{module ad_london_hotels}Nine 2011 Tony Awards say it's the Best Musical of the Year.  Vogue says, “It's the funniest musical of all time.”  The New York Times says, “It's the best musical of this century.”  It's The Book of Mormon, the Broadway phenomenon from South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone and Avenue Q co-creator Robert Lopez.  Time Out New York calls it “Musical comedy heaven. The most exuberantly entertaining Broadway musical.”

Book, Music and Lyrics by Trey Parker, Robert Lopez and Matt Stone
Directed by Casey Nicholaw and Trey Parker
Choreographed by Casey Nicholaw
Set Design by Scott Pask
Costume Design by Ann Roth
Lighting Design by Brian MacDevitt
Sound Design by Brian Ronan
Orchestrations by Larry Hochman and Stephen Oremus
Music Supervision and Vocal Arrangements by Stephen Oremus 

The Book of Mormon will be produced in the West End by Anne Garefino, Scott Rudin and Sonia Friedman Productions. 

Further information on the production will be announced in September. 

Get The Book of Mormon Tickets 

Website:       www.bookofmormonlondon.com
Twitter:         @bookofmormonldn
Facebook:     The Book of Mormon – West End

{module ad_london_flights}

{module ad_london_hotels}The production will be directed by Richard Eyre, with design by Tim Hatley. It will play the Theatre Royal Brighton (8 – 12 January) and the Theatre Royal Bath (14 - 19  January) before beginning previews in the West End on 23 January at Wyndham’s Theatre (press night Tuesday 29 January).

Further cast to be announced.

Set in the 1960s in an English language school for foreigners, this tragicomic play is a humorous but ultimately moving account of several years in the lives of seven teachers.

 At the heart of the group is St. John Quartermaine (Rowan Atkinson) – kind, pleasant and agreeable, but utterly hopeless as a teacher. An almost permanent feature in the staff room, he's always available to listen to the problems of his self-obsessed colleagues. But when a new Principal is appointed, Quartermaine’s future looks precarious...

This quintessentially British drama is written by Simon Gray with his characteristic sparkling wit.

Rowan Atkinson first came to national attention in the late 1970s in the renowned Amnesty International show The Secret Policeman’s Ball and in the BBC satirical comedy series Not the Nine O’Clock News. In 1983, Rowan and writer Richard Curtis created their “situation tragedy” The Black Adder for the BBC: that series and the three subsequent written by Richard and Ben Elton won a host of awards, including personal awards for Rowan’s performance.

His most famous character, Mr Bean, first emerged in Rowan’s 1980s stage revues and was developed into a television series with Richard Curtis and Robin Driscoll. Mr Bean has been screened in over 240 countries and transformed into an animated series and two feature films that Rowan co-produced, Bean and Mr Bean’s Holiday. Other films include Never Say Never Again, The Lion King (for which he provided the voice of Zazu), The Witches, Four Weddings and a Funeral, Johnny English, Love Actually and Johnny English Reborn.

Quartermaine’s Terms will be Rowan Atkinson’s first appearance in a play for almost 25 years. He first appeared in the West End in 1981 in Rowan Atkinson in Revue, also produced by Michael Codron, for which he won a SWET award, and subsequently in The New Revue, The Nerd, The Sneeze and most recently as Fagin in Sir Cameron Mackintosh’s revival of the musical Oliver!, for which he received an Olivier Award nomination.

Richard Eyre’s productions as Artistic Director of the National Theatre (1988–97) included Guys and Dolls, The Beggar’s Opera, Hamlet, Racing Demon, Richard III, Night of the Iguana, Skylight, La Grande Magia, John Gabriel Borkman, Amy’s View, King Lear and The Invention of Love. Since then theatre and opera work includes The Crucible and Mary Poppins (West End, Broadway), Nozze di Figaro (Aix-en-Provence), Vincent in Brixton (RNT, West End, Broadway), The Reporter and The Observer (RNT), Private Lives (West End and Broadway), A Flea in Her Ear (Old Vic) The Last of the Duchess (Hampstead) and his own adaptations of Les Mains sales and Hedda Gabler (Almeida) and Carmen (Metropolitan Opera, New York). Film work includes Tumbledown, Suddenly Last Summer, The Ploughman’s Lunch, Iris, Stage Beauty and Notes on a Scandal. He adapted and directed Henry IV Parts One and Two for the BBC’s Shakespeare Season.  His books include National Service, a journal of his time at the RNT and Talking Theatre. He has received numerous major awards; in 2011 Richard was made a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and was knighted in 1997

Tim Hatley has won two Olivier Awards and two Tony Awards for stage design. His West End and Broadway theatre credits include Betty Blue Eyes, Shrek the Musical, Spamalot, Private Lives, Suddenly Last Summer and The Crucible. His credits for the National Theatre include Timon of Athens, Welcome to Thebes, Rafta Rafta, Present Laughter, Henry V, The Talking Cure, Vincent in Brixton, Humble Boy, Stanley, Hamlet, Sleep with Me, Darker Face of the Earth, Flight, Caucasian Chalk Circle & Out of a house… (with Complicite). Opera credits include La Traviata (Vlaamse Opera), Figaro (Aix-en-Provence), Love for 3 Oranges (Cologne), Carmen, Orpheus in the Underworld, Return of Ulysees (Opera North), Ariadne auf Naxos & Il Trovatore (Scottish Opera). His film credits include Stage Beauty (2003 dir Richard Eyre), Closer (2004 dir Mike Nichols) and Notes on a Scandal (2006 dir Richard Eyre).

Simon Gray’s many stage plays include Wise Child, Butley, Otherwise Engaged, The Common Pursuit, The Late Middle Classes and The Old Masters. He was also a novelist and screenwriter. Gray published several volumes of diaries, which he adapted for the stage, with Hugh Whitemore, as The Last Cigarette.

Get Quartermaine's Terms Tickets

For more information, visit www.quartermainesterms.com

Press night will be held on Tuesday 29th January 2013 at 7pm at Wyndham’s Theatre, London WC2.

-ENDS-

{module ad_london_flights}

LISTINGS:
Quartermaine’s Terms
By Simon Gray
Directed by Richard Eyre
Starring Rowan Atkinson

WEST END

Wyndham’s Theatre
Charing Cross Road
London
WC2H 0DA

First preview: 23 January 2013
Press night: 29 January 2013
Booking until: 13 April 2013
Box office: 0844 482 5120

Get Quartermaine's Terms Tickets
www.quartermainesterms.com

Mon- Sat 7.30pm
Matinees Thu & Sat 2.30pm

Tickets £25, £35, £45, £58.50
Premium tickets are also available

TOUR

Theatre Royal Brighton
New Road, Brighton, BN1 1SD
Box Office 08448 717 650
www.atgtickets.com/Brighton
8-12 January

Bath Theatre Royal
Sawclose, Bath, BA1 1ET
Box Office 01225 448844
www.theatreroyal.org.uk
14-19 January

NOTES TO EDITORS:
Quartermaine’s Terms was originally produced by Michael Codron, directed by Harold Pinter, at Queen’s Theatre, Shaftesbury Avenue in 1981.

{module ad_left_body}The event is a celebration of outstanding student achievement in vocal, dance and acting. Students will perform songs from the role that earned them top honors at their regional high school musical theater awards competitions. The complete list of participating regional theaters is available at www.nhsmta.com.

Winners of the Jimmy Awards are chosen by a panel of industry experts including Scott Ellis (Roundabout Theatre Company); Kent Gash (New Studio on Broadway, NYU Tisch School of the Arts Department of Drama); Tony Award-nominee Montego Glover (Memphis); Rachel Hoffman (Telsey + Company); Alecia Parker (NAMCO); Nick Scandalios (Nederlander Organization) and Bernie Telsey (Telsey + Company and MCC Theater).

The 4th Annual National High School Musical Theater Awards will be the subject of the upcoming PBS documentary, “BROADWAY OR BUST,” premiering in September.

Tickets to the performance on Monday, June 25 at 7:30 pm, at the Minskoff Theatre, are available at Ticketmaster.com.  Ticket prices are as follows: $250 (Premium Orchestra), $130 (Orchestra Center A - S), $99 (Orchestra Sides A - L), $59 (Orchestra Sides O - V), $30 (All Sections Rows W - ZZZ).  Group and student discounts are available at Nederlander Sales & Patron Services by calling 800–714-8452. Ticket purchases help to support The National High School Musical Theater Awards.

