!!! It's been almost three (THREE!) years since that early reading of Leap of Faith (with Raul Esparza and Ms Kassebaum. joran and I learned of the reading (on the Friday) only because we had passed by the Gershwin stage door on the Thursday night holding a windowcard from Company which starred Raul Esparza. [side note: that windowcard still occupies a prized and singular frame and has never been hidden away for rotation.]

Leap of Faith, Menken's Gospel-Filled Musical Comedy, Will Premiere in L.A.

By Kenneth Jones
28 Jan 2010

Following a recent Manhattan workshop presentation of Leap of Faith, the new musical with songs by Alan Menken and Glenn Slater, Center Theatre Group is taking its own leap of faith: It will produce the world premiere this summer at the Ahmanson Theatre.

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Honestly! This?! Plus the fact that Sondheim:80 is the Roundabout's Spring Gala theme? Seeing me run to a short corner and squee in excitement because it seems like this year is a great year to see Sondheim. A Little Night Music with Lansbury, and now Sondheim on Sondheim with Barbara Cook? Awesomecakessaucesandwhisky!

Cook, Williams, Sondheim and Lapine Will Return to Broadway with Sondheim on Sondheim

By Kenneth Jones
October 1, 2009

Sondheim on Sondheim, a new Broadway musical starring Barbara Cook, Vanessa Williams, Michael Arden and Leslie Kritzer, will premiere at Broadway's Studio 54 in spring 2010 in a production directed and conceived by James Lapine with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim.

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Rock of Ages to Welcome Kerry Butler in September

By Andrew Gans
August 27, 2009

Kerry Butler, who received a Tony nomination for her performance in Xanadu, will join the cast of Broadway's Rock of Ages Sept. 21 for a sixth-month engagement.

Butler will play six performances a week in the role of Sherrie, the part created by Amy Spanger. The role's understudy will play the part for both Sunday performances.

In a statement lead producer Carl Levin said, "Kerry is one of my favorite Broadway performers and I cannot tell you how lucky we feel to have her. She's funny, she's beautiful, and most importantly she can sing like a rock star."

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August: Osage County to End Broadway Run June 28

By Ernio Hernandez
June 17, 2009

The Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning August: Osage County will end its Broadway run June 28 at the Music Box Theatre, producers announced late June 17.

When it closes, Tracy Letts' acclaimed drama — which opened on Broadway Oct. 30, 2007 — will have played 18 previews and 648 regular performances.

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Play On: Starry Twelfth Night Begins Central Park Run June 10

By Adam Hetrick
June 10, 2009

Academy Award-nominated actress Anne Hathaway heads a cast of stage and screen veterans in the Shakespeare in the Park production of Twelfth Night, which begins performances June 10 at the outdoor Delacorte Theater.

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Cast Recording of Sondheim's Road Show to Arrive in Stores June 30

By Adam Hetrick
June 4, 2009

Nonesuch Records and PS Classics will release the much-anticipated cast recording of the Stephen Sondheim-John Weidman musical Road Show on June 30.

PS Classics co-founder Tommy Krasker produced the 17-track cast recording, which features the entire original Off-Broadway company from the 2008 Public Theater world premiere. The Road Show recording will include complete lyrics and production photos.

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London's Union Theatre to Revive Sondheim's Company

By Mark Shenton
April 20, 2009

Stephen Sondheim and George Furth's 1970 Broadway musical Company will be revived at Southwark's tiny Union Theatre, beginning performances May 20 (prior to an official opening May 21), for a run to June 13 only.

In 2008 the Union Theatre produced a highly acclaimed staging of Sondheim's Sweeney Todd; other musical successes in the last few years include productions of Cabaret, Annie Get Your Gun and The Pajama Game, as well as all-male productions of HMS Pinafore and The Mikado.

Company will be directed and staged by Michael Strassen, with musical direction and orchestrations by Michael England. Strassen is also a well-known West End actor, who appeared in the original London cast of Miss Saigon, as well as Les Miserables (in which he played Marius, and sang the same role for the VE Day Anniversary in Hyde Park that was attended by the Royal Family and an audience of 250,000, and televised worldwide by the BBC) and Jesus Christ Superstar (playing Simon Zealotes). He has recorded two solo albums, and also duets with Ruthie Henshall on her Gershwin CD, "Love is Here to Stay." He directed Henshall's one-woman show at the Royal Festival Hall and subsequent U.K. tour. He directed From West End to Broadway, featuring six leading West End artists in concert, and Philip Ridley's play The Pitchfork Disney for the Yvonne Arnaud Mill Studio. Most recently he staged and directed Mark Carroll's The Attic, a new musical about old and new toys and their values clashing, that was performed at The theatre Royal, Haymarket with a West End cast.

England has been the musical director for such West End shows as Spamalot, The Producers, The Phantom of the Opera, Jerry Springer – The Opera and Les Misérables. On the concert platform, his conducting credits include the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, the National Symphony Orchestra, Stockholm Sinfonietta, Bangkok Symphony Orchestra, Nederlands Balletorkest and the Slovenia Radio Symphony Orchestra, which was also televised. He has been musical director for Tony Award winner Lilianne Montevecchi, for John Barrowman and Ruthie Henshall, for whom he also arranged and conducted tracks on her album "Pilgrim." As a composer his output has included works for film, television and the concert platform, and in December 2008 he was commissioned to write a short piece for members of the Royal Ballet, which premiered at the Royal Opera House in the Clore Studio, as part of their "Draft works" series.

Casting is still to be announced.

To book tickets, contact the box office at 020 7261 9876 or visit www.uniontheatre.biz.

Oh! I am so excited to hear these new cast announcements. Raul Esparza and Audra McDonald FTW!

McDonald, Esparza, Pittu, Cumpsty and More Join Twelfth Night Cast

By Adam Hetrick
April 15, 2009

Four time Tony Award-winning actress Audra McDonald and Tony nominee Raúl Esparza have joined the cast of the Public Theater's upcoming Shakespeare in the Park production of Twelfth Night starring the previously announced Anne Hathaway.

In addition to Academy Award-nominee Hathaway as Viola, the Public has revealed that McDonald (110 in the Shade, Ragtime) will play Olivia with three-time Tony nominee Esparza (Company, Speed-the-Plow) as Orsino.

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