LOVE NEVER DIES has suffered a rocky journey to the stage.

First, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s cat Otto clambered into his synthesiser and wiped out everything that had been written.  Now the show has been lambasted on the internet by dedicated “phans” of his earlier show, Phantom of The Opera. They scream, like the “phanatics” they are, that this sequel is a travesty and should be called Paint Never Dries.

They are grievously wrong. Lloyd Webber, with lyrics by Glen Slater, has written a charming and moving operetta that takes the Phantom story a decade further to 1907, complete with the original characters.

Following his disappearance from the Paris opera, the Phantom – half his face deformed and still covered with a white mask – is to be found in New York’s Coney Island, then the world’s entertainment playground.

Christine, his love now married to the testy drunk Raoul and with a gentle son, Gustave, is lured from France to America to sing by a mysterious impresario – the Phantom still yearning for her. Some of the songs are lush and romantic. ’Til I Hear You Sing, poignantly sung by the Phantom, is elegantly phrased and expresses perfectly his longing for Christine.

There is the eye-catching burlesque number Bathing Beauty – a real showstopper – complete with dancing girls and leering trombones.

The title song, Love Never Dies, appears once towards the end. But again, Lloyd Webber has produced a luscious melody that lingers in the mind. (But do the first couple of bars not bear a resemblance to the Rachmaninoff-type scene from Billy Wilder’s comedy The Apartment?)

Despite a slow start, the musical soon proceeds thrillingly along. This is much to do with the often exquisite singing of both Ramin Karimloo as the Phantom and Sierra Boggess as Christine.

What Karimloo – Iranian-born but Canadian raised – may lack in stature, he makes up for with a finely tuned, polished and highly melodic voice.

Similarly the American-born Miss Boggess, making her West end debut, has a delightfully musical voice that reaches the high notes with noticeable ease and polish. She brings a lingering emotion to the show’s title song Love Never Dies. Her voice has a silvery quality and is so clear that it is possible to hear every word.

Summer Strallen, as the jealous Meg, brings considerable power to a part that demands some delicate handling.  Director Jack O’Brien keeps a firm hand on this fast-moving show. And the special effects – they include singing Medusa heads and a skeleton with live legs pushing a hand cart  are exciting and original.

This is an elegant and clever sequel to Phantom and deserves to have the old Adelphi Theatre filled every night with Lloyd Webber’s core, usually middle-class, audiences. It is a great night out.

See the review here:

http://www.express.co.uk/entertainment/view/162461/Andrew-Lloyd-Webber-s-Love-Never-Dies-Adelphi-Theatre-London-

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BROADWAY’S HOTTEST NIGHT RETURNS

SUNDAY, JUNE 20: 9:30 PM & MIDNIGHT

BROADWAY BARES XX

“STRIP-OPOLY”

PRODUCED BY BROADWAY CARES/EQUITY FIGHTS AIDS

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER JERRY MITCHELL

BENEFITING BC/EFA

PRESENTED BY M·A·C VIVA GLAM

IN ADDITION, BROADWAY BARES: SOLO STRIPS

RETURNS WITH THREE NEW EDITIONS THIS SPRING

BROADWAY BARES XX: “STRIP-OPOLY” will be held on Sunday, June 20 with two performances only (9:30 PM & Midnight) at Roseland Ballroom (239 West 52nd Street). BROADWAY BARES XX: “STRIP-OPOLY” is produced by and benefits Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.

The theme was officially announced and ticket sales were formally kicked off last night at Next Magazine’s monthly “NextWorks” event at famed NYC bar Splash where BROADWAY BARES debuted in 1992. 

Grab your favorite piece (Dog? Ship? Boot? Thimble?), roll the dice, and get ready to put money into the community chest to help BROADWAY BARES XX: “STRIP-OPOLY” reach their $1 million fundraising goal to benefit BC/EFA. This year’s BROADWAY BARES will bring a whole new definition to the phrase “game night” when over 200 of Broadway’s sexiest dancers come together for the hottest burlesque show this side of Park Place.

BROADWAY BARES XX: “STRIP-OPOLY” is produced by Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, Executive Produced by Tony Award-winner Jerry Mitchell (Love Never Dies, Catch Me If You Can, Legally Blonde), and will be directed by Josh Rhodes (The Drowsy Chaperone, Fosse).

In addition, following its smashing success earlier this year, BC/EFA announces the return of BROADWAY BARES: SOLO STRIPS, the new event featuring some of the hottest dancers on and off Broadway.   BC/EFA has scheduled upcoming editions of SOLO STRIPS to be held at Splash (50 West 17th Street): Sunday, April 11; Sunday, May 16; and Sunday, June 6.  Further information and ticket sales will be available on broadwaybares.com.

The first Broadway Bares in 1992 featured seven dancers stripping on a bar and raised over $8,000.  Since then, the 18 previous editions of BROADWAY BARES have collectively raised over $5.5 million to benefit Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS and grown to a full-fledged production featuring over 200 of Broadway’s sexiest dancers.

TICKETING INFORMATION FOR BROADWAY BARES XX: “STRIP-OPOLY”:

Tickets can be purchased online at www.BroadwayCares.org or by calling (212) 840-0770 x 268. 

