Legally Blonde National Tour Gets New Cast Members!
Casting has been made complete for the national tour of Legally Blonde: The Musical. The show will officially launch its journey in Providence, Rhode Island on September 21. Becky Gulsvig will take on the role of Elle Woods and she will be supported by a large, talented cast. Recently D.B. Bonds, Natalie Joy Johnson, Jeff McLean and Megan Lewis were announced as new traveling cast members. Tony-Award winning choreographer Jerry Mitchell, made his directorial debut with the musical and he will direct and choreograph the upcoming tour.
Legally Blonde was an extremely successful movie that starred actress Reese Witherspoon and has gone on to achieve widespread success in the theater. The Broadway production is heralded by fans and critics and now a national tour will commence, likely attracting even more fans from around the country. The musical features songs like: “Omigod You Guys,” “Serious,” “What You Want” and “Harvard Variations.” Get your own pair of Legally Blonde tickets from Stubhub.com.
White Christmas Slated For Broadway Debut
Snowflakes will start falling in November on Broadway this year with the opening of the musical Irving Berlin’s White Christmas. The show is scheduled to begin a limited engagement at the Marquis Theatre on November 14 and will continue to January 4, 2009. The musical has been playing in cities around the country and the producers are looking forward to a much anticipated run on Broadway. The musical is produced by Kevin McCollum, John Gore, Tom McGrath, Paul Balek, the Producing Office, Dan Markley, Sonny Everett and Broadway Across America in association with Paramount Pictures.
According to press notes posted on Playbill.com the musical, “tells the story of two showbiz buddies who put on a show in a picturesque Vermount inn, and find their perfect mates in the bargain. Full of dancing, laughter and some of the greatest songs ever written, Irving Berlin’s White Christmas promises to be a merry and bright theatrical experience for the entire family.” Give a great gift this coming holiday season and get a pair of White Christmas tickets.
Young Frankenstein Adds a New Cast Member!
The talented Michele Ragusa from Kiss Me, Kate and Adrift in Mexico is now the new Elizabeth in Broadway’s production of Young Frakenstein. Ragusa succeeds Megan Mullally in the role of Frankenstein’s fashionable, but somewhat cold girlfriend, Elizabeth. Mullally left the show on August 3 and Ragusa will step into Elizabeth’s shoes for tonight’s performance. Young Frankenstein is a fan favorite on Broadway and draws in many spectators throughout the year.
The production has a book by Mel Brooks and Thomas Meehan and is based on Brooks’ film. The show is a great opportunity to get a dose of culture in your life and you will want to invite all of your friends and family members to join you. Jump on your opportunity to get a pair of Young Frankenstein tickets and get spooked and scared and even laugh a bit at this classic Mel Brooks production!
C’mon Marianne at Center of Jersey Boys Lawsuit
The production of the Jersey Boys has played to sold out crowds, winning the praise of both fans and critics and it has even garnered a Tony win. Nevertheless the fame and fortune cannot keep the musical safe from potential troubles. This time the problem involves a little song called “C’mon Marianne.” According to an article posted on Playbill.com, the song was “penned by L. Russell Brown and the late Raymond Bloodworth. Brown and Bloodworth’s daughter, Marie Shelton have filed a suit against EMI.” The plaintiffs are hoping for a settlement of $100,000 because they claim that EMI has failed to pay them royalties for the song.
Jersey Boys premiered at the La Jolla Playhouse in 2004 and arrived on Broadway the follow year. According to press notes on Playbill, Jersey Boys is “the story of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons, a group of blue-collar boys from the wrong side of the tracks who became one of the biggest American pop music sensations of all time. They wrote their own songs, invented their own sounds and sold 175 million records worldwide-all before they were 30.” Keep up with all of the latest news surrounding the musical and don’t forget to get your Jersey Boys tickets!
Spamalot Makes German Premiere
The hit hilarious production of Spamalot is making a move to Germany in January 2009. The German-language production will play the Musical Dome in Cologne. Casting dates have yet to be announced. According to press notes posted on Playbill.com, “Spamalot tells the legendary story of King Arthur and his search for the Holy Grail. The adorable and kinky monarch is support by his local servant Patsy and the Knights of the Round Table, however, he has to find them first! The eventful journey through the kingdom turns out to be an exquisitely jovial venture. The farcical endeavor is full of oddities and weird ideas: Flocks of show girls rough up the company, the Round Table meet in a flashy Las Vegas casino and Lancelot emerges as a passionate Copacabna dancer. An eventful adventure, peppered with a large portion of showbiz, takes its course.”
Spamalot features a book and lyrics by Eric Idle with music by John Du Prez and Eric Idle. It is based on the screenplay of Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Spamalot also continues to play on Broadway, in London’s West End and on a U.S. national tour. Be sure to get your pair of Spamalot tickets from stubhub.com.
