Ben Foster Replaces Shia LaBeouf in Orphans

The producers of the Broadway production of ORPHANS, Lyle Kessler’s play, directed by Daniel Sullivan, announced today that Ben Foster will join the cast immediately in the role of “Treat.”

Producers Frederick Zollo and Robert Cole said, “We are delighted that Ben will join Alec Baldwin and Tom Sturridge when rehearsals commence at ORPHANS tomorrow morning. He is an extraordinarily gifted actor.”

Production dates remain unchanged thus far, with previews beginning March 19 and opening night on April 7 at the Schoenfeld Theatre (236 W. 45th Street).

Tom Sturridge is appearing with the support of Actors’ Equity Association. The producers gratefully acknowledge Actors’ Equity Association for its assistance of this production.

Tickets for ORPHANS are now on sale and can be purchased by calling Telecharge at 212-239-6200 or online by visiting www.Telecharge.com.

BEN FOSTER (Treat) has established himself as one of the most versatile actors of his generation. Having received rave reviews for two diverse performances showcased at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival, Foster will be making his Broadway debut in Orphans.

Foster’s two Sundance Films, “Ain’t Them Body Saints” and “Kill Your Darlings”, will be released later this year by IFC Films and Sony Pictures Classics, respectively. The Village Voice noted about both performances that “Foster dazzled as the young William Burroughs on the edges of the Beat true-crime tale “Kill Your Darlings”, then impressed even more as a kindly deputy trying to keep the peace in “Ain’t Them Body Saints”, a performance that evokes the young Gene Hackman in its understated masculine authority.” In a poll of 42 critics conducted by Indiewire, Foster was named Best Supporting Performance for “Ain’t Them Body Saints”. Additionally, Foster stars opposite Mark Wahlberg in Peter Berg’s highly anticipated film “Lone Survivor” chronicling the true story of the June 2005 failed mission of Seal Team 10, which will be released by Universal Pictures this Fall.

In 2009, Foster’s starred opposite Woody Harrelson and Samantha Morton in “The Messenger,” a film by Oren Moverman. The film, a moving portrayal of one soldier's (Foster) journey to re-assimilate into the civilian world after his turn in Iraq, was an official selection at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival and won the Silver Bear for Best Screenplay and the Peace Film Award at the 2009 Berlin Film Festival and the Grand Prize at the 2009 Deauville Film Festival. Foster reteamed with Moverman in 2011 to co-star in and produce, “Rampart,” which stars Woody Harrelson as a veteran police officer who gets caught in up a corruption scandal. In the film, Ben portrays a homeless man at the center of the scandal. “Rampart,” part crime drama-part action thriller, is based upon a real LAPD scandal from the 1990’s. The film premiered at both the Toronto and AFI film festivals as well as the London International Film Festival, and was released by Millennium Entertainment in 2011.

In 2007, his portrayal in James Mangold's “3:10 to Yuma” as outlaw Charlie Prince, a cold blooded killer, earned Foster rave reviews. Of his performance, Todd McCarthy of Variety noted, "Ben Foster puts the kind of indelible imprint on this juicy role that, in earlier eras, allowed such thesps as Lee Marvin, Richard Boone, Dan Duryea, James Coburn, Jack Palance, Lee Van Cleef, Strother Martin, and others to immortalize themselves in the annals of Western villainy. He is a mad delight to watch.” The cast received an SAG Ensemble nomination for their work in the film.

Foster's additional credits include Fernando Meirelles’ “360”; Baltasar Kormakur’s “Contraband”; Braden King’s “Here” ; “The Mechanic”; Nick Cassavetes’ “Alpha Dog”; the blockbuster film "X-Men 3: The Last Stand”; "30 Days of Night"; "Hostage"; and Barry Levinson's "Liberty Heights," which marked his film debut.

On the small screen, Foster shared the SAG Award for Best Ensemble Cast for his work in the 2003 season of HBO's critically acclaimed drama "Six Feet Under," in which he portrayed Russell Corwin for three seasons. He was also a part of the Emmy nominated HBO telefilm "The Laramie Project." He appeared in several episodes of the cult hit "Freaks and Geeks" as the mentally handicapped student ‘Eli,’ and Foster’s lead performance in Showtime's "Bang Bang You're Dead" garnered him a Daytime Emmy.

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Glee's Jane Lynch to Play Miss Hannigan in Annie

Emmy Award-winning actress Jane Lynch, who stars in the hit FOX television show “Glee” as ruthless cheerleading coach Sue Sylvester, will take on another great tyrannical role as evil orphanage matron Miss Hannigan in the new Broadway production of ANNIE at the Palace Theatre (1564 Broadway between 46th and 47th Streets). Lynch, a stage veteran of Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theatre Company and The Second City, will be making her Broadway debut. She will play Miss Hannigan for eight weeks only, from Thursday, May 16 through Sunday, July 14.

Two-time Tony Award-winning actress Katie Finneran, who created the role of Miss Hannigan in the new production of ANNIE, will depart the production at a date to be announced, in order to begin filming a new NBC comedy series with Michael J. Fox.

“Some may say I know a thing or two about playing intimidating authority figures,” Jane Lynch said. “So I am excited and honored to be making my Broadway debut with the wonderful ANNIE company at the Palace Theatre and joining the pantheon of women who have taken on the great and irresistible role of wicked Miss Hannigan.”

“I am forever indebted to the creative team and producers of ANNIE. They made a dream come true for me by giving me the chance to play Miss Hannigan on Broadway. And now they have been unbelievably generous in recognizing what a unique opportunity this television series is for my family and me,” Katie Finneran commented. “I am so grateful to them for making it possible for me to begin filming the series this summer and I can't wait to come back and see the goddess Jane Lynch bring down the house at the Palace.”

