Steve Martin to debut new musical at Old Globe in San Diego by David Ng

Steve Martin will present the world premiere of his much buzzed about new musical "Bright Star" in September at the Old Globe in San Diego as part of the company's 2014-15 season, which was …

SOURCE: Los Angeles Times at 5:35pm on April 17, 2014☆⚑

James Franco, his 'Of Mice and Men' critic and an Instagram rant by David Ng

The social-media buzz surrounding James Franco's Broadway debut on Wednesday in "Of Mice and Men" doesn't have to do so much with his performance or with the production, for that matter. The…

SOURCE: Los Angeles Times at 2:28pm on April 17, 2014☆⚑

Phillip Hayes Dean, playwright of 'Paul Robeson,' dies at 83 by David Ng

Phillip Hayes Dean, the theater actor, director and playwright whose stage biography of Paul Robeson is currently being performed in Los Angeles, has died at age 83.

SOURCE: Los Angeles Times at 4:40pm on April 16, 2014☆⚑

Steven Soderbergh-directed play 'The Library' opens in New York by David Ng

Steven Soderbergh made his New York debut as a stage director on Tuesday with the official opening of "The Library," a school-shooting drama starring Chloe Grace Moretz, at the Public Theate…

SOURCE: Los Angeles Times at 1:44pm on April 16, 2014☆⚑

'The Flick' by Annie Baker wins Pulitzer Prize for drama by David Ng

Annie Baker's "The Flick" -- a highly divisive drama that prompted an abundance of head-scratching and some audience walkouts during its off-Broadway run last year -- has won the 2014 Pulitz…

SOURCE: Los Angeles Times at 4:00pm on April 14, 2014☆⚑

Obamas attend 'A Raisin in the Sun' starring Denzel Washington by David Ng

President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama took time Friday to attend the Broadway revival of "A Raisin in the Sun," starring Denzel Washington.

SOURCE: Los Angeles Times at 10:10am on April 14, 2014☆⚑

'Book of Mormon,' 'Chimerica' win at Olivier Awards in London by David Ng

The play "Chimerica" and the Broadway musical "The Book of Mormon" were the big winners Sunday at the Lawrence Olivier Awards in London. The annual awards — Britain's equivalent of the…

SOURCE: Los Angeles Times at 7:12pm on April 13, 2014☆⚑

San Diego Opera hires Mark Fabiani to handle crisis publicity by David Ng

San Diego Opera has enlisted the spin expertise of Mark Fabiani -- the  former deputy mayor of Los Angeles and former special counsel to President Bill Clinton -- to handle the company's …

SOURCE: Los Angeles Times at 8:03pm on April 11, 2014☆⚑

'Bullets Over Broadway' musical by Woody Allen opens in New York by David Ng

"Bullets Over Broadway," the new musical by Woody Allen that he adapted from his own 1994 movie, opened Thursday at the St. James Theatre in New York amid lingering media speculation surroun…

SOURCE: Los Angeles Times at 1:31pm on April 11, 2014☆⚑

Blair Underwood to star in 'Othello' at Old Globe in San Diego by David Ng

Blair Underwood will be adding some star power to the Old Globe's annual summer lineup of plays by William Shakespeare.

SOURCE: Los Angeles Times at 9:30am on April 10, 2014☆⚑

Anne Hathaway sings rap songs Broadway-style with Jimmy Fallon by David Ng

Anne Hathaway has yet to make good on her oft-professed desire to perform in a Broadway musical. Her Oscar-winning turn as Fantine in the 2012 movie version of "Les Miserables" showed that s…

SOURCE: Los Angeles Times at 12:20pm on April 9, 2014☆⚑

Jane Greenwood to receive special Tony Award after 16 nominations by David Ng

Costume designer Jane Greenwood is the Susan Lucci of the Tony Awards — she has been nominated 16 times but has never won. This year, her five-decade losing streak will officially come…

SOURCE: Los Angeles Times at 11:44am on April 8, 2014☆⚑

Kristin Chenoweth will enter Hollywood Bowl Hall of Fame by David Ng

Kristin Chenoweth, the pint-sized Broadway powerhouse, will be inducted into the Hollywood Bowl Hall of Fame this summer as the 43rd performer to receive the honor.