9:30 PM SHOW: $650 Benefactor - includes reserved seat at a cocktail table and open bar before the show; $250 VIP - includes non-reserved standing ticket in VIP area closest to stage or VIP Mezzanine with open bar before the show; $100 Priority - includes non-reserved standing ticket in Priority Viewing area close to the stage; $55 General Admission -non-reserved standing ticket.

MIDNIGHT SHOW: $650 Benefactor - includes reserved seat at a cocktail table and open bar before the show; $250 VIP - includes non-reserved standing ticket in VIP mezzanine with open bar before the show; $55 General Admission - non-reserved standing ticket.

BC/EFA is pleased to announce the return of the “VIP BACKSTAGE PASS” PACKAGE ($10,000). You and a guest will be escorted into Roseland for a sneak peek of the dress rehearsal, and meet Jerry Mitchell and a guest celebrity. Enjoy dinner and drinks at a private cocktail party with Jerry and Broadway stars.   Come back to Roseland and join the entire company backstage for a short visit before you are escorted to your table in the VIP lounge and stay for both shows. After the Midnight show, you will join the cast as VIP guests at the post-show cast-party. This package is extremely limited in availability.

Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS is the nation’s leading industry-based, nonprofit AIDS fundraising and grant-making organization. By drawing upon the talents, resources and generosity of the American theatre community, BC/EFA raises funds for AIDS-related causes and other critical illnesses across the United States. Since its founding in 1988, BC/EFA has raised over $175 million dollars for critically needed services for people with AIDS and other serious illnesses. BC/EFA is the major supporter of seven programs at The Actors’ Fund – including The AIDS Initiative, The Phyllis Newman Women’s Health Initiative, The Al Hirschfeld Free Health Clinic, The Dancers’ Resource and three supportive housing residences. BC/EFA also awards annual grants to over 400 AIDS and family service organizations nationwide.

For more information, call (212) 840-0770 x 268 or visit www.broadwaybares.com.

Additional sponsors include

Absolut Vodka; AussieBum; Continental Airlines, Club H Fitness,

NEXT Magazine; Showtime, 1-800 Postcards

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A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE
RECOUPS ENTIRE INVESTMENT

FINAL 4 WEEKS TO SEE
CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED PRODUCTION
LIMITED RUN MUST CLOSE SUNDAY, APRIL 4

The critically-acclaimed Broadway production of Arthur Miller’s A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE starring Liev Schreiber and Scarlett Johansson directed by Gregory Mosher recouped its entire investment as of Monday, March 8.  The limited run has only 4 weeks left before it must end on Sunday, April 4.  The 14-week engagement began performances December 28, 2009 and opened January 24, 2010 at the Cort Theatre (138 West 48th Street).

Schreiber and Johansson are joined by Jessica Hecht, Michael Cristofer, Morgan Spector, Corey Stoll, Alex Cendese, Anthony DeSando, Antoinette LaVecchia, Mark Morettini, Joe Ricci, Robert Turano and Marco Verna.

In A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE, Miller's most passionate drama, Schreiber plays Eddie Carbone, a Brooklyn longshoreman obsessed with his 17-year-old niece Catherine, played by Scarlett Johansson. When Catherine falls in love with a newly arrived immigrant, Eddie's jealousy erupts in a rage that consumes him, his family, and his world. 

A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE is produced by Stuart Thompson and The Araca Group. Additional producers include Jeffrey Finn, Broadway Across America, Olympus Theatricals, Marisa Sechrest, The Weinstein Company, Jon B. Platt, Sonia Friedman/Robert G. Bartner, Swinsky/Deitch, Adam Zotovich/Ruth Hendel/Orin Wolf, and The Shubert Organization.

The creative team for A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE includes John Lee Beatty (Scenic Design), Jane Greenwood (Costume Design), Peter Kaczorowski (Lighting Design), and Scott Lehrer (Sound Design).

Tickets range from $61.50 - $131.50 and are available through Telecharge.com, by phone at 212-239-6200, or 800-432-7250, online at www.Telecharge.com  General rush tickets are available beginning at 10:00AM Monday-Saturday and 12:00PM on Sunday on first come, first served basis at the Schoenfeld Theatre box office.  Rush tickets are $26.50 and subject to availability.  Mezzanine standing room only tickets are also available on the day of performance at the box office.

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www.AViewFromTheBridgeOnBroadway.com

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Roundabout Theatre Company

announces

A public online auction in conjunction with the

2010 SPRING GALA

Sondheim 80

Stephen Sondheim turns 80 on Monday, March 22nd, 2010 and he will celebrate this landmark event with Roundabout Theatre Company (Todd Haimes, Artistic Director) at a special performance of Sondheim on Sondheim and star-studded tribute at Roundabout's 2010 Spring Gala: Sondheim 80.

As part of Sondheim 80, Roundabout will also host a public online auction, featuring several rare and unique items including theatre and sporting tickets as well as exclusive Roundabout memorabilia. All proceeds will go to Roundabout’s Music Theatre Fund. The auction is now open and will continue until 9:00pm on Sunday, March 28, 2010. Bids can be placed at www.biddingforgood.com/roundabouttheatre/sondheim80.

The gala celebration on March 22nd will begin with an early 6:15PM performance of Sondheim on Sondheim at Studio 54, a brand-new musical retrospective of Sondheim’s groundbreaking career. Sondheim on Sondheim stars Barbara Cook, Vanessa Williams and Tom Wopat. Music & lyrics are by Stephen Sondheim and the production is conceived & directed by James Lapine.  Next, guests will enjoy a gourmet dinner and a very personal star-studded musical tribute.

