broadway in 1978 at the Broadhurst Theatre under the direction of Bob Fosse. The award winning production played almost 2,000 performances and earned a Best Musical Tony Nomination. Bob Fosse won the Tony Award for his Choreography.

TICKET INFORMATION:
Tickets will be available in early 2009, by phone at (212) 719-1300, online at www.roundabouttheatre.org or at the Studio 54 Box Office (254 West 54th Street).

PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE:
DANCIN’ will play Tuesday through Saturday evenings at 8:00PM with a Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday matinee at 2:00PM.

Biographies:

BOB FOSSE (Creator). First director in history to win Oscar, Tony and Emmy awards in one year (1973) for the film Cabaret, the musical Pippin and the TV special "Liza with a Z." He won the first of eight Tonys as choreographer for The Pajama Game followed by directing and choreographing Redhead, Little Me, Sweet Charity (stage and film), Chicago, Dancin'. Other choreography: Damn Yankees, New Girl in Town, How to Succeed..., Big Deal. Film: My Sister Eileen, The Pajama Game, Damn Yankees. Director: Lenny (Oscar nom.), All That Jazz (Oscar nom.), Star 80.

GRACIELA DANIELE (Director). Broadway (Director/Choreographer): Chita Rivera: The Dancer’s Life, Annie Get Your Gun, Marie Christine, Once on This Island, Chronicle of a Death Foretold and Dangerous Game. Musical Staging/Choreography includes: Ragtime (Astaire, Ovation, NAACP, and Callaway Awards), The Goodbye Girl, Zorba with Anthony Quinn, The Rink starring Liza Minnelli and Chita Rivera, The Mystery of Edwin Drood and The Pirate Queen. Choreography: The Pirates of Penzance (NYSF) on Broadway, Los Angeles, and London. Film: Pirates, and Woody Allen’s Mighty Aphrodite (1996 Fosse Award) and Everyone Say I Love You (1997 Fosse Award). Lincoln Center Theater (Resident Director): Directed and Choreographed William Finn’s A New Brain and Elegies, Michael John LaChiusa’s Hello Again and Bernarda Alba, and Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty’s Dessa Rose and The Glorious Ones. Mr. Abbot Award (1998) for Outstanding Achievement by a Director/Choreographer, ten Tony nominations, six Drama Desk nominations and inducted into the Theatre Hall of Fame.

KATHRYN DOBY (Choreography) had a nearly twenty-year collaboration with Bob Fosse, that began when she worked as a dancer in the National Company of Little Me, then Pleasures And Places and Sweet Charity. She was Fosse’s assistant choreographer for his Broadway shows Pippin, Chicago, and Dancin, and for his films Sweet Charity, Cabaret, All That Jazz, and Star 80. The significance of their working relationship is apparent in All That Jazz; Ms. Doby plays “Kathryn”, assistant choreographer to Fosse’s alter ego Joe Gideon, played by Roy Scheider. An accomplished choreographer herself, she has done many commercials, industrial shows, and films. Ms. Doby lives in Los Angeles with her husband, film producer Wolfgang Glattes, whom she met in Munich when they were both working with Bob Fosse on the film Cabaret.

NICOLE FOSSE (Creative Consultant) daughter of Bob Fosse & Gwen Verdon, decided to become a dancer at the age of 13. Her father replied, “I would rather you swallow flaming swords in the circus than dance.” When she insisted, he then said, “Go to ballet class; now.” She received her dance training from The School of American Ballet, North Carolina School of the Arts, Nanette Charisse and Milton Meyers. Ms Fosse holds no awards and thanks her parents for their wisdom and for teaching her integrity.

ANN REINKING (Creative Consultant). Performer, choreographer, director Reinking grew up in Seattle, started ballet classes at age eleven, won scholarships as a teenager to study with the San Francisco School of Ballet and with Robert Joffrey. She completed high school, moved to New York City, where her career soared, taking her into films television and onto Broadway. She won the Tony Award for choreography for Chicago, (1997) as well as the Drama Desk Award, Outer Critics Circle, Astaire, NY Drama Critics and the Olivier Awards. Other credits include Director, co-choreographer for Fosse, (Tony Award, 1998, for Best Musical); Tony nominations for her leading performance in Dancin’ and in Goodtime Charley, the Theatre World, Clarence Derwent and Outer Critics Circle Awards for her performance in Over Here! Film credits include Movie, Movie, All That Jazz, Annie and Micki and Maude. Choreography credits include The Harrison Tribute for American Ballet Theatre, Suite Kander for Kansas City Ballet, Ritmo Y Ruido and Slices for Ballet Hispanico, Legends for Joffrey Ballet of Chicago, Songs Without Words for Jeanne Ruddy Company, Here Lies Jenny/with Bebe Neuwirth for Zipper Company, The Visit for Goodman Theatre, Nilsson/Schmillson for Seattle’s Spectrum Dance Theatre, Chicago, currently in its 11th year on Broadway, and its 10th in London, Look of Love for Roundabout; Rossini’s Recess for Thodos Dance Company, The Threepenny Opera for Williamstown Theatre Festival, co-choreographed Caution: Side Effects for Thodos Dance Company; directed, co-choreographed Fosse; directed, choreographed Tonight at 8:30 for Williamstown Theatre Festival. Ann is associated with NDI-NM (National Dance Institute- New Mexico) where she conducts master classes in The Broadway Theatre Dance Program every July.

ROUNDABOUT THEATRE COMPANY is one of the country's leading not-for-profit theatres. The company contributes invaluably to New York's cultural life by staging the highest quality revivals of classic plays and musicals as well as new plays by established writers. Roundabout consistently partners great artists with great works to bring a fresh and exciting interpretation that makes each production relevant and important to today's audiences.

