Hugh reconfirms THE RIVER/ Likely Opening later this year !

[jo]

pagesix.com/2014/05/08/hugh-jackman-to-return-to-broadway/

Hugh Jackman to return to Broadway


By Associated Press

May 8, 2014 | 5:24pm

Hugh Jackman says he’s jacked to host the Tony Awards for the third time, but fans of his stage work won’t have to wait long to see the Tony-winning star onstage again.

Jackman says he’s doing the play “The River” later this year and “looking forward to treading the boards here on Broadway.”

But before that, it’s the Tony Awards on June 8, something he calls “like the Olympics for an athlete or the Super Bowl for a football player.” This will be his third time hosting.

The 45-years old star, promoting his latest film, “X-Men: Days of Future Past,” says he’s already started Tony rehearsals, but doubts his character Wolverine will show up.

Says Jackman: “I’m not sure Fox will be thrilled if Wolverine came out singing and dancing.”

Is it likely that he is going to tread the boards in the fall? PAN is likely to complete filming by late August or early September? With rehearsals, could the play start previews by late October and open in November? I wonder how long the engagement might be? Another limited run?

Arghh... I need to plan sooner than expected!


Jo

[jo]

This is the actual AP article. While it is mentioned on a caption for the photo, the body of the article itself does not specify that he is returning to Broadway later this year!

Jackman will return to Broadway next season; talks of upcoming hosting duties at Tonys
John Carucci, The Associated Press
Thu, 8 May 2014 15:56:00 CST


FILE - This Nov. 3, 2013 file photo shows actor Hugh Jackman at the Broadway opening of "After Midnight" in New York. Jackman says he jacked to host the Tony Awards for the third time, but fans of his stage work won’t have to wait long to see the Tony-winning star onstage again. Jackman says he’s doing the play “The River” later this year and “looking forward to treading the boards here on Broadway.” (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP, File)

NEW YORK, N.Y. - Hugh Jackman says he's jacked to host the Tony Awards for the third time, but fans of his stage work won't have to wait long to see the Tony-winning star onstage again.

"I'm going back to Broadway. I'm doing a play called 'The River,' a Jez Butterworth play. So I'm really looking forward to treading the boards here on Broadway," Jackman told the Associated Press on Thursday.

The very intimate play, the first since Butterworth's "Jerusalem," is about a trout fisherman in a remote cabin who is visited by two of the women in his life. It was first seen in London in 2012.

But before that, it's the Tony Awards for Jackman on June 8.

"It's like the Olympics for an athlete or the Super Bowl for a football player. You want to do your best, and, of course, you only get one shot at it. But they're the things you look back at the end of the day and say, 'I'm glad I had a go at that,'" Jackson said of the annual awards ceremony that celebrates the best in theatre.

"I've done it three times, the Tonys. For me it's one of the best shows out there. It is one of the most excepting, generous audiences you can ever get at Radio City Music Hall," Jackman said. "I never take for granted how lucky I am to be embraced by that community. After all, I'm an Aussie, but I've always felt at home there."

The new play will be Jackman's fourth on Broadway. He was last there with a one-man show in 2011 that routinely sold out the 1,176-seat Broadhurst Theatre. He also starred in "The Boy From Oz" in 2003 and the play "A Steady Rain" with Daniel Craig in 2009.

The 45-year-old star, who is promoting his latest film, "X-Men: Days of Future Past," says he's already started rehearsals for the Tonys, but doubts his X-Men character Wolverine will be making an appearance.

"I'm not sure Fox will be thrilled if Wolverine came out singing and dancing," he joked

Hope there is more definite news!


Jo

[jo]

I wonder if his health treatment for another occurrence of skin cancer may cause any delays in his filming commitments for PAN ( which is entirely filmed in England) and cause any rippling effect on his later schedules?


Jo

[carouselkathy]

May 8, 2014 19:02:01 GMT -5 jo said:

I wonder if his health treatment for another occurrence of skin cancer may cause any delays in his filming commitments for PAN ( which is entirely filmed in England) and cause any rippling effect on his later schedules?


Jo

The basil cell surgery is an in-office procedure, and the dressing can be changed at home daily. Yes, it's on the face and covered with a small dressing, but a good make-up artist should be able to conceal it for the camera. (Can you tell I've had it done?).

[jo]

Kathy,

Thanks for the info.

It must be a scary problem to deal with, it if can occur again ( albeit in other areas) within a short span of time.

Hope you didn't have the same problem

Jo

[jo]

This is pure speculation on my part --

But could the closing of BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY on May 18, which is earlier than expected, could have freed up the SCHOENFELD for a play like THE RIVER? THE RIVER is suited for an intimate setting ( it played originally at the Royal Court Theatre, a national theatre company in England, which sits only about a hundred as it is a place to welcome new plays) - with the story and its setting. The SCHOENFELD which housed A STEADY RAIN is a 1080-seater theatre and may be a suitable Shubert house for this next Hugh Broadway engagement.