The tribute will include an array of original songs composed by Broadway’s current crop of musical theatre writers. Artists participating include Tom Kitt & Brian Yorkey (Next to Normal), Michael John LaChiusa (The Wild Party), Andrew Lippa (The Addams Family), Robert Lopez (Avenue Q) &Kristen Anderson-Lopez, Lin-Manuel Miranda (In The Heights), Duncan Sheik (Spring Awakening), Stew & Heidi Rodewald (Passing Strange) and Jeanine Tesori & David Lindsay-Abaire (Shrek). Their original compositions will be sung by some of Broadway's biggest talents such as Berndadette Peters in front of an audience that will include friends and artists from his six decades on Broadway such as Elaine Stritch, Lauren Bacall, Donna Murphy, Kelli O’Hara, Lynn Redgrave, Sam Mendes, Frank Rich, Michael Cerveris, La Chanze and more.

Roundabout has a long relationship with Stephen Sondheim having produced five Tony Award® nominated Sondheim revivals including Company (1995), Follies (2001), Tony Award® winning Assassins (2004), Pacific Overtures (2004) and Sunday in the Park with George (2008).  In 2005, Roundabout honored Sondheim with the Jason Robards Award for Excellence in Theatre for theindelible impact hislife’s work has made on the theatre world.  In 2009, Roundabout produced a gala concert reading of A Little Night Music starring Natasha Richardson, Victor Garber and Vanessa Redgrave at Studio 54.

The Honorary Chairs of the Gala are Barry Diller & Diane von Furstenberg and Bernadette Peters.  The Gala chairs are Michael T. Cohen, Martin & Perry Granoff and Tom & Diane Tuft.  The Vice-chairs are Edward & Betsy Cohen, Mike & Pilar de Graffenried, Ted & Mary Jo Shen, Mark R. Fetting & Georgia D. Smith.

The tribute concert is directed by Paul Gemignani, Mr. Sondheim’s longtime musical director.

All proceeds from this event will benefit Roundabout Theatre Company’s Musical Theatre Fund.

TICKETS & SCHEDULE FOR MARCH 22:
The performance of Sondheim on Sondheim will begin at 6:15PM at Roundabout’s Studio 54. Underwriter and above ticket buyers are also invited to a private VIP Cocktail Party before the show begins. Immediately following the performance the dinner & Birthday tribute will commence at the Sheraton New York.

Support Levels:          Gala Sponsorship at $100,000
Producer’s Circle Table(s) at $50,000
Celebrity Circle Table(s) at $35,000
Underwriter Table(s) at $25,000
Benefactor Table(s) at $15,000*
The non-deductible portion of tables is $2,500 or *$2,000.

Producer’s Circle Ticket(s) at $5,000
Celebrity Circle Ticket(s) at $3,500
Underwriter Ticket(s) at $2,500
Benefactor Ticket(s) at $1,500*
Patron Ticket(s) at $1,250* (almost sold out)
The non-deductible portion of tickets is $250 or *$200.

For more information, please contact Steve Schaeffer, Director of Special Events, at 212-719-9393 x312 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

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 currently produces at three permanent homes each of which is designed specifically to enhance the needs of the Roundabout's mission.  Off-Broadway, the Harold and Miriam Steinberg Center for Theatre, which houses the Laura Pels Theatre and Black Box Theatre, with its simple sophisticated design is perfectly suited to showcasing new plays. The grandeur of its Broadway home on 42nd Street, 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 also programs the new Henry Miller’s Theatre which is the first new Broadway theatre built in over a decade and set new standards for environmentally sustainable design and construction of performing arts venues.

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

Roundabout Theatre Company’s 2009-2010 season includes Noël Coward’s Present Laughter starring Victor Garber, directed by Nicholas Martin; Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine’s Sondheim on Sondheim starring Barbara Cook, Vanessa Williams and Tom Wopat; Tennessee Williams’ The Glass Menagerie, directed by Gordon Edelstein; Terrence McNally’s Lips Together, Teeth Apart, starring Megan Mullally, Patton Oswalt and Lili Taylor, directed by Joe Mantello. The 2010-2011 season will include Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest, starring and directed by Brian Bedford.   Roundabout’s sold out production of The 39 Steps made its third transfer to the New World Stages after a successful Broadway run at three Broadway theatres.

www.roundabouttheatre.org

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ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER'S "LOVE NEVER DIES"

ON NPR's MORNING EDITION

TOMORROW TUESDAY MARCH 9

* * *

WORLD PREMIERE TOMORROW NIGHT IN LONDON

Tune in tomorrow, Tuesday March 9, when National Public Radio's Morning Edition covers the world premiere of Andrew Lloyd Webber's LOVE NEVER DIES.   Reporter Jeff Lunden is in London to speak with Andrew Lloyd Webber, Tony Award winning director Jack O'Brien, and leading lady Sierra Boggess.  LOVE NEVER DIES opens Tuesday night at London's Adelphi Theatre.  The report will include excerpts of the about-to-be-released cast recording.  Visit www.npr.org for photos, links and podcast, as well as air times and stations.  Morning Edition airs on WNYC FM (93.9) from 5- 9 AM.  In New York it is  scheduled to air at 7:50 AM, though that is subject to change.