Roundabout Theatre Company current produces at three permanent theatres each of which is designed specifically to enhance the needs of the Roundabout's mission. The off Broadway home, the Harold and Miriam Steinberg Center for Theatre's Laura Pels Theatre with its simple sophisticated design is perfectly suited to showcasing new plays while the grandeur of its Broadway home, American Airlines Theatre, sets the ideal stage for the classics. Roundabout's Studio 54 provides an exciting and intimate Broadway venue for its musical and special event productions. Together these three distinctive venues serve to enhance the work on each of its stages.

Roundabout Theatre Company productions are made possible, in part, with public funds from the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation; New York State Council on the Arts; National Endowment for the Arts; and New York City Department of Cultural Affairs. American Airlines is the official airline of Roundabout Theatre Company. The Westin Hotel is the official hotel of the Roundabout Theatre Company.

Roundabout Theatre Company’s 2007-2008 season includes Alfred Hitchcock’s Olivier Award winning comedy The 39 Steps, directed by Maria Aitken; Beth Henley’s Crimes of the Heart, directed by Kathleen Turner; Stephen Sondheim & James Lapine’s Sunday in the Park with George starring Daniel Evans & Jenna Russell, directed by Sam Buntrock ; Christopher Durang’s The Marriage of Bette and Boo, directed by Walter Bobbie and Christopher Hampton’s Les Liaisons Dangereuses starring Laura Linney & Ben Daniels, directed by Rufus Norris.

Roundabout Theatre Company’s critically acclaimed Broadway production of Reginald Rose’s Twelve Angry Men has extended its multi-award winning touring production for a second year. Directed by Tony-nominated director Scott Ellis (Curtains) and starring Richard Thomas as “Juror #8,” the play will appear in numerous cities in the 2007-2008 season including Portland, Hartford, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Fort Lauderdale and Charlotte.

www.roundabouttheatre.org
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THE LITTLE MERMAID STAR SHERIE RENE SCOTT FEATURED IN THE NEW YORK TIMES

DISNEY’S THE LITTLE MERMAID
STAR SHERIE RENE SCOTT
FEATURED IN
THE NEW YORK TIMES
HOUSE & HOMES

The New York Times
Setting the Stage, Offstage
By PENELOPE GREEN
Published: March 20, 2008

URSULA the sea witch idolizes Leona Helmsley, Jerry Falwell and Gloria Swanson, which is why their pictures are part of a collage hanging in Sherie Rene Scott’s dressing room at the Lunt-Fontanne Theater. Like many stage actors, Ms. Scott, who plays Ursula in the Disney play “The Little Mermaid,” uses her dressing room to get herself in the mood of her character. Unlike most Broadway actors, however, Ms. Scott has scored a dressing room the size of a Manhattan one-bedroom, and it comes with features: French doors opening onto the street and a pink bathtub (put there for Elizabeth Taylor in 1983, when she was in “Private Lives”).

So Ms. Scott, 41, has made the most of her good fortune, enlisting the help of her friends Matthew White and Frank Webb, who are decorators, to give the place a little class, as she put it. “I’m from Kansas, so what do I know about class?” she said.

On a recent Thursday evening, Beck was playing softly in the very swanky environment that Mr. White and Mr. Webb have created for her. (The designers come with posh credentials, having just completed the banquet rooms of the Carlyle.)

There were Capiz shells cascading over a standing lamp and starfish hot-glued to a Chinese paper shade; a taupe pleather daybed, for naps on matinee days; and, the pièce de résistance, a seven-foot-high rococo mirror made by the artist Clare Graham from thousands of buttons strung on wires that curl out like tentacles. This pleases Ursula greatly, because she is an octopus.

Click here to Read the Full Article

Click here for a Special NYTimes.com Audio Slideshow

Sherie Rene Scott is currently starring as ‘Ursula’ in Disney’s THE LITTLE MERMAID. The playing schedule for THE LITTLE MERMAID is as follows: Tuesday – Saturday evenings at 8pm, Wednesday and Saturday matinees at 2pm, and Sunday matinees at 3pm. Tickets for are $51.50 - $121.50 (includes a $1.50 facility fee), available through Ticketmaster at (212) 307-4747, online at www.DisneyOnBroadway.com, or in-person at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre (205 West 46th Street).
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www.DisneyOnBroadway.com

SHREK, DONKEY & PINOCCHIO ANNOUNCED FOR SHREK THE MUSICAL

SHREK, DONKEY & PINOCCHIO
ANNOUNCED FOR
SHREK THE MUSICAL
Starring BRIAN D'ARCY JAMES as Shrek
CHESTER GREGORY II as Donkey
& JOHN TARTAGLIA as Pinocchio

DreamWorks Theatricals and Neal Street Productions, Ltd. are pleased to announce that SHREK THE MUSICAL will star Tony Award® nominee Brian d'Arcy James as Shrek, Chester Gregory II as Donkey and Tony Award® nominee John Tartaglia as Pinocchio.

These actors will be joined on stage by previously announced cast members Tony Award® winner Sutton Foster as Princess Fiona, Tony Award® nominee Christopher Sieber as Lord Farquaad, and Kecia Lewis-Evans as The Dragon.

Additional casting will be announced soon.

SHREK THE MUSICAL will open at the Broadway Theatre on Sunday, December 14, 2008. Preview performances begin on November 8, 2008, following a pre-Broadway run at Seattle’s The 5th Avenue Theatre, August 14 to September 21.

SHREK THE MUSICAL is an entirely new musical based on the story and characters from William Steig’s book Shrek!, as well as the DreamWorks Animation film Shrek, the first chapter of the Shrek movie series.

