Coming Up This Week in Theatre - 9/16/2008

Picnic - 9/16/2008

This American classic is staged by Chicago's own David Cromer whose previous work for Writers' Theatre includes The Price and Booth and whose highly acclaimed production of The Adding Machine is enjoying a successful run in New York. When a charismatic young drifter arrives in a small Kansas town on the eve of a Labor Day picnic, the simmering repressions of its residents come rapidly to a boil. Frequently hilarious and profoundly moving, Inge's masterpiece chronicles the hopes and despairs that lie between the realization of adulthood and the eternal optimism of youth.

Runs September 16- November 16, 2008.

Writers' Theatre performs in two performance spaces in Glencoe–its 50-seat venue at Books on Vernon, 664 Vernon Ave, and its 108-seat theatre at 325 Tudor Court in the Woman's Library Club. Subscriptions and Memberships are available at the Box Office, 376 Park Avenue, Glencoe, 847-242-6000 and www.writerstheatre.org.

Dylan McDermott in 'Three Changes' - 9/16/2008

Playwrights Horizons, under the leadership of Artistic Director Tim Sanford and Managing Director Leslie Marcus, has announced additional casting and dates for its 2008/2009 Season.

Golden Globe winner and Emmy Award nominee Dylan McDermott ("The Practice," Drama League Award nomination for The Culture Project's production of Eve Ensler's The Treatment, Broadway debut in Biloxi Blues) has joined the cast of the season's first production, the World Premiere of THREE CHANGES, a new play by Nicky Silver (Fit to Be Tied at Playwrights Horizons, The Food Chain, Pterodactyls, Raised in Captivity). Directed by Tony Award nominee Wilson Milam (The Lieutenant of Inishmore), the production will begin previews on Friday, August 22, 2008 with an Opening Night set for Tuesday, September 16. The limited engagement will run through Sunday, September 28 at Playwrights Horizons Mainstage Theater (416 West 42nd Street).

Mr. McDermott joins a cast that includes Emmy Award nominee Maura Tierney (Dr. Abby Lockhart on "ER," Some Girl(s) at MCC), Aya Cash (The Pain and the Itch at Playwrights Horizons, From Up Here at MTC) and Brian J. Smith (Good Boys and True at Second Stage, MTC's Come Back, Little Sheba). One final cast member will be announced in the coming weeks.

Dylan McDermott is a Golden Globe winner and Emmy Award nominee for his portrayal of Bobby Donnell on David E. Kelley's Emmy Award-winning series "The Practice." McDermott returned to television in the Fall of 2007 with the Mark Gordon-produced "Big Shots" and was last seen on screen in The Pang Brothers' The Messengers, which opened at #1 in February. In September 2006, McDermott returned to the stage in Eve Ensler's new play The Treatment, which opened the Impact Festival 2006, a New York City-wide arts festival as part of the Culture Project. McDermott was nominated for a Drama League Award for his performance.

Additional film credits include Edison opposite Kevin Spacey and Justin Timberlake, the Lions Gate crime-drama Wonderland opposite Val Kilmer and Josh Lucas, Texas Rangers, Three To Tango, the Jodie Foster-directed Home for the Holidays opposite Holly Hunter and Robert Downey, Jr., Steel Magnolias, Hamburger Hill, Miracle on 34th Street opposite Sir Richard Attenborough and In The Line of Fire opposite Clint Eastwood. Additional television credits include TNT's dramatic limited series "The Grid" opposite Julianna Margulies.

McDermott's other Theater credits include Neil Simon's Biloxi Blues on Broadway and Golden Boy directed by JoAnne Woodward at the Williamstown Theater Festival.

In addition to THREE CHANGES, the five other offerings in the 2008/2009 Season will be:

KINDNESS (September/October 2008) – the World Premiere of a new play written and directed by Pulitzer Prize finalist and Obie Award winner Adam Rapp (Essential Self-Defense at Playwrights Horizons, Red Light Winter). Featured in the cast will be Academy Award and Emmy Award nominee Annette O'Toole (Best Original Song for A Mighty Wind, plus The Seagull at CSC, Martha Kent on TV's "Smallville"), Obie Award winner Ray Anthony Thomas (Forced Continuum) and Katherine Waterston (Los Angeles at The Flea, the film The Babysitters).

PRAYER FOR MY ENEMY (November/December 2008) – the New York Premiere of a new play by two-time Tony Award nominee, two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist and two-time Obie Award winner Craig Lucas (Small Tragedy at Playwrights Horizons, The Light in the Piazza, Prelude to a Kiss, Reckless, The Dying Gaul), directed by Tony Award winner Bartlett Sher (The Butterfly Collection at Playwrights Horizons, the current Tony-winning Broadway revival of South Pacific, The Light in the Piazza). Featured in the cast will be Tony Award nominee Jonathan Groff (Spring Awakening, the upcoming Hair for Shakespeare in the Park), 2008 Theatre World Award winner Cassie Beck (The Drunken City) and Skipp Sudduth (Lincoln Center's current South Pacific).

THE SAVANNAH DISPUTATION (February/March 2009) – the New York premiere of a new play by Evan Smith (Psych and The Uneasy Chair at Playwrights Horizons, Servicemen at The New Group), directed by Tony Award winner Walter Bobbie (Chicago, New Jerusalem). Featured in the cast will be five-time Tony Award nominee and three-time Obie Award winner Dana Ivey (Driving Miss Daisy, Sunday in the Park with George and Mr. Smith's The Uneasy Chair at Playwrights Horizons, The Rivals, Butley).

INKED BABY (March/April 2009) – the World Premiere of a new play by 2007 Susan Smith Blackburn nominee Christina Anderson in her Off-Broadway playwriting debut, directed by Kate Whoriskey (Fabulation at Playwrights Horizons, The Piano Teacher). Ms. Anderson was selected by American Theatre Magazine as one of fifteen up-and-coming artists "whose work will transform America's stages."

OUR HOUSE (May/June 2009) – the New York premiere of a new play by Pulitzer Prize finalist Theresa Rebeck (The Butterfly Collection and Bad Dates at Playwrights Horizons, Mauritius, co-author of Omnium Gatherum), directed by Tony Award winner director Michael Mayer (Spring Awakening, plus The Credeaux Canvas and Baby Anger at Playwrights Horizons).

Additional casting for these productions will also be announced in the coming weeks.

Subscriptions to Playwrights Horizons' 2008/2009 season are now available, in 6-show (four Mainstage productions and two productions in The Peter Jay Sharp Theater) or 4-show (four Mainstage productions) packages. Packages include "Anytime" (6-show $260, 4-show $195), "Matinees" (6-show $240, 4-show $175), "Previews and Sunday Nights" (6-show $225, 4-show $160), and "Platinum Patron" (6-show with exclusive benefits, $1250). In addition to discounts on all Mainstage season attractions, subscribers receive priority seating, ticket exchange privileges, parking and dining discounts, and exclusive mailings of Playwrights Horizons Bulletins.

Playwrights Horizons, under the leadership of Artistic Director Tim Sanford and Managing Director Leslie Marcus, is a writer's theater dedicated to the support and development of contemporary American playwrights, composers and lyricists, and to the production of their new work. In its 38 years, Playwrights Horizons has presented the work of more than 375 writers and has received numerous awards and honors, most recently being honored with a special 2008 Drama Desk Award for "ongoing support to generations of theater artists and undiminished commitment to producing new work." Notable productions include four Pulitzer Prize winners: Doug Wright's I Am My Own Wife (2004 Tony Award, Best Play), Wendy Wasserstein's The Heidi Chronicles (1989 Tony Award, Best Play), Alfred Uhry's Driving Miss Daisy and Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine's Sunday in the Park with George, as well as Sarah Ruhl's Dead Man's Cell Phone, Doug Wright, Scott Frankel and Michael Korie's Grey Gardens (2006 Outer Critics Circle Award, Outstanding Off-Broadway Musical), Bruce Norris's The Pain and the Itch, Lynn Nottage's Fabulation (2005 Obie Award for Playwriting), Craig Lucas's Small Tragedy (2004 Obie Award, Best American Play), Kenneth Lonergan's Lobby Hero, Kirsten Childs's The Bubbly Black Girl Sheds Her Chameleon Skin, Richard Nelson and Shaun Davey's James Joyce's The Dead, William Finn's March of the Falsettos and Falsettoland, Christopher Durang's Betty's Summer Vacation and Sister Mary Ignatius Explains It All For You, Richard Nelson's Goodnight Children Everywhere and Franny's Way, Jon Robin Baitz's The Substance of Fire, Scott McPherson's Marvin's Room, A.R. Gurney's Later Life, Adam Guettel and Tina Landau's Floyd Collins and Jeanine Tesori and Brian Crawley's Violet.

Playwrights Horizons' 2008/2009 Season is generously supported by The Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust.

Playwrights Horizons is supported in part by public funds from the National Endowment for the Arts, the New York State Council on the Arts, the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, the New York State Assembly and the New York State Senate. In addition, Playwrights Horizons receives major support from Carnegie Corporation of New York, The Charina Endowment Fund, The Peter Jay Sharp Foundation, The Shubert Foundation and Time Warner Inc.

Photos by Sara De Boer/Retna Ltd.

Bonnie & Clyde: A Folktale Premieres at NYMF - 9/16/2008

New York Musical Theater Festival will present the World Premiere of BONNIE & CLYDE: A FOLKTALE. With book and lyrics by Tony and Lucille Lortel Award nominee Hunter Foster (Urinetown, Little Shop of Horrors) and music by Drama Desk Award nominee Rick Crom, the production is directed by Mark Waldrop. Performances begin September 16 at The American Theatre of Actors.

America's most romantic gangsters outwit and outrun a relentless (yet always ladylike) J. Edgar Hoover to the delight of the poor and downtrodden, as their relationship changes from "strictly business" to reluctant love. Funny, tuneful, and historically dubious, BONNIE & CLYDE: A FOLKTALE is a good ol' musical about the bad ol' days.

The production stars Diane Davis (Old Acquaintance, Festen) as Bonnie Parker and Jason Wooten (The Times They Are A-Changin', Dance of the Vampires, Rocky Horror Show) as Clyde Barrow. The cast also includes Melissa Rain Anderson, Kevin Cahoon (The Wedding Singer, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang), Kevin Carolan (The Ritz, Chicago), Rachel Coloff (Lestat, Fiddler on the Roof, Urinetown), Dennis Holland (The Music Man), Julie Johnson (Candide, Das Barbecu), Dana Steer (Zanna, Don't), Julius Thomas III, Stephanie Umoh, Darryl Winslow (Avenue Q, Evil Dead).

Hunter Foster's Broadway acting credits include Urinetown (Outer Critic and Lucille Lortel Award Nominations), Little Shop of Horrors (Tony Award Nomination), The Producers, Grease, Footloose, Les Miserables and Alan Menken's King David. He toured nationally as Rum Tum Tugger in Cats and understudied and performed the title role in Cameron Macintosh's Martin Guerre. He also appeared in the New York premiere of Children of Eden (Abel) by Stephen Schwartz at Paper Mill Playhouse. As a writer, he has penned books to the off-Broadway Summer of '42 and the upcoming Fearless.

Rick Crom is the composer/ lyricist for several off-Broadway and cabaret revues: Oh Fine, RSVP, The Subject Was Neurosis, Absolutely Rude, Our Life and Times, What in the World and NEWSical (Drama Desk nominations for Best Lyrics and Best Revue). His topical material is featured at the Crystal Palace Theater in Aspen, Colorado. Recently the Crystal Palace honored him by releasing a recording of his material; Who Writes This Stuff? The Songs of Rick Crom. As an actor he's appeared on Broadway in Urinetown, The Goodbye Girl and Footloose.

Mark Waldrop most recently directed Little Shop of Horrors at Paper Mill Playhouse, where he also directed Romeo and Bernadette and Gypsy starring Betty Buckley and Deborah Gibson. He served as production supervisor and contributed special material for Bette Midler: The Divine Miss Millennium Tour. Other credits include direction and special material for Bea Arthur, Just Between Friends (Tony Award nomination) and direction, book, and lyrics for When Pigs Fly (Drama Desk, Outer Critic's Circle and Obie Awards).

BONNIE & CLYDE: A FOLKTALE will feature choreography by Josh Rhodes, lighting and sound by Matt Berman, costumes by Matthew Hemesath, set by Adam Koch, casting by Cindi Rush Casting, stage management by Joshua Pilote, and music direction, orchestrations and additional arrangements by Ed Goldschneider. It is produced by Derrick Chua and Ian Samuels.

Hailed as "the Sundance of Musical Theatre," The New York Musical Theatre Festival (NYMF) exists to revitalize one of America's greatest art forms by discovering, supporting and promoting new musical theater artists, producers, and projects, and by introducing a diverse audience to the vibrancy of contemporary musical theater. Since its inception in 2004, the three-week annual festival has premiered more than 130 new musicals - many of which have gone on to award-winning productions in New York, in regional theaters and on tour internationally. Widely regarded as the essential source for new material and talent discovery, NYMF is the flagship program of The National Music Theater Network. NYMF is supported, in part, by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts, and by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs and from the New York State Council on the Arts, a state agency.

BONNIE & CLYDE: A FOLKTALE runs Tues. Sept. 16 at 8pm; Fri. Sept. 19 at 7pm; Sun. Sept. 21 at 5pm & 9pm; Sat. Sept. 27 at 4:30pm; and Sun. Sept. 28 at 5pm. American Theatre of Actors is located at 314 W. 54th Street (between 8th and 9th Avenues). Tickets are $18, available at 212-352-3101 or www.nymf.org beginning September 1.

Reed's 'East 14th' - 9/16/2008

A hilarious and moving play – East 14th chronicles Don Reed's escape from an ultrastrict upbringing with his overbearing stepfather -- to the other side of town to live with his charismatic, funny, very supportive real father - who he had no idea - was a pimp. The show was recently nominated for Best Actor & Best Playwright by the NAACP

The New York Times cheers "Mr. Reed brings it to life, inhabiting multiple personalities…it's hard not to love 1970s funk and soul and Don Reed" and The Amsterdam News applauds "East 14th is non-stop laughs! I have never laughed so hard at the theater." The New Yorker said "Don Reed acts out the story of his dicey childhood with both ease and inexhaustible energy."

East 14th has a production design by Matthew Allar (Shakespeare's R and J, All My Sons, Dancing at Lughnasa).

Tickets for East 14th range from $45-$55 with premium seating available. East 14th plays Thursdays at 8:00pm, Fridays at 9:00pm, and Saturdays at 9:00pm. Tickets can be purchased by visiting Telecharge at www.telecharge.com or calling (212)239-6200. For more information, please visit: www.East14th.com.

Don Reed (writer/performer/director) – A multi-talented artist, Don Reed has worked in theater, film and television to great acclaim. Don's performance on a Robert Townsend HBO special of up-and-coming comedians years ago caught the attention of Bill Cosby and led to the creation of a guest-starring role for him on "The Cosby Show." Don went on to play the recurring role of Chip St. Charles in "The Cosby Show" spin-off "A Different World" and was recently in "Bee Movie Shorts" starring Jerry Seinfeld. Don also wrote and directed several short films for HBO/Russell Simmons/Stan Lathan. Don has performed for the National Association of Campus Activities tour, appearing at over 300 colleges, and opening for Tony Award Winner Tommy Tune.. Don has lent his voice to: "Spiderman", "The Flintstones", "Johnny Quest" "ER", "Frasier", "Friends", "Scrubs", "Will & Grace", "Law & Order", "SNL", and The Golden Globes; He has appeared in the films "Hollywood Shuffle" and "Fear of a Black Hat." He appeared on stage in The Key at Princeton's McCarter Theatre in a three person cast including Hector Elizondo and Jo Beth Williams.

NYMF Presents 'Heaven in Your Pocket' - 9/16/2008

THE NEW YORK MUSICAL THEATRE FESTIVAL (NYMF) and EMERGING ARTISTS THEATRE are pleased to announce the New York premiere production of HEAVEN IN YOUR POCKET, directed by Alan Souza. HEAVEN IN YOUR POCKET will play a limited engagement as part of the New York Musical Theatre Festival at the 45th Street Theatre (354 west 45th Street). Performances begin Tuesday, September 16 and continue to Sunday, September 28.

En route to musical stardom in Nashville, The Heavenly Belles - a female family singing trio from Heaven, Oklahoma - take an unexpected detour to Kansas City where an unusual inheritance wreaks havoc with their plans. A handsome cowboy, a kindly Miss-Fixit and a "can-do" decorator all chime in with the Belles as they face the music (and each other) in this lighthearted, tuneful romp!

The production stars Lisa Asher (New York Nightlife Award, a MAC Award) as Celeste, Chuck Saculla (B'way: Aida and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels) as Sam, Claire Slemmer (The Shawshank Redemption and The Insider) as Grace, Rebecca Spencer (Phantom-The Las Vegas Spectacular and B'way: Jekyll & Hyde) as Arlene, Mark Shock (Apollo Theatre: If This Hat Could Talk) as Billy and Pheonix Vaughn (LA: The People vs. Friar Laurence and Fools) as Kay Lee.

The production features scenic design by Tim McMath, costume design by David Withrow, and lighting design by G. Benjamin Swope. Aaron Blank is the sound designer, Jenny Lee Mitchell is the Producer's representative and Alison Carroll is the stage manager.

HEAVEN IN YOUR POCKET plays the following schedule through:

Tuesday, September 16, at 8 PM - opening
Wednesday, September 17 at 8 PM
Saturday, September 20 at 8 PM
Sunday September 21 at 1 PM
Tuesday, September 23 at 4:30 PM
Sunday, September 28 at 1 PM

Festival memberships are on sale now and can be purchased online at www.nymf.org or by calling (212) 352-3101; single tickets go on sale on September 1. For more information, visit www.nymf.org

Paul Adams (Co-Producer) Artistic Director and Founder of Emerging Artists Theatre, Paul Adams (Co-Producer) has been at its helm for 15 years, producing over 30 full-length original plays and over 200 new one-act plays. He is also a member of the Steering Committee of League of Independent Theatre and a committee member of The New York Innovative Theatre Awards. Paul has directed Layout by Richard Ploetz, Real Danger by Jeff Hollman, My Sister the Cow by Greg Fletcher, Reunion by William Borden, Counter Girls by Jonathan Reuning and most recently Sisters' Dance by Sarah Hollister. Paul is extremely proud and happy to be producing Heaven in Your Pocket, Emerging Artists' first venture into musicals.

HUBERT "TEX" ARNOLD (Musical Director) A native of Texas, TEX ARNOLD has pursued a career as a pianist, arranger, music director and composer. For over 25 years he was musical director for the legendary Margaret Whiting, arranging and conducting for her performances on radio, television, and records, and with major symphony orchestras. He has written orchestrations for the Lincoln Center American Songbook series and for Carnegie Hall tributes to the song-writing teams of Alan and Marilyn Bergman, Betty Comden and Adolph Green. As a pianist, he has accompanied Broadway stars Melissa Errico at the Cafe Carlyle in NYC, and Barbara Cook in concerts throughout the country, including performances at the LA Music Center and Carnegie Hall. An instructor for the annual Cabaret Symposium at the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center for many years, he has continued in that capacity for its successor program, the Cabaret Conference at Yale University. Mr. Arnold is a member of ASCAP and Local 802, American Federation of Musicians.

FRANCIS J. CULLINAN (Book) Co-Librettist FRANCIS J. CULLINAN has directed over 125 productions for professional theatres and opera companies throughout the USA and Canada. His work has been seen at Eisenhower Theatre in D.C., Boston's Huntington Theatre, Missouri Repertory Theatre and The Perry Street Theatre in New York City. He is a regular guest director at the Creede (Colorado) Repertory Theatre and The Opera Institute of Boston University's School of Fine Arts and his work will soon be seen at Opera Omaha, where he will direct Pirates of Penzance. He has served as Associate Professor of Theatre at the University of Missouri at Kansas City where he was the principal coordinator for the MFA professional directing program and supervisor of the studio theatre series. He is currently a member of the Board of Directors of the Arts Council of Henderson County (NC).

Mark Houston (deceased) (Music & Lyrics/Book) The late Composer & Lyricist Mark Houston is best remembered for his long running satirical review, Six Women with Brain Death or Expiring Minds Want to Know, a breakout hit at the 2004 Edinburgh Fringe Festival and featured in the 2005 New York Musical Theatre Festival. Other works include Commedia Paradia, Tommyknockers, Reggie and the Riddle, Harbledown, incidental music for A Christmas Carol at Missouri Repertory Theatre, and a world-premiere opera, Hazel Kirke, commissioned by the Lake George Opera Festival. The delightful Changin' Lanes, produced regionally, is now finding new life as Heaven in Your Pocket.

Alan Souza (Director) is a busy, freelance director who just directed the world premiere of the musical The Little Hours by David Bucknam, based on the short stories of Dorothy Parker, for the New Jersey Repertory Theatre. Other recent projects include The Full Monty for the Maltz Jupiter Theatre, I Do! I Do! for the New Theatre in Kansas City, and two very different productions of Side by Side by Sondheim - one for the Walnut Street Theatre and one for Virginia Musical Theatre. Coming up: regional productions of Ears on a Beatle and Little Women. He and Becky Spencer were separated at birth. Find out more at www.alansouzaonline.com

DIANNE SPOSITO (Book) Dramatist DIANNE SPOSITO partnered with late composer Mark Houston on three musicals: Commedia Paradia with Pamela Berlin, the poignant Harbledown and Heaven in Your Pocket with Francis J. Cullinan. Solo work includes Almost Full Circle at the Guggenheim and When There's a Will, They're Away! both produced at Emerging Artists Theatre. Current projects are: Officials of the Stardust Mission, Time Squared, What'll the Neighbors Think? and the screenplays Boris, Me, Boris and Suddenly, Lasagna! Ms. Sposito teaches in the Speech, Communications & Theatre Arts Department at BMCC (CUNY) and is a member of The Dramatists Guild of America.

EMERGING ARTISTS THEATRE'S mission is to provide a dynamic home for emerging writers and artists, providing the unique opportunity for playwrights to collaborate with directors, actors, and designers throughout the development process--from idea through fully realized production. EAT's supportive environment nurtures a close-knit group of artists working toward the common goal of creating dynamic theatre, and its commitment to the development of new works is integral to the cultural enrichment of New York City.

The 2006-2007 season garnered EAT their first Drama Desk Award nomination for Capathia Jenkins in (mis)UNDERSTANDING MAMMY: The Hattie McDaniel Story. In its 15th season, EAT showcased over 20 premiere works, 3 Off-Broadway full-length plays, and worked with more than 400 emerging NYC-based theatre artists.

THE NEW YORK MUSICAL THEATRE FESTIVAL, hailed as "the Sundance of Musical Theatre," The New York Musical Theatre Festival (NYMF) exists to revitalize one of America's greatest art forms by discovering, supporting and promoting new musical theater artists, producers, and projects, and by introducing a diverse audience to the vibrancy of contemporary musical theater. Since its inception in 2004, the three-week annual festival has premiered more than 130 new musicals - many of which have gone on to award-winning productions in New York, in regional theaters and on tour in 38 states, and nine countries worldwide. NYMF 2004 hit Altar Boyz has played well over 1,000 performances off-Broadway and is now in its fourth year at New World Stages; fellow NYMF alum [title of show] recently began performances at the Lyceum Theatre on Broadway.

Widely regarded as the essential source for new material and talent discovery, NYMF is the flagship program of The National Music Theater Network, a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization, and is presented in association with BroadwayWorld.com and TheaterMania.com, and is supported by amNewYork, Barnes & Noble Booksellers, BroadwayBox.com, BroadwayInsider.com, Frank & Camille's Fine Pianos, HX Magazine, Jossip.com, King Displays, Queerty.com, Manhattan Movement & Arts Center, Metromix.com, The New York Blade, Next Magazine, Panasonic Astrovision, Queerty.com, Tekserve, TheMENEvent, VOGA Italia, and The Zipper Factory. NYMF is supported, in part, by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts, and by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs and from the New York State Council on the Arts, a state agency.

Festival memberships are on sale now and can be purchased online at www.nymf.org or by calling (212) 352-3101; single tickets go on sale on September 1. For more information, visit www.nymf.org.

PS Classics to Release 'Stage Door Johnny' by John Miller 9/16 - 9/16/2008

PS CLASSICS is proud to announce the release of "Stage Door Johnny," a very special new recording from music and theater industry veteran John Miller, on September 16. After amassing a multi-decade career as bassist and music coordinator, this new CD is his breakout debut as vocalist, guitarist and producer.

"Stage Door Johnny: John Miller Takes on Broadway" slyly reinvents a dozen Broadway standards in a variety of genres, from the laidback James Taylor charm of "Wouldn't It Be Loverly?," to the smooth Latin "Real Live Girl," on which he channels Stan Getz and Joao Gilberto. "Secret Love" from "Calamity Jane," the sole track from a film score, sizzles with a jazz and funk-inspired arrangement. "Oh, What A Beautiful Morning" - accompanied by a lush string orchestra - is further enhanced by crystalline country harmony. For "Fugue for Tinhorns," Miller is joined on vocals by legendary jazz singer/songwriter Bob Dorough and The Manhattan Transfer's Janis Siegel.

As Music Coordinator for nearly one hundred Broadway and Off-Broadway musicals - ranging from long-running smashes like "Les Miserables" and "The Producers"; to rock musicals like "The Who's Tommy," "Titanic" and "City of Angels"; to new shows like "Jersey Boys" and "Hairspray" - Miller has helped shape the sound of the Great White Way for the last thirty years.

"I love each of these songs," said Miller. "but I feel as though I didn't actually pick them - they somehow picked themselves. Each one surfaced from deep down in my earliest memories and affections and kept me company with late night, relentlessly seductive guitar grooves."

This collection reminds us just how versatile the genre is, and how well the songs stand up to new arrangements. Miller's skill as a musician - along with his collaborations with so many giants of the industry - make him uniquely qualified to create an album of unconventional song interpretations for those who love, or who don't love, Broadway musicals. "My goal was to love every note," John sums it up. "The surprise is that it seems to put a
smile on everyone's face."

Founded in 2000 by Tommy Krasker and Philip Chaffin, and a four-time Grammy nominee (for its cast albums of Assassins, Nine: The Musical, Grey Gardens and Company), PS CLASSICS has been profiled in publications such as The New York Times and Variety for its diverse line of solo albums and cast recordings, and its commitment to the past, present and future of the Great American Songbook. Its solo albums range from jazz (Jessica Molaskey: Sitting in Limbo) to folk (Rebecca Luker: Leaving Home), from pop (Jane Olivor: Safe Return) to show music (Christine Andreas: Here's to the Ladies).  Its acclaimed cast albums include the current Broadway production of Xanadu, as well as the recent productions of Sunday in the Park With George and A Catered Affair.  PS Classics is distributed exclusively by Image Entertainment.  For more information, visit www.psclassics.com.

Michael Siberry Joins 'Spamalot' as New King Arthur 9/16 - 9/16/2008

Monty Python's SPAMALOT will welcome a new king when Michael Siberry arrives at the Shubert Theatre (225 West 44th Street) on Tuesday September 16.  Siberry comes to the Broadway company after originating the role of King Arthur in the national tour and performing it for two years.

SPAMALOT's Tony Award winning director Mike Nichols said, "Michael Siberry has burned up the road as a brilliant King Arthur for a long time. So good was he in major cities all over the country that it became our hope that he could bring his funny, charming and, in the end, powerful Arthur to Broadway. That will now happen and we, the creators of the show, are very happy."

Australian native Michael Siberry is an alumnus of England's Royal Shakespeare Company and made his Broadway debut in the RSC's revival of Nicholas Nickleby.  He returned to Broadway as Gratiano in the Dustin Hoffman and Sir Peter Hall production of The Merchant of Venice.

Siberry will join a cast that features Tom Deckman, Rick Holmes, Bradley Dean, Robert Petkoff, Wally Dunn, Merle Dandridge, and Clay Aiken, who will return to the show on September 19th .

SPAMALOT won the 2005 Tony Award for Best Musical, the 2005 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Musical, and the 2005 Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Musical. The musical was honored this year with three 2008 Broadway.com Audience Awards including Favorite Long Running Musical.

SPAMALOT features a book and lyrics by Eric Idle, music by John Du Prez and Eric Idle, direction by Mike Nichols, choreography by Casey Nicholaw and is based on the screenplay of Monty Python and the Holy Grail by Monty Python creators Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones and Michael Palin, with an entirely new score with two songs from the 1975 film and the Python classic "Always Look On The Bright Side of Life" from 1979's The Life of Brian.

In addition, to the Tony Award for Best Musical, SPAMALOT received the Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical (Mike Nichols) and Best Featured Actress in a Musical (Sara Ramirez).

Michael Siberry (King Arthur)   After graduating from the National Institute of Dramatic Art  in Sydney, Australia  Michael began his career in Adelaide, South Australia at the State Theatre Company. After working there for two years Michael moved to England where he joined The Royal Shakespeare Company. Over the years he has performed in many productions with the company including such roles as Petruchio in the Taming of the Shrew, Parolles in Alls Well That Ends Well and Jaques in As You Like It and most notably Nicholas in the revival of the RSC's celebrated production of Nicholas Nickleby. This production also toured to Los Angeles and  New York. It was his first experience of working in America and his first role on Broadway. His next role in New York was Gratiano in the Dustin Hoffman and Sir Peter Hall production of The Merchant of Venice.

His  roles in London have include Charles Surface in the School for Scandal, the Actor in The Woman in Black, Billy Flynn in Chicago, Oberon in A Midsummer Nights Dream; Giles in House and Garden (National Theatre of Great Britain) and most recently  Osbourne in Journeys End  and Elyot in Private Lives at the Theatre Royal Bath.

Other performances in the US have included Baron Von Trapp  in the Broadway revival of The Sound of Music; Francesco in The White Devil (Sydney Theatre Company, Sydney and NY); Morrell in Candida and Astrov in Uncle Vanya (McCarter Theatre, Princeton, N J) Shakespeare in The Frogs (Lincoln Centre); Touchstone in As You Like It  (London and US Tour). Television includes Rosemary and Thyme; Victoria and Albert; The Grand ; Silent Witness; Highlander; Under the Hammer; Sherlock Holmes;  Jeeves and Wooster. He is a member of Actors Equity and has been since he first arrived in New York to perform in Nicholas Nickleby in 1985.

 www.MontyPythonsSpamalot.com

'Dog Enchanted' To Have World Premiere at Boston Center 9/16 - 9/16/2008

“The Dog Enchanted by the Divine View,” Tennessee Williams’ first version of “The Rose Tattoo,” will have its World Premiere on Tuesday, September 16 at 8:00 p.m. at the Boston Center for the Arts Plaza Theatre!  Directed by David Kaplan, the play about a hot Sicilian widow on a date with a truck driver will feature noted Boston area actor Larry Coen and the original Tina from “Tony N’ Tina’s Wedding,” Nancy Cassaro. Scenery is by Sue Rees, costumes by Rita Ryack, and lighting by Megan Tracy.

The World Premiere performance of “The Dog Enchanted by the Divine View” in Boston is a benefit for the third annual Provincetown Tennessee Williams Theater Festival, a celebration of the work, life and legacy of America’s great playwright, Tennessee Williams.  Featuring a dozen events, including live performances, tours and conversations with the actors, the Festival will take place Thursday, September 25 through Sunday, September 28, 2008 at various venues in Provincetown, Massachusetts.  “The Dog Enchanted by the Divine View” will also be performed as part of the Festival programming. 

 Larry Coen received the 2007 Elliot Norton Award as "Outstanding Actor, Small/Midsize Theater" for his performances in 5 productions: “The Plexiglass Menagerie,” “Silent Night of the Lambs” (The Gold Dust Orphans), “Miss Witherspoon” (Lyric Stage Company), “The Taming of the Shrew” (Commonwealth Shakespeare Company), and “Samurai 7.0” (Beau Jest Moving Theatre).  He is Artistic Director of City Stage Co. of Boston, which provides free arts education programs and performances for low-income urban children and families.  Nancy Cassaro is best known for conceiving the Off-Broadway hit “Tony N’ Tina’s Wedding,” where she also originated the role of the bride, Tina.  Film and TV credits include Nip/Tuck, The Sopranos, Without a Trace, Dirt, Running with Scissors, Grounded for Life and Good Fellas.

David Kaplan is the curator and co-founder of the Provincetown Tennessee Williams Theater Festival and the author of the book "Tennessee Williams in Provincetown."  Plays written by Williams and staged by Kaplan include the 2008 world premiere of "The Day on Which a Man Dies" in Chicago; last year's "The Traveling Company and The Chalky White Substance" at the Tennessee Williams Festivals in New Orleans, Provincetown and Columbus, Mississippi. 
 
 Tickets for “The Dog Enchanted by the Divine View” at the BCA Plaza Theatre, 539 Tremont St. in Boston, are priced at $45 - $25 and can be purchased by visiting www.twptown.org or calling TheaterMania at 866-811-4111.  Patrons who purchase the top priced tickets will be invited to a cocktail reception following the performance.  For more information, visit www.twptown.org

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde - 9/17/2008

What happened the night that Henry Jekyll died? Against the backdrop of Victorian London, the respected doctor has begun to display alarmingly erratic behavior toward his friends. At the same time, a mysterious figure haunts the city's streets under the cloak of the London fog.

Nationally renowned playwright Jeffrey Hatcher brings Robert Louis Stevenson's classic tale to life with a fiendishly clever and theatrically innovative new adaptation.

Mamma Mia! - 9/17/2008

Smash Hit Musical Returns to Chicago September 17 – 28, 2008

Several Chicagoans, including Susie McMonagle (Donna Sheridan), Michael Aaron Lindner (Harry Bright), and Nathan Alan Johnson (Ensemble) will perform in the national touring production set to hit Chicago's stage this fall. Broadway In Chicago is thrilled to present the national tour of MAMMA MIA! for a limited two-week engagement in Chicago September 17 – 28, 2008. The tour continues playing to record breaking houses all across North America.

Leading the cast of 30 is Susie McMonagle as Donna Sheridan, the independent single mother whose carefree past catches up with her on the eve of her daughter's wedding. Prior to MAMMA MIA! Susie could be seen on Broadway as Fantine in Les Misérable and in the National tours of The Secret Garden, The Sound of Music, Les Misérables and Pump Boys and Dinettes. Bride-to-be "Sophie Sheridan" is played by Rose Sezniak, who is a recent graduate of Catholic University in Washington DC. Her fiancé "Sky" is played by Geoffrey Hemingway.

Kittra Wynn Coomer and Michelle Dawson play Donna's best friends and former back-up band, Rosie and Tanya, (respectively) who reunite with their best friend on the island for Sophie's wedding. The three men from Donna's past and Sophie's possible dads are John Hemphill (Sam Carmichael), Martin Kildare (Bill Austin), and Michael Aaron Lindner (Harry Bright). Sophie's & Sky's best friends are played by Rebecca Covington (Ali), Nicole Laurenzi (Lisa), Adam Kaokept (Pepper), and Anthony CeFala (Eddie).