Jane Lynch’s theatrical credits include The Second City, Steppenwolf Theatre and many church basements throughout the Chicagoland area. Recent film credits include A.C.O.D, Three Stooges, Wreck-It Ralph, Julie & Julia, Shrek Forever After, The Post Grad Survival Guide, Paul and Brownie Masters. Past film work includes Christopher Guest’s For Your Consideration, A Mighty Wind and Best in Show, as well as Role Models, The Rocker, Spring Breakdown, the animated film Space Chimps, Alvin and the Chipmunks, Walk Hard, Talladega Nights, The 40 Year old Virgin, Margaret Cho’s Celeste and Bam Bam, Alan Cumming’s Suffering Man’s Charity, Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events, Sleepover and Surviving Eden. She currently stars in the Ryan Murphy television series “Glee” on FOX for which she is an Emmy and Golden Globe winner for portraying the iconic television character, Sue Sylvester. Some of her other recent credits include the STARZ series “Party Down,” “Lovespring,” a Lifetime original series, “Desperate Housewives” and “Weeds” as well as the last season of “The L Word” opposite Cybill Shepherd. She has recurring roles on “Two and a Half Men,” “Criminal Minds” and “The New Adventures of Old Christine”. Jane’s play Oh Sister, My Sister! had runs at the Tamarind Theatre and Bang Theater, garnering the LA Weekly Comedy Ensemble of the Year Award. Jane also authored the autobiography Happy Accidents, which topped several national best sellers list, including the New York Times and Los Angeles Times.

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Shia LaBeouf Drops Out of Orphans

Due to creative differences, the producers of ORPHANS and Shia LaBeouf will be parting ways and he will not be continuing with the production. An announcement on the replacement for the role of "Treat" will be made shortly.

ORPHANS, by Lyle Kessler and directed by Daniel Sullivan, stars Alec Baldwin and Tom Sturridge. Production dates remain unchanged thus far, with previews beginning March 19 and opening night on April 7 at the Schoenfeld Theatre (236 West 45th Street).

Tom Sturridge is appearing with the support of Actors' Equity Association. The producers gratefully acknowledge Actors' Equity Association for its assistance of this production.

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Les Miserables Returning to Broadway in Spring 2014

Cameron Mackintosh announced today that his acclaimed new production of Alain Boublil & Claude-Michel Schönberg’s Tony Award-winning musical masterpiece LES MISÉRABLESwill come to Broadway in March, 2014 at a Shubert theater to be announced. This newly re-imagined LES MISÉRABLES is breaking box-office records across the country and around the world and inspired filmmakers to make the immensely successful movie which has been nominated for eight Academy Awards including Best Picture and has won 3 Golden Globes including Best Picture, as well as 4 BAFTA’s. The new productionhas been a sell-out since launching a U.S. national tour in November 2010, having already played in 64 cities throughout North America, grossing more than $130 million. International productions of the new LES MISÉRABLEShave met with equal success and acclaim in the U.K, France, Spain and Korea. New productions are scheduled to open in the coming months in Japan, Canada, Australia and Brazil.

Cameron Mackintosh said “To my constant surprise, my productions continue to be enjoyed as much as ever by audiences all around the world and I’m thrilled to have the unique chance of redoing them all over as if they were brand new shows. I’m even more delighted that they are proving just as big hits at the box office in their new form as the originals, having recently reinvented Oliver!, Phantom and Miss Saigon to similar acclaim to the new LES MISÉRABLES. It’s marvelous that modern audiences are embracing them as contemporary musicals rather than revivals. I am delighted that Broadway audiences will now join the millions of Americans who have already flocked to see this glorious new staging and spectacular re-imagined scenery inspired by the paintings of Victor Hugo.”

Philip J. Smith, Chairman of The Shubert Organization, said, “We’re thrilled Cameron is bringing LES MIZ back to Broadway, where it’s been a huge success, not once, but twice. Both times in Shubert theaters. In 1985, Bernie Jacobs, Bob Wankel and I went to London to attend the world premiere. We knew that night Cameron had created something great. We were right.”

Anita Gates in The New York Times calls this new production of LES MISÉRABLES“a splendidly reworked, unquestionably spectacular production from start to finish.” Benedict Nightingale in The London Times hails the new LES MIZ “a five star hit, astonishingly powerful and as good as the original.” Peter Filichia in The Star-Ledger calls it "a dynamically re-imagined hit. This LES MISÉRABLEShas improved with age” and Roma Torre on NY1 News proclaims “this new production actually exceeds the original. The storytelling is clearer, the perspective grittier and the motivations more honest. Musical theatre fans can rejoice: LES MIZ is born again.” Terry Byrne in The Boston Globe said, “The new production of LES MISÉRABLES qualifies as a truly extraordinary theatrical experience. It is nothing less than stunning. This production is so breathtaking, you simply won’t want it to end.” Chris Jones in The Chicago Tribune called the new LES MIZ, “uncommonly raw, unusually emotional and strikingly intense. LES MIZ stands alone in its dramatic and emotional achievements. The storytelling is formidable; the theatricalization spectacular. This new production refreshes and rethinks without sacrificing any singularity of intensity or artistic occasion. It is not to be missed.”

Based on Victor Hugo’s classic novel, LES MISÉRABLES is an epic and uplifting story about the survival of the human spirit. The magnificent score includes the classic songs “I Dreamed a Dream,” “On My Own,” “Stars,” “Bring Him Home,” “Do You Hear the People Sing?,” “One Day More,” “Empty Chairs at Empty Tables,” “Master Of The House” and many more.

Cameron Mackintosh’s production of LES MISÉRABLES is written by Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg and is based on the novel by Victor Hugo. It has music by Claude-Michel Schönberg, lyrics by Herbert Kretzmer and original French text by Alain Boublil and Jean-Marc Natel, original adaption by Trevor Nunn and John Caird and additional material by James Fenton.