LOVE NEVER DIES continues the story of 'The Phantom', who has moved from his lair in the Paris Opera House to haunt the fairgrounds of Coney Island, far across the Atlantic.  Set 10 years after the mysterious disappearance of 'The Phantom' from Paris, this show is a rollercoaster ride of obsession and intrigue...in which music and memory can play cruel tricks...and 'The Phantom' sets out to prove that, indeed, LOVE NEVER DIES.

LOVE NEVER DIES began previews on February 22.  It will open on Broadway this autumn.
The cast album will be released on Wednesday March 10.

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 PREVIEWS BEGIN TONIGHT AT 8 P.M.!!
   
NATHAN LANE          BEBE NEUWIRTH

         

   
NOW ON BROADWAY AT THE LUNT-FONTANNE THEATRE, 
OPENING NIGHT IS THURSDAY, APRIL 8

WWW.THEADDAMSFAMILYMUSICAL.COM

They're here!

Previews begin tonight at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre for the much-anticipated new Broadway musical THE ADDAMS FAMILY.
   
Based on the bizarre and beloved family of characters created by legendary cartoonist Charles Addams, THE ADDAMS FAMILY will officially open Thursday, April 8, 2010.      

THE ADDAMS FAMILY has a book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice (librettists of the 2006 Tony Award-winning Best Musical, Jersey Boys), music and lyrics by Drama Desk Award winner Andrew Lippa (The Wild Party), direction and design by Phelim McDermott and Julian Crouch (Shockheaded Peter, The Metropolitan Opera's Satyagraha) and choreography by Sergio Trujillo (Next to Normal, Jersey Boys).
 
Starring two-time Tony Award winners Nathan Lane and Bebe Neuwirth as Gomez and Morticia, THE ADDAMS FAMILY features two-time Tony Award nominee Terrence Mann as Mal Beineke, two-time Tony Award nominee Carolee Carmello as Alice Beineke, two-time Tony Award nominee Kevin Chamberlin as Uncle Fester, Jackie Hoffman as Grandma, Zachary James as Lurch, Adam Riegler as Pugsley, Wesley Taylor as Lucas Beineke and Krysta Rodriguez as Wednesday.
 
THE ADDAMS FAMILY features lighting design by two-time Tony Award winner Natasha Katz (The Coast of Utopia, Aida), sound design by Acme Sound Partners (Tony nomination for In the Heights) and puppetry by acclaimed Obie Award-winning puppeteer Basil Twist (Arias with a Twist).  
 
The production also features music direction by Mary-Mitchell Campbell (the revivals of Sweeney Todd and Company), orchestrations by Larry Hochman (Monty Python's Spamalot), dance arrangements by August Eriksmoen (Memphis), hair design by Tom Watson (Wicked), make-up design by Angelina Avallone (The Little Mermaid) and special effects design by Greg Meeh (Monty Python's Spamalot). 
        
THE ADDAMS FAMILY features an original story. It's every parent's nightmare. Your little girl has suddenly become a young woman, and what's worse, has fallen deliriously in love with a sweet, smart young man from a respectable family. Yes, Wednesday Addams, the ultimate princess of darkness, has a "normal" boyfriend, and for parents Gomez and Morticia, it's a shocking development that turns the Addams house upside down when they are forced to host a dinner for the young man and his parents.
 
In a prolific career spanning six decades, Charles Addams created several thousand cartoons, sketches and drawings, many of which were published in The New Yorker. But it was his creation of characters that came to be known as The Addams Family that brought Addams his greatest acclaim. With a unique style that combined the twisted, macabre and just plain weird with charm, wit and enchantment, Addams' drawings have entertained millions worldwide and served as the inspiration for multiple television series and motion pictures. 
 
THE ADDAMS FAMILY is produced by Stuart Oken, Roy Furman, Michael Leavitt, Five Cent Productions, Stephen Schuler, Decca Theatricals, Scott M. Delman, Stuart Ditsky, Terry Allen Kramer, Stephanie P. McClelland, James L. Nederlander, Eva Price, Jam Theatricals/Mary Lu Roffe, Pittsburgh CLO/Gutterman-Swinsky, Vivek Tiwary/Gary Kaplan, The Weinstein Company/Clarence LLC and Adam Zotovich/Tribe Theatricals, by Special Arrangement with Elephant Eye Theatrical.
    
The Lunt-Fontanne Theatre is located at 205 West 46th Street. Regular box office hours are 10 a.m. - 8:30 p.m., Monday through Saturday. Ticket prices range from $51.50 to $136.50.
 
Tickets are also available online at Tickmaster.com or by calling 877-250-BWAY (2929). 

For more information, please visit www.theaddamsfamilymusical.com.

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The cast of Broadway's THE ADDAMS FAMILY.
 Photo by Matt Hoyle.

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Broadway Legend “Fraver” Explains It All For You

See him explain his design for Broadway’s “LOOPED” poster art

Watch as Fraver, the legendary designer of Broadway show posters, explains the step-by-step process through which he arrived at the final  design for the new Broadway comedy, LOOPED, starring Valerie Harper as Tallulah Bankhead.  Frank Verlizzo,  his actual name, reflects on his unique career in the TDF-produced piece.  Watch here:  http://www.tdf.org/TDF_Article.aspx?id=369&do=v

Matthew Lombardo’s LOOPED is directed by Rob Ruggiero.   It is playing at the Lyceum Theatre (149 West 45th Street). Opening night is Sunday March 14.

