If you're a frequent reader of Playbill On-Line, you may have noticed that our International News section continues to include stories from all over the world. In addition to increased theatrical coverage in Brazil, Great Britain and Canada, we now include stories from Australia, Mexico, China, France, Austria, Germany, Italy, Japan and Spain.
The correspondents are as follows:
Stefano Curti--Italy Correspondent: is a free-lance journalist specializing in musical theatre. He lives in Trieste and works as an assistant to the director at the Teatro Stabile del Friuli-Venezia Giulia, where he is responsible for creating, designing and producing a wide range of promotional literature highlighting the theatre's activities and events. Recently Stefano has become an assistant producer at the theatre, acting as a key liaison and co-ordinator for a number of shows including Vittorio Gassman's "talk show" Anima e Corpo (Body and Soul) and a new theatre version of Senilita (As a Man Grows Older) by Italo Svevo.
Peter Ford -- Australia Correspondent: Peter began his media career as the office boy of a radio station in 1980. He went on to become a radio producer specializing in entertainment and the arts. In 1990, Peter emerged from behind the scenes to become one of Australia's leading freelance entertainment reporters, for publications such as New Weekly, and TV shows such as "Foxtel Entertainment News," "Good Morning, Australia" and various radio shows. Peter has attended the Academy Awards each year since 1994, interviewing major stars for Australian media. Peter's assistant Russel Watson, a budding writer whose background is in theatre management, files stories in Peter's absence.
Scott Lawton--Germany Correspondent: recently created a double CD-ROM called "Les Miserables Interactive", co-produced by Cameron Mackintosh and Euro Arts Entertainment. The CD includes Lawton's interviews with executives and cast, historical information, video, etc.in both German and English. Scott is also an established conductor who graduated Cincinnati Conservatory of Music and is now living and conducting in Germany. Carter Witt -- Japan Correspondent: is a freelance journalist and founding Editor of The Alien, a nationally published arts, entertainment and humor magazine in Japan (www.the-alien.com). He has lived in Japan and England for 10 years and still suffers a bit of culture shock when wearing shoes inside the house. He is experienced in graphic arts and layout and regularly designs posters and promotional material for music and theater groups in Japan.
Terri Paddock-- U.K. Correspondent: Paddock has been editor of London's Performing Arts website What's On Stage since June, 1997. She's worked in journalism and public relations for six years and harboured a love for the theatre for much longer than that. A keen theatre-goer, she has manned the box-office and concession stands at fringe venues in London and her native Washington D.C.In addition to writing for What's On Stage and Playbill On-Line, Terri writes regularly on a variety of subjects for several UK national newspapers and consumer magazines. Her first novel will be published sometime in 1998.
Bernd Freimueller -- Austria Correspondent: Freimueller received a masters degree in Communications/Journalism at the University of Vienna, where he also studied translation. He is currently a performing arts free-lance journalist for (among others): KURIER -- Austria's second biggest daily, Take-Off -- a Travel magazine, Business Travel -- for the Lifestyle & Culture section, Vienna Reporter -- an English language weekly, SAT1-a German TV-station, and MUSICALS, a German musical magazine.
Mira Friedlander -- Canada Correspondent: Friedlander is an established freelance writer in Canada, and is a regular contributor to several publications including Variety (Toronto theatre correspondent) and Financial Post. Mira's radio journalism includes a performing arts spot twice daily on CFMX, and she is the theatre commentator for Ontario Morning State of the Arts and more on CCBC. She has won several awards for her work as a theatre journalist.
Wang Ling -- China Correspondent: Wang is the founder of the recently disbanded Chinese National Theatre of the Deaf, which participated in the First Tokyo International Theatre Festival. He has edited a national prize-winning television series Flying to the Sky and was the playwright and editor of the 10-segment TV musical series Friends from the Kingdom of Flowers. He currently serves as the Secretary in the Foreign Liaison department of the Chinese Theatre Association, where he has organized several symposiums and festivals.
Stephane Ly-Cuong -- France Correspondent: Ly-Cuong is a free-lance writer for several monthly publications, writing articles on musical theater, pop music, culture and entertainment. He has written and translated interviews of film, theater, music and literary personalities including Patti LuPone, Armistead Maupin, Boy George, Felice Picano, Tran Anh Hung (Academy Award nominee for The Scent of the Green Papaya), Fabienne Guyon (the original Cosette of Boublil & Schonberg's Les Miserables), Corine, and Blue...Groupe Illico.
Claudio Carrera -- Mexico Correspondent: Carrera has been a great fan of Playbill On-Line since its inception. Although he has a degree in business, his passion for live theatre has driven him to become involved with all aspects of culture in Mexico City. His knowledge inspired him to approach Playbill On-Line with the idea of becoming the Mexican Correspondent.
Carlos Lorenzo -- Spain Correspondent: Lorenzo is currently in his fourth year studies of Civil Engeneering at the Polytechinic University of Madrid. He has designed the following websites: La Maja de Goya, official homepage of the most recent Spanish musical, Pedro Ruy-Blas Homepage, the official website of the famous Spanish musical performer who starred as Jean Valjean in Les Miserables, Goya in La Maja de Goya and Judas in Jesus Christ Superstar, and Asociacion Cultural Atair, a cultural group of Madrid , dedicated to show musicals. In addition to becoming Playbill On-Line's Spanish Correspondent, Carlos is scheduled to design a website for Fernando Arbex, a famous Spanish composer and Andreas Pritwitz, a jazz saxophonist.
Stay on top of what's happening on stages around the globe, by visiting our correspondents in the International News section of Playbill On-Line!
-- By Blair Glaser
Director, International Correspondents