SHREK THE MUSICAL features a book and lyrics by Pulitzer Prize® winner, David Lindsay-Abaire (Rabbit Hole), music by Olivier Award-winner Jeanine Tesori (Thoroughly Modern Millie & Caroline, or Change), and is directed by Tony Award® nominee Jason Moore, who staged the Tony Award®–winning Best Musical, Avenue Q and Jerry Springer - The Opera in Concert at Carnegie Hall.

SHREK THE MUSICAL is DreamWorks Animation’s first venture in legitimate theater. The production was initiated when Sam Mendes, a big fan of the first Shrek film, suggested the idea of creating a musical to DreamWorks Animation’s Jeffrey Katzenberg around the time the second film was in production. The musical is being produced by DreamWorks Theatricals (Bill Damaschke, President) and Neal Street Productions, Ltd (principals Sam Mendes and Caro Newling).

Other members of the SHREK THE MUSICAL creative team include Tony Award®-winning set and costume designer, Tim Hatley (Monty Python’s Spamalot, Private Lives, among others), three-time Olivier Award-winning lighting designer, Hugh Vanstone, whose Broadway credits include Monty Python’s Spamalot, Bombay Dreams, The Blue Room and Art, and sound designer Peter Hylenski (Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me and upcoming, Cry-Baby).

The choreography is by newcomer Josh Prince, and Tim Weil (Rent) is serving as music director.

SHREK THE MUSICAL is based on a popular 1990 book by William Steig. The characters of Shrek, Donkey and Fiona, and the other inhabitants of “Far, Far Away,” have been featured in three major animated films and a popular television special to date. The first Shrek feature film hit theaters in the summer of 2001, and went on to win the first-ever Academy Award® for Best Animated Feature. The 2004 sequel, Shrek 2, remains the third highest grossing movie of all time and highest grossing animated film of all time. The latest chapter of the Shrek story, Shrek the Third, is the 2nd highest grossing film of 2007. Shrek the Halls, the recent ABC television special, was one of the most watched TV programs of 2007.

Group sales for SHREK THE MUSICAL are available by contacting Telecharge Group Sales at 212-239-6262, or 800-432-7780.

DreamWorks Animation (NYSE: DWA)

For more information, visit www.shrekthemusical.com

For logo art, actor and production team headshots, go to:
http://www.5thavenue.org/press/downloads.aspx
Password: press0708

ACTOR BIOGRAPHIES

BRIAN D’ARCY JAMES (Shrek). Broadway: The Apple Tree, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, The Lieutenant of Inishmore, Sweet Smell of Success (Tony® & Drama Desk nominations), Titanic, Carousel, Blood Brothers, Les Misérables (national tour). Off-Broadway: Next to Normal (Second Stage), The Lieutenant of Inishmore (Atlantic), The Pavilion (Rattlestick), Flight (Melting Pot), The Good Thief (Keen Company; Obie Award; Backstage Garland Award; L.A. Weekly Award; Drama Desk Outer Critics nominations), City Center Encores! Pardon My English, The Wild Party (MTC, Drama Desk nomination), Ancestral Voices (LCT), Public Enemy (Irish Arts), Floyd Collins (Playwrights Horizons), Irving Berlin's White Christmas (SF, LA, Boston). Film and TV: the upcoming Ghost Town; Enchanted; “Cashmere Mafia;” “Rescue Me;” “The Education of Max Bickford;” Neurotica; Exiled; Sax and Violins. Numerous cast recordings and concert appearances. BS, Theater: Northwestern University. Board Member: Keen Company. www.briandjames.com

SUTTON FOSTER (Princess Fiona). Broadway: Inga in Young Frankenstein, Janet Van De Graaf in The Drowsy Chaperone (2006 Tony® and Drama Desk Award nominations, L.A. Ovation Award), Jo in Little Women (2005 Tony®, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Award nominations), Millie in Thoroughly Modern Millie (2002 Tony®, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle and Astaire Awards), Eponine in Les Misérables, the 20th anniversary of Annie, The Scarlet Pimpernel, Grease. Other New York: performed concerts at Carnegie Hall (NY Pops), Lincoln Center (American Songbook series), Town Hall, Joe’s Pub; Actors’ Fund benefit performances of Funny Girl and Chess. TV: Disney Channel’s “Johnny and the Sprites,” HBO’s “The Flight of the Conchords.” Proud Equity member.

CHESTER GREGORY II (Donkey) is an award winning singer/songwriter/performer. He is currently playing the role of Dupree in Broadway’s Cry-Baby at the Marquis Theatre. He was also seen on Broadway as Terk in Disney’s Tarzan and as Seaweed in the Broadway hit, Hairspray. Other credits include The Jackie Wilson Story (Jeff, AUDELCO, BTAA and Black Excellence Awards). Other credits include the 2007 film, Hairspray and performing for Michael Jackson. Chester has a BFA from Columbia Chicago. He is proud to debut his album, In Search of High Love. For more information, visit www.ChesterGregory.com and www.MySpace.com/ChesterGregory

KECIA LEWIS-EVANS (The Dragon) was most recently seen on Broadway as Trix in The Drowsy Chaperone (original cast recording). Broadway: Once on This Island (original cast recording), Ain’t Misbehavin’, Big River, The Gospel at Colonus, Dreamgirls (dir. Michael Bennett). Off-B’way: Dessa Rose (Lincoln Center/NY Drama Desk nominee), From the Mississippi Delta (Circle in the Square), Once on This Island. Regional: Polk County (McCarter Theatre, Berkeley Rep/Bay Area Theater Critics Award), Smokey Joe’s Café (Civic Light Opera of South Bay Cities), Dreamgirls (CLOSBC/2000, Ovation Award winner), South Pacific (CLOSBC), Raisin (ICT, Long Beach/L.A. Drama Critics Circle Award nominee), The King and I (Sacramento Music Circus). TV: Guest-starring roles on “Crossing Jordan,” “Kate Brasher,” “Law & Order,” “The Hughleys.”