LOOPED tells the story of Tallulah Bankhead, the internationally celebrated actress, being called into a sound studio in 1965 to re-record (or "loop") one line of dialogue for what would be her last film -- the dreadful “Die, Die My Darling.”  Southern, but by no means a belle, Ms. Bankhead was known for her wild partying and convention-defying exploits that surpassed even today's celebrity bad girls. Given her inebriated state and inability to loop the line properly, what ensues is an uproarious showdown between an uptight film editor and the outrageous legend.
 Brian Hutchison and Michael Mulheren complete the company.   

The creative team for LOOPED includes set designer Adrian W. Jones, costume designer William Ivey Long, wig designer Charles LaPointe, lighting designer Ken Billington, and sound designer Michael Hooker /Peter Fitzgerald.  
LOOPED will play Tue at 7, Wed-Fri at 8, Wed at 2, Sat at 2 & 8, and Sun. at 3 PM.  Tickets are available through www.telecharge.com, or by calling 212 239 6200.
www.loopedonbroadway.com

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BRIAN D’ARCY JAMES, KERRY BUTLER, AND CAST MEMBERS
FROM “MEMPHIS” TO PERFORM AT
AMERICAN THEATRE WING’S
2010 JONATHAN LARSON® GRANTS PRESENTATION
TO BE HELD TUESDAY, MARCH 9

NEW ONLINE EDITIONS OF
“WORKING IN THE THEATRE”, “DOWNSTAGE CENTER” & “IN THE WINGS”
NOW AVAILABLE

New York, NY – The American Theatre Wing announced today that the 2010 Jonathan Larson® Grants will be presented on Tuesday, March 9, 2010 at the American Airlines Theatre (227 W 42nd Street, 5th Floor) in New York City.  This year, Peter Lerman, Daniel Maté, and songwriting team Michael Kooman (music) and Christopher Dimond (book & lyrics) were selected to receive the prestigious grants, totaling $10,000.  The evening will include special performances of the recipients’ work by Brian d’Arcy James, Kerry Butler and Brad Bass, John Eric Parker, and Ephraim Sykes from Memphis will perform a rarely heard Jonathan Larson song.

The grants, given annually to honor emerging composers, lyricists and book writers, help to continue Tony Award®-winning composer Jonathan Larson’s dream of infusing musical theatre with a contemporary, joyful, urban vitality.  This year’s recipients were selected by an expert panel consisting of Robyn Goodman (Tony® Award-winning Producer, In the Heights), Tom Kitt (Tony® Award-winning Composer, Next to Normal), Kathleen Marshall (Tony® Award-winning Choreographer, The Pajama Game) and Stephen Schwartz (Tony® Award-winning Composer-lyricist, Wicked).

Dedicated to celebrating excellence and supporting theatre, the American Theatre Wing awards the Larson Grants to artists to recognize and showcase their work with no strings attached - except to put it to the best use possible to help further the artist's creative endeavors.

Past recipients of the Larson Grants include Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey (Next to Normal), Chad Beguelin & Matthew Sklar (The Wedding Singer), John Bucchino (A Catered Affair), Laurence O’Keefe (Bat Boy: The Musical) and Michael Korie (Grey Gardens).

***

As the home for America’s largest free online archive of media focused on how theatre is made, in the words of the very people who make it, in the past month, ATW has released a slew of new content, including:

A new online episode of the television program “Working in the Theatre”:

• The Play That Changed My Life with Tina Howe (Coastal Disturbances) and  Diana Son (Stop Kiss), moderated by Howard Sherman.
• http://americantheatrewing.org/wit/detail/play_changed_my_life_12_09

Five new editions of the podcast “Downstage Center,” have made their debut:

• Andre De Shields, two-time Tony nominated actor, writer and director
• http://americantheatrewing.org/downstagecenter/detail/andre_deshields
• Christine Lahti, seen recently in God of Carnage
• http://americantheatrewing.org/downstagecenter/detail/christine_lahti
• John Lee Beatty, Scenic Designer of A View From The Bridge & Time Stands Still
• http://americantheatrewing.org/downstagecenter/detail/john_lee_beatty
• Gregory Mosher, Director of A View From the Bridge
• http://americantheatrewing.org/downstagecenter/detail/gregory_mosher
• Howard Sherman, Executive Director of the American Theatre Wing, interviewed by guest host Richard Thomas
  • http://americantheatrewing.org/downstagecenter/detail/howard_sherman

Two editions of the new backstage video podcast, “In The Wings”:

• “Aerial Choreographer” featuring Paul Rubin of Wicked, Peter Pan and Curtains
  • http://americantheatrewing.org/inthewings/detail/aerial_choreographer
• “Stage Automation Engineer” featuring Chuck Adomanis of The Lion King, Billy Elliott and West Side Story
  • http://americantheatrewing.org/inthewings/detail/stage_automation_engineer

ATW also added to its collection:

• Conversations from the SDCF “Masters of the Stage” series, including programs with Andre Bishop and Vinnette Carroll
  • http://americantheatrewing.org/sdcfmasters/
• Classic editions of The Broadway League’s “This is Broadway” with Richard Kiley, Martin Charnin, Peter Yates, Constance Towers, Tom Courtenay and Liv Ullman
  • http://americantheatrewing.org/thisisbroadway/