MAMMA MIA!'s ensemble features Corey Bradley, Annie Edgerton, Natalie Gallo, Chicagoan Nathan Alan Johnson, Whitney Claire Kaufman, Ian Knauer, Stephanie Lynge, Monette McKay, Ayme Olivo, David Reiser, Damien DeShaun Smith, Robert Townsend, Rachel Tyler, and Bradley Whitfield.

Seen by over 30 million people around the world, Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus' global smash hit musical MAMMA MIA! is celebrating 6 sold-out years at the Winter Garden Theatre on Broadway, and is currently playing record-breaking engagements in Las Vegas and on National Tour in the United States. The original West End production has played more than 3,500 performances, an international tour has played in more than 30 foreign cities, and the feature film of MAMMA MIA!, produced by Judy Craymer and Gary Goetzman, has recently been released.

With more productions playing simultaneously around the world than any other new musical, MAMMA MIA! is now THE WORLD'S #1 SHOW. There are currently 11 productions of MAMMA MIA! running concurrently around the world (9 permanent productions and 2 tours). With a worldwide gross of over $2 billion dollars and audiences of more than 30 million people, MAMMA MIA! is acclaimed by the Associated Press as "quite simply, a phenomenon."

The original cast recording of MAMMA MIA! is available on Decca Broadway.

MAMMA MIA! will perform at the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University (50 E Congress Pkwy) September 17 – 28, 2008. The performance schedule is as follows:

Wednesday, Sept 17 at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept 24 at 2 and 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, Sept 18 at 2 and 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept 25 at 7:30 p.m.
Friday, Sept 19 at 8 p.m. Friday, Sept 26 at 8 p.m.
Saturday, Sept 20 at 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday, Sept 27 at 2 and 8 p.m.
Sunday, Sept 21 at 2 and 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Sept 28 at 2 p.m.
Tuesday, Sept 23 at 7:30 p.m.

Tickets for MAMMA MIA! are $30 - $85 and are currently available at all Broadway In Chicago Box Offices (24 W. Randolph St., 151 W. Randolph St., and 18 W. Monroe St.), through the Broadway In Chicago Ticket Line at (312) 902-1400, at all Ticketmaster Retail Locations (including all Hot Tix, select Carson Pirie Scott, Coconuts and fye stores) or online at ticketmaster.com.

Groups of 20 or more may receive a discount by calling (312) 977-1710.

For information about MAMMA MIA! visit www.mamma-mia.com or www.BroadwayInChicago.com

'Babalu-cy' at Actors Temple - 9/17/2008

Award-winning producers, MICHAEL & BARBARA ROSS, will present the 2008 Back Stage Bistro Award Winning Greg Purnhagen in BABALU-CY – the art of Desi Arnaz, Off-Broadway, at the Actors Temple Theatre, beginning August 23rd, with the opening set for Wednesday, September 17th. Conceived & written by Greg Purnhagen, BABALU-CY takes a look at Arnaz' career from his tremendous success as a bandleader/singer to his relationship with America's favorite red-head. Complete with a seven-piece Latin band led by Musical Director/Arranger DAVID COOK, BABALU-CY is directed by Gene Castle.

REG PURNHAGEN was born in Manhattan & raised on Long Island in Massapequa Park, where he did not know Jerry Seinfeld, the Baldwin Brothers or Joey Buttafuoco. A classically-trained singer (NYU, Mannes College of Music), Greg, along with his long-time musical director, David Cook, has created several well-received shows at clubs in New York, As a cast member of Rendezvous - An Evening With Piaf, Brel, Aznavour& Friends (2008 MAC Nominee), he appeared at Feinstein's at Loews Regency & the Metropolitan Room. BABALU-CY – the Art of Desi Arnaz, debuted at the Metropolitan Room in July 2007, winning a 2008 Back Stage Bistro Award for "Best Theme Show." Purnhagen has toured extensively in the US, Europe, the Far East, Australia & Russia, working with such avant-garde luminaries as Philip Glass, Mary Zimmerman, Robert Wilson, Meredith Monk & John Kelly. He has appeared in several Off-Off Broadway shows & during the 90's, he was a BMG recording artist as a member of the á cappella quartet Toby Twining Music. His recordings include the Glass works he has premiered; Avant-Garde Opera, Early Music, New Music & several Original Cast Albums. He is especially proud to have been a guest vocalist on Bjork's CD, Medulla.

Gene Castle grew up in New York and began his theatrical career as a "newsboy" in the original Broadway production of Gypsy & was also featured in the original Broadway productions of Flower Drum Song, High Spirits, Henry, Sweet Henry & George M!, as well as Best Foot Forward Off - Broadway. He directed & choreographed On The Town for the San Jose Civic Light Opera winning him the Bay Area Theater Critics Circle Awards For Best Direction, Best Choreography & Best Musical. He also wrote, directed & choreographed nine shows for Dr Pepper & twelve shows for Princess Cruises. Other credits include Movin' On, an original Sondheim musical for the Laguna Playhouse, Strike Up The Band at A Tree Grows In Brooklyn at the Pasadena Playhouse, the Emmy Awards, starring Jason Alexander, Oh Coward! at the Coronet Theater, Cinderella at the Long Beach Civic Light Opera, the feature film Kiss Me Goodbye, the television specials "Bonnie And The Franklins" & the "Doc Severinsen Show." After working and living in Los Angeles for many years, he recently returned to New York & is excited to be back home. New York City pianist/composer DAVID COOK has played with a number of world-class vocalists, including Academy Award-winner Jennifer Hudson, Marianne Faithfull, Broadway stars Billy Porter, Darius DeHaas & Shoshana Bean. He has toured with several multi-platinum pop acts, beginning with NSYNC (2000-2002), JC Chasez (2003), American Idol (2004) & Disney's High School Musical (2007). In 2007, David was selected to represent the US in the American Music Abroad program with the band Exegesis, sponsored by Jazz at Lincoln Center & the US State Department, traveling to Bahrain, Yemen, Oman, the United Arab Emirates & Kuwait, giving performances to audiences across the region.

MICHAEL & BARBARA ROSS produced the Broadway show PIAF - A Remembrance, which won the Theater World Award for Juliet Koka. Off-Broadway, they are the award-winning producers of Jelly Roll! (starring Vernel Bagneris - Lucille Lortel Award, Obie Award, Outer Critic's Circle Award, Drama Desk Award Nominee), The World Of Kurt Weill, Piaf Remembered, We'll Meet Again, Two Hearts Over Easy & Mamelah! They also produced the pre-Broadway tryouts of Bingo Long & His Traveling All-Stars & Motor Kings (book by Ossie Davis, music by George Fishoff), Song & Dance, A Celebration of Gene Kelly, Princess Grace & the Fazzari's (with Dorothy Loudon & Lois Nettleton), Never Too Late (starring Eddie Bracken), Millions Of Miles (starring Rue McClanahan & Milo O'Shea, directed by Barry Nelson) & The Kid From Brooklyn, (a one-man show about Danny Kaye). They also produced Comedy Tonight! at Foxwoods, starring Dick Capri, Professor Irwin Corey & Henny Youngman, plus the National & International Tour of The Duke Ellington Orchestra, conducted by the late Mercer Ellington.

Show and Ticket Information:

PREVIEWS BEGIN: Saturday, August 23 @ 3pm

OPENS: Wednesday, September 17 @ 3pm

TIMES: Wednesday, Saturday & Sunday @ 3pm

THEATRE: The Actors Temple Theatre ~ 339 West 47th Street

PRICE: $55 & $35 (Group Sales Available)

TICKETS: Telecharge (212)239-6200 www.telecharge.com, Group Sales: (888)231-9088

Fifth Annual Fall For Dance Festival Will Run 9/17-27 - 9/17/2008

The fifth annual Fall for Dance Festival will run from September 17 – 27, 2008, showcasing 28 national and international companies and choreographers in six unique programs (four programs will be repeated).  All tickets will once again be $10 for all seats.

The 2008 Festival will feature a wide range of dance styles and traditions, ranging from hula and tap to Indian Odissi and Thai Khon, as well as ballet and modern dance companies from across the United States and around the world, many appearing in New York for the first time. Exciting young companies and choreographers include Ayodele Casel & Sarah Savelli, Keigwin + Company, The Lombard Twins, Crystal Pite, Hofesh Shechter, Richard Siegal and Kate Weare.

International companies and artists include Richard Siegal/The Bakery of Paris; [bjm_danse] Les Ballets Jazz de Montréal; BeijingDance / LDTX of China; Compańia Nacional de Danza, Artistic Director Nacho Duato of Spain; Hofesh Shechter Company of Israel and the UK; LAFA & Artists Dance Company of Taiwan; Louise Lecavalier of Canada; The Lombard Twins of Argentina; Madhavi Mudgal of India; The National Ballet of Canada; Pichet Klunchun Dance Company of Thailand, Talia Paz of Israel and Sharon Wray from the UK.

Acclaimed American companies and choreographers include Aspen Santa Fe Ballet, Dayton Contemporary Dance Company, Garth Fagan Dance, The Gentlemen of Hälau Nä Kamalei, Houston Ballet, Merce Cunningham Dance Company, Oregon Ballet Theatre, San Francisco Ballet, Shen Wei Dance Arts and The Suzanne Farrell Ballet.

New York City Center resident companies will be represented by American Ballet Theatre and Paul Taylor Dance Company.

MORPHOSES/THE WHEELDON COMPANY

October 1 – 5, 2008

New York City Center will present the second annual season of Morphoses/The Wheeldon Company, featuring works by Artistic Director Christopher Wheeldon, including a U.S. premiere co-commissioned by New York City Center and Sadler's Wells Theatre, London.  Also featured will be a U.S. premiere of a new work by Canadian choreographer Emily Molnar as well as works by Lightfoot León and Sir Frederick Ashton. The company will perform to live music each evening including performances with a full orchestra

comprised of members of the Orchestra of St. Luke's. Leading dancers from major U.S. and European  ballet companies will once again join the company, including Tyler Angle, Leanne Benjamin, Gonzalo Garcia, Craig Hall, Maria Kowroski, Edwaard Liang, Tiler Peck, Teresa Reichlen, Edward Watson, Wendy Whelan and others.

ON THE TOWN

November 19 – 23, 2008

On The Town, the first Broadway musical written by Leonard Bernstein, Betty Comden and Adolph Green, with original choreography by Jerome Robbins, will open the 2008-2009 Encores! season as part of the city-wide Leonard Bernstein 90th Birthday Celebration. On The Town, based on a concept by Jerome Robbins, was inspired by Robbins' 1944 ballet, "Fancy Free." Set in wartime 1944, On The Town is the story of three sailors' adventurous 24-hour leave in New York City.

 
RIOULT

April 14 – 19, 2009

Rioult will return to the Joyce Theatre with the World Premiere of The Great Mass, a full-evening work for ten dancers set to Mozart's Mass in C Minor. Pascal Rioult's work intends to reflect the transcendental spirituality surrounding Mozart's masterpiece.  This program will alternate with pieces from the company's repertory.

SHEN WEI DANCE ARTS

January 7 – 10, 2009

Shen Wei Dance Arts will follow the excitement of Shen Wei's participation as principal choreographer of the Opening Ceremonies of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, with a New York season location to be announced.  The company will hold its second Kennedy Center Residency in Washington, DC on October 29 and 30, and will tour across the country and Canada as follows:  Swarthmore College: Swarthmore, PA (October 24); Reynolds Theater, Duke University (January 24); Ottawa, Canada (March 17); La Jolla, CA (March 21); SUNY Purchase University: Purchase NY (March 27 & 28); Santa Fe, NM; (March ) and Atlanta, GA (April 3).

DV8 PHYSICAL THEATRE - World Premiere Dance

September 26 and 27, 2008

Dartmouth College's Hopkins Center for the Arts will be the site of the North American premiere of To Be Straight With You, the latest work by the acclaimed UK-based performance group DV8 Physical Theatre. In its 22 years, the company has produced 15 dance/theater pieces that have toured internationally, and five award-winning films for television. Based on hundreds of hours of interviews of people throughout the UK, To Be Straight With You incorporates dance, text, animation and film to explore issues of gender and sexuality as they relate to culture and religion. At Dartmouth, DV8's performances are part of a week-long residency that will include a panel discussion about faith and sexuality, featuring DV8 Artistic Director Lloyd Newson. In addition, Hopkins Center—in partnership with Montclair State University, and University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill—has received funding from the British Council for the Arts to create a website for international dialogue related to the company's tour. The site, which will be active from September through mid December, is intended to provide audience members—particularly students, from both the US and UK—meaningful, safe-space access to their peers' responses to the theatrical work.

Paul Taylor – World Premiere Dance

April 7, 8, 9, 2008

Dartmouth College's Hopkins Center for the Arts will present the world premiere of a new work, co-commissioned by the center, by living treasure of American dance, Paul Taylor. The recipient of a multitude of awards for his decades of contributions -120 dance pieces, performed in more than 60 countries -Taylor and his Company will spend a week at the college, giving master classes, visiting classes, and performing for area school groups. Their Hopkins Center program will also include the Taylor classics Images (1977), set to works by Debussy, and Esplanade (1975), a ravishing, exuberant piece set to Bach violin concertos.  The Taylor commission is a fitting follow-up to the center's 2007 co-commission of another dance legend, Merce Cunningham—the highly successful XOVER, which incorporated work by Cunningham's late artistic associates composer John Cage and painter Robert Rauschenberg.

New Rep Presents 'Eurydice' by Ruhl - 9/17/2008

New Repertory Theatre, in residence at the Arsenal Center for the Arts, is excited to present Eurydice by Sarah Ruhl. From the acclaimed playwright of The Clean House comes this beautiful and devastating story about love and choice. Eurydice opens for the press on Wednesday, September 17, 2008 at 7:30pm and plays through October 5, 2008 at the Arsenal Center for the Arts in the Charles Mosesian Theater.

"I've always admired Ruhl's work, but I fell in love with her after directing The Clean House last season," said Rick Lombardo, New Repertory Theatre's Producing Artistic Director. "Her plays are told with such a fresh simplicity. Ruhl has a bright new voice. I am confident that our talented cast and crew will make New Rep's production of Eurydice a memorable experience for our audience. They will embark upon a remarkable journey and see the magic of theatre. For one thing, we're actually going to make it rain buckets of water on stage!"

In Sarah Ruhl's re-imagining of the Orpheus myth, Eurydice's tragic misstep on her wedding day sends her tumbling into the depths of the Underworld, where she is reunited with her father. Memories are forbidden and language is altered in this world of the dead. Her father re-educates her, while her husband searches for a note she will hear. Will the three find the means to communicate across the divide between life and death?

New Repertory Theatre presents provocative and intelligent works of both established and emerging playwrights in an intimate setting that involves and engages the audience. New Rep has earned a reputation for dynamic productions that honor the writers and feature talented professional actors from the New England theatre community as well as guest artists from around the U.S. New Rep has received Elliot Norton and IRNE Awards for outstanding acting, scenic design, direction, and production. Programming at New Repertory Theatre is supported in part by a grant from the Massachusetts Cultural Council.

Rick Lombardo (director, original music and sound design) is beginning his 13th season as New Rep's Producing Artistic Director. He is honored to be a two-time recipient of the Elliot Norton Award for Outstanding Director. Last season, he directed A Streetcar Named Desire (IRNE Awards-Best Director and Best Production of a Drama), The Clean House (Elliot Norton Award-Outstanding Production), Dessa Rose, and A Pinter Duet: The Lover & Ashes to Ashes. Recent season's productions include: Ragtime (IRNE Awards-Best Director of a Musical and Best Musical); The Pillowman;, The Wild Party; Bill W. and Dr. Bob (which he also subsequently directed Off Broadway); Romeo and Juliet; the multiple IRNE Award-winning Into the Woods; Quills; and the World Premiere of Approaching Moomtaj by Michael Weller. Locally, he also directed Hamlet for Actors' Shakespeare Project, La Vie Parisienne for Opera Boston, and Ashes to Ashes and The Lover for Wellfleet Harbor Actors Theatre. Other memorable New Rep productions include: The Threepenny Opera; the world premiere of A Girl's War; his new musical adaptation of Moliére's Scapin; Waiting for Godot (IRNE Award, Best Drama); the acclaimed production of Sweeney Todd (2004 Elliot Norton Award for Outstanding Director, IRNE Award for Best Director, and Elliot Norton Award for Outstanding Musical Production); The Weir (IRNE Award, Best Drama); Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead (Elliot Norton Award, Outstanding Director); The Scarlet Letter; American Buffalo; A Moon for the Misbegotten; Twelfth Night; Beast on the Moon; Das Barbecü; Tartuffe; The Real Thing; and Moby Dick-An American Opera, among others. Rick was previously the Artistic Director of the Players Guild in Ohio, as well as the Founding Artistic Director of the Stillwaters Theatre Company in New York City. He has taught at several universities, including Fordham University's College at Lincoln Center, where he was also Co-Director of the theatre program. Rick is currently President of NEAT, the Association of New England Area Theatres, and serves as a member of the Board of Directors of both Arts Boston and StageSource. He is a member of the Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers.

Ken Baltin (Father) has been performing on Boston area stages for the past twenty years. Most recently, he appeared in Copenhagen at the Vineyard Playhouse, Leslie Epstein's King of the Jews, produced by Boston Playwrights Theatre, and in Arms and the Man at the Lyric Stage Company of Boston. Other recent credits include: the premiere production of Permanent Whole Life by Zayd Dohrn at Boston Playwrights Theatre, which was awarded 2005 best new play by the Independent Reviewers of New England; and Brooklyn Boy at SpeakEasy Stage Company. Past years' credits include: Waiting for Godot, Scapin, The Waverly Gallery, Twelfth Night, and American Buffalo at New Repertory Theatre; Glengarry Glen Ross, Lost in Yonkers, Laughter on the Twenty-Third Floor, and Shakespeare in Hollywood at the Lyric Stage; Art, Over the Tavern, Picasso at the Lapine Agile, Speed-The-Plow, Oleanna, The Illusion, Founder of the Feast, and A Christmas Carol at Merrimack Repertory Theatre; The Last Hurrah at Huntington Theatre Company; Haymarket at BPT; The Last Night of Ballyhoo, Beau Jest, Social Security, Yom Kippur at Danang, and I Ought to be in Pictures at Jewish Theatre of New England; Three Hotels at Gloucester Stage Company; and others. Aside from performing, Ken is on the acting faculty at The Boston Conservatory.

Brian Bielawski (Orpheus) is thrilled to make his debut at New Rep. He was most recently seen in New York and abroad performing his one-man show GAM3RS. OFF-BROADWAY: The American Pilot directed by Lynne Meadow (Manhattan Theatre Club); and The Rules of Charity (Theatre By the Blind). REGIONAL: As You Like It, Comedy of Errors, Winter's Tale, Two Noble Kinsmen, Antony and Cleopatra, Twelfth Night, and Macbeth directed by Darko Tresnjak, Patricia Conolly, and Paul Mullins (The Old Globe Theatre); A Midsummer Night's Dream, Noises Off! (Brownville Village Theatre); and Mame, Light Up the Sky, Little Foxes (The Summer Place). SHORT FILM: Felix Culpa (Progress 22 Films). TELEVISION: Guiding Light (recurring). EDUCATION: MFA (The Old Globe/University of San Diego); BFA (The University of Evansville). Brian is a proud member of Actors' Equity.

Zillah Glory (Eurydice) was last seen as Eliante in New Repertory Theatre's production of The Misanthrope after completing a 2-year stint as Barbara in Shear Madness, both in Charlotte, NC and here in Boston. Zillah is the double-nominee and recipient of Charlotte's Best Actress In A Comedy and Actress of the Year 2006 (Metrolina Theatre Awards) for her work as Alex in On The Verge. She is also known for the role of Carly in the film Conversations With God. More recently, Z has been heard or seen participating in staged readings (Peter Snoad's Guided Tour at Boston Playwright's Theatre), commercials (Subway's "Absolutely Not"), local ads (Mass Lotto's Christmas series), web ads (www.savmedia.com), and voiceovers (iParty's "Charlotte O'Hara"). Zillah also teaches improv and theater via the Merrimack Rep's Y.A.A.P. program and credits the majority of her vocal maneuverability to steady training with teacher-mentor Gary Logan, head of the Academy for Classical Acting in Washington, DC. She is a member of AEA and SAG.

Sarah Ruhl (playwright) Plays include: The Clean House (Pulitzer Prize Finalist, 2005; The Susan Smith Blackburn Prize, 2004); Passion Play, a cycle (The Fourth Freedom Forum Playwriting Award from The Kennedy Center, a Helen Hayes Awards nomination for best new play); Dead Man's Cell Phone; Melancholy Play; Eurydice; Orlando and Late: a cowboy song. Her plays have been produced at Lincoln Center Theater, Goodman Theatre, Arena Stage, Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, South Coast Repertory Theater, Yale Rep., Berkeley Rep., The Wilma Theater, Actors' Theatre of Louisville, Madison Rep., and the Piven Theatre, among others. Her plays have also been produced in London, Germany, Australia, Canada, and Israel, and have been translated into Polish, Russian, Spanish, Norwegian, Korean, and German. Originally from Chicago, Ms. Ruhl received her M.F.A. from Brown University where she studied with Paula Vogel. In 2003, she was the recipient of the Helen Merrill Emerging Playwrights Award and the Whiting Writers' Award. She is a member of 13P and New Dramatists and recently won the MacArthur Fellowship.

For more information please visit www.newrep.org

Jeremy Schonfeld To Play FREE Concert @ Living Room 9/17 - 9/17/2008

Acclaimed singer/songwriter Jeremy Schonfeld will take the stage at New York’s The Living Room on Wednesday, September 17, 2008 at 9:00pm for a FREE concert.  Jeremy’s intimate performance will feature a combination of all things old and new (37 Notebooks, Blue Skies & All, the re-release of Drift, tracks written for the upcoming feature film Clear Blue Tuesday, and music from a forthcoming solo album).

Hailed by The New York Times as a blend of Jonathan Larson and Billy Joel, Schonfeld's singular blend of tuneful pop, hard-edged rock, gospel, soul and blues has made him one of todays most sought after musical theater composers.  The recently released album, 37 Notebooks, features some of Broadway’s hottest vocal talents, including:  Shoshana Bean, lauren kennedy, Julia Murney, Adam Pascal, Kate Shindle, Amy Spanger, and Tracie Thoms, among others.  

PERFORMANCE DETAILS
Wednesday, September 17, 2008, at 9:00pm 
The Living Room, 154 Ludlow Street (between Stanton & Rivington) 

TICKET INFO
FREE

Strouse Cointinues 80th Birthday Celebration in UK 9/17-23 - 9/17/2008

This September, Charles Strouse’s year-long 80th birthday celebration continues in the United Kingdom.  Following tributes at venues ranging from New York’s Jazz at Lincoln Center, The Paley Center for Media, New York Public Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center, Chicago’s Theatre Building and Washington DC’s The Library of Congress and The Kennedy Center, Strouse will cross the Atlantic where he will celebrate his 80th birthday, his 50 years of composing for the theatre, film and television and the release of his new book, Put On a Happy Face – A Broadway Memoir.

Highlights of Strouse’s visit to the UK will include:

Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Charles Strouse reads selections from “Put On a Happy Face” at London, Dress Circle Showbiz Shop
Dress Circle, 57-59 Monmouth Street, London, UK
Strouse makes an appearance at London’s favorite showbiz memorabilia shop where he will read selection from his new book. For more information, visit www.dresscircle.co.uk.

Thursday, September 18, 2008
Charles Strouse at Mercury Musical Developments (private event)
Strouse will address the UK’s musical theatre writers of tomorrow at MMD, the home of new musical theatre writing in the UK.  MMD was established in 1992 to nurture and encourage writers and composers of musical theatre and to initiate and develop new work for the UK and international stage.  For more information, visit www.mercurymusicals.com.

Friday, September 19, 2008
BBC Concert: Charles Strouse’s UK Birthday Celebration
The Mermaid Theatre, Puddle Dock, Blackfriars, London, EC4V 3DB UK
This live concert featuring Paul Nicholas (Barnum, Charlie Girl), Bonnie Langford (Chicago, Sweet Charity), Rosemary Ashe (Mary Poppins, Phantom of the Opera) and Jacinta Whyte (Annie, Les Miserables, My Left Foot) with Martin Yates conducting the BBC Concert Orchestra, celebrates the music of Charles Strouse. This event will be aired live on  BBC Radio 2 on their popular “Friday Night is Music Night” program in the UK. After airing, highlights of this broadcast will stream online on the press kit page at  www.CharlesStrouse.com.

Saturday, September 20, 2008, 1:00PM
Meet Charles Strouse at London, Dress Circle Showbiz Shop
Dress Circle, 57-59 Monmouth Street, London, UK
Strouse makes an appearance at London’s favorite Showbiz memorabilia shop where he will meet and greet fans and sign copies his new book.  For more information, visit www.dresscircle.co.uk.

Monday, September 22, 2008 7:45PM curtain
Charles Strouse visits the UK Annie tour
The Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham, UK
Charles Strouse visits with the UK touring production of one of his most popular productions.  Before and after the performance, Strouse will visit Ruth Madoc (Miss Hannigan) and the company as well as members of the British press. BBC Radio Gloucester will be on hand to capture the occasion. Visit the presskit page at  www.CharlesStrouse.com later in the month to hear this broadcast.

Tuesday, September 23rd, 2008 at 3:00PM
Elaine Paige's "Spotlight On..." Charles Strouse
Shaw Theatre, 100-110 Euston Rd, London, NW1 2AJ, UK
The spotlight falls on Strouse who will be interviewed by guest host, Edward Seckerson, Chief Music Critic of The Independent and presenter of BBC Radio 3's recent “Stage and Screen” program, in celebration of Strouse's 80th birthday and the publication of his memoir.  For tickets contact the box office at 0871 594 3123 or visit the website, www.theshawtheatre.com. Visit the presskit page at  www.CharlesStrouse.com later in the month to hear this broadcast.

There may be no other living composer from America’s popular songbook whose work is as integrated into the popular culture as that of Charles Strouse.  His music has attracted top recording artists from the last half-century with covers of his songs recorded by such diverse pop artists as Barbra Streisand, Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Bobby Darin, Harry Connick, Jr., Bobby Rydell, Jay Z, Vic Damone, Louis Armstrong, Nina Simone, Grace Jones and Duke Ellington and his Orchestra.  Strouse has written the score to over 30 stage musicals, 14 scores for Broadway, four Hollywood films, two orchestral works and an opera.  He has been inducted to the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Theatre Hall of Fame.  He is a three-time Tony Award winner, a two-time Emmy Award winner, and his cast recordings have earned him two Grammy Awards.  His song “Those Were The Days” launched over 200 episodes of the “All in the Family” and continues to reach new generations of television audiences in syndication.  With hundreds of productions licensed annually, his musicals Annie and Bye Bye Birdie are among the most popular musicals of all time produced by regional, amateur and school groups all over the world.

In July 2007, Strouse’s new book, Put on a Happy Face – A Broadway Memoir (Union Square Press, ISBN#: 1-4027-5889-8), the man behind the hit shows pulls back the curtain for a behind-the-scenes tour of his remarkable life and achievements.  Step inside the steam room of the Sands Hotel in Las Vegas with a towel-clad Charles as he meets with Sammy Davis Jr., Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Cahn to audition material for Golden Boy.  Pull a chair up to the lunch counter as Charles and Lauren Bacall discuss their new venture, Applause, over tuna salad sandwiches.  Join Charles in the recording studio as he and Warren Beatty almost come to blows over the music elements for the Beatty-produced film Bonnie and Clyde.  Charles Grants readers a backstage pass as he tells stories about the extraordinary range of boldface names in his life, including Ann-Margret, Butterfly McQueen, Carol Burnett, Dick Van Dyke, Edward Albee, Gower Champion, Hal Prince, Janet Leigh, Jason Alexander, John C. Reilly, Aaron Copland, Mel Brooks, Mike Nichols, and Sarah Jessica Parker.

The critics have been unanimous in their praise of Strouse’s memoir with Publisher’s Weekly praising “Strouse's superb backstage memoir deserves a standing ovation.”   Howard Kissel of The Daily News says “the book, beautifully written, funny and touching, is a wonderful evocation of a great career. The memoir is full of funny anecdotes, juicy gossip and a lot of valuable background.”  David PatRick Stearns of The Philadelphia Inquier describes the book as “a bouncy, candid memoir about creating shows that have become a part of the nation’s theatre landscape” while NPR’s Leonard Lopate calls it “a wonderful memoir by one of the most successful composers in Broadway history.”

For more information about Charles Strouse, his career, the UK events detailed above, or any upcoming Charles Strouse events, visit www.CharlesStrouse.com.

Strouse Continues 80th Birthday Celebration in UK 9/17-23 - 9/17/2008

This September, Charles Strouse's year-long 80th birthday celebration continues in the United Kingdom.  Following tributes at venues ranging from New York's Jazz at Lincoln Center, The Paley Center for Media, New York Public Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center, Chicago's Theatre Building and Washington DC's The Library of Congress and The Kennedy Center, Strouse will cross the Atlantic where he will celebrate his 80th birthday, his 50 years of composing for the theatre, film and television and the release of his new book, Put On a Happy Face - A Broadway Memoir.

Highlights of Strouse's visit to the UK will include:

Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Charles Strouse reads selections from "Put On a Happy Face" at London, Dress Circle Showbiz Shop
Dress Circle, 57-59 Monmouth Street, London, UK
Strouse makes an appearance at London's favorite showbiz memorabilia shop where he will read selection from his new book. For more information, visit www.dresscircle.co.uk.

Thursday, September 18, 2008
Charles Strouse at Mercury Musical Developments (private event)
Strouse will address the UK's musical theatre writers of tomorrow at MMD, the home of new musical theatre writing in the UK.  MMD was established in 1992 to nurture and encourage writers and composers of musical theatre and to initiate and develop new work for the UK and international stage.  For more information, visit www.mercurymusicals.com.

Friday, September 19, 2008
BBC Concert: Charles Strouse's UK Birthday Celebration
The Mermaid Theatre, Puddle Dock, Blackfriars, London, EC4V 3DB UK
This live concert featuring Paul Nicholas (Barnum, Charlie Girl), Bonnie Langford (Chicago, Sweet Charity), Rosemary Ashe (Mary Poppins, Phantom of the Opera) and Jacinta Whyte (Annie, Les Miserables, My Left Foot) with Martin Yates conducting the BBC Concert Orchestra, celebrates the music of Charles Strouse. This event will be aired live on  BBC Radio 2 on their popular "Friday Night is Music Night" program in the UK. After airing, highlights of this broadcast will stream online on the press kit page at  www.CharlesStrouse.com.

Saturday, September 20, 2008, 1:00PM
Meet Charles Strouse at London, Dress Circle Showbiz Shop
Dress Circle, 57-59 Monmouth Street, London, UK
Strouse makes an appearance at London's favorite Showbiz memorabilia shop where he will meet and greet fans and sign copies his new book.  For more information, visit www.dresscircle.co.uk.

Monday, September 22, 2008 7:45PM curtain
Charles Strouse visits the UK Annie tour
The Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham, UK
Charles Strouse visits with the UK touring production of one of his most Popular Productions.  Before and after the performance, Strouse will visit Ruth Madoc (Miss Hannigan) and the company as well as members of the British press. BBC Radio Gloucester will be on hand to capture the occasion. Visit the presskit page at  www.CharlesStrouse.com later in the month to hear this broadcast.

Tuesday, September 23rd, 2008 at 3:00PM
Elaine Paige's "Spotlight On..." Charles Strouse
Shaw Theatre, 100-110 Euston Rd, London, NW1 2AJ, UK
The spotlight falls on Strouse who will be interviewed by guest host, Edward Seckerson, Chief Music Critic of The Independent and presenter of BBC Radio 3's recent "Stage and Screen" program, in celebration of Strouse's 80th birthday and the publication of his memoir.  For tickets contact the box office at 0871 594 3123 or visit the website, www.theshawtheatre.com. Visit the presskit page at  www.CharlesStrouse.com later in the month to hear this broadcast.

There may be no other living composer from America's popular songbook whose work is as integrated into the popular culture as that of Charles Strouse.  His music has attracted top recording artists from the last half-century with covers of his songs recorded by such diverse pop artists as Barbra Streisand, Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Bobby Darin, Harry Connick, Jr., Bobby Rydell, Jay Z, Vic Damone, Louis Armstrong, Nina Simone, Grace Jones and Duke Ellington and his Orchestra.  Strouse has written the score to over 30 stage musicals, 14 scores for Broadway, four Hollywood films, two orchestral works and an opera.  He has been inducted to the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Theatre Hall of Fame.  He is a three-time Tony Award winner, a two-time Emmy Award winner, and his cast recordings have earned him two Grammy Awards.  His song "Those Were The Days" launched over 200 episodes of the "All in the Family" and continues to reach new generations of television audiences in syndication.  With hundreds of productions licensed annually, his musicals Annie and Bye Bye Birdie are among the most popular musicals of all time produced by regional, amateur and school groups all over the world.

In July 2007, Strouse's new book, Put on a Happy Face - A Broadway Memoir (Union Square Press, ISBN#: 1-4027-5889-8), the man behind the hit shows pulls back the curtain for a behind-the-scenes tour of his remarkable life and achievements.  Step inside the steam room of the Sands Hotel in Las Vegas with a towel-clad Charles as he meets with Sammy Davis Jr., Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Cahn to audition material for Golden Boy.  Pull a chair up to the lunch counter as Charles and Lauren Bacall discuss their new venture, Applause, over tuna salad sandwiches.  Join Charles in the recording studio as he and Warren Beatty almost come to blows over the music elements for the Beatty-produced film Bonnie and Clyde.  Charles Grants readers a backstage pass as he tells stories about the extraordinary range of boldface names in his life, including Ann-Margret, Butterfly McQueen, Carol Burnett, Dick Van Dyke, Edward Albee, Gower Champion, Hal Prince, Janet Leigh, Jason Alexander, John C. Reilly, Aaron Copland, Mel Brooks, Mike Nichols, and Sarah Jessica Parker.

The critics have been unanimous in their praise of Strouse's memoir with Publisher's Weekly praising "Strouse's superb backstage memoir deserves a standing ovation."   Howard Kissel of The Daily News says "the book, beautifully written, funny and touching, is a wonderful evocation of a great career. The memoir is full of funny anecdotes, juicy gossip and a lot of valuable background."  David PatRick Stearns of The Philadelphia Inquier describes the book as "a bouncy, candid memoir about creating shows that have become a part of the nation's theatre landscape" while NPR's Leonard Lopate calls it "a wonderful memoir by one of the most successful composers in Broadway history."

For more information about Charles Strouse, his career, the UK events detailed above, or any upcoming Charles Strouse events, visit www.CharlesStrouse.com.