CHRISTOPHER SIEBER (Lord Farquaad) received a Tony Award® nomination for his work in Spamalot and later opened the show in London. Other Broadway: Chicago, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Into The Woods, Beauty & The Beast, Triumph of Love, and A Christmas Carol. Also, New York City Opera production of Cinderella. Off-Broadway: Avow, The Boys in the Band, and Pal Joey. Regional: Randy Newman’s Faust, Paper Moon at Paper Mill, Company, and The Boys From Syracuse at Reprise!. TV: “Pushing Daisies,” “Johnny and the Sprites,” “It’s All Relative,” “Two of a Kind,” “Sex & The City,” “Ed,” “Guiding Light,” “All My Children,” and “Another World.” Mr. Sieber has not appeared on “Law & Order.”

JOHN TARTAGLIA (Pinocchio) is executive producer and star of Disney Channel's “Johnny and the Sprites” (now airing worldwide). Tartaglia earned a Tony Award® nomination for his performance in the Tony Award®-winning Broadway musical, Avenue Q, for which he originated the roles of Princeton and Rod. Tartaglia was most recently seen on Broadway starring as Lumiere in Disney's Beauty and the Beast. A 10-year veteran of “Sesame Street,” Tartaglia is one of the youngest puppeteers ever to perform on the show, starting at the age of 16. In addition to his work on “Sesame Street,” he also starred in Sesame Workshop's innovative English as a Foreign Language project, “Sesame English,” which currently airs worldwide. Tartaglia has also appeared on Disney Channel's “Bear in the Big Blue House” and “JoJo's Circus” and Discovery Channel's “Animal Jam.” He is a past host of the New York Philharmonic Young People's Concerts.

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ALMOST AN EVENING VIDEO TEASE TRAILER

ATLANTIC THEATER COMPANY • ART MEETS COMMERCE • CAROLE SHORENSTEIN HAYS

ETHAN COEN’S “ALMOST AN EVENING”

WATCH NEW VIDEO TEASE TRAILER:

http://www.almostanevening.com/video

PREVIEWS BEGIN TONIGHT, THURSDAY MARCH 20

“Gleeful, thoughtful and darkly loopy! These new, lean pieces mark the serious stage debut of a shrewd and weirdly endearing comic voice.” - Linda Winer, Newsday


Atlantic Theater Company’s hit world premiere production of Academy Award® - winning film maker Ethan Coen’s ALMOST AN EVENING transfers to The Theatres at 45 Bleecker Street (45 Bleecker Street between Lafayette and Mott Street) when previews begin tonight, Thursday, March 20th for a limited engagement through Sunday, June 1st, 2008.

Now be among the first to watch the sneak peek video of the celebrated cast and creative team in rehearsal:

http://www.almostanevening.com/video

Stay tuned for new content which be posted regularly on the newly launched site www.almostanevening.com.

Directed by Atlantic Artistic Director Neil Pepe, ALMOST AN EVENING stars Academy Award® winner F. Murray Abraham’s (Amadeus), Tony Award® nominee Johanna Day (Proof), Steppenwolf Theater Company member Tim Hopper (Obie Award winner, More Stately Mansions), J.R. Horne (Coen Brothers’ upcoming Burn after Reading), Atlantic founding member Jordan Lage (Broadway’s Inherit the Wind), Mark Linn-Baker (Broadway’s Losing Louie, TV’s “Perfect Strangers”), Atlantic founding member Mary McCann (Spring Awakening), Del Pentecost (FX’s “Starved) and Chicago’s Lookingglass Theatre Company member Joey Slotnick (TV’s “Boston Public.”)

In Ethan Coen’s ALMOST AN EVENING, three short plays unsuccessfully tackle important questions. In Waiting, someone waits somewhere for quite some time. In Four Benches, a voyage to self-discovery takes a British intelligence agent to steam baths in New York and Texas, and to park benches in the U.S. and U.K. In Debate, cosmic questions are taken up. Not much is learned.

ALMOST AN EVENING, sold out before previews began at Atlantic Stage 2 on January 9th, opened January 22nd, and played a limited engagement through February 10th, 2008.

ALMOST AN EVENING is produced by Atlantic Theater Company, Art Meets Commerce and Carole Shorenstein Hays.

ALMOST AN EVENING will play Tuesday through Saturday at 8:00pm, with Saturday matinees at 2:00pm and Sunday performances at 3:00 and 7:00pm.

Ticket prices range from $20.00 - $50.00 and are available by calling Telecharge at 212-239-6200 / 800-545-2559, online at almostanevening.com and telecharge.com or in person at The Theatres at 45 Bleecker Street (45 Bleecker Street between Lafayette and Mott Street; Tuesday through Sunday from 12:00 – 8:00 p.m.).

For More Information Visit:

almostanevening.com

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GUTHRIE TO CELEBRATE WORK OF TONY KUSHNER

Guthrie to celebrate work of tony kushner
with three productions IN 2008-09 SEASON

Special event series and partnership with the University of Minnesota to honor and explore the work of this Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright

(Minneapolis/St. Paul) Director Joe Dowling today announced that the Guthrie Theater will celebrate the work of Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Tony Kushner in a landmark series set for the spring of 2009. In addition to presenting the previously announced Guthrie commission, tentatively titled The Intelligent Homosexual’s Guide to Capitalism and Socialism with a Key to the Scriptures, Dowling also announced plans for productions of Caroline, or Change on the Wurtele Thrust Stage and a collection of Kushner’s short plays in the Dowling Studio as part of the upcoming 2008-09 Season. These three simultaneous productions will join a series of speakers, scholars and other special events designed to fully examine and celebrate Kushner’s body of work.
“Tony is one of the most important voices in American theater today and it’s appropriate and exciting to be able to devote the Guthrie’s talent and resources to producing three of his plays simultaneously,” Dowling said. “We’re particularly pleased to be able to complement the productions with a series of events that will provide insight into Tony’s work.”
"The Guthrie is truly legendary, one of the cradles of the serious residential theater movement that revolutionized American drama,” Kushner said. “And the new building is what theaters look like in Heaven. I'd be thrilled and honored to have just one play on at the Guthrie, but three? I'm triply thrilled and honored!"
At the heart of the activities surrounding the three core productions is a unique collaboration between the Guthrie and the University of Minnesota, which will offer a spring-semester course focusing on the work of Kushner. The Guthrie and the University will also collaborate to compile and make accessible to the public a collection featuring original manuscripts by Kushner, set and costume designs, models, photographs and videos from his past productions. During this same period, the University Theatre will present a production of Kushner’s 1985 play, A Bright Room Called Day. In addition to the University-based programs, the Guthrie will host a full calendar of pre- and post-play discussions, Inside Look workshops, Saturday morning gatherings featuring local artists and University faculty, major speaking engagements and a series of other education and outreach programs.
This line-up of special events is designed to present to the local, national and international community with opportunities to expand and enhance their understanding of and appreciation for the many issues raised in Kushner’s work. A full listing of these activities, along with all associated registration information, will be available later this fall.
Production and ticket information for the Tony Kushner celebration will be announced March 24, alongside the other productions included in 2008-09 Season.
About Tony Kushner
Born in New York City in 1956, and raised in Lake Charles, Louisiana, Tony Kushner is best known for his two-part epic, Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes. His other plays include A Bright Room Called Day, Slavs!; Hydrotaphia; Homebody/Kabul; and Caroline or Change, the musical for which he wrote book and lyrics, with music by composer Jeanine Tesori. Kushner has translated and adapted Pierre Corneille's The Illusion, S.Y. Ansky's The Dybbuk, Bertolt Brecht's The Good Person of Sezuan and Mother Courage and Her Children; and the English-language libretto for the children’s opera Brundibár by Hans Krasa. He wrote the screenplays for Mike Nichols’ film of Angels In America, and Steven Spielberg’s Munich. His books include Brundibar, with illustrations by Maurice Sendak; The Art of Maurice Sendak: 1980 to the Present; and Wrestling with Zion: Progressive Jewish-American Responses to the Palestinian/Israeli Conflict, co-edited with Alisa Solomon.
Kushner is the recipient of a Pulitzer Prize for Drama, an Emmy Award, two Tony Awards, three Obie Awards, an Oscar nomination, an Arts Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, the PEN/Laura Pels Award for a Mid-Career Playwright, a Spirit of Justice Award from the Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders, and a Cultural Achievement Award from The National Foundation for Jewish Culture, among many others. Most recently, Caroline or Change, produced in the autumn of 2006 at the Royal National Theatre of Great Britain, received the Evening Standard Award, the London Drama Critics’ Circle Award and the Olivier Award for Best Musical. He is the subject of a documentary film, Wrestling with Angels: Playwright Tony Kushner, made by the Oscar-winning filmmaker Freida Lee Mock. He is currently working on a screenplay about Abraham Lincoln. He lives in Manhattan with his husband, Mark Harris.
About the Guthrie
The Guthrie Theater, founded in 1963, is an American center for theater performance, production, education and professional training. The Guthrie is dedicated to producing the great works of dramatic literature, developing the work of contemporary playwrights and cultivating the next generation of theater artists. Led by Director Joe Dowling since 1995, the Guthrie recently moved to their new three-theater home on the banks of the Mississippi River in Minneapolis.
The Guthrie is located at 818 South 2nd Street (at Chicago Avenue), in downtown Minneapolis. To purchase tickets or season subscriptions call the Guthrie Box Office between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m. daily at 612.377.2224 or toll-free 877.44.STAGE. For more information, or to purchase tickets online, visit www.guthrietheater.org.
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CURTAINS TO PLAY ITS FINAL PERFORMANCE SUNDAY, JUNE 29TH

CURTAINS
TO PLAY ITS FINAL PERFORMANCE SUNDAY, JUNE 29th

“A talent-packed production with a top-of-the-line cast”
Ben Brantley, NEW YORK TIMES

www.CurtainsTheMusical.com


CURTAINS, the Musical Comedy Whodunit from John Kander and Fred Ebb, the creators of Cabaret and Chicago, will play its final performance on Broadway at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre on Sunday, June 29th at 3:00 PM following 511 performances and 26 previews.

Speaking on behalf of producers Roger Horchow, Daryl Roth, Jane Bergère, Ted Hartley and Center Theatre Group, producer Roger Berlind said, “CURTAINS has been delighting audiences at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre over the past year, and we have had just as much fun behind the curtains. All good things must come to an end, but we’re happy that Theatrical Rights Worldwide will handle stock and amateur rights for CURTAINS, so that this great show will reach new audiences with productions planned all over the world. Meanwhile, those who haven’t seen CURTAINS on Broadway have over three months to catch our supremely talented cast, who will see to it that CURTAINS goes out with a bang.”

Composer John Kander said, “Fred just loved this show, and would be so thrilled with this remarkable cast, led by our great stars David Hyde Pierce and Debra Monk and with Scott Ellis’s beautiful production. In one of our songs for CURTAINS, Fred wrote ‘the show must go on.’ I am so grateful to everyone that made it happen.”