The American Theatre Wing (Theodore S. Chapin, Chairman, Board of Directors; Howard Sherman, Executive Director) is a not-for-profit organization best known as the creator of the Antoinette Perry “Tony” Awards®, which it presents annually with The Broadway League. In addition to “Downstage Center,” “In The Wings,” “Working in the Theatre,” and a host of other online resources, The Wing sponsors many activities, all dedicated to recognizing excellence and supporting education in theatre.  Visitors to americantheatrewing.org can listen to, watch or download from ATW’s extensive media collection, and learn more about all of its programming for students, aspiring and working professionals, and audiences who want to learn more about the making of theatre.  Follow ATW on Facebook.com/TheAmericanTheatreWing and Twitter.com/TheWing.

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FINAL CASTING ANNOUNCED FOR
ENRON

The upcoming Broadway production of Lucy Prebble’s critically acclaimed play ENRON, directed by Rupert Goold,is proud to welcome actors JORDAN BALLARD (Hairspray), BRANDON J. DIRDEN (Prelude to a Kiss), ANTHONY HOLDS (Spamalot, Pal Joey), TY JONES (Judgment at Nuremberg, Henry IV, Julius Caesar), TOM NELIS (The Caine Mutiny Court Martial, Aida), JEFF SKOWRON (The Lion King, High Society), LUSIA STRUS (the upcoming untitled Gus Van Sant project), BEN HARTLEY (Swan Lake, The Little Mermaid) and ELLYN MARIE MARSH to the company.

They join the previously announced NORBERT LEO BUTZ, GREGORY ITZIN, STEPHEN KUNKEN, MARIN MAZZIE, NOAH WEISBERG, RIGHTOR DOYLE, IAN KAHN, MARY STEWART SULLIVAN, MADISYN SHIPMAN, and JANUARY LAVOY.

ENRON will begin previews on Broadway on April 8, 2010 at The Broadhurst Theatre  (235 W. 44th St. between 8th and Broadway), in preparation for an April 27, 2010 opening.

Tickets are currently on sale via Telecharge.com or by calling (212) 239-6200. The Broadhurst Theatre box office will officially open March 11th.

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JORDAN BALLARD returns to Broadway after a two year engagement as one of Bette Midler's famed Harlettes. Other credits include: Broadway: Hairspray ; National Tour: Hairspray, Rent, Tick, Tick…Boom!, Footloose. Concert: Liza’s Back (Beacon Theatre) Television: “Reno 911” (Guest Star) “ER” (Guest Star), “Oprah”,”The Tonight Show”. Film: Sex and the City 2. Endless gratitude to BT, all at Telsey & Co., and as always, EF. For my Fam.

BRANDON J. DIRDEN On Broadway, Brandon appeared in Prelude To A Kiss (Roundabout Theatre Company, dir. Daniel Sullivan). Off-Broadway he was seen in The First Breeze of Summer and Day of Absence (Signature Theatre). His regional credits include the world premiere of Magnolia (Goodman Theatre, dir. Anna Shapiro); Fences (Huntington Theatre Company, dir. Kenny Leon); Topdog/Underdog (Playmakers Repertory Co); Ceremonies in Dark Old Men (True Colors Theatre Co, dir. Kenny Leon); Othello, Twelfth Night, Metamorphoses, Comedy of Errors and others (Georgia Shakespeare); A Death in the House…, A Christmas Carol and The Breach (Alliance Theatre); Take Me Out (Theatre In The Square); Come On in My Kitchen (7 Stages); Miss Dessa (Ensemble Theatre Company); Joe Turner’s Come and Gone (Alley Theatre); Harvey (Utah Shakespearean Festival); and Julius Caesar and As You Like It (North Carolina Shakespeare Festival). He received a BA from Morehouse College and an MFA from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.  Member of the Actors Center.

ANTHONY HOLDS played the role of Sir Galahad on the 1st National Tour of Monty Python’s Spamalot, and has appeared on Broadway in Spamalot, Pal Joey, and Dracula.  Off-Broadway he has been seen in The Great American Trailer Park Musical, and as Steve Jobs in the world premiere of Nerds (2005 NY Musical Theatre Festival).  Anthony has guest starred on NBC’s “Law & Order”.  His regional theatrical credits include Company (Bobby), The Last Five Years (Jamie), The Full Monty (Jerry), Titanic (Andrews), and My Fair Lady (Freddy).  He is a former naval officer and graduate of Annapolis.

