Jerome Robbins News

Remembering some recent Broadway productions that concerned those who bravely make the ultimate sacrifice. (more...)

Sterling’s Upstairs at The Federal welcomes Broadway’s Faith Prince and Jason Graae Monday, June 11, 2012 for the Los Angeles debut of The Prince and The Showboy. (more...)

Fifty years after its release, the MGM re-mastered film returns to the big screen in high definition with its original vocals and dialog intact. This classic romantic tragedy and the bitter battle between the Jets and the Sharks as Leonard Bernstein’s seminal score, featuring the much loved ‘America’, ‘Somewhere’ and ‘Tonight’, is dramatically brought to life on stage by The Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra conducted by Jayce Ogren at the Royal Albert Hall for four performances on the 22nd to the 24th of June, 2012. (more...)

One of the most well-known shows of all time, West Side Story, is coming to the Durham Performing Arts Center this June. In anticipation of its arrival, I spoke with Joey McKneely, the show’s choreographer, to gain insight into the unique elements of this production. He offered a glimpse into the creative minds of the late Jerome Robbins and Arthur Laurents. He explains why every generation needs to experience the power of West Side Story, and why this imagining of the production brings to light the relevance of the themes. (more...)

Pittsburgh CLO has announced casting for its summer season, which includes six shows, featuring the national tours of Come Fly Away and The Addams Family, and CLO original productions of A Chorus Line, Annie, Fiddler on the Roof and Sunset Boulevard. Notably, A CHORUS LINE brings on board a slew of the show's national tour veterans, ANNIE stars Sally Struthers as Miss Hannigan, FIDDLER ON THE ROOF features Broadway's Lewis J. Stadlen, Susan Cella, Hunter Herdlicka, Joel Robertson, Emily Shoolin and Kay Walbye. Liz Callaway and Walter Charles are set to star in SUNSET BOULEVARD. (more...)

The world premiere of the beautifully crafted musical “Los Otros” begins previews Wednesday, May 23 at 8 p.m. at the Center Theatre Group/Mark Taper Forum. With book and lyrics by Ellen Fitzhugh and music by Michael John LaChiusa, “Los Otros” opens on June 3, 2012; performances continue through July 1. Tony Award-winner Michele Pawk has been cast to play the role of Woman and Julio Monge will play the role of Man. (more...)

Several Tony Award-winners are teaming up to bring an adaptation of the 1988 musical “Lucky Stiff” to the screen. The show, based on Michael Butterworth’s 1965 novel “The Man Who Broke the Bank at Monte Carlo,” was written by Lynn Ahrens & Stephen Flaherty and first performed at New York’s Playwright’s Horizons where it won the Richard Rogers Production Award before going on to London and hundreds of international productions. Ahrens & Flaherty went on to win the Tony for their musical “Ragtime” as well as two Academy Award nominations. Other notable credits include “Once On This Island” and “Seussical.” Ahrens has adapted the play for the screen, while Flaherty and Ahrens have written additional songs. (more...)

As previously reported, Julian Ovenden will star in a new musical version of the film Finding Neverland, which starred Johnny Depp and Kate Winslet and followed the the story of J.M. Barrie's inspiration for his famous children's book, Peter Pan. (more...)

On June 10, 2012, The Actor's Fund will present its 16th Annual Tony Awards party at the Skirball Center, this year honoring Jason Alexander with the Julie Harris Award for Lifetime Achievement.. Scott Bakula will host the gala and this year's Honorary Celebrity Committee includes: Julie Bowen, Nancy Dussault, Dann Florek, Elliott Gould, Steve Guttenberg, Garry Marshall, Chita Rivera, Susan Sarandon, Holland Taylor and Zachary Quinto. The event includes cocktails and a silent auction followed by ainner and a live telecast of a live feed of the Tony Awards as they happen in New York. (more...)

Jonah Bokaer, who has been making artistic waves on the international dance circuit since he began choreographing almost ten years ago, will be seen both close-up and afar in these coming months: outdoors at the Avignon Festival in France (July 20–22, 24–26) and indoors at the Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival in Becket, MA (August 1–5) when he and Bolshoi Ballet star David Hallberg perform together in the world premiere of Bokaer’s “CURTAIN.” (more...)

West Side Story sizzled its way into Toronto Wednesday night, where it will play for four weeks at the Toronto Centre for the Performing Arts. The much loved Broadway revival production is now enjoying its 1st National Tour, and BWW was on hand to bring its readers photos from this stunning show. (more...)

