La Jolla Playhouse News

DR. ZHIVAGO is headed to Broadway in 2014, producer John Frost tells the Stock Journal today. The show, which premiered at La Jolla Playhouse in 2006, features music by Lucy Simon, lyrics by Michael Korie and Amy Powers and a book by Michael Weller. (more...)

Strand Theater Company presents Well by Lisa Kron, June 1-16, 2012. This will be the directorial debut of Artistic Director Rain Pryor. (more...)

Sondheim Unplugged, an acoustic evening of Sondheim tunes (featuring one song from every one of his major projects) played at Caffeinated Cabaret in Downtown Riverside on Sunday night, May 20th. We have the photos from that event below! The concert was produced by Jordan Beck and directed by J. Scott Lapp (Broadway's Bonnie & Clyde), featuring all new arrangements by David Lamoureux. (more...)

BroadwayWorld's Richard Ridge was thrilled to sit down and speak with nearly all of this year's Tony Award nominees at the official Tony Brunch on May 2, 2012, and we will be bringing you special coverage on all of them throughout the awards season. Today we bring you Kelli O'Hara, nominee for Best Actress in a Musical for Nice Work If You Can Get It. (more...)

Esteban Cruz has had to permanently leave the cast of American Theater Company/About Face's production of RENT for undisclosed personal reasons. As of today, Wednesday, May 23, the role of Angel will be taken over by Eduardo Placer. (more...)

The Festival celebrates 60 years of excellence with a special symposium that will feature influential theatre artists and intellectuals in discussion about how Shakespeare’s work lends itself to a broad range of media, interpretations and settings. The event will be held at the Studio Theatre on June 2. (more...)

Barrington Stage Company will present the New England premiere of British playwright’s Duncan Macmillan’s acclaimed new drama Lungs. Lungs opens the newly named St. Germain Stage (formerly Stage 2) from May 23 through June 10, and the press opening is Sunday, May 27 at 3pm. St. Germain Stage is located on the upper level of the Sydelle and Lee Blatt Performing Arts Center, 36 Linden Street, Pittsfield. (more...)

The La Jolla Playhouse presents the world premiere of HANDS ON A HARDBODY. When an auto dealership in Longview, TX launches an endurance contest, ten economically strapped strangers embark on a journey that puts their hearts, minds and bodies to the test. HANDS ON A HARDBODY is playing at The Jolla Playhouse through June 17th. (more...)

Recently, La Jolla Playhouse's world premiere of HANDS ON A HARDBODY, starring Tony Award-nominees Keith Carradine, Hunter Foster and Mary GorDon Murray, previewed their songs in a rehearsal hall, and the production team talked about the show. (more...)

La Jolla Playhouse's world premiere of Hands on a Hardbody, starring Tony Award-nominees Keith Carradine, Hunter Foster and Mary GorDon Murray, as well as Allison Case and more, opened on May 12, and runs through June 17, 2012 in the Mandell Weiss Theatre. In the video below, hear what the audience ha sto say about the new rock musical. (more...)

The Amoralists have announced the World Premiere of The Bad and the Better, written by Derek Ahonen, directed by Obie Award winner Daniel Aukin and featuring The Amoralists acting ensemble. The acclaimed downtown theater company moves uptown for a 6-week Off-Broadway run from June 14 – July 21, 2012 at The Peter Jay Sharp Theater, located at 416 West 42 Street between 9 and 10 Avenues in New York City. Previews begin June 14 for a June 19 opening. (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...)

In an interview with Billboard, music legend Barry Manilow revealed that he still hopes HARMONY, a musical that was originally scheduled to be Broadway-bound in 2003, will still open on the Great White Way. Manilow told Billboard, "Every pop songwriter thinks they can write a Broadway musical, but it's not true. You really have to know your way around it. But, that's where I come from. Living in Brooklyn, I loved the Broadway musical world, songs moving the story along. I just loved it when I was growing up. It's my dream to do one of those." (more...)

The Civilians, the award-winning New York-based theater company known for projects investigating real life topics, presents Let Me Ascertain You: Death on May 18, 2012 at 9:30 PM at Joe’s Pub at The Public Theater at 425 Lafayette St. (more...)

Sondheim Unplugged, an acoustic evening of Sondheim tunes (featuring one song from every one of his major projects) will play The Coterie at The Hollywood Renaissance Hotel on June 2nd at 8:30PM. Prior to the Hollywood engagement, the concert produced by Jordan Beck and directed by J. Scott Lapp (Broadway's Bonnie & Clyde), featuring all new arrangements by David Lamoureux will play at Caffeinated Cabaret in Downtown Riverside on Sunday night, May 20th at 7:30PM and Cabaret at The Merc in Old Town Temecula on Sunday night, May 27th at 6:30PM. (more...)

When an auto dealership in Longview, TX launches an endurance contest, ten economically-strapped strangers embark on a journey that puts their hearts, minds and bodies to the test. Find out what the critics thought of the world premiere production below! (more...)

Berkeley Repertory Theatre announced the cast and creative team for its world premiere of Eve Ensler’s EMOTIONAL CREATURE. This positive and propulsive new show – from the Tony Award-winning playwright, performer, and activist who created The Vagina Monologues – features a choreographer, a composer, four top designers, and an ensemble of talented young women. Directed by Obie Award-winner Jo Bonney, Emotional Creature plays only 36 performances in the Roda Theatre. The limited engagement at Berkeley Rep begins previews on June 14, opens June 22, and runs through July 15. The lead producers of this premiere are Wayne Jordan and Quinn Delaney, Marjorie Randolph, and Jack and Betty Schafer; the executive producer is the Strauch Kulhanjian Family. The development of this production has been supported in part by The Mosse Artistic Development Fund. (more...)

After more than 5,000 auditions in a coast-to-coast search, ANNIE has announced casting for the orphans for the new production of the classic Tony Award-winning Broadway musical. ANNIE will open on Broadway in Fall 2012 at a Nederlander theatre to be announced. The production will be directed by three-time Tony Award winner James Lapine and choreographed by Tony Award winner Andy Blankenbuehler. (more...)

Producers Nancy Nagel Gibbs, Greg Schaffert, Eva Price and Tom Smedes announced today that Rick Elice’s new play, Peter and the Starcatcher, will embark on a national tour, opening in August 2013 at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House in Denver, CO. The play’s Tony Award-nominated directors, Roger Rees and Alex Timbers, will direct the touring production, which will be represented by The Road Company. (more...)