I think there are not yet many new plays ( musicals or straight plays) bound for the coming season ( unlike in the spring, closer to the TONYs) so some houses may expect to be dark soon after those who were not blessed by the TONYs or the crowds choose to close after the summer. The only one I have read about as confirmed is Bradley Cooper's return to Broadway within this year in THE ELEPHANT MAN.

Jo

[jo]

Okay -- Michael Riedel confirms dates, run, and theatre!!


nypost.com/2014/05/08/hugh-jackman-downsizes-in-next-broadway-show/

Hugh Jackman downsizes in next Broadway show


By Michael Riedel

May 8, 2014 | 10:49pm

Every producer on Broadway wants Hugh Jackman to star in a show.

The Shuberts pursued him for years to play Littlechap (Littlechap!) in “Stop the World — I Want to Get Off.” Someone else wanted him for “The Music Man.” Another hoped he’d get him for “Houdini.”

I’ve even heard of a group of producers who toyed with the idea of asking him to star in a revival of “Hello, Dolly!”

“We’ll gender-bend it and call it ‘Hello, Danny!’” they said.

So how did Sonia Friedman, a prolific producer whose hits include the recent revivals of “Twelfth Night” and “Richard III,” land Jackman for “The River”?

“It was very complicated,” she says. “We sent him the play and he said, ‘Yes.’”

“The River,” a sinister but poetic drama by Jez Butterworth, begins previews Oct. 31 before opening Nov. 16 at Circle in the Square for a 13-week run. Jackman’s co-stars will be English actresses Laura Donnelly and Cush Jumbo, who will be making their Broadway debuts. The director is Ian Rickson, who staged Butterworth’s acclaimed drama “Jerusalem,” starring Mark Rylance, a few seasons back.

I can’t give too much away about “The River,” since it has quite a nifty little twist at the end. It does, however, take place in a remote cabin on a cliff on a moonless night (that should tell you something) — and it received rave reviews last year at the Royal Court Theatre in London.

Now, once you’ve lined up Hugh Jackman, you can have your pick of Broadway theaters. And the more seats the better, since Jackman has a tendency to break house records wherever he plays. I believe the haul from his one-man show at the Broadhurst for 10 weeks in 2011 was something like $15 million.




So it’s odd that Jackman has decided to go to Circle in the Square, which, with just 776 seats, is one of the smallest theaters on Broadway. Do some quick calculations and you can see that Jackman and his producers are leaving at least $1 million, probably more, on the table.

“I understand that,” Friedman says. “But frankly, I have seen plays and stars in theaters that are too big. It’s my job to protect Jez’s play. We could have easily gone to a 1,000-seat theater, but the work is too delicate. You need to feel you can touch the characters. You need to see the whites of their eyes. I know it sounds weird, but it’s the truth.”

Friedman has a soft spot for Circle, since it’s where she put her Tony Award-winning revival of “The Norman Conquests” in 2009. Once Jackman toured the theater, he was on board as well. But what clinched the deal was that Paul Libin, who runs the place, told them that a river — a tributary of the Hudson, actually — runs underneath the theater.


“That tickled Ian Rickson,” Friedman says.

I don’t know if it’s true, but I have to hand it to Libin: That’s one hell of a sales job. It’s probably just a leaky water fountain.

Of course, to make the show financially viable in a small theater, Friedman’s going to have to charge premium prices. But, she says, “We are not going to go bonkers.” And she says there will be at least 40 or 50 seats a night priced at $35, an idea Jackman endorsed immediately.

“Anybody can see this play, if you work at it a little bit,” she says.

Friedman managed to make a nice packet on her revivals of “Twelfth Night” and “Richard III,” which had some 250 seats priced at $25 throughout the run. The productions grossed $14 million, returning their $3.1 million investment in just eight weeks.

The plays have been nominated for eight Tony Awards, including nods for actors Mark Rylance, Sam Barnett, Stephen Fry and Paul Chahidi.

“I had zero idea the plays would work,” Friedman says. “I just backed them because I believed in them.”

She won’t have to take that kind of a flier on “The River.” The only thing sure in this business is that Hugh Jackman sells tickets.

So, as long as that creek beneath the theater don’t rise, the new theater season already has its first hit.

[jo]

CIRCLE IN THE SQUARE looks like the ideal theatre for this play --

Circle in the Square Theatre

The Circle in the Square Theatre is a Broadway theatre in midtown Manhattan at 235 West 50th Street in the Paramount Plaza building. Wikipedia
Address: 1633 Broadway, New York, NY 10019, United States
Capacity: 776
Phone: [phone]

It looks even better than the Donmar Warehouse in London, which is used for staging small but impactful plays!