The new production is directed by Laurence Connor and James Powell, designed by Matt Kinley inspired by the paintings of Victor Hugo with costumes by Andreane Neofitou and additional costumes by Christine Rowlands, lighting by Paule Constable, sound by Mick Potter and projections by Fifty-Nine Productions. The original LES MISÉRABLES orchestrations are by John Cameron with new orchestrations by Christopher Jahnke and additional orchestrations by Stephen Metcalfe and Stephen Brooker.

Now in its 28th year in London, LES MISÉRABLES originally premiered at the Barbican Theatre in a co-production with the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1985. It transferred to the Palace Theatre in December of that year and then moved to its current home at the Queen’s Theatre in April 2004 where it is still playing to standing room only. In October 2006 LES MISÉRABLES took over the title of World’s Longest Running Musical followed by two other Cameron Mackintosh productions, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera and Cats.

The Broadway production of LES MISÉRABLES originally opened at the Broadway Theatre on March 12, 1987 and transferred to the Imperial Theatre on October 17, 1990 running for 6,680 performances. There have been four national touring companies of LES MISÉRABLES that have played more than 200 cities. Broadway audiences welcomed LES MISÉRABLES back to New York on November 9, 2006 where the show played the Broadhurst Theatre until its final performance on January 6, 2008. To date, LES MISÉRABLES is the 4th longest-running Broadway production of all time.

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Broadway Grosses: February 11 through 17, 2013

The following are the top shows on Broadway for the week of February 11 through 17, 2013. 

 Top Grossing

1. Wicked - $1,875,920
2. The Lion King - $1,795,279
3. The Book of Mormon - $1,686,039
4. Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark - $1,342,250
5. Cinderella - $1,056,544
6. Mary Poppins - $1,015,709
7. Once - $1,007,277
8. Cat on a Hot Tin Roof - $957,786
9. Annie - $954,565
10. The Phantom of the Opera - $929,435

Top Capacity

1. The Book of Mormon - 102.6%
2. Cinderella - 100.0%
3. The Lion King - 99.9%
4. Wicked - 97.5%
5. Once - 97.3%
6. Rock of Ages - 96.1%
7. Mamma Mia! - 89.4%
8. Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark - 88.6%
9. Newsies - 88.3%
10. The Other Place - 88.1%

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Broadway Grosses: February 4 through 10, 2013

The following are the top shows on Broadway for the week of February 4 through 10, 2013. 

 Top Grossing

1. The Book of Mormon - $1,590,728
2. Wicked - $1,355,055
3. The Lion King - $1,333,769
4. Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark - $1,002,910
5. Once - $850,309
6. Manilow on Broadway - $742,022
7. Cinderella - $721,654
8. Jersey Boys - $718,117
9. Annie - $696,830
10. The Phantom of the Opera - $684,437

Top Capacity

1. The Book of Mormon - 102.6%
2. The Heiress - 96.7%
3. Once - 94.0%
4. Wicked - 90.3%
5. The Lion King - 89.8%
6. Cinderella - 89.2%
7. Rock of Ages - 87.2%
8. Jersey Boys - 79.3%
9. Newsies - 78.1%
10. The Other Place - 74.6%

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Once Gets the Grammy For Best Musical Theatre Album

ONCE, winner of eight Tony Awards including Best Musical, has received the 2013 Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album, it was announced Sunday night at the 55th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles. The production, based on the 2007 Academy Award-winning film, opened to rave reviews on Sunday, March 18, 2012.

The original cast recording of ONCE is available via MASTERWORKS BROADWAY, a label of Sony Masterworks.

Producers Stephen Epstein & Martin Lowe; Principal soloists Steve Kazee & Cristin Milioti.

ONCE won eight Tony Awards including Best Musical. The production was also named Best Musical by the New York Drama Critics Circle, Drama Desk, Drama League, Outer Critic Circle and Lucille Lortel Awards.

ONCE features a book by award-winning Irish playwright & screenwriter, Enda Walsh (Penelope, Hunger, The New Electric Ballroom), the Academy Award-winning music and lyrics of Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová, direction by the acclaimed John Tiffany (Black Watch),movement by Steven Hoggett (Black Watch, American Idiot) and music supervision and orchestrations by Martin Lowe (Mamma Mia!).

The set and costume design are by six time Tony Award winner Bob Crowley (The Coast of Utopia, Mary Poppins), lighting design is by three time Tony winner Natasha Katz (Aida, The Coast of Utopia), and sound design is by Clive Goodwin.

ONCE will begin a US national tour launched by The Road Company in the summer of 2013.

The cast of ONCE features Steve Kazee as 'Guy' and Cristin Milioti as 'Girl.' Also in the company are David Abeles, Will Connolly, Elizabeth A. Davis, David Patrick Kelly, Jillian Lebling, Eliza Holland Madore, Anne L. Nathan, Lucas Papaelias, Andy Taylor, Erikka Walsh, Paul Whitty, and J. Michael Zygo.

Featuring an impressive ensemble of actor/musicians who play their own instruments onstage, ONCE tells the enchanting tale of a Dublin street musician who's about to give up on his dream when a beautiful young woman takes a sudden interest in his haunting love songs. As the chemistry between them grows, his music soars to powerful new heights... but their unlikely connection turns out to be deeper and more complex than your everyday romance. Emotionally captivating and theatrically breathtaking, ONCE draws you in from the very first note and never lets go. It's an unforgettable story about going for your dreams and the power of music to connect us all.

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Motown: The Musical Casts Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder and Berry Gordy

Producers Kevin McCollum, Doug Morris and Berry Gordy are proud to announce additional Broadway casting for the world premiere of MOTOWN: THE MUSICAL, based on the life of iconic Motown founder Berry Gordy.