CURTAINS is an original musical comedy with a book by Rupert Holmes (multiple Tony Award-winner for The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Say Goodnight Gracie), music by John Kander, lyrics by Fred Ebb (the Tony Award-winning songwriters of Cabaret, Chicago, New York New York), original book and concept by Tony Award-winner Peter Stone (1776, Titanic, The Will Rogers Follies), and additional lyrics by John Kander & Rupert Holmes. CURTAINS is directed by five-time Tony Award-nominee Scott Ellis (She Loves Me, 1776, 12 Angry Men, Steel Pier). Choreography is by Tony Award-winner Rob Ashford (Thoroughly Modern Millie).

CURTAINS stars 2007 Tony Award winner and four-time Emmy Award winner David Hyde Pierce as Lieutenant Frank Cioffi and Tony and Emmy Award winner Debra Monk as producer Carmen Bernstein. The production also stars Tony Award winner Karen Ziemba as lyricist Georgia Hendricks, Jason Danieley as composer Aaron Fox, Erin Davie as ingénue Niki Harris and Edward Hibbert as director Christopher Belling, with John Bolton as theatre critic Daryl Grady, Michael X. Martin as stage manager Johnny Harmon, Michael McCormick as investor Oscar Shapiro, Noah Racey as choreographer Bobby Pepper, Megan Sikora as understudy Bambi Bernét and Gerry Vichi as producer Sidney Bernstein.

CURTAINS unfolds backstage at Boston’s Colonial Theatre in 1959, where a new musical could be a Broadway smash, were it not for the presence of its talent-free leading lady. When the hapless star dies on opening night during her curtain call, Lieutenant Frank Cioffi (David Hyde Pierce) arrives on the scene to conduct an investigation. But the lure of the theatre proves irresistible and after an unexpected romance blooms for the stage-struck detective, he finds himself just as drawn toward making the show a hit, as he is in solving the murder.

The 31-member cast also features Nili Bassman (Arlene Barucca), Bridget Berger (Roberta Wooster), Kevin Bernard (Roy Stetson/Detective O’Farrell), Ward Billeisen (Brick Hawvermale), , Jennifer Dunne (Jan Setler), David Eggers (Swing), J. Austin Eyer (Swing), Jennifer Frankel (Marjorie Cook), Patty Goble (Jessica Cranshaw/Connie Subbotin), Lorin Lattaro (Swing), Shannon Lewis (Mona Page), David Loud (Sasha Iljinsky), Brittany Marcin (Peg Prentice), Jim Newman (Randy Dexter), Aaron Ramey (Harv Fremont), Joe Aaron Reid (Ronnie Driscoll), Christopher Spaulding (Russ Cochran), Jerome Vivona (Swing) and Stephanie Youell (Swing).

Through Sunday, June 29th, the performance schedule for CURTAINS is Tuesday at 7:00 PM, Wednesday through Saturday at 8:00 PM, with matinees Wednesday and Saturday at 2:00 PM, and Sunday at 3:00 PM. Tickets are on sale at Telecharge at 212-239-6200, online at www.telecharge.com or in person at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre box office (302 West 45th Street).

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www.CurtainsTheMusical.com

BROADWAY NOTES: March 19, 2008

BROADWAY NOTES: March 19, 2008

Roundabout Theatre Company’s Off-Broadway production of CRIMES OF THE HEART was featured in The New York Times this past Sunday. Click here to read the full article:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/16/theater/16mill.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=phantom+characters+on+the+stage&st=nyt&oref=slogin.CRIMES OF THE HEART is playing a limited engagement through April 20th, 2008 only! For more information: www.roundabouttheatre.org

CURTAINS star David Hyde Pierce recently sat down with ABC News Now’s Father Edward Beck. Click here to watch Part I – David talks about his Tony-winning role. Click here to watch Part II – David talks about his work with the Alzheimer’s Association. www.CurtainsTheMusical.com

Manhattan Theatre Club’s off-Broadway production of Itamar Moses’ THE FOUR OF US will celebrate opening night Tuesday, March 25 at New York City Center – Stage II (131 West 55th Street). The production, directed by Pam MacKinnon, stars Gideon Banner and Michael Esper. www.ManhattanTheatreClub.com.

Manhattan Theatre Club’s world premiere production of Liz Flahive’s FROM UP HERE is currently in rehearsal. The cast, to be directed by Leigh Silverman will feature Tony Award® winner Julie White, along with Jenni Barber, Arija Bareikis, Aya Cash, Brian Hutchison, Will Rogers, Tobias Segal and Joel Van Liew. The production will begin previews on Thursday, March 27 for a Wednesday, April 16 opening at New York City Center – Stage I (131 West 55th Street). www.ManhattanTheatreClub.com.

Minneapolis’s Guthrie Theater recently offered a sneak peak at their upcoming world premiere production of Little House on the Prairie, The Musical. Click here to watch the video: Little House sneak peak. www.guthrietheater.org

JERSEY BOYS has received two Backstage West Garland Awards for the Los Angeles engagement at the Ahmanson Theatre. Christopher Kale Jones, who plays Frankie Valli in the tour, received an award for Best Performance in a Musical Production and Ron Melrose received an award for his musical direction. In San Francisco, the second JERSEY BOYS company to occupy the Curran Theatre won the San Francisco Bay Area Theater Critics Circle Award for Best Touring Production. The Tony® Award-winning Broadway cast of JERSEY BOYS greeted music legend Dion DiMucci backstage after a recent performance he attended. The London production of JERSEY BOYS opened to critical acclaim at the Prince Edward Theatre last night.
www.JerseyBoysInfo.com

DC’s Signature Theatre kicked off its Kander & Ebb Celebration with the team’s 1993 Tony Award winning Kiss of the Spider Woman. Variety took a closer look at the Kander & Ebb Celebration, which also includes the rarely revived The Happy Time and the East Coast premiere of The Visit. Click here to read the article: DC Fest digs ‘Spider’ men. www.signature-theatre.org

