Cambrian James News

Hale Centre Theatre's production of BIG RIVER, running through May 11th in Gilbert, AZ, is confirmation that BIG RIVER is among the Great American Musicals.

Opening for it's first time at the Hale Centre Theatre in Gilbert is the acclaimed Broadway musical Big River! Playing April 4th, 2019 through May 11th, 2019. Directed by Tim Dietlein, Choreographed by Cambrian James, with Musical Direction by Elizabeth Spencer. Big River is a musical adventure with book by William Hauptman and music and lyrics by Roger Miller - Yes that Roger Miller. Based on Mark Twain's classic 1884 novel, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, it features country and bluegrass music styles to keep with the rustic and adventurous setting of the novel.

@haletheatreaz has another hit with SINGIN' IN THE RAIN, now thru Mar. 30. Strong performances by Vaughn Sherman, Allan DeWitt, Abbi Cavanaugh & Erica Parrish are highlighted with iconic scenes recreated by director-choreographer Cambrian James & musical director Lincoln Wright.

Opening at Hale Centre Theatre on November 29, 2018 and playing through Dec. 24, 2018 is Hale's 16th annual production of Dickens' A CHRISTMAS CAROL. Produced by David and Corrin Dietlein, with direction by David Dietlein, choreography by Cambrian James, and musical direction by Lincoln Wright, A CHRISTMAS CAROL has become a family holiday tradition for 16 years in Gilbert and has become the greater Phoenix area's number one Holiday production.

Opening at Hale Centre Theatre on October 11, 2018 and playing through Nov. 24, 2018 is the classic Broadway musical hit Annie. Produced by David and Corrin Dietlein, with direction and choreography by Cambrian James, and musical direction by Lincoln Wright, Annie has been charming, singing, and dancing her way into the American psyche for decades. Nominated for eleven Tony awards and winner of seven, including Best Musical, this highly entertaining Broadway musical based on the famous comic strip Little Orphan Annie, was adapted to the stage by Thomas Meehan (book), Charles Strouse (music), and Martin Charnin (lyrics).

Opening at Hale Centre Theatre on October 11, 2018 and playing through Nov. 24, 2018 is the classic Broadway musical hit Annie. Produced by David and Corrin Dietlein, with direction and choreography by Cambrian James, and musical direction by Lincoln Wright, Annie has been charming, singing, and dancing her way into the American psyche for decades.  Nominated for eleven Tony awards and winner of seven, including Best Musical, this highly entertaining Broadway musical based on the famous comic strip Little Orphan Annie, was adapted to the stage by Thomas Meehan (book), Charles Strouse (music), and Martin Charnin (lyrics).

The joyful noise emanating from downtown Gilbert is the unrestrained laughter of audiences during Hale Centre Theatre's uproarious production of Norman Krasna's timeless screwball comedy, DEAR RUTH, directed by Cambrian James and featuring a superb cast. The show runs through November 13th.

Opening at Hale Centre Theatre on September 18, 2018 and playing through Nov. 13, 2018 is the Broadway comedy Dear Ruth. Produced by David and Corrin Dietlein, with direction by Cambrian James, Dear Ruth is a charming, romantic, highly entertaining Broadway comedy written by Academy Award winner Norman Krasna (a prolific writer with numerous Hollywood and Broadway hits, he is probably best known for his screenplay "White Christmas"). Dear Ruth was a huge Broadway success with 680 performances. It was later made into a very successful film of the same name starring William Holden, Joan Caulfield, and Edward Arnold.

Hale Centre Theatre's season-opening production of THE SCARLET PIMPERNEL, directed by the inimitable Cambrian James ~ is two and a half hours of spirited story-telling, featuring a bravura performance by Austin Delp as the heroic Sir Percy Blakeney. Show runs through October 6th.

Opening at Hale Centre Theatre on August 24, 2018 and playing through October 6, 2018 is the acclaimed Broadway musical The Scarlet Pimpernel. Directed and Choreographed by Cambrian James, with Musical Direction by Lincoln Wright, The Scarlet Pimpernel is a swashbuckling, romantic, and highly-entertaining family-friendly Broadway musical with music by Frank Wildhorn and lyrics and book by Nan Knighton (Jekyll & Hyde, Civil War). The show is based on the novel of the same name by Baroness Orczy. About this show, Producers Dave and Corrin Dietlein said, "Eleven years ago, when we first produced The Scarlet Pimpernel, we knew the show was good, but we didn't know quite what to expect or how audiences would receive it.