For more information on the National High School Musical Theater Awards:

www.nhsmta.com

BIOS

CONSTANTINE MAROULIS (Host) played the lead role in a three-year run in Broadway’s Rock of Ages and received a Best Actor Tony nomination and a Drama League nomination for his performance. Constantine made his Broadway debut in the Tony-Nominated production of The Wedding Singer and played the title role in the hit production of Toxic Avenger at the Alley Theatre in Houston, Texas through this spring.Constantine was a finalist on the fourth season of American Idol. He played the role of Roger Davis in the national tour of RENT. Constantine co-starred in the critically acclaimed Off-Broadway production of Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris. He was a series regular on the CBS daytime drama The Bold and The Beautiful, which featured original songs from his debut album “Constantine,” released on his own label, Sixth Place Records. Other television credits include Law & Order, The Tonight Show, America’s Got Talent, Dancing with the Stars, The Today Show, Good Morning America, Conan, Ellen, Regis & Kelly, MTV and many more. In 2011, he was presented with both The Gabby Award and The Elios Award, which recognizes the excellence Greek Americans have achieved in various fields. Constantine will appear in the Warner Brothers feature film, Rock of Ages starring Tom Cruise this spring. Constantine graduated from the Boston Conservatory and apprenticed at The Williamstown Theatre Festival. @ConstantineM

DEBORAH COX (Host) is a multi-platinum selling and a multi-talented entertainer, Cox has conquered the R&B and pop charts, including six top-20 Billboard R&B singles, an impressive eleven #1 hits on Billboard's Hot Dance Club Play chart and the lead role in Elton John and Tim Rice's Broadway musical, Aida.  While singing with Celine Dion, Cox was discovered by the infamous Clive Davis and instantly signed to Arista records. Her gold selling debut album Deborah Cox was released in 1995.  In 1998 she followed up with the release of her second CD One Wish.  From this CD came the double platinum “Nobody’s Supposed To Be Here” which held the record for being the longest running #1 R&B Single for 14 consecutive weeks and earned her a Lady of Soul and a Soul Train Award. Her second single “We Can’t Be Friends” also went to #1 on Billboard's singles chart and sold over 500,000 copies. “Things Just Ain’t The Same” and “It’s Over Now” followed.  Deborah has sung with Andrea Bocelli, toured with David Foster, Cyndi Lauper and Sarah Mac Lachlan with Lilith Fair. She was also invited to perform for First Lady Michelle Obama and most recently President Obama. In 2000 Deborah collaborated with Whitney Houston to record the duet “Same Script Different Cast” for her Greatest Hits CD.  Her third album, “The Morning After” was released in 2002 with “Up & Down (In & Out)” co-written with Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis. In 2003, her fourth album “Remixed” was releasedfeaturing her Billboard chart topping dance remixes. In 2012, Deborah garnered her 11th number one Billboard Dance single with “If It Wasn’t For Love”.   In addition to roles in both film and television, Deborah also released her fifth album, a Grammy nominated tribute album “Destination Moon” to the legendary Dinah Washington in 2007 (Universal). That same year she also received The Civil Rights Award from the New York Senate for her efforts in the fight for Human Rights and equality. In 2008, she formed Deco Recording Group and released her sixth studio album The Promise, where she earned her 10th  #1 spot on the Billboard Dance Chart with the international hit “Beautiful U R”. Behind the scenes, Deborah has recorded singles for several film soundtracks including Akeelah and the Bee, “Hotel Rwanda, Kingdom Come, Money Talks, A Good Man is Hard To Find and Tyler Perry’s “Meet the Browns.”

JAMES M. NEDERLANDER, or Jimmy as he is known in the theatrical community, is the Chairman of the Nederlander Producing Company of America Inc. For over 60 years, he has been the producer of distinguished entertainment for which he has received 34 nominations and won 11 Tony® Awards for Best Production of a musical or play and has presented artists ranging from Nureyev to Sinatra to Billy Joel to U2. The Broadway League recently bestowed the Gerald Schoenfeld Vision for the Arts in Education Award to Jimmy for establishing The National High School Musical Theater Awards.

THE NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL THEATER AWARDS (NHSMTA)/JIMMY AWARDS was created to elevate the profile of in-school arts education across America, provide college scholarships and create a pathway connecting promising young performers to the professional theater industry. 1,000 high schools and 50,000 teenagers nationwide participate in the program annually. Students who win the lead actor and actress awards at their regional high school musical theater awards competitions convene in New York City for 5-days of private coaching and rehearsals at the New Studio on Broadway, NYU Tisch School of the Arts Department of Drama in preparation for their Broadway debut at The Jimmy Awards. The program was founded in 2009 by Pittsburgh CLO and Nederlander Alliances LLC, under the leadership of James L. Nederlander, and is produced by The Broadway Education Alliance in association with Pittsburgh CLO. It has been supported by The National Endowment for the Arts, The Broadway League, The Shubert Organization and other industry organizations and foundations committed to nurturing future artists and audiences. The Jimmy™ Award is named for James M. Nederlander, the legendary Broadway theater owner, in honor of his vision and generous support of young artists. For more information please visit www.nhsmta.com.

BROADWAY EDUCATION ALLIANCE is a not-for-profit corporation dedicated to supporting the theatre industry through the development of coalition programs between performing arts institutions and philanthropic partnerships with public and private entities. The mission is to raise awareness around and fund arts education programs and provide services that inspire creativity, build confidence and stimulate thinking in American’s youth. The organization is a member of the New York Institute of Technology’s Education Enterprise Zone®. 

PITTSBURGH CLO has been the driving force behind live musical theater in Pittsburgh and the Southwestern Pennsylvania region since 1946.  Under the direction of Van Kaplan since 1997, this not-for-profit arts organization appreciates the support of nearly 200,000 patrons each year and produces a subscription series, educational programs and develops and invests in new works and national tours, including 13 Broadway shows (13 Tony® Awards) including the current production of Evita and the national tour of The Addams Family.  The organization’s dedication to the musical theater art form includes programs such as the CLO Academy, the CLO Mini Stars, the Gene Kelly Awards, the Richard Rodgers Award, the Construction Center for the Arts, the CLO Cabaret and The National High School Musical Theater Awards.

NYU Tisch School of the Arts Department of Drama integrates a combination of rigorous professional theatre training and broad-ranging academic education.  In partnership with some of the country’s foremost professional theatre training institutions, the program offers comprehensive theatre courses in acting, directing, musical performance, design, and theatre production. The program also offers an expansive and innovative academic curriculum.  The faculty is composed of nationally and internationally recognized theatre artists, scholars, and theorists.  The curriculum is further enriched by required courses in the humanities and social sciences.  An extensive internship program connects students to the professional theatre community of New York City.  The program is complemented by challenging and innovative productions that welcome guest artists from a range of culture and artistic perspectives.  Graduates of the program include Alec Baldwin ’94, Kristen Bell ’02, Raúl Esparza ’92, Philip Seymour Hoffman ’89, Bryce Dallas Howard ’03, Felicity Huffman ’88, Dan Jinks ’85, Moisés Kaufman ’89, John Leguizamo ’83, Michael Longoria ’02, Idina Menzel ’93, Molly Shannon ’87, and Chandra Wilson ’91.

###

{module ad_left_body}Follow endofrainbowbwy on Foursquare (https://foursquare.com/endofrainbowbwy) to access the tour “tips.” 

Two-time Olivier Award-winner and 2012 Tony® Award-nominee Tracie Bennett stars as Judy Garland in End of the Rainbow, the acclaimed new play by Peter Quilter, leading a cast that features 2012 Tony® Award-nominee Michael Cumpsty, Tom Pelphrey and Jay Russell. Directed by Tony® Award winner Terry Johnson, End of the Rainbow began performances on Monday, March 19, 2012 and opened to rave reviews on Monday, April 2.    For tickets and playing schedule, please visit telecharge.com.

End of the Rainbow is produced on Broadway by Lee Dean, Laurence Myers, Joey Parnes, Ellis Goodman, Chase Mishkin, Shadowcatcher Entertainment/Alhadeff Productions, National Angels U.S. Inc., Charles Diamond/Jenny Topper, Myla Lerner/Barbara & Buddy Freitag, Spring Sirkin/Candy Gold,  Hilary Williams, and S.D. Wagner,  John Johnson, in association with Guthrie Theater.

Tracie Bennett Sings Judy: Songs from End of the Rainbow and Other Garland Classics is now available on Masterworks Broadway.

#  #  #  #

www.EndOfTheRainbowBroadway.com
www.twitter.com/EndofRainbowBWY
www.facebook.com/EndoftheRainbowBroadway
https://foursquare.com/endofrainbowbwy 

www.oandmco.com
www.twitter.com/oandmco

{module ad_left_body}Casting directors are seeking to fill the iconic lead role of Ralphie and his troupe of friends and classmates, including: Randy, Flick, Schwartz, Scut Farcus, Grover Dill, Mary Beth, and Esther Jane.   Children should be extraordinary actors, singers, and dancers and no more than 4’11” in height. Those auditioning should prepare a brief, rhythmic, classic Broadway song that shows off voice and personality.  Bring sheet music in the correct key.  An accompanist will be provided but may not transpose.  Please bring a photo and resume.  Boys voices should be unchanged.

A Christmas Story, The Musical! begins rehearsals in NYC October 1.  The production will run on Broadway from November 6, 2012 – December 30, 2012

*  *  *

A Christmas Story, The Musical! will arrive on Broadway this holiday season. The producers have announced that the new musical, based on the 1983 holiday movie perennial, will play a November – December 2012 holiday run at Broadway theatre to be announced.   Performances will begin Tuesday, November 6. Opening night is Monday, November 19.

America’s #1 Christmas movie came to life on stage as a hilarious holiday musical when A Christmas Story, The Musical! launched a national holiday season tour in  2011 with stops in Hershey, PA; Detroit, MI; Raleigh, NC; Tampa, FL; and Chicago, IL;  The musical features a bright holiday score by composer/lyricist team Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, and a book by Joseph Robinette based on the writings of radio humorist Jean Shepherd and the 1983 holiday film favorite. Tony Award winner John Rando (Urinetown) directed the production with Warren Carlyle (Follies, An Evening With Hugh Jackman) choreographing.

The Chicago Tribune called A Christmas Story, The Musical! “a moving and satisfying Broadway-calliber show,”  while the Chicago Sun Times called it “an enchanting holiday gem…an altogether beguiling …luminous musical comedy,” and Variety called it “a slick, undeniably enjoyable musical.”  The Detroit Free Press raved “the cast practically triple-dog-dares-you not to enjoy yourself. The musical numbers, penned by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, bring to mind classic musicals” and Time Out Chicago said “A Christmas Story, The Musical! has the potential to be a new perennial favorite.” 

