Michael Crawford News

Full casting has been announced for the UK and Ireland tour of hit comedy stage adaptation The Ladykillers. The principal cast will include Paul Bown (Professor Marcus), Clive Mantle (Major Courtney), Chris McCalphy (One-Round), William Troughton (Harry), Shaun Williamson (Louis) and Michele Dotrice as Mrs Wilberforce. (more...)

The CBC will be casting Dorothy in an Andrew Lloyd Webber production of THE WIZARD OF OZ via a live TV show, Over the Rainbow. Auditions begin in June, and the show will mount in December, according to 680news.com. (more...)

This weekend, BroadwayWorld will be presenting an illuminating InDepth InterView with legendary composer Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber all about the enchanting new performance capture film version of his PHANTOM OF THE OPERA sequel, LOVE NEVER DIES. Until that chat, letÂ’s take a look back at some of the finest Andrew Lloyd Webber-related performances related to the entertainment dynasty built upon his operatic pop musical version of the classic Gaston Leroux novel that is about to celebrate its 10,000th performance on Broadway later this month, THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, as well as its continuation, LOVE NEVER DIES, and the two revivals of his two classic 70s hit stage collaborations with previous InDepth InterView participant Sir Tim Rice coming back to Broadway in a big way - JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR and EVITA. Plus, a look at the new Simon Phillips-directed production of LOVE NEVER DIES coming to Fathom-equipped movie theaters nationwide on February 28 and March 7, with DVD & Blu-ray after that, as well as the PHANTOM 25 DVD & Blu-ray being released in the US on February 7. It's a busy time of year for phans, clearly! Fetch your favorite mask and check out these four Andrew Lloyd Webber delicacies before they arrive! (more...)

In honor of this week’s US release of THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA AT THE ROYAL ALBERT HALL on DVD/Blu-ray - PHANTOM 25 for short - today we are focusing on the multitude of attributes that have made Andrew Lloyd Webber’s unforgettable gothic musical the most successful entertainment of all time, now in its 25th year onstage and about to reach 10,000 performances on Broadway, where it is the reigning longest running show of all time. The gargantuan excitement generated by and the enthusiastic reception enjoyed by PHANTOM for audiences worldwide is unprecedented, yet, the new ultimate presentation of the show - PHANTOM 25 - is even more spectacular and thrilling than any iteration of PHANTOM on any stage or screen thus far. Bringing together the cast of a lifetime with the electricity of a live audience, the HD preservation of THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA AT THE ROYAL ALBERT HALL is positively peerless in its sleekness, precision and polish of presentation. Never before - not even in the vaunted hands and cords of original show stars Sarah Brightman and Michael Crawford - has the show been this contemporary, sexual and hypnotizing. Ramin Karimloo as the Phantom brings a rawness and austerity to the role that commands attention and Sierra Boggess is, in a word, supreme, as the young ingénue under the Phantom’s watchful musical tutelage. So, too, does Hadley Fraser’s perfectly painted Raoul hit the right mark, as do the rest of the exceptional cast in their commitment to making clear-cut, strong and colorful impressions in their roles. The LED-enhanced set is an imaginative reworking of the designs by Maria Bjornson and the musical staging is smooth and assured thanks to original show choreographer Gillian Lynne. Yet, the star of PHANTOM 25 is, unquestionably, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s rapturous, rich and enveloping score. Bringing together an impressive and inspired assortment of genres in creating the quintessential pop opera, Lloyd Webber employs elements of grand opera, opera bouffe, operetta and musical theatre, as well as incorporates a diverse range of musical styles - even a little heavy metal guitar in the title song, as we shall see (and hear). The score of THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA is one of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s finest achievements and stands tall alongside his other classic scores for JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR, EVITA, CATS, SUNSET BOULEVARD among many other international hit shows. Indeed, the story and score of THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA is so very complex and decadent as to allow for a continuation of the story, score, characters and overall themes in the form of the new musical, LOVE NEVER DIES, which premiered in a new version in Australia last year and whose story traces the relationship of the Phantom, Christine and Raoul from the end of the original show all the way from Paris to Coney Island ten years later where PHANTASMA is the show everyone must experience thanks to a mysterious figure lurking in the shadows beyond the carousel. In today’s celebration of PHANTOM 25, we will take a look at the original music videos, the legendary Hal Prince production on Broadway and in the West End, the forthcoming LOVE NEVER DIES - coming to Fathom-equipped theaters nationwide later this month - all with a special spotlight on the most phantastic anniversary concert of all time, THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA AT THE ROYAL ALBERT HALL. (more...)

Cameron Mackintosh announced today full casting for the spectacular new production of Andrew Lloyd WebberÂ’s THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA. (more...)

Rachel doesn’t seem likely to be headed to New York and NYADA - nope, not this time. Mucking up her major shot at Broadway glory - at least as far as high school auditions go - by messing up the words to “Don’t Rain On My Parade” from FUNNY GIRL, her anthem, no less - the focus on GLEE’s appropriately titled “Choke” episode brought to mind a lyric from Stephen Sondheim’s MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG, a musical about the sacrifices we make to get what we thought we wanted - “still with dreams, / just reshaping them. / Growing up….” And that is Season Three of GLEE in a nutshell - the senior members of New Directions learning to let go of childhood and move ahead into the unknown world of maturity; whether the future may bring college, career or pool-cleaning. With more musical theatre references per minute than any episode of the twenty so far in GLEE S3, “Choke” was filled with the stylized storytelling and absurd, although always appreciable surprises along the way that makes GLEE consistently, near-constantly compelling. No, no, no - GLEE has not flagged in the least sixty-odd episodes into the series so far, although the rating may have slightly. Last night’s GLEE was a good example of the shifting focus and repeated reinvention that keeps the series fresh - and the comedy is as fearless and biting as ever. (more...)

