Movie and theater star Alfred Molina (pictured) will be returning to Broadway this spring starring in Red, John Logan’s play about abstract-expressionist painter Mark Rothko. The play premiered in London last fall. Molina made his Broadway debut in 1998 in the popular play Art, and in 2004 he starred in the revival of Fiddler on the Roof. He keeps very busy in the movies and was seen in this year’s Oscar-nominated An Education. Logan is the author of Never the Sinner.

Trying to prove that musical sequels can work (remember Bring Back Birdie, Annie 2, The Best Little House Goes Public?), Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Love Never Dies, the sequel to The Phantom of the Opera, officially opened this week in London. This time the Phantom is haunting the fairgrounds of Coney Island. The show will premiere on Broadway in November.

Speaking of Phantom, the current national touring production, which recently played its 7,000th performance, will end its very long run in November. No such luck for Cats (now and forever!), which is still on tour and will arrive at Shea’s June 4-6.

This season marked MusicalFare Theatre’s 20th anniversary and they are celebrating with a special presentation on June 5, MusicalFare 20, a revue of songs from past shows featuring performers who have worked over the past 20 years. Next season the company will present Shout!, Cabaret, [title of show], The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, and One for My Baby. And, in order to accommodate increasing demand, next season the shows will run six weeks instead of five.

Eric Jordan Young’s musical Sammy & Me, which was presented a few seasons ago at MusicalFare (in a co-production with Hangar Theatre in Ithaca), will be part of the season at the prestigious Alliance Theatre in Atlanta. The show is being billed as a world-premiere since probably a lot of work has been done since its first staging.

Actors to a T(ea) begins its second season at MusicalFare on March 16 at 7pm. Join Debbie Pappas, Marc Sacco, Michael Walline, and Doug Weyand as they talk about their theatrical careers and answer questions from the audience.

Alleyway Theatre will present the world premiere of Tooley and Mary, a rock/opera ballet with music and lyrics by Neal Radice. This replaces the previously announced musical Silence!, April 8-May 5. Directed by Radice, with musical direction by Michael Hake, and choreography by Veronica Irene, the show will star Stephen McDonald, Katy Miner, and Kim Piazza.

2010 has become the year of Macbeth. The Shakespeare tragedy will be part of the Chautauqua Theater Company season and will run August 13-21. The season will open with the classic comedy You Can’t Take it With You (July 14-25). There will also be one reading of Peter Shaffer’s Amadeus performed with the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra.

The opening of the New Phoenix production of Macbeth, directed by Kelli Bocock-Natale, starring Brian Riggs and Kate LoConti, has been postponed until March 18.

The all-female cast production of Macbeth, directed by Eileen Dugan, opens July 22 at Shakespeare in Delaware Park. The cast features Kate Konigizer as Macbeth, Josie DiVincenzo as Lady Macbeth, Pamela Mangus as Duncan, Hannah Lipkind as Malcolm, Lisa Vitrano as Banquo, and Katie White as Macduff. Also in the cast, Mary Moebius, Chrissy McDonald, Anne Roaldi, and Caitlin Coleman.

Lisa Ludwig will return to the park as Beatrice in Much Ado About Nothing (June 17-July 11). The production will also star Dan Walker, John Fredo, Adam Rath, Tim Newell, Leah Russo, Neil Garvey, Norm Sham, and Tom Loughlin.

Up next for BUA, the gay drama Slipping, which will be directed by Chris Kelly, starring Adam Rath, Gordon Tashjian, J.R. Finan, and Beth Donohue. The play opens on April 16. Prior to that, BUA continues its cabaret series with Chuckie and the Rack, starring Chuck Basil with backup singing by Kerrykate Abel, Loraine O’Donnell, and Sheila Connors. The show runs March 19-27.