The story from a cherished movie classic that’s enchanted millions is now a musical spectacular. In 1940’s Indiana, a bespectacled boy named Ralphie has a big imagination and one wish for Christmas—a Red Ryder BB Gun. A kooky leg lamp, outrageous pink bunny pajamas, a cranky department store Santa, and a triple-dog-dare to lick a freezing flagpole are just a few of the obstacles that stand between Ralphie and his Christmas dream. Produced by the film’s original Ralphie, Peter Billingsley, A Christmas Story, The Musical! is holiday entertainment that captures a simpler time in America with delicious wit and a heart of gold.

Peter Billingsley joins commercial producers Gerald Goehring (Frankenstein: The Musical), Roy Miller (West Side Story revival, The Drowsy Chaperone), Michael F. Mitri (Frankenstein: The Musical), Pat Flicker Addiss (Promises, Promises; Spring Awakening), Mariano Tolentino, Louise H. Beard, Michael Filerman, Scott Hart, Timothy Laczynski, Bartner/Jenkins Entertainment, Angela Milonas, Bradford W. Smith.

{module ad_london_flights}Simon Reade has previously adapted Michael Morpurgo's Toro! Toro! for Salisbury Playhouse, The Mozart Question for Scamp Theatre’s UK tour, Twist of Gold for Polka Theatre and he wrote the BBC radio play and feature film screenplay of Private Peaceful . His other plays include Philip Pullman's The Scarecrow and His Servant for Southwark Playhouse, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland for Bristol Old Vic for which he won the TMA Award, Pride & Prejudice for Theatre Royal Bath Productions, and Ted Hughes' Tales from Ovid and Salman Rushdie's Midnight's Children both for the Royal Shakespeare Company.

The National Theatre presents Private Peaceful, a Scamp Theatre production in association with Poonamallee Productions, by arrangement with the Theatre Royal Haymarket. 

The National Theatre’s award-winning production of Michael Morpurgo’s War Horse is currently playing at the New London Theatre, booking to 26 October 2013.  War Horse is also playing on Broadway and in Toronto.  An Australian production will open later this year as well as an American Tour.  In autumn 2013 a UK Tour is due to commence.  Private Peaceful plays at the Theatre Royal Haymarket whilst the current cast of One Man, Two Guvnors take a contractual holiday.

Listings Information

Address:                                Theatre Royal Haymarket, Haymarket, London, SW1Y 4HT
Dates:                              18 - 29 September 2012
Performance schedule:         Tues 18 September 7.30pm
Wed 19 September 2.30pm and 7.30pm
Thu 20 September 7.30pm
Fri 21 September 7.30pm
Sat 22 September 2.30pm and 7.30pm
Mon 24 September 7.30pm
Tue 25 September 7.30pm
Wed 26 September 2.30pm and 7.30pm
Thu 27 September 2.30pm and 7.30pm
Fri 28 September 7.30pm
Sat 29 September 2.30pm and 7.30pm

Ticket prices:                     £10 - £25
Suitable for ages 8+
Get Private Peaceful Tickets
Box Office:                        National Theatre Box Office 
No booking fee
Telephone 020 7452 3000 

Theatre Royal Haymarket Box Office
Booking fees apply
Telephone 020 7930 8800

{module ad_left_body}Hosted by Emmy Award-winner Neil Patrick Harris, the evening will feature appearances by: Ellen Barkin, Candice Bergen, Matthew Broderick, Jessica Chastain, Sheryl Crow, Nick Jonas, Angela Lansbury, Ricky Martin, James Marsden, Ricky Martin, Jim Parsons, Mandy Patinkin, Tyler Perry, Trey Parker and Matt Stone, Bernadette Peters, Christopher Plummer, Paul Rudd, Amanda Seyfried, Ben Vereen among others.

The Antoinette Perry “Tony” Awards honors theatre professionals for distinguished achievement on Broadway.  This year marks the 66th anniversary of the Tony Awards, which were first held on April 6, 1947 at the Waldorf Astoria's Grand Ballroom.

For up-to-the-minute news follow The Tony Awards on Facebook.com/TheTonyAwards or Twitter.com/TheTonyAwards. 

# # #

ABOUT THE TONY AWARDS

The American Theatre Wing’s Tony Awards are presented by The Broadway League and the American Theatre Wing. At The Broadway League, Nick Scandalios is Chairman and Charlotte St. Martin is Executive Director. At the American Theatre Wing, Theodore S. Chapin is Chairman and Heather Hitchens is Executive Director. For Tony Award Productions, Alan Wasser and Allan Williams of Alan Wasser Associates are the General Managers. Ricky Kirshner and Glenn Weiss of White Cherry Entertainment are the Executive Producers of the 2012 Tony Awards. Mr. Weiss will also serve as Director of the 2012 Tony Awards.

IBM, an official information technology partner of the Tony Awards, develops, designs, and hosts the official Tony Awards website, www.TonyAwards.com.  Audemars Piguet is the presenting sponsor of the Tony Awards Red Carpet and Green Room.  United Airlines is the official airline of the Tony Awards.  Avis is the official rental car of the Tony Awards. InterContinental Hotels & Resorts is the official hotel partner of the Tony Awards, sponsor of the Creative Arts Awards and host of the Tony Nominee Luncheon, and Tony Eve Cocktail Party presenting the Tony Honors for Excellence in the Theatre. Nexxus Salon Hair Care is the official beauty partner of the Tony Awards. Royal Caribbean International is the official cruise line partner of the Tony Awards. The New York Times is the official media partner of the Tony Awards.

{module ad_left_body}“I am thrilled that such a prestigious Broadway director as Lonny Price has fallen in love with Sleepless and he will help bring this beloved story to theatergoers worldwide,” said Shor.  “The benefits of his presence as the artistic leader have already made themselves apparent as we continue to develop the show.”

“I have been looking for a true love story to direct for the musical stage for a long time,” said Price. “Needless to say, when Sleepless In Seattle – The Musical, one of the most beloved screen romances of all time was offered to me, I jumped at the opportunity.  We hope to transform this much-loved film into something as unique as a musical.”

Eric Stern (Xanadu, The Music Man, Follies) has been named the musical director of Sleepless. A new team of lyricists and composers will be announced shortly.

Sleepless has a book by Jeff Arch, who penned the film’s original story and co-wrote the screenplay, sharing 1994 Oscar, BAFTA and WGA nominations with Nora Ephron and David Ward.

Sleepless, is currently scheduled to have its World Premiere at The Pasadena Playhouse (Sheldon Epps, Artistic Director and Charles Dillingham, Interim Executive Director) in June, 2013.

Sleepless centers around Sam, a widower and single father. When Sam's son, Jonah calls into a talk radio program looking for a new mother, Sam ends up getting on the phone and laments about his lost love. Thousands of miles away in Baltimore, Annie hears the program and immediately falls in love with Sam, despite the fact that she has never met him and that she is engaged to another man. Believing they are meant to be together, Annie sets out for Seattle to meet Sam, who, meanwhile, contends with an onslaught of letters from available women equally touched by his phone call. 

The American Film Institute (AFI) lists Sleepless in Seattle among the Top 10 best romantic comedies of all time and the film grossed over 227 million dollars worldwide. The film was nominated for two Academy Awards, two BAFTA Awards, three Golden Globe Awards, four MTV Movie Awards, one Writers Guild of America Award, and won an American Comedy Award and a Casting Society of America Award. Sleepless In Seattle is based on the 1957 film “An Affair To Remember” starring Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr.

*   *   *

LONNY PRICE (Director) most recently directed the stage and film version of the New York Philharmonic’s production of Stephen Sondheim’s Company (starring Neil Patrick Harris, Stephen Colbert, Jon Cryer, Christina Hendricks, Martha Plimpton, Patti LuPone, etc.), which played in over seven hundred movie theaters across the country. He also directed the stage and filmed versions of his tribute to Stephen Sondheim, Sondheim: The Birthday Concert, for which he received the 2011 Emmy Award.

On Broadway he directed Audra McDonald in 110 in the Shade, Danny Glover in Athol Fugard’s ‘Master Harold’ ... and the Boys; Joan Rivers in Sally Marr and Her Escorts (which he co- wrote with Ms. Rivers and Erin Sanders); Jenn Colella in Urban Cowboy; and himself in A Class Act, for which he also co-wrote the book (with Linda Kline) and was nominated for a Tony Award. Some of Lonny Price’s Off-Broadway directorial work includes Kiki Baby (which he co-wrote with Grant Sturiale and Kitt Lavoie), Visiting Mr. Green, starring Eli Wallach; Beautiful Girls, starring Zoe Caldwell; Jules Feiffer’s Grown Ups, Athol Fugard’s Valley Song, and Mary Pat Gleason’s Stopping Traffic, for the Vineyard Theatre. He made his opera directing debut at the Houston Grand Opera directing Audra McDonald in Poulenc’s La Voix Humaine and Michael John LaChiusa’s Send. 