TY JONES made his Broadway debut in the role of Lt. Byers in Judgment at Nuremberg, portrayed Nym in the Tony Award-Winning production of Henry IV with Ethan Hawke and Kevin Kline and Julius Caesar with Denzel Washington. He won an OBIE Award for his portrayal of Archibald in the critically acclaimed Off-Broadway production The Blacks: A Clown Show. As a company member of the Classical Theatre of Harlem, Ty received Audelco Nominations for his performances in Macbeth, Trojan Women, Ain't Supposed to Die a Natural Death and won Best Actor for his portrayal of Nat Turner, in Emancipation: Chronicles of the Nat Turner Rebellion. He has been notably mentioned in a number of performances including Hamlet with the American Shakespeare Theatre Company in the title role, Paul in Six Degrees of Separation at the Baltimore Center Stage/MSC, Cory in Fences at the Guthrie, Tom Robinson in To Kill a Mockingbird at Indiana Rep., and various credits at the Cincinnati Playhouse, Cleveland Playhouse, Pittsburgh Public and the Utah and New Jersey Shakespeare Festivals. Principal film roles include his work in The Taking of Pelham 123, Redacted, The International, Kiss it Up to God, and My Normal. He has been seen in a number of episodics such as Ugly Betty, Fringe, Cupid and all the Law & Orders.  As a writer, Ty Jones' play Emancipation: Chronicles of the Nat Turner Rebellion, premiered at the Audubon Ballroom – where Malcolm X was assassinated – for the award-winning Classical Theatre of Harlem in April 2008. Jones first created Emancipation as a screenplay; it was selected as a finalist in the Sundance Institute Feature Film Program, was endorsed by the Southern Poverty Law Center, received Honorable Merit from the Writer Digest Screenwriters Association, and won the San Francisco Black Film Festival Screenwriting Competition. Ty also is the Grant Coordinator for the Get Together Foundation for the Children and Board Chair of the Classical Theatre of Harlem. Mr. Jones received his MFA from the University of Delaware, where he was the recipient of the Presidential Citation for Outstanding Achievement Award as an alum, and was named "One of 25 to Watch” in TIME OUT magazine.  He resides in NYC, with his wife, photographer Jill Jones and their two children, Kaden and Roen.

TOM NELIS Broadway: The Caine Mutiny Court Martial, Aida; Off-Broadway: Road Show (NYSF); Iohigenia, Hot ‘n Throbbing (Signature); The Merchant of Venice (TFNA, RSC); The Seven, Score, The Medium (NYTW); Oscar Wilde in Gross Indecency: (Minetta Lane); Hot Mouth (MTC); American Document, Richard III, The Merchant of Venice, Henry IV, ‘Tis Pity She’s A Whore, the title role in Henry VI (NYSF); Lilith (New York City Opera); Another Person is a Foreign Country, The Trojan Woman/A Love Story (En Garde Arts); The Blue Sky is a Curse (Talking Band).  Also: Ahab in Laurie Anderson’s Songs and Stories from Moby Dick, Richard Foreman’s Pearls for Pigs, and Tadashi Suzuki’s Dionysus.  Regional theaters across the country.  Nelis is a founding member of SITI Company, now celebrating 18 years of work around the world, under the direction of Anne Bogart.  Awards: OBIE (The Medium), Drama League Nomination (Score), San Diego Critics Award, Ensemble (Wintertime), Barrymore Nomination (Candide).  MFA, UC San Diego

JEFF SKOWRON Film: New York City Serenade, The Narrows, How to Seduce Difficult Women, The Good Shepherd, A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints, Premium, Chapter 27.  Television: All the Law and Order(s), Mary and Rhoda. Broadway: The Lion King (as Ed, Timon and Zazu), Beauty and the Beast (Lefou), High Society (Stanley), How the Grinch Stole Christmas (u/s The Grinch) and the workshop of The Boy From Oz playing Chris Bell opposite Hugh Jackman. Off-Broadway, Jeff played Rick in Debbie Does Dallas and Josh in Zombie Prom. Favorite recent regional credits include Hysterium in …Forum and Luther in the world premiere of Leap both at Cincinnati Playhouse, The Grinch in How the Grinch Stole Chrismas at the Old Globe, and Hedwig in Hedwig and the Angry Inch at the Contemporary American Theatre. 
LUSIA STRUS makes her Broadway debut in Enron. Lusia most recently appeared in The Retributionists at Playwrights Horizons and finished filming the upcoming Untitled Gus Van Sant  Project. A alumni member of The Neo-Furturists in Chicago, Lusia joined The NY Neo-Futurists and has been writing and performing in Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind since moving to New York a year ago. Born and raised in Chicago, Lusia’s Theatre credits there include Hysteria, Our Town, Whispering City and her commissioned solo show, It Ain’t No Fairy Tale which earned the LA Weekly Award for Outstanding Solo Performance (Steppenwolf Theatre); Merry Wives of Windsor, Loves Labour Lost (Chicago Shakespeare Theatre); Henry IV: Parts 1 & 2 (CST and The Royal Shakespeare Company); SLAVS!, Go Away. Go Away. (Joseph Jefferson Award – Principal Actress) (European Rep); A Pirate’s Lullaby, Big Love (The Goodman). Other credits include Quake (ATL Humana Festival 2001) and Slasher (ATL Humana Festival 2009). Film credits include 50 First Dates, Stir of Echoes, Miss Congeniality 2, Moonpie, Design, The Secret (Best Supporting Actress – Ijijic Film Festival, Mexico). TV Credits: Pilots for NBC and WB, FOX, Guest appearances on “Crossing Jordan” (NBC), “Cupid” (NBC), “Early Edition” (CBS) and two seasons on “Ned’s Declassified School Survival Guide” (Nickelodeon). 

