Global Roundup 8/2 - INTO THE WOODS In Los Angeles, Lea Salonga In SWEENEY TODD And More!

BroadwayWorld presents a comprehensive weekly roundup of regional stories around our Broadway World, which include videos, editor spotlights, regional reviews and more. This week, we feature INTO THE WOODS in Los Angeles, Lea Salonga in SWEENEY TODD and more!

Check out our top news and features from around the BroadwayWorld below! Want more great global content? Check out our "Around The World" section!

Top Stories

Photo Flash: Inside Opening Night of INTO THE WOODS at the Hollywood Bowl- Into The Woods officially opened at the Hollywood Bowl on Friday, July 26, for its three-performance run which ends today, July 28. Check out photos from opening night!! The star-studded cast features Skylar Astin as the Baker; Sierra Boggess as Cinderella; Chris Carmack as Rapunzel's Prince; Anthony Crivello as the Mysterious Man; Sutton Foster as the Baker's wife;Tamyra Gray as Granny and Cinderella's Mother;Edward Hibbert as the Narrator; Gaten Matarazzo as Jack; Edelyn Okano as Cinderella's Stepmother; Patina Miller as the Witch; Cheyenne Jackson as Cinderella's Prince and the Wolf; Hailey Kilgore as Rapunzel; Rebecca Spencer as Jack's Mother; and Shanice Williams as Little Red Riding Hood. (Read more)

Photo Flash: First Look at Lea Salonga and Jett Pangan in SWEENEY TODD in the Philippines - As BroadwayWorld previously announced, Lea Salonga will take on the role of Mrs. Lovett in Stephen Sondheim's classic musical SWEENEY TODD in the Philippines. The show culminates Atlantis' 20th Anniversary Season in 2019. She stars opposite Jett Pangan in the title role. Check out the official poster art for the show below, featuring a first look at Salonga and Pangan in the roles! (Read more)

Photo Flash: SIX Writer Toby Marlow Fills in for Catherine Parr - Toby Marlow, one of the writers of smash-hit West End musical SIX, proved to be The Greatest Showman yesterday when he stepped in to save two perfornances of the show threatened by cast illness. With just a few hours notice, Toby stepped into high heels and leather hotpants to take on the role of the 6th Queen, Catherine Parr, as producers decided to stage a concert version of the show rather than disappoint two sold-out audiences. (Read more)

Dave Malloy To Star In MOBY DICK World Premiere Production at A.R.T. - Composer Dave Malloy dropped a whale of an announcement at tonight's presentation of his new musical, Moby Dick, at the American Museum of Natural History. While previewing some songs from the show beneath the museum's iconic whale, the Great Comet composer revealed that in addition to his writing duties, he will be portraying 'Melville' in the upcoming world premiere production of the show at American Repertory Theatre. (Read more)

Top Reviews

Rhode Island: Contributor Andria Tieman reviews HAMILTON at Providence Performing Arts Center, writing "Have you heard of a little musical called HAMILTON? Considering how much attention this show has gotten for the past three years, it almost seems impossible for it to be as good as people say it is. Surely people are just caught up in the hype and the moment? I'm happy to say that that's not the case at all, and all praise for this musical is well-earned. It hits the sweet spot of compelling characters, catchy songs, excellent performances and fantastic dance sequences."

St. Louis: Contributor Tanya Seale reviews Lerner & Loewe's PAINT YOUR WAGON, writing "Few people seem to be familiar with Lerner & Loewe's Paint Your Wagon. Those who are usually mention the 1969 film of the same title, starring Lee Marvin and Clint Eastwood, known for being a ridiculously miscast and embarrassingly terrible flop. The musical, which originally appeared on Broadway in 1951, is similarly messy, and has gone pretty much unproduced for decades. Fortunately, however, playwright Jon Marans has redrafted the book, top-to-bottom, enhancing both the story line and its characters, and the result is a shiny-new masterpiece with new orchestrations and new dance and vocal arrangements. It is now an entirely enjoyable musical, complex in its structure, with an interesting setting, compelling plot, nuanced layers, appropriate social commentary, and characters..."

Los Angeles: Contributor Michael Quintos reviews NTO THE WOODS at the Hollywood Bowl, writing "An inspired choice of a show, the Hollywood Bowl has decided to present an effervescently buoyant new production of the Tony Award-winning 1986 musical INTO THE WOODS, Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine's much beloved twisted take on traditional fairy tale stories mashed together with witty charm, tongue-tying lyrics, and gallows humor. Directed and choreographed by Robert Longbottom, this enjoyable, sublime production is exquisite and thoroughly delightful from start to finish---much of which can be attributed to its top-notch, musical theater-trained cast that includes Tony Winners Sutton Foster and Patina Miller giving exceptional acting and singing performances alongside theater favorites Cheyenne Jackson, Skylar Astin, Sierra Boggess, Hailey Kilgore, and Stranger Things breakout star Gaten Matarazzo. The show continues with two additional evening performances July 27-28, 2019."

Washington, DC: Contributor Jack Read reviews Tituss Burgess in Concert at The Kennedy Center, writing "It's rare to see a show that feels like it could only happen in one place, at one time. Especially at The Kennedy Center, known for the utmost professionalism, temporal tightness and delivery of all its professional shows - you go to The Kennedy Center because you know you're going to see a show where everyone knows exactly what's going to happen and that it's going to be delivered to you as you expected. Which is one of the reasons that Tituss Burgess in Concert on July 27th felt like such a rarity - every second felt like a gift for this audience. In particular, one audience member - Burgess' mother."

Regional Editor Spotlight:

Michael Quintos

A So. Cal. Contributing Editor since 2009, Michael Lawrence Quintos is a talented, mild-mannered Designer by day. But as night falls, he regularly performs on various stages everywhere as a Countertenor soloist, actor, and dancer for MenAlive since 2002. He sings everything from Broadway, Jazz, R&B, Classical, Gospel and Pop, and has shared the stage with Bernadette Peters, Debbie Reynolds, Michael Feinstein, and Liza Minnelli. His musical theater roots started early, performing in various stage productions and a couple of nationally-televised programs. The performing bug eventually brought him a brief championship run in the Philippines' version of "Star Search" before moving to Las Vegas at age 11. College brought him out to Orange County, California, where he earned a BFA in Graphic Design and a BA in Film Screenwriting. He has spent several years as a designer and art director for various media companies, while spending his free time performing in or critiquing shows.

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