Photo Credit Peter Jamez Zielinski

Broadway Voices, New Chorus Group, Makes Debut at Metropolitan Room - 9/17/2008

Broadway Voices,  a new quartet of singers from the New York City Gay Men's Chorus,  will make its debut performance this September at The Metropolitan Room (34 West 22nd Street, between 5th and 6th Avenues) with I Want It All – A Maltby and Shire Songbook.   The new performance ensemble features Dan Baillie, Eric Saggese, Sonelius Kendrick-Smith and Phil Zipkin. Musical Direction is by Dr. Charles Beale, and staging by Jeff Lettiere.

This all-male cast brings a unique twist to the traditionally co-ed songbook featuring songs from Maltby & Shire’s hit shows Closer Than Ever; Starting Here, Starting Now; Baby; and a song from their new project Take Flight.

Both as a team and individually, Richard Maltby and David Shire have had prolific and distinguished careers for stage and screen. Together, their best-known musicals include Baby; Closer Than Ever; Starting Here, Starting Now; and Big. Separately, Shire has scored several hundred films, won an Oscar (Norma Rae) and two Grammys (Saturday Night Fever) along the way, and co-wrote the hit pop single “With You I’m Born Again;” while Maltby was the Tony-winning director and co-conceiver of Ain’t Misbehavin’, the co-lyricist of Miss Saigon and the screenwriter of last year’s Renee Zellwegger starrer Miss Potter. Maltby and Shire’s current project is the musical Take Flight, produced in London and Japan last year, and scheduled for a domestic production next season. Maltby is also directing next season’s The Story of My Life; while Shire has written the songs for a new animated musical television series starring, and co-produced by, his wife, actress Didi Conn. Maltby and Shire met their freshman year at Yale (where they their wrote their first two shows) and have recently begun their second half century of collaboration.

The New York City Gay Men's Chorus’ Broadway Voices sing “I Want It All – A Maltby and Shire Songbook” plays Septrember 17 at 9:45 p.m., Septrember  20 at 5:00 p.m. and Septrember. 21 at 9:30 p.m at The Metropolitan Room Room (34 West 22nd Street, between 5th and 6th Avenues).  $20 cover/2 drink minimum.  For reservations call (212) 206-0440 or vist http://metropolitanroom.com/index.php?option=com_jcalpro&Itemid=98&extmode=view&extid=798.  All proceeds will benefit the NYCGMC.

Stamford Theatre Works To Present La Bute's 'Mercy Seat' Starting 9/17 - 9/17/2008

Stamford Theatre Works will open its 21st season in September at its barn theatre, 200 Strawberry Hill Avenue in Stamford, with "The Mercy Seat" by Neil LaBute, September 17 - October 5.  Steve Karp, STW's founder and producing director, will direct.

On September 12, 2001, Ben Harcourt finds himself in the downtown apartment of his lover, Abby Prescott---who also happens to be his boss. His endlessly ringing cell phone haunts their conversation as Ben and Abby explore the choices now available to them in an existence different from the one they knew just the day before.  Will Ben let his wife and family know he's alive, or will he and Abby take this chance to create a new life for themselves? Matthew Fraley plays Ben; Eliza Foss plays Abby.

The play contains mature language and themes.

STW's 2008-09 season will continue with more issue-oriented and thought-provoking works, including a love story, drama, comedy and musical.

"Almost, Maine," written by John Cariani and directed by Douglas Moser, will play November 5 - 23. In a wonderfully wrought fictional town in Maine, the aurora borealis creates an atmosphere of star-struck love affecting the lives of nine couples.

"Defiance," written by John Patrick Shanley and directed by Patricia R. Floyd, will run January 28 - February 15. Set in 1971 at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, two U.S. Marine officers, one black and one white, are on a collision course over power, responsibility and an affair with an enlisted man's wife.

"Greetings," a comedy written by Tom Dudzick and directed by Steve Karp, will play April 22 - May 10. A young man brings home his Jewish atheist fiancé to meet his very Catholic parents on Christmas Eve. With the inevitable family explosion comes an out-of-left-field miracle that propels the family into a wild exploration of love, religion and truth.

"First Lady Suite," a musical written by Tony Award nominee Michael John LaChiusa and directed by Shawn Churchman, will be staged June 10 - 28. First Ladies Eleanor Roosevelt, Jackie Kennedy and Mamie Eisenhower, and the people closest to them, reveal their true selves in song.

Stamford Theatre Works has received grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and numerous awards from the Connecticut Critics Circle for outstanding work. STW annually stages five original productions of contemporary works chosen with sensitivity to issues of social relevance. In addition, STW conducts a School for the Performing Arts and Summer Theatre Camp for Kids.

Performances are Tuesdays through Saturdays at 8 p.m.; matinees Saturdays at 4 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m.; first Sunday and first Tuesday at 7 p.m. A "Conversation Club" follows the first Sunday matinee when the directors and actors participate in a Q&A with the audience. "Art vs. Life," following the first Tuesday, 7 p.m. show, offers a post-performance panel discussion.  Tickets $22 to $38. Subscriptions available. Free parking. Stamford Theatre Works, 200 Strawberry Hill Avenue, Stamford.  www.stamfordtheatreworks.org   Box Office: (203) 359-4414.

Huffman, Lawrence and More to Perform 'Body Beautiful' To Celebrate Album Release - 9/17/2008

The legendary authors of Fiddler on the Roof - Jerry Bock, Sheldon Harnick and Joseph Stein - will launch the release of the York Theatre’s original cast recording of their inaugural 1958 Broadway outing, The Body Beautiful, in a special concert event at the Lincoln Triangle Barnes & Noble on Wednesday, September 17 at 5:30pm.

Singers on the recording scheduled to perform include Tony Award-winner Cady Huffman (The Producers), Tony Award-nominee Megan Lawrence (The Pajama Game), Laura Marie Duncan (South Pacific), Mike McGowan (The Apple Tree), Angie Schworer (The Producers), Jonathan Kay and Kerry Conte.

Mary Louise, who understudied Barbara McNair in the original 1958 production of The Body Beautiful and who also appeared on Broadway in the original productions of Finian’s Rainbow, Funny Girl, Sweet Charity, and The Apple Tree, will make a special guest appearance.

David Glenn Armstrong, director of the York’s 2007 revival, will host a conversation with the authors about the gestation of the original production.  John Bell, music director of the revival and recording, will be at the piano and will be joined by Jordan Jancz on bass.

The cast recording also features the talents of Tony Award-nominee Brad Oscar (The Producers), Capathia Jenkins (Caroline, Or Change), Stephen Bienskie (Cats), Ryan Duncan (Shrek), John Eric Parker (All Shook Up), Patrick Richwood, and Jim Sorensen.

The original Broadway production of The Body Beautiful had its Columbia Records cast album contract canceled by the producers at the request of Columbia, who instead made a $5,000 payment to offset advertising costs of the struggling show.

Composer Bock reflected on the recording – “A sparkling new original cast album 50 years after the show opened?  If that's not a first, I'll eat my notes while Sheldon eats his words!  And if that's not a definition of The Fabulous Invalid, better known as The Body Beautiful, we'll both eat Joe Stein's book.”

The Body Beautiful opened at the Broadway Theatre on January 23, 1958 after a Philadelphia tryout and starred Jack Warden, Steve Forrest, Mindy Carson, Barbara McNair and William Hickey.  The George Schaefer-helmed production had choreography by Herbert Ross and ran for 60 performances.  There were no regional, stock or touring productions of the show.  The York Theatre’s sold-out concert staging in October of 2007 was the first-ever revival of The Body Beautiful.

The Body Beautiful is set in New York City’s boxing underworld.  The plot follows the misguided adventures of a wealthy Dartmouth College grad who yearns to be a down-and-dirty boxer and the girl he loves who disapproves of his ambitions.  The lovers are surrounded by a colorful assortment of boxing world denizens: bleached blonde groupies, deal-making mobsters, addled heavyweights, vengeful ex-wives, and desperate fight promoters.

Bruce Yeko of Original Cast Records is producing the recording which is currently available at Original Cast Records (888-627-3993), Lincoln Triangle Barnes & Noble, Colony Records, and at the York Theatre.  James Morgan is the Producing Artistic Director of the York Theatre, which is currently home to another Joseph Stein musical – Enter Laughing.

Reservations are not required for the concert, and admission is free.  The Lincoln Triangle Barnes & Noble is located at the corner of Broadway and 66th Street (212-595-6859).

Ten Cent Night - Chicago - 9/18/2008

The world premiere of "Ten Cent Night" by resident playwright Marisa Wegrzyn will play from September 18 to October 26, 2008, with opening night on Friday, September 26, 2008. Dad's shot himself in the head and failed musician Roby Finley is on her way home to Burkeville, TX, with a suitcase full of stolen cash to save her heart-sick sister. A family comedy from a time when a dime could buy you a phone call home.

Ten Cent Night - 9/18/2008

The world premiere of "Ten Cent Night" by resident playwright Marisa Wegrzyn will play from September 18 to October 26, 2008, with opening night on Friday, September 26, 2008. Dad's shot himself in the head and failed musician Roby Finley is on her way home to Burkeville, TX, with a suitcase full of stolen cash to save her heart-sick sister. A family comedy from a time when a dime could buy you a phone call home.

John Waters: This Filthy World - 9/18/2008

Mean Fiddler presents John Waters "THIS FILTHY WORLD." First time on the UK Stage for one night only. On Thursday 18th September, Doors 7pm at the Hammersmith Apollo, Queen Caroline Street, London, W6 9QH. For tickets call 08448 44 47 48 or visit hammersmithapollo.net. On sale 10am Friday 30 May.

John Waters is a man of many monikers: The Prince of Puke, The Duke of Dirt, The Sultan of Sleaze. Anyway you put it, America's royal raconteur is about to invade the U.K. Waters is famed the world over for his trash epics including "Pink Flamingos", "Female Trouble", "Desperate Living", "Polyester", "Serial Mom", "Pecker", "Cecil B. Demented", and "A Dirty Shame". Two of his more surprisingly commercial films have been adapted for the stage. "Hairspray", winner of eight Tony Awards when it debuted on
Broadway in 2003, is now a massive West End hit that garnered four Oliviers after opening at the Shaftesbury Theatre last autumn. "Cry Baby - The Musical" recently opened in New York and was nominated for four 2008 Tony Awards including Best Musical. In the summer of 2007, "Hairspray" reinvented itself cinematically as a big-budget Hollywood movie starring John Travolta that became a smash hit worldwide.

"This Filthy World" is Waters' rapid-fire one-man spoken word "vaudeville" act that celebrates the film career and joyously appalling taste of the man William Burroughs once called "The Pope of Trash". Updated and expanded from the original film version that enjoyed critical success at the Edinburgh, Toronto and Berlin Film Festivals, the live performance of "This Filthy World" focuses on Waters' early negative artistic influences, his fascination with true crime, exploitation films, fashion lunacy, the extremes of the art world, Catholicism, sexual deviancy and a love of reading.

"All young people need somebody bad to look up to and I hope I can be that for you tonight." - John Waters

Steppenwolf Presents 'Kafka on the Shore' - 9/18/2008

Steppenwolf Theatre Company launches its 2008-2009 season, an exploration of the imagination, with the world premiere of Kafka on the Shore, adapted for the stage and directed by ensemble member Frank Galati, based on the work by Haruki Murakami. The production, featuring ensemble members Francis Guinan and Jon Michael Hill with Christine Bunuan, Gerson Dacanay, Mary Ann de la Cruz, Christopher Larkin, Aiko Nakasone, Andrew Pang, David Rhee and Lisa Tejero, runs September 18 – November 16, 2008 in Steppenwolf's Downstairs Theatre, 1650 N. Halsted St.

A young boy's coming of age parallels an old man's search for destiny in modern day Japan where the borders between everyday reality, dreams and imagination are constantly crossed. In this world premiere adaptation of the popular novel, encounter talking cats on the streets of Tokyo, World War II soldiers trapped in time, Colonel Sanders and Johnnie Walker. Experience the unexpected in this fantastical tale about waking up to your own life.

Tony Award-winner Frank Galati adapted and directed Haruki Murakami's after the quake during Steppenwolf's 2005-2006 Season. This critically-acclaimed production went on to successful runs at Long Wharf Theatre, La Jolla Playhouse and Berkeley Rep. Haruki Murakami, author of The Wind-Up Bird Chronicles and other novels, is an award-winning writer whose work has been translated into 34 languages.

Kafka on the Shore is directed by ensemble member Frank Galati. The design team includes: James Schuette (sets), Mara Blumenfeld (costumes), James F. Ingalls (lights) and Andre Pluess and Ben Sussman (original music and sound). Alec Duffy is the Assistant Director. Malcolm Ewen is the Stage Manager and Lauren V. Hickman is the Assistant Stage Manager.

The show will feature nsemble members Francis Guinan (Major Warren, Johnnie Walker, Colonel Sanders, BBC Anchor) and Jon Michael Hill (Crow) with Christine Bunuan (Setsuko, Young Miss Saeki), Gerson Dacanay (Oshima), Mary Ann de la Cruz (Mimi the Cat, Colonel's Girl, Ms. Tanaka), Christopher Larkin (Kafka), Aiko Nakasone (Sakura, Ms. Soga, NHK TV Announcer), Andrew Pang (Hoshino, Dr. Nakazawa, Otsuka, Kawamura, Dog, Police Officer), David Rhee (Nakata) and Lisa Tejero (Ms. Saeki).

Previews begin September 18 – 27, 2008 with an opening on Sunday, September 28 at 6:00 p.m. and running until November 16, 2008. There is no performance on Tuesday, September 23. Curtain times are Tuesday through Sunday at 7:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday matinees are at 3:00 p.m. Wednesday matinees on October 29, November 5 and November 12 are at 2:00 p.m.

Online ticketing available at www.steppenwolf.org

Free post-show discussions, sponsored by AT&T, are offered after every performance.

Steppenwolf is located near all forms of public transportation and is wheelchair accessible. Street and lot parking are available. Assistive listening devices are available for every performance.

Kafka on the Shore was developed as part of Steppenwolf's New Plays Initiative. Steppenwolf is recognized as a national leader in the development and production of new work for the American canon. Through this initiative, the company maintains ongoing relationships with writers of international prominence and rigorously discovers and supports the work of early and mid-career playwrights.

Steppenwolf's New Plays Initiative is generously sponsored by The Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust, the Zell Family Foundation, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and members of the Directors Circle.

Committed to the principle of ensemble performance through the collaboration of a company of actors, directors and playwrights, Steppenwolf Theatre Company's mission is to advance the vitality and diversity of American theater by nurturing artists, encouraging repeatable creative relationships and contributing new works to the national canon. The company, formed in 1976 by a collective of actors, is dedicated to perpetuating an ethic of mutual respect and the development of artists through on-going group work. Steppenwolf has grown into an internationally renowned company of forty-one artists whose talents include acting, directing, playwriting, filmmaking and textual adaptation.

Juliette Binoche and Akram Khan To Dance On UK Stage - 9/18/2008

Binoche will be making her dance debut in the show, and has reportedly been training for two years to prepare. Juliette Binoche is a French film actress. Binoche is well known worldwide for her roles in popular, award-winning films such as The English Patient (1996) and Chocolat (2000) as well as internationally successful arthouse films including Three Colors: Blue (1993) and Caché (2005). She won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in 1997 for The English Patient.

'In Conflict' - 9/18/2008

Culture Project (Allan Buchman, Artistic Director) announced today two new shows that will comprise the 2008 fall season – it will next present the New York Premiere of the award-winning play In Conflict (beginning September 18), a compelling portrait of Iraq War veterans speaking out on duty, loss and the fight to stay alive. In October, Culture Project will present Ronan Noone's critically-acclaimed one-man-show, The Atheist, starring Campbell Scott. The downtown NYC theater company continues its commitment to provoke, uplift and bring the national political conversation to life on the New York Stage and throughout the city.

It was also announced today that Culture Project will depart its Mercer Street theater following the run of its current production, Expatriate. The SoHo space, which houses the organization's main performance venue and offices, has been sold, after a valiant effort on the part of Culture Project to compete for its acquisition. Culture Project's fall productions will now be presented at the 199-seat Barrow Street Theatre in the West Village (27 Barrow Street at 7th Avenue South). The search for a permanent Culture Project home remains ongoing.

Additionally, Mr. Buchman announced that Culture Project will be collaborating with the venerable Judson Memorial Church (55 Washington Square South), a self-described "sanctuary for progressive activism and artistic expression," on a series of events. The works will include a music series, an initiative that explores the debates surrounding the ratification of the constitution and a recurring "Guantanamo vigil" that recognizes the current illegality of the administration's actions, and rejection of basic human rights, freedoms and protections under the law. Buchman says there is no better venue in New York for the presentation of such work.

"Our long-term plans involve a permanent home," Buchman says, "to include a theater, screening room, a lobby/exhibition space, a concert/lecture hall and a resident café where politically-charged conversation can flourish. Our love gives us a perfect opportunity to collaborate with like-minded organizations throughout the city while we continue our search."

A New York Premiere

In Conflict

Based on Yvonne Latty's ground-breaking book

Adapted and Directed by Douglas C. Wager

Previews begin September 18, 2008

Opening Night September 24, 2008

In Conflict is a compelling portrait of Iraq War veterans speaking out on duty, loss and the fight to stay alive amid one of the most controversial conflicts in modern American history. Based on Yvonne Latty's acclaimed 2006 book of the same name, the stage version of In Conflict, adapted and directed by three-time Helen Hayes Award-winner Douglas C. Wager, will begin performances on September 18, 2008 at the Barrow Street Theatre (27 Barrow Street). Opening night is set for Wednesday, September 24.

In Conflict captures the unheard voices and unpredictable experiences of 17 Iraq War veterans whose lives have been changed forever. Featuring men and women from all branches and ranks, Republican and Democrat, straight and gay, immigrants and natives, hailing from all parts of the country, these remarkable veterans represent America and its complexity. In Conflict answers the question so often asked of soldiers when they return home: What happened? Their honest answers and unbelievable accounts will change the way we think about war.

Following Culture Project's critically acclaimed World Premiere of George Packer's Betrayed, In Conflict explores the Iraq War from the American perspective and asks a different set of questions. What is the nature of patriotism and service in today's America? With an all volunteer army fighting a bewildering conflict (with doubts about the necessity and mission of this particular war), why is the re-assimilation process as brutal as it is? And why are these young soldiers essentially disenfranchised from the political process of war?

After premiering last year at Temple University in Pennsylvania (where Philadelphia Weekly named it Best New Play of the Year), In Conflict will travel to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe (July 31 – August 25) and also play the Philadelphia Fringe Festival (September 3 – 13), before finally having its much anticipated Off Broadway premiere at Culture Project. The cast of 11, all young actors who have been with the show for its entire journey, are the same age as the majority of today's troops and causalities -- a generation that is paying the highest price for this war.

The Atheist

Starring Campbell Scott

By Ronan Noone

Directed by Justin Waldman

Previews begin October 6, 2008

Opening Night October 12, 2008

This special engagement of the dark comedy The Atheist, written by Ronan Noone, directed by Justin Waldman and starring Campbell Scott ("Six Degrees"), begins performances at Culture Project's temporary new home, the Barrow Street Theatre, on Monday, October 6 with an official opening night set for Sunday, October 12.

In The Atheist, Scott plays 'Augustine Early,' a crooked reporter who will do anything to get his next front-page story. When Augustine turns a prominent local politician's tawdry predilections into front page news, the scandal threatens to undo the one person Augustine thought was immune - himself. The Atheist is a searing and hilarious play about catching the perfect front-page headline, whatever the cost.

The one-man show returns to Culture Project after a sold-out special one-night-only engagement in May. It also had a critically acclaimed run at Boston's Huntington Theatre Company last year and just completed an equally acclaimed run as part of the 2008 Williamstown Theatre Festival.

Culture Project moved to 55 Mercer Street in December 2006 and has since produced numerous acclaimed and award-winning productions in the 140-seat space, most notably Betrayed by George Packer, My Trip To Al-Qaeda by Lawrence Wright, A Question of Impeachment, Tings Dey Happen by Dan Hoyle, and Dai by Iris Bahr. It is currently presenting Lenelle Moďse's Expatriate, a two-woman play with music about race, friendship, art and fame.

Established in 1996, Culture Project's work aims to bear witness to injustice, stimulate conversation about the most profound and urgent matters of our time and convert interest, energy and engagement into a motivational demand for progressive change. Culture Project has premiered such celebrated productions and events as The Exonerated, Sarah Jones' Bridge & Tunnel and Guantanamo. Culture Project moved to 55 Mercer Street in December 2006 and has since produced numerous acclaimed and award-winning productions in the 140-seat space, most notably Betrayed by George Packer, My Trip To Al-Qaeda by Lawrence Wright, A Question of Impeachment, Tings Dey Happen by Dan Hoyle, and Dai by Iris Bahr. It is currently presenting Lenelle Moďse's Expatriate, a two-woman play with music about race, friendship, art and fame.

For more information about Culture Project and its productions, visit www.cultureproject.org. Culture Project at the Barrow Street Theatre is located at 27 Barrow Street at 7th Avenue South.

Cape Rep's 'Dirty Blonde' - 9/18/2008

Cape Rep has announced the final addition to its critically acclaimed 2008 Season. dirty BLONDE by Claudia Shear will open in Cape Rep's Indoor Theatre on September 18 for a run through October 19. It will feature Trish LaRose, Ethan Paulini and a third cast member to be announced. Emily Swanson directs. Set, Costume and Lighting designer's will be announced at a later date.

dirty BLONDE explores the relationship between Jo and Charlie, two Mae West fans in New York as they realize their need for self-discovery and self-acceptance. This comedy includes recreations of key incidents in the life of Mae West, the legendary stage and screen star famous for her uninhibited sexuality. Through these recreations the audience is allowed a humorous and touching peek into the personal price Mae West paid for her need to constantly maintain her public image.

dirty BLONDE premiered at the New York Theatre Workshop in January of 2000 and subsequently transferred to Broadway later that season where it was nominated for 5 Tony Awards including Best Play. Ms. Shear who created the title role, was also nominated for her performance.

Cape Rep on Route 6A in E. Brewster opened their 2008 Indoor Theatre Season with Lanford Wilson's Fifth of July directed by Associate Artistic Director, Maura Hanlon. It continued with a sold out production of Michael Hollinger's Red Herring directed by William Roudebush. Elizabeth Lucas' production of the epic Tony Award winning musical Ragtime by Terrence McNally, Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens is currently playing to packed houses through August 23. It will continue on November 6 with award winning director, Steven Reynolds' production of Carson McCuller's Member of the Wedding.

Tickets are available now by calling 508.896.1888 or visiting www.caperep.org.

Chenoweth Hosts Channel Thirteen Documentary - 9/18/2008

Tony Award winner Kristin Chenoweth will be hosting a reality documentary SHAKESPEARE ON THE HUDSON that will air September 18 on channel Thirteen.

While the comedy of mistaken identity and love unfolds onstage at the critically-acclaimed Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival (HVSF), Thirteen/WNET gives viewers an intimate look at the backstory and theatrical process of preparing for and performing Shakespeare's Twelfth Night to a sell-out crowd.

SHAKESPEARE ON THE HUDSON follows the troupe's core actors through all the real off-stage drama as they prepare for opening night, from the high-pressure auditions and call backs to the final moments backstage before the performance begins. The documentary highlights the story of veteran actress Maia Guest, who lands the part of Feste during auditions but worries whether she can pull it off – an anxiety that's amplified because she is also the director's wife. A pair of rookie actors from Minnesota also struggle to prove they have what it takes to perform Shakespeare before their fellow cast mates, skeptical New York critics and theater-goers.

Hosted by Tony Award-winning Kristin Chenoweth, SHAKESPEARE ON THE HUDSON premieres Thursday, September 18 at 8 p.m. on Thirteen. TWELFTH NIGHT: THE HUDSON VALLEY SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL will immediately follow at 9 p.m., showcasing the entire production.

WLIW will broadcast TWELFTH NIGHT: THE HUDSON VALLEY SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL on Friday, September 26 at 9 p.m. and SHAKESPEARE ON THE HUDSON at 11 p.m. the same evening.

Set against the dramatic backdrop of the Hudson Valley at Boscobel, a stunning 19th-century estate, a group of dedicated and talented actors assemble each year to perform a Shakespeare classic. With full access to the HVSF troupe, SHAKESPEARE ON THE HUDSON intersperses interviews with cast members Maia Guest, Paul Bates, Wesley Mann, Max Polski, and others with behind-the-scenes rehearsal footage to reveal the dedication and passion that these working actors have for their craft – many of whom have impressive television and film credits but still return to the HVSF to do regional theater. The documentary also examines the frustrations and challenges that the director and actors face of pulling together a first-rate production that is true to the original work but still accessible and relevant to a modern audience – all in time for opening night.

SHAKESPEARE ON THE HUDSON and TWELFTH NIGHT: THE HUDSON VALLEY SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL is a production of BetterThanFiction Productions for Thirteen/WNET New York. Julie Cohen is producer and director.

Thirteen/WNET is one of the key program providers for public television, bringing such acclaimed series as Nature, Great Performances, American Masters, and Charlie Rose to audiences nationwide, and serving the entire New York City metro area with unique local productions and broadcasts, cutting-edge Web sites, and innovative educational and cultural projects. More info at: www.thirteen.org.

'Ward 9' at NYMT - 9/18/2008

"Ward 9" is being presented as part of the New York Musical Theatre Festival at the Manhattan Movement & Arts Center, 248 West 60th Street (bet Amsterdam Ave. & 11th Ave.). The story is by Gregory Victor and Matt Williams, with music by Ludwig Van Beethoven; choreographed by Matt Williams and directed by Mark Robinson & Matt Williams. Emily Miller is the producer of the new musical production which has set design is by Edward Pierce; costume design by Dana Embree, lighting design by Susan Nicholson and projection design by Chris Kateff. The cast includes Matt Baker, Alexander Brady, Kate Chadwick, Trey Gillian, David Guggino, Tiffany Howard, Kelly Jacobs, Travis Magee, John Paolillo, Ashley Anne Russ and Michael Scirrotto. Performances are: Thursday, September 18 at 8pm; Saturday, 9/20 at 5pm, Sunday, 9/21 at 1pm and 7pm. Single tickets go on sale September 1 for the 2008 NYMF Festival. $20 tickets will be available at www.nymf.org or (212) 352-3101. http://www.nymf.org/Show-888.html

"Ward 9" is set to an all-Beethoven score. It is an exhilarating, tragicomical story told entirely through dance. Committed to this mythic asylum are history's most notoriously insane artists and intellectuals, including: Vincent van Gogh, Howard Hughes, Vivien Leigh, Bobby Fischer, Sylvia Plath, Ludwig Van Beethoven and Vaslav Nijinsky! See what happens when they clash with the Head Nurse as she attempts to "cure" them of their creative madness. But will she do more harm than good? Is their madness the key to their genius? Straitjackets, padded rooms, and electric shock treatment are the orders of the day. Strap yourself in and get committed, because it's medication time on WARD 9!

Matt Williams received the 2007 NYMF Award for Best choreography for "Platforms". He is the resident choreographer for the New England Tour of Circus Smirkus, and is also a resident co-producer for the Broadway choreographic showcase "Dancebreak". Matt's choreography debuted at the Tony-Award winning Alley Theatre in Scott Schwartz's production of "Much Ado About Nothing." On Broadway, Matt interned for and assisted Jerry Mitchell on the revival of "Gypsy". His choreography has also appeared at Lincoln Center, Irish Reparatory Theatre, La Mama, The Rubicon Theatre, and the Stamford Center for the Arts. Matt also holds the title of "Big Piano Choreographer" at FAO Schwarz Toy Store in NYC where he continually recreates and reinvents the world famous piano dancing scene from the hit film "Big."

Greg Victor is an historian, a dramaturg, and a stage manager; who studied dance working at the Joffrey Ballet as assistant to Gerald Arpino. On Broadway and on tour he has stage managed; "Movin' Out", "Footloose", "Swing!", "The Music Man", "A Chorus Line", "Aida", and "Monty Python's Spamalot." He was also the dramaturg for the Twyla Tharp/Billy Joel musical "Movin' Out", as well a casting associate for the Broadway and National Touring productions. He is also an artistic associate for Rasta Thomas' dance company, The Bad Boys of Dance. He is currently working on a project for the Jerome Robbins Foundation, which will be a published reference Catalogue detailing the entirety of Mr. Robbins' creative output.

Mark Robinson for Disney Theatricals, directed the world premiere of "Aida - School Edition." Some other musicals include the midwest premiere of "Zombies from the Beyond," the first licenced production of the new Irving Berlin musical "I Love A Piano!" (Best Director: Arizona Theatre Award), TheatreMemphis' season-opening productions of "Hello, Dolly!" and "A Little Night Music", as well as numerous regional shows such as: "The Pajama Game", "Camelot", "The Last 5 Years," "The Cripple of Inishmaan," and others. He also directed "Jitter," "Heroes," "Big Kids," and "Don't Ask" (Winner Best Director - NY Fringe Festival 2006). He is an associate artist with Florida's Seaside Rep. Mark serves as an Associate Producer of DanceBreak. He is a founding member of the First Look Theatre Company, Outrageous Fortune Theatre Workshop (formerly Circle Rep.), and the Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation's Artists' Action Committee advisory panel.

Metropolitan Opera To Perform Verdi's Requiem In Honor of Pavarotti - 9/18/2008

 The Metropolitan Opera will perform Verdi's Requiem Mass on Thursday, September 18 at 5:00 p.m. in commemoration of the first anniversary of the death of Luciano Pavarotti, who died on September 6, 2007. Music Director James Levine will conduct the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and Chorus with soloists Barbara Frittoli, soprano, Olga Borodina, mezzo-soprano, Marcello Giordani, tenor, and James Morris, bass, in the concert at the Opera House. Tickets to the concert are free and will be distributed via a random drawing.

The concert will also be carried live on the Metropolitan Opera on Sirius Satellite Radio, channel 78, and will be streamed live at the Met's web site, www.metopera.org.

"We are offering this free tribute in honor of one of the greatest artists of all time," said Peter Gelb, the Met's General Manager. "Pavarotti captivated millions with his performances at the Met and elsewhere, and his golden voice will resonate in this opera house for as long as it stands."

James Levine, who collaborated with Pavarotti in 139 performances at the Met beginning in 1973, said, "Few singers in the history of the Metropolitan Opera have had the popularity with the general public and the enormous impact that Luciano Pavarotti had during his 36-year career with the company. Luciano's voice was so extraordinarily beautiful and his delivery so natural and direct, that his singing spoke right to the hearts of listeners. I will never forget the sheer magic of that voice, but I will also remember the warm, generous, and exuberant spirit of the man. He is, rightfully, a legend already - an artist whose recordings will be a reference for singers and opera lovers for a long time to come."

 Luciano Pavarotti made his Met debut on November 23, 1968 as Rodolfo in Puccini's La Bohème and sang his farewell performance on March 13, 2004 as Mario Cavaradossi in the same composer's Tosca. In all, he performed 378 times with the Met, more than with any other opera company. He sang 20 roles, mostly by Italian composers, as well as performances of the Verdi Requiem and other concerts and recitals.

When the Met launched its first regular series of televised performances in 1977, the inaugural opera was La Bohème, conducted by James Levine, with Pavarotti as Rodolfo and soprano Renata Scotto, another frequent onstage partner early in his career, as Mimì. He went on to sing in 21 Met telecasts, many of which are currently available on DVD. Pavarotti also made several recordings with the Met, all conducted by Maestro Levine: La Traviata, Rigoletto, I Lombardi, L'Elisir d'Amore, and Manon Lescaut.

He first performed the role of Mario Cavaradossi in Tosca at the Met in 1978, and went on to sing it a total of 60 times, his most frequent role. Perhaps his most renowned portrayal was as Nemorino in Donizetti's L'Elisir d'Amore, his second most frequent Met role at 49 performances. He sang in 48 radio broadcasts from the Met stage and starred in 13 new production premieres. In addition to his opera performances, Pavarotti gave three recitals with piano on the Met stage, one with Maestro Levine and two with his accompanist Leone Magiera, and participated in numerous special galas, including the 1972 salute to Rudolf Bing, the 1983 Met Centennial Gala, and a gala celebration of the 30th anniversary of his Met debut in 1998.

The Met's 2008-09 season opens on Monday, September 22 at 6:30 with a gala performance featuring Renée Fleming in fully-staged acts from three operas for which she is well-known: Act II of La Traviata, Act III of Manon, and the final scene of Richard Strauss's Capriccio. In another free public event, the performance will also be transmitted live to multiple screens in Times Square and the Plaza at Fordham University's Lincoln Center campus. The opening night gala will also be the season's first The Met: Live in HD transmission to movie theaters and other venues in the Americas.

Steppenwolf Kicks Off Season With 'Kafka on the Shore' - 9/18/2008

Steppenwolf Theatre Company launches its 2008-2009 season, an exploration of the imagination, with the world premiere of Kafka on the Shore, adapted for the stage and directed by ensemble member Frank Galati, based on the book by Haruki Murakami. The production, featuring ensemble members Francis Guinan and Jon Michael Hill with Christine Bunuan, Gerson Dacanay, Mary Ann de la Cruz, Christopher Larkin, Aiko Nakasone, Andrew Pang, David Rhee and Lisa Tejero, runs September 18 - November 16, 2008 in Steppenwolf's Downstairs Theatre, 1650 N. Halsted St. The press performance is Saturday, September 27 at 3:00 p.m.

A young boy's coming of age parallels an old man's search for destiny in modern day Japan where the borders between everyday reality, dreams and imagination are constantly crossed. In this world premiere adaptation of the popular novel, encounter talking cats on the streets of Tokyo, World War II soldiers trapped in time, Colonel Sanders and Johnnie Walker. Experience the unexpected in this fantastical tale about waking up to your own life.

Tony Award-winner Frank Galati adapted and directed Haruki Murakami's after the quake during Steppenwolf's 2005-2006 Season. This critically-acclaimed production went on to successful runs at Long Wharf Theatre, La Jolla Playhouse and Berkeley Rep. Haruki Murakami, author of The Wind-Up Bird Chronicles and other novels, is an award-winning writer whose work has been translated into 34 languages.

Kafka on the Shore is directed by ensemble member Frank Galati. The design team includes: James Schuette (sets), Mara Blumenfeld (costumes), James F. Ingalls (lights), Andre Pluess and Ben Sussman (original music and sound) and Joe Dempsey (Fight Choreography). Malcolm Ewen is the Stage Manager and Lauren V. Hickman is the Assistant Stage Manager.

Steppenwolf is located near all forms of public transportation and is wheelchair accessible. Street and lot parking are available. Assistive listening devices are available for every performance.

Kafka on the Shore was developed as part of Steppenwolf's New Plays Initiative. Steppenwolf is recognized as a national leader in the development and production of new work for the American canon. Through this initiative, the company maintains ongoing relationships with writers of international prominence and rigorously discovers and supports the work of early and mid-career playwrights.