His first feature film, ‘Master Harold’ ... and the Boys, (starring Freddie Highmore and Ving Rhames), received the 2011 Best Drama Award at the New York International Film and Video Festival, as well as Lonny receiving a Best Director of a Drama award. Other television work includes Gabriel Byrne in Camelot, (Live from Lincoln Center), Candide, starring Kristin Chenoweth (Emmy nomination) and Sweeney Todd, starring Patti LuPone and George Hearn for which he won an Emmy. Mr. Price also directed the Emmy Award–winning production of Sondheim’s Passion, starring Ms. LuPone, Audra McDonald, and Michael Cerveris, as well as several episodes of ABC’s Desperate Housewives

As an actor, he appeared on and Off-Broadway in a variety of plays and musicals, including Athol Fugard’s MASTER HAROLD…and the boys, (starring James Earl Jones and Danny Glover), Stephen Sondheim’s Merrily We Roll Along, and Lanford Wilson’s Burn This. On film he is best remembered for playing Neil Kellerman, the hotel owner’s grandson in Dirty Dancing. For his acting work, he has received Obie, Theatre World, Drama League, and Drama Logue awards

DAVID SHOR (Producer) is the founder and CEO of The Shor Group of Companies headquartered in Santa Barbara, California. Shor has an extensive background in entertainment management, motion picture and live performance production. He has served as the CEO of the Shor Group of Companies for over 30 years. Shor's business advisory clients in the entertainment industry include screenwriters, producers, directors and performers across the spectrum of the industry; from major showroom acts in Las Vegas, to world-renowned "cirque" performers, to movie production, to screenwriters, to event productions. Shor has raised and managed tens of millions of dollars on behalf of his clients. Shor has served as Producer/Executive Producer and managing partner of Labrador Pictures (feature motion pictures), Managing Partner of Labrador Media Group, Executive Producer for The Flying Cranes (cirque performers-worldwide), Producer for Goodman Productions (live events-Las Vegas), Producer for TJ Productions (live events), Production Adviser/Consultant for Delaware Pictures (motion pictures) and Producer for Liberty Jam Corporation (live concerts including: Eric Clapton, Santana, The Eagles) and he represents performers, writers, filmmakers and other entertainment professionals as manager. Shor was Producer and Executive Producer of the recently released motion picture "Dave Barry's Complete Guide To Guys" and he is presently producing the stage adaptation of Sleepless In Seattle for Broadway. Shor's company Sleepless In Seattle Management, LLC holds the rights to the show. Shor has several motion picture projects in various stages of production, including the feature films "The Baker's Toy" and "The Beacon Street Mob" with his long time business partner, writer Jeff Arch. In addition, Shor is developing and producing a traveling variety show,  "National Lampoon Live".  Shor has served as an advisor on numerous motion picture projects. Mr. Shor serves on numerous corporate and not-for-profit boards. Mr. Shor recently served as Chairman & President of the Tahoe-Reno International Film Festival and is a member of the Producer's Network of the Cannes Film Festival, served as Chairman of the Board and President of the Ojai-Ventura International Film Festival and he served on the board of the Ray Bradbury Theater and Film Foundation. David Shor resides in Santa Barbara, California with his wife and has a son in college and two grown daughters.

PASADENA PLAYHOUSE operates under Artistic Director Sheldon Epps and Charles Dillingham, Interim Executive Director. Broadway productions that originated at The Playhouse include Sister Act, Baby It's You!, Looped and Mail.  Unchain My Heart: The Ray Charles Musical, which also premiered at The Playhouse is scheduled to open on Broadway this season.  In 1937, The Pasadena Playhouse was designated the State Theatre of California.

{module ad_left_body}Winger will star alongside previous announced two-time Tony Award winner PATTI LUPONE in this two-character play.

THE ANARCHIST, which marks the sixth collaboration between Richards, Frankel and Mamet, will begin performances Tuesday, November 13th and open on Sunday, December 2nd at a Shubert Theatre to be announced.


DEBRA WINGER’S BIOGRAPHY:
Since her stunning arrival on the film scene in Urban Cowboy, DEBRA WINGER has long been acknowledged as one of the screen’s finest actresses.  Her performances in An Officer and A Gentleman, Terms of Endearment and Shadowlands brought her Best Actress Academy Award nominations.

She appeared in a remarkable variety of films in her early career with acclaimed performances in Cannery Row, Mike’s Murder, Leap of Faith, Forget Paris and receiving a Golden Globe nomination for A Dangerous Woman.  She worked with some of the great directors of the age, such as Bernardo Bertolucci in The Sheltering Sky and Costa Gavras in Betrayed.

Winger’s decision to step away from film performance in the 1990’s resulted in the birth of her second son, as well as stage performances with Michael Tilson-Thomas and the New World Symphony in a composition based on The Diary of Anne Frank, and acclaimed work in How I Learned to Drive and Ivanov at the American Repertory Theater in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where she also managed a fellowship, teaching The Literature of Social Reflection for Robert Coles at Harvard University. Her absence from the screen also provided the inspiration for Rosanna Arquette’s celebrated 2003 documentary, “Searching for Debra Winger.”  This “search” found Winger in the new century with a role in Arliss Howard’s film of Larry Brown’s story collection, Big Bad Love, which she also produced, and television appearances in the film Dawn Anna, which accorded her an Emmy nomination, and the HBO series, “In Treatment”.

Long active in social issues, Winger sits on the board of the Tahirih Justice Center and works for several public health organizations.  She consulted creatively on the Academy Award nominated documentary Gasland and is an advocate for sustainable farming and veteran’s affairs around her home in upstate New York.

“undiscovered,” a collection of her essays, was published by Simon & Schuster in 2010.  She is currently at work on another collection.

She is delighted that “The Anarchist” will be her Broadway debut.  

 

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{module ad_left_body}The new report states that during the 2010-2011 season, Broadway as an industry contributed $11.2 billion to the economy of New York City. This amount was comprised of direct spending in three areas: spending by producers to mount and run shows; spending by theatre owners to maintain and renovate venues; and ancillary purchases by “Broadway Tourists” (defined as non NYC residents who said that Broadway was a very important reason in their coming to New York City). The money that was directly spent in these areas was then re-spent in multiple subsequent rounds.

The subsequent rounds make the original spending exponentially more valuable. In total, the full contribution of Broadway Tourists amounted to $9.0 billion; shows contributed $2.2 billion; and theatres $22.3 million, for a total of $11.2 billion on NYC’s economy. Broadway supports 86,000 jobs and generates $550 million in taxes to NYC.

Charlotte St. Martin, Executive Director of The Broadway League, said, “Broadway continued to show growth in economic impact on New York City with a most impressive 9% increase from the 2008 – 2009 season. The increase in the number of tourists who were drawn to the city because of Broadway directly was the most important driver in the growth of jobs supported by our industry from 84,400 to over 86,000 jobs, and generated $550 million in taxes, compared to $477.77 from the last report.”

Broadway’s Economic Impact 2010-2011

Impact of:	2008-2009 (million $)	2010-2011 (million $)
Spending by Broadway Tourists	$8,063.2	$8,954.8
Show Expenses	$2,145.1	$2,221.9
Theatre Capital Expenses	$53.8	$22.3
TOTAL	$10,262.2	$11,199.1

{module ad_left_body}Blum will begin performances this Tuesday, June 5, 2012 at 7:00pm. The critically-acclaimed production of Gore Vidal’s THE BEST MAN, which was originally scheduled to play through July 8, 2012, has been extended twice, now playing through Sunday, September 9, 2012 at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre (236 West 45th Street). Tickets are now on sale and can be purchased at Telecharge.com or by calling (212) 239-6200.

McKean was injured when he was struck by a car at the intersection of West 86th Street and Broadway on the Upper West Side on Tuesday, May 22, 2012. JAMES LECESNE, who plays Mitch Graham, a reporter from the Washington Post and is making his Broadway debut in Gore Vidal’s THE BEST MAN, had stepped in to McKean’s role in the interim.

MARK BLUM. Broadway: Twelve Angry Men, The Graduate, A Thousand Clowns, Gore Vidal’s The Best Man, Lost in Yonkers, My Thing of Love, The Merchant.  
Off Broadway: Lonely I’m Not, Picked, We Live Here, After the Revolution, The Overwhelming, The Waverly Gallery, The Long Christmas Ride Home, The Music Teacher, The Seagull, Mizlansky/Zilinsky, Gus and Al (Obie), It’s Only A Play, Little Footsteps, Key Exchange, Table Settings, Say Goodnight Gracie. Regional: Long Wharf, Huntington, Old Globe. Film:  I Don’t Know How She Does It, The Green, Passing Harold Blumenthal, Step Up 3-D, Desperately Seeking Susan, Crocodile Dundee, Shattered Glass, The Presidio, Blind Date, Worth Winning, Getting to Know You, You Can Thank Me Later, Miami Rhapsody, Indictment: The McMartin Trial, The Defenders, Just Between Friends, Lovesick.  TV: “Damages”, “The Good Wife,” “Fringe,” “Jesse Stone,” “The Sopranos,” “The West Wing,” “NYPD Blue,” ”CSI: Miami,” “Law & Order,” “Law & Order:  Criminal Intent,” “Frasier,” “Ed,” “The Practice,” “Wings,” “St. Elsewhere,” “Capitol News,” and Steve Martini’s “The Judge.”  He is on the faculty of Brooklyn College and HB Studio.

 

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Gore Vidal's THE BEST MAN has been nominated for a 2012 Tony Award for Best Revival of a Play as well as a Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play nomination for James Earl Jones.

Here’s what the critics had to say:

“A CRACKLING REVIVAL!”

—The New York Times

“A KNOCKDOWN HIT WITH A TRILLIONWATT CAST!”

—The Wall Street Journal

“A STAR BEDAZZLED REVIVAL THAT GLISTENS WITH WIT!”

—New York Magazine

“RIVETING! A stellar cast…injects vitality, humor, and tension to the American circus of electing a president.”

—The Huffington Post

“THE BEST MAN WINS!”

