Global Roundup 8/9 - CHASING RAINBOWS, ALMOST FAMOUS, XANADU, CATS 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 CHASING RAINBOWS, ALMOST FAMOUS, XANADU, CATS 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

Ruby Rakos, Max von Essen, Lesli Margherita, and More Will Lead CHASING RAINBOWS: THE ROAD TO OZ at Paper Mill Playhouse - Casting has been announced for Chasing Rainbows: The Road to Oz at Paper Mill Playhouse! The musical features a book by Marc Acito, musical adaptation & additional music by David Libby and is conceived by and additional lyrics by Tina Marie Casamento. (Read more)

Colin Donnell, Drew Gehling, Anika Larsen to Lead ALMOST FAMOUS at Old Globe - Producers Lia Vollack, Joey Parnes, Sue Wagner, and John Johnson today announced the cast and creative team for Almost Famous, a world premiere musical with book and lyrics by Academy Award winner Cameron Crowe, based on his iconic film. Almost Famous, which will open the 2019-2020 Season at The Old Globe (Erna Finci Viterbi Artistic Director Barry Edelstein and Managing Director Timothy J. Shields), is directed by Tony Award® nominee Jeremy Herrin and features original music and lyrics by Pulitzer Prize and two-time Tony Award winner Tom Kitt. Performances will run September 13 a?' October 20, with an official opening night on September 27. (Read more)

XANADU Tour Announces Additional Casting and Dates - Boston, Baltimore, Detroit, Cincinnati, and More! - Complete casting and select tour dates have been announced for the National Tour of the Tony Award-nominated roller-skating smash hit musical Xanadu, starring previously announced "RuPaul's Drag Race" season five winner, Jinkx Monsoon (Calliope), and season seven finalist, Ginger Minj (Melpomene). The cast will consist of Rachelle Rose Clark (Kira), Naysh Fox (Sonny), James May (Danny/Zeus), Larry Luck (Swing) and Alyson Snyder (Swing, Dance Captain). (Read more)

VIDEO: Go Behind The Scenes Of CATS On Tour - Go behind the scenes at Cats the Musical with Keri René Fuller as she prepares for a performance and transforms into Grizabella the Glamour Cat while in Chicago! Check out the video! Composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber and based on T.S. Eliot's Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats, the record-breaking musical spectacular has captivated audiences in over 30 countries and 15 languages and is soon to be on tour across North America! Featuring new sound design, direction and choreography for a new generation - experience Cats for the first time as it begins a new life, or let it thrill you all over again! (Read more)

Top Reviews

Nashville: Contributor Jeffrey Ellis reviews JOSEPH at Cumberland County Playhouse, writing "Powerhouse vocals from its two leading players (Anthony Lazzaro and Cassie Donegan), along with focused direction, spirited choreography, effusive music coming from the pit and an eye-popping visual design aesthetic combine to make Cumberland County Playhouse's most recent iteration of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat another in a long line of onstage hits sure to attract audiences eager to escape the sultry heat of a Tennessee summer."

Maine: Contributor Carla Maria Verdino-Süllwold reviews HAMLET at TAM, writing "Maine's Theater at Monmouth appropriately celebrates its 50th season by mounting a spare, strong, intense, and updated production of the play often thought of as the pinnacle of Shakespeare's achievement: HAMLET. Set in 1958 in Chicago and loosely inspired by MAD MEN and the African-American publishing giant John H. Johnson, this attractive, elegant, and intimate take on this quintessential domestic drama scores many poignant an powerful moments."

Louisville: Contributor Taylor Clemons reviews NEWSIES at The Lexington Theatre Company, writing "The Lexington Theatre Company takes it's place as the latest regional theatre to carry the banner. Since it's premiere in 2012, Disney's Newsies has been nothing short of a "little show that could" success story. Originally intended for licensing, the show went on to play a successful open ended run in NYC, and subsequently toured the national for several years. In the time since it's release into the world of regional and community theatre, it's become a popular title for high schools, community theatre, and professional theatre alike. Like The Lexington Theatre Company's previous offering, West Side Story, there's no real NEED for another production of the show due to the frequent productions, however, The Lexington Theatre Company makes a strong case for theirs, yet again proving that Broadway's Best can shine brightly alongside those Broadway hopefuls trying to make it big."

Birmingham: Contributor David Edward Perry reviews YELLOW at THEATRE DOWNTOWN, writing "'Yellow' is Del Shore's roller coaster play of a 'perfect' southern family that is thrown into a building storm of emotional and physical turmoil. The struggle breaks opens layers of pain to expose raw, heavy and hard to face truths. Director Rhonda Erbrick success as a director is clear by the gasps and teary-eyed moments from the audience."

Regional Editor Spotlight:

Taylor Clemons

Taylor is a Louisville native and is extremely active in the theatre scene as and actor and a friend to many companies. Taylor has acted with CenterStage at the Jewish Community Center, Mind's Eye, Wayward, and The Oldham County Arts Center. He is currently working towards his BFA.

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