[jo]

Additional info from the report by BWW --

www.broadwayworld.com//article/Its-Official-Hugh-Jackman-Laura-Donnelly-Cush-Jumbo-Set-for-Jez-Butterworths-THE-RIVER-at-Circle-in-the-Square-This-Fall-20140508#.U2xOx9FZrOU

We've been reporting on the buzz since January, but now Hugh Jackman is making Broadway fan's May dreams come true! It's just been officially announced that Sonia Friedman Productions will present the Royal Court Theatre production of THE RIVER, a new play by Jez Butterworth, starring Hugh Jackman, Laura Donnelly and Cush Jumbo, and directed by Ian Rickson. THE RIVER will open on Sunday, November 16 on Broadway at the Circle in the Square Theatre (West 50th Street between Broadway and Eighth Avenue). Previews begin Friday, October 31. The production will play a strictly limited 13-week engagement through Sunday, January 25, 2015. On sale dates will be announced in coming weeks.

THE RIVER was first developed by Sonia Friedman Productions and was subsequently produced by the Royal Court Theatre. It was presented from October 18-November 17, 2012 in the Royal Court'sJerwood Theatre Upstairs, in a production directed by Mr. Rickson, also featuring Ms. Donnelly, who makes her Broadway debut alongside Ms. Jumbo.

The producers are pleased to announce that a limited number of $35 day of seats will be available for every performance of THE RIVER. Further details will be announced shortly.

The production marks the sixth collaboration between Mr. Butterworth and Mr. Rickson. Mr. Rickson has previously directed the world premiere productions of Mr. Butterworth's Mojo, The Night Heron, TheWinterling, Parlour Song and the multi-award-winning London and Broadway production of Jerusalem.

A remote cabin on the cliffs, a man and a woman, and a moonless night. Jez Butterworth's THE RIVER asks when we find each other, are we trying to recapture someone we once lost? The writer director team who brought you Jerusalem returns with a bewitching new story.

Circle in the Square's unique configuration and intimacy has made it a favorite of many stars who have graced its stage over the decades in both classics and new plays, including Colleen Dewhurst, Lillian Gish, George C. Scott, Julie Christie, Al Pacino, James Earl Jones, Vanessa Redgrave, Kevin Kline, Joanne Woodward, Rex Harrison, John Malkovich, Nathan Lane, Philip Seymour Hoffman and many others. The 2009 critically acclaimed and Tony Award®-winning revival of The Norman Conquests, produced by Sonia Friedman Productions, also played at the theatre.

THE RIVER is designed by Ultz, with lighting by Charles Balfour, sound by Ian Dickinson for Autograph and music by Stephen Warbeck...

Info on his co-stars and some of the creative team --

Laura Donnelly grew up in Belfast, Ireland before moving to Glasgow to study at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama. Since graduating from Royal Scottish in 2004, she has worked extensively in film, television and theatre. Theatre includes: Woman in The River (Royal Court), Katie Doogan in Philadelphia, Here I Come! (Donmar), Anna in Judgment Day (Almeida), Juliet in Romeo and Juliet (Regent's Park Open Air Theatre), Chrissie in Dancing at Lughnasa (Lyric Theatre, Belfast), Catherine in Boston Marriage (B*Spoke). Film credits include: Heart of Lightness, Hello Carter, Dread, Insatiable, Right Hand Drive. Donnelly will also play Emma O'Reilly in the Untitled Cycling Project, a movie about Lance Armstrong to be directed by StephenFrears later this year. TV Credits include: Sarah Kay in "The Fall" (BBC), Violet Heath in "Missing" (ABC), Freya (recurring) in "Merlin" (Kudos), Barbara Best in "Best" (BBC), Katy in "Occupation" (Kudos), Leanne O'Dwyer in "Be More Ethic" (BBC),Aoife in "Rough Diamond" (BBC/RTE), Maya in "Hex" (Shine), Fleur (semi-regular) in "Casualty" (BBC), Beth in "Sugar Rush" (Shine). Laura is currently shooting the new Stephen Frears movie and the new Starz series, "Outlander".

Cush Jumbo received one of the top honors at this year's Evening Standard Awards when she was presented with the "Emerging Talent Award" for her self-penned solo show, Josephine and I. She was also nominated for "Outstanding Achievement in an Affiliate Theatre" at the Oliver Awards for her performance. Josephine and Iplayed at The Bush Theatre in July and August 2013, where it was well-received by critics and public alike. She also reprised her role of Marc Antony in an all-female version of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar at St. Ann's Warehouse in New York. The show, which originated at the Donmar Warehouse in London, earned rave reviews on both continents. In a star-studded cast, she was singled out by the Olivier Awards as the sole acting nominee. Both productions were directed by acclaimed film and theatre directorPhyllida Lloyd (Mamma Mia!, The Iron Lady). She also won the award for Best Actress at The Manchester Awards for her performance as Nora in A Doll's House at the Royal Exchange Theatre Manchester. In 2012, she was awarded the prestigious Ian CharlesonAward for her performance as Rosalind in As You Like It, also at the Royal Exchange. This award honors the finest classical performance of the year by an actor under 30. Television: series lead in the top-rated "Vera" for ITV1 opposite Brenda Blethyn; two series of the acclaimed comedy, "Getting On" (a US version of the show now airs on HBO). Film: lead role in the feature Remainder (based on the Tom K. McCarthy novel of the same name) for director Omer Fast and the hit feature The Inbetweeners.

