Category: theatre

— Charles Aznavour launches his new musical “Lautrec” – about the French painter – in London. – BBC

— responsible for nurturing the careers of some of the UK’s best playwrights until she died in 1993. Now one of Margaret Ramsay’s stable – Alan Plater – has put her onstage in a play that gets inside the head of an agent. – The Telegraph (UK)

In an age when high-cost mega-musicals dominate Broadway and success depends on luring in the tourists for high-price seats, shows are increasingly turning to familiar TV stars to bring in the crowds. Elbowed aside is the traditional Broadway acting pool. – New York Times

Two seasons ago, faced with a dwindling number of affordable touring shows to book into their theaters, a couple of East Coast theater presenters entered the business of producing on their own. Nothing big budget, nothing flashy, but at least the shows fit these 1,200-seat venues. – Philadelphia Inquirer

Touring Broadway shows make more money than even a record year on the Great White Way itself. But what are patrons of the road shows really getting for their money? Some of these shows are Broadway Lite. – San Francisco Chronicle

New Haven’s Long Wharf Theater needs a new theater. The city’s mayor thinks it would be swell to locate it downtown to help rebuild the area. But there’s this big new mall coming near the present site… – Hartford Courant

Some of the UK’s best playwrights flock to London’s National Theatre Studio, next door to the Old Vic, to workshop their plays. – The Telegraph (UK)

Jon Jory, for 31 years the head of Actors Theatre of Louisville and one of America’s most veteran directors, will leave Louisville to join the faculty of Seattle’s University of Washington School of Drama. – Seattle Times

New Broadway Television Network to broadcast live performances of Broadway shows on pay TV.  – New York Times

Despite good box office in its Washington DC run, the reviews weren’t good enough for Cameron Mackintosh’s “Martin Guerre” musical. So he’s postponing a plan to bring the show to Broadway. – New York Times