Opening at Hale Centre Theatre on August 24, 2018 and playing through October 6, 2018 is the acclaimed Broadway musical The Scarlet Pimpernel. Directed and Choreographed by Cambrian James, with Musical Direction by Lincoln Wright, The Scarlet Pimpernel is a swashbuckling, romantic, and highly-entertaining family-friendly Broadway musical with music by Frank Wildhorn and lyrics and book by Nan Knighton (Jekyll & Hyde, Civil War). The show is based on the novel of the same name by Baroness Orczy. About this show, Producers Dave and Corrin Dietlein said, "Eleven years ago, when we first produced The Scarlet Pimpernel, we knew the show was good, but we didn't know quite what to expect or how audiences would receive it.

Hale Centre Theatre's current production of SISTER ACT, running through August 18th, features Cambrian James' imaginative direction and choreography, with standout turns by Ashley Jackson and Kathleen Richards.

It's 1977 and Deloris Van Cartier is an aspiring singer in funky Philadelphia. After auditioning for her gangster boyfriend, Curtis' nightclub, she accidentally sees him kill one of his cronies. Deloris runs to the police, who place her in hiding until she can testify at Curtis' trial. But where can you hide a larger-than-life diva? Police officer and old friend of Deloris, Eddie Southers, finds the one place he's sure no one will look; a convent!

The Hale Centre Theatre in Gilbert continues its tradition of "Powerhouse Musicals, Hilarious Comedies, and Family Friendly Shows" with its 16th season beginning in August.

Hale Centre Theatre has netted a big hit with BIG FISH, the utterly charming and whimsical narrative of a man (Edward Bloom) with a giant proclivity for tall tales and his son (Will) who yearns to uncover the truth about his storytelling hero. Directed and choreographed by Cambrian James and based on Daniel Wallace's novel, Big Fish: A Novel of Mythic Proportions, the show features superb performances by Chad Campbell and Nicholas Gunnell. Runs through June 30th.

Opening at Hale Centre Theatre on May 17 and playing through June 30, 2018 is the acclaimed Broadway musical Big Fish. Directed and choreographed by Cambrian James, with Musical Direction by Elizabeth Spencer, Big Fish is a family-friendly, delightful musical with music and lyrics by Andrew Lippa and book by John August. It is based on Daniel Wallace's 1998 novel, Big Fish: A Novel of Mythic Proportions, and the 2003 film Big Fish written by August and directed by Tim Burton.

Hale Centre Theatre's season continues with the opening of a top-notch revival of Oscar Wilde's endlessly entertaining comedy The Importance of Being Earnest.  Directed by Cambrian James, this sparkling comedy which the London Telegraph calls "the most perfect comedy in the English language" plays April 5 through May 12, 2018.  Tickets are $32.00 and are on sale now to the general public. Discounts are available for children and groups of 10 or more.

Hale Centre Theatre in Gilbert presents No, No, Nanette, a delightful Broadway musical by Otto Harbach and Frank Mandel. The lighthearted romp transports us back in time to the roaring 1920's where we meet three couples in the midst of a blackmail scheme. We meet Tom who wants to marry Nanette, Jimmy who is secretly the financial benefactor to 3 single young ladies, unbeknown to his frugal wife, Sue. And finally Billy, who is tasked with cleaning up Jimmy's mess, helping Tom win over Nanette, and keeping his own wife, Lucille, from getting suspicious!

Hale Centre Theatre in Gilbert revives the good old days of rock 'n' roll with the rollicking jukebox musical Life Could Be A Dream. Delight and hum along to the '60s mega-hits Fools Fall in Love, Tears on My Pillow, Runaround Sue, Stay Just a Little Bit Longer, Unchained Melody, The Glory of Love, and as the DJs used to say on the radio, many, many more. The toe-tapping doo-wop musical starts January 16th and runs through April 17th, playing Mondays and Tuesdays with select Wednesday shows.

The votes have been counted... Check out the fill list of winners for the 2017 BWW Regional Awards!