Following a nationwide casting search for a young super-talent with an Olympic high tenor singing voice, exceptional dance ability and the range to play multiple roles, Motown founder Berry Gordy has discovered not one, but two, aspiring young men to portray his boyhood counterpart and the roles of young stars Michael Jackson and Stevie Wonder. Raymond Luke Jr. and Jibreel Mawry will both make their Broadway debut charting the rise of three entertainment icons.

Bryan Terrell Clark will also make his Broadway debut portraying another groundbreaking Motown artist Marvin Gaye. Clark is a co-writer on Mary J. Blige’s new album “Irreversible,” and has performed with such music royalty as Gladys Knight and Patti LaBelle.

As previously announced, Tony Award® nominee Brandon Victor Dixon (The Color Purple) and Valisia LeKae (The Book of Mormon) will star in the leading roles of Berry Gordy and Diana Ross and Charl Brown (Jersey Boys) will play Smokey Robinson,leading an ensemble cast of 40 featuring Timothy J. Alex, Michael Arnold, Nicholas Christopher, Rebecca E. Covington, Ariana DeBose, Andrea Dora, Preston W. Dugger III, Wilkie Ferguson, Dionne Figgins, Marva Hicks, Tiffany Janene Howard, Sasha Hutchings, Jawan M. Jackson, Lauren Lim Jackson, Morgan James, John Jellison, Crystal Joy, Jamie LaVerdiere, Grasan Kingsberry, Marielys Molina, Sydney Morton, Maurice Murphy, Jarran Muse, Jesse Nager, Milton Craig Nealy, N’Kenge, Dominic Nolfi, Saycon Sengbloh, Ryan Shaw, Jamal Story, Eric LaJuan Summers, Ephraim Sykes, Julius Thomas III, Daniel J. Watts and Donald Webber, Jr.

MOTOWN: THE MUSICAL will begin preview performances March 11 and open on Broadway on April 14, 2013 at The Lunt-Fontanne Theatre (205 West 46 Street).

Directed by Charles Randolph-Wright, MOTOWN: THE MUSICAL will feature a book by Berry Gordy and music and lyrics from the legendary Motown catalogue.

MOTOWN: THE MUSICAL is the real story of the one-of-a-kind sound that hit the airwaves in 1959 and changed our culture forever. This exhilarating show charts Motown Founder Berry Gordy's incredible journey from featherweight boxer to the heavyweight music mogul who launched the careers of Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson, Marvin Gaye, and so many more.

Featuring all the classics you love, MOTOWN: THE MUSICAL tells the story behind the hits as Diana, Smokey, Berry and the whole Motown family fight against the odds to create the soundtrack of change in America. The music that shattered barriers, shaped our lives and made us all move to the same beat finally comes to Broadway in the season's most anticipated world-premiere event.

MOTOWN: THE MUSICAL’s creative team features choreography by Patricia Wilcox (Blues in the Night) and Warren Adams (Toy Story), scenic design by David Korins (Bring It On: The Musical, Annie), costume design by Tony Award® nominee ESosa (The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess, “Project Runway”), lighting design by Tony Award® winner Natasha Katz (Once, Sister Act), sound design by Tony Award® nominee Peter Hylenski (Rock of Ages, The Scottsboro Boys), projection design by Daniel Brodie (Jekyll and Hyde).

MOTOWN : THE MUSICAL will feature arrangements and orchestrations by Ethan Popp (Rock of Ages), who will supervise the 18 piece orchestra and reproduce the classic “Sound of Young America” for the Broadway stage, with co-orchestrations and additional arrangements by Bryan Crook (“Smash”), dance arrangements by Zane Mark (Dirty Rotten Scoundrels) and music direction by Joseph Joubert (Nice Work If You Can Get It).

Biographies are after the cut.

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Final Cast Announced For The Assembled Parties

Manhattan Theatre Club announces complete casting for its upcoming production of THE ASSEMBLED PARTIES, the world premiere play by Tony Award winner Richard Greenberg, directed by MTC’s award-winning Artistic Director Lynne Meadow. The cast features Tony nominee Jessica Hecht, Tony and Emmy Award winner Judith Light, Tony Award nominee Jeremy Shamos, Obie Award winner Mark Blum, Lauren Blumenfeld (We Are Proud to Present…), Alex Dreier (Billy Elliot), Tony Award nominee Sam Robards, and Jake Silbermann (“As The World Turns”).

The limited engagement of THE ASSEMBLED PARTIES will begin previews Thursday, March 21, 2013 and open Wednesday, April 17, 2013 at MTC’s Samuel J. Friedman Theatre (261 West 47th Street).

THE ASSEMBLED PARTIES welcomes us to the world of the Bascovs, an Upper West Side Jewish family in 1980. In a sprawling Central Park West apartment, former movie star Julie Bascov (Tony Award nominee Jessica Hecht) and her sister-in-law Faye (Tony and Emmy Award winner Judith Light) bring their families together for their traditional holiday dinner. But tonight, things are not usual. A house guest (Tony nominee Jeremy Shamos) has joined the festivities for the first time and he unwittingly – or perhaps by design – insinuates himself into the family drama. Twenty years later, as 2001 approaches, the Bascovs’ seemingly picture-perfect life may be about to crumble. A stunning new play infused with humor, THE ASSEMBLED PARTIES is an incisive portrait of a family grasping for stability at the dawn of a new millennium.

Greenberg returnsto MTC following the acclaimed Broadway revival of his play The American Plan. MTC’s collaboration with Greenberg spans 20 years and has seen the New York premieres of such lauded works as The Violet Hour, Three Days of Rain, and Eastern Standard. This production marks MTC’s 10th collaboration with Greenberg.