Steppenwolf's New Plays Initiative is generously sponsored by The Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust, the Zell Family Foundation, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and members of the Directors Circle.

Committed to the principle of ensemble performance through the collaboration of a company of actors, directors and playwrights, Steppenwolf Theatre Company's mission is to advance the vitality and diversity of American theater by nurturing artists, encouraging repeatable creative relationships and contributing new works to the national canon. The company, formed in 1976 by a collective of actors, is dedicated to perpetuating an ethic of mutual respect and the development of artists through on-going group work. Steppenwolf has grown into an internationally renowned company of forty-one artists whose talents include acting, directing, playwriting, filmmaking and textual adaptation.

1928 Silent Film, 'Road to Ruin', Turned Into Musical at NYMF - 9/18/2008

New York Musical Theater Festival will present the World Premiere of THE ROAD TO RUIN. This new musical comedy is based on the 1928 silent movie of the same name, a cult favorite on par with Reefer Madness and Cocaine Fiends. With book, music and lyrics by William Zeffiro, the production is directed by Mary Catherine Burke with choreography by Sea Sullivan and music direction by David Cladwell. Performances begin September 18 at The 45th Street Theater.

Set somewhere in New Jersey, THE ROAD TO RUIN is the cautionary tale of 15 year old "Little Sally Canfield" -- the nicest girl at Central High. When evil temptress Eve exposes Sally to her dark, delinquent side, it destroys Sally's dreams. But Soon, Sally's provincial life is surrounded by dark forces including narcissistic parents, a holier-than-thou entrepreneur, an alcoholic business woman, desperate housewives lusting after well-built young men, as well as an assortment of college athletes, strippers, prostitutes and dancing rabbits. The absurdity of America's moral conscience in 1928 is exposed through eerily familiar Corporate Christians, the self-help movement, and the bottled water health craze. But can Sally find redemption?

The production stars Brooke Sunny Moriber (The Wild Party, James Joyce's The Dead), Ann Morrison (Merrily We Roll Along, LoveMusik), Lori Hammel (Mamma Mia), John O'Creagh (The Field), Cristina Fadale (Rent), Michael Dantuono (42nd Street), and Christy McIntosh (Evil Dead: The Musical, Elvis and Juliet) with sets by Jesse Poleshuck, lighting by Jeff Croiter and costumes by Sarah Maiorino.

Even without a full production, THE ROAD TO RUIN has already spawned an acclaimed 2005 "cast" album from Original Cast Records (starring George S. Irving and Ann Morrison). It was a National Alliance For Musical Theatre semi-finalist in 2006 and further developed in cooperation with The Academy for New Musical Theatre in Los Angeles, East of Doheny, and The Fifth Avenue Theatre in Seattle. In 2006, Mrs. Kitty Carlisle Hart, invited THE ROAD TO RUIN to be performed in her apartment; it was the final performance at the legendary East 64th Street address.

In addition to THE ROAD TO RUIN, William Zeffirol produced and performed on the debut recording of Randy Newman's song, "Stupid Little Songs" with Brooke Sunny Moriber. Other recent projects: Producer/Music Supervisor of the Original Cast Recording of Jack: An Opera About The Life Of John F. Kennedy and producing Kitty Carlisle Hart's final recordings in 2006. Other writing projects include scripts for USA Television Network's Up All NIght and The Backseat Of The Lincoln, a play about obsession with the Kennedy assassination. He is regarded as an expert on the music of Kay Swift, and co-produced the 1986 Merkin Hall concert featuring Ms. Swift, Steve Ross, Julie Wilson and Balcom and Morris.

Hailed as "the Sundance of Musical Theatre," The New York Musical Theatre Festival (NYMF) exists to revitalize one of America's greatest art forms by discovering, supporting and promoting new musical theater artists, producers, and projects, and by introducing a diverse audience to the vibrancy of contemporary musical theater. Since its inception in 2004, the three-week annual festival has premiered more than 130 new musicals - many of which have gone on to award-winning productions in New York, in regional theaters and on tour worldwide. Widely regarded as an essential source for new material and talent discovery, NYMF is the flagship program of The National Music Theater Network. NYMF is supported, in part, by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts, and by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs and from the New York State Council on the Arts, a state agency. Festival memberships are on sale now and can be purchased online at www.nymf.org or by calling 212-352-3101; single tickets go on sale on September 1. For more information visit www.nymf.org.

THE ROAD TO RUIN runs Thurs. Sept. 18, Fri. Sept. 19, Sun. Sept. 21, Thurs. Sept. 25, & Sun. Sept. 28 at 8:00pm and Weds. Oct. 1. at 4:30pm. The 45th Street Theater is located at 354 W. 45th Street (between 8th and 9th Aves). Tickets are $18, available at 212-352-3101 or www.nymf.org beginning September 1. For more information visit www.theroadtoruin.com

Hansen, Ephraim, Arcilla and More Cast in NYMF's 'College' - 9/18/2008

After a twice-extended world-premiere engagement at the Hippodrome State Theater this summer, COLLEGE The Musical is set to make its New York City professional premiere September 18 – 28 at ATA Chernuchin Theater as part of the New York Musical Theater Festival. 

The cast will include: Marie-France Arcilla, Juliana Ashley Hansen (Saved), Molly Ephraim (Fiddler on the Roof, Into the Woods), Brandon Espinoza (Gypsy, Les Miserables, Big, Will Rogers Follies), Casey Ford Alexander (Andrew Lippa’s A Little Princess and COLLEGE The Musical world premieres), Damon Gravina, Rob Hancock (Mamma Mia! National Tour), Emily Klein (Parade), Kyra Lorraine Selman, Michael Jennings Mahoney, Eric Petersen (Spelling Bee 1st National), and Sandy Rosenberg (Mamma Mia!, The Scarlet Pimpernel, Candide). 

Directed by Jeremy Dobrish (Election Day (Second Stage), Spain (MCC)), COLLEGE The Musical features music direction by Mark Hartman (Avenue Q), choreography by Boo Killebrew (Speech and Debate), casting by Mark Simon Casting (“13”, Lovemusik), lighting by Emmy Award winner Michael Gottlieb, scenic design by Steven Capone (A Wonderful Life), sound by Michael Eisenberg (“13”), and costumes by David Kaley (Newsical).

COLLEGE The Musical is a tuneful and honest look at modern campus life penned by recent Princeton graduates Drew Fornarola and Scott Elmegreen.  The show explores the ridiculousness and pure fun of life in a dorm room, as well as offering a more serious reflection on growing up and trying to find oneself amid the chaos and insanity of the college experience.  Prior to its premiere at the Hippodrome this summer, the show previewed at Princeton in May 2006, and was developed and performed at the University at Buffalo (February 2007), and at the Schaeberle Theater as the winner of the “PACE New Musicals” competition (January 2008).  In March 2008, COLLEGE The Musical received an award from MTV for Casey Ford Alexander’s music video of the song “You’re Good Enough for Now.”

COLLEGE The Musical is being performed at ATA Chernuchin Theater (314 W 54th Street) and will play the following performance schedule: Thursday, Sept 18th (8pm); Friday, Sept 19th (10:30pm); Saturday, Sept 20 (1pm); Friday, Sept 26th (10:30pm); Saturday, Sept 27th (1pm); Sunday, Sept 28th (9pm).  Tickets can be purchased at www.nymf.org.  More information about the show is available at www.nymf.org/show-880 or by emailing collegemusical@gmail.com.

Hailed as "the Sundance of Musical Theatre," The New York Musical Theatre Festival (NYMF) exists to revitalize one of America's greatest art forms by discovering, supporting and promoting new musical theater artists, producers, and projects, and by introducing a diverse audience to the vibrancy of contemporary musical theater. Since its inception in 2004, the three-week annual festival has premiered more than 130 new musicals - many of which have gone on to award-winning productions in New York, in regional theaters and on tour in 38 states, and nine countries worldwide.  NYMF 2004 hit Altar Boyz has played well over 1,000 performances off-Broadway and is now in its fourth year at New World Stages; fellow NYMF alum [title of show] recently began performances at the Lyceum Theatre on Broadway.

Widely regarded as the essential source for new material and talent discovery, NYMF is the flagship program of The National Music Theater Network, a 501(c) 3 not-for-profit organization, and is presented in association with BroadwayWorld.com and TheaterMania.com, and is supported by amNewYork, Barnes & Noble Booksellers, BroadwayBox.com, BroadwayInsider.com, King Displays, Panasonic Astrovision, and TheMENEvent. NYMF is supported, in part, by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts, and by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs and from the New York State Council on the Arts, a state agency.

Creators of Jump Bring New Show 'Break Out' To Off-Bway - 9/18/2008

Break Out, the extreme dance comedy from the creative team of the recent Off Broadway hit JUMP, will have its New York premiere this fall, it was announced today by the show’s producers, Show and Arts Inc. (Executive Producer, Kyung-Ah Han/Artistic Director, Won-Kil Paek ).  This first North American production of the high-energy dance spectacle will play the Union Square Theatre (100 East 17th Street) September 18 through October 12, 2008, with an official opening night set for Tuesday, September 23, 2008 at 8:00 p.m.

As dance shows like “So You Think You Can Dance” and “America’s Best Dance Crew” captivate television audiences, Break Out offers some of the world’s most talented dancers performing jaw-dropping choreography in a live stage show that combines hip-hop, gymnastics, yoga, slapstick and more.

The mostly nonverbal dance comedy tells the tale of a night-in-the-life of a group of desperate prisoners whose nightmare existence changes beyond belief when an ancient and sacred text mysteriously drops into the prison.  This mysterious arrival inspires the inmates to plan a daring escape into the outside world, where they are able to enjoy a brief, and hilarious, moment of freedom.

Featuring a cast of nuns, nurses and break-dancing villains in the craziest jail break of all time, Break Out is a fun-packed, madcap night out featuring top quality performers, including some of Korea’s leading B-Boys from internationally winning crews such as Drifters Crew (Battle of the Year 2006 Finalists), Gamblers Crew (Battle of the Year 2005 Finalists) and Maximum Crew.

Created by Korea’s renowned SevenSense Inc., Break Out premiered in Korea in April 2007 and played London’s Peacock Theatre the same month.  Since then, Break Out has played all over the world, including India, Malaysia, Bangkok, Laos and the 2007 Edinburgh Festival Fringe.  A sit-down production opened at the Break Out Theatre in Seoul, Korea in December 2007 where it continues to play to SRO crowds.

The 10-person cast of Break Out includes Dae-Hyeok Lim, Won-Jun Song, Jong-Wook Jeong, Chul-Hee Han, Yong-Nam Song, Jae-Hong Park, Seong-June Park, Ji-Hee Jang, Jin-Hee Kim, Yoon-Hui Choi

Break Out is written and created by SevenSense Inc. and the creative team of JUMP and directed by Jun-Beom Juen.  The design team for Break Out includes Se-Jin Han (visual arts design), Tae-Young Kim (set design), Yun-Young Koo (lighting design), Yo-Chan Kim (sound design), Hee-Ju Kim (costume design), Mi-Suk Kim (make-up design), Hee-Jung Lim (props design) and original music by Sang-Ku Kang and Wook-Hyun Lee.

Break Out is suitable for all ages.  The show will play the following performance schedule: Tuesday through Thursday at 8:00 p.m., Friday at 7:00 p.m. & 10:00 p.m., Saturday at 3:00 p.m. & 8:00 p.m. and Sunday at 3:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. Tickets ($35 - $59) will be available to the public by visiting Ticketmaster.com or calling (212) 307-4100.   Group sales (10 or more) can be arranged by contacting 1-800-BROADWAY or by visiting TheatreDirect.com.

SevenSense Inc. is a professional performance production group that created the martial arts comedy JUMP.  By “mixing it up” on stage, SevenSense Inc. is drawing a wide variety of international audiences and is a force in the globalization of Korean performances.

Creators of 'Jump' Bring New Show 'Break Out' To Off-Bway - 9/18/2008

Break Out, the extreme dance comedy from the creative team of the recent Off Broadway hit JUMP, will have its New York premiere this fall, it was announced today by the show's producers, Show and Arts Inc. (Executive Producer, Kyung-Ah Han/Artistic Director, Won-Kil Paek ).  This first North American production of the high-energy dance spectacle will play the Union Square Theatre (100 East 17th Street) September 18 through October 12, 2008, with an official opening night set for Tuesday, September 23, 2008 at 8:00 p.m.

As dance shows like "So You Think You Can Dance" and "America's Best Dance Crew" captivate television audiences, Break Out offers some of the world's most talented dancers performing jaw-dropping choreography in a live stage show that combines hip-hop, gymnastics, yoga, slapstick and more.

The mostly nonverbal dance comedy tells the tale of a night-in-the-life of a group of desperate prisoners whose nightmare existence changes beyond belief when an ancient and sacred text mysteriously drops into the prison.  This mysterious arrival inspires the inmates to plan a daring escape into the outside world, where they are able to enjoy a brief, and hilarious, moment of freedom.

Featuring a cast of nuns, nurses and break-dancing villains in the craziest jail break of all time, Break Out is a fun-packed, madcap night out featuring top quality performers, including some of Korea's leading B-Boys from internationally winning crews such as Drifters Crew (Battle of the Year 2006 Finalists), Gamblers Crew (Battle of the Year 2005 Finalists) and Maximum Crew.

Created by Korea's renowned SevenSense Inc., Break Out premiered in Korea in April 2007 and played London's Peacock Theatre the same month.  Since then, Break Out has played all over the world, including India, Malaysia, Bangkok, Laos and the 2007 Edinburgh Festival Fringe.  A sit-down production opened at the Break Out Theatre in Seoul, Korea in December 2007 where it continues to play to SRO crowds.

The 10-person cast of Break Out includes Dae-Hyeok Lim, Won-Jun Song, Jong-Wook Jeong, Chul-Hee Han, Yong-Nam Song, Jae-Hong Park, Seong-June Park, Ji-Hee Jang, Jin-Hee Kim, Yoon-Hui Choi

Break Out is written and created by SevenSense Inc. and the creative team of JUMP and directed by Jun-Beom Juen.  The design team for Break Out includes Se-Jin Han (visual arts design), Tae-Young Kim (set design), Yun-Young Koo (lighting design), Yo-Chan Kim (sound design), Hee-Ju Kim (costume design), Mi-Suk Kim (make-up design), Hee-Jung Lim (props design) and original music by Sang-Ku Kang and Wook-Hyun Lee.

Break Out is suitable for all ages.  The show will play the following performance schedule: Tuesday through Thursday at 8:00 p.m., Friday at 7:00 p.m. & 10:00 p.m., Saturday at 3:00 p.m. & 8:00 p.m. and Sunday at 3:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. Tickets ($35 - $59) will be available to the public by visiting Ticketmaster.com or calling (212) 307-4100.   Group sales (10 or more) can be arranged by contacting 1-800-BROADWAY or by visiting TheatreDirect.com.

SevenSense Inc. is a professional performance production group that created the martial arts comedy JUMP.  By "mixing it up" on stage, SevenSense Inc. is drawing a wide variety of international audiences and is a force in the globalization of Korean performances.

Hoffman Directed 'RIFLEMIND' Opens at Trafalgar 9/18 - 9/18/2008

Philip Seymour Hoffman will direct the European premiere of RIFLEMIND, a new play by Sydney Theatre Company Co Artistic Director Andrew Upton. RIFLEMIND will open at the Trafalgar Studios in the hubbub of London’s West End on Thursday 18 September, following previews from 15 September.

Twenty years after their frontman, John, walked off stage for good, the iconic rock band Riflemind are set to get together again. For John (John Hannah), a reunion might be his second chance; for his wife Lynn (Susan Prior), it could be the end of the world as she knows it ... As the band descends upon John's country manor, one weekend fast becomes the ultimate test of talent, friendship and loyalty. 

“RIFLEMIND” originally premiered at the Sydney Theatre Company in 2007, directed by Hoffman. The West End season also features original Australian cast members Susan Prior, Steve Rodgers and Jeremy Sims alongside John Hannah and Paul Hilton. Ruth Gemmell will play ‘Cindy’. Andrew Upton’s most recent play, an adaptation of Gorky’s “The Philistines”, opened at the National Theatre in 2007 to critical acclaim.

John Hannah is best known for his roles in “Four Weddings and a Funeral” and “Sliding Doors” and he is co-starring with Brendan Fraser in “The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor” (third in the “Mummy” film series). Theatre includes Neil LaBute’s “The Mercy Seat” (Almeida) and “Miss Julie” (Young Vic). His television includes starring roles in “Rebus” and “Cold Blood”. 

Paul Hilton has starred in many London stage productions including “Rosmersholm” at the Almeida Theatre, “The Wild Duck” directed by Michael Grandage at the Donmar Warehouse and “Mourning Becomes Electra” at the Royal National Theatre. His television credits include starring in “Medieval Heist” and “True Dare Kiss”.

Ruth Gemmell has many West End, RSC and Royal National Theatre acting credits, including ‘Mrs. Lynch’ in “Coram Boy”, ‘Lady MacDuff’ in “Macbeth” and ‘Regan’ in “King Lear”. Her multitudinous television credits range from “Primeval” through “Trial & Retribution”, “Waking the Dead”, “Silent Witness” and “Dalziel & Pascoe” to “Holby City”, “The Bill” and “Peak Practice”. She played ‘Sarah Hughes’ opposite Colin Firth in the film “Fever Pitch” and she will soon be seen opposite Viggo Mortensen in the new film “Good”.

“RIFLEMIND” will be produced in London by Howard Panter for The Ambassador Theatre Group Limited, Tulchin/Bartner Productions, Sweet Pea Productions, David Richenthal and Sydney Theatre Company. “RIFLEMIND” will launch a new phase of international collaboration for Trafalgar Studios as a unique producing house in the West End. Sydney Theatre Company, whose joint Artistic Directors are playwright Andrew Upton and his wife, actress Cate Blanchett, will join Trafalgar as an Associate Company of the venue. As an Associate Company, STC and Trafalgar will jointly develop new work, forming an international creative bridge in both directions. 

Performance times for “RIFLEMIND” at the Trafalgar Studios will be Mondays to Saturdays at 7.30pm with Thursday and Saturday matinees at 2.30pm. Tickets, priced from £25 - £45, are available from the Trafalgar Studios box office on 0870 060 6632.

'Dave Davinci Saves The Universe' Plays at Chopin Theatre Starting 9/18 - 9/18/2008

The creative team that captivated audiences in 2007 with the smash-hit The Sparrow, will re-imagine their 2005 hit, DAVE DAVINCI SAVES THE UNIVERSE, this fall for a limited engagement at the Chopin Theatre, 1543 W Division St.  Written by Chris Mathews, Jake Minton and Nathan Allen, directed by Nathan Allen, and presented by The House Theatre of Chicago, DAVE DAVINCI SAVES THE UNIVERSE will run September 18 - November 8, 2008.  Press opening is Sunday, September 21.  Tickets are $10-$29, and may be purchased by calling (773) 251-2195 or online at www.thehousetheatre.com.

The writers of The Sparrow have gone back in time to re-imagine the most daring story they have ever told.  DAVE DAVINCI SAVES THE UNIVERSE tells the story of the world’s most famous scientist working against the clock to invent the only thing that can save his daughter’s life and his marriage; a time machine.  The House Theatre of Chicago shares a completely fresh version of an original favorite with new characters, sharper dialogue, a new design, more heartfelt comedy, and tighter twists than ever before.  This giant leap forward in the life of an unpredictable, smart and amusing story of timeless love in the face of tragic loss is not to be missed!

DAVE DAVINCI SAVES THE UNIVERSE is written by Chris Mathews, Jake Minton and Nathan Allen, and directed by Nathan Allen.  The cast includes Carolyn Defrin (The Sparrow, The Valentine Trilogy), Paige Hoffman (The Sparrow, The Great and Terrible Wizard of Oz), Joshua Holden (The Nutcracker, Hope Springs Infernal), Stacy Stoltz (Hatfield & McCoy, The Hypocrites’ Our Town), Stephen Taylor (The Great and Terrible Wizard of Oz, The Terrible Tragedy of Peter Pan) and Dennis Watkins (The Magnificents, Death and Harry Houdini).

Original music is composed by Kevin O’Donnell, with new scenic design by Collette Pollard, new lighting design by Ben Wilhelm, new costume design by Debbie Baer, sound design by Michael Griggs, and props design by Michelle N. Warner.

DAVE DAVINCI SAVES THE UNIVERSE will be re-imagined for a limited engagement September 18 – November 8, 2008 at the Chopin Theatre (1543 W. Division St).  Performances are Thursday and Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 5 p.m. and 8 p.m., and Sunday at 7 p.m.  Please note: there will not be a performance at 5 p.m. on Saturday, September 20.  Tickets are $10-$29, and may be purchased by calling (773) 251-2195 or online at www.thehousetheatre.com.

For more information on The House Theatre of Chicago visit www.thehousetheatre.com.

About The House Theatre of Chicago

Our story began 7 years ago with an unlikely show on Halloween night.  It was the birth of a company of artists and fans that sought a better theatre experience.  Following that critically acclaimed run of Death and Harry Houdini, The House burst onto the Chicago scene with the smash hit success of The Terrible Tragedy of Peter Pan, an original adaptation that ran for five months in 2002.

The ensuing years brought more than a dozen world premiere productions including The Great and Terrible Wizard of Oz, Hatfield & McCoy and the genre bending, three year, epic rock musical, The Valentine Trilogy.  In early 2007, the critical and popular success of The Sparrow took The House to both the Steppenwolf Merle Reskin Garage Theatre, and the Apollo Theater, and with it a whole new audience. In Year 8, The House is reborn in Wicker Park as we take up residency at the Chopin Theatre.  Join the revolution.

Yohen - 9/19/2008

Daniels and York To Star In Tune's 'Century' At Goodman - 9/19/2008

 Variety.com is reporting that actor Jeff Daniels and actress Rachel York will be starring in Tommy Tune's 'Turn of the Century' scheduled to run at the Goodman theater in Chicago this fall. The musical is being produced by the duo that brought Jersey Boys to the stage, Michael Brickman and Rick Elice. The show will run at the Goodman from September 19th- August 26th 2008. 

Jeff Daniels will be playing a "womanizing piano player" to York's "luckless singer who finally catches a break". 

On November 12, 2003, The President of The United States presented Tommy Tune with the nations' highest honor for Artistic Achievement, The National Medal of Arts. In a private ceremony in the oval office of the White House, Mr. Tune received this honor to add to his already unprecedented nine Tony Awards in four different categories plus, among other accolades, eight Drama Desk Awards, two Obie Awards, two Astaire Awards, the American Dance Award, the Drama League Award, and the George Abbott Award for Lifetime Achievement. For full bio visit: http://www.tommytune.com/bio.htm. 

Jeff Daniels is best known for roles in films such as Dumb & Dumber, Terms of Endearment, and The Squid and the Whale. He recently starred on stage in MTC's presentation of 'Blackbird' alongside Alison Pill. He also writes and performs his own songs at Broadway at Birdland. 

Rachel York recently appeared on Broadway in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels with Jonathan Pryce.  Her other Broadway credits include City of Angels, Les Misérables, Victor/Victoria, The Scarlet Pimpernel and Sly Fox. York made her Feinstein's debut, performing her cabaret For the Love of It. In concert, York has worked with Peter Nero and the Philly Pops, The Sound of Music at the Hollywood Bowl with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and the National Symphony and the Pittsburgh Pops under the direction of conductor Marvin Hamlisch. York has also been a featured guest soloist in numerous tribute programs performing the works of Sondheim, Porter, Coleman, Gershwin, Wildhorn, Kander and Ebb, Ahrens and Flaherty, Boublil and Schönberg, and many others.

Photo Credit Walter McBride/Retna Ltd.

Clay Aiken Returns as Sir Robin in Spamalot - 9/19/2008

Clay Aiken will return to the scene of his triumphant Broadway debut in the Tony Award-winning Best Musical, Monty Python's SPAMALOT this Fall. Clay's debut on Broadway earlier this year was met with wild enthusiasm from both his legion of fans and the New York press. He will reprise the role of 'Sir Robin ' at the Shubert Theatre from September 19 2008 - January 4 2009.

When he made his Broadway debut in SPAMALOT at the beginning of this year, Newsday said "Aiken is a charmer" and the Associated Press said that "Clay Aiken deftly handles supremely silly."

Clay Aiken became a music superstar following his success on the "American Idol" television series, and has sold more than six million albums; co-authored a best-selling book; and, played six sold-out concert tours, said "Since leaving SPAMALOT in May, jokes have just not been funny. Food has lost its taste. The grass is no longer green -- the sky no longer blue. And, babies WON'T stop crying!! I'm so excited about coming back to the funniest show in the world!"

This spring, Aiken released his fourth album, On My Way Here, his first album of original songs since his 2003 chart topping, double platinum debut Measure of a Man. On My Way Here's debut in Billboard Magazine's Top 5 continued his streak of all four of his albums having debuted in the Top 5.

Directed by Mike Nichols, who won his eighth Tony Award for his direction of the new musical, Monty Python's SPAMALOT has a book by Eric Idle, "lovingly ripped-off" from the screenplay of the Pythons' best- loved film, Monty Python and the Holy Grail by Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones and Michael Palin. The music is by Eric Idle and John Du Prez.

Tickets are available online now at telecharge.com or by calling (212) 239-6200/(800) 432-7250.

Other members of the SPAMALOT creative team include Casey Nicholaw (choreography), multiple Olivier Award-winners Tim Hatley (sets and costumes) and Hugh Vanstone (lighting) and Acme Sound Partners.

Winning more awards than any other show in the 2005 Broadway Season, including the Tony Award for Best Musical and the Grammy Award for Best Cast Recording, SPAMALOT has set box office records since opening on Broadway to critical acclaim in March, 2005 at the flagship Shubert Theatre.

Monty Python's SPAMALOT is currently running in London's West End at the Palace Theatre and is also on National Tour around the US. Monty Python's SPAMALOT is produced by Boyett Ostar Productions, The Shubert Organization, Arielle Tepper, Stephanie McClelland/Lawrence Horowitz, Elan V. McAllister/Allan S. Gordon, Independent Presenters Network, Roy Furman, GRS Associates, Jam Theatricals, TGA Entertainment and Live Nation.

For more information on SPAMALOT, please visit:

www.montypythonsspamalot.com

Antic Disposition Presents 'Midsummer' at Cochrane - 9/19/2008

Following its recent production of Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet at Jermyn Street Theatre, burgeoning young theatre company Antic Disposition returns to London for two nights only later this year to present a brand new staging of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream at the Cochrane Theatre on Friday 19 and Saturday 20 September 2008. It arrives in London following a summer season at seven outdoor locations in South West France.

When a handful of humans accidentally stumble into the magical realm of the frolicsome fairies, the stage is set for a night of comical confusion in the moonlit woods. Can true love combined with a little bit of magic conjure up a happy ending before the sun rises? One of Shakespeare's best-loved plays, A Midsummer Night's Dream combines madcap comedy, lyrical poetry and visual spectacle in an enchanting experience for the whole family.

Ami Sayers, who recently played Juliet in Antic Disposition's Romeo & Juliet, returns to play Hermia in a cast that also includes Andrew Venning, who played Benvolio in that production, as Puck, Austin Hardiman who played Feste in Antic Disposition's Twelfth Night as Lysander and Ben Bibbings who played Sebastian in Twelfth Night as Demetrius.

Produced by Antic Disposition, A Midsummer Night's Dream is directed by Ben Horslen and John Risebero with design by John Risebero, lighting design by Howard Hudson and music by James Burrows. Antic Disposition was founded in 2005 with the aim of presenting innovative, entertaining theatrical work from a variety of genres throughout Europe.

Each August the company produces Festival Shakespeare du Quercy, an annual celebration of the works of William Shakespeare which takes place in stunning open-air locations across South West France. For the 2005 Festival, Antic Disposition produced The Shakespeare Revue, which also toured the UK and enjoyed a London run at the New End Theatre. The company performed Romeo and Juliet in 2006 and Twelfth Night in 2007, both of which subsequently appeared at the Cochrane Theatre in central London.

White Horse Theater Company to Present 'Small Craft Warnings' by Williams - 9/19/2008

The White Horse Theater Company, known for acclaimed productions of plays by Sam Shepard and Tennessee Williams, will present a limited engagement of Small Craft Warnings by Tennessee Williams. The play is directed by White Horse Producing Artistic Director Cyndy A. Marion, recognized for her recent revival of Williams’ play In the Bar of A Tokyo Hotel, and innovative productions of plays by Sam Shepard. Performances will run from September 19th –October 5th, 2008 in a limited engagement at The Workshop Theater Company (Main Stage Theater), located at 312 West 36th Street (4th Floor) between 8th & 9th Avenues in NYC.

Performances run Tuesdays-Saturdays at 8pm and Sundays at 3pm with an additional performance on Saturday, October 4th at 2pm. Tickets are $18 and can be purchased online at http://www.SmartTix.com or by calling 212-868-4444. Trains: A,C,E,1,2,3,9 to 34th Street. For more info on the company and the play visit http://www.WhiteHorseTheater.com.

Set in a seaside bar on the coast of Southern California in the early 1970s, Small Craft Warnings offers a glimpse into the lives of the regulars who inhabit the bar as refuge from the storm of life. Impassioned by the anniversary of her “angelic” brother’s death, Leona, a rowdy beautician, unleashes a fury of intolerance on her wayward drinking companions; a drunken ex-doctor who still practices illegally, an aging hustler, a homeless prostitute and a spineless short-order cook. Monk, the temperate and well-meaning barkeeper, tries to keep the peace as two newcomers, a cynical homosexual and his young pick-up look on.

Often considered the best play of Williams’ ‘Later Period’, Small Craft Warnings blends the poetic realism of his early work with the stylized-theatricality of his later plays. Originally a one-act entitled
Confessional, Williams expanded the play into the full-length Small Craft Warnings in 1971 after learning of a successful production in Bar Harbour, Maine. Small Craft Warnings was a ray of hope for Williams, who had just emerged from a personal and professional nadir. It was his testament to human isolation and an honest plea for acceptance and understanding.

The play’s director, Cyndy A. Marion, was named one of NYTheatre.com’s 2007 People Of The Year. USA Today has called her “a budding young Shepard interpreter.” Ms. Marion’s directing credits with White Horse include In the Bar of a Tokyo Hotel, The Late Henry Moss, Buried Child, A Lie of The Mind, States of Shock and True West. Other NYC directing credits include the world premiere of Mina by Leslie Lee at La MaMa and PB&J at the 2007 FringeNYC. She earned her MFA in Directing from Brooklyn College.

The cast includes Graham Anderson, Peter Bush, Tommy Heleringer, Christopher Johnson, Andrea Maulella, Patrick Terance McGowan, Linda S. Nelson, Mark Ransom and Rod Sweitzer.

There will be a post-show talkback following the Sunday, Sept 21st performance. The moderated discussion will include renowned Tennessee Williams Scholars Dr. Annette J. Saddik and Mr. Thomas Keith. Dr. Saddik is an Associate Professor in the English Department at New York City College of Technology (CUNY) and a teacher in the Ph.D. Program in Theatre at the CUNY Graduate Center. She is the author of Contemporary American Drama and The Politics of Reputation: The Critical Reception of Tennessee Williams’ Later Plays. Dr. Saddik has edited and introduced a collection of Williams’ previously unpublished later plays entitled The Traveling Companion and Other Plays.

Mr. Keith is an editor at New Directions Publishing in New York. He has been involved in the preparation of nineteen Tennessee Williams titles from New Directions, most recently Mister Paradise and Other One-Act Plays, The Traveling Companion and Other Plays, and A House Not Meant to Stand, for which he also wrote the introduction and notes. Mr. Keith is on the board of advisors for the Tennessee Williams/New Orleans Literary Festival and the Provincetown Tennessee Williams Theater Festival.

The White Horse Theater Company is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to producing and developing American plays and playwrights. They seek to investigate, define and celebrate American identity and culture by re-examining American classics and nurturing new American voices.

This production has been made possible in part through the sponsorship of The Field, and with funding provided by White Horse Theater Company Sponsors.

The design/production team consists of Obie-Winner John C. Scheffler (Set Design), Joe Gianono (Incidental Music), Debra Leigh Siegel (Lighting Design), David B. Thompson (Costume Design), Vanessa R. Bombardieri (Dramaturg), Leigh Hile (Assistant Director) and Elliot Lanes (Stage Manager).

Personal Space Theatrics To Present US Premiere of 'Safari Party' - 9/20/2008

Iconic writer of stage and screen, Tim Firth, has entrusted the US PREMIERE of his critically-acclaimed play, The Safari Party, in the very capable hands of Nicholas Cotz and Personal Space Theatrics. Due to the exciting nature of this honor, Personal Space Theatrics has announced a special ticket price offering of $15 through September 1st.

Set inside three households of Cheshire, England, this black farce for the 21st century is not to be missed. Lies, blood, racism, suicide, shotguns, sheep shears and table golf are all employed in this well-crafted high-intensity rollercoaster that masterfully softens the bold darkness with effective comedic undertones.

The characters have agreed to hold a "safari party", a common type of dinner party in the UK, where each course is served at a different house. Hors d'oeuvres are served at the home of the young Shellmedine brothers, a pair of quintessential bachelors with English wit, charm, and grand schemes to impress the neighbors and their pretty young daughter. Lol and Esther, a pair that makes even Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia seem laid-back, provide the entrée in their upscale country cottage. But the crčme-de-la-crčme remains dessert at Igna's, a sweet old antiques dealer with a wicked secret. These three households are not just linked by social standings, but by the significance of an old wood table, which plays the central part of this dark comedy. PST invites the audience to not only see and hear the show, but smell, taste and touch as well.

The cast includes Rebecca Street (Esther), Ed Schiff (Lol), Erika Sheffer (Bridget ), Patrick Shibles Jones (Adam), Janet Prince (Inga), StuArt Williams (Daniel).

Personal Space Theatrics, Inc., founded in 2001, is a non-profit theater company dedicated to serve a curious and passionate audience by fundamentally changing the way they experience theatre. The Company promotes the appreciation of storytelling through live performance. Personal Space Theatrics, Inc. produces innovative theatre that returns to the root of storytelling by removing the barrier between stage and audience to create a community within a shared space

Previews: Friday Sept. 19th, 8pm; Saturday, Sept 20th, 2pm
Opening: Saturday Sept. 20th, 8pm—Runs Tues-Weds, 7pm, Sept 23, 24, 30, Oct. 1, 7, 8;
Thurs-Sat, 8pm, Sept. 25-27, Oct. 2-4, 9-11; Sundays, 2pm, Sept. 28 and Oct. 5—Tickets $20.