Sundance Institute has announced the 13 projects selected for its annual June Directors and Screenwriters Labs, taking place at the Sundance Resort in Utah from May 28 through June 28. Under the leadership of Michelle Satter, Founding Director of the Institute’s Feature Film Program, and the artistic direction of Gyula Gazdag, the projects selected for this year's program include emerging filmmakers and projects from the United States, Italy, Romania, Australia, Algeria, France, Chile and the UK. (more...)

Below lists information regarding pre-performance programs for children and adults taking place at New York City Ballet from May 12-19. For additional information, visit: www.nycballet.com. (more...)

To mark the one year anniversary of the passing of famed Broadway librettist,screenwriter and director Arthur Laurents, BroadwayWorld spoke with his close friend and the literary executor of his estate, David Saint. (more...)

Boston Youth Moves twelfth annual Swellegance Gala Benefit presented one-night only performance by walking, singing, dancing icon of the Golden Age of Broadway musicals at Citi Shubert Theatre. (more...)

This Tuesday marked the second most exciting day of any given year for Broadway babies - the Tony Award nominations. The actual awards ceremony on CBS - Broadway’s night of nights - is still a few weeks off, but now is certainly an ideal time to size up the competition(s) and see who will most likely walk away with Tony gold come June 10 - and this year‘s ceremony, more than most before, could very well be as surprising as this season was; or Tuesday’s nominations themselves were, for that matter. While the 2011-2012 Broadway season certainly fell far short of the heady promise many ascribed to its prospects way back last Summer, we certainly saw the fulfillment of some big dreams for some notable names if not an all-in-all banner year for Broadway when collectively considered. The highly-praised Off-Broadway critical darling LYSISTRATA JONES landed with a thud early in the season, as did the re-jiggered, gender-bending revival of ON A CLEAR DAY YOU CAN SEE FOREVER and its star Harry Connick, Jr., and, even the lauded and relatively successful revival of Stephen Sondheim’s peerless masterpiece FOLLIES failed to make any money and closed. GODSPELL did not fare much better, though it is still running. The two highly-anticipated revivals of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s classic early successes JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR and EVITA were met with indifferent reviews - with the latter receiving some nasty press for its stars, neither of whom received Tony nominations - but receptive audiences so far. THE GERSHWINS’ PORGY & BESS could take Best Revival, after all - but will NICE WORK’s Kelli O’Hara edge out four-time Tony recipient Audra McDonald? New plays did not fare much better than the measly crop of musicals, but OTHER DESERT CITIES and VENUS IN FUR seemed to hit their target demographics squarely, but CLYBOURNE PARK looks to be the frontrunner for Best Play despite all that. We shall see. Mike Nichols may take home another Best Director for his sensitive, if workmanlike revival of Arthur Miller’s DEATH OF A SALESMAN, as conceivably could Philip Seymour Hoffman and Andrew Garfield. John Lithgow is offering up some fierce competition in THE COLUMNIST, though. The acting races are tight, for sure, in both plays and musicals, with more newcomers and first-time nominees than any season this century. (more...)

Gretna Theatre celebrates its 85th Anniversary season at the Mt. Gretna Playhouse with a sparkling opening performance by the one and only Tommy Tune in “Steps in Time” featuring the Manhattan Rhythm Kings for a single performance Sunday, June 3 at 7:30 pm. The nine-time Tony Award winner will perform his Broadway biography in song and dance to celebrate 50 years on the Great White Way. (more...)

BELLS ARE RINGING, the next staged reading of MUSICAL THEATRE WEST’S REINER READING SERIES, will take place on Sunday, May 20, 2012 at 7:00 p.m. (more...)

Following its Spring 2012 production of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, SMTC presents the enduring classic musical Fiddler on the Roof for a special engagement. Performances will take place at SMTC’s new home, the intimate 300-seat Dorrance Auditorium on the beautiful campus at Phoenix Country Day School (3901 E. Stanford Drive, Paradise Valley, AZ 85253). Show dates are Thursday, August 16th at 7:30PM; Friday, August 17th at 8PM; Saturday, August 18th at 2PM and 8PM and concluding Sunday, August 19th @ 2PM. (more...)

David Saint took time out of his busy schedule to speak with BWW about the current National tour of West Side Story as well as to remember his close friend and trusted mentor, famed librettist, director and screenwriter Arthur Laurents, who passed away a year ago at the age of 93. (more...)