Avenue Q Celebrates Fifth Birthday
A celebration is in order for one of Broadway’s most hilarious and popular productions. Avenue Q, the puppet production is celebrating its fifth anniversary on Broadway today. Present and past performers will be filling the theater as the puppet friendly musical hits a milestone mark with five years on Broadway. Recently the popular musical also reached another milestone when it played its 2,000th performance on June 3. After tonight’s performance there will be a brief, onstage ceremony including a special furry, Q cake.
Avenue Q features music and lyrics by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx and also a book by Jeff Whitty. After an acclaimed Off-Broadway run at the Vineyard Theater, Avenue Q began previews at the Golden Theatre on July 10, 2003. Since then it has won the 2004 Tony Awards for Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical and Best Original Score. Be sure to get your own pair of Avenue Q tickets.
Charlotte d’Amboise Set to Exit A Chorus Line
Tony nominee Charlotte d’Amboise is ready to leave the Broadway revival of A Chorus Line on August 10. D’Amboise was nominated for a Tony Award for her work as Cassie in the musical. She will be succeeded by the actress Jessica Lee Goldyn on August 13 and continue through the musical’s final performance on August 17. d’Amboise is also known for her appearances in Sweet Charity, Contact, Chicago, Company, Damn Yankees, Jerome Robbins’ Broadway, Son and Dance and Cats and Carrie.
A Chorus Line has become an extremely popular show on Broadway started as Michael Bennett’s 1975 production. It opened in its current capacity at the Shoenfeld on October 5, 2006. This was following a six week run at San Francisco’s Curran Theater. The show is produced by John Breglio. Be sure to keep your eye out for Charlotte d’Amboise and also get your pair of A Chorus Line tickets from Stubhub.com.
A Dedication of Fiddler to Bruce Adler
The St. Louis Muny, which is the nation’s oldest and largest outdoor theater is set to dedicate its upcoming production of Fiddler on the Roof to Bruce Adler, the Tony nominated actor who died on July 25 of liver cancer. He had originally been cast as Tevye in the production, but had ducked out due to his illness. The cast of Fiddler on the Roof will likely put all of their hearts and soul into their performance out of respect for Mr. Adler.
Fiddler originally opened on September 22, 1964 at the Imperial Theater and it won Tony Awards in 1965 for Best Musical. It is well known for its famous score that includes songs like: “If I Were a Rich Man,” “Matchmaker, Matchmaker,” “Sunrise, Sunset” and “To Life.” Since the first opening of the play four revivals of Fiddler have played on Broadway. According to press notes on Playbill.com, the play concerns “husband and wife Tevye and Golde, who are raising five daughters in the village of Anatevka, on the eve of the Russian revolution in the early twentieth century. Holding fast to their traditions, they find themselves bending as their three older daughters fall in love with a tailor, a revolutionary teacher and an outsider.” Get your Fiddler on the Roof tickets from Stubhub.com.
P.J. Benjamin to Join Wicked as New Wizard
P.J. Benjamin is scheduled to join the hit Broadway production of Wicked on July 29. He will portray the elusive Wizard of Oz. Originally Benjamin played the same part in the musical’s national touring company for nearly two years prior. He will now join a cast that includes Kendra Kassebaum, Kerry Ellis, Cristy Candler and Ben Liebert among others. In addition to being featured in the national tour of Wicked, Benjamin also boasts credits from the musical Chicago.
According to press notes posted on Playbill.com, “Wicked is based on Gregory Maguire’s novel, which turned every Oz myth inside out. Wicked explores the early life of the witches of Oz: Glinda and Elphaba. The two main characters meet at Shiz, a school where both hope to take up sorcery. Glinda is madly popular and Elphaba is, well, green. By a misunderstanding, they wind up roommates and, after an initial period of mutual loathing, being to learn something about each other. Their life paths continue to intersect through a shared love, entry into the Emerald City and interaction with the Wizard himself. Eventually, their choices and convictions take them on widely different paths. Get your Wicked tickets from Stubhub.com.
Bruce Adler Dies at 63
Bruce Adler, who was known for winning two Tony Award nominations died in the early hours of July 25. Adler was loved his time on Broadway including in productions of Oklahoma!, Those Were The Days and Crazy For You. His greatest successes came with the latter productions, which were prominent in the early 1990’s. Mr. Adler also is known for his performances extensively in regional theater. He will be sorely missed on the stage and many of his fans will remember his great roles in Anything Goes, Fiddler on the Roof, Oliver and Guys and Girls.
Mr. Adler made it onto the big stage with his role in Oklahoma! Make sure that you check out this delightful production that was written by composer Richard Rodgers. The original Broadway production opened on March 31, 1943 and has since made waves on the stage in cities and towns around the world. Check out the availability of Oklahoma! tickets from Stubhub.com you don’t want to miss the show that helped Bruce Adler get his start on the stage.