—USA Today

“AN UNQUALIFIED WINNER! Truly one of the year’s best! Gore Vidal’s The Best Man is remarkably vibrant, gripping and witty. Angela Lansbury and James Earl Jones are giving legendary performances.”

—NY1 News

“DELICIOUS! It’s like a greatest hits album on stage, and director

MICHAEL WILSON excitingly paces the play like a thriller.”

—Associated Press

“THE BEST FUN YOU’LL HAVE IN A THEATER THIS SEASON!”

—WOR Radio

“FUNNY, SUSPENSEFUL and BRIMMING WITH SCANDAL, THE BEST MAN

is a RED, WHITE AND BLUE MUST SEE HIT!”

—Fox 5 News

-----

A play about power, ambition, political secrets, ruthlessness and the race for the presidency, Gore Vidal’s THE BEST MAN is set at the national convention where two candidates are vying for their party’s nomination during the primary season. It’s an inside look at the dirt-digging, double-dealing, triple-crossing chicanery of presidential electioneering and what could be more fun in a presidential campaign season than these theatrical fireworks.

The production is directed by Drama Desk Award winner MICHAEL WILSON (The Orphans Home Cycle Part I, II and III, Dividing The Estate). The design team includes Tony and Drama Desk Award winning scenic designer DEREK McLANE (33 Variations, Anything Goes), Tony and Drama Desk Award winning lighting designer KENNETH POSNER (The Coast of Utopia, Part 2 – Shipwreck), five-time Tony Award nominated costume designer ANN ROTH (The Book of Mormon), Drama Desk Award winning sound designer JOHN GROMADA (Seminar, The Orphans' Home Cycle) and projection designer PETER NIGRINI (Fela!, 9 to 5: The Musical).

Gore Vidal’s THE BEST MAN is produced by Jeffrey Richards, Jerry Frankel, INFINITY Stages, Universal Pictures Stage Productions, Barbara Manocherian/Michael Palitz, The Broadway Consortium/Ken Mahoney, Kathleen K. Johnson, Fifty Church Street Productions, Larry Hirschhorn/Bennu Productions, Patty Baker, Paul Boskind and Martian Entertainment, Wendy Federman, Mark S. Golub & David S. Golub, Cricket Hooper Jiranek, Stewart F. Lane & Bonnie Comley, Carl Moellenberg, Harold Thau, Will Trice.

Please visit www.thebestmanonbroadway.com for information.

###

{module ad_left_body}“We couldn’t be more excited to partner with the Tony Awards to give the audience a taste of our genuine Broadway productions, which include Saturday Night Fever, as well as the Tony award-winning musicals Hairspray and Chicago: The Musical,” stated Adam Goldstein, President & CEO, Royal Caribbean International.  “These amazing performances, along with a host of other entertainment options including our unparalleled DreamWorks Experience, our dive and aqua shows plus ice skating performances, afford our guests an unparalled vacation that is second to none.”

“Just like the Tony Awards, Royal Caribbean is committed to bringing Broadway to new audiences around the world.  We are thrilled with this new partnership, which is a natural extension of Royal Caribbean’s strong commitment to engaging entertainment,” said Charlotte St. Martin, Executive Director, The Broadway League and Heather Hitchens, Executive Director, the American Theatre Wing.

Additional partnership components include: Royal Caribbean sponsorship of the VIP Loge in the Beacon Theatre, presence in the VIP Gifting Suite, the airing of Royal Caribbean’s new global brand campaign “The Sea Is Calling.  Answer It Royally.” during the telecast, as well as a Royal Caribbean social media reporter that will report live from the red carpet. Guests can follow the excitement of the Tony Awards and go behind-the-scenes with the social reporter on the line’s Twitter handle @RoyalCaribbean with the hash tag #BroadwayatSea or on their Facebook page www.Facebook.com/RoyalCaribbean. 

Royal Caribbean International / Tony Awards Partnership Announcement – Page 2

The 66th Annual Tony Awards, which are presented by the Broadway League and the American Theatre Wing, will be broadcast in a live three-hour ceremony from the Beacon Theatre on the CBS television network on Sunday, June 10, 2012.  For more information on the Tony Awards, please visit www.TonyAwards.com.

About the Tony Awards

The American Theatre Wing’s Tony Awards are presented by The Broadway League and the American Theatre Wing. At The Broadway League, Nick Scandalios is Chairman and Charlotte St. Martin is Executive Director.  At the American Theatre Wing, Theodore S. Chapin is Chairman and Heather Hitchens is Executive Director.  For Tony Award Productions, Alan Wasser and Allan Williams of Alan Wasser Associates are the General Managers.  Ricky Kirshner and Glenn Weiss of White Cherry Entertainment are the Executive Producers of the 2012 Tony Awards.  Mr. Weiss will also serve as Director of the 2012 Tony Awards.

About Royal Caribbean International

Royal Caribbean International is a global cruise brand with 22 innovative ships, calling on more than 270 destinations in 72 countries across six continents.  The line also offers unique cruise tour land packages in Alaska, Canada, Dubai, Europe, and Australia and New Zealand.

Royal Caribbean provides a world-class vacation experience with a wide range of signature onboard amenities, entertainment, and award-winning family programming.  The cruise line has a 40-year history of giving guests the Royal Advantage – the most innovative cruise ships, exciting itineraries to popular destinations, and world-renowned friendly and engaging Gold Anchor Service. Royal Caribbean has been voted “Best Cruise Line Overall” for nine consecutive years in the Travel Weekly Readers’ Choice Awards.  For additional information or to make reservations, call your travel agent, visit www.RoyalCaribbean.com or call (800) ROYAL-CARIBBEAN.  Follow Royal Caribbean on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/RoyalCaribbean or on Twitter, @RoyalCaribbean.  Travel professionals should visit www.cruisingpower.com or call (800) 327-2056.

Royal Caribbean International / Tony Awards Partnership Announcement – Page 3

 

Royal Caribbean International is part of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (NYSE/OSX: RCL), a global cruise vacation company that also operates Celebrity Cruises, Azamara Club Cruises, Pullmantur, CDF Croisieres de France, as well as TUI Cruises through a 50 percent joint venture with TUI AG.  The company owns a combined total of 40 ships and has one under construction and one under agreement.

# # #

{module ad_left_body}Cyrano de Bergerac will begin previews on September 14, 2012 and open officially on October 11, 2012 at the American Airlines Theatre on Broadway (227 West 42nd Street).  This will be a limited engagement through November 25, 2012.

The full cast & design team will be announced soon.

Roundabout Theatre Company Artistic Director Todd Haimes: “This production of Cyrano de Bergerac sprang from my desire to work with Doug Hodge. Doug is an incredibly skillful and highly-trained actor, and what we all saw him do in La Cage aux Folles was only a glimpse into his immense talent.  We both wanted his return to Broadway to be in the kind of classic role and play that offer a worthy challenge. Cyrano is certainly a play that demands range from the title character, jumping from wordplay and swordplay to romance and tragedy in short order. The play has stood the test of time with good reason – it’s filled with beautiful, poetic language and vivid characters who only get more fascinating as we continue to see great actors take them on. I’m thrilled by the vision that Jamie Lloyd (who directed Doug in his tour-de-force performance of Inadmissible Evidence last year) has for Cyrano, and I think audiences are going to find themselves looking at this play in new ways.”

A enduring masterwork with some of the wittiest lines ever written for the stage, Cyrano de Bergerac is a clever and touching story about the power of love, the art of wordplay and the joy of finding what you’ve always wanted right under your nose.  Cyrano's a nobleman with a head for poetry and a nose for miles. All of Paris adores him except for his true love Roxanne, who can’t see past his all-too-prominent facial feature. Instead, she falls for a handsome young cadet named Christian. But when Christian admits he’s tongue-tied with Roxanne, Cyrano gives him the romantic words guaranteed to win her heart. With Christian’s looks and Cyrano’s language, it’s a foolproof plan! Or is it? 

Written by French poet-dramatist Edmond Rostand, Cyrano de Bergerac wasfirst produced at the Théâtre de la Porte Saint-Martin, Paris on December 28, 1897 and had an American premiere on Broadway at the Garden Theatre on October 3rd 1898.

Douglas Hodge was most recently seen on Broadway in La Cage aux Folles and received a Tony® Award for his performance as “Albin.”  This past season, Hodge was directed by Jamie Lloyd in a sold out run in John Osborne’s play Inadmissible Evidence at the Donmar Warehouse in London, in which he received an Olivier nomination. 

Douglas Hodge is appearing with the permission of Actors’ Equity Association

Director Jamie Lloyd was Associate Director of the Donmar from 2008 to 2011.  Jamie Lloyd's recent theatre credits include The Duchess of Malfi (Old Vic); She Stoops to Conquer (National, Olivier Theatre); The Faith Machine and The Pride (Royal Court; Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement for The Pride).

TICKET INFORMATION:

Only Roundabout subscribers have first access to tickets.  To become a Roundabout Subscriber, visit www.roundabouttheatre.org or call Roundabout Ticket Services (212) 719-1300 today.  Single Tickets will be available to the general public this summer.

PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE:

Cyrano de Bergerac will play Tuesday through Saturday evening at 8:00PM with Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday matinees at 2:00PM. 