The Algonquin is located at 123 East 24th Street (Park and Lexington).
TICKETS CAN BE PURCHASED AT www.smarttix.com

Morgan's 'Gustafer' Returns to Off-Broadway - 9/20/2008

Performer Morgan Taylor returns to the off-Broadway stage for an autumn run of his multi-media show, Gustafer Yellowgold's Mellow Sensation, at the DR2 Theatre, 103 E. 15th St., NYC, with performances at 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. every Saturday from September 20 through December 6.

Wrote New York Magazine, "The most original performer on the family-music scene today is Morgan Taylor, creator of Gustafer Yellowgold. Whereas the other kiddie-tunes stars are reinvigorating old folk tunes and rocking out on the Noggin channel, Taylor has dreamed up a whole world of story-songs about Gustafer (he's from the sun) and his menagerie of friends. Not to be missed."

Starting this fall, Gustafer Yellowgold celebrates the seasons… with beards and pinecones! Kids who come to Gustafer Yellowgold's Mellow Sensation will get to know Gustafer and his friends through such new-to-the-show songs as "Beard for All Seasons" and "The Bluebird Tree," and Morgan Taylor promises to also perform plenty of old favorites. The autumn run of Gustafer Yellowgold's Mellow Sensation will take audiences through Gustafer's very favorite time of year, with – in addition to new songs -- a bigger band, new between-song visuals and jokes, a new autumn stage set decorated with pinecones and autumn leaves, and special shows for Halloween, Thanksgiving, and the winter holidays. Costumes will be encouraged for Halloween, and Gustafer will sponsor a food drive for Thanksgiving. Children will even have the opportunity to meet Gustafer Yellowgold himself, as he makes his first in-person appearances, ever!

Morgan Taylor's trademark "musical moving book" of giant, projected, animated illustrations forms the heart of Gustafer Yellowgold's Mellow Sensation, and Taylor's whimsical, absurdist humor infuses his performances of original songs and stories about Gustafer's world.

Gustafer Yellowgold is a little, yellow, cone-headed fellow who came to Earth from the sun and has an interesting magnetism for making friends with some of Earth's odder creatures. He lives in a cottage-style home on the edge of an uncharted wooded area in Minnesota. Gustafer loves the fall because it leads to winter, a season for which he had yearned all his life on the hot sun.

Since his creation in 2005, Gustafer Yellowgold has become an international phenomenon, praised by Newsweek as "full of great pop tunes and hand-drawn animation about a li'l fella from the sun." The Los Angeles Times enthused, "Taylor's whimsical, lightly psychedelic world forms an interesting bridge between adult and kids' music." Possessing an unusual crossover appeal, The Gustafer Yellowgold Show has performed as the support act for Wilco and The Polyphonic Spree, as well as headlining kids' venues all across the U.S., in London, and even in Seoul, Korea!

Morgan Taylor returns to the stage as a proud, new father! His wife, singer-songwriter Rachel Loshak, performs with him, making Gustafer Yellowold's Mellow Sensation very much a family affair. Families are encouraged to attend the show together, and birthday parties are most welcome. If notified in advance, the song "I Jump on Cake" can be dedicated to the birthday child, and special birthday treats are distributed to partygoers. Discounted ticket prices are available for birthday groups.

Morgan Taylor has released two award-winning Gustafer Yellowgold DVD/CD sets. 'Gustafer Yellowgold's Have You Never Been Yellow?' made Disney Family.com's and NPR's "Best of 2007" lists. 'Gustafer Yellowgold's Wide Wild World' was a 2007 NAPPA (National Parenting Publications Awards) Gold winner, a Parenting "Mom Tested! DVD of the Year," and an official selection of the KIDS FIRST! Film and Video Festival. A third Gustafer Yellowgold DVD/CD set is planned for release in March 2009.

Melissa Errico To Perform for Families at Playgarden in Tribeca - 9/20/2008

Playgarden will welcome Melissa Errico for a "Concert & Coffee' on Saturday morning, September 20th at 10AM.
followed by Sweet Sleep Families are invited to come enjoy the "voice of enchantment"(NY Times) as Melissa performs songs from her second solo cd, Lullabies & Wildflowers.

The Broadway star engages little ones and parents alike with her jazzy tones. Songs range from upbeat anthems exuding sheer happiness to lullabies sweet enough to rock anyone to sleep.

"Play in our INDOOR PLAYGROUND from 10-11 and groove to live music by Melissa Errico from 11-12 followed by CD signing, coffee and conversation," state press notes.

FREE for Playgarden Members and $30 per Family otherwise. Please RSVP for this event at rsvp@playgardennyc.com as space is limited.

The Playgarden is located in Tribeca at 95 Franklin Street

Philadelphia Theatre Workshop Kicks Off Season With Fundraiser 9/20 - 9/20/2008

Philadelphia Theatre Workshop is kicking off its 2008-2009 season with a Kick-Off Fundraiser on September 20 at 7:00 p.m. at the Ethical Society, 1906 Rittenhouse Square. Tickets cost $25 and are available on the theatre's website at www.philadelphiatheatreworkshop.org.

The evening will include a "Season Preview" which  showcases scenes from the PTW's mainstage plays: "The Mystery Plays" and "The Meatpackers Book Club" and a presentation of the four plays chosen for the annual PlayShop Festival. The second half of the evening is the  "Simple Cabaret,"  a half hour of songs presented by actor/singers who have worked with PTW in the past.  Ticket prices also include a silent auction and food and drink.

The Philadelphia Theatre Workshop season begins November 15 with the Philadelphia Premiere of Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa's The Mystery Plays at Walnut Street Theatre's Studio 5.

 
About Philadelphia Theatre Workshop

Philadelphia Theatre Workshop strives to nurture bright and emerging artists at various stages of their careers. They will ignite Philadelphia by spotlighting communities of varying orientations, ethnicities, and age often underrepresented in the broader theatrical world. The company is dedicated to reflecting diverse audiences through original, evocative programming. Philadelphia Theatre Workshop educates, invigorates, and entertains!

Matt Bogart To Replace Spencer in 'Jersey Boys' on 9/30 - 9/20/2008

Matt Bogart will join the Broadway cast of Jersey Boys, the Tony® and Grammy® Award-winning smash hit musical, in the role of Nick Massi on Tuesday, September 30. J. Robert Spencer, who originated the role at La Jolla Playhouse and on Broadway, will play his final performance on Sunday, September 14. In the interim, the role of Nick Massi will be played by John Leone.

Jersey Boys is written by Marshall Brickman & Rick Elice, with music by Bob Gaudio, lyrics by Bob Crewe, and is directed by two-time Tony® Award-winner Des McAnuff and choreographed by Sergio Trujillo.
Jersey Boys is the story of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons: Frankie Valli, Bob Gaudio, Tommy DeVito and Nick Massi, about a group of blue-collar boys from the wrong side of the tracks who became one of the biggest American pop music sensations of all time. They wrote their own songs, invented their own sounds and sold 175 million records worldwide - all before they were thirty.

Jersey Boys opened to rave reviews in Las Vegas on May 3, 2008.  The production premiered at La Jolla Playhouse, October 17, 2004, where the musical played a record-breaking run prior to the Broadway production. Jersey Boys opened at the August Wilson Theatre on Broadway to critical acclaim on November 6, 2005 and continues to be among the five top grossing shows in New York.  The Jersey Boys North American Tour opened to rave reviews in San Francisco on December 1, 2006 and played a 44-week, record-breaking run.  The show is currently playing in New York, Chicago, Las Vegas, London and in cities across the U.S. on a National Tour, and will open in Melbourne, Australia in March, 2009.

Jersey Boys: The Story of Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons (Broadway Books) is the official handbook to the smash Broadway hit and is currently on sale in bookstores nationwide.

Matt Bogart has appeared on Broadway in Aida (Radames), Miss Saigon (Chris, also National Tour), The Civil War (Pt. Taylor), Smokey Joe’s Café (White Guy, also filmed for TV & DVD) and recently, the National Tour of Camelot (Lancelot). He's appeared in the world premieres of Zhivago (San Diego Critics Award) with Des McAnuff, Ace, Himself and Nora, Camille Claudel, People Like Us, and Two Cities (CT Critics Award Nomination).  Mr. Bogart has performed at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, The Kennedy Center and is an Affiliated Artist for Arena Stage having played in Orpheus Descending (Val) and Camelot (Helen Hayes Award Nomination). On film Film/TV he's been featured in Summer Nuts (feature), Law & Order. Check out his recordings and more at www.MattBogart.com.

For more information on Jersey Boys visit www.JerseyBoysInfo.com

The StageFARM Annual $hakedown Benefit at the Bell House 9/20 - 9/20/2008

Off-Broadway's theatre company the stageFARM (Carrie Shaltz, Founder / Executive Director and Alex Kilgore, Artistic Director) will hold their 3rd annual $HAKEDOWN benefit at The Bell House (149 7th Street in Brooklyn). The evening will headline with bands Kidz in the Hall and Blitz the Ambassador. The Back C. C.'s will open the night. This exciting live music event will take place on Saturday, September 20 with doors opening at 8 pm. All proceeds go to benefit the stageFARM's 2008/2009 season.

The stageFARM is a non-profit Off-Broadway theater company dedicated to commissioning and producing relevant new plays for a new audience, by playwrights with voices that engage our restless generation. The company's newest production, SPIN, begins performances October 3 at The Cherry Lane Theatre.

Tickets to $HAKEDOWN are $20.00 and can be purchase at the door, or in advance by visiting www.thestageFARM.org. Surprise drink specials will accompany $3 beers/$5 drinks all night. The event is open to the public and parking is free!

Check out www.thestageFARM.org for more information.

Kidz in the Hall

www.myspace.com/kidzinthehall

Kidz In The Hall recently released their album "The In Crowd" to rave reviews and critical acclaim. Their first video for the lead single "Drivin' Down The Block" was touted by MTV as the most creative video of the summer and their follow up, "Love Hangover" feat. UK superstar Estelle premiered this past week on MTV's Total Requst Live. The group also created "Work To Do" in late 2007 which has been officially endorsed as a campaign song for Barack Obama.

Blitz the Ambassador

www.myspace.com/blitztheambassador

The Back C. C.'s

www.myspace.com/thebackccs

In the shadow of the famous and brooding Kentile Floors sign in the burgeoning and classic neighborhood of Gowanus, The Bell House, a gorgeous new and unique music venue and lounge. The Bell House is a magnificent two-room music and events venue located at 149 7th Street between 2nd & 3rd Avenues. It was crafted out of an old 1920's warehouse once used as a printing press, but more recently used as a fly-by-night shipping company.

Conceived and created by the friends behind Union Hall (Park Slope) and Floyd (Brooklyn Heights), The Bell House are thrilled to be pioneers of sorts adding a prominent performance space to Brownstone Brooklyn. The main space boasts 25 foot wooden arched ceilings, a 450 square foot stage, and unobstructed views from any part of the room. "Brownstone Brooklyn needed a major music venue and event space, and we found a beautiful old building near the Gowanus that was seemingly designed for live music," said co-owner, Jim Carden. "We'll be able to graduate the bands we've championed at Union Hall to a space like no other in New York City and be able to host acts that were simply too big for the stage there", adds co-owner and talent buyer Jack McFadden.

The storefront features a comfortable 150 capacity lounge which will be open seven nights a week as a friendly neighborhood bar and gathering space featuring beer from independent and local breweries.

Amargo's 'Tiempo Muerto' Travels from Spain to Town Hall 9/20, 21 - 9/20/2008

Direct from Spain, an exceptional and exciting event occurs when Rafael Amargo with his 18 member company perform “Tiempo Muerto” with two special performances at Town Hall (123 West 43rd Street, between Broadway & Avenue of the Americas/6th Ave) on Saturday, September 20, 2008 at 8:00 pm and Sunday, September 21 at 3:00 pm.  After flirting with modern dance, break-dance, aerial theatre and cinema, Rafael Amargo returns to the most flamenco essence with "Tiempo Muerto", the sixth show in his career.

 The production is Choreographed & Directed by Rafael Amargo; with a Music score by Juan Parrilla & Flavio Rodrigues and with Lyrics by Rafael Amargo.  The Costumes Designer is Amaya Arzuaga; the Lighting Designer is Nicolas Fischtel (A.A.I.); with Music Direction by by Juan Parrilla & Flavio Rodrigues; Stage Photographs by Jesus Vallinas; Studio Photographs by Bernardo Doral; and Art Design by Barbeito & Manrique.  The Executive Producer is David Lopez. It is a production of Amores Que Matan S.L. (Spain).  Maestro Artist Management is presenting the spectacular show in NYC.     www.maestroartist.com

Rafael Amargo is one of Spain’s top flamenco dancers. Enjoying movie star status in Europe, Rafael is a regular face on glossy magazine covers throughout the continent, and has been photographed by Bruce Weber, Annie Leibovitz and Christopher Makos to name a few.  He is a versatile award winning dancer and choreographer. Whilst he adheres to the purest flamenco style, he has assimilated other types of dance, influenced by his studies in New York at the Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance.

A young flamenco star with a great track behind him, Rafael was born in Granada in Andalusia, the heartland of flamenco. He studied with some of the best, including Mariquilla, Maite Galán, Alejandro Granados, Ciro, Manolete, El Guito, Antonio Canales and Adrián Galia.  He began ballet and classical Spanish dance training at the Royal Conservatory of Madrid after seeing “Carmen” with Antonio Banderas.  He was able to complete this training with his experience as a solo dancer in the dance companies of Antonio Canales, El Güito, Luisillo, María Rosa, Mario Maya, Rafael Aguilar, La Chunga and in Karine Saporte´s contemporary dance company.  During the period he spent in Japan, he danced in the prestigious Flamenco tablao, and he was the choreographer for such Japanese dance companies, as Yuirko Yoda´s, Etsuko Saito´s and Chizuko Otsuka´s.

1997 Rafael Amargo started his own company, Nacencia, and showed that he is quick and efficient at creating stage shows that strike up a connection with audiences. He has performed in the most important theaters, festivals and shows worldwide. He has received 4 Max Awards (Highest distinction of the Spanish Scenic Arts): 2 awards as Best Dancer and Best Dancing Show for “Amargo”, one Best Dancer Award for “El Amor Brujo”, and one Best Dancer Award for “Poeta En Nueva York”, a show which has also been awarded as Best Show of the Decade by the readers of EL PAIS (Spains’ most important newspaper). He has also received the "Positano Leonide Massine Prize", in recognition for his work as a choreographer and a dancer. This award is the most important given to dance in Italy, which has been previously awarded Rudolf Nureyev, Maurice Bejart, Lindsay Kemp and other stars of the dance world. Rafael is the choreographer for the new London spectacular musical, “Zorro” with music by The Gypsy Kings.

Tickets for Rafael Amargo “Tiempo Muerto” are $45, $55, $75, $85 & a few premium orchestra locations at $95.  Tickets are on sale at Ticketmaster (212) 307-4100 or on-line at www.ticketmaster.com; and at The Town Hall Box Office.  For Information (24/7) please call  (212) 840-2824.

Alison Fraser and Mary Testa on Stage Together at Beechman - 9/20/2008

The Laurie Beechman Theatre is very pleased to welcome two of Broadway’s most esteemed performers - Alison Fraser and Mary Testa (with special guest, Annie Golden), for two very special performances as part of our celebrated Voices from the Great White Way Series. On Mondays, September 29th and October 20th @ 7pm, the longtime friends will join forces for their long awaited return to the Beechman stage. There is a $25 cover, as well as a $15 food or beverage minimum (a full bar and dinner menu is available). The Laurie Beechman Theatre is located within The West Bank Cafe at 407 West 42nd St. (@ 9th Ave), in the heart of New York’s theatre district. For reservations, which are recommended, please call 212 695 6909.

Accompanied by a four piece band led by Allison Leyton-Brown, the evenings will feature music written by songwriter Rusty Magee. Audiences can expect to hear tunes from Magee’s musicals The Green Heart (written with Charles Busch) and The Czar of Rock and Roll (written with Lewis Black), as well as Magee’s iconic New York ballad, New York Romance.

Alison Fraser is currently appearing in the acclaimed Broadway revival of Arthur Laurents’ Gypsy as Tessie Tura. Other Broadway credits include The Secret Garden (Tony and Drama Desk nominations), Romance/Romance (Tony nomination), Tartuffe, Born Again and The Mystery of Edwin Drood. Off-Broadway, she has appeared in Dedication or the Stuff of Dreams, March of the Falsettos, In Trousers, Prodigal, The Green Heart, Beehive, Todd Rundgren's Up Against It and Swingtime Canteen. American premieres: Lizzie Borden, Honk! and High School Musical. Regionally, Ms. Fraser’s credits include Lips Together, Teeth Apart, Lend Me a Tenor and Gunmetal Blues (first Barrymore Award recipient). On television, audiences will remember Alison from, among many others: Between the Lions, Law & Order: SVU, Third Watch, The Thing About My Folks, Jack and His Friends and In the Blood.

Mary Testa is currently appearing as Melpomene/Medusa in the hit Broadway production of Xanadu. Other Broadway credits include Chicago, 42nd Street (Tony nomination), Marie Christine, On the Town (Tony nomination), A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, The Rink, Marilyn and Barnum. Off-Broadway, she has appeared in In Trousers, Regrets Only, See What I Wanna See (Drama Desk and Drama League nominations), First Lady Suite (Drama Desk nomination), String of Pearls (Drama Desk nomination),  A New Brain, The Vagina Monologues and From Above (Obie Award) among others. Film audiences will remember Mary From Stay, Tony ‘n’ Tina’s Wedding and Sleepers. Television appearances include Cosby, A Different World, Whoopi and Sex and the City.

Chelsea Grill to Host BC/EFA Fundraiser With Gerry McIntyre - 9/20/2008

In support of their beloved Theatre Community, there will be an ongoing Theatre Industry Sunday Sanctuary Series of parties to raise funds for BC/EFA hosted by Broadway's own multi-talented performer and choreographer, Mr. Gerry McIntyre (currently appearing in ENTER LAUGHING at the York Theater Company). The event has been organized by Beth Sheinis, bartender and community activist working at Chelsea Grill.

Funds are being raised for BC/EFA by sales of raffle tickets at $20/tkt/ 3 for $50.00 which can be purchased at The Chelsea Grill where the series will take place.

Chelsea Grill of Hells Kitchen, 675 9th avenue, 212-974-9002.   Great music, drink specials, and invaluable company! Kitchen open Sun-Tues. until 2 a.m. Wed-Sat. until 3 a.m.

The 1st pre-series Kick off party will be this Saturday Sept. 20th beginning at 10p.m. The first prize being raffled on Saturday is a 1-week stay at the private Grand Mayan Palace in Acapulco to be used by December 31st 2008.

Further prizes are being donated by local supporters and neighboring restaurants including gift certificates, merchandise, and 2- 1 week trips at alternate locations to be used in 2009.  

All raffle tickets will continue through the final Sunday, November 9th, offering many opportunities to raise funds and win prizes. If you would like to donate any items, receive a poster advertising the event, or inquire about upcoming sunday prizes, please email poptartnyc@gmail.com,.

9 to 5 - LA Premiere - 9/21/2008

The much-loved comedy movie 9 to 5 has been transformed into a new musical that will have its world premiere at Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatre in 2008.

Seven-time Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter and musician Dolly Parton has written the music and lyrics for the new musical. Center Theatre Group will present 9 to 5 in Los Angeles, September 3 through October 19, 2008, as the first production in the Ahmanson's 2008-2009 season. Opening is set for September 21.

The book for 9 to 5 is by Patricia Resnick, who is the movie's co-author. Choreography is by Andy Blankenbuehler (In The Heights). Two-time Tony Award-winner Joe Mantello (Wicked, Assassins) will direct.

Multiple Emmy Award-winner and Tony Award-nominee Allison Janney (Hairspray film, "The West Wing") will star as Violet Newstead, the super efficient office manager who joins her fellow co-workers – the frazzled divorcee Judy Bernly, to be played by Stephanie J. Block (Wicked, The Pirate Queen), and the sexy executive secretary Doralee Rhodes, played by Megan Hilty (Wicked), to turn the tables on their boss, the "sexist, egotistical, lying, hypocritical, bigot" Franklin Hart Jr., played by two-time Tony Award nominee Marc Kudisch (The Glorious Ones, The Apple Tree).

"In a series of farcical events, the women inadvertently remove Hart from the workplace and keep him otherwise engaged. Taking advantage of his absence, they begin instituting a host of new and welcomed office procedures such as flexible hours and day care, but their schemes quickly spin wildly and hilariously out of control," explain press notes.

Visit www.CenterTheatreGroup.org.

'South Pacific' Actor's Fund Performance - 9/21/2008

The Actors Fund is proud to announce a Special Benefit Performance of the Tony® Award winning revival of Rodgers and Hammerstein's South Pacific on Sunday, September 21st, 8 pm. The evening stars the original cast and is made possible by special arrangement with Lincoln Center Theater. Complimentary membership tickets can not be used for this performance.

Tickets for the evening are priced as follows:

"Some Enchanted Evening" - Premium Center Orchestra: $350
($225 tax deductible and includes listing in the evening's Playbill Insert)

"Bali Ha'i" - Prime Center / Side Orchestra: $300
($175 tax deductible and includes listing in the evening's Playbill Insert)

"Honey Bun" - Prime Side Orchestra: $250
($125 tax deductible and includes listing in the evening's Playbill Insert)

"Happy Talk" - Premium Loge: $200
($75 tax deductible and includes listing in the evening's Playbill Insert)

Orchestra: $125, Loge (A-B): $125 and Loge (Rows D-E): $75

To purchase tickets please e-mail tickets@actorsfund.org.

Lincoln Center Theater's new production of Richard Rodgers & Oscar Hammerstein's prize-winning musical classic South Pacific, directed by Bartlett Sher, began performances Saturday, March 1 at 8PM at the Vivian Beaumont Theater. Opening night wa Thursday, April 3 at 6:30PM.

Based on James Michener's Pulitzer Prize winning book Tales of the South Pacific, Rodgers & Hammerstein's South Pacific has music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II and a book by Oscar Hammerstein II and Joshua Logan.

Lincoln Center Theater's production of Rodgers & Hammerstein's South Pacific features a cast of 40 headed by Kelli O'Hara as Nellie Forbush, Paulo Szot as Emile de Becque with Matthew Morrison (Lt. Joe Cable), Danny Burstein (Luther Billis), Loretta Ables Sayre (Bloody Mary), Sean Cullen, Victor Hawks, Luka Kain, Lu Jun Li (Liat), Laurissa Romain, Skipp Sudduth, and Noah Weisberg.

The production will have musical staging by Christopher Gattelli, sets by Michael Yeargan, costumes by Catherine Zuber, lighting by Donald Holder, sound by Scott Lehrer and music direction by Ted Sperling, conducting a 30 piece orchestra performing the original orchestrations by Robert Russell Bennett and dance and incidental music arranged by Trude Rittmann.

"Set on a tropical island during World War II, the musical tells the sweeping romantic story of two couples -- US Navy nurse Nellie Forbush & French plantation owner Emile de Becque and Navy Airman Joe Cable & a young local native girl Liat - and how their happiness is threatened by the realities of the war and by their own prejudices," describe press notes.

Rodgers & Hammerstein's South Pacific premiered at the Majestic Theatre on April 7, 1949 and went on to enjoy a five-year Broadway run winning countless awards including nine Tony Awards (including Best Musical) and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Considered by many the finest musical ever written, the score's songs include such musical theater classics as "Some Enchanted Evening," "Younger Than Springtime," "Bali Ha'i," "There is Nothin' Like A Dame" and "A Wonderful Guy."

Photo Credit Walter McBride/Retna Ltd.

Strawdog Theatre Presents 'R.U.R.' - 9/21/2008

Strawdog Theatre Company kicks off their 21st season with Karel Čapek's science fiction drama "R.U.R. (Rossum's Universal Robots)," directed by Strawdog Artistic Associate Shade Murray. Set in the 1920s at the island factory of Rossum's Universal Robots, "R.U.R." follows a team of scientists who have created the model to factory-produce the world's first robotic workforce. When an idealistic young woman arrives on a quest to free the "souls" of the robots (and discovers there is no such thing), she manipulates the scientists to biologically remedy that fact. Soon after these "improved" and extremely humanlike robots have been shipped all over the world, the inevitable robot revolution explodes, leaving questions about the survival of humanity and what actually makes a human. "R.U.R. (Rossum's Universal Robots)" runs about two hours with one intermission, with free admittance to Strawdog Late Night following the Friday and Saturday shows.

Čapek was the first person to introduce the term robot to the world, though the term was actually invented by his brother Josef. Čapek's famous utopian fantasy novel War with the Newts has been adapted into a play by Jason Loewith and Justin D.M. Palmer, and will premiere at Evanston's Next Theatre in February 2009. Murray returns after directing Strawdog's award-winning productions of "Detective Story" (2003 Jeff Awards for Production, Director, and Ensemble), and "Marathon '33" (2006 Jeff Award for Ensemble).

The Strawdog Theatre is located at 3829 N. Broadway St., Chicago, IL. The play will open on September 21, 2008, 7 p.m. (reception following) and close on Saturday, October 25, 2008. For tickets please call 773-528-9696 or visit www.strawdog.org

Strawdog will continue their 21st season with Curt Columbus' translation of "The Cherry Orchard" by Anton Chekhov, directed by Strawdog Artistic Associate Kimberly Senior, running February 19-March 28, 2009; and Peter Barnes' black comedy "Red Noses," directed by House Theatre's Matthew Hawkins, running April 16-May 23, 2009.

Strawdog Theatre Company is supported in part by The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, the Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, the Alphawood Foundation, Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs, the Illinois Arts Council (a state agency), Elizabeth F. Cheney Foundation, Gerry Brown and Associates and the annual support of businesses and individuals.

Strawdog Theatre Company is committed to ensemble acting and an immersive design approach, offering Chicago the premiere storefront theatre experience. We develop new work, reimagine classic plays, explore new fusions of music and theatre, ask provocative questions and deliver our audience the unexpected. We provide a home for our celebrated ensemble to work and play with the most sought after artists in Chicago theatre along with the best new talents in the city. Founded in 1988, the Strawdog ensemble has consistently produced shows built on authentic human connections, and our comfortable 70-seat home in Lakeview is perfect for offering our audience a quintessential Chicago storefront theatre experience. "The whole wide world in a little black box." Strawdog is a proud member of the NortHalsted Area Merchant Association, The Chicago Storefront Theatre District and the League of Chicago Theatres.



HISTORY: Strawdog Theatre Company was formed in 1988 by a group of actors who had performed together in a production of Euripides's "Helen" at a (now defunct) theatre on the west side. The group took their name from Sam Peckinpah's movie "Straw Dogs" (Theatresaurus Rex was, thankfully, the runner-up), and they produced their first show, Len Jenkin's "Five of Us" at a (now defunct) space in Bucktown. At the time, the Chicago Reader said "Strawdog Theatre Company's inaugural production brings … truth home with a vengeance," and Skyline Chicago added "The Strawdog troupe shows us what an ensemble can do." Twenty years later, Strawdog Theatre Company has survived the ups and downs of Chicago theatre, and is still dedicated to bringing the truth to audiences through the committed work of an award-winning ensemble of actors and designers.

Tickets For 'White Christmas' On Sale - 9/21/2008

Tickets for the upcoming Broadway production of Irving Berlin'S WHITE CHRISTMAS will go on sale exclusively to American Express® card members this Wednesday, August 20th through Wednesday, September 17th. Preferred seating will be available to Gold Card, Platinum Card® and Centurion® members. Tickets will go sale to the general public on Sunday, September 21st, 2008

Following acclaimed engagements in San Francisco, Boston, Detroit, Toronto, Los Angeles and St. Paul, Irving Berlin'S WHITE CHRISTMAS, a new musical stage reinvention of the beloved classic film, will arrive at the Marquis Theatre on Broadway this holiday season - guaranteeing New York a white Christmas!

Previews will begin Friday, November 14th, 2008 for an official opening on Sunday, November 23rd, 2008, and a limited engagement through Sunday, January 4th, 2009. Casting information will be announced shortly.

Irving Berlin'S WHITE CHRISTMAS is produced by Kevin McCollum, John Gore, Tom McGrath, Paul Blake, The Producing Office, Dan Markley, Sonny Everett and Broadway Across America in association with Paramount Pictures.

Every holiday season, audiences of all ages enjoy the uplifting story of White Christmas. Now, a new generation will be able to experience this holiday tradition in a completely new way - live on stage. With the Broadway arrival of Irving Berlin'S WHITE CHRISTMAS, the show is poised to become New York's newest holiday tradition.

The musical tells the story of two showbiz buddies who put on a show in a picturesque Vermont inn, and find their perfect mates in the bargain. Full of dancing, laughter and some of the greatest songs ever written, Irving Berlin'S WHITE CHRISTMAS promises to be a merry and bright theatrical experience for the entire family.

Irving Berlin'S WHITE CHRISTMAS is directed by Tony Award® winner Walter Bobbie (Chicago, Sweet Charity), with a book by David Ives (Is He Dead?) and Paul Blake, choreography by Tony Award® nominee Randy Skinner (42nd Street), set design by Tony Award® nominee Anna Louizos (In the Heights, Avenue Q), costumes by Tony Award® nominee Carrie Robbins (Grease, Over Here), lighting design by Tony Award® winner Ken Billington (Chicago, The Drowsy Chaperone, Annie), sound design by Tony Award® nominee Acme Sound Partners (In the Heights, Spamalot), orchestrations by Tony Award® nominee Larry Blank (The Drowsy Chaperone), vocal and dance arrangements by Bruce Pomahac, music supervision by Rob Berman, and casting by Jay Binder C.S.A. The stage production is based on the Paramount Pictures film, written for the screen by Norman Krasna, Norman Panama, and Melvin Frank.

Many Irving Berlin classics are showcased in the new musical, including "Count Your Blessings Instead of Sheep," "I Love a Piano," "Sisters," "How Deep is the Ocean" and the unforgettable title song, "White Christmas." This production of Irving Berlin'S WHITE CHRISTMAS plays during the holiday season each year in a different city, bringing the spirit of love, charity, and song around the country for all to enjoy.

Irving Berlin'S WHITE CHRISTMAS made its world premiere stage debut during the 2004 holiday season in San Francisco, garnering rave reviews and establishing its status as a don't-miss holiday show.

The show has since dazzled audiences across the country.

The critics have said: "Irving Berlin's White Christmas makes you feel like you've stepped into a Technicolor movie musical," raved the Oakland Tribune. "A holiday juggernaut. There's plenty to ooh and aah over. One well-loved Berlin tune after another" declared the Los Angeles Times. "Plenty of razzmatazz, including snow!" said the Boston Globe. The Detroit Free Press proclaimed "Highly entertaining holiday fare!" and the St. Paul Star Tribune called the musical "A dazzling, sweet work that deserves plenty of praise."

TICKET INFORMATION:

Beginning Sunday, September 21st, 2008, tickets prices will be $66.50, $91.50 and $121.50 (including $1.50 facility fee), and are available through Ticketmaster by calling 212-307-4100,online at www.ticketmaster.com, or in person at the Marquis Theatre box office (1535 Broadway).For group sales details and pricing call The Group Sales Box Office at 800-223-7565 or visit www.bestofbroadway.com.

PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE:

Beginning Friday, November 14th, 2008, Irving Berlin'S WHITE CHRISTMAS will play the following unique performance schedule per week:

Week of November 10th, 2008:
Friday & Saturday at 8p, Sunday evening at 7p, Saturday & Sunday matinees at 2p.

Week of November 17th, 2008:
Wednesday - Saturday at 8p, Tuesday at 7p, Sunday evening at 6p (Opening Night).
Wednesday & Saturday matinees at 2p.

Week of November 24th, 2008:
Wednesday - Saturday at 8p, Tuesday at 7p. Wednesday, Friday, Saturday & Sunday matinees at 2p.

Weeks of December 1st and December 8th, 2008:
Wednesday - Saturday at 8p, Tuesday & Sunday evening at 7p. Saturday & Sunday matinees at 2p.

Week of December 15th, 2008:
Wednesday - Saturday at 8p, Tuesday & Sunday evening at 7p.
Wednesday, Saturday & Sunday matinees at 2p.

Week of December 22nd, 2008:
Monday, Friday & Saturday at 8p, Tuesday & Sunday evening at 7p.
Wednesday, Friday, Saturday & Sunday matinees at 2p. Dark on Christmas Day, December 25.

Week of December 29th, 2008:
Monday, Friday & Saturday at 8p, Tuesday at 7p.
Tuesday, Saturday & Sunday matinees at 2:00p.
DARK - New Year's Eve & Day on December 31 & January 1, 2009.
FINAL PERFORMANCE - Sunday, January 4, 2009.

For more information please visit www.whitechristmasthemusical.com

Abingdon To Present NY Premiere of Brustein's Comedy 'English Channel' - 9/21/2008

Abingdon Theatre Company will present the New York premiere of Robert Brustein's comedy, THE ENGLISH CHANNEL, with previews beginning on Saturday, September 13, 2008. The production officially opens on Sunday, September 21, 2008 at the Abingdon Theater Complex, 312 West 36th Street. Daniela Varon directs.

THE ENGLISH CHANNEL examines the murky relationship between great writers and their proclivity to "borrow" ideas and material, tracing Shakespeare's relationship with The Earl of Southampton, the Dark Lady of the Sonnets, and Christopher Marlowe during the turbulent months before Marlowe's death.

Born in New York in 1927, Robert Brustein was educated at Amherst (B.A. 1948) and Columbia University (M.A. 1949 and Ph.D. 1957). He was the founding director of the Yale Repertory Theatre and the American Repertory Theatre and served for 20 years as Director of the Loeb Drama Center where he founded the A.R.T Institute for Advanced Theatre Training at Harvard.  He retired from the Artistic Directorship in 2002 and now serves as Founding Director. He is presently a Distinguished Scholar in Residence at Suffolk University. His full-length plays include DEMONS; NOBODY DIES ON FRIDAY; THE FACE LIFT; SPRING FORWARD, FALL BACK; and THE ENGLISH CHANNEL.

THE ENGLISH CHANNEL was given its first reading by the Shakespeare Society at the Players Club in May 2007, followed by readings at the Vineyard Playhouse and the Resonance Ensemble at the Samuel Beckett Theatre. It was produced in Boston and at the Vineyard Playhouse in the Fall of 2007, where it was a finalist for Best New Play outside of New York by the American Theatre Critics Association.

Daniela Varon is a New York-based theater director and acting teacher, and 20-year member of Shakespeare & Company in Lenox, MA. Her work has been seen in New York at Blue Heron Arts Center, The Culture Project, Ensemble Studio Theater, HERE, Joe's Pub, Lincoln Center Theater Directors' Lab, Mud/Bone, New Georges, The Public Theater, The Salon, 78th Street Theatre Lab, T.W.E.E.D., the Vineyard Theatre, among others.  Regional credits include Actors Playhouse of Coral Gables, Boston Playwrights' Theatre, Connecticut Repertory Theater, Los Angeles Women's Shakespeare Company, North Country Center for the Arts, among others. Her recent productions include the premiere of Jodi Rothe's Martha Mitchell CALLING at Shakespeare & Company and its subsequent productions at Stageworks/Hudson and Actors Playhouse of Coral Gables; Week 14 of Suzan-Lori Parks' 365 DAYS/365 PLAYS (Drama League/Joe's Pub/The Public); Oni Faida Lampley's HERE TO PUT MY FATHER IN THE GROUND (Mud/Bone Theatre Collective); and a workshop of Melinda Lopez's GARY at Shakespeare & Company.

