Nicole Rosky - Page 583

Cirque du Soleil returned to the Santa Monica Pier with its critically-acclaimed and family-friendly big top touring show OVO opening Friday, January 20, 2012 for a limited engagement under the trademark blue-and-yellow Grand Chapiteau (big top). Since its world-premiere in Montreal in 2009, OVO has charmed well-over 2 million spectators in more than 15 different cities in North America. Santa Monica will be the only Southern California stop for a Grand Chapiteau (Big Top) production in 2012.

Wicked, the smash hit West End musical now in its sixth spellbinding year at London's Apollo Victoria Theatre, is pleased to announce the opening of its 13th new booking period, with tickets now on sale until Saturday 27 April 2013.

According to the NY Post, the Times Square Alliance has plans to light up Restaurant Row with new signs and lighting at 8th and 9th Avenues on 46th Street in the hopes of bringing more business to the 34 restaurants in the area. Restaurant owner James Marchignoli commented: 'The problem is, Times Square has taken business away from us - period. Will a sign help? It may. But when Times Square closed traffic and opened cafes and mobile carts, that stopped traffic on this side. Business is going the other way, and there are so many chains, Bubba Gump, Olive Garden, there are so many more places over there - it's like Disneyland.'

The cast of the 10th Annual Nightlife Awards continues to grow with one stellar performer after another added to the bill. Terri White (Follies), who spent a great many years as one of New York's most exciting piano bar entertainers, will be honored with a Special Award for her Contributions to New York Nightlife. As is always the case with The All-Performance Nightlife Awards, Terri will take the stage to sing. A guest star joining the cast is the heralded TV and nightclub comedian, Ray Ellin. Also returning to celebrate the 10th Anniversary of the Nightlife Awards by performing are two former Nightlife Jazz Vocalist winners, Allan Harris and Karen Oberlin.

The Hasty Pudding Theatricals of Harvard University has just announced Claire Danes as the recipient of its 2012 Woman of the Year award. The Pudding is proud to honor such an accomplished actress, who has challenged herself with a wide range of critically acclaimed roles spanning television, film, and theater.

Yesterday, Tony Award winner and Broadway favorite Kristin Chenoweth sang the National Anthem at the NFC Championship game between the Giants and 49ers. Clcik below to check out her awesome performance!

Whether you've been living under a rock for the past week, or you're just in the mood for a recap of everything theatre, BroadwayWorld's feature, 'This Week in Pictures' is here to satisfy your end of the week fix. Take a look below to catch up on the latest happenings from the Great White Way to the West End (and everywhere in between) with coverage of press events, rehearsals, opening nights and more! For last week's biggest events: visit THIS WEEK IN PICTURES: January 7-13.

Both Michael Crawford and Danielle Hope will both depart the West End production of THE WIZARD OF OZ on February 5, 2012. Both have been with the show since the beginning, and audiences had been following the yellow brick road over the rainbow to see Crawford (as the Wizard) and Danielle Hope (as Dorothy), winner of BBC TV's Over the Rainbow, at The London Palladium. But before they leave, the cast celebrated Crawford's 70th birthday at a recent curtain call.

Tickets go on sale tomorrow, Saturday January 21, to the general public for William Shatner's Broadway show SHATNER'S WORLD: WE JUST LIVE IN IT at www.telecharge.com. Producers also announced the show's creative team and student ticket policy.

The Public Theater will continue the 2011-2012 Public Forum season in February with a night of conversation and songs featuring Stew, Heidi Rodewald and Michael Cerveris. This Public Forum event will coincide with the new musical, The Total Bent, premiering in February as part of the Public Lab series. This intimate evening featuring three great singer-songwriters will take place on Monday, February 27 at 9:30 p.m. at Joe's Pub. Member tickets, priced at $15, are on sale now. Single tickets, priced at $20, go on sale Thursday, January 26.

Emmy® nominated actor Victor Garber will make a guest appearance on the SHOWTIME hit series THE BIG C when it returns for its third season on April 8, 2012. Garber will play a man who causes trouble for Sean (played by John Benjamin Hickey) when an accidental phone call leads to a harassing situation. THE BIG C stars Laura Linney in her Golden Globe® Award-winning and Emmy-nominated role as Cathy Jamison, a reserved, suburban wife/mother/teacher whose terminal cancer diagnosis forces her to shake up her life and find the light side of a dark situation. Ten episodes are currently in production in Stamford, CT. THE BIG C is created and written by Darlene Hunt, who serves as executive producer, along with showrunner Jenny Bicks, Laura Linney, Neal H. Moritz and Vivian Cannon. It is produced by Sony Pictures Television.

Following on the heels of a successful World Premiere at the South Orange Performing Arts Center in May, 2011, the new musical comedy Rated P for Parenthood Rated P will begin performances in New York on Wednesday, February 8, 2012 with Opening Night, which was previously set for February 26th, now scheduled for Wednesday, February 29th (**because a show like this only comes around every four years), upstairs at the Westside Theatre (407 West 43rd Street). Meet the cast and creative team of the show below!

FLASHDANCE - THE MUSICAL, the stage adaptation of the 1983 hit film that will play Broadway in Fall 2012, will launch the national tour with an additional company on January 1, 2013 at the Heinz Hall in Pittsburgh, the steel town that serves as the show's setting. FLASHDANCE will go on to play over 25 markets in North America. Additional cities and tour casting will be announced in the coming months.

According to published reports music egend Etta James, who was best known for singing 'At Last,' passed away. She was 73 years old.

According to the Stage, Heidi Thomas is hard at work writed a revised book for an upcoming Broadway production of GIGI. The Upstairs Downstairs writer told the Stage: 'It was the best adaptation project I have been offered this year. I do love musical theatre - I have always loved it as a punter and always longed to write one, but thought I would never be asked. I have just started work on the book and that is very exciting. I am immersing myself in the novels of Colette and of the period.'

According to the Sydney Morning Herald, Cate Blanchett and her husband, Andrew Upton, have decided to step down as the co-artistc directors of the Sydney Theatre Company. STC chairman David Gonski told SMH that they've been 'very, very fortunate to have both Cate and Andrew for what will constitute a six-year period … they have been absolutely excellent. We have always had an international element to the company but now there is absolutely no doubt about that.'

It's sure to be a busy year for Jesus Christ Superstar, with a production heading to Broadway in March and iTV working with Andrew Lloyd Webber to create a new reality competition series. Now a new website has been launched for the musical, which features news about the television show, SUPERSTAR, the upcoming Broadway transfer, and even regional productions. Click here to check it out!

Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame legend Darlene Love and Broadway's Mary Testa join Julie Halston, Andrew Rannells, and Seth Rudetsky for the Second Annual Broadway Belts! for PFF (Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation) Benefit on February 27, 2012 at 7:00pm at Birdland Jazz Club (315 West 44th Street). For tickets visit bit.ly/broadway2012 or (312) 239 - 6636.

The Alley Theater's production of The Toxic Avenger, starring American Idol and Rock of Ages alum Constantine Maroulis alongside Nancy Opel, begins previews this Friday, January 13, in anticipation of a January 20 opening night.

Michael Riedel writes today in the NY Post that filmmaker Jacob Cohl is currently working on creating a documentary on the making of SPIDER-MAN: TURN OFF THE DARK. Jacob, whose father Michael is a producer for the show, was 'given almost unlimited access to everything that went on from the first day of rehearsals to the June 2011 Broadway opening.'