Laura Linney, currently in rehearsals for Roundabout Theatre Company’s Broadway production of LES LIAISONS DANGEREUSES took a peak at her future theatre this weekend at a performance of the current hit show at the American Airlines Theatre – THE 39 STEPS! Linney laughed and cheered at the Hitchcock spoof with her LES LIAISONS DANGEREUSES co-star Ben Daniels and director Rufus Norris. For more information: www.roundabouttheatre.org

Disney’s THE LION KING concluded a sensational premiere engagement in Milwaukee, WI at the Milwaukee Theatre On Sunday, March 2. The production, which surpassed previously established records, is now the most successful theatrical engagement in Milwaukee history. During its 5-week run THE LION KING generated a gross revenue exceeding $6.2 million and entertained nearly 110,000 patrons.
www.DisneyOnBroadway.com

Disney’s THE LITTLE MERMAID was featured on WCBS “News This Morning” on Sunday, March 16th. WCBS’s Dana Tyler went backstage to talk with the show’s stars Sherie Rene Scott (Ursula) and Tituss Burgess (Sebastian). Click here to watch: http://wcbstv.com/video/?id=110386@wcbs.dayport.com.
www.DisneyOnBroadway.com

The movie trailer for the highly anticipated feature film of the smash hit musical MAMMA MIA! has been exclusively launched on Yahoo! Movies. Watch it now: http://movies.yahoo.com/feature/justthefacts_mammamia.html. Last night, ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars” hosted the national network television debut of the full trailer, and Universal Pictures launched the official MAMMA MIA! movie online community for fans to chat and get the latest news in advance of the July 18th release. Visit: www.mammamiafans.com.

“Saturday Night Live” funnyman Chris Parnell caught a performance of Broadway’s classic musical MARY POPPINS last week and went backstage to meet the cast afterwards. www.DisneyOnBroadway.com

Signature Theatre Company celebrated 2007-08 Playwright-in-Residence Charles Mee with their 2008 annual Gala on Monday, March 10th. Click on these links to view photos of the event at Playbill.com and BroadwayWorld.com. www.SignatureTheatre.org

Atlantic Theater Company’s world premiere of Jez Butterworth’s PARLOUR SONG, directed by Neil Pepe and starring Chris Bauer, Jonathan Cake and Emily Mortimer has been extended through Sunday, April 6th. PARLOUR SONG opened March 5th with The New York Times calling it “Expertly acted…now this is adult entertainment.” Check out Jonathan Cake’s Broadwaystars.com feature at:http://www.broadwaystars.com/followspot/2008/03/a_piece_of_cake.shtml
www.atlantictheater.org.

Celebrities recently seen at a performance of THE SEAFARER include Emmy Award winner Hank Azaria, Annabella Sciorra and Rainn Wilson of “The Office” fame. SEAFARER will end its critically acclaimed limited engagement on Sunday, March 30 at the Booth Theatre (222 West 45th Street). www.Seafarertheplay.com.

MONTY PYTHON'S SPAMALOT celebrated its third anniversary on Broadway last night, and gave out 3D glasses and a 3D certificate to the audience. In addition, Clay Aiken who is currently starring in the show, was on Entertainment Tonight last night to promote his involvement with a global clean water campaign. www.montypythonsspamalot.com

Daniel Evans and Jenna Russell, stars of Roundabout Theatre Company’s Broadway production of SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE, will appear on WNYC’s “Leonard Lopate Show” this Friday, March 21st at 1:40PM on 93.9 FM and AM 820. Tune in to hear Daniel and Jenna discuss their roles in this critically acclaimed Broadway revival of Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine’s Pulitzer Prize winning musical. www.roundabouttheatre.org

Manhattan Theatre Club’s Broadway premiere of Caryl Churchill’s TOP GIRLS began rehearsals this week. The cast, directed by James Macdonald (Drunk Enough To Say I Love You?, A Number), Mary Catherine Garrison (Rabbit Hole, Assassins), three-time Tony Awardâ nominee Mary Beth Hurt (A Delicate Balance, The World According to Garp), Jennifer Ikeda (As You Like It), four-time Obie Award winner Elizabeth Marvel (Seascape and An American Daughter on Broadway), Drama Desk Award winner Martha Plimpton (Shining City at MTC, The Coast of Utopia), Ana Reeder (No Country For Old Men, Sight Unseen), and Academy Award® winner Marisa Tomei (My Cousin Vinny and In the Bedroom, seen on Broadway in Salomé) . The limited engagement will begin previews on Tuesday, April 15 for a Wednesday, May 7 opening night at MTC’s Biltmore Theatre (261 West 47th Street). www.ManhattanTheatreClub.com.

Roundabout Theatre Company’s hit production of Alfred Hitchcock’s THE 39 STEPS will transfer to Broadway’s Cort Theatre after it’s sold out run ends at Roundabout’s American Airlines Theatre on March 29. The production begins previews April 29 and opens May 8 at the Cort. www.love39steps.com

The full casting has been announced for the transfer of Atlantic Theater Company’s hit world premiere production of Ethan Coen’s ALMOST AN EVENING, which begins previews at The Theaters at 45 Bleecker Street tomorrow, Thursday, March 20th. Tony Award® nominee Johanna Day (Proof) and Steppenwolf Theater Company member Tim Hopper join F. Murray Abraham, J.R. Horne, Jordan Lage, Mark Linn-Baker, Mary McCann, Del Pentecost and Joey Slotnick. The limited run, directed by Neil Pepe, opens April 2nd for a limited run through June 1st. Check out the new cast photo at: www.almostanevening.com.