The creative team for THE ASSEMBLED PARTIES includes: Santo Loquasto (scenic design), Jane Greenwood (costume design), Peter Kaczorowski (lighting design), and Obadiah Eaves (original music & sound design).

Under the leadership of Artistic Director Lynne Meadow and Executive Producer Barry Grove, MTC has become one of the country’s most prominent and prestigious theatre companies. Over the past three decades, MTC productions have earned a total of 18 Tony Awards and six Pulitzer Prizes, an accomplishment unparalleled by a New York theatrical institution. MTC has a Broadway home at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre (261 West 47th Street) and two Off-Broadway theatres at New York City Center (131 West 55th Street). Renowned MTC productions include Venus in Fur; Master Class; Good People; The Whipping Man; Time Stands Still; The Royal Family; Ruined; The American Plan; Come Back, Little Sheba; Blackbird; Translations; Shining City; Rabbit Hole; Doubt; Proof; The Tale of the Allergist’s Wife; Love! Valour! Compassion!; A Small Family Business; Sylvia; Putting It Together; Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune; Crimes of the Heart; and Ain’t Misbehavin.’

Biographies are after the cut.

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Alan Cummings Returning to Broadway in MacBeth

Direct from acclaimed, sold-out engagements at the National Theatre of Scotland and the Lincoln Center Festival, Tony and Olivier Award winner ("Cabaret") and two-time Emmy nominee ("The Good Wife") Alan Cumming returns to Broadway this spring in a thrilling one-man interpretation of Shakespeare's darkest and most powerful tragedy, MACBETH.

Produced by Ken Davenport, the National Theatre of Scotland's MACBETH will play a strictly limited 73-performance engagement at Broadway's Ethel Barrymore Theatre (243 West 47th Street).

Preview performances begin on Sunday, April 7 (7 p.m.) with an official Opening Night on Sunday, April 21 (6 p.m.). The Broadway engagement will conclude on Sunday, June 30.

A tour-de-force performance directed by Tony Award winner John Tiffany ("Once") and Andrew Goldberg ("The Bomb-itty of Errors"), the National Theatre of Scotland's MACBETH is set in a clinical room deep within a dark psychiatric unit. Cumming is the lone patient, reliving the infamous story and inhabiting each role himself.

Closed circuit television cameras watch the patient's every move as the walls of the psychiatric ward come to life in a visually stunning multi-media theatrical experience of Shakespeare's notorious tale of desire, ambition and the supernatural.

"Performing MACBETH last year was the most challenging and fulfilling experience of my career by far, and so I am both honoured and daunted to do it again in my adopted hometown of New York City," said Alan Cumming. "I'm also proud of the fact that the National Theatre of Scotland is directly funded by the Scottish government and I cannot think of a better way to trumpet Scotland and its commitment to the arts than being a Scotsman doing his National Theatre's production of the Scottish play on the Great White Way."

A Tony Award winner for his celebrated performance as the Emcee in the long-running revival of "Cabaret," Alan Cumming's other Broadway credits include Mack the Knife in "The Threepenny Opera" and Otto in "Design for Living."

He made his professional theatre debut as Malcolm in "Macbeth" at the Tron Theatre in Glasgow in 1985, then went on to perform with Edinburgh's Royal Lyceum Theatre and Scotland's Dundee Repertory. At the Traverse Theatre, he appeared in "The Conquest of the South Pole," which transferred to London's Royal Court and earned him his first Olivier Award nomination. Other West End work includes "La Bête," the title role in "Hamlet" (TMA Award, Shakespeare Globe nomination), "Cabaret" (Olivier nomination), "As You Like It," "Singer" (Royal Shakespeare Co.), Romeo in "Romeo and Juliet" (National Studio, London) and "Accidental Death of an Anarchist" (National, London, Olivier Award).

Cumming is a two-time Emmy Award nominee for his current role in the CBS drama "The Good Wife." Other television and film credits include "Goldeneye," "Spy Kids," "X2: X-Men United," "Titus," "Eyes Wide Shut," "The Tempest," "Sweet Land," "Sex and the City," "Frasier" and "Tinman."

This production of MACBETH marks the second collaboration between Alan Cumming and co-director John Tiffany. The two first worked together on the National Theatre of Scotland's production of Euripides' "The Bacchae," which took the Edinburgh International Festival by storm in 2007 and subsequently toured in 2008 to Aberdeen, Inverness and the Lincoln Center Festival in New York.

Andrew Goldberg runs the Shakespeare Gym in New York City and was staff director on the National Theatre of Scotland's production of "Black Watch" in New York, when he and John Tiffany first started collaborating creatively.

MACBETH features scenic and costume design by Merle Hensel, lighting design by Natasha Chivers, sound design by Fergus O'Hare and video projection design by Ian William Galloway, voice by Ros Steen, movement by Christine Devaney and music by Max Richter.

Biographies are after the cut.

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Broadway Grosses: January 28 through February 3, 2013

The following are the top shows on Broadway for the week of January 28 through February 3, 2013. 

 Top Grossing

1. The Book of Mormon - $1,635,426
2. Wicked - $1,419,249
3. The Lion King - $1,395,073
4. Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark - $1,008,402
5. Cinderella - $950,035
6. Once - $922,097
7. Annie - $821,246
8. Manilow on Broadway - $706,714
9. Jersey Boys - $779,682
10. Newsies - $756,383

Top Capacity

1. The Book of Mormon - 102.6%
2. Once - 98.1%
3. Wicked - 97.4%
4. Cinderella - 96.6%
5. The Heiress - 95.8%
6. The Lion King - 95.4%
7. Newsies - 89.9%
8. Rock of Ages - 88.2%
9. The Other Place - 85.4%
10. Jersey Boys - 84.7%

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Casting Announced For Pippin

Producers Barry & Fran Weissler and Howard & Janet Kagan are pleased to announce casting for Roger O. Hirson and Stephen Schwartz’s PIPPIN, directed by Diane Paulus. PIPPIN will begin preview performances on Broadway Saturday, March 23, 2013 and officially open Thursday, April 25, 2013 at the Music Box Theatre. Tickets are available through www.telecharge.com/pippin, by calling 212-239-6200, and in person beginning Saturday, March 2nd at the Music Box Theatre box office (239 West 45th Street).

The cast, all of whom appeared in the premiere of Diane Paulus’s production of PIPPIN at American Repertory Theater (A.R.T.) in Cambridge, MA, features Matthew James Thomas as Pippin, Tony and Olivier Award nominee Patina Miller as Leading Player, Tony Award nominee Terrence Mann as Charles, Tony Award nominee Charlotte d’Amboise as Fastrada, Rachel Bay Jones as Catherine and Tony Award winner Andrea Martin as Berthe. Other members of the company include Erik Altemus as Lewis, Gregory Arsenal, Andrew Cekala, Lolita Costet, Colin Cunliffe, Andrew Fitch, Orion Griffiths, Viktoria Grimmy, Olga Karmansky, Bethany Moore, Brad Musgrove, Stephanie Pope, Philip Rosenberg, Yannick Thomas, Molly Tynes, Anthony Wayne.

Matthew James Thomas, Gregory Arsenal, Lolita Costet and Yannick Thomas are appearing with the permission of Actors’ Equity Association. The producers gratefully acknowledge Actors’ Equity Association for its assistance on this production.

The beloved coming-of-age musical PIPPIN, with a book by Roger O. Hirson, music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz, is directed by Diane Paulus with circus creation by Gypsy Snider of the Montreal-based circus company Les 7 doigts de la main (also known as 7 Fingers) and choreography by Chet Walker in the style of Bob Fosse.

The design team includes Tony Award-winner Scott Pask (Scenic Design), Dominique Lemieux (Costume Design), Tony Award-winner Kenneth Posner (Lighting Design), Tony Award-winner Clive Goodwin (Sound Design). The orchestrations are by Tony Award-winner Larry Hochman with music supervision by Nadia Di Giallonardo, and music direction by Charlie Alterman.

Royal heir Pippin is spurred on by a mysterious group of performers to embark on a death-defying journey to find his “corner of the sky.” The original production of PIPPIN, directed by Bob Fosse, premiered on Broadway in 1972. It won five Tony Awards and five Drama Desk Awards, and ran for close to 2000 performances before closing in 1977. This production of PIPPIN made its debut at American Repertory Theater (A.R.T.) in Cambridge, MA, where Diane Paulus serves as Artistic Director; December 5, 2012 to January 20, 2013. PIPPIN is noted for many Broadway standards including “Corner of the Sky,” “Magic To Do,” “l Guess I’ll Miss The Man,” “Glory,” “No Time at All,” “Morning Glow,” and “Love Song.”

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Broadway Show Being Developed on Gloria and Emilio Estefan

Photo: Jesus Carrero for the
Nederland Organization

The Nederlander Organization and Estefan Enterprises are joining together to produce a new Broadway show inspired by the music of Gloria Estefan and her musician/producer husband Emilio Estefan.

The show will follow the journey of the couple from Cuba to international superstardom.

Gloria and Emilio issued a statement saying "We are very excited to partner with the Nederlander Organization and Bernie Yuman to, after almost a decade of planning and developing, bring our music and life story to Broadway. We are very excited to share this story, which is based on hope, determination and the belief that with hard work and passion, our dreams can become our reality. Our music has been a true reflection of who we are, where we came from and the journey that has brought us to where we are today. Our cultural roots, our life-defining challenges and the rewards that come with believing in yourself and striving for that which you believe in wholeheartedly, will be the foundation for this theatrical production. Sharing our life story through music will give us a new opportunity to honor our roots and, hopefully, to be able to inspire generations to come."

Gloria Estefan is the biggest crossover performer in the history of Latin music with ten top 10 singles (solo and with the Miami Sound Machine) and 20 on the Adult Contemporary chart.

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Sigourney Weaver and David Hyde Pierce to Star in Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike

Producers Joey Parnes, Larry Hirschhorn, and John O’Boyle announced today that Christopher Durang’s Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike is headed to Broadway on the heels of its sold-out premiere at Lincoln Center. The 17-week strictly limited engagement is set to begin performances on Tuesday, March 5, 2013 at Broadway’s Golden Theatre. Directed by Nicholas Martin, the Broadway production will feature the entire original company, which includes Sigourney Weaver, David Hyde Pierce, Kristine Nielsen, Genevieve Angelson, Shalita Grant, and Billy Magnussen. Opening night is set for Thursday, March 14, 2013.

Riffing on some of Anton Chekov’s most time-tested themes, Christopher Durang proves in his hysterically funny and surprisingly affecting new romp, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, that whether you’re in 19th Century Russia or 21st Century Pennsylvania, the human condition never changes. Vanya (Pierce) and Sonia (Nielsen) have never left the confines of their childhood home – a rambling farmhouse in Bucks County, PA – while having to witness the glamorous exploits of their sister, Masha (Weaver), a famous movie actress, from afar. A surprise visit from Masha and her 20-something boy toy, Spike (Magnussen), throws the normally quiet household int0 utter upheaval as its residents and visitors get swept up in an intoxicating mixture of lust, rivalry, regret, and the sudden possibility of escape. Only one thing is certain: no one will get out of this without looking absolutely ridiculous!

The creative team will feature David Korins (Scenic Design), Emily Rebholz (Costume Design), Justin Townsend (Lighting Design), and Mark Bennett (Original Music and Sound Design).

Tickets, ranging from $60 to $130 will be available beginning on Monday, February 4, 2013 via telecharge.com or by calling (212) 239-6200.

Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike is produced by Joey Parnes, Larry Hirschhorn, and John O’Boyle, in association with McCarter Theatre and Lincoln Center Theater.

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Bette Midler's I'll Eat You Last: A Chat With Sue Mengers Announces Theatre, Dates

Tickets will go on sale Saturday, February 2 at 10 AM exclusively for American Express® cardholders for Bette Midler’s return to Broadway in John Logan’s new play I’LL EAT YOU LAST: A CHAT WITH SUE MENGERS, directed by Joe Mantello. Preferred seating is available to Gold Card, Platinum Card®, and Centurion® members. For tickets, call 212-239-6200 or visit Telecharge.com. The general public on sale will begin on Sunday, February 16 at 10 AM.

The limited engagement for I’LL EAT YOU LAST begins previews Friday, April 5 and opens Wednesday, April 24 at the Booth Theatre (222 West 45th Street).

Appearing on Broadway for the first time in 30 years, Tony and Grammy Award-winning superstar Bette Midler will play the legendary Hollywood agent Sue Mengers (1932-2011) in the new, one-character play.

Sue Mengers was an American original. She was the first female “superagent” at a time when women talent agents of any kind were almost unheard of. She came from near poverty, a refugee from Hitler's Germany, and worked her way up through pluck, charm, and a legendary wit. In that uniquely American way, she invented herself; and when the career she wanted didn't exist, she invented that as well: “Superagent.” It was a term Hollywood all but coined for her. By the 1970's, she represented almost every major star in Hollywood and went on to become the town’s most renowned hostess.

The creative team includes three-time Tony Award winner Scott Pask (scenic design), Academy Award winner Ann Roth (costume design), three-time Tony nominee Hugh Vanstone (lighting design), and Drama Desk Award winner Fitz Patton (sound design).

I’LL EAT YOU LAST is produced on Broadway by Graydon Carter, Arielle Tepper Madover, James L. Nederlander, The Shubert Organization, Terry Allen Kramer, Stephanie P. McClelland, Jeffrey Finn, Ruth Hendel, Larry Magid, Jon B. Platt, and Scott & Brian Zeilinger.

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Broadway Grosses: January 21 through 27, 2013

The following are the top shows on Broadway for the week of January 21 through 27, 2013. 

 Top Grossing

1. The Book of Mormon - $1,635,919
2. The Lion King - $1,515,827
3. Wicked - $1,493,804
4. Evita - $1,104,835
5. Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark - $1,091,830
6. Annie - $1,026,892
7. Once - $943,703
8. Cat on a Hot Tin Roof - $866,531
9. Jersey Boys - $871,297
10. Newsies - $815,997

Top Capacity

1. The Book of Mormon - 102.6%
2. The Lion King - 98.9%
3. Cinderella - 98.8%
4. Wicked - 98.0%
5. Once - 96.4%
6. Rock of Ages - 94.8%
7. The Heiress - 92.6%
8. Newsies - 91.2%
9. Jersey Boys - 87.6%
10. The Other Place - 85.8%

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The Trip to Bountiful Moves Up First Preview to March 30

The upcoming Broadway revival of Horton Foote’s beloved classic, THE TRIP TO BOUNTIFUL, will begin preview performances on Saturday, March 30 at 8pm, one day earlier than the previously announced March 31st, at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre (124 W 43rd St). Opening night remains Tuesday, April 23. Tickets are available at www.Telecharge.com or by calling 212-239-6200.

The production, directed by Michael Wilson, will feature Academy Award nominee and Emmy Award-winning actress CICELY TYSON, Academy Award winner CUBA GOODING, JR, (Jerry Maguire, Red Tails),Emmy Award nominee and recording star VANESSA WILLIAMS (Ugly Betty, Desperate Housewives), and Tony Award nominee CONDOLA RASHAD (Lifetime’s Steel Magnolias, Broadway’s Stick Fly).

The inspiring American classic, THE TRIP TO BOUNTIFUL, tells the story of Carrie Watts (Tyson), an elderly woman who dreams of returning to her small hometown of Bountiful, TX one last time, against the wishes of her overprotective son (Gooding) and domineering daughter-in-law (Williams). Her journey becomes a heartbreaking but ultimately life-affirming tale that examines the fragility of memory and celebrates the enduring power of hope and faith.

Horton Foote’s THE TRIP TO BOUNTIFULpremiered as a teleplay on NBC in 1953, starring Lillian Gish as Carrie Watts. The play had its Broadway premiere later that year with the same cast, which also included Eva Marie Saint. The play was adapted by Mr. Foote into an acclaimed 1985 film starring Geraldine Page, for which she won the Academy Award. In 2005, Signature Theatre produced the play Off-Broadway starring Lois Smith, for which she won Lortel, Obie, Outer Critics and Drama Desk Awards.

THE TRIP TO BOUNTIFUL’s award winning creative team has interpreted a number of plays and films by Horton Foote: Jeff Cowie (scenery), Van Broughton Ramsey (costumes), Rui Rita (lighting), and John Gromada (original music and sound design).

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Bill Pullman to Join the Cast of The Other Place

Manhattan Theatre Club announces that Bill Pullman (“1600 Penn;” The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia?) will join the cast of THE OTHER PLACE starting Tuesday, February 5 at MTC’s Samuel J. Friedman Theatre (261 West 47th Street). Pullman will assume the role of Ian.

Daniel Stern will play his final performance in the role on Sunday, February 3. Stern is leaving the production due to family matters in California that require his early departure from the show.