Jez Butterworth's (Playwright) is the author of six plays; Mojo (1995), The Night Heron (2002), The Winterling (2006), Parlour Song (2008), Jerusalem(2009) and The River (2010). In 2007, Butterworth received the E.M Forster Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters.

Ian Rickson (Director) was Artistic Director at the Royal Court from 1998 to 2006, during which time he directed Krapp's Last Tape, The Winterling, Alice Trilogy, The Sweetest Swing in Baseball, Fallout, The Night Heron, Boy Gets Girl, Mouth to Mouth (also in the West End), Dublin Carol, The Weir (also in the West End and on Broadway), The Lights, Pale Horse and Mojo (also at the Steppenwolf Theatre, Chicago), Ashes & Sand, Some Voices and Killers. His last production for the Royal Court, The Seagull, transferred to Broadway. Other theatre includes Mojo revival (West End), Old Times (West End), The River (Royal Court), Hamlet (Young Vic), Jerusalem (Royal Court, West End and Broadway), Betrayal (Comedy Theatre), The Children's Hour (Comedy Theatre), The Hothouse and The Day I Stood Still (NT), Parlour Song (Almeida), Hedda Gabler (Roundabout Theatre, New York), The House of Yes (Gate) and Me & My Friend (Chichester Festival Theatre). Film includes: Fallout, Krapp's Last Tape and The Clear Road Ahead...

[jo]

They can also reconfigure the theatre, if they want a formal proscenium type of stage --







But this one is perfect for this kind of play --





I also like the ampitheatre kind of seating -- I won't have to crane my neck so much

And hey - there are many front row views


Jo

[mamaleh]

There really isn't a bad seat in the house. They probably went with that theater because (1) Hugh's friend Paul Libin is associated with it, and (2) it's just about the smallest B'way theater, which would best replicate the intimate, cozy feel the play reportedly enjoyed in a tiny London theater.

Not too happy about the premium pricing, though. I believe I read that CITS's current tenant, LADY DAY, is largely premium priced. I really hope this is just a temporary aberration because I like that theater. On Broadwayworld.com, someone said that the $35 seats would be same day/rush, which likely means there won't be many available.

Don't you love the name Cush Jumbo? I know nothing about her, but her name fascinates me. It's so memorable. Like Rip Torn. Or Yahoo Serious.

Ellen

[jo]

It has a very small cast (3) and will probably have a very sparing set...so the weekly nut will not be so much. Sonia Friedman is not a blockbuster type of producer. Btw, Sonia is Maria's sister, but Sonia has really created quite a name as a producer of distinction.

She did say that " there will be at least 40 or 50 seats a night priced at $35, an idea Jackman endorsed immediately" and maybe the financial figures, given the staging costs, will accommodate some affordable ticket prices other than premium.


But I hope it is not going to be a real madhouse when the tickets go on sale!


Jo

[jo]

One of Hugh's leading ladies from London!

Cush Jumbo ‏@cushjumbo · 1h
Yes it's true! Very excited to say I'll be doing #TheRiver @circlebroadway @circlewith Hugh Jackman and Laura Donnelly from Oct 31st! DREAM!

Hmm... will Hugh be using a kind of British accent for this play?


Jo

[jo]

Someone posted this re CIRCLE IN THE SQUARE on BWW --

I love this theater, and glad it will have a hit on its hands. It doesn't have great curb appeal though. I guess they can plaster a huge picture of Jackman's face on the side of the theater, or maybe they'll go for the Audra approach and just have a picture of Jackman instead of "The River."

Ellen,

I remember that even looking for WICKED was not as easy as finding the theatre location when you are in the 44th/45th/46th area. I did not even know there was this theatre ( located below street level?) sharing space with the Gershwin - LOL.

But do you really need to advertise Hugh's play, with marquees like traditional theatres, and people ogling the lobby as they pass by ??

Eek...already foreseeing the madhouse when the ticket sale gets announced. Someone playfully suggested on BWW that camping out the previous night for the RUSH tickets ( 40-50 tickets day @ $ 35, as promised by producer Friedman and agreed to by Hugh ) might be a right tactic giggle

He thinks this is the Javits Center and DAYS OF FUTURE PAST is just about to hold its world premiere


Jo

[jo]

From the official Sonia Friedman site --

www.soniafriedman.com/news_and_press_releases/casting_announced_for_the_river_on_broadway

CASTING ANNOUNCED FOR THE RIVER ON BROADWAY


Date posted: Wednesday 14 May 2014

HUGH JACKMAN LAURA DONNELLY CUSH JUMBO
THE RIVER
A NEW PLAY BY
JEZ BUTTERWORTH
DIRECTED BY
IAN RICKSON

PREVIEWS OCTOBER 31, 2014
OPENING NIGHT NOVEMBER 16, 2014
ON BROADWAY AT CIRCLE IN THE SQUARE THEATRE

LIMITED NUMBER OF $35 DAY OF SEATS
WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR ALL PERFORMANCES


“THE RIVER is like a subtly crafted piece of chamber music. It is teasing, haunting and hushed.
It is also damnably difficult to write about, as there is a mystery at its heart that I must not reveal.”
Charles Spencer, THE TELEGRAPH

“Spellbinding, exquisitely modulated. Lyrical, occasionally droll and ultimately desolating,
this intimate three-hander unfolds like a tantalizing cross between
a piece of deeply felt poetry and a sleight-of-hand puzzle.”
Paul Taylor, INDEPENDENT

“THE RIVER is subtle, sleek and dark. Here is a sense of the mysterious and of kinship
with others long gone. It is perhaps about time and eternity, about that spot on the river that,
while always the same, is always changing. It’s an eerie piece, given a spellbinding production
by Ian Rickson. A wonderful play, glinting and elusive as a fish.”
Sarah Hemming, FINANCIAL TIMES



Sonia Friedman Productions will present the Royal Court Theatre production of THE RIVER, a new play by Jez Butterworth, starring Hugh Jackman, Laura Donnelly and Cush Jumbo, and directed by Ian Rickson. THE RIVER will open on Sunday, November 16 on Broadway at the Circle in the Square Theatre (West 50th Street between Broadway and Eighth Avenue). Previews begin Friday, October 31. The production will play a strictly limited 13-week engagement through Sunday, January 25, 2015. On sale dates will be announced in coming weeks.

THE RIVER was first developed by Sonia Friedman Productions and was subsequently produced by the Royal Court Theatre. It was presented from October 18-November 17, 2012 in the Royal Court’s Jerwood Theatre Upstairs, in a production directed by Mr. Rickson, also featuring Ms. Donnelly, who makes her Broadway debut alongside Ms. Jumbo.

The producers are pleased to announce that a limited number of $35 day of seats will be available for every performance of THE RIVER. Further details will be announced shortly.

The production marks the sixth collaboration between Mr. Butterworth and Mr. Rickson. Mr. Rickson has previously directed the world premiere productions of Mr. Butterworth’s Mojo, The Night Heron, The Winterling, Parlour Song and the multi-award-winning London and Broadway production of Jerusalem.

A remote cabin on the cliffs, a man and a woman, and a moonless night. Jez Butterworth’s THE RIVER asks when we find each other, are we trying to recapture someone we once lost? The writer director team who brought you Jerusalem returns with a bewitching new story.

Circle in the Square’s unique configuration and intimacy has made it a favorite of many stars who have graced its stage over the decades in both classics and new plays, including Colleen Dewhurst, Lillian Gish, George C. Scott, Julie Christie, Al Pacino, James Earl Jones, Vanessa Redgrave, Kevin Kline, Joanne Woodward, Rex Harrison, John Malkovich, Nathan Lane, Philip Seymour Hoffman and many others. The 2009 critically acclaimed and Tony Award®-winning revival of The Norman Conquests, produced by Sonia Friedman Productions, also played at the theatre.

THE RIVER is designed by Ultz, with lighting by Charles Balfour, sound by Ian Dickinson for Autograph and music by Stephen Warbeck.