Sherie Rene Scott, self-proclaimed “Broadway semi-star” and “one time Tony Award® loser,” recently allowed a camera into her dressing room to share a little insight into YOU MAY NOW WORSHIP, her one night only benefit on Monday, March 31 at 8 PM at The Eugene O’Neill Theatre (230 West 49th Street). Click here to watch Sherie dish about her upcoming performance and explain why you should now worship her. The evening will benefit the Phyllis Newman Women’s Health Initiative of The Actor’s Fund. Tickets for YOU MAY NOW WORSHIP ME may be purchased by calling BC/EFA at (212) 840-0770, extension 268 or online by visiting www.BroadwayCares.org.

Oscar winner Morgan Freeman, currently in rehearsal for Broadway's THE COUNTRY GIRL directed by Mike Nichols, will be honored tomorrow night Thursday March 20 at the Shinnyo-en Foundation’s “Pathfinders to Peace” gala at Cipriani on 42nd Street. THE COUNTRY GIRL also stars Frances McDormand and Peter Gallagher, Previews begins April 3, opening is April 27. www.thecountrygirlonbroadway.com

JERSEY BOYS OPENS TO CRITICAL ACCLAIM IN LONDON

JERSEY BOYS
OPENS TO CRITICAL ACCLAIM
IN LONDON

‘Let’s hear it for the Boys’ - Daily Telegraph
‘Oh what a night of magical memories’ - Daily Express
‘A proper, electric hit’ - Daily Mail

JERSEY BOYS, the Tony® and Grammy® Award-winning musical, opened to critical acclaim on Tuesday, March 18 at the Prince Edward Theatre in London.

Below is a sample of the reviews:

DAILY TELEGRAPH
Charles Spencer said, “Overpaid, over-sexed and over here, it will, I suspect be some time before London says Bye Bye Baby (Baby Goodbye) to the phenomenal Jersey Boys.”
Click Here to read the full review

THE TIMES
Benedict Nightingale said, “Oh What a Night. There were times when I felt that the performers were making even the Beatles sound somewhat lacking in musical texture.”
Click Here to read the full review

DAILY MAIL
Quentin Letts said, “I must say I thoroughly enjoyed it. This is a big thumper of a show with fantastic songs.”
CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL REVIEW

DAILY EXPRESS
Paul Callan said, “This is an utterly wonderful show full of vitality, pace and power. It is one of those shows which, as you go home, still has your head filled with its magical songs.”
(Link to full review not available at this time.)

JERSEY BOYS is the story of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons – Frankie Valli, Bob Gaudio, Nick Massi and Tommy DeVito – and how this group of blue-collar boys from the wrong side of the tracks became one of the biggest American and International pop music sensations of all time. They wrote their own songs, invented their own sounds and sold 175 million records worldwide – all before they were thirty. Their songs include ‘Sherry’, ‘Walk Like A Man’, ‘December, 1963 (Oh What a Night)’, ‘Big Girls Don’t Cry’, ‘My Eyes Adored You’, ‘Let’s Hang On (To What We’ve Got)’, ‘Bye Bye Baby’, ‘Can’t Take My Eyes Off You’, ‘Working My Way Back to You’, ‘Fallen Angel’, ‘Rag Doll’ and ‘Who Loves You’.

The London cast is headed by Ryan Molloy as Frankie Valli, Stephen Ashfield as Bob Gaudio, Philip Bulcock as Nick Massi, Glenn Carter as Tommy DeVito and Scott Monello as the alternate Frankie Valli. They are joined onstage by Simon Adkins as Bob Crewe, Suzy Bastone as Mary Delgado, Michelle Francis as Francine, Jye Frasca as Joe Pesci, Tee Jaye as Barry, Tom Lorcan as Donnie/Knuckles, Stuart Milligan as Gyp Decarlo, Amy Pemberton as Lorraine, Joseph Prouse as Norm Waxman and Griffin Stevens as Hank Majewski. Also in the cast are Paul Ayres, Laura Brydon, Lucinda Gill, Mark Isherwood, Kieran Jae, Graham Vick and Ben Wheeler.

JERSEY BOYS is written by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice, with music by Bob Gaudio and lyrics by Bob Crewe. The London production is staged by the entire original Broadway creative team, led by director Des McAnuff and choreographer Sergio Trujillo. JERSEY BOYS has scenic design by Klara Zieglerova, costume design by Jess Goldstein, lighting by Howell Binkley, sound by Steve Canyon Kennedy and projections design by Michael Clark. The orchestrations are by Steve Orich and the music supervision and vocal arrangements by Ron Melrose.

JERSEY BOYS is produced in London by Dodger Theatricals, Joseph J. Grano, Tamara and Kevin Kinsella, Pelican Group, in association with Latitude Link, Rick Steiner, DSHT Inc, David Ian, Howard Panter and Michael Watt.

JERSEY BOYS premiered at La Jolla Playhouse in 2004 and became the most successful production in the history of the playhouse, extending three times. The show opened at the August Wilson Theatre on Broadway to critical acclaim on November 6, 2005 and won the 2006 Tony Award® for Best Musical. JERSEY BOYS is now playing in New York, London, Chicago and in cities across the U.S. on a National Tour. Upcoming productions include Las Vegas and Toronto.

The Original Broadway Cast Recording of JERSEY BOYS, produced by Bob Gaudio, received the 2007 Grammy® Award for Best Musical Show Album and has been certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). JERSEY BOYS: The Story of Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons (Broadway Books) is the official handbook to the smash Broadway hit.

Performance times at the Prince Edward Theatre will be 7.30pm Mondays-Saturdays, with Tuesday and Saturday matinees at 2.30pm. Tickets, priced from £20.00-£60.00, are available from the Prince Edward Theatre Box Office in person, by phone at 0844 482 5151 or online at www.jerseyboyslondon.com.

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