BIOGRAPHIES:

DOUGLAS HODGE (Cyrano) is the consummate British actor who took New York by storm with his Tony award-winning (and Olivier award-winning) performance as "Albin" in La Cage Aux Folles.  It was hilarious and electrifying, and he truly ignited the NY scene.  Douglas has also had an incredible career on the London stage (from “Nathan Detroit” in Guys and Dolls to numerous productions of works by Shakespeare and Pinter), and on film and television (from Ridley Scott's Robin Hood to several leading roles in classic BBC dramas).  Douglas also starred in John Osborne’s play Inadmissible Evidence at the Donmar Warehouse in London, in which he received an Olivier nomination and delivered a tour-de-force performance for a sold out run.  He most recently wrapped the independent film Serena, directed by Susanne Bier, in Prague opposite Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence, and will next shoot Caught In Flight, directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel, opposite Naomi Watts, and Kevin Asch’s Affluenza in NY.  Douglas is currently directing Torch Song Trilogy for the Menier Chocolate Factory in London.   

EDMOND ROSTAND  (Playwright) b. Apr. 1, 1868, d. Dec. 2, 1918, was a French dramatist whose plays represent the final flowering of the 19th-century romantic tradition. His greatest work, Cyrano de Bergerac (1897; Eng. trans., 1898), was a dazzling popular success and remains a worldwide favorite to this day. Its hero, marred by an enormous nose, rises heroically above his bodily defect in scenes of unparalleled verve, wit, and pathos. One of Rostand's earlier works, The Romancers (1894; Eng. trans., 1899), has been adapted as the highly successful musical comedy The Fantasticks. His other plays include L'Aiglon (The Eaglet, 1900), a sentimental account of the life of Napoleon I's ill-starred son, and Chantecler (1910), in which all the characters are animals. In 1910, Rostand became the youngest writer to be elected to the Académie Française. He died a victim of the widespread influenza epidemic of 1918.

RANJIT BOLT (Translator)  Order of the British Empire (OBE) (born 1959) is a British playwright and translator. He was born in Manchester of Anglo-Indian parents and is the nephew of playwright and screen-writer Robert Bolt. His father is literary critic Sydney Bolt, author of several books including A preface to James Joyce, and his mother has worked as a teacher of English.  Bolt was educated at The Perse School and Oxford University, and worked as a stockbroker for eight years but “I was desperate to escape, any escape route would have done, and translating turned out to be the one.”  As well as his theater work he has published a novel in verse, Losing It, a book on translation: The Art of Translation, and a verse translation for children of the fables of La Fontaine, The Hare and the Tortoise. He was awarded the OBE in 2003 for services to literature.  Asked about his approach to translating plays, he has said: “I try to follow the rule laid down by perhaps the greatest translator of all, John Dryden, who maintained that a translator should – and I paraphrase – make the version as entertaining as possible, while at the same time remaining as faithful as possible to the spirit of the original.”  Bolt has translated or adapted many classic plays into English, most of them into verse. Work includes: The Liar (Old Vic, 1989) from Le Menteur by Pierre Corneille; The Illusion (Old Vic, 1990) from L’Illusion Comique by Pierre Corneille; The Sisterhood, from Les Femmes Savantes by Molière(Chichester Festival, 1991; Round House, Washington DC, 1993); Lysistrata (Old Vic, 1993); The Venetian Twins (Royal Shakespeare Company, 1993); Le Cid  (Royal National Theatre, 1994); Tartuffe (Royal National Theatre, 2002; Oregon Shakespeare, 2005);  The Miser (Chichester Festival, 1995); Oedipus Rex and Oedipus At Colonus (Royal National Theatre, 1996);  The School for Wives, (West End 1996, Utah Shakespeare 2008); The Misanthrope (West End, 1998; Arena Stage, 2002; Merry Wives, the Musical, (Royal Shakespeare Company, 2006); The Waltz of the Toreadors, by Anouilh(Chichester Festival, 2007).

JAMIE LLOYD (Director).  Recent theatre credits include The Duchess of Malfi (Old Vic); She Stoops to Conquer (National, Olivier Theatre); The Faith Machine, The Pride (Royal Court; Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement for The Pride), Inadmissible Evidence, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Passion, Polar Bears (Donmar; Evening Standard Award for Best Musical for Passion), Piaf (Donmar, also Vaudeville/Teatro Liceo, Buenos Aires/Nuevo Teatro Alcala, Madrid; Hugo Award for Best Director, Clarin Award for Best Musical Production, ADEET Award for Best Production); The Little Dog Laughed (Garrick), Three Days of Rain (Apollo), The Lover and The Collection (Comedy) and Elegies: a Song Cycle (Arts) in the West End; Salome (Headlong); Eric's (Liverpool Everyman) and The Caretaker (Sheffield Crucible and Tricycle). His future projects include The School for Scandal (Theatre Royal, Bath) and Cyrano de Bergerac (Roundabout/American Airlines Theatre, Broadway).  Jamie was Associate Director of the Donmar from 2008 to 2011. He is the Associate Artist of Headlong.

Roundabout Theatre Company is a not-for-profit theatre dedicated to providing a nurturing artistic home for theatre artists at all stages of their careers where the widest possible audience can experience their work at affordable prices. Roundabout fulfills its mission each season through the revival of classic plays and musicals; development and production of new works by established playwrights and emerging writers; educational initiatives that enrich the lives of children and adults; and a subscription model and audience outreach programs that cultivate loyal audiences. 

Roundabout Theatre Company currently produces at four theatres 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.  The Stephen Sondheim Theatre offers a state of the art LEED certified Broadway theatre in which to stage major large scale musical revivals. Together these distinctive homes serve to enhance the work on each of its stages.

American Airlines is the official airline of Roundabout Theatre Company. Roundabout productions are made possible, in part, with public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs and the New York State Council on the Arts, with the support of Governor Cuomo and the New York State Legislature.

Roundabout Theatre Company’s 2011-2012 season features Marc Camoletti’s Don’t Dress For Dinner starring Ben Daniels, Adam James, Patricia Kalember and Jennifer Tilly, adapted by Robin Hawdon, directed by John Tillinger; Simon Gray’s The Common Pursuit,directed by Moisés Kaufman; Mary Chase’s Harvey starring Jim Parsons, Jessica Hecht & Charles Kimbrough, directed by Scott Ellis. Roundabout’s Tony Award winning production of Anything Goes starring Stephanie J. Block & Joel Grey, directed & choreographed by Kathleen Marshall, is currently playing at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre. The 2011 Tony® Award winning Anything Goeswill set sail on a National Tour at Cleveland’s Playhouse Square in October 2012.  Following its opening in Cleveland, Anything Goes will cruise into more than 25 other cities during the 2012/2013 season.

Roundabout Theatre Company’s 2012-2013 season features Rupert Holmes’ The Mystery of Edwin Drood starring Chita Rivera, directed by Scott Ellis; William Inge’s Picnic directed by Sam Gold; Nick Payne’s If There Is I Haven’t Found It Yet directed by Michael Longhurst, with Jake Gyllenhaal; Clifford Odets’ The Big Knife starring Bobby Cannavale, directed by Doug Hughes; Steven Levenson’s The Unavoidable Disappearance of Tom Durnin directed by Scott Ellis.

Joshua Elias Harmon’s Bad Jews directed by Daniel Aukin is a world premiere production that launches the sixth season of Roundabout Underground following five critically acclaimed seasons of world-premiere productions since its premiere in 2007. 

www.roundabouttheatre.org
Follow ROUNDABOUT THEATRE COMPANY on Twitter: @RTC_NYC and on Facebook.

Follow BBB on Twitter: @BBBway and on Facebook.
For the most up to date press releases visit our Blog.

# # #

{module ad_left_body}Warlow is currently playing Daddy Warbucks in the critically acclaimed Australian production of ANNIE at Melbourne’s Regent Theatre.  That production, produced by John Frost, premiered in December, 2011 at Sydney’s Lyric Theatre. Warlow also played Warbucks in a previous revival of ANNIE in 2000. 

“I’m having a great time playing Oliver Warbucks here in the Australian production and have always loved Broadway and New York City,” Warlow said, “so I am delighted to finally make my Broadway debut at the great Palace Theatre and in the exciting new production of this wonderful musical.  I look forward to working with the talented James Lapine and his fantastic cast and creative team.” 

“Anthony Warlow is a true international superstar.  We are so excited to welcome him to Broadway in our new production of ANNIE,” commented producer Arielle Tepper Madover.  “I know he will be the Daddy Warbucks of our dreams.”

Anthony Warlow is appearing with the permission of Actors’ Equity Association.  The Producers gratefully acknowledge Actors’ Equity Association for its assistance with this production.

ANNIE features music by Charles Strouse, lyrics by Martin Charnin and book by Thomas Meehan, based on the newspaper character “Little Orphan Annie” by Harold Gray.   The new production of ANNIE is directed by three-time Tony Award®-winner James Lapine and choreographed by Tony Award®-winner Andy Blankenbuehler. 

Anthony Warlow made his music debut with the Australian Opera at the age of 19 in Benjamin Britten's A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Being awarded the Joan Sutherland Scholarship enabled him to further his career in opera, with roles in The Magic Flute, La Bohème, Tosca, Otello, The Tales of Hoffman (with Dame Joan Sutherland), Romeo and Juliet and Don Giovanni.

Warlow’s musical theatre career began in 1985 with the London National Theatre’s production of Guys and Dolls.  He created the role of Enjolras in the Australian production of Les Miserables, a performance which won him a place on the Grammy Award-winning International Cast recording. Other productions include The Secret Garden, Man of La Mancha, My Fair Lady, Grease the Arena Spectacular, A Little Night Music, and a healthy catalogue of Gilbert & Sullivan’s comic operas.

