Kismet Revival 00/00/0000 - Articles Page 2

Previous Olivier Award-winners Michael Ball and Imelda Staunton are to host the 2011 Olivier Awards with MasterCard at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane on 13 March. The pair, who will preside over the most glamorous ceremony in years, are no strangers to the Olivier Awards. Ball won the coveted Best Actor in a Musical Award in 2009 while Staunton is a double winner, having picked up the famous bronze statuette in 1985 and 1991. Both hugely experienced stage performers, Staunton and Ball's presenting double-act comes ahead of their joint appearance on stage in Chichester Festival Theatre's revival of Sondheim's Sweeney Todd this September. Treasured as much for her screen work as her stage appearances, Staunton is a BAFTA-winning actress with a vast body of work behind her. Such is her versatility that musicals Into The Woods, Guys And Dolls and Mack And Mabel sit on her CV alongside plays Life X 3, There Came A Gypsy Riding, Uncle Vanya and, most recently, Entertaining Mr Sloane in the West End. On screen, Staunton has starred in numerous films including Shakespeare In Love, Much Ado About Nothing, Sense And Sensibility and Vera Drake - for which she won a BAFTA and received an Oscar nomination - as well as the hugely popular television serial Cranford. Before heading to Chichester, Staunton returns to the London stage in A Delicate Balance at the Almeida theatre this May. Ball will be adding Olivier Awards host to a resume that already includes actor, producer, radio and TV presenter and recording artist. Since making his West End debut in the original production of Les Miserables in 1985, Ball has appeared in a variety of high profile West End productions, including Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom Of The Opera, The Woman In White and Aspects Of Love, Stephen Sondheim's Passion and family musical Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. He made his opera debut at the London Coliseum in 2007 in Kismet and has appeared several times on Broadway. In 2008 he famously donned drag to play the loveable role of Edna Turnblad in Hairspray, a performance which earned him an Olivier Award. On top of that, Ball has released 12 solo albums, represented Great Britain in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1992, toured all over the world and, since 2008, presented Michael Ball's Sunday Brunch on BBC Radio 2. In 2010 he turned producer by co-producing the musical Love Story in the West End. Theatre fans who want to see Staunton and Ball in action can purchase tickets to the Olivier Awards, either by MasterCard through www.olivierawards.com or with cash, Theatre Tokens or MasterCard in person at the tkts booths in Leicester Square and Brent Cross.

Reprise Theatre Company presents Barbara Cook in Concert. It will have one performance only on Monday, May 16 at 8:00 pm, at UCLA's Freud Playhouse. Barbara Cook in Concert is the latest in Reprise Theatre Company's tradition of presenting Broadway stars and legendary entertainers in concert, which have included Patti LuPone, Carol Burnett, Sutton Foster, Ben Vereen, Kristin Chenoweth, and Brian Stokes Mitchell.

According to a report by Baz Bamigboye in UK Daily Mail, Alfie Boe is in talks with Cameron Mackintosh to reprise the role of Val Jean in the West End next year. When approached about the engagement, Boe replied, 'It's something that might well happen.'

Cameron Mackintosh is delighted to announce the casting of his highly acclaimed new 25th anniversary production of Les Misérables making its United States premiere at Paper Mill Playhouse prior to a major US National Tour. The all new production of Les Misérables features glorious new staging and spectacular reimagined scenery inspired by the paintings of Victor Hugo.

Stephanie J. Block, Broadway star of '9 to 5: The Musical,' 'Wicked,' 'The Pirate Queen,' and 'The Boy From Oz,' will star opposite Jason Alexander, Artistic Director of Reprise Theatre Company, in 'They're Playing Our Song,' the opening production of the company's 2010-2011 season, playing September 28 to October 10 (press opening September 29) at UCLA's Freud Playhouse.

Stephanie J. Block, Broadway star of '9 to 5: The Musical,' 'Wicked,' 'The Pirate Queen,' and 'The Boy From Oz,' will star opposite Jason Alexander, Artistic Director of Reprise Theatre Company, in 'They're Playing Our Song,' the opening production of the company's 2010-2011 season, playing September 28 to October 10 (press opening September 29) at UCLA's Freud Playhouse.

The New York Philharmonic will present SONDHEIM: The Birthday Concert on March 15 and Tuesday, March 16, 2010, at 7:30 p.m. This celebration of the 80th birthday of the great Broadway and film composer/lyricist will include his most enduring orchestral music and songs - performed, in some cases, by the stars of the original Broadway cast productions - in addition to rarely-heard material. Joining the celebration will be (in alphabetical order) Michael Cerveris, Victoria Clark, Jason Danieley, Nathan Gunn, George Hearn, Patti LuPone, Marin Mazzie, Audra McDonald, Donna Murphy, Mandy Patinkin, Bernadette Peters, and others to be announced, including surprise guests. Paul Gemignani, Mr. Sondheim's longtime collaborator, will conduct the New York Philharmonic; Lonny Price is the director; and Mr. Price and Matt Cowart are the producers.

The New York Philharmonic will present SONDHEIM: The Birthday Concert on March 15 and Tuesday, March 16, 2010, at 7:30 p.m. This celebration of the 80th birthday of the great Broadway and film composer/lyricist will include his most enduring orchestral music and songs - performed, in some cases, by the stars of the original Broadway cast productions - in addition to rarely-heard material. Joining the celebration will be (in alphabetical order) Michael Cerveris, Victoria Clark, Jason Danieley, Nathan Gunn, George Hearn, Patti LuPone, Marin Mazzie, Audra McDonald, Donna Murphy, Mandy Patinkin, Bernadette Peters, and others to be announced, including surprise guests. Paul Gemignani, Mr. Sondheim's longtime collaborator, will conduct the New York Philharmonic; Lonny Price is the director; and Mr. Price and Matt Cowart are the producers.

Producer Howard Panter for Ambassador Theatre Group and co-producers Tulchin/Bartner/Jenkins, Bill Kenwright, Northwater Entertainment, Darren Bagert, and Tom Gregory announced the complete cast and design team for the new Broadway production of the greatest musical comedy GUYS AND DOLLS. The first joint Broadway project by two-time Tony Award winning director Des McAnuff and choreographer Sergio Trujillo since their collaboration on the Tony Award winning musical Jersey Boys, GUYS AND DOLLS will begin previews on February 3, 2009 at Broadway's newly refurbished Nederlander Theatre (208 West 41st Street). Opening Night is March 1, 2009.

Producer Howard Panter for Ambassador Theatre Group and co-producers Tulchin/Bartner/Jenkins, Bill Kenwright, Darren Bagert, and Tom Gregory announced today that Craig Bierko (Tony Award nominee for The Music Man; Scary Movie 4) will star as 'Sky Masterson' and Kate Jennings Grant (Proof) will also star as 'Sarah Brown' in the new Broadway production of the greatest musical comedy GUYS AND DOLLS.

LAUREN GRAHAM (Golden Globe Award nominee for 'Gilmore Girls') will appear as 'Miss Adelaide' opposite Oliver Platt's 'Nathan Detroit' in the new Broadway production of GUYS AND DOLLS.

A new production of GUYS AND DOLLS, directed by Tony-winner Des McAnuff will begin previews on February 3, 2009 at Broadway's Nederlander Theatre. Opening Night is March 1.

Today it was announced that GUYS AND DOLLS will open on Broadway for the first time in 17 years in the spring of 2009 at a Nederlander Theatre to be announced. With music and lyrics by Frank Loesser and book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows, this production is the first joint Broadway project by director Des McAnuff and Sergio Trujillo since Jersey Boys.

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