Howard Harris News

Benny Andersson and Bj?rn Ulvaeus' Broadway smash hit musical MAMMA MIA! will be honored with a Tony's DiNapoli 'Broadway Wall of Fame' portrait to be unveiled on Wednesday, March 25th, 2009 at the Times Square restaurant (147 West 43rd Street at Broadway).

The Banks children from Mary Poppins ?popped in? on Wednesday, March 11 to make an appearance at the Chicago Convention & Tourism Bureau?s Annual Meeting of Membership Luncheon at McCormick Place Convention Center. Backstage, Chicagoan Abigail Droeger (Jane Banks) and Christopher Flaim (Michael Banks) met Mayor Richard M. Daley. MARY POPPINS began previews March 11 and will open on March 25, 2009 at the Cadillac Palace Theatre for a limited engagement through July 12, 2009.

The North American National Tour of Mary Poppins commences in Chicago on March 11, 2009 with preview performances. The show opens on March 25, 2009 with the two original Broadway stars, Ashley Brown as 'Mary Poppins' and Gavin Lee as 'Bert.'

Broadway In Chicago and producers Cameron Mackintosh and Thomas Schumacher are delighted to announce that MARY POPPINS will be extending its stay at the Cadillac Palace Theatre through July 12, 2009. Tickets for newly announced performances from May 20 to July 12, 2009 will go on sale March 13, 2009 at 10 a.m. Individual tickets for performances are available for as low as $23. In addition, MARY POPPINS will have special Sunday evening performances at 6:30 p.m. throughout the Chicago engagement.

The international tour of 'MAMMA MIA!' will play at the Metro Radio Arena Newcastle for 4 weeks only from 12 December 2009 to 10 January 2010, with a gala press night on Tuesday 15 December. This will be the show's first visit to Newcastle and the International Tour's only UK date in 2009. Producer Judy Craymer says, '2008 was a phenomenal year for 'MAMMA MIA!', and I am thrilled that 2009 will end on another high with this exclusive UK engagement. Thanks to the support of the NewcastleGateshead Initiative, I am really looking forward to bringing 'MAMMA MIA!' to Newcastle.'

Center Theatre Group's 2009-2010 season at the Ahmanson Theatre is a yearlong celebration of big, lush Broadway hits, including four Tony Award-winning musicals, the 2008 winner of the Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award for Best Play, and a rare, limited engagement of two stage virtuosos.

Broadway In Chicago and producers Cameron Mackintosh and Thomas Schumacher are pleased to announce full casting for the eagerly anticipated North American National Tour of MARY POPPINS. Performances begin Wednesday, March 11, 2009 at Chicago's Cadillac Palace Theatre (151 W. Randolph St.) in preparation for a Wednesday, March 25 opening night. In addition to this Chicago engagement, productions of MARY POPPINS are currently running in NY and on tour in the UK. As previously announced, the show's two original Broadway stars, Ashley Brown and Gavin Lee, will be reprising their roles as Mary Poppins and Bert respectively on the tour.

Benny Andersson and Bj?rn Ulvaeus' global smash hit musical MAMMA MIA! welcomed Brandi Burkhardt to the Broadway cast as bride-to-be 'Sophie Sheridan' when she began performances at the Winter Garden Theatre on Tuesday, January 27th, 2009. Burkhardt was a guest on WGHT Radio's 'CURTAIN CALL with Teisha Bader'. Burkhardt made her Broadway debut earlier this season when she created the role of 'Lucie Manette' in the world premiere musical A Tale of Two Cities. She also starred as 'Daisy Mae' in Lil' Abner for the Los Angeles Reprise series and as 'Emma' in the international touring production of Jekyll & Hyde: Resurrection.

Seen by over 32 million people around the world, MAMMA MIA! is celebrating 6 sold out years at the Winter Garden Theatre on Broadway, and is currently playing record breaking engagements in Las Vegas and on National Tour in the United States. The original West End production has played more than 3,500 performances, an international tour has played in more than 30 foreign cities

Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus' global smash hit musical MAMMA MIA! will welcome Brandi Burkhardt to the Broadway cast as bride-to-be 'Sophie Sheridan' when she begins performances at the Winter Garden Theatre on Tuesday, January 27th, 2009. Allison Case will play her final performance in the role on Sunday, January 25th.

The Old Vic announced a new line up of productions for 2009 that will begin in January with the World Premiere of the new play, COMPLICIT by Joe Sutton and directed in-the-round by Kevin Spacey. Following the hugely successful The Norman Conquests, which runs through to late December 2008, the new program brings further diversity and originality to one of London's oldest theatres.

Benny Andersson and Bj?rn Ulvaeus' global smash hit musical MAMMA MIA! will end its record-breaking engagement at Mandalay Bay Theatre this Sunday, January 4, 2009. After nearly six years on The Las Vegas Strip, MAMMA MIA! set the precedent for musicals in Las Vegas celebrating more than 2,200 performances and 2 million guests.

Benny Andersson and Bj?rn Ulvaeus' global smash hit musical MAMMA MIA! will end its record-breaking engagement at Mandalay Bay Theatre this Sunday, January 4, 2009. After nearly six years on The Las Vegas Strip, MAMMA MIA! set the precedent for musicals in Las Vegas celebrating more than 2,200 performances and 2 million guests.

Michael Attenborough will direct Steven Mackintosh and David Morrissey in the European premiere of Neil LaBute's three hander, In a Dark Dark House, which runs at the Almeida from November 20th -January 17th, with press night on November 27th. In a Dark Dark House is designed by Lez Brotherston, with lighting by Howard Harrison and sound by Howard Wood. Final casting will be announced shortly.

The award-winning Broadway musical MARY POPPINS celebrates its two-year anniversary at the New Amsterdam Theatre (214 West 42nd Street) on Sunday, November 16. Produced by Cameron Mackintosh and Thomas Schumacher of Disney Theatrical Productions, the Broadway production has grossed over $100 million to date and will have played 837 performances by Sunday.

Broadway In Chicago and producers Thomas Schumacher of Disney Theatrical Productions and Cameron Mackintosh announced today that tickets for the long-awaited production of MARY POPPINS will go on sale to the public Friday, November 14, 2008 with a special public pre-sale at 8 a.m. at the Cadillac Palace Theatre box office. Telephone ticketing lines, internet (ticketmaster.com), and other box office outlets will have tickets available to the public beginning at 10 a.m. The eagerly anticipated North American National Tour will begin performances at Chicago's Cadillac Palace Theatre March 11, 2009. Original Broadway stars Ashley Brown and Gavin Lee, along with the entire original creative team, will reunite to bring this magical story of the world's most famous nanny to audiences around North America.

People opening up the playbills of the Broadway production of MARY POPPINS will find inside a flyer soliciting them for their possible participation in SUPERNANNY, a reality TV show starring Jo Frost that helps parents deal with their tough-to-handle children.

The Old Vic announced a new line up of productions for 2009 that will begin in January with the World Premiere of the new play, COMPLICIT by Joe Sutton and directed in-the-round by Kevin Spacey. Following the hugely successful The Norman Conquests, which runs through to late December 2008, the new program brings further diversity and originality to one of London's oldest theatres.

On October 9th, 2008 Olivier-nominee Scarlett Strallen and ADAM FIORENTINO (in their Broadway debuts as Mary Poppins and Bert, respectively), were welcomed to the company of the award-winning musical Mary Poppins at the New Amsterdam Theatre (214 West 42nd Street). After their debuts the two celebrated at Sardi's Restaurant in New York City.

The 2009 season at the Almeida Theatre will include five premieres, two major revivals and a Shakespeare.