SOURCE: Los Angeles Times at 4:02pm on April 7, 2014☆⚑

San Diego Opera closing: Vocal patrons share their reactions by David Ng

San Diego Opera says 'Don Quixote' is its last production. Ticket holders share thoughts such as 'We feel defrauded and lied to.' A board member has put up $1 million to turn the tide.SAN DI…

SOURCE: Los Angeles Times at 9:00am on April 7, 2014☆⚑

San Diego Opera receives $1-million gift from board member by David Ng

Less than a week after it announced that it was postponing the deadline for its closure, San Diego Opera said it has received a $1-million gift from a board member that is intended to help t…

SOURCE: Los Angeles Times at 12:30pm on April 5, 2014☆⚑

Alex Fernandez reflects on juggling stage work and TV stints by David Ng

'Henry V' director and narrator Alex Fernandez, a.k.a. Guillermo Cienfuegos, talks about managing dual artistic identities in theater and on TV.Shakespeare's "Henry V" begins with a narrator…

SOURCE: Los Angeles Times at 9:00am on April 2, 2014☆⚑

'Heathers' musical opens in New York following L.A. run by David Ng

"Heathers" has been resurrected -- shoulder pads, big bangs et al. -- as a cheeky stage musical. As Veronica Sawyer, the Winona Ryder character, might ask, what's the damage?

SOURCE: Los Angeles Times at 1:14pm on April 1, 2014☆⚑

San Diego Opera postpones closure by two weeks by David Ng

San Diego Opera has postponed its closure by two weeks in order to give its board of directors time to seek out new funding from the city and other donors. The postponement comes in the wake…

SOURCE: Los Angeles Times at 11:44am on April 1, 2014☆⚑

New York Philharmonic to partner with Music Academy of the West by David Ng

Members of the New York Philharmonic will be making regular summer sojourns to the Santa Barbara area beginning this year as part of a new partnership with the Music Academy of the West. …

SOURCE: Los Angeles Times at 6:00pm on March 31, 2014☆⚑

Idina Menzel opens on Broadway in musical 'If/Then' by David Ng

Long before "Frozen" and John Travolta made her famous, Idina Menzel was a certifiable Broadway star with enough box-office clout to open a show. On Sunday, the Tony Award-winning actress, w…

SOURCE: Los Angeles Times at 1:01pm on March 31, 2014☆⚑

Benedict Cumberbatch to play 'Hamlet' in London in 2015 by David Ng

Benedict Cumberbatch will return to the London stage next year to play the mopey prince of Denmark in a new production of Shakespeare's "Hamlet," which will run at the Barbican theater. The …

SOURCE: Los Angeles Times at 12:26pm on March 26, 2014☆⚑

Collapse at London's Apollo Theatre blamed on old ceiling material by David Ng

When part of the ceiling of the Apollo Theatre in London collapsed in December during an evening performance, the falling debris caused a number of injuries but no fatalities. On Monday, the…

SOURCE: Los Angeles Times at 1:07pm on March 24, 2014☆⚑

'Phantom of the Opera' on Broadway casts black actor in title role by David Ng

"The Phantom of the Opera" has been running on Broadway for more than 25 years. This week, the musical announced a first: a black actor has been cast in the title role in the New York produc…

SOURCE: Los Angeles Times at 5:00pm on March 21, 2014☆⚑

Disney's 'Aladdin' opens on Broadway to warm critical reception by David Ng

With the opening on Thursday of "Aladdin" at the New Amsterdam Theatre in New York, Disney marks its 20th anniversary on Broadway. Whether that's a cause for celebration or consternation dep…

SOURCE: Los Angeles Times at 12:34pm on March 21, 2014☆⚑

San Diego Opera will close by David Ng

The departure reflects the increasing challenge of funding arts programs.The San Diego Opera shocked many in the arts world by announcing it will cease operations at the end of the current s…

SOURCE: Los Angeles Times at 7:00pm on March 20, 2014☆⚑