Who Would Be King 2017 - Articles Page 26

American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.) Artistic Director Carey Perloff announced today four of the seven productions that will comprise the lineup of the company's 50th subscription season, which will open in September 2016 with the 2015 Olivier Award-winning Best New Play, King Charles III, a coproduction with Seattle Repertory Theatre and Shakespeare Theatre Company in Washington, DC; the world-premiere theatrical adaptation of Khaled Hosseini's (The Kite Runner) best-selling novel A Thousand Splendid Suns, featuring a live score by acclaimed musician David Coulter; the acclaimed new play, John, by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Annie Baker; and Battlefield, Peter Brook and Marie-Helene Estienne's intimate new interpretation and staging of Brook's groundbreaking production of The Mahabharata. The additional three productions-along with performances order and run dates-will be announced at a later date.

The second season of ABC's medieval musical comedy GALAVANT opens with a song entitled 'A New Season,' a direct response to the nearly unanimous opinion that it would be cancelled after its initial eight-episode run. However, despite middling numbers, ABC brought the quirky show from Dan Fogelman, Alan Menken, and Glenn Slater back this January. While I thought the sophomore season's comedy and storytelling were far superior to the often meandering first season's, Season 2 has struggled to find an audience, rarely able to garner even half the rating's share of Season 1. So, while it is looking extremely unlikely that ABC will roll the dice on the show again, if they do, I have some suggestions for Team GALAVANT that I think will give them a fighting chance in Season 3.

The rumors were true! As previously reported, Sir Cameron Mackintosh (producer of OLIVER!, LES MISERABLES, PHANTOM, MARY POPPINS, MISS SAIGON and CATS) plans to bring Broadway's box-office blockbuster HAMILTON to the West End in 2017. The Daily Mail now writes that Mackintosh is touring West End venues with producers Jeffrey Seller and Oskar Eustis next month, including WAR HORSE's current home at the New London through March 12, 2016.

King George III was sort of right! It looks like the Founding Fathers are likely to travel back across the pond in Lin-Manuel Miranda's new musical HAMILTON.