The cast features Brian Robert Burns, Rosal Colón, Sean Dugan and Stafford Clark-Price. Set and Lighting Design is by Mike Billings, Costumes are by Laura Crow. Original Musical and Sound Design is by Scott Killian.

Performances are Tuesday - Sunday. (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday at 7PM; Friday and Saturday at 8PM; Matinees are Saturday and Sunday at 2PM). The opening night performance will be on Sunday, September 21st at 5:00 PM.

Tickets are $20 and can be purchased by calling SmartTix at 212.868.4444 or visit www.SmartTix.com. The production runs until October 5, 2008.

Abingdon Theatre Complex is located at 312 West 36th St, just off of 8th Avenue. Founded in 1993, Abingdon Theatre Company develops and produces new plays by American playwrights.  Artistic Director for Abingdon Theatre Company is Jan Buttram and Samuel J. Bellinger is the Managing Director.

Reagle Players Hold Benefit To Salute Rodgers and Hammerstein - 9/21/2008

On Sunday September 21 at 2 p.m., Waltham’s Reagle Players will present a one time only matinee benefit salute to the works of Rodgers and Hammerstein.  Memorable numbers from their hit shows will be presented.  Honored guests from the Rodgers and Hammerstein Organization in NYC will be present for the festivities.  The event will honor dancer, choreographer and teacher, Gemze De Lappe.

Ms. de Lappe is a chief acolyte and interpreter of the works of Agnes de Mille, a prime creative force in key Rodgers and Hammerstein shows.  As an Agnes de Mille protégé, Ms. de Lappe was handpicked by the master choreographer to interpret or restage her work.  Throughout the years, Ms. de Lappe has worked in close association with the Rodgers and Hammerstein Organization in New York.  De Lappe ensures that the intentions, creative detail and style in Agnes de Mille’s choreography inform all of the restaging of the dance designs created for the original Rodgers and Hammerstein shows.

The collaborations of Rodgers and Hammerstein are among the most popular and acclaimed musical theater productions of the past seventy years.  Their name attached to a project could often guarantee hit status.  Few seasons passed without a key R&H show dominating the Broadway theater scene of the 40’s and beyond.  Currently, a critically acclaimed, major revival of South Pacific is playing to sellout audiences at New York’s Lincoln Center.

Ms. de Lappe personally performed in several R&H shows.  She was featured in the role of “Dancing Laurey” in the original European tour of Oklahoma! and Simon Legree in the King and I ballet on Broadway as well as in the 20th Century Fox film rendition.

At the celebration, Miss de Lappe will be presented with “The Golden Eagle” - an award celebrating her work and contributions to the Reagle Players throughout the years.  She has choreographed Oklahoma! and The King and I many times for the group and recently set the dances for Carousel when film actress Shirley Jones portrayed Cousin Nettie in the Reagle production.  Oscar winner Jones, a member of Reagle’s Honorary Board of Directors,  appeared in the leading role of Julie Jordan in the filmed version of Carousel as well as the lead, Laurey, in the film version of Oklahoma!

Ms. de Lappe was a recent recipient of an Honorary Tony Award a year ago.  The prestigious award recognized her as one of the theater’s master craftsmen for her dedicated work carefully recreating and “archiving” the dances of master choreographer, Agnes de Mille.

The most popular selections from five Rodgers and Hammerstein shows will be performed as part of this benefit production in a “Greatest Hits” style format.  Famed musical numbers will be recreated from:  The Sound of Music, Oklahoma!, The King and I, Carousel and South Pacific.  Sarah Pfisterer, Broadway leading lady of Phantom of the Opera and Show Boat, joins Boston media personality Scott Wahle who narrates the festivities.  Many professional guest artists from New York and Boston will perform R&H numbers accompanied by the grand sound of a full pit orchestra.

Tickets to this “One Time Only” Rodgers and Hammerstein celebratory event may be obtained by calling 781 891 5600 or visiting online at www.reagleplayers.com.

The Actors Fund Special Performance of South Pacific - 9/21/2008

The Actors Fund Special Performance of South Pacific

South Coast Rep Presents 'Dead Man's Cell Phone' Starting 9/21 - 9/21/2008

South Coast Repertory will present the Southern California premiere of Dead Man’s Cell Phone, Sarah Ruhl’s fantastical new play about a woman who answers a dead man’s cell phone and finds her life turned upside down.  Directed by Bart DeLorenzo, Dead Man’s Cell Phone runs Sept. 21 – Oct. 12 on the Julianne Argyros Stage.  Low-priced previews are available Sept. 21 – 25.  Opening night is Sept. 26.  Press night is Saturday, Sept. 27 at 7:45 p.m.  Tickets to Dead Man’s Cell Phone may be purchased online at www.scr.org, by phone at (714) 708-5555 or in person at the SCR box office.

In Dead Man’s Cell Phone, Jean decides to answer the incessantly ringing cell phone of a stranger seated across from her in a café, only to realize that he’s deceased.  Soon she’s telling his callers what she thinks they need to hear as she draws them into the surprises and mysteries of their lives – and her own.  The New York Times raved about Ruhl’s “beguiling new comedy” which recently played to sold-out houses in New York, and Variety called the playwright’s imaginative comedy “wondrously mad and moving.”

Dead Man’s Cell Phone marks Ruhl’s return to South Coast Repertory following the West Coast Premiere of The Clean House in 2005, which also enjoyed a New York run and was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize.  Her other plays include Demeter in the City, which was nominated for an NAACP Award, Eurydice, Melancholy Play, Late: a cowboy song, Orlando and Passion Play, winner of the Kennedy Center Fourth Forum Freedom Award.  Ruhl’s plays have also been performed in throughout the United States and in England, Germany, Israel, New Zealand and Australia, and have been translated into Spanish, Polish, Russian and Korean.  In 2003, she was the recipient of a Helen Merrill Award and a Whiting Writers’ Award, a PEN/Laura Pels Award, and in 2006 was the recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship.

Bart DeLorenzo recently directed the world premiere of Donald Margulies’ Shipwrecked! An Entertainment at South Coast Repertory, as well as readings of plays by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, Anthony Clarvoe and an earlier version of Shipwrecked! for SCR’s 2007 Pacific Playwrights Festival.  He is the founding artistic director of the Evidence Room Theater in Los Angeles where he has directed many local and world premieres over the last 13 years.  He recently directed the world premiere of Joan Rivers: A Work in Progress at the Geffen Playhouse, the Center Theatre Group’s kick-off premiere of Suzan-Lori Parks’ 365 Days/365 Plays outdoors on the Music Center plaza and on the steps of Disney Hall, and the world premiere of Sandra Tsing Loh’s long-running Mother on Fire at the 24th Street Theatre, and its many subsequent revivals.  DeLorenzo has received five LA Weekly awards and three Back Stage Garland awards for his work.

The cast of Dead Man’s Cell Phone features Andrew Borba (Dwight), Nike Doukas (The Other Woman/Stranger), Shannon Holt (Hermia), Christina Pickles (Mrs. Gottlieb), Lenny Von Dohlen (Gordon) and Margaret Welsh (Jean).

The creative team includes Keith E. Mitchell (set design), Angela Balogh Calin (costume design), Lap-Chi Chu (lighting design), John Zalewski (sound design), John Glore (dramaturg) and Julie Haber (stage manager).

Laurie Smits Staude is the Honorary Producer of Dead Man’s Cell Phone and KCRW and OC Weekly are the Media Partners.

Associated events taking place during the run of Dead Man’s Cell Phone include:

POST-SHOW DISCUSSIONS:  Tuesday, Sept. 30 & Wednesday, Oct. 1

Discuss the play with members of the Dead Man’s Cell Phone cast during free post-show discussions led by South Coast Repertory’s literary team after the 7:45 p.m. performances on Sept. 30 & Oct. 1.

Tickets to Dead Man’s Cell Phone can be purchased online at www.scr.org, by phone at (714) 708-5555 or by visiting the box office at 655 Town Center Drive in Costa Mesa.  Performances begin on Sept. 21 and continue through Oct. 12.  Ticket prices range from $20 to $64.  Low-priced preview performances are available from Sept. 21-25.  Performance times:  Previews:  Sunday, Sept. 21 at 2:00 p.m., and Tuesday, Sept. 23, Wednesday, Sept. 24 and Thursday, Sept. 25 at 7:45 p.m.  Regular Performances:  Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings at 7:45 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday matinees at 2:00 p.m. Discounts are available for full-time students, patrons 25 years of age and under, educators, seniors and groups of 15 or more.  There will be a “Pay-What-You-Will” performance on Saturday, Sept. 27 at 2:00 p.m. (Suggested Price:  $10; $7 minimum) and an ASL-interpreted performance on Saturday, Oct. 11 at 2:00 p.m.

South Coast Repertory is located at 655 Town Center Drive in Costa Mesa, at the Bristol Street/Avenue of the Arts exit off the San Diego (405) Freeway in the Folino Theater Center, part of the Segerstrom Center for the Arts.  Parking is available off Anton Blvd. on Park Center Drive.

Tony Award-winning South Coast Repertory, under the artistic direction of David Emmes and Martin Benson, is widely recognized as one of the leading professional theaters in the United States.  Founded in 1964, SCR is committed to theater that illuminates the compelling personal and social issues of our time, not only on its stages but through its education and outreach programs.  While its productions represent a balance of classic and modern theater, SCR is renowned for its extensive new play development program, including the Pacific Playwrights Festival.  Of SCR’s more than 400 productions, 104 have been world premieres with subsequent stagings achieving enormous success across America and around the world.  SCR-developed works have garnered eight Pulitzer Prize nominations with Margaret Edson’s Wit winning the prize in 1999 and David Lindsay-Abaire’s Rabbit Hole in 2007.  Located in Costa Mesa, California, in 2002 SCR opened the Folino Theater Center, an expanded three-theater complex that includes the 507-seat Segerstrom Stage, the 336-seat Julianne Argyros Stage and the 94-seat Nicholas Studio.

BIOGRAPHIES

Sarah Ruhl (Playwright) plays include The Clean House, which won the 2004 Susan Smith Blackburn Award and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in 2005, Dead Man’s Cell Phone, which won the Helen Hayes Award for Best New Play, Demeter in the City, which was nominated for an NAACP Award, Eurydice, Melancholy Play, Late: a cowboy song, Orlando, and Passion Play, winner of the Kennedy Center Fourth Forum Freedom Award.  Her plays have been performed at Lincoln Center Theater, Playwrights Horizons, Second Stage Theatre, Goodman Theater, Cornerstone Theater, Arena Stage, South Coast Repertory Theater, the Wilma Theatre, Woolly Mammoth Theatre Co, La Jolla Playhouse, Piven Theater Workshop in Chicago, among many other theaters across the country.  Her plays have also been performed in England, Germany, Israel, New Zealand and Australia, and have been translated into Spanish, Polish, Russian and Korean.  Ruhl received her MFA from Brown University and is originally from Chicago.  In 2003, she was the recipient of a Helen Merrill Award and a Whiting Writers’ Award, a PEN/Laura Pels Award, and in 2006 was the recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship.  Her work is published in an anthology from TCG.  She is a member of New Dramatists and 13P.

BART DeLORENZO (Director) recently directed the world premiere of Donald Margulies’ Shipwrecked! An Entertainment, as well as readings of plays by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, Anthony Clarvoe and an earlier version of Shipwrecked! for the 2007 Pacific Playwrights Festival.  He is the founding artistic director of the Evidence Room Theater in Los Angeles where he has directed many local and world premieres over the last 13 years including plays by David Greenspan, Kelly Stuart, Martin Crimp, Philip K. Dick, Gordon Dahlquist, David Edgar, Charles L. Mee, Naomi Wallace and Edward Bond.  He recently directed the world premiere of Joan Rivers: A Work in Progress at the Geffen Playhouse, the Center Theatre Group’s kick-off premiere of Suzan-Lori Parks’ 365 Days/365 Plays outdoors on the Music Center plaza and on the steps of Disney Hall, and the world premiere of Sandra Tsing Loh’s long-running Mother on Fire at the 24th Street Theatre, and its many subsequent revivals.  Other works include Racine’s Britannicus adapted by John Rafter Lee at California Repertory and the return of Shipwrecked! An Entertainment at the Geffen Playhouse.

ANDREW BORBA (Dwight) appeared last at SCR in Lovers and Executioners.  Recent stage appearances include the title role in The Tragedy of King Richard III at the Shakespeare Festival St. Louis; the world premiere of Tranced at Laguna Playhouse; The Constant Wife, Private Lives and It’s a Wonderful Life at Pasadena Playhouse.  Other roles include a Picture of Dorian Gray and Medea at Theatre @ Boston Court; Every Good Boy Deserves Favor, The Just and All My Sons at Chautauqua Theater Company; Pericles and The Countess at The Old Globe; and Closer at Berkeley Repertory Theatre; The Misanthrope at Dallas Theater Center; Mrs. Warrens’ Profession, Tony Kushner’s The Illusion, Othello at Portland Stage Company; An Enemy of the People at Long Wharf Theatre; A Shayna Maidel at Delaware Theatre Company, The Tempest and Two Gentlemen of Verona at Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival.  Andrew spent four seasons at The Oregon Shakespeare Festival, where he appeared in Arcadia, Othello, Two Gentlemen of Verona, Pentecost, Cymbeline, Coriolanus, Love’s Labour’s Lost, Henry IV, Part 1 and others.  Film and Television credits include the upcoming Lure, Nine Lives, Live from Baghdad, Recurring roles on “The Shield,” “Jericho,” “Lincoln Heights,” “Enterprise” and recent guest appearances on “Grey’s Anatomy,” “House,” “Without a Trace,” “Monk,” “CSI: Miami,” “24” and “Nip/Tuck.”

Nike Doukas (The Other Woman/Stranger) most recently appeared in An Ideal Husband at the Pittsburgh Irish and Classical Theatre, Betrayal at New Place, and Sea of Tranquility at The Old Globe.  Her SCR credits include Ridiculous Fraud, Cyrano de Bergerac, Major Barbara, Much Ado About Nothing, Everett Beekin, The Beard of Avon, Pygmalion, How the Other Half Loves, Arms and the Man, Blithe Spirit, Green Icebergs, The Company of Heaven and Loot.  She has also performed at A Contemporary Theatre (Seattle), Pasadena Playhouse, Mark Taper Forum, Shakespeare Festival/LA, Doolittle Theatre, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, American Conservatory Theater, Shakespeare Santa Cruz and Berkeley Shakespeare Festival.  Television and film credits include, “Shark,” “Numb3rs,” a recurring role on “Desperate Housewives,” “Without a Trace,” “Criminal Minds,” “Boston Legal,” “Malcom in the Middle,” a recurring role on “Almost Perfect” and Seven Girlfriends.  Doukas has an MFA from American Conservatory Theater, and is a member of the Antaeus Company, where she appeared last year in Tonight at 8:30.

SHANNON HOLT (Hermia) is making her SCR debut.  Los Angeles theater credits include Tonight at 8:30 with The Antaeus Company; She Stoops to Comedy (LA Weekly nomination for Leading Female Performance), Kelly Stuart’s Homewrecker, Andromache and Michael Sargent’s Sweet Hostage at Evidence Room; Jessica Goldberg’s Sex Parasite and Good Thing at Mark Taper Forum’s Taper, Too; The Oresteia (LA Weekly nomination for Leading Female Performance and Drama-Logue Award), The Good Woman of Setzuan, Narrow Road to the Deep North (Ovation Award nomination for Leading Actress) and Woyzeck at Actors’ Gang; John Steppling’s Citizen Faust (Garland Award Honorable Mention) at L.A.T.C.; 36 Views at Laguna Playhouse and M. Butterfly at East West Players.  She had performed regionally at Trinity Rep, The Public Theater and Actors Theater of Louisville.  Film and television credits include the upcoming feature The Marc Pease Experience, Love Liza, Elsewhere, Bob Roberts, “ER,” “The Unit,” “Seinfeld,” “That 70s Show,” among others.

CHRISTINA PICKLES (Mrs. Gottlieb) first appeared at SCR in 1982 in Bodies.  Broadway credits include Pantagleize, The Wild Duck, You Can’t Take it With You, The Misanthrope, Sherlock Holmes, The School for Scandal and Inadmissible Evidence.  Off-Broadway credits include War and Peace, The Tavern, Chez Moi and Right You Are.  Regional theater credits include The Duchess of Malfi and The Merchant of Venice at McCarter Theatre Center; A Day in the Life of Joe Egg, Absent Friends and Trelawney of the Wells at Long Wharf Theatre; Heartbreak House, Nude with Violin, Summer Folk and A Touch of a Poet at Williamstown Theatre Festival; Measure for Measure and The Country Wife at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival; and The Seagull at Alliance Theatre.  Pickles received Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Awards for Cloud Nine at Canon Theatre and Undiscovered Country and The Letters of Janet Flanner at the Mark Taper Forum.  She is a member of the Antaeus Classical Theatre Ensemble where she has performed in Star Chamber and Hands Across the Sea.  Television credits include “Saint Elsewhere” and “Friends.”  Pickles has been nominated for six Emmy Awards.  Film credits include Grace of My Heart, Masters of the Universe, Seizure, Romeo + Juliet, Legends of the Fall and The Wedding Singer.

LENNY VON DOHLEN (Gordon) is making his SCR debut.  West Coast theater credits include Light at Boston Court Theatre, Theater District at Black Dahlia Theatre, The Blue Room at Pasadena Playhouse, and Lulu at La Jolla Playhouse.  New York theater credits include  Desire Under the Elms opposite Kathy Baker at Roundabout Theatre Co, Cloud Nine at Lucille Lortel Theatre, and originating roles in Twister (Academy Arts Theatre), Asian Shade (WPA) and Vanishing Act (Ensemble Studio Theatre) and The Maderati (Playwrights Horizons), both by Richard Greenberg.  Regional credits include Doubt at Indiana Repertory Theatre, The Velvet Rut at The Eugene O’Neill Theater Center and A Poster of the Cosmos at Contemporary Arts Center in New Orleans.  His film career spans his debut in the Academy Award-winning Tender Mercies to the soon-to-be-released Beautiful Loser.  His other films include Teeth, Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me, Jennifer Eight, Leaving Normal, Tollbooth, One Good Turn, Bird of Prey, Blind Vision, Billy Galvin and Electric Dreams.  Some of his television work include roles in Eudora Welty’s “The Ponder Heart,” “Twin Peaks,” “CSI: Miami,” “The Pretender,” “Chicago Hope,” “Picket Fences,” “Love Kills” “thirtysomething” and “The Red Dwarf.”

MARGARET WELSH (Jean) is making her SCR debut.  New York Theater credits include: Lincoln Center Theater in Big Bill where she played all of the female roles and was nominated for a Lucille Lortel Award for Best Supporting Actress, Playwrights Horizon, Manhattan Class Company and Classic Stage Company.  Regional theater credits include Long Wharf Theatre, McCarter Theatre Center, Hartford Stage Co, Williamstown Theatre Festival, The Old Globe, Intiman Theatre and Geffen Playhouse.  TV credits include: a recurring character in John Stamos’ “Jake In Progress” and  “Grey’s Anatomy,” guest appearances on “Without a Trace,” “NYPD Blue,” “The Practice,” “Judging Amy,” “The Division,” “Stark Raving Mad” and “So Notorious.”  Welsh also appeared as the lead in three MOW’s and the feature films Mr. & Mrs. Bridge, American Heart, Smooth Talk, Ratchet, On the Bus and Under Cover of Darkness.

Jackson and Rudetsky to Perform at amFAR Fourth Annual Bucks County Cabaret - 9/21/2008

On Sunday September 21, 2008 the Fourth Annual Bucks County Cabaret/ amfAR celebration will take place at Cradle Valley Farm (6454 Meetinghouse Road Solebury, PA). Cheyenne Jackson and Seth Rudetsky, strong supporters of the organization, will be performing.

The schedule of events is as follows:
4:00 p.m. Cocktails
5:30 p.m. Performance
6:30 p.m. Dinner (Catered by Jamie Hollander Gourmet)

amfAR Organization brings you this event with help and sponsorship of:

Event Chairs
Scott Bass
David McShane
Kenneth G. Schaefer
David L. Topel

Committee
Randy Apgar and Allen Black
Bob Egan
Sally and Richard Henriques
Greg Kammerer and Fred White
Sam and Happy Shipley

Underwriter
Merck

Presenting Sponsors
Scott Bass and Dominic Chiarello
McShane Enterprises, Inc.
David McShane / Paxson Hill Farm
Sam and Happy Shipley

Sponsor
BlackRock

VIPs
R. Randolph Apgar and Allen D. Black
John DeVincents and Dennis Mankin
Greg Kammerer and Fred White
David Topel

Patrons
Dr. Larry Dumont and Martin Gould
Deacon Theo Kondos and Kevin Rice
Arthur Panfile
Dr. Raul Perea-Henze
Dr. Kevin Roche
Mr. William Tomai
Mark and Janice Waldman

amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research, is one of the world's leading nonprofit organizations dedicated to the support of AIDS research, AIDS prevention, treatment education, and the advocacy of sound AIDS-related public policy. Since 1985, amfAR has invested nearly $275 million in its program and has awarded grants to more than 2,000 research teams worldwide. For more information and to purchase tickets please visit www.amfar.org

Tovah Feldshuh Returns To NY In 'Irena's Vow' - 9/22/2008

Four-time Tony Award-nominee Tovah Feldshuh will return to the New York stage in Irena's Vow, a new play by Dan Gordon, beginning September 7th at Baruch Performing Arts Center - 55 Lexington Avenue @ 25th Street (between Lexington & Third Aves). The new drama will mark Ms. Feldshuh's first New York stage appearance since her triumphant (and Tony Award-nominated) turn in Golda's Balcony (Broadway's longest-running one-woman show). Michael Parva will direct. Irena's Vow, which is being presented by The Directors Company in association with Power Productions & The Polish Cultural Institute, is an Invictus Theatre Company World premiere. Opening Night is set for Monday, September 22nd at 7 p.m. (the engagement continues through November 2nd).

Featuring a cast of ten, Irena's Vow is a riveting, life affirming story about one of wartime's most courageous and unsung heroines. During the Nazi occupation of Poland, Irena Gut Opdyke was forced to work as head housekeeper for a very prominent Nazi major. Over a two year period of service, Irena would be confronted with the choice to protect twelve Jewish refugees who secretly fell under her care. This is the extraordinary true story of one woman's choice and the twelve lives that would live or die by her decision.

Tovah Feldshuh, who is currently in London's West End starring in Golda's Balcony, is simultaneously preparing for the role of the Polish Catholic heroine of Irena's Vow, and will soon depart for Poland to continue with her trademark, meticulous research for the role. A film crew will join Ms. Feldshuh during her trip to gain footage for a PBS documentary being created about Irena's story coming to the stage.

The design team for Irena's Vow includes: Kevin Judge (Scenic Design), David Castaneda (Lighting Design), Astrid Brucker (Costume Design), and Quentin Chiappetta (Sound Design/Composer). Additional casting will be announced at a later date.

The performance schedule for Irena's Vow is as follows: Mondays at 8 p.m., Wednesdays through Saturdays at 8 p.m., with matinees on Saturdays and Sundays at 3 p.m. All tickets are $55 and are available online at Theatermania.com and (beginning Monday, June 30th) at the Baruch Performing Arts Center box office. Student Rush tickets ($25) will be available one hour before the show.

The Picture of Dorian Gray @ Lifeline Theatre - 9/22/2008

WHAT: Lifeline Theatre inaugurates its 26th anniversary MainStage season with the world premiere adaptation of Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray, adapted by Lifeline ensemble member Robert Kauzlaric, directed by Kevin Theis.What would you do if you had the freedom to indulge your every dark desire? A supernatural power grants Dorian Gray eternal youth and beauty. As the years pass and his outward form remains unmarred, his soul wallows in pride and sin, dragging the lives of everyone he touches into the depths of depravity. Oscar Wilde's tragic masterpiece reveals that even the bravest among us are afraid to face what lies within. The show runs approximately two hours with one intermission, and copies of the book will be on sale in the lobby. On June 9, Lifeline received five Non-Equity Jeff Awards – the most for a single production - from nine nominations for The Island of Dr. Moreau.

WHERE: Lifeline Theatre, 6912 N. Glenwood Ave., Chicago, IL 60626
Parking available (street and lot – see below); CTA accessible (Red Line Morse, stop/buses)
Free designated parking lot west of the theatre at the NE corner of Morse and
Ravenswood with free shuttle service before and after the show
Handicapped accessible

WHEN: Press opening on Monday, September 22, 2008, at 7:30 p.m. (media also invited to final preview on Sunday, September 21, 2008, at 4 p.m.)
Closes on November 2, 2008
Runs Fridays at 7:30 p.m.; Saturdays at 4 p.m. and 8 p.m.; Sundays at 4 p.m.
Previews on Fridays, September 12 and 19, at 7:30 p.m.; Saturdays, September
13 and 20, at 8 p.m. (no 4 p.m. shows during previews); Sundays, September 14 and 21, at 4 p.m.

TICKETS: 773-761-4477; HotTix
$30 for regular single tickets
$20 for previews

$20 for seniors
$15 for students (with valid ID)
$15 for rush tickets (half hour before the show, subject to availability)
$10 for industry on first preview weekend

Group rates for 12 and over available upon request.

STAFF: Ensemble members Robert Kauzlaric (Adaptor), Kevin D. Gawley (Lighting Design), and Elise Kauzlaric (Dialect Coach), with guest artists Kevin Theis (Director), Branimira Ivanova (Costume Design), Tom Burch (Scenic Design), Andy Hansen (Sound Design), Charlie Athanas (Portrait Design), Jenniffer Thusing (Properties Design), Richard Gilbert and David Gregory (Violence Design), Cortney Hurley (Production Manager), and Kim Percell (Stage Manager).

CAST: Ensemble member Paul S. Holmquist (Lord Henry younger), with guest artists Don Bender (Basil elder), Kevin Cox (James Younger), John Ferrick (Alan elder), Kyle Gibson (Alan younger), Melissa Nedell (Sibyl Vane), Sean Sinitski (Lord Henry elder), David Skvarla (James elder), AaRon Snook (Basil younger) and Nick Vidal (Dorian Gray). With understudies Anthony DiNicola, Peter Greenberg, Josh Nordmark, Laurel Schroeder and Robert Tobin.

'Play for Keeps' Stockyards Theatre Project - 9/22/2008

WHAT: Begun in 2007, Stockyards Theatre Projects' "Play for Keeps" pairs actresses with writers (female or male) to create positive, substantial roles in plays for women performers, via three months of workshops, culminating in public readings over three nights. This year's topics include the trials of love through three generations (a grandmother war bride, a fifties mom and a lesbian daughter); alienation in varying cultural groups in the US; and body image and women.

For Play for Keeps, about 40 actresses were selected to meet every other week (starting on June 30, 2008), first to read well-known works to create a common terminology about play structure, style and character. They are then connected with up to 10 members or teams, and asked to bring eight pages of new work to subsequent meetings, where they are read aloud for group feedback. Stockyards Managing Director Francesca Peppiatt, who created the initiative, then facilitates these critique sessions, plus meets with the artists one-on-one for comments. Finally, directors join the process to supervise what will become the final public readings, which include audience talk-backs as well. Participants include actors who have never written, actors who are working on a show for themselves but need somewhere to develop, and playwrights.

WHERE: Theatre Building Chicago, 1225 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago, IL 60657
Belmont El stop (Red, Brown, Purple)
Handicapped accessible

WHEN: Developed scripts will be read from 7:30-10 p.m. on
Monday, September 22; Tuesday, September 23, and Wednesday, September 24, 2008 – different scripts presented each night

TICKETS: Suggested donation $5
Information at 773-936-7896 and www.stockyardstheatreproject.org

FUNDERS: This project is funded in part by Chicago's Community Arts Assistance Program (CAAP).

Naked Angels To Present 'Gospel According To Adam' At Playwrights Horizons - 9/22/2008

New York's eternally boundary-pushing theater company Naked Angels (Geoffrey Nauffts, Artistic Director and Brittany O'Neill, Managing Director) has announced that it will present the premiere of The Gospel According to Adam, a new American play by Geoffrey Nauffts and winner of the Blanche and Irving Laurie Foundation's 2008 Theatre Visions Fund award.  Performances begin Sunday, December 7 at The Peter Jay Sharp Theatre at Playwrights Horizons (416 West 42nd Street), with Opening Night set for Wednesday, December 17.

In The Gospel According to Adam sparks fly when an Atheist falls for a Christian and their two worlds collide.  In this hilarious and poignant exploration of faith and reason in modern culture, one man struggles for salvation while the other hangs by a thread.

As previously announced, Naked Angels will present the world premiere of The Talk, a new play by Frank Pugliese, at the Cherry Lane Theatre, September 9 – October 16, with an opening night on September 22.  The cast of The Talk features Bobby Cannavale, Bruce MacVittie, and Titus Welliver.

The cast and creative team for The Gospel According to Adam will be announced shortly.

Naked Angels was formed in 1986 by a group of restless and ambitious artists reacting to a void in the theater community for new and creative voices. We took our name from John Tytell's book, Naked Angels, which referred to Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg, William Burroughs and other Beats as "a generation that wanted to break out of convention and scream." As a young group, we felt the same way; we needed a place where, through the medium of theater, we could show the world a different perspective of our times. Sometimes outraged, often irreverent, occasionally absurd, and always intelligent, enthusiastic and fun, Naked Angels' work was a spark to which audiences were quickly drawn. The Space, as our theater on 17th Street was known, soon became a vital, thriving crossroads where talented theater artists met and collaborated: the destination of choice for those seeking a truly celebratory theatrical experience. Though it's been quite a few years since we've had a home of our own, that spirit continues today wherever and whenever Naked Angels produces.

Dedication to the emerging artist has lead to the company's reputation for developing and producing outstanding, innovative plays. Over the years, Naked Angels has presented hundreds of readings, workshops, and full-scale productions. From Warren Leight's Tony Award winning Side Man to John Robin Baitz's The Substance of Fire, Kenneth Lonergan's The Starry Messenger to David Marshall Grant's Snakebit, Naked Angels has always been a place where new work flourishes. Some of our more recent efforts, Stephen Belber's Tape, Will Eno's Thom Pain (based on nothing), Elizabeth Meriwether's The Mistakes Madeline Made, and Spalding Gray: Stories Left to Tell have gone on to receive critical acclaim both here and abroad.

www.nakedangels.com

Women's Project Presents Aliens with Extraordinary Skills' - 9/22/2008

Women's Project will open its season with Aliens with Extraordinary Skills, a world premiere dark comedy that centers on a clown from the unhappiest country in the world, Moldova, who pins her hopes on a U.S. work visa by creating balloon animals, begins previews September 22, for a September 30, 7:00pm opening (for a run through October 26) at Women's Project, 424 West 55th Street.

Aliens with Extraordinary Skills, however, could just as easily be described as an historical drama: it is written and directed by both a playwright and a director who are actually aliens with extraordinary skills and is inspired by a real event.

The play is written by Saviana Stanescu, a Romanian poet, journalist and playwright who first came to the United States in 2001 under a Fulbright Scholarship.  Her O1 Visa says she has "extraordinary abilities in the arts."

The director, award-winning theater artist and Bosnian emigre Tea Alagic, now has her green card, but she left, or rather escaped, her home country ten years ago for a different reason (see the United Nations war crimes tribunal in The Hague for details).

Unlike the characters in the play, neither is being chased by Homeland Security or receiving deflating deportation letters.  But they can't leave the United States without making sure all their paperwork is in perfect order or they may not be allowed back in.  Ms. Stanescu may have to leave next year if her visa isn't renewed.

And for neither is English a first language.

She pins her hopes on a US work visa  by creating balloon animals.

"Is this anyway to produce a comedy?," said Julie Crosby, Producing Artistic Director of Women's Project whose first language is English but finds her knowledge of French and Latin quite helpful during production meetings.  "It is because these women have something to say and Women's Project has, for 31 years, turned its stage over to women with extraordinary skills.  Saviana has been developing Aliens with Extraordinary Skills in the Women's Project Playwrights Lab for two years.  She may be Romanian, but her play is U.S. born."

Saviana Stanescu is one of the best know TV journalists in Romanian (she's been described as the Diane Swayer of Romania), her plays have been produced at home and all over the world in many languages.

"So I had to start from the scratch over here, in my 30s," Ms. Stanescu  has said.  "I had to live in small dorms with a shared bathroom placed far away on the other side of the floor at International House, I had to work hard on my English language.  But it is extremely important for me to tell my dramatic stories in American-English, to reach larger audiences, to make my voice really heard by the world."

Her inspiration for Aliens with Extraordinary Skills came from reading American newspapers. "In Orlando, Florida, an Ukrainian and a Romanian got arrested for smuggling aliens under fake 'aliens with extraordinary skills in the circus' visas.  They created a bogus circus!  When those guys got caught, the illegal immigrants received deportation letters," she said.

Ms. Stanescu 's plays have been widely presented internationally and in the U.S.  Recent New York productions include Waxing West (2007 New York Innovative Theatre Award for Outstanding Full-length Script), YokastaS Redux at La MaMa Theatre, Flag Stories at TBG Theatre, Suspendida at the Ontological Theatre, Balkan Blues at the NYC Fringe Festival, Aurolac Blues at HERE Arts Center and the Site-specific I Want What You Have as part of Women's Project's Girls Just Wanna Have Fund$ at the World Financial Center.  She teaches at NYU's School of the Arts.  She has also published six books of poetry and drama including Google me! (poetry), Black Milk (four plays) and The Inflatable Apocalypse.  Her own web page is www.saviana.com .

Tea Alagic is a director is a director, writer, and actor who has worked all over the world, including Mexico City's Dramafest, Dublin's Abbey Theater Paris's Theatre du Soleil and London's Royal National Theater.  She received a BFA in acting from Charles University in Prague and a MFA in directing from Yale School of Drama. She is a Soros Fellow.

Her directing credits include Zero Hour (which she wrote) for Yale University Theater, Speaking Our Mind for New Theater New Haven and The Brothers Size by Tarrel Alvin McCraney for The Public Theater in NYC, The Studio Theater in Washington D.C, and The Abbey Theater in Dublin.