BEN HARTLEY was first seen on Broadway in Matthew Bourne's Tony award winning Swan Lake followed by Fiddler on the Roof, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Disney's The Little Mermaid & City Center Encores! staging of Follies. West End productions to include Cats, Fosse, Matthew Bourne's Cinderella & The Carman. He was part of The Most Happy Fella & Pirates of Penzance at NYCO & Hello, Dolly at The Papermill Playhouse. He was also a member of The Met Opera Ballet and English National Ballet. Modeling work has included companies such as Ericsson, Aveda & has been featured in New Yorker Magazine and American Vogue. Ben is the founder & director of The Broadway Experience musical theater program based in NYC for aspiring triple threat performers. tbenyc.com

ELLYN MARIE MARSH Tours/Regional Credits include, Sweet Charity (Nikki), A Chorus Line (Diana), Grease (Rizzo), West Side Story (Antia), She Loves Me (Illona),  My Fair Lady (Mrs. Hopkins), A Christmas Carol-Musical (Ghost of Christmas Past), Urinetown (Little Becky). Theaters: Lincoln Center, NSMT (RIP), 5th Avenue, The Ordway, Geva Theatre, MTW, Fulton Opera House, ASF, AMTSJ (RIP), Arena Stage, DCT (RIP). Love to travas, and Lola. Sincere thanks to Bernie and Abbie everyone at Telsey and Chris at KGA.

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Directed by Rupert Goold, ENRONwill feature scenic and costume design by Anthony Ward, lighting by Mark Henderson, music and sound by Adam Cork, video and projection by Jon Driscoll and choreography by Scott Ambler.

Inspired by the real-life financial scandal of 2001, ENRON, which was commissioned by  Headlong Theatre, premiered this past summer at the Minerva Theatre Chichester, and then moved for a six-week run at the Royal Court Theatre where it played through November 8, 2009. The play transferred to West End’s Noel Coward Theatre in January 2010.

Headlong Theatre, Chichester Festival Theatre and Royal Court Theatre production of ENRON will be produced on Broadway by Jeffrey Richards, Jerry Frankel, Matthew Byam Shaw, Act Productions, Caro Newling for Neal St. Productions and The Shubert Organization.

Lucy Prebble won the George Devine Award and the Critics’ Circle Award for Most Promising Playwright for her debut play The Sugar Syndrome at the Royal Court Theatre. On television, her work includes creating the series Secret Diary of a Call Girl. ENRON is her second play.

Rupert Goold’s previous productions include Minerva Theatre Chichester’s staging of Macbeth with Patrick Stewart (that transferred to the West End and Broadway) and Six Characters in Search of an Author.  Additional credits include Time and the Conways at the National Theatre, Pete Postlethwaite in King Lear, and West End productions of Pinter’s No Man’s Land and Oliver! (currently at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane).  He most recently directed Turandot for English National Opera which opened at the London Coliseum in October.                                         

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ROUNDABOUT THEATRE COMPANY

SONDHEIM ON SONDHEIM
Star
VANESSA WILLIAMS
To co-host ABC’s “The View”
Monday, March 8th
11:00AM-12:00PM

Sondheim on Sondheim begins previews begin March 19th, 2010 on Broadway at Studio 54

On Monday, March 8th, Vanessa Williams, one of the stars of Broadway’s Sondheim on Sondheim, will co-host ABC’s “The View” from 11:00AM-12:00PM. 

Williams is currently in rehearsals for Roundabout Theatre Company’s upcoming Broadway production of Sondheim on Sondheim, also starring Barbara Cook, Tom Wopat, Leslie Kritzer, Norm Lewis, Euan Morton, Erin Mackey & Matthew Scott.  Music & lyrics are by Stephen Sondheim and the production is conceived & directed by James Lapine.

Sondheim on Sondheim will begin previews onMarch 19th, 2010 and open officially April 22nd, 2010 at Studio 54 on Broadway (254 West 54th Street).  This will be a limited engagement through Sunday, June 13th, 2010.

Sondheim brought us Into The Woods, Company, Sweeney Todd, A Little Night Music, Sunday in the Park with George, A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum, West Side Story and Gypsy (to name a few). By writing songs that reflect the complexity of his characters, he has changed the way we define a great musical. But even though millions of fans know his songs by heart, few know much about Stephen Sondheim himself. Until now. Roundabout presents Sondheim On Sondheim, an intimate portrait of the famed composer in his own words... and music. Through the use of exclusive interview footage, you’ll get an inside look at Sondheim’s personal life and artistic process. An ensemble cast of Broadway’s best will perform brand-new arrangements of over two dozen Sondheim tunes, ranging from the beloved to the obscure. Directed by frequent Sondheim collaborator James Lapine, this unique experience will take you inside the life and mind of an ordinary New Yorker… with an extraordinary talent.

Sondheim on Sondheim creative team includes David Loud (Music Direction & Arrangements) and Dan Knechtges (Musical Staging).  The design team includes Beowulf Boritt (Sets), Susan Hilferty (Costumes), Ken Billington (Lights), Dan Moses Schreier (Sound) and Peter Flaherty (Projections).

TICKET INFORMATION:
Tickets are available by calling Roundabout Ticket Services at (212)719-1300, online at www.roundabouttheatre.org or at the Studio 54 Box Office (254 West 54th Street).  To become a Roundabout subscriber visit www.roundabouttheatre.org or call Roundabout Ticket Services (212)719-1300.  Ticket prices range from $36.50-$126.50.

PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE:
Sondheim on Sondheim willplay Tuesday through Saturday evenings at 8:00PM with a Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday matinee at 2:00PM. 

www.roundabouttheatre.org

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