An Evening With Marty Panzer" (Barry Manilow's first lyricist) completed two sold out shows Sat. April 28th, adding a 2d show on April 29th at the Triad Theatre, to benefit the Manilow Music Project which provides instruments to kids in need. (more...)

Musical Theatre West has announced the opening of FORBIDDEN BROADWAY: GREATEST HITS, VOLUME 2; previewing April 13th, with opening night April 14th and running for an additional 12 performances through April 29, 2012. (more...)

The 25th anniversary spectacular celebrating The Phantom Of The Opera airs on British TV for the first time today. The show, starring Ramin Karimloo, Sierra Boggess and Hadley Fraser, begins on Channel 5 at 1.40pm. (more...)

The Warner Theatre Center for Arts Education continues its Master Class Series with a precision style dance class taught by Radio City Rockette/Choreographer, Kristin Altfather on Saturday, April 21 from 1-3pm. (more...)

Phantom's Leading Ladies, a trio of Broadway veterans who have all performed the role of "Christine" from The Phantom of the Opera bring their eclectic evening of lirtatious fun and intricate three part harmonies to the beautiful 433 seat Annenberg Theater, uniquely located within Palm Springs Art Museum, on April 14 at 8:00 pm. The evening promises a lot of humor, a lot of harmony and a lot of class as the ladies sing everything from classical Broadway to The Beatles. (more...)

A few days shy of the holiest week of the year for Christians - aptly named Holy Week, beginning with Palm Sunday and ending with Easter (with Holy Thursday and Good Friday, the most sacred events on the calendar coming between) - Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim RiceÂ’s seminal rock opera JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR was resurrected on Broadway by TOMMY and JERSEY BOYS director Des McAnuff - modeled after the hit Stratford Shakespeare Festival production last year and comprised of many of the same cast members, including all three leads - to hails of praise and hosannas, mostly. While JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR itself will always divide audiences and critics alike - and not merely because of its controversial content and its button-pushing treatment of the hallowed tale it tells - the magnetism and sheer power that Lloyd WebberÂ’s propulsive, throbbing rock score imbues gives the show an energy, vitality and life rare to find in even the most earnestly effervescent and energetic of comparable entities - the recently revived and similarly-themed GODSPELL in a revival a few blocks away included. Then, there are Tim RiceÂ’s lyrics - oh-so-spot-on in 1970, but still biting and edgy today in McAnuffÂ’s hi-tech and elaborately presented new Broadway production. Using the book of John as the jumping off point, JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR tells the story of the last seven days in the life of Jesus Christ (Paul Nolan) and his subsequent betrayal by Judas (Josh Young) and sentencing to death at the hands of King Herod and Pontius Pilate (Tom Hewitt). The twelve apostles, Mary Magdalene and her female companions, lepers, Pharisees, priests and others populate the grand story told almost entirely through song - the show is 90% music - and Webber and RiceÂ’s score never, ever lets up. While this may not be the most faithful rendering as far as the Bible is concerned, nor the most historically accurate, SUPERSTAR is now available to experience for a whole new generation thanks to this new revival and the timing could not be more ideal. The time is ripe for a revival of SUPERSTAR, and, as Andrew Lloyd Webber himself has recently related, this new production of the show is the best ever as far as he is concerned. High praise indeed - coming from no less than the Lord. (more...)

¡Estas son las imágenes que todos los fans del Fantasma han estado esperando! Las primeras fotos de la nueva producción del 25 aniversario de The Phantom Of The Opera de Andrew Lloyd webber en gira por UK, que se estrena en marzo de 2012 en el Theatre Royal Plymouth. (more...)

It's the photos that Phantom Phans have been waiting for - the very first images from the new production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA premiering which premiered Theatre Royal Plymouth in March 2012. (more...)

Paul Garman, Executive Director/Producer, and Steven Glaudini, Artistic Director, have announced the cast of FORBIDDEN BROADWAY: GREATEST HITS, VOLUME 2, previewing April 13th, with opening night April 14th and running for an additional 12 performances through April 29, 2012. (more...)

Today we are talking to a queen of the concert stage famous for her decades touring the country who has also made a mark on the recording industry with her countless remarkable albums and who will be returning to New York with an intimate show dedicated to her favorite leading ladies of song, titled SONGBIRDS - the one and only Linda Eder. (more...)

Broadway favorite Michael Crawford, who just released a new album in Australia titled 'The Story Of My Life,' just visited 'Mornings.' In the video below, Crawford chats about his childhood, his career in theatre, and the new album. Click below to check it out! (more...)

Broadway favorite Michael Crawford just released a new album in Australia titled 'The Story Of My Life,' and in the video below, the theatre star promotes the album. Click below to watch the theatre star chat with the Telegraph about his career, his own superstitions, and much more! (more...)

This video from the BBC's OVER THE RAINBOW TV show gives a sneak peak of what to expect from Danielle Hope's performance as Eponine in London's West-End production of LES MISERABLES when she starts performances on June 18. (more...)

Hollywood and Broadway award-winners Kaye Ballard, Liliane Montevecchi, and Lee Roy Reams are to star in “Doin’ It For Love,” a Broadway-style tribute to the standards and the stories behind the music. Celebrating the finale of its Southwest Tour in Los Angeles on March 9 and 10, “Doin’ It For Love” features a 10-piece orchestra conducted onstage by David Geist, the show’s music director. Hilary Knight, the internationally renowned artist and illustrator, designed the poster art and collectables for the show. The profits from “Doin’ It For Love” will go to People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) Investigation and Rescue Fund supporting undercover investigations and animal rescue efforts. (more...)