Pullman is an acclaimed actor of stage, television, and film, and currently can be seen in NBC’s first family comedy “1600 Penn.” His stage performances include his Drama Desk-nominated performances in two Edward Albee works: The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia? and Peter & Jerry. He most recently appeared on Broadway in the revival of David Mamet’s Oleanna opposite Julia Stiles.

The acclaimed production of THE OTHER PLACE, the new play by Sharr White, directed by Joe Mantello, was recently extended at MTC’s Friedman Theatre through Sunday, March 3. In addition to Pullman, the production also stars Laurie Metcalf (“Roseanne,” November), Zoe Perry (Broadway debut), and John Schiappa (Assassins, Take Me Out).

Three-time Emmy Award winner and Tony Award nominee Laurie Metcalf stars in MTC’s Broadway-premiere production of THE OTHER PLACE, a riveting new thriller by fast-rising playwright Sharr White and directed by two-time Tony Award winner Joe Mantello (Other Desert Cities, Wicked, Love! Valour! Compassion!).

Metcalf gives a “dazzling, must-be-seen performance” (Variety) as Juliana Smithton, a successful neurologist whose life seems to be coming unhinged. Her husband has filed for divorce, her daughter has eloped with a much older man and her own health is in jeopardy. But in this brilliantly crafted work, nothing is as it seems. Piece by piece, a mystery unfolds as fact blurs with fiction, past collides with present and the elusive truth about Juliana boils to the surface.

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The Heiress Closing One Day Early to Accommodate Jessica Chastain

The producers of the new Broadway revival of THE HEIRESS have announced that the production will now play its final performance on Saturday, February 9 at 7:00 p.m. (note the new early curtain time). The previously scheduled Sunday, February 10 closing performance has been cancelled to enable Jessica Chastain, who plays the title character, to attend the BAFTA Awards (the British equivalent to the Academy Awards) where she is nominated for Best Actress on Sunday, February 10th in London. Ms. Chastain is nominated for an Academy Award and has already received Golden Globe and Critics Choice Awards for her performance in the film Zero Dark Thirty. THE HEIRESS is currently playing at Broadway’s Walter Kerr Theatre (219 W. 48th St. NYC).

THE HEIRESS stars Academy Award nominee Jessica Chastain as Catherine Sloper, Academy Award nominee and Emmy Award winner David Strathairn as Dr. Austin Sloper, the leading man of “Downton Abbey” Dan Stevens as Morris Townsend and Tony Award winner Judith Ivey as Lavinia Penniman. Written by Ruth & Augustus Goetz, THE HEIRESS is directed by Tony Award nominated playwright and director Moisés Kaufman.

THE HEIRESS also features Molly Camp, Kieran Campion, Virginia Kull, Mairin Lee, Ben Livingston, Dee Nelson and Caitlin O’Connell.

THE HEIRESS is produced by Paula Wagner, Roy Furman, Stephanie P. McClelland, Luigi Caiola/Rose Caiola, Jim Herbert, Ted Liebowitz, Stacey Mindich,Jill Furman, Ricardo Hornos, Jon B. Platt, Eric Schmidt, Margo Lion/Rachel Weinstein and Jujamcyn Theaters.

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Tom Sturridge Joining Alec Baldwin and Shia LaBeouf in Orphans

Tom Sturridge, the British stage and film actor whose credits include Being Julia and On The Road,will make his Broadway debut this spring in ORPHANS.

This production, which will begin performances on March 19 and open on April 7 2013 at the Schoenfeld Theatre (236 West 45th Street), will mark the first Broadway staging of the play.

Sturridge will star with Alec Baldwin and Shia LaBeouf in Lyle Kessler’s play,directed by Daniel Sullivan and produced by Frederick Zollo and Robert Cole.

In the play, two orphaned brothers are living in a decrepit North Philadelphia row house. Treat, the eldest, (LaBeouf), supports his damaged younger sibling Philip (Sturridge) by petty thievery, and makes the house a virtual prison for the seemingly simple-minded Phillip. One night he kidnaps a rich older man, Harold (Baldwin), who turns out to have his own motives and becomes the father figure the boys have always yearned for.

Tom Sturridge began his career in Mira Nair’s feature film Vanity Fair alongside Reese Witherspoon, before going on to star in Being Julia with Annette Bening and Michael Gambon. A leading role ensued in Gregory J. Read’s feature Like Minds alongside Toni Collette, before he gained further recognition in Working Title’s The Boat That Rocked, directed by Richard Curtis with Philip Seymour Hoffman and Bill Nighy.

His film credits also include Tinge Krishnan’s Junkhearts with Eddie Marsan and Romola Garai and Walter Salles’ On The Road with Kristen Stewart, Viggo Mortenson and Amy Adams in which he plays Carlo Marx, Kerouac’s alias for Allen Ginsberg. Forthcoming roles include the painter John Millais in Effie, opposite Dakota Fanning and Emma Thompson, and he has also recently completed filming on Terrence Malick’s new feature, with Ryan Gosling and Michael Fassbender.

Tom made his theatre debut in Simon Stephen’s Punk Rock which performed at the Lyric Hammersmith in London and at the Manchester Royal Exchange. He subsequently received the Critics’ Circle Best Newcomer Award in recognition of his leading performance, along with Best Newcomer at the Manchester Evening News Theatre Awards. He was also nominated for the Milton Schulman Award for Outstanding Newcomer at the Evening Standard Theatre Awards and London Newcomer of the Year at the Whatsonstage Awards. He has since played leading roles at London’s Royal Court Theatre, in Simon Stephens’ play Wastwater and most recently in Polly Stenham’s new play No Quarter.

ORPHANS premiered in 1983 at The Matrix Theatre in Los Angeles where it won the Drama-Logue Award. Following its 1985 engagement at Chicago's Steppenwolf Theatre, the play had a successful run at New York’s Westside Arts Theatre and was subsequently produced in London. A film version was also produced.

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