BIOGRAPHIES

Hugh Jackman is an Academy Award®-nominated, Golden Globe and Tony Award®-winning actor. The Australian native was most recently on Broadway in his one-man show Hugh Jackman – Back on Broadway in the fall of 2011. Jackman’s dedication to the Broadway community was feted at the 2012 Tony Awards®, where he received a Special Award from the Tony Awards® Administration Committee, recognizing his accomplishments as a performer and humanitarian. He previously starred on Broadway in Keith Huff’s play, A Steady Rain, opposite Daniel Craig, and as 1970s singer-songwriter Peter Allen in The Boy From Oz, for which he received the 2004 Tony Award® for Best Actor in a musical as well as Drama Desk, Drama League, Outer Critics Circle and Theatre World Awards. Additional theater: Carousel at Carnegie Hall, Oklahoma! at the National Theater in London (Olivier nomination), Sunset Boulevard (MO Award, Australia’s Tony Award) and Disney’s Beauty and the Beast (MO Award nomination). Jackman made his first major U.S. film appearance as Wolverine in the first installment of the “X-Men” series, a role he reprised in the enormously successful X2 and X-Men: The Last Stand in 2006, as well as X-Men Origins: Wolverine in 2009 and in The Wolverine in 2013. Jackman reunited with the X-men team for X-Men: Days of Future Past, which is set for release this month. Other recent film roles: Warner Brothers’ Prisoners, Jean Valjean in the film adaptation of Les Miserables, for which he earned a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Comedy/Musical, and an Academy Award® nomination. Additionally, Jackman has starred in Shawn Levy’s Real Steel, Baz Luhrmann’s Australia, Darren Aronofsky’s The Fountain, Christopher Nolan’s The Prestige, and Woody Allen’s Scoop. He lent his voice to the animated features Rise of the Guardians, Happy Feet and Flushed Away. Other films in which he has had leading roles include Deception, Someone Like You, Swordfish, Van Helsing, and Kate and Leopold, for which he received a 2002 Golden Globe nomination. On February 22, 2009, Jackman hosted the 81st Annual Academy Awards. This wasn’t Jackman’s first foray into awards show hosting. He previously served as host of the Tony Awards® three years in a row from 2003–2005, earning an Emmy Award for his 2004 duties at the 58th Annual ceremony, and an Emmy nomination for his 2005 appearance at the 59th Annual ceremony. This year on Sunday, June 8, Jackman will once again serve as host for the 68th Annual Tony Awards®, live from Radio City Music Hall on CBS.

Laura Donnelly grew up in Belfast, Ireland before moving to Glasgow to study at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama. Since graduating from Royal Scottish in 2004, she has worked extensively in film, television and theatre. Theatre includes: Woman in The River (Royal Court), Katie Doogan in Philadelphia, Here I Come! (Donmar), Anna in Judgment Day (Almeida), Juliet in Romeo and Juliet (Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre), Chrissie in Dancing at Lughnasa (Lyric Theatre, Belfast), Catherine in Boston Marriage (B*Spoke). Film credits include: Heart of Lightness, Hello Carter, Dread, Insatiable, Right Hand Drive. Donnelly will also play Emma O’Reilly in the Untitled Cycling Project, a movie about Lance Armstrong to be directed by Stephen Frears later this year. TV Credits include: Sarah Kay in “The Fall” (BBC), Violet Heath in “Missing” (ABC), Freya (recurring) in “Merlin” (Kudos), Barbara Best in “Best” (BBC), Katy in “Occupation” (Kudos), Leanne O’Dwyer in “Be More Ethic” (BBC), Aoife in “Rough Diamond” (BBC/RTE), Maya in “Hex” (Shine), Fleur (semi-regular) in “Casualty” (BBC), Beth in “Sugar Rush” (Shine). Laura is currently shooting the new Stephen Frears movie and the new Starz series, “Outlander”.

Cush Jumbo received one of the top honors at this year’s Evening Standard Awards when she was presented with the “Emerging Talent Award” for her self-penned solo show, Josephine and I. She was also nominated for “Outstanding Achievement in an Affiliate Theatre” at the Oliver Awards for her performance. Josephine and I played at The Bush Theatre in July and August 2013, where it was well-received by critics and public alike. She also reprised her role of Marc Antony in an all-female version of Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar at St. Ann’s Warehouse in New York. The show, which originated at the Donmar Warehouse in London, earned rave reviews on both continents. In a star-studded cast, she was singled out by the Olivier Awards as the sole acting nominee. Both productions were directed by acclaimed film and theatre director Phyllida Lloyd (Mamma Mia!, The Iron Lady). She also won the award for Best Actress at The Manchester Awards for her performance as Nora in A Doll’s House at the Royal Exchange Theatre Manchester. In 2012, she was awarded the prestigious Ian Charleson Award for her performance as Rosalind in As You Like It, also at the Royal Exchange. This award honors the finest classical performance of the year by an actor under 30. Television: series lead in the top-rated “Vera” for ITV1 opposite Brenda Blethyn; two series of the acclaimed comedy, “Getting On” (a US version of the show now airs on HBO). Film: lead role in the feature Remainder (based on the Tom K. McCarthy novel of the same name) for director Omer Fast and the hit feature The Inbetweeners.

Jez Butterworth’s (Playwright) is the author of six plays; Mojo (1995), The Night Heron (2002), The Winterling (2006), Parlour Song (2008), Jerusalem (2009) and The River (2010). In 2007, Butterworth received the E.M Forster Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters.

Ian Rickson (Director) was Artistic Director at the Royal Court from 1998 to 2006, during which time he directed Krapp’s Last Tape, The Winterling, Alice Trilogy, The Sweetest Swing in Baseball, Fallout, The Night Heron, Boy Gets Girl, Mouth to Mouth (also in the West End), Dublin Carol, The Weir (also in the West End and on Broadway), The Lights, Pale Horse and Mojo (also at the Steppenwolf Theatre, Chicago), Ashes & Sand, Some Voices and Killers. His last production for the Royal Court, The Seagull, transferred to Broadway. Other theatre includes Mojo revival (West End), Old Times (West End), The River (Royal Court), Hamlet (Young Vic), Jerusalem (Royal Court, West End and Broadway), Betrayal (Comedy Theatre), The Children’s Hour (Comedy Theatre), The Hothouse and The Day I Stood Still (NT), Parlour Song (Almeida), Hedda Gabler (Roundabout Theatre, New York), The House of Yes (Gate) and Me & My Friend (Chichester Festival Theatre). Film includes: Fallout, Krapp’s Last Tape and The Clear Road Ahead.

Ultz (Scenic and Costume Design) studied Stage Design at Sadlers Wells Design Course (later Motley Design School), after training at Central School of Speech & Drama as an actor and a teacher of acting. His productions have since won many awards and nominations including an Olivier Award for Set Design and a Tony Award® nomination for Jerusalem, an off West End Theatre Award for Set Design for Beauty Queen of Leenane, an Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in an Affiliate Theatre for Pied Piper – A Hip Hop Dance Revolution, an Olivier award nomination for The Twin Rivals, a shortlist for the Evening Standard Award for Hobson’s Choice, Jerusalem and Fallout, and OpernWelt Critics Award Designer of the Year for Xerxes. His early work includes Head of Design for Theatre Royal Stratford East: Designer at Birmingham Rep; Design Assistant on the first production of Edward Bond’s Lear at the Royal Court Theatre. Recent Designs for Theatre include: a revival of Mojo in the West End, Kingston 14 at Theatre Royal Stratford East, Much Ado About Nothing at the Old Vic, Annie Get Your Gun (set only), The Changeling, A Respectable Wedding, Hobson’s Choice, The Beauty Queen of Leenane at the Young Vic, Blood and Gifts at the National Theatre, Choir Boy, The River, Chicken Soup with Barley, Fireface and all of Jez Butterworth’s plays including Mojo and Jerusalem at the Royal Court Theatre. Mojo also played in the West End and at Steppenwolf Theater, Chicago; Jerusalem transferred to the West End and to Broadway. Recent Design for Opera includes: for Royal Opera House Gloriana, Il Tabarro; for Glyndebourne Falstaff and Macbeth; for English National Opera Powder Her Face, Cavelleria Rusticana / I Pagliacci and The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant; for Landestheater Niederbayern, Germany (directing and designing) Die Lustige Witwe, Idomeneo, White Horse Inn, Salome, The Magic Flute. As an Associate Artist at Theatre Royal Stratford East, ULTZ is committed to creating new pieces of urban music theatre. He developed and directed DA BOYZ (a hip hop version of the Rodgers and Hart musical The Boys from Syracuse) and Jean Genet’s play The Blacks Remixed (co-directed). With Boy Blue Entertainment he developed Pied Piper and directed it at Stratford East, Barbican Theatre and UK Tour. He was part of the original creative team for The Harder They Come which he designed for Stratford East, Barbican Theatre, West End, UK Tour, Toronto and Miami. ULTZ is a Visiting Fellow of the University of the Arts London. His teaching work includes: for the past 8 years, teaching Stage Design students from Rutgers University, New Jersey, during their Autumn semester at Shakespeare’s Globe; Stage Design at Nottingham Trent on numerous occasions; The Slade School of Fine Art; Central St Martin’s; Motley Design School; Acting Study at Rose Bruford College; Visiting Professor, lecturing and teaching acting studies, at University of California Davis.

Charles Balfour (Lighting Design) Theatre credits include: The River, Choir Boy, Chicken Soup with Barley, Now or Later, The Ugly One (Royal Court); Mojo (Harold Pinter) Posh (Duke of York’s); The Beauty Queen of Leenane, The Girlfriend Experience (Young Vic); The Events (ATC/Young Vic); Jumpers for Goalposts (Paines Plough); The Accrington Pals (Manchester Royal Exchange); A Kind of Alaska/Krapp’s Last Tape (Bristol Old Vic); Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf (Sheffield Crucible); My Generation (West Yorkshire Playhouse); The Kite Runner (Nottingham Playhouse); Morning (Lyric Hammersmith); The Borrowers, Oh What a Lovely War (Northern Stage); The Hypochondriac (ETT); No Wise Men, The Tempest (Liverpool Playhouse); Angels in America (Headlong); Through the Leaves (Duchess); Joseph K, Hair, Woyzeck (Gate). Opera and Dance includes: Carmen (Vlaamse Opera); Run for It (Scottish Ballet/Cultural Olympiad); Labyrinth of Love (Rambert Dance); over 30 works with the Richard Alston Dance Company (Sadler’s Wells); Magical Night, Cocteau Voices, The Red Balloon (Royal Opera House/Aletta Collins); Eden/Eden (Stuttgart Ballet, San Francisco Ballet/Wayne McGregor); OperaShots 1 and 2 (Royal Opera House); Carmen, Werther (Opera North); Woman in Memory (Tate Modern/Rosemary Butcher). Charles won the 2013 Knight of Illumination Award (Drama) for The River and the 2013 TMA UK Theatre Best Design Award for The Accrington Pals.


Ian Dickinson for Autograph (Sound Design) Previous NYC shows include Rock ’n’ Roll (Tony® nomination), The Seagull, Jerusalem (Tony® nomination), John Gabriel Borkman (Drama Desk nomination) and forthcoming, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, for which he won an Olivier Award. Ian’s recent UK credits include All My Sons, To Kill A Mockingbird (Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre); The Days The Nights The Wounds & The Night (Linbury ROH); The Nether (Royal Court); A Taste Of Honey, Emil and the Detectives, Port, This House and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (National Theatre); The Weir at the Gielgud; The Machine (Manchester International Festival & The Armory NYC); Roots (Donmar); Before the Party (Almeida). Ian has been with the Autograph design team since 2009.

Stephen Warbeck (Composer) Theatre includes: The River, Jerusalem (& West End/Broadway), Haunted Child, The Seagull, The Winterling, Alice Trilogy, Fallout, The Night Heron, Boy Gets Girl, Mouth to Mouth (& West End), Dublin Carol, The Glory of Living, The Lights, Harry & Me, Pale Horse, Rat in the Skull, Mojo, Simpatico, The Editing Process, The Kitchen, Blood, Greenland, Bloody Poetry, A Lie of the Mind, Built on Sand (Royal Court); Measure for Measure, Parlour Song, When The Rain Stops Falling, Cloud Nine, Dying For It (Almeida); The Silver Tassie, This House, The Veil, Welcome to Thebes, Season’s Greetings, Mrs Affleck, The Villain’s Opera, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, Hothouse, The Day I Stood Still, Light Shining in Buckinghamshire, Machinal, At Our Table, Roots, Magical Olympical Games (National); Mojo, Old Times, Death and the Maiden, Betrayal, The Children’s Hour (Harold Pinter); Hamlet, Bingo (Young Vic); A Flea in her Ear (Old Vic); Uncle Vanya, Swimming with Sharks (Vaudeville); In Celebration (Duke of York’s); Jean La Chance (Montpellier); The Tempest, Much Ado About Nothing, As You Like It, Pericles, Prince of Tyre (Globe); Proof, To the Green Fields Beyond (Donmar); Wolf Hall, Bring up The Bodies (& West End), Alice in Wonderland, Romeo & Juliet, The Tempest, Cymbeline, The Cherry Orchard (RSC/Albery/UK tour); An Inspector Calls (National/West End/Broadway/Japan/ Australia/Vienna). Dance includes: Peter Pan (Northern Ballet/Sadler’s Wells). Television includes: “Henry IV Parts 1 and 2” (from the BBC Series “The Hollow Crown”), “A Young Doctor’s Notebook,” “Just William, Skellig, “Fallout,” “Prime Suspect”. Film includes: La Marche, Keeping Rosy, Je Te Survivrai, It Happened in Saint Tropez, Jadoo, Polisse, He Who Said No, There Be Dragons, Un Balcon Sur La Mer, Day of the Flowers, Killing Bono, The Other Man, Princess Ka’Iulani, Freakdog, Machan, French Film, The Hessen Affair, The Box Collector, Goal II, Flawless, Miguel & William, Cargo, Feast of the Goat, Travaux, On a Clear Day, Mickybo & Me, Two Brothers, Oyster Farmer, Proof, De Zaak Alzheimer, Pour Le Plaisir, Love’s Brother, Blackball, Mystics, Charlotte Gray, Birthday Girl, Captain Corelli’s Mandolin, Gabriel & Me, Billy Elliott, Quills, Very Annie Mary, Mystery Men, Fanny & Elvis, Shakespeare in Love, Heart, Mrs Brown. Awards include: Academy Award® for Best Original Musical or Comedy Score (Shakespeare in Love), ASCAP Award for Best Film Music for Quills, BAFTA award for Original Television Music for “The Hollow Crown”. Stephen also writes for his band The hKippers and for his ensemble.

*Ticket sale to be announced in coming weeks
*It looks like they may be using the round configuration, instead of the proscenium-stage type, of Circle in the Square Theatre ( CITS) for this production?


Jo

[mamaleh]

Yes, Jo, if you're not familiar with the breezeway/walkway in which CITS is located, it might be easy to walk by and not even notice it. The theater is indeed below street level, although the box office is visible to passersby who cut through that walkway to access 50th or 51st St. between Broadway and 8th Ave. CITS is within the same larger building that houses the Gershwin, which has a separate box office that is usually very busy with WICKED aficionados. The last show I saw at CITS was SOUL DOCTOR, which used the proscenium set-up. But most other shows I've seen there were in the round. I'd bet that's the configuration THE RIVER will use.

Ellen