Warlow’s performance in the title role of The Phantom of the Opera (1990 and 2007-2009), set the seal on his status as Australia’s premier stage performer.  He received the prestigious Advance Australia Award for Contribution to Music Theatre in 1991 for his performance, Gold and Platinum sales of his solo albums and in 1998 Anthony was honored by the nation and the National Trust being elected a Living National Treasure.

His concert performances include sharing the stage with Australia's Symphony Orchestras, as well as the London Philharmonic Orchestra.  In 2011, he created the role of Dr.Yurii Zhivago in the Australian premiere production of Doctor Zhivago: the Musical, based on the Nobel Prize winning novel by Boris Pasternak, with a score by Lucy Simon (The Secret Garden). Warlow was thrilled to be asked to help celebrate the 25th Anniversary of The Phantom of the Opera at London's Royal Albert Hall in October of last year.

Two-time Tony Award® winner Katie Finneran stars as Miss Hannigan and 11-year-old Lilla Crawford (Billy Elliot) will star as Annie, with Emily Rosenfeld as Molly, the littlest orphan; Tyrah Skye Odoms as Kate, the next-to-littlest orphan; Junah Jang as Tessie, the cry-baby orphan; Georgi James as Pepper, the toughest orphan; Madi Rae DiPietro as July, the quietest orphan and Taylor Richardson as Duffy, the biggest orphan.  Jaidyn Young will be the standby for the roles of Annie, Pepper, Duffy and July.  Richardson will understudy the role of Annie.   Additional casting will be announced soon. 

ANNIE will go on sale to American Express cardholders on Sunday, June 10 at 10:00 AM.  For tickets, call 800-755-3000 or visit Ticketmaster.com.  Tickets will be available to the general public on Sunday, June 24.   Group tickets for ANNIE are now on sale.  Contact Nederlander Sales & Patron Services at 212-840-3890/800-714-8452 or email nygroups@nederlander.com for details. 

The original production of ANNIE opened April 21, 1977 at the Alvin Theatre and went on to win the New York Drama Critics Circle Award for Best Musical, seven Drama Desk Awards including Best Musical, the Grammy for Best Cast Show Album and seven Tony Awards®, including Best Musical, Best Book (Thomas Meehan) and Best Score (Charles Strouse, Martin Charnin).  The show was one of the biggest Broadway musical hits of the 1970s, running for almost six years and playing 2,377 performances. 

The score for ANNIE includes “Maybe,” “It’s the Hard Knock Life,” “You’re Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile,” “Easy Street,” “I Don’t Need Anything But You” and the eternal anthem of optimism, “Tomorrow”. 

The creative team includes scenic design by Drama Desk Award-winner David Korins, costume design by Tony Award-winner Susan Hilferty, lighting design by two-time Tony Award-winner Donald Holder and sound design by Tony Award-winner Brian Ronan.  Music director is Todd Ellison.  Hair and wig design is by Tom Watson.  Casting is by Telsey + Company.  Animal training is by Tony Award-winner William Berloni.   

ANNIE will be produced on Broadway by Arielle Tepper Madover, Roger Horchow, Sally Horchow, Roger Berlind, Roy Furman, Debbie Bisno, Stacey Mindich, Nederlander Presentations, Inc., Jane Bergère/Daryl Roth and Eva Price/Christina Papagjika.

# # # #

www.AnnieTheMusical.com
Follow ANNIE on Twitter: @AnnieOnBroadway and on Facebook.

Follow BBB on Twitter: @BBBway or on Facebook.
For the most up to date press releases visit our Blog.

{module ad_left_body}When it opened, critics called Auburn’s play “powerful” (CBS News) and “gripping and compelling” (Newsday). John Lithgow’s performance, for which he has received a 2012 Tony nomination for Best Actor in a Play, has been hailed as, “impossible to resist,” (Wall Street Journal) and “superb” (Newsday), while Daniel Sullivan’s direction was lauded as “superior” (The New Yorker), and the cast has been called “a first rate ensemble.”

The limited engagement of THE COLUMNIST stars Tony and Emmy Award winner John Lithgow, Drama Desk Award nominee Margaret Colin, four-time Tony Award winner Boyd Gaines, Tony Award nominee Stephen Kunken, Marc Bonan (Broadway debut), Grace Gummer (“Smash,” Arcadia), and Brian J. Smith (MTC’s Come Back, Little Sheba; “Stargate Universe”).

Columnists are kings in midcentury America and Joseph Alsop wears the crown. Joe is beloved, feared and courted in equal measure by the Washington political world at whose center he sits. But as the ’60s dawn and America undergoes dizzying change, the intense political drama Joe is embroiled in becomes deeply personal as well.

David Auburn, whose Pulitzer and Tony Award-winning Proof dazzled audiences and critics alike, returns to MTC with this fascinating new work to be directed by his Proof collaborator Daniel Sullivan.

The creative team for THE COLUMNIST includes John Lee Beatty (scenic design), Jess Goldstein (costume design), Kenneth Posner (lighting design), John Gromada (original music & sound design), Rocco DiSanti (projection design), Charles G. LaPointe (hair & wig design), and David Caparelliotis (casting).

THE COLUMNIST was developed with the support of Tennessee Repertory Theatre through its Ingram New Works Fellowship and Residency.

Lead support for THE COLUMNIST is provided by MTC’s Producing Fund Partner, Andrew Martin-Weber.  Additional support is provided by The Blanche and Irving Laurie Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts. THE COLUMNIST is a recipient of an Edgerton Foundation New American Plays Award.  Special thanks to The Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust for supporting Manhattan Theatre Club.

For more information on MTC, please visit www.ManhattanTheatreClub.com.

Tickets for THE COLUMNIST are available by calling Telecharge at 212-239-6200, online by visiting www.Telecharge.com, or by visiting the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre Box Office (261 West 47th Street). Ticket prices are $67 – $121.

PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE

Please note, THE COLUMNIST is dark on Mondays.

·         THROUGH SUNDAY, JULY 1: Tuesday and Wednesday at 7 PM, Thursday through Saturday at 8 PM. Matinees on Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday at 2 PM.

·         MONDAY, JULY 2 – SUNDAY, JULY 8 (FINAL EXTENSION): Monday and Tuesday at 7 PM, Thursday through Saturday at 8 PM. Matinees on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday at 2 PM. Please note there will be no performance on Wednesday, July 4.

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www.ManhattanTheatreClub.com
Follow MTC on Twitter: @MTC_NYC or on Facebook.

Follow BBB on Twitter: @BBBway or on Facebook.
For the most up to date press releases visit our Blog.

{module ad_left_body}As previously announced, presenters for the 2012 Tony Awards will include: Ellen Barkin, Candice Bergen, Jessica Chastain, Sheryl Crow, Nick Jonas, Angela Lansbury, James Marsden, Jim Parsons, Mandy Patinkin, Tyler Perry, Bernadette Peters, Christopher Plummer, Paul Rudd, Amanda Seyfried, Trey Parker and Matt Stone among others.  

The Tony Awards, hosted by Neil Patrick Harris, will be broadcast live, from the Beacon Theatre on CBS, Sunday, June 10th, 8:00 – 11:00 p.m. (ET/PT time delay).  The 2012 Tony Awards are presented by the Broadway League and the American Theatre Wing.

The Antoinette Perry “Tony” Awards are bestowed annually on theatre professionals for distinguished achievement. The Tony is one of the most coveted awards in the entertainment industry and the annual telecast is considered one of the most prestigious programs on television.  

For up-to-the-minute news follow The Tony Awards on Facebook.com/TheTonyAwards or Twitter.com/TheTonyAwards. 

 

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ABOUT THE TONY AWARDS

The American Theatre Wing’s Tony Awards are presented by The Broadway League and the American Theatre Wing. At The Broadway League, Nick Scandalios is Chairman and Charlotte St. Martin is Executive Director. At the American Theatre Wing, Theodore S. Chapin is Chairman and Heather Hitchens is Executive Director. For Tony Award Productions, Alan Wasser and Allan Williams of Alan Wasser Associates are the General Managers. Ricky Kirshner and Glenn Weiss of White Cherry Entertainment are the Executive Producers of the 2012 Tony Awards. Mr. Weiss will also serve as Director of the 2012 Tony Awards.

IBM, an official information technology partner of the Tony Awards, develops, designs, and hosts the official Tony Awards website, www.TonyAwards.com.  Audemars Piguet is the presenting sponsor of the Tony Awards Red Carpet and Green Room.  United Airlines is the official airline of the Tony Awards.  Avis is the official rental car of the Tony Awards. InterContinental Hotels & Resorts is the official hotel partner of the Tony Awards, sponsor of the Creative Arts Awards and host of the Tony Nominee Luncheon, and Tony Eve Cocktail Party presenting the Tony Honors for Excellence in the Theatre. Nexxus Salon Hair Care is the official beauty partner of the Tony Awards. Royal Caribbean International is the official cruise line partner of the Tony Awards. The New York Times is the official media partner of the Tony Awards.

WHAT:          
National Theatre Live continues its third season with encore screenings of Academy Award winner Danny Boyle’s hugely acclaimed production of FRANKENSTEIN, starring 2012 Olivier “Best Actor” Award Winner Benedict Cumberbatch & Jonny Lee Miller.National Theatre Live is an initiative by the UK’s National Theatre to broadcast live performances onto cinema screens around the world.FRANKENSTEIN, a new play by Nick Dear based on Mary Shelley’s novel, will be filmed twice for National Theatre Live to allow cinemagoers to see Cumberbatch and Miller alternating the roles of Victor Frankenstein and the Creature.