Women's Project produces theater created by women, providing a forum for women's perspectives on political, social, and cultural topics.  Founded in 1978 to address the conspicuous under-representation of women in the American theater, countless artists have achieved significant recognition at WP, including Anne Bogart, Eve Ensler, Lynn Nottage, Maria Irene Fornes, Leigh Silverman, Suzan-Lori Parks, and Anna Deavere Smith. In its 30 years, WP has staged over 570 productions, and in 1998, WP purchased a historic off-Broadway venue--the Julia Miles Theater--making WP the first and only women's theater company to hold the keys to its own stage.

Tickets are $15-42 and are on sale now at Telecharge www.Telecharge.com or 212.239.6200.  The Women's Project box office at 424 West 55th Street opens September 15.  To become a WP member, click www.WomensProject.org or call the Members Hotline at 212.765.2105.

Mayes and Strickland To Star In 'Play It Cool' At NYMTF - 9/22/2008

 TONY AWARD nominee Sally Mayes and TARZAN's Josh Strickland will star in a new jazz musical "PLAY IT COOL" at The New York Musical Theatre Festival from September 22 to October 4 at TBG Theatre, 312 West 36th Street.

Directed by Sharon Rosen, "PLAY IT COOL" is a five person musical centered around Mary's Hideaway, a fictional jazz club, in 1953.  Inspired by the period's film noir, this jazz musical examines laws governing gay and lesbian clubs of the time; when women weren't allowed to bartend and men couldn't dance with other men; when every glance had a double meaning, every word was an innuendo and everything had to be done to strict code.  Set against a sexy Hollywood backdrop, "PLAY IT COOL" looks at the people of the time who had the guts to break the rules...along with the ones who were only to happy to play along with them.  For more info, go to http://www.nymf.org/Show-935.html.

The musical was conceived by Larry Dean Harris with a book by Martin Casella and Larry Dean Harris.  Lyrics are by Mark Winkler with music by Phillip Swann with additional musical contributions by Jim Andron, Michael Cruz, Marilyn Harris, Robert Kraft, Emilio Palame, Joe Pasquale, Dan Siegel, Larry Steelman.   The Musical Director is Joseph Baker with choreography by Marvin Tunney.

Sally Mayes, who plays Mary, made her Broadway debut in Cy Coleman's WELCOME TO THE CLUB winning a Theatre World Award and Outer Critics Circle nomination.  On Broadway she won Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle nominations for her starring role in the Roundabout Theatre's revival of SHE LOVES ME.  Her other NY stage appearances include URBAN COWBOY (Drama Desk nomination), STEEL MAGNOLIAS, CLOSER THAN EVER (Outer Critics Circle nomination), DAS BARBECUE, and PETE N'KEELY (Drama Desk nomination).   She also starred as Mae West in the National Tour of DIRTY BLONDE.  Film and television credits include CITY HALL, BYE BYE BIRDIE, LAW AND ORDER CRIMINAL INTENT, SEX AND THE CITY, and THE JOB. In addition to her many cast recordings, Sally has four solo albums, THE Dorothy Fields SONGBOOK and OUR PRIVATE WORLD, THE COMDEN AND GREEN SONGBOOK, THE STORY HOUR, BOYS AND GIRLS LIKE YOU AND ME, and VALENTINE.

Josh Strickland, who plays Will, played the title in the Broadway musical TARZAN.  A native of Charleston, SC, he played both Mark & Roger in the National Company of RENT.  A National finalist on "American Idol," Josh has appeared with Shania Twain, with jazz musician Kevin Mahogany at the Spoleto Festival and appeared as 'Spirit of the Child' in the festival's opera "CURLY RIVER."

They will be joined by Michael McGuirk (NY Theatre Workshop) as 'Henry', popular jazz singer Kristen Sergeant as 'Lena' and Javier Munoz ("In The Heights") as 'Eddie'.

Larry Dean Harris (Conceiver/Co-author) has written for the stage, screen, television, as well as several essays. In 2004, he was tapped by CITC Productions to create/script an original series "The Mamas & the Papas". His book Witness to the Bizarre has been published in both print and online literary collections, and he has performed these stories at the Comedy Central Stage in Los Angeles.  His first play, "Inverted Pyramid", premiered in 1993 at Performance Network in Ann Arbor and was named Best Original Play and Best Drama of the Year by the Ann Arbor News and was a winner at the Midwest Playwrights Festival in 1994.  His other plays include "Bible Stories" (which was performed in theatres, churches and even rock clubs and later developed into an independent film) and "Like an Old Song" which was produced at the Hudson Avenue Theatre starring Tony Award winner Sammy Williams (A Chorus Line) and named Best Gay-Themed Play of the Year by BackStage West and Frontiers Newsmagazine in 2000.

Martin Casella (Co-author) wrote several plays including "Scituate", "The Irish Curse", "Grand Junction", "Beautiful Dreamer", "Desert Fire" (w/Roger Holzberg), "Paydirt", "Mates" (L.A. Weekly Award and Drama-Logue Award for Best New Play). His one-act plays include: "George Bush Goes to Hell" and "The Big Enchilada",and he has written several musicals including "Saint Heaven", "Paper Moon" (Paper Mill Playhouse, Goodspeed, Fords Theatre, Walnut Street, two seasons the Bunkamura Theatre, Tokyo), "Happy Holidays" (Pasadena Playhouse), "Taking Care of Mrs. Carroll" and "Doo-Dah!"

Mark Winkler (Lyrics) is an award winning singer/lyricist who has had his tunes covered by such artists as Dianne Reeves, Randy Crawford, Liza Minnelli, Kenny Rankin and Nancy Wilson. He is the co-writer of the hit Off-Broadway Musical Review "Naked Boys Singing!"; is the creator and writer of "Too Old for the Chorus" which has played successful engagements in Los Angeles and San Diego, and has written songs for another musical review called "Bark!" which has played in LA and Chicago.  He has won both LA. Weekly and BackStage West Awards for best score for "Naked Boys Singing!"

Phillip Swann (Music) is the composer of the award-winning musical comedy, "The People vs. Friar Laurence, the Man Who Killed Romeo and Juliet". In addition to "PLAY IT COOL", Swann's latest projects are: "Shakespeare's Greatest Hits", a musical-comedy review; "Trombone" a musical celebration of the poetry of James WelDon Johnson; "Moms! The musical", and "deLEARious" a musical comedy based on Shakespeare's King Lear and the creation of the King James Bible.

 Director Sharon Rosen has been a part of the development team of this world premier production of "Play It Cool" since 2005. She will direct the revival of "Oh What A Lovely War" which will be the first all-female production in Broadway history. Sharon co-produced OBIE Award-winning "The Tricky Part" Off-Broadway which also received Drama Desk and Outer Critic's Circle Award nominations. She was one of the original producers of "They Wrote That? The Music of Mann/Weil".  Sharon produced and directed the Los Angeles premiere of "Always…Patsy Cline", starring Sally Struthers, and her American Premiere production of "Slow Love" earned seven Drama-Logue Awards (including Critic's Choice and Best Production).  Her LA premiere of David Budbill's "Judevine" earned her three more Drama-Logue Awards.  In New York she produced and directed the World Premiere of "Drowning in Euphoria" at the McGinn-Cazale Theatre.

Sets for "PLAY IT COOL" will be designed by Lara Fabian with costumes by T. Michael Hall, lights by Deb Sullivan and sound by Peter Fitzgerald and Carl Casella.  Roy Gabay is General Manager with Chris Aniello as Company Manager.

The performance schedule for "PLAY IT COOL" at The TBG Theatre, 312 West 36th Street is:

Monday, Sept 22 @ 8 PM

Wednesday, Sept 24 @ 4:30 PM

Sunday, Sept 28 @ 8 PM

Monday, Sept 29 @ 1 PM

Friday, October 3 @ 8 PM

Saturday, Oct 4 @ 1 PM

The musical, which is making its NY debut, was presented in Los Angeles in 2006 where it was nominated for 2006 GLAAD Media Award/Best LA Theatre; 2005-6 Ovation Award; 2006 LA Weekly Awards and was Critic's Pick of the LA Times, LA Weekly and Backstage.  

BackStage West called "PLAY IT COOL" "A scintillating jazz musical. The amalgam of swinging jazz ditties, comic numbers and torch songs results in a superb score, brought to shimmering life" and Variety said: "A jazz-tinged tuner rich in noir-esque ambiance."

Hailed as "the Sundance of Musical Theatre," The New York Musical Theatre Festival (NYMF) exists to revitalize one of America's greatest art forms by discovering, supporting and promoting new musical theater artists, producers, and projects, and by introducing a diverse audience to the vibrancy of contemporary musical theater. Since its inception in 2004, the three-week annual festival has premiered more than 130 new musicals – many of which have gone on to award-winning productions in New York, in regional theaters and on tour in 38 states, and nine countries worldwide.  NYMF 2004 hit Altar Boyz has played well over 1,000 performances off-Broadway and is now in its fourth year at New World Stages; fellow NYMF alum [title of show] recently began performances at the Lyceum Theatre on Broadway.

Widely regarded as the essential source for new material and talent discovery, NYMF is the flagship program of The National Music Theater Network, a 501(c) 3 not-for-profit organization, and is presented in association with BroadwayWorld.com and TheaterMania.com, and is supported by amNewYork, Barnes & Noble Booksellers, BroadwayBox.com, BroadwayInsider.com, King Displays, Panasonic Astrovision, and TheMENEvent. NYMF is supported, in part, by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts, and by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs and from the New York State Council on the Arts, a state agency.

Single tickets go on sale September 1 for the 2008 NYMF Festival.   $20 tickets for "PLAY IT COOL" will be available at www.nymf.org or (212) 352-3101.

Mayes and Strickland To Star In 'Play It Cool' At NYMF - 9/22/2008

 TONY AWARD nominee Sally Mayes and TARZAN's Josh Strickland will star in a new jazz musical "PLAY IT COOL" at The New York Musical Theatre Festival from September 22 to October 4 at TBG Theatre, 312 West 36th Street.

Directed by Sharon Rosen, "PLAY IT COOL" is a five person musical centered around Mary's Hideaway, a fictional jazz club, in 1953.  Inspired by the period's film noir, this jazz musical examines laws governing gay and lesbian clubs of the time; when women weren't allowed to bartend and men couldn't dance with other men; when every glance had a double meaning, every word was an innuendo and everything had to be done to strict code.  Set against a sexy Hollywood backdrop, "PLAY IT COOL" looks at the people of the time who had the guts to break the rules...along with the ones who were only to happy to play along with them.  For more info, go to http://www.nymf.org/Show-935.html.

The musical was conceived by Larry Dean Harris with a book by Martin Casella and Larry Dean Harris.  Lyrics are by Mark Winkler with music by Phillip Swann with additional musical contributions by Jim Andron, Michael Cruz, Marilyn Harris, Robert Kraft, Emilio Palame, Joe Pasquale, Dan Siegel, Larry Steelman.   The Musical Director is Joseph Baker with choreography by Marvin Tunney.

Sally Mayes, who plays Mary, made her Broadway debut in Cy Coleman's WELCOME TO THE CLUB winning a Theatre World Award and Outer Critics Circle nomination.  On Broadway she won Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle nominations for her starring role in the Roundabout Theatre's revival of SHE LOVES ME.  Her other NY stage appearances include URBAN COWBOY (Drama Desk nomination), STEEL MAGNOLIAS, CLOSER THAN EVER (Outer Critics Circle nomination), DAS BARBECUE, and PETE N'KEELY (Drama Desk nomination).   She also starred as Mae West in the National Tour of DIRTY BLONDE.  Film and television credits include CITY HALL, BYE BYE BIRDIE, LAW AND ORDER CRIMINAL INTENT, SEX AND THE CITY, and THE JOB. In addition to her many cast recordings, Sally has four solo albums, THE Dorothy Fields SONGBOOK and OUR PRIVATE WORLD, THE COMDEN AND GREEN SONGBOOK, THE STORY HOUR, BOYS AND GIRLS LIKE YOU AND ME, and VALENTINE.

Josh Strickland, who plays Will, played the title in the Broadway musical TARZAN.  A native of Charleston, SC, he played both Mark & Roger in the National Company of RENT.  A National finalist on "American Idol," Josh has appeared with Shania Twain, with jazz musician Kevin Mahogany at the Spoleto Festival and appeared as 'Spirit of the Child' in the festival's opera "CURLY RIVER."

They will be joined by Michael McGuirk (NY Theatre Workshop) as 'Henry', popular jazz singer Kristen Sergeant as 'Lena' and Javier Munoz ("In The Heights") as 'Eddie'.

Larry Dean Harris (Conceiver/Co-author) has written for the stage, screen, television, as well as several essays. In 2004, he was tapped by CITC Productions to create/script an original series "The Mamas & the Papas". His book Witness to the Bizarre has been published in both print and online literary collections, and he has performed these stories at the Comedy Central Stage in Los Angeles.  His first play, "Inverted Pyramid", premiered in 1993 at Performance Network in Ann Arbor and was named Best Original Play and Best Drama of the Year by the Ann Arbor News and was a winner at the Midwest Playwrights Festival in 1994.  His other plays include "Bible Stories" (which was performed in theatres, churches and even rock clubs and later developed into an independent film) and "Like an Old Song" which was produced at the Hudson Avenue Theatre starring Tony Award winner Sammy Williams (A Chorus Line) and named Best Gay-Themed Play of the Year by BackStage West and Frontiers Newsmagazine in 2000.

Martin Casella (Co-author) wrote several plays including "Scituate", "The Irish Curse", "Grand Junction", "Beautiful Dreamer", "Desert Fire" (w/Roger Holzberg), "Paydirt", "Mates" (L.A. Weekly Award and Drama-Logue Award for Best New Play). His one-act plays include: "George Bush Goes to Hell" and "The Big Enchilada",and he has written several musicals including "Saint Heaven", "Paper Moon" (Paper Mill Playhouse, Goodspeed, Fords Theatre, Walnut Street, two seasons the Bunkamura Theatre, Tokyo), "Happy Holidays" (Pasadena Playhouse), "Taking Care of Mrs. Carroll" and "Doo-Dah!"

Mark Winkler (Lyrics) is an award winning singer/lyricist who has had his tunes covered by such artists as Dianne Reeves, Randy Crawford, Liza Minnelli, Kenny Rankin and Nancy Wilson. He is the co-writer of the hit Off-Broadway Musical Review "Naked Boys Singing!"; is the creator and writer of "Too Old for the Chorus" which has played successful engagements in Los Angeles and San Diego, and has written songs for another musical review called "Bark!" which has played in LA and Chicago.  He has won both LA. Weekly and BackStage West Awards for best score for "Naked Boys Singing!"

Phillip Swann (Music) is the composer of the award-winning musical comedy, "The People vs. Friar Laurence, the Man Who Killed Romeo and Juliet". In addition to "PLAY IT COOL", Swann's latest projects are: "Shakespeare's Greatest Hits", a musical-comedy review; "Trombone" a musical celebration of the poetry of James WelDon Johnson; "Moms! The musical", and "deLEARious" a musical comedy based on Shakespeare's King Lear and the creation of the King James Bible.

 Director Sharon Rosen has been a part of the development team of this world premier production of "Play It Cool" since 2005. She will direct the revival of "Oh What A Lovely War" which will be the first all-female production in Broadway history. Sharon co-produced OBIE Award-winning "The Tricky Part" Off-Broadway which also received Drama Desk and Outer Critic's Circle Award nominations. She was one of the original producers of "They Wrote That? The Music of Mann/Weil".  Sharon produced and directed the Los Angeles premiere of "Always…Patsy Cline", starring Sally Struthers, and her American Premiere production of "Slow Love" earned seven Drama-Logue Awards (including Critic's Choice and Best Production).  Her LA premiere of David Budbill's "Judevine" earned her three more Drama-Logue Awards.  In New York she produced and directed the World Premiere of "Drowning in Euphoria" at the McGinn-Cazale Theatre.

Sets for "PLAY IT COOL" will be designed by Lara Fabian with costumes by T. Michael Hall, lights by Deb Sullivan and sound by Peter Fitzgerald and Carl Casella.  Roy Gabay is General Manager with Chris Aniello as Company Manager.

The performance schedule for "PLAY IT COOL" at The TBG Theatre, 312 West 36th Street is:

Monday, Sept 22 @ 8 PM

Wednesday, Sept 24 @ 4:30 PM

Sunday, Sept 28 @ 8 PM

Monday, Sept 29 @ 1 PM

Friday, October 3 @ 8 PM

Saturday, Oct 4 @ 1 PM

The musical, which is making its NY debut, was presented in Los Angeles in 2006 where it was nominated for 2006 GLAAD Media Award/Best LA Theatre; 2005-6 Ovation Award; 2006 LA Weekly Awards and was Critic's Pick of the LA Times, LA Weekly and Backstage.  

BackStage West called "PLAY IT COOL" "A scintillating jazz musical. The amalgam of swinging jazz ditties, comic numbers and torch songs results in a superb score, brought to shimmering life" and Variety said: "A jazz-tinged tuner rich in noir-esque ambiance."

Hailed as "the Sundance of Musical Theatre," The New York Musical Theatre Festival (NYMF) exists to revitalize one of America's greatest art forms by discovering, supporting and promoting new musical theater artists, producers, and projects, and by introducing a diverse audience to the vibrancy of contemporary musical theater. Since its inception in 2004, the three-week annual festival has premiered more than 130 new musicals – many of which have gone on to award-winning productions in New York, in regional theaters and on tour in 38 states, and nine countries worldwide.  NYMF 2004 hit Altar Boyz has played well over 1,000 performances off-Broadway and is now in its fourth year at New World Stages; fellow NYMF alum [title of show] recently began performances at the Lyceum Theatre on Broadway.

Widely regarded as the essential source for new material and talent discovery, NYMF is the flagship program of The National Music Theater Network, a 501(c) 3 not-for-profit organization, and is presented in association with BroadwayWorld.com and TheaterMania.com, and is supported by amNewYork, Barnes & Noble Booksellers, BroadwayBox.com, BroadwayInsider.com, King Displays, Panasonic Astrovision, and TheMENEvent. NYMF is supported, in part, by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts, and by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs and from the New York State Council on the Arts, a state agency.

Single tickets go on sale September 1 for the 2008 NYMF Festival.   $20 tickets for "PLAY IT COOL" will be available at www.nymf.org or (212) 352-3101.

Flemming To Kick Off MET's 125th Anniversary With Gala Performance - 9/22/2008

The Metropolitan Opera opens its 2008-09 season on September 22 with a gala performance that kicks off its 125th anniversary, starring Renée Fleming in three fully-staged scenes, including some of her most acclaimed portrayals. Costumes for Fleming have been specially created for each of the scenes in the Opening Night Gala by three of the world’s legendary fashion designers: John Galliano, Christian Lacroix, and Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel.

The program opens with Act II of Verdi’s La Traviata, and continues with Act III of Massenet’s Manon, and the final scene of Richard Strauss’s one act opera, Capriccio. Met Music Director James Levine conducts the second act of La Traviata, which has two scenes: the first at Violetta’s country house and the second at a grand Parisian mansion in the elaborate staging by Franco Zeffirelli. Ramón Vargas sings the role of Alfredo Germont, and Thomas Hampson that of his father, Giorgio. Christian Lacroix has designed two costumes for Fleming, one for each scene.

The Manon act is also in two parts: the first is the spectacular “Cours-la-Reine” scene featuring the heroine’s famous “Gavotte,” followed by the searingly dramatic scene in the church of St. Sulpice. Ramón Vargas is Manon’s lover, the Chevalier des Grieux, Dwayne Croft her cousin, Lescaut, and Robert Lloyd the Chevalier’s father, the Comte des Grieux, with Marco Armiliato conducting. Fleming’s costume for scene one and an additional cloak for the second scene are by Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel.

The musically transcendent finale of Capriccio, conducted by Patrick Summers, music director of the Houston Grand Opera, concludes the evening, with Fleming in a costume created by John Galliano.

The Met: Live in HD transmits Opening Night for the first time

For the first time, The Met: Live in HD, the highly successful series of performances transmitted live in high definition (HD) into movie theaters, will carry the Met’s opening night. It will be transmitted to 600 theaters in North and South America, including Mexico City’s Auditorio Nacional, and Buenos Aires’ Teatro 25 de Mayo --- both new additions to the Met’s HD network. American mezzo-soprano Susan Graham hosts the evening, the Red Carpet, and live backstage interviews. The HD director for this performance is Gary Halvorson, who directed five out of the eight HD programs last season. Last season, the series of eight HD operas was attended by over 935,000 people worldwide. This season, the series has been expanded to eleven Live in HD transmissions, including the Met premiere of John Adams’s Doctor Atomic and five other new stage productions. The Met’s HD series is generously supported by the Neubauer Family Foundation. Information on theaters carrying the series is available at the Met’s web site, www.metopera.org.

 

Live transmissions of Opening Night Gala to Times Square and Fordham University at Lincoln Center and broadcast live on SIRIUS

As a highlight of its 125th anniversary celebration, the Met will transmit the opening-night performance onto multiple screens in Times Square and Fordham University’s Lincoln Center campus, where thousands of people can experience it for free. In Times Square, multiple giant screens will carry the live performance, including the Astrovision (Panasonic), Reuters, Nasdaq, and MTV screens. The opera will be broadcast live on Metropolitan Opera Radio on SIRIUS channel 78. The performance will also be streamed live on the Met’s website, www.metopera.org. The free outdoor airings of the Met’s opening have proven a popular attraction for thousands of New Yorkers since the new tradition was begun with General Manager Peter Gelb’s first season in 2006.

Due to construction on Lincoln Center Plaza, the Opening Night Gala will be presented in a live plazacast on the North Meadow at Fordham University at Lincoln Center. The Fordham plazacast is free admission, but tickets are required. Approximately 1700 tickets will be distributed beginning Wednesday, September 17 at  10 a.m. at the Met Box Office, with a maximum of two per person.  The Times Square relay of the opening night gala is free, and tickets are not required. Approximately 2,000 seats will be available for the public on a first-come first-served basis, with additional standing room provided.

One of opera’s most glamorous and popular stars, Renée Fleming will appear in the title role of a new production of Massenet’s Thaïs and as Dvořák’s Rusalka this season at the Met, in addition to the Opening Night Gala.  Thaïs will be shown live in high-definition in movie theaters worldwide on December 20.

Fleming has sung in four premieres of operas that had never been given by the Met: the world premiere of John Corigliano’s The Ghosts of Versailles (1991); Carlyle Floyd’s Susannah (1999); Bellini’s Il Pirata (2002); and Handel’s Rodelinda (2004). In addition she sang the Countess Almaviva in Jonathan Miller’s new production of Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro in 1998. This year’s gala Opening Night will be the American soprano’s fifth season-opening performance at the Met.  On opening night of the 1995 season, she sang Desdemona in Verdi’s Otello, opposite Plácido Domingo. To open the 2000 season, she sang the role of Donna Anna in Mozart’s Don Giovanni, and in 2002, she was Desdemona in Act IV of Otello for the opening night gala of staged scenes.  In 2003, Fleming opened the season as Violetta Valéry in Verdi’s La Traviata. Renée Fleming has sung more than 150 performances on the Met stage as well as numerous concerts with the Met Orchestra.

A frequent host of The Met: Live in HD series, Fleming will, this season, introduce and host the transmissions of La Rondine on January 10, 2009 and of Madama Butterfly on March 7, 2009.

Coty Inc. has created a new fragrance, La Voce Renée Fleming, in honor of the singer; the fragrance’s launch coincides with the opening night gala, and a portion of the sales proceeds will be donated to the Met.

Under the leadership of General Manager Peter Gelb and Music Director James Levine, the Met has a series of bold initiatives underway that are designed to broaden its audience and revitalize the company’s repertory.  The Met has made a commitment to presenting modern masterpieces alongside the classic repertory, with highly theatrical productions featuring the greatest opera stars in the world.

The Metropolitan Opera’s 2008-09 season pays tribute to the company’s extraordinary history on the occasion of its 125th anniversary, while also emphasizing the Met’s renewed commitment to advancing the art form. The upcoming season features six new productions, 18 revivals, the final performances of Otto Schenk’s production of Wagner’s Ring cycle conducted by Levine, and two gala celebrations; the galas include the season-opening performance featuring Renée Fleming as well as a 125th anniversary celebration on March 15.  New productions include the company premiere of John Adams’s Doctor Atomic as well as the Met’s first staged production of Berlioz’s La Damnation de Faust, and Massenet’s Thaïs, Puccini’s La Rondine, Verdi’s Il Trovatore, and Bellini’s La Sonnambula.  Future seasons include new presentations of John Corigliano’s The Ghosts of Versailles (2009-10) and Thomas Adès’s The Tempest (2011-12).

Building on its 77-year-old international radio broadcast history – heard over the Toll Brothers-Metropolitan Opera International Radio Network – the Met now uses advanced media distribution platforms and state-of-the-art technology to attract new audiences and reach millions of opera fans around the world.

The Met: Live in HD series reached more than 935,000 people in the 2007-08 season, more than the number of people who saw performances in the opera house.  These performances began airing on PBS in March 2008, and eight of these HD performances are currently or will soon be available on DVD, on the EMI and Universal labels.  In the 2008-09 season, the series expands to feature 11 live transmissions, starting with the Met’s Opening Night Gala and spanning the entire season. The HD productions will be seen in over 850 theaters in 28 countries around the world. Five new productions will be featured, including the Met premiere of John Adams’s Doctor Atomic. The Opening Night transmission will be seen in the Americas only; the remaining ten high-definition productions will be shown live worldwide on Saturdays through May 9 with encores scheduled at various times.

Live in HD in Schools, the Met’s new program offering free opera transmissions to New York City schools in partnership with the New York City Department of Education and the Metropolitan Opera Guild, reached more than 7,000 public school students and teachers during the 2007-08 season. This season, Live in HD in Schools expands to reach schools in 18 cities and communities nationwide.

Metropolitan Opera Radio on SIRIUS channel 78 is a subscription-based audio entertainment service broadcasting both an unprecedented number of live performances each week throughout the Met’s entire season, as well as rare historical performances, newly restored and remastered, spanning the company’s 77-year broadcast history.  In addition to providing audio recordings through the new Met on Rhapsody on-demand service, the Met also presents free live audio streaming of performances on its website once every week during the opera season with support from RealNetworks®.

The company’s groundbreaking commissioning program in partnership with New York’s Lincoln Center Theater (LCT), provides renowned composers and playwrights with the resources to create and develop new works at the Met and at Lincoln Center’s Vivian Beaumont Theater.  The Met’s partnership with LCT is part of the company’s larger initiative to commission new operas from contemporary composers, present modern masterpieces alongside the classic repertory, and provide a venue for artists to nurture their work.

The Met has launched several audience development initiatives such as the company’s Open House Dress Rehearsals, which are free and open to the public; two are planned for the 2008-09 season with operas and dates to be announced.  The Met also presents a free performance of the Verdi Requiem on September 18, in tribute to the late Luciano Pavarotti.  Other company initiatives include the Arnold and Marie Schwartz Gallery Met which exhibits contemporary visual art; the immensely successful Agnes Varis and Karl Leichtman Rush Ticket program which provides deeply discounted orchestra seats two hours before curtain time; and an annual Holiday Series presentation for families.  This season’s special Holiday Presentation is Julie Taymor’s production of Mozart’s The Magic Flute, an abridged, English-language version of the opera which is given four special matinee performances and one holiday evening performance as a way for families to celebrate the holiday season.

Flemming To Kick Off Metropolitan Opera's 125th Anniversary With Gala Performance - 9/22/2008

The Metropolitan Opera opens its 2008-09 season on September 22 with a gala performance that kicks off its 125th anniversary, starring Renée Fleming in three fully-staged scenes, including some of her most acclaimed portrayals. Costumes for Fleming have been specially created for each of the scenes in the Opening Night Gala by three of the world’s legendary fashion designers: John Galliano, Christian Lacroix, and Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel.

The program opens with Act II of Verdi’s La Traviata, and continues with Act III of Massenet’s Manon, and the final scene of Richard Strauss’s one act opera, Capriccio. Met Music Director James Levine conducts the second act of La Traviata, which has two scenes: the first at Violetta’s country house and the second at a grand Parisian mansion in the elaborate staging by Franco Zeffirelli. Ramón Vargas sings the role of Alfredo Germont, and Thomas Hampson that of his father, Giorgio. Christian Lacroix has designed two costumes for Fleming, one for each scene.

The Manon act is also in two parts: the first is the spectacular “Cours-la-Reine” scene featuring the heroine’s famous “Gavotte,” followed by the searingly dramatic scene in the church of St. Sulpice. Ramón Vargas is Manon’s lover, the Chevalier des Grieux, Dwayne Croft her cousin, Lescaut, and Robert Lloyd the Chevalier’s father, the Comte des Grieux, with Marco Armiliato conducting. Fleming’s costume for scene one and an additional cloak for the second scene are by Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel.

The musically transcendent finale of Capriccio, conducted by Patrick Summers, music director of the Houston Grand Opera, concludes the evening, with Fleming in a costume created by John Galliano.

The Met: Live in HD transmits Opening Night for the first time

For the first time, The Met: Live in HD, the highly successful series of performances transmitted live in high definition (HD) into movie theaters, will carry the Met’s opening night. It will be transmitted to 600 theaters in North and South America, including Mexico City’s Auditorio Nacional, and Buenos Aires’ Teatro 25 de Mayo --- both new additions to the Met’s HD network. American mezzo-soprano Susan Graham hosts the evening, the Red Carpet, and live backstage interviews. The HD director for this performance is Gary Halvorson, who directed five out of the eight HD programs last season. Last season, the series of eight HD operas was attended by over 935,000 people worldwide. This season, the series has been expanded to eleven Live in HD transmissions, including the Met premiere of John Adams’s Doctor Atomic and five other new stage productions. The Met’s HD series is generously supported by the Neubauer Family Foundation. Information on theaters carrying the series is available at the Met’s web site, www.metopera.org.

 

Live transmissions of Opening Night Gala to Times Square and Fordham University at Lincoln Center and broadcast live on SIRIUS

As a highlight of its 125th anniversary celebration, the Met will transmit the opening-night performance onto multiple screens in Times Square and Fordham University’s Lincoln Center campus, where thousands of people can experience it for free. In Times Square, multiple giant screens will carry the live performance, including the Astrovision (Panasonic), Reuters, Nasdaq, and MTV screens. The opera will be broadcast live on Metropolitan Opera Radio on SIRIUS channel 78. The performance will also be streamed live on the Met’s website, www.metopera.org. The free outdoor airings of the Met’s opening have proven a popular attraction for thousands of New Yorkers since the new tradition was begun with General Manager Peter Gelb’s first season in 2006.

Due to construction on Lincoln Center Plaza, the Opening Night Gala will be presented in a live plazacast on the North Meadow at Fordham University at Lincoln Center. The Fordham plazacast is free admission, but tickets are required. Approximately 1700 tickets will be distributed beginning Wednesday, September 17 at  10 a.m. at the Met Box Office, with a maximum of two per person.  The Times Square relay of the opening night gala is free, and tickets are not required. Approximately 2,000 seats will be available for the public on a first-come first-served basis, with additional standing room provided.

One of opera’s most glamorous and popular stars, Renée Fleming will appear in the title role of a new production of Massenet’s Thaïs and as Dvořák’s Rusalka this season at the Met, in addition to the Opening Night Gala.  Thaïs will be shown live in high-definition in movie theaters worldwide on December 20.

Fleming has sung in four premieres of operas that had never been given by the Met: the world premiere of John Corigliano’s The Ghosts of Versailles (1991); Carlyle Floyd’s Susannah (1999); Bellini’s Il Pirata (2002); and Handel’s Rodelinda (2004). In addition she sang the Countess Almaviva in Jonathan Miller’s new production of Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro in 1998. This year’s gala Opening Night will be the American soprano’s fifth season-opening performance at the Met.  On opening night of the 1995 season, she sang Desdemona in Verdi’s Otello, opposite Plácido Domingo. To open the 2000 season, she sang the role of Donna Anna in Mozart’s Don Giovanni, and in 2002, she was Desdemona in Act IV of Otello for the opening night gala of staged scenes.  In 2003, Fleming opened the season as Violetta Valéry in Verdi’s La Traviata. Renée Fleming has sung more than 150 performances on the Met stage as well as numerous concerts with the Met Orchestra.

A frequent host of The Met: Live in HD series, Fleming will, this season, introduce and host the transmissions of La Rondine on January 10, 2009 and of Madama Butterfly on March 7, 2009.

Coty Inc. has created a new fragrance, La Voce Renée Fleming, in honor of the singer; the fragrance’s launch coincides with the opening night gala, and a portion of the sales proceeds will be donated to the Met.

Under the leadership of General Manager Peter Gelb and Music Director James Levine, the Met has a series of bold initiatives underway that are designed to broaden its audience and revitalize the company’s repertory.  The Met has made a commitment to presenting modern masterpieces alongside the classic repertory, with highly theatrical productions featuring the greatest opera stars in the world.

The Metropolitan Opera’s 2008-09 season pays tribute to the company’s extraordinary history on the occasion of its 125th anniversary, while also emphasizing the Met’s renewed commitment to advancing the art form. The upcoming season features six new productions, 18 revivals, the final performances of Otto Schenk’s production of Wagner’s Ring cycle conducted by Levine, and two gala celebrations; the galas include the season-opening performance featuring Renée Fleming as well as a 125th anniversary celebration on March 15.  New productions include the company premiere of John Adams’s Doctor Atomic as well as the Met’s first staged production of Berlioz’s La Damnation de Faust, and Massenet’s Thaïs, Puccini’s La Rondine, Verdi’s Il Trovatore, and Bellini’s La Sonnambula.  Future seasons include new presentations of John Corigliano’s The Ghosts of Versailles (2009-10) and Thomas Adès’s The Tempest (2011-12).

Building on its 77-year-old international radio broadcast history – heard over the Toll Brothers-Metropolitan Opera International Radio Network – the Met now uses advanced media distribution platforms and state-of-the-art technology to attract new audiences and reach millions of opera fans around the world.

The Met: Live in HD series reached more than 935,000 people in the 2007-08 season, more than the number of people who saw performances in the opera house.  These performances began airing on PBS in March 2008, and eight of these HD performances are currently or will soon be available on DVD, on the EMI and Universal labels.  In the 2008-09 season, the series expands to feature 11 live transmissions, starting with the Met’s Opening Night Gala and spanning the entire season. The HD productions will be seen in over 850 theaters in 28 countries around the world. Five new productions will be featured, including the Met premiere of John Adams’s Doctor Atomic. The Opening Night transmission will be seen in the Americas only; the remaining ten high-definition productions will be shown live worldwide on Saturdays through May 9 with encores scheduled at various times.

Live in HD in Schools, the Met’s new program offering free opera transmissions to New York City schools in partnership with the New York City Department of Education and the Metropolitan Opera Guild, reached more than 7,000 public school students and teachers during the 2007-08 season. This season, Live in HD in Schools expands to reach schools in 18 cities and communities nationwide.

Metropolitan Opera Radio on SIRIUS channel 78 is a subscription-based audio entertainment service broadcasting both an unprecedented number of live performances each week throughout the Met’s entire season, as well as rare historical performances, newly restored and remastered, spanning the company’s 77-year broadcast history.  In addition to providing audio recordings through the new Met on Rhapsody on-demand service, the Met also presents free live audio streaming of performances on its website once every week during the opera season with support from RealNetworks®.

The company’s groundbreaking commissioning program in partnership with New York’s Lincoln Center Theater (LCT), provides renowned composers and playwrights with the resources to create and develop new works at the Met and at Lincoln Center’s Vivian Beaumont Theater.  The Met’s partnership with LCT is part of the company’s larger initiative to commission new operas from contemporary composers, present modern masterpieces alongside the classic repertory, and provide a venue for artists to nurture their work.

The Met has launched several audience development initiatives such as the company’s Open House Dress Rehearsals, which are free and open to the public; two are planned for the 2008-09 season with operas and dates to be announced.  The Met also presents a free performance of the Verdi Requiem on September 18, in tribute to the late Luciano Pavarotti.  Other company initiatives include the Arnold and Marie Schwartz Gallery Met which exhibits contemporary visual art; the immensely successful Agnes Varis and Karl Leichtman Rush Ticket program which provides deeply discounted orchestra seats two hours before curtain time; and an annual Holiday Series presentation for families.  This season’s special Holiday Presentation is Julie Taymor’s production of Mozart’s The Magic Flute, an abridged, English-language version of the opera which is given four special matinee performances and one holiday evening performance as a way for families to celebrate the holiday season.

Fleming To Kick Off Metropolitan Opera's 125th Anniversary With Gala Performance - 9/22/2008

The Metropolitan Opera opens its 2008-09 season on September 22 with a gala performance that kicks off its 125th anniversary, starring Renée Fleming in three fully-staged scenes, including some of her most acclaimed portrayals. Costumes for Fleming have been specially created for each of the scenes in the Opening Night Gala by three of the world’s legendary fashion designers: John Galliano, Christian Lacroix, and Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel.

The program opens with Act II of Verdi’s La Traviata, and continues with Act III of Massenet’s Manon, and the final scene of Richard Strauss’s one act opera, Capriccio. Met Music Director James Levine conducts the second act of La Traviata, which has two scenes: the first at Violetta’s country house and the second at a grand Parisian mansion in the elaborate staging by Franco Zeffirelli. Ramón Vargas sings the role of Alfredo Germont, and Thomas Hampson that of his father, Giorgio. Christian Lacroix has designed two costumes for Fleming, one for each scene.

The Manon act is also in two parts: the first is the spectacular “Cours-la-Reine” scene featuring the heroine’s famous “Gavotte,” followed by the searingly dramatic scene in the church of St. Sulpice. Ramón Vargas is Manon’s lover, the Chevalier des Grieux, Dwayne Croft her cousin, Lescaut, and Robert Lloyd the Chevalier’s father, the Comte des Grieux, with Marco Armiliato conducting. Fleming’s costume for scene one and an additional cloak for the second scene are by Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel.

The musically transcendent finale of Capriccio, conducted by Patrick Summers, music director of the Houston Grand Opera, concludes the evening, with Fleming in a costume created by John Galliano.

The Met: Live in HD transmits Opening Night for the first time

For the first time, The Met: Live in HD, the highly successful series of performances transmitted live in high definition (HD) into movie theaters, will carry the Met’s opening night. It will be transmitted to 600 theaters in North and South America, including Mexico City’s Auditorio Nacional, and Buenos Aires’ Teatro 25 de Mayo --- both new additions to the Met’s HD network. American mezzo-soprano Susan Graham hosts the evening, the Red Carpet, and live backstage interviews. The HD director for this performance is Gary Halvorson, who directed five out of the eight HD programs last season. Last season, the series of eight HD operas was attended by over 935,000 people worldwide. This season, the series has been expanded to eleven Live in HD transmissions, including the Met premiere of John Adams’s Doctor Atomic and five other new stage productions. The Met’s HD series is generously supported by the Neubauer Family Foundation. Information on theaters carrying the series is available at the Met’s web site, www.metopera.org.

 

Live transmissions of Opening Night Gala to Times Square and Fordham University at Lincoln Center and broadcast live on SIRIUS

As a highlight of its 125th anniversary celebration, the Met will transmit the opening-night performance onto multiple screens in Times Square and Fordham University’s Lincoln Center campus, where thousands of people can experience it for free. In Times Square, multiple giant screens will carry the live performance, including the Astrovision (Panasonic), Reuters, Nasdaq, and MTV screens. The opera will be broadcast live on Metropolitan Opera Radio on SIRIUS channel 78. The performance will also be streamed live on the Met’s website, www.metopera.org. The free outdoor airings of the Met’s opening have proven a popular attraction for thousands of New Yorkers since the new tradition was begun with General Manager Peter Gelb’s first season in 2006.

Due to construction on Lincoln Center Plaza, the Opening Night Gala will be presented in a live plazacast on the North Meadow at Fordham University at Lincoln Center. The Fordham plazacast is free admission, but tickets are required. Approximately 1700 tickets will be distributed beginning Wednesday, September 17 at  10 a.m. at the Met Box Office, with a maximum of two per person.  The Times Square relay of the opening night gala is free, and tickets are not required. Approximately 2,000 seats will be available for the public on a first-come first-served basis, with additional standing room provided.

One of opera’s most glamorous and popular stars, Renée Fleming will appear in the title role of a new production of Massenet’s Thaïs and as Dvořák’s Rusalka this season at the Met, in addition to the Opening Night Gala.  Thaïs will be shown live in high-definition in movie theaters worldwide on December 20.

Fleming has sung in four premieres of operas that had never been given by the Met: the world premiere of John Corigliano’s The Ghosts of Versailles (1991); Carlyle Floyd’s Susannah (1999); Bellini’s Il Pirata (2002); and Handel’s Rodelinda (2004). In addition she sang the Countess Almaviva in Jonathan Miller’s new production of Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro in 1998. This year’s gala Opening Night will be the American soprano’s fifth season-opening performance at the Met.  On opening night of the 1995 season, she sang Desdemona in Verdi’s Otello, opposite Plácido Domingo. To open the 2000 season, she sang the role of Donna Anna in Mozart’s Don Giovanni, and in 2002, she was Desdemona in Act IV of Otello for the opening night gala of staged scenes.  In 2003, Fleming opened the season as Violetta Valéry in Verdi’s La Traviata. Renée Fleming has sung more than 150 performances on the Met stage as well as numerous concerts with the Met Orchestra.

A frequent host of The Met: Live in HD series, Fleming will, this season, introduce and host the transmissions of La Rondine on January 10, 2009 and of Madama Butterfly on March 7, 2009.

Coty Inc. has created a new fragrance, La Voce Renée Fleming, in honor of the singer; the fragrance’s launch coincides with the opening night gala, and a portion of the sales proceeds will be donated to the Met.

Under the leadership of General Manager Peter Gelb and Music Director James Levine, the Met has a series of bold initiatives underway that are designed to broaden its audience and revitalize the company’s repertory.  The Met has made a commitment to presenting modern masterpieces alongside the classic repertory, with highly theatrical productions featuring the greatest opera stars in the world.

The Metropolitan Opera’s 2008-09 season pays tribute to the company’s extraordinary history on the occasion of its 125th anniversary, while also emphasizing the Met’s renewed commitment to advancing the art form. The upcoming season features six new productions, 18 revivals, the final performances of Otto Schenk’s production of Wagner’s Ring cycle conducted by Levine, and two gala celebrations; the galas include the season-opening performance featuring Renée Fleming as well as a 125th anniversary celebration on March 15.  New productions include the company premiere of John Adams’s Doctor Atomic as well as the Met’s first staged production of Berlioz’s La Damnation de Faust, and Massenet’s Thaïs, Puccini’s La Rondine, Verdi’s Il Trovatore, and Bellini’s La Sonnambula.  Future seasons include new presentations of John Corigliano’s The Ghosts of Versailles (2009-10) and Thomas Adès’s The Tempest (2011-12).

Building on its 77-year-old international radio broadcast history – heard over the Toll Brothers-Metropolitan Opera International Radio Network – the Met now uses advanced media distribution platforms and state-of-the-art technology to attract new audiences and reach millions of opera fans around the world.

The Met: Live in HD series reached more than 935,000 people in the 2007-08 season, more than the number of people who saw performances in the opera house.  These performances began airing on PBS in March 2008, and eight of these HD performances are currently or will soon be available on DVD, on the EMI and Universal labels.  In the 2008-09 season, the series expands to feature 11 live transmissions, starting with the Met’s Opening Night Gala and spanning the entire season. The HD productions will be seen in over 850 theaters in 28 countries around the world. Five new productions will be featured, including the Met premiere of John Adams’s Doctor Atomic. The Opening Night transmission will be seen in the Americas only; the remaining ten high-definition productions will be shown live worldwide on Saturdays through May 9 with encores scheduled at various times.

Live in HD in Schools, the Met’s new program offering free opera transmissions to New York City schools in partnership with the New York City Department of Education and the Metropolitan Opera Guild, reached more than 7,000 public school students and teachers during the 2007-08 season. This season, Live in HD in Schools expands to reach schools in 18 cities and communities nationwide.

Metropolitan Opera Radio on SIRIUS channel 78 is a subscription-based audio entertainment service broadcasting both an unprecedented number of live performances each week throughout the Met’s entire season, as well as rare historical performances, newly restored and remastered, spanning the company’s 77-year broadcast history.  In addition to providing audio recordings through the new Met on Rhapsody on-demand service, the Met also presents free live audio streaming of performances on its website once every week during the opera season with support from RealNetworks®.

The company’s groundbreaking commissioning program in partnership with New York’s Lincoln Center Theater (LCT), provides renowned composers and playwrights with the resources to create and develop new works at the Met and at Lincoln Center’s Vivian Beaumont Theater.  The Met’s partnership with LCT is part of the company’s larger initiative to commission new operas from contemporary composers, present modern masterpieces alongside the classic repertory, and provide a venue for artists to nurture their work.

The Met has launched several audience development initiatives such as the company’s Open House Dress Rehearsals, which are free and open to the public; two are planned for the 2008-09 season with operas and dates to be announced.  The Met also presents a free performance of the Verdi Requiem on September 18, in tribute to the late Luciano Pavarotti.  Other company initiatives include the Arnold and Marie Schwartz Gallery Met which exhibits contemporary visual art; the immensely successful Agnes Varis and Karl Leichtman Rush Ticket program which provides deeply discounted orchestra seats two hours before curtain time; and an annual Holiday Series presentation for families.  This season’s special Holiday Presentation is Julie Taymor’s production of Mozart’s The Magic Flute, an abridged, English-language version of the opera which is given four special matinee performances and one holiday evening performance as a way for families to celebrate the holiday season.

'Villa Diodati' To Be Presented at 45th Street Theatre as Part of NYMF - 9/22/2008

Villa Diodati is an official selection of the 2008 New York Music Theatre Festival and will be performed at the 45th  Street Theatre (354 W 45 Street). Presented by Diodati Productions, Villa Diodati has music by Mira J. Spektor, lyrics by Colette Inez, book by Colette Inez & Mira J. Spektor with additional lyrics by Byron, Shelley, Spektor & Wordsworth and will be directed by Rob Urbinati with musical direction by Thomas Carlo Bo.

An American couple visits Villa Diodati the location where Mary Shelley wrote “Frankenstein.”. Past and present intermingle as Mary Shelley; Percy Shelley, Lord Byron and others come to vivid life in this haunting tale of demons, obsessions and the creation of art.

The cast includes: Sarah Arikian (Ragtime, The ThreePenny Opera), Mark Campbell (National Tour of Mamma Mia), Elizabeth Cherry (The Fantasticks) , Lauren Hauser (Madame Bovary: the Musical), Sal Sabella (National Tour of Phantom of the Opera, LTC’s Babes in Toyland. The ceative team includes: Andis Gjoni (sets), Je Nash (Lights), Sidney Shannon (Costumes), David M. Lawson (Sound).

Performances are:

Monday, Sept 22nd at 8:00pm;
Tuesday, Sept. 23rd at 1:00pm
Saturday, Sept. 27th at 4:30pm
Wednesday, Oct. 1st at 8:00pm
Friday, Oct. 3rd at 4:30pm
Saturday, Oct. 4th at 8:00pm

Mira J. Spektor (Composer/ Book/ Lyrics) Chamber Operas & Musicals include: THE HOUSEWIVES' CANTATA (Lyrics by June Sielgel) produced Off-Bway by the legendary Cheryl Crawford, also in Long lsland, St Paul & Minneapolis;THE PASSION OF LIZZIE BORDEN (libretto by Ruth Whitman) heard in NYC, SUNY in Buffalo, Ottebein College & video taped by Prattt Institute; LADY OF THE CASTLE (Ms Spektor's libretto, based on an Israeli play by Lea Goldberg) produced in NYC & Long Island, in a German Translation in Berlin and in the Barbican Center in London. LADIES OF ROMANCE, a program of her One Act Musicals & Mini-Operas, heard at theThalia and Triad Theaters in NYC and Guild Hall in East Hampton. She has written Chamber Music and many French, German & English Recital & Cabaret Songs; Music Scores for Feature Films and PBS-TV and has recorded for Westminster, Concert Hall, Guilde International du Disque, Original Cast Records, Capstone and AirPlay. She is Producing Artistic Director of THE AVIVA PLAYERS who, since 1975, perform & present Chamber Music and Songs by Women Composers of the12th to 21st Centuries. Born in Europe, a graduate of Sarah Lawrence College, her memberships include BMI, Dramatist Guild and League of Professional Theater Women. Her latest book of poems is THE ROAD TO NOVEMBER. Mira , Colette and all of us from the Villa Diodati, wish to thank BookHampton Booksellers for their generous support! Contact: mirajspektor@earthlink.net

ROB URBINATI (Director) was a theatre consultant for HBO. He received an M.A. from the University of Nebraska and a Ph.D. from the University of Oregon, and directed over forty plays at theatres across the country before returning to New York in 1995.  Since that time, Rob directed a workshop production of Hazelwood Jr. High, his first play, for the Directors Company. The play was then directed by Scott Elliott for the New Group, starring Chloe Sevigny. A scene from the play is published in Smith & Kraus's "Best Stage Scenes 2000." Rob curated Lunatics & Lovers: A Strindberg Salon for the Culture Project, and his adaptation of Miss Julie in Hollywood, which was part of that event, transferred to the 78th Street Theatre Lab. His adaptation of Mary McCarthy's short story, Cruel & Barbarous Treatment, which premiered at the Culture Project, transferred to Israel Horowitz' Gloucester Stage Company in Massachusetts (Ten Best Productions of the Year, The Boston Phoenix.)  Other directing credits include: Staceyann Chin's Border/Clash (Culture Project),  James Armstrong's Foggy Bottom (Abingdon), Pirandello's The Man With the Flower in His Mouth (Classic Stage Company),  Angel Street (Pearl Theatre), Maria Irene Fornes' Springtime (HERE), the premiere of Eric Bogosian's Griller (Lincoln Center Directors Lab), Kirk Bromley's Syndrome (Greenwich St. Theatre), and Bromley and Jessica Grace Wing's Lost (2003 New York Fringe Festival (Best Musical)).

Receiving  the 1995 Fellowship from the Drama League, has served on the Selection Committees for the Fall Directors Program, the Summer Directors Program, the New Plays Program, and the Drama League Nominating Committee. For the Drama League, he directed Inge's The Boy in the Basement (Westbeth), Max Sparber's Cruelties,  Tom Grady's Global Village and Sparber's The Older Gentleman.  Rob is Director of New Play Development at Queens Theatre in the Park. His play, Karaoke Night at the Suicide Shack, premiered at QTP directed by Dan Fields and Alex Aron. The People Speak, his adaptation of Howard Zinn and Anthony Arnove's "Voices of a People's History of the United States" premiered at the Culture Project as part of the Impact Festival. His new musical, Shangri La, based on the sixties girl group, opened at QTP in November.

Recently, he directed Suzan-Lori Parks' 365 Days/365 Plays at QTP and the Public Theatre. His new play, West Moon Street, based on a novella by Oscar Wilde, was presented as part of The Acting Company's Salon Series, with Dana Ivey and by the Prospect Theatre Company in New York directed by Davis McCallum. Rob also recently directed Jan Buttram's The President and Her Mistress at the Abingdon Theatre and Minstrel Show or the Lynching of William Brown at New Jersey Repertory Company. Three productions that Rob has directed, Lost, Syndrome, and Border/Clash, and one that he wrote, Hazelwood Jr. High, were selected to be videotaped for the Theatre on Film and Tape Archive at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts. Rob is a member of the Dramatists Guild, and the Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers He is represented by Bruce Ostler at Bret Adams Ltd.

Hailed as "the Sundance of Musical Theatre," The New York Musical Theatre Festival (NYMF) exists to revitalize one of America’s greatest art forms by discovering, supporting and promoting new musical theater artists, producers, and projects, and by introducing a diverse audience to the vibrancy of contemporary musical theater. Since its inception in 2004, the three-week annual festival has premiered more than 130 new musicals – many of which have gone on to award-winning productions in New York, in regional theaters and on tour in 38 states, and nine countries worldwide.  NYMF 2004 hit Altar Boyz has played well over 1,000 performances off-Broadway and is now in its fourth year at New World Stages; fellow NYMF alum [title of show] recently began performances at the Lyceum Theatre on Broadway.

Widely regarded as the essential source for new material and talent discovery, NYMF is the flagship program of The National Music Theater Network, a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization, and is presented in association with BroadwayWorld.com, Production Resource Group and TheaterMania.com, and is supported by amNewYork, Barnes & Noble Booksellers, BroadwayBox.com, BroadwayInsider.com, Frank & Camille's Fine Pianos, HX Magazine, Jossip.com, King Displays, Queerty.com, Manhattan Movement & Arts Center, Metromix.com, The New York Blade, Next Magazine, Panasonic Astrovision, Queerty.com, Tekserve, TheMENEvent, VOGA Italia, and The Zipper Factory. NYMF is supported, in part, by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts, and by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs and from the New York State Council on the Arts, a state agency.

For more information please visit www.nymf.org

Keenan-Bolger, Miller, Hicks and More Cross Over Hudson for 'One Night Only' - 9/22/2008

When "One Night Only" comes to New Jersey on September 22 to resurrect the last days of disco, Studio 54 founders Steve Rubell and Ian Schrager will not be in the crowd – but the extravagant legacy they created will be.

New Jersey-based non-profit theatre company, 3S Theatre Collective (3STC), will host an ensemble cast of Broadway stars to perform disco-inspired Broadway show tunes to raise money for AIDS.  Marc Eardley, Producing Artistic Director of 3STC, is expecting to fill the 1,400-seat Loews Jersey Theatre (54 Journal Square, Jersey City, N. J.) in an effort to raise awareness in the first-ever Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS benefit held in the Garden State.

"Not very often do many Broadway stars get the chance to share the stage, and their talents, to help bring awareness to a worthwhile cause," says Eardley. "I'm thrilled to be given the opportunity to work together with such fine talent in bringing Broadway to New Jersey."

Lea Delaria, the lesbian comedian known for making throngs of people laugh, will be hosting the event, which will feature guest performances of Broadway songs orchestrated to reflect a fusion of 70s pop and showtunes. Additional guest stars and performers for the evening include Andrew Keenan-Bolger (Beauty and the Beast), Stanley Bahorek (Spelling Bee), Kirsten Bracken (Hairspray), Heather Parcells (A Chorus Line), Louise Stewart (Hedwig and The Angry Inch), Patina Renea Miller (Hair) and Rodney Hicks (Rent) who will all be accompanied by 12 backup dancers during their numbers.

The title song, "One Night Only," will be one that bears relevance to the decade that gave birth to disco, and is a song that is current in the pop musicscape for its origin in the movie Dreamgirls. Other songs to be featured throughout the event include hits such as "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend" from Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, "Don't Nobody Bring Me No Bad News" from The Wiz and "Hot Patootie (Bless My Soul)" from The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

"When the staff of 3STC was thinking of the best way to open the season, we knew we wanted to do something different. Well, this certainly will be! What better way to celebrate theatre than to perform for a worthy cause, bring in a new audience and to do it in 70s style with new orchestrations of some great showtunes," boasts Eardley. "This is the first benefit of its kind to take place in Jersey City."

General admission tickets are available for $20 (rear orchestra) and for $25 (front orchestra), which can be obtained by visiting www.3stc.com and by clicking on the "One Night Only" link.

3S Theatre Collective
Primarily a Tri-State based non-profit Production Company, 3STC is unwaveringly passionate about doing everything it can to secure a prosperous future for the arts and artists. Its commitment is to bring spectacular entertainment to the areas surrounding Manhattan. 3S stands for Tri-State; N.Y., N. J., Ct. and it has numerous initiatives moving forward in all three states.

Photo Credit Genevieve Rafter Keddy

Theater Resources Unlimited Presents TRU Faces Benefit at Don't Tell Mama's 9/22 - 9/22/2008

Theater Resources Unlimited (TRU) presents the TRU Faces Cabaret Benefit at Don’t Tell Mama’s, 343 W. 46th Street, NYC on Monday, September 22 at 7pm.  This special one-night only performance will showcase the talent of members of TRU, a producer’s service organization that also happens to help the forgotten population of self-producing artists here in New York. “There are no harder-working self-producing artists than writers and performers,” says TRU producer Joan Liman, “and we’re happy to offer a showcase of a wide range of talent, including some staples of the Manhattan cabaret circuit. And who knows – maybe some of our TRU producer members will discover them.”

The evening features original songs by TRU member writers performed by TRU member performers for one night only, hosted by the inimitable cabaret legend and MAC (Manhattan Association of Cabarets and Clubs) Award winner Sidney Myer. MAC Award winners are also directing and musical directing the evening: Linda Amiel Burns and Tracy Stark, respectively.

TRU writers chosen for the evening, from dozens of submissions, include Charles Bloom; David Conforte; David Eisner; Derek Fox; Shelly Gartner; Neville Grusd; Fran Handman; Bob Levy; Joan Liman; Dennis Livingston; Corinna Manetto; Chuck Muckle; TRU founder, MAC Award award nominee and OOBR Award winner Bob Ost; Dan Page; Tracy Stark; Stacy Glen Tibbetts; Gregory Tororian; and Blair Weille. MAC winner Sue Matsuki will be performing her 2008 MAC Award-winning song “One-Stop Shopping.” The late Dottie Burman and Eben Keyes will be remembered with songs opening and closing the evening.

TRU member performers include Deb Armelino, Charles Bloom, LaDonna Burns, Valerie David, Lynn DiMenna, Sandi Durell, Bill Dyszel, MAC Award winner Karen Mack, Corinna Manetto, MAC Award winner Sue Matsuki, Lia Menaker, Michael Murray, Bistro Award and OOBR Award winner Vickie Phillips, MAC Award winner Julie Reyburn, Sherry Zannoth.

The TRU Faces Cabaret Benefit will be performed on Monday, September 22 at 7pm at Don’t Tell Mama’s, 343 W. 46th Street, NYC.  Tickets are $35 ($25 for members of TRU), which is a tax-deductible donation to TRU; a two-drink minimums also required (cash only) at Don’t Tell Mama’s.  To reserve tickets, mail a check to: TRU Faces Benefit, Theater Resources Unlimited, 309 W. 104th Street 1D, NYC NY 10025, call 212-714-7628 or purchase online at www.truonline.org/store.html.

TRU was founded in 1992 to promote a spirit of cooperation and support within the general theater community by providing information and a variety of entertainment-related services and resources that strengthen the business capability of producing organizations, individual producers, self-producing artists and other theater professionals. The company holds monthly seminars on a wide range of subjects important to theatrical producers and artistic directors conducted by panels of experts from both the commercial and not-for-profit segments of Broadway, Off-Broadway and the motion picture industry.   These educational forums have been a core program of TRU since its inception, and in recent years executive director Ost has partnered with Ms. Eaker to generate topics of interest to both TRU membership and Back Stage readers.  “Through TRU, Back Stage is able to reach beyond its actor base to a wider theater community,” said Ost, “and we get more visibility through the Back Stage connection.”

TRU also publishes a monthly email community newsletter of services, goods and productions.  In addition, TRU served as the umbrella organization for a co-production by several of its member companies as a part of the first annual New York Fringe Festival.  From that experience, the organization has expanded its production efforts by creating the TRU VOICES Annual New Play Reading Series and the TRU VOICES Annual New Musicals Reading Series in which TRU underwrites developmental readings of new works for theater.  In 2001, TRU began giving annual scholarships to The Commercial Theater Institute, to encourage the development of aspiring producers, and most recently created a Producer Mentoring Program whose mentors are among the most prominent producers and general managers in New York theater.  In March, TRU was associate producer of its first Equity showcase, Missives at 59E59 Theatre, a play that was developed in the 2006 TRU reading series.

Programs of Theater Resources Unlimited are supported in part by public funds awarded through the New York State Council on the Arts and the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, as well as generous support from the Friar’s National Foundation Association.

For more information about TRU membership, visit www.truonline.org or call 212-714-7628.

SECRETLY SQAURE: Guilty Pleasure Songs - 9/22/2008

A cabaret tribute to such icons as The Carpenters, Neil Sedaka, Barry Manilow, Captain & Tenille, Johnny Mathis & more!! Mondays, September 22 & 29 at 9:30 pm Metropolitan Room

SECRETLY SQAURE: Guilty Pleasure Songs - 9/22/2008

A cabaret tribute to such icons as The Carpenters, Neil Sedaka, Barry Manilow, Captain & Tenille, Johnny Mathis & more!! Mondays, September 22 & 29 at 9:30 pm Metropolitan Room

Nikki Blonsky @ Feinstein's - 9/23/2008

HAIRSPRAY star Nikki Blonsky will be making her NYC Cabaret debut at Feinstein's at Loews Regency this fall. The actress will play the following performance schedule:

Tuesday, Sep 23, 2008: 8:30PM
Wednesday, Sep 24, 2008: 8:30PM
Thursday, Sep 25, 2008: 8:30PM
Friday, Sep 26, 2008: 8:00PM 10:00PM
Saturday, Sep 27, 2008: 8:00PM 10:00PM
Tuesday, Sep 30, 2008: 8:30PM
Wednesday, Oct 01, 2008: 8:30PM
Thursday, Oct 02, 2008: 8:30PM
Friday, Oct 03, 2008: 8:00PM 10:00PM
Saturday, Oct 04, 2008: 8:00PM 10:00PM

HAIRSPRAY marked the professional debut of eighteen-year-old Nikki Blonsky, amongst a cast including John Travolta, Queen Latifah and Michelle Pfeiffer.

Nikki was born and raised in Great Neck, Long Island, New York. Although she graduated from the Great Neck Village School in January, 2006, she received all her dramatic and musical training at Great Neck South High School, which is a four-time Grammy Foundation Signature School, with its most recent honor bestowed in 2005.

Nikki's high school performing credits include 'Madame Tanardeau' in Les Miserables, 'Mrs. Lovett' in Sweeney Todd, 'Kate' in Kiss Me, Kate, 'Rebecca Hillicker' in The Laramie Project and the title role in Bizet's Carmen, which was performed entirely in French.

She has sung for many organizations and events in and around the Long Island, New York area, including an original song for 2002 Olympic gold medalist figure skater Sarah Hughes' homecoming parade in Great Neck. Nikki is a regular volunteer and supporter of the Special Olympics. At last year's New York state games, which were held at Hofstra University and presided over by New York Senator Charles Schumer, Nikki had the honor of singing the National Anthem at the opening ceremonies. It was an especially moving experience for her, as the 3,000 Olympians in attendance began to sing along with her.

She is also a published poet, having written an original piece in honor of Jonathan Lee Ielpi, a member of the Fire Department of New York and a volunteer firefighter at Great Neck's "Vigilant" Fire Department, who was killed in the September 11th World Trade Center tragedy.

Nikki will next be seen in the independent film, "Harold," in which she stars with Spencer Breslin, Colin Quinn and Ally Sheedy and will be released Summer '08.

Nikki quit her day job scooping ice cream at the local Cold Stone Creamery in Great Neck in June when she found out she had won the role of Tracy Turnblad in HAIRSPRAY. She still lives in Great Neck with her family.

For more information please visit http://feinsteinsattheregency.com

Show Boat - 9/23/2008

North Shore Music Theatre (NSMT) has announced that one of the most critically acclaimed musicals of all time, SHOW BOAT, will perform from September 23 to October 12, 2008.  Press Night is scheduled for September 25th at 7:30 pm. This project has been made possible by the National Endowment for the Arts as part of American Masterpieces: Three Centuries of Artistic Genius.

“SHOW BOAT is one of the most influential musicals of the 20th century and is an opportunity for audiences to see an American masterpiece unfold in front of them,” said Barry Ivan, NSMT’s Artistic Director and Executive Producer. “It contains the best that musical theater has to offer – a great story, moving lyrics, timeless score, and topics that are still relevant in today’s society.”

With book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II and music by Jerome Kern, SHOW BOAT is based on a best-selling 1926 novel by Edna Ferber about life on the Mississippi River. The story, which spans almost 50 years, starts in the 1890s and follows the lives and loves of the troupe that works aboard the Cotton Blossom, one of the many American riverboats that featured traveling shows. The Cotton Blossom is where dashing men and beautiful women go to be entertained, forget their troubles and fall in love, but under the surface there’s a darker side of gambling, racial tension and heartache. The unforgettable score includes “Only Make Believe,” “Ol' Man River,” and “Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man.”

SHOW BOAT stars several actors familiar to NSMT audiences including Ron Bohmer as Gaylord Ravenal, Philip Lamar Boykin as Joe, Terry Burrell as Julie, Jim Walton as Frank and Teri Dale Hansen as Magnolia.  It also stars Edwin Cahill as Steve, Melinda Cowan as Ellie, James Coyle as Windy, Audrie Neenan as Parthy Ann, Gordon Stanley as Cap’n Andy, and Sharon Wilkins as Queenie.

The cast features Shari Adams (Ensemble), Allison Blackwell (Ensemble/Lady on the Levy), Corey Bradley (Ensemble), Heather Davis (Ensemble), Michelle Dyer (Ensemble), Jenny Florkowski (Ensemble), Regina Gatti (Ensemble), Karl Hudson (Ensemble), James Jackson, Jr. (Ensemble), Ian Laskowski (Ensemble), Christopher Lengerich (Ensemble/Jake), Will Mann (Ensemble), Erica Sweaney (Ensemble/Kim), Jet Thomason (Ensemble/Pete), Patryce Williams (Ensemble), John Williford (Ensemble), Natalie Wisdom (Ensemble/Dance Captain), and Ron Wisniski (Ensemble/Vallon/Jim/Backwoodsman).  Blackwell, Dyer, Florkowski, and Wisniski have also appeared on the NSMT stage before.

The creative team for SHOW BOAT includes Glenn Casale (Director), Ron Gibbs (Choreographer, recreating the Tony® Award-winning choreography of Susan Stroman), Brian Cimmet (Music Director), Evan Bartoletti (Scenic Designer), Marty Vreeland (Lighting Designer), John A. Stone (Sound Designer), Gerard Kelly (Wig & Hair Designer),and  Brent Sawyer (Assistant Musical Director).

Tickets for SHOW BOAT are priced from $77 to $40 with a special Opening Night ticket price of $35 available on Thursday, September 25 only. Senior & Youth Discounts and Rush Tickets are available. Also check out www.nsmt.org for special ticket packages, including “Date Night,” “Girl’s Night Out” and a new “Dinner Theater Package.” Performances are September 23 to August 12, Tue – Thurs at 7:30 pm, Fri & Sat at 8 pm, matinees Wed, Sat and Sun at 2 pm.  For tickets: www.nsmt.org, (978) 232-7200, or in person at 62 Dunham Rd., Beverly.

 

Additional Free Audience Enrichment events: Meet the Theatre:  post-show audience discussion with the artists on September 30 after the 7:30 pm performance and October 11 after the 2 pm performance; Spotlight on History, a free pre-show discussion focusing on historical issues related to the performance (co-presented by the Wenham Museum) on October 5; Out at the North Shore, an evening for the Gay and Lesbian Community with a post-show reception on October 9.

 

Operating since 1955, NSMT has evolved into the largest non-profit producing theater in New England, with approximately 300,000 patrons annually.  NSMT has gained a national and regional reputation for artistic achievement, specifically in the areas of developing new works and providing outstanding theater arts and education programs.  NSMT has received numerous industry awards including The Elliot Norton Award, The Rosetta Le Noire Award from Actors’ Equity, and The Moss Hart Award.  NSMT annually produces a six musical subscription series and an acclaimed concert series. With its celebrated Theatre for Young Audiences program, a school touring program, and year-round classes for children, NSMT has become one of the region’s leading providers of theater arts and education.

Hanz and Kirkwood Perform 'Comme Tu Veux' at Beechman 9/23, 24 - 9/23/2008

Vocal powerhouses, Ritter Hanz and Kevin Smith Kirkwood are proud to be back in NYC for two nights only to delight audiences with their new cabaret, ‘Comme Tu Veux,’ performing Monday and Tuesday, September 22nd and 23rd at the 42nd Street’s acclaimed Laurie Beechman Theatre.

Hanz, who has appeared on stages all over the city and has made quite a name for himself singing in concerts at Joe’s Pub, The Metropolitan Room, and The Ritz will join Spelling Bee’s Kirkwood for this cabaret extravaganza.

The title ‘Comme Tu Veux’ pays homage to the very origins of cabaret and turn-of-the-century performers like Josephine Baker, Jacques Brel, and Brazilian drag performer Joao Francisco dos Santo (aka Madame Sata), who perfected an art of performance that allowed audiences to escape, dine, drink, and connect in an intimate setting. In that same come-as-you-are tradition, ‘Comme Tu Veux’ literally invites the audience to a night ‘as you want’ – a night designed for ‘whatever.’

After years performing on the road, Ritter and Kevin are back in NYC, in the wonderfully intimate Beechman Theatre, to serve up R&B, Pop, and Broadway tunes featuring artists including Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Amy Winehouse, Donnie Hathaway, Whitney Houston, and Sylvester.

‘Comme tu Veux’ will also feature Nicole Lewis (Hair in Central Park, Lennon, Rent), Kerry Flanagan (It’s Karate, Kid! The Musical) and Jim Bray (It’s Karate, Kid! The Musical, Rattlesnake) as background vocalists and special guest soloist, Sal Sabella (The Phantom of the Opera, Godspell). The evening will be music directed by Spelling Bee's Karen Dryer and will be directed by Jake Hirzel (2005 NYIT Award-winner for Best Musical: It's Karate, Kid! The Musical)

“Comme tu Veux” will take place Monday and Tues. Sept. 22nd and 23rd at 9:30PM. At the Laurie Beechman Theater. 407 W. 42nd Street, just west of ninth, underneath the West Bank Cafe The evening will be music directed by Spelling Bee's Karen Dryer and will be directed by Jake Hirzel (2005 NYIT Award-winