All stories by Mark Shenton on BroadwayStars

Tuesday, October 28, 2014

Shenton's View: The many approaches to marketing a Broadway show by Mark Shenton

Look through the listings of what’s playing on Broadway right now and you’ll recognise most of the titles and/or the casts and/or the authors. It’s unusual for a show to ge…

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 03:00AM[SHARE]
Monday, October 27, 2014

Shenton's View: You can't move for Brits on Broadway at the moment by Mark Shenton

I’m just back from New York, where the Brits are out in force this autumn. I ran into producer Sonia Friedman on Eighth Avenue " she was running into a tobacconist at the time, as̷…

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 03:00AM[SHARE]
Friday, October 24, 2014

Further Casting Announced for West End Premiere of Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown by Mark Shenton

Willemijn Verkaik, Ricardo Alfonso and Haydn Oakley have joined the previously announced Tamsin Greig, Haydn Gwynne, Jérôme Pradon and Anna Skellern in the West End prem…

SOURCE: Playbill at 01:03PM[SHARE]

Complete Casting Announced for Cats at London Palladium by Mark Shenton

Full casting has been announced for the return of Cats to the London Palladium; performances begin Dec. 6 prior to an official opening Dec. 11.

SOURCE: Playbill at 11:56AM[SHARE]

New U.K. Tour of The Producers to Star British Comedian Jason Manford by Mark Shenton

British comedian Jason Manford is to play Leo Bloom in a new U.K. touring version of The Producers that will begin performances at Bromley's Churchill Theatre in south-east London Ma…

SOURCE: Playbill at 11:50AM[SHARE]

Lord of the Dance to Be Reprised at West End's Dominion Theatre; Michael Flatley to Be Inducted into by Mark Shenton

Michael Flatley's Lord of the Dance: Dangerous Games, which had its premiere at the London Palladium in September for a season that is about to close Oct. 25, is to be reprised at the We…

SOURCE: Playbill at 11:31AM[SHARE]

James McAvoy to Star in Peter Barnes' The Ruling Class at West End's Trafalgar Studios by Mark Shenton

James McAvoy is to return to the West End's Trafalgar Studios to star in the first-ever revival of Peter Barnes' 1968 play The Ruling Class, beginning performances Jan. 16, 2015,…

SOURCE: Playbill at 08:19AM[SHARE]

Memphis , Shaftesbury Theatre, London by Mark Shenton

Shaftesbury Theatre, London: It took Hairspray, the 2003 Tony winner for best musical, five years to reach London and now Memphis, the 2010 winner, has taken the same amount of time to trans…

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 06:02AM[SHARE]

Shenton's View: A Pulitzer Prize is no guarantee of a Broadway run by Mark Shenton

I’ve been on one of my regular New York theatre binges this week, catching up on some of the 10 new shows that will have opened by Sunday this week. I’ve long missed the first…

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 02:00AM[SHARE]
Thursday, October 23, 2014

"Dallas" Star Linda Gray Set for Cinderella at London's New Wimbledon Theatre by Mark Shenton

Linda Gray is to make her U.K. pantomime debut to play the Fairy Godmother in Cinderella at London's New Wimbledon Theatre, beginning performances Dec. 5 prior to an official opening Dec…

SOURCE: Playbill at 08:40AM[SHARE]

Taken at Midnight, Starring Penelope Wilton, Will Transfer to London's West End by Mark Shenton

Mark Hayhurst's Taken at Midnight, currently receiving its world premiere at Chichester's Minerva Theatre though Nov. 1, is to transfer to the West End's Theatre Royal, Haymarket…

SOURCE: Playbill at 08:30AM[SHARE]

Shenton's View: Mark Shenton's theatre Picks: October 23 by Mark Shenton

Autumn winds may be stripping the leaves from the trees, but it's springtime in theatreland, with budding new shows sprouting up all over the country. My picks this week reflect the current …

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 02:00AM[SHARE]
Wednesday, October 22, 2014

Welsh Rugby Legend Gareth Thomas to Be Subject of New Verbatim Play by Mark Shenton

The Welsh rugby legend Gareth Thomas is to be the subject of a new verbatim play Crouch, Touch, Pause, Engage that will premiere at Cardiff's Sherman Theatre, beginning performances Feb.…

SOURCE: Playbill at 09:03AM[SHARE]

Hedwig Producer David Binder Joins London's LIFT as Artistic Associate by Mark Shenton

Broadway producer David Binder, who is currently represented as lead producer on Hedwig and the Angry Inch, is to join London's LIFT Festival as artistic associate. He will work with LIF…

SOURCE: Playbill at 08:28AM[SHARE]

Neville's Island , Duke of York's Theatre, London by Mark Shenton

Duke of York's Theatre, London: The Duke of York's Theatre has been turned into damp, smelly swampland. And no, I'm not talking about the state of the toilets there, but that of th…

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 06:14AM[SHARE]

Shenton's View: John Kander and Susan Stroman on the making of The Scottsboro Boys by Mark Shenton

I won’t deny that it is one of the considerable perks of my job that I sometimes meet my heroes. They say you should never meet your heroes, but I am happy to say that…

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 02:00AM[SHARE]
Tuesday, October 21, 2014

The Scottsboro Boys , Garrick Theatre, London by Mark Shenton

Garrick Theatre, London: When I first reviewed The Scottsboro Boys at its British premiere last October for The Stage, I expressed doubts that it would have a commercial life beyond the Youn…

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 06:02AM[SHARE]

Shenton's View: Is antisocial audience behaviour getting worse? by Mark Shenton

Okay, the man sitting in front of me at the Shaftesbury Theatre on Saturday afternoon couldn’t help being tall. But it was like having a pillar in front of me, and no ordinary pillar e…

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 02:00AM[SHARE]
Monday, October 20, 2014

Potted Sherlock to Play Christmas Season at West End's Vaudeville Theatre by Mark Shenton

Potted Sherlock, which follows Potted Potter (which has played the West End and Off-Broadway), Potted Panto and Potted Pirates, is to come to the West End's Vaudeville Theatre to pla…

SOURCE: Playbill at 09:13AM[SHARE]

Alexandra Burke to Reprise West End Starring Role in U.K. Tour of The Bodyguard by Mark Shenton

Alexandra Burke is to reprise the role of Rachel Marron in The Bodyguard, which she previously played in the final months of the West End run, when it embarks on an extensive U.K. and Irelan…

SOURCE: Playbill at 08:55AM[SHARE]

Laura Pitt-Pulford and Michael French to Star in New Production of The Sound of Music at U.K.'s Curv by Mark Shenton

Laura Pitt-Pulford will play Maria and Michael French will play Captain Von Trapp in a new production of Rodgers and Hammerstein's The Sound of Music beginning performances Nov. 28 p…

SOURCE: Playbill at 08:15AM[SHARE]

Sheffield Crucible Will Offer David Hare's The Absence of War, Arthur Miller's Playing for Time and by Mark Shenton

Plans for the 2015 season at Sheffield's Crucible Theatre include a major revival of David Hare's The Absence of War, prior to a national tour, plus Arthur Miller's Playing for T…

SOURCE: Playbill at 07:55AM[SHARE]

Shenton's View: Critics can only celebrate UK regional theatre if they actually see it by Mark Shenton

This year’s UK Theatre Awards, held in the baronial splendour of London’s Guildhall, brought the assorted administrators, marketing and press departments of UK’s regional t…

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 02:00AM[SHARE]
Friday, October 17, 2014

Alex Gaumond to Join Cast of West End's Dirty Rotten Scoundrels by Mark Shenton

Alex Gaumond will join the West End company of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, taking over the role of Freddy Benson from Rufus Hound, beginning performances Nov. 11.

SOURCE: Playbill at 09:51AM[SHARE]

Complete Casting Announced for West End's Beautiful   The Carole King Musical by Mark Shenton

The full cast has been announced for the West End production of Beautiful – The Carole King Musical, beginning performances Feb. 10, 2015, prior to an official opening Feb. 24, at …

SOURCE: Playbill at 09:30AM[SHARE]

Stage Version of Mrs. Henderson's Presents Will Premiere in Summer 2015 by Mark Shenton

Mrs. Henderson Presents, a stage version of the 2005 film of the same name that starred Judi Dench and the late Bob Hoskins, is to receive its world premiere at the U.K.'s Bath Theatre R…

SOURCE: Playbill at 09:18AM[SHARE]

Stage Version of Mrs. Henderson Presents Will Premiere in Summer 2015 by Mark Shenton

Mrs. Henderson Presents, a stage version of the 2005 film of the same name that starred Judi Dench and the late Bob Hoskins, is to receive its world premiere at the U.K.'s Bath Theatre R…

SOURCE: Playbill at 09:18AM[SHARE]

Jennifer Haley's The Nether to Transfer to West End's Duke of York's Theatre by Mark Shenton

Jennifer Haley's The Nether, which received its U.K. premiere at London's Royal Court in Jeremy Herrin's co-production with Headlong Theatre, is to transfer to the West End, …

SOURCE: Playbill at 07:01AM[SHARE]

The Cherry Orchard , Young Vic Theatre, London by Mark Shenton

Young Vic Theatre, London: After its recent sell-out production of A Streetcar Named Desire, the Young Vic offers a new production of Chekhov's The Cherry Orchard, continuing its amazin…

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 06:43AM[SHARE]

Shenton's View: Why is there such a paucity of female writers in musical theatre? by Mark Shenton

I’ve been seeing a slew of new musicals and revivals recently, including in the last week alone Here Lies Love, The Infidel and Gypsy, while the previous week brought Urinetown back to…

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 02:00AM[SHARE]
Thursday, October 16, 2014

The Infidel - The Musical , Theatre Royal Stratford East, London by Mark Shenton

Theatre Royal Stratford East, London: Though David Baddiel's stage musical version of his 2010 hit comedy film The Infidel inevitably recalls shows such as The Book of Mormon, Monty Pyt…

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 06:23AM[SHARE]

All that Chat

2025-2026 BROADWAY SEASON
Jun 12, 2025: Call Me Izzy - Studio 54
Sep 16, 2025: Art - Music Box Theatre
Oct 08, 2025: Beetlejuice - Palace Theatre
Nov 13, 2025: Oedipus - Studio 54
Nov 16, 2025: Chess - Imperial Theatre
Mar 23, 2026: Giant - Music Box Theatre
Apr 06, 2026: Becky Shaw - Hayes Theater
Apr 16, 2026: Proof - Booth Theatre
Apr 26, 2026: Drama Desk Cut-Off