The encore broadcasts, which were originally captured live in March of 2011, conclude the third season of National Theatre Live.  The fourth season begins in cinemas and arts centers this fall. The first three seasons of NT Live were seen by over 700,000 people on over 700 screens in 22 countries.  The titles and dates for the fourth season of NT Live will be announced soon.

WHERE:        
In the New York City area, screenings continue at the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM), NYU’s Skirball Center, City Cinema 123, the Shakespeare Theatre Company (DC) and more. 

The broadcast will also be shown on screens across the United States including the newly added Downtown Independent in Los Angeles, Amherst Cinema in MA, the Angelika Film Center in Dallas, Cedar Lee Theatre in Cleveland Heights, OH and many more.

ABOUT:
Childlike in his innocence but grotesque in form, Frankenstein’s bewildered creature is cast out into a hostile universe by his horror-struck maker.  Meeting with cruelty wherever he goes, the friendless Creature, increasingly desperate and vengeful, determines to track down his creator and strike a terrifying deal.  Urgent concerns of scientific responsibility, parental neglect, cognitive development and the nature of good and evil are embedded within this thrilling and deeply disturbing classic gothic tale. 

WHEN: FRIDAY, JUNE 1st OR VARYING DATES LISTED BELOW.

SCHEDULE:

For a complete list of U.S. dates, times & locations, please check:  www.ntlive.com 

Example broadcasts in major markets are as follows.

● NYU Skirball Center for the Arts (NY, NY) – June 3 at 3:00pm & 7:00pm

● Cinema 123 (NY, NY) – June 5 at 7:00pm

● Brooklyn Academy of Music (Brooklyn, NY) – June 2 and 9 at 11:00am

● Monmouth University (West Long Branch, NJ) – June 29 at 7pm

● Downtown Independent (Los Angeles, CA) – June 3 at 2pm; June 10 at 2pm; June 24 at 2pm; July 1 at 2pm; July 8 at 2pm; July 25 at 7pm & August 1 at 7pm

● James Bridges Theater (UCLA) – June 3 at 4pm and June 17 at 4pm

● Coolidge Corner Theatre (Brookline, MA) – June 17 at 10am and June 25 at 7pm

● Shakespeare Theatre Company (DC) – August 7 at 7:30pm and August 12 at 7:30pm

● Music Box (Chicago, IL) – June 18 at 7pm

● Phoenix Art Museum (Phoenix, AZ) – June 13 at 7pm and June 24 at 2pm

● Sundance Cinemas (San Francisco, CA) – June 2 at 12:30pm & June 4 at 7pm

● Michigan Theater (Ann Arbor, MI) – June 6 at 7pm

● AMC Discover Hills (Lawrenceville, GA) – June 6 at 7pm and June 7 at 7pm

● Pavilions 15 (Denver, CO) – June 6 at 7pm and June 7 at 7pm

● Springdale Showcase Cinemas (Cincinnati, OH) – June 6 at 7pm and June 7 at 7pm

● AMC Lennox Town Center 24 (Columbus, OH) – June 6 at 7pm and June 7 at 7pm

● Fiesta 16 Theaters (San Antonio, TX) – June 6 at 7pm and June 7 at 7pm

● Fairfax Towne Center (Fairfax, VA) – June 6 at 7pm and June 7 at 7pm

● Orleans 18 (Las Vegas, NV) – June 6 at 7pm and June 7 at 7pm

● Perkins Row (Baton Rouge, LA) – June 6 at 7pm and June 7 at 7pm

● Cinemark Paradise 24 (Fort Lauderdale, FL) – June 6 at 7pm and June 7 at 7pm

● AMC Discover Mills 18 (Lawrenceville, GA) – June 6 at 7pm and June 7 at 7pm

TICKETS:     

Ticket prices vary by venue.  The average ticket price is $20.  Contact local venues for ticket information.

NT Live is distributed by New York-based BY Experience, Inc. (www.byexperience.net)

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{module ad_left_body}The Tony Award Costume Exhibit will showcase costumes from Tony Award-winning musicals, plays and designs, such as  The Phantom of the Opera, Elton John & Tim Rice's AIDA, The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast, The Drowsy Chaperone, The Coast of Utopia, Priscilla Queen of the Desert, The Producers, Crazy for You and Sister Act. The collection also includes authentic Tony memorabilia, including Tony Tickets, Playbills, an actual Tony Award and more. 

“The Tony Award Fashion Exhibit is a true reflection of the artistry which takes center stage each and every night on Broadway,” said Heather Hitchens, Executive Director of the American Theatre Wing.  “Bloomingdale’s has created an exquisite exhibit which highlights the fine details and master craftsmanship of the finest costume designers,” stated Charlotte St. Martin, Executive Director of The Broadway League.

The Antoinette Perry “Tony” Awards honors theatre professionals for distinguished achievement on Broadway.  This year marks the 66th anniversary of the Tony Awards, which were first held on April 6, 1947 at the Waldorf Astoria's Grand Ballroom.

The 2012 Tony Awards, hosted by Neil Patrick Harris, will be broadcast live from the Beacon Theatre in New York City on Sunday, June 10th on CBS.   The Tony Awards are presented by the Broadway League and the American Theatre Wing.

For up-to-the-minute news follow The Tony Awards on Facebook.com/TheTonyAwards or Twitter.com/TheTonyAwards.  

**Photo courtesy of WireImage, additional images are available at www.WireImage.com.

ABOUT THE TONY AWARDS

The American Theatre Wing’s Tony Awards are presented by The Broadway League and the American Theatre Wing. At The Broadway League, Nick Scandalios is Chairman and Charlotte St. Martin is Executive Director. At the American Theatre Wing, Theodore S. Chapin is Chairman and Heather Hitchens is Executive Director. For Tony Award Productions, Alan Wasser and Allan Williams of Alan Wasser Associates are the General Managers. Ricky Kirshner and Glenn Weiss of White Cherry Entertainment are the Executive Producers of the 2012 Tony Awards. Mr. Weiss will also serve as Director of the 2012 Tony Awards.

IBM, an official information technology partner of the Tony Awards, develops, designs, and hosts the official Tony Awards website, www.TonyAwards.com.  Audemars Piguet is the presenting sponsor of the Tony Awards Red Carpet and Green Room.  United Airlines is the official airline of the Tony Awards.  Avis is the official rental car of the Tony Awards and sponsor of the "Tony Car-Cam". InterContinental Hotels & Resorts is the official hotel partner of the Tony Awards, sponsor of the Creative Arts Awards and host of the Tony Nominee Luncheon, and Tony Eve Cocktail Party presenting the Tony Honors for Excellence in the Theatre. Nexxus Salon Hair Care is the official beauty partner of the Tony Awards and sponsor of the Times Square Tony Simulcast. Royal Caribbean International is the official cruise line partner of the Tony Awards and host of the Tony Award VIP Loge. The New York Times is the official media partner of the Tony Awards.

ABOUT BLOOMINGDALE’S

Bloomingdale's is America's only nationwide, full-line, upscale department store and a division of Macy's, Inc. It was founded in 1872 and currently operates 37 Bloomingdale’s stores and 8 Bloomingdale’s, The Outlet Stores in New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, Illinois, Georgia, Florida, Nevada, California, and Texas. In addition, Bloomingdale's has an international presence with a location in Dubai. Be sure to follow Bloomingdale's on Facebook or Twitter, become a Loyallist, and for more information, or to shop any time, visit www.bloomingdales.com.

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{module ad_left_body}Hosted by Emmy Award-winner Neil Patrick Harris, the evening will feature appearances by: Nick Jonas, Amanda Seyfried, Tyler Perry, Jessica Chastain, Jim Parsons, Paul Rudd, Ellen Barkin, Angela Lansbury, Bernadette Peters, Candice Bergen, Christopher Plummer, James Marsden, Mandy Patinkin, Sheryl Crow, Trey Parker and Matt Stone among others. 

The Antoinette Perry “Tony” Awards honors theatre professionals for distinguished achievement on Broadway.  This year marks the 66th anniversary of the Tony Awards, which were first held on April 6, 1947 at the Waldorf Astoria's Grand Ballroom.

For up-to-the-minute news follow The Tony Awards on Facebook.com/TheTonyAwards or Twitter.com/TheTonyAwards. 

# # #

ABOUT THE TONY AWARDS

The American Theatre Wing’s Tony Awards are presented by The Broadway League and the American Theatre Wing. At The Broadway League, Nick Scandalios is Chairman and Charlotte St. Martin is Executive Director. At the American Theatre Wing, Theodore S. Chapin is Chairman and Heather Hitchens is Executive Director. For Tony Award Productions, Alan Wasser and Allan Williams of Alan Wasser Associates are the General Managers. Ricky Kirshner and Glenn Weiss of White Cherry Entertainment are the Executive Producers of the 2012 Tony Awards. Mr. Weiss will also serve as Director of the 2012 Tony Awards.

IBM, an official information technology partner of the Tony Awards, develops, designs, and hosts the official Tony Awards website, www.TonyAwards.com.  Audemars Piguet is the presenting sponsor of the Tony Awards Red Carpet and Green Room.  United Airlines is the official airline of the Tony Awards.  Avis is the official rental car of the Tony Awards. InterContinental Hotels & Resorts is the official hotel partner of the Tony Awards, sponsor of the Creative Arts Awards and host of the Tony Nominee Luncheon, and Tony Eve Cocktail Party presenting the Tony Honors for Excellence in the Theatre. Nexxus Salon Hair Care is the official beauty partner of the Tony Awards. Royal Caribbean International is the official cruise line partner of the Tony Awards. The New York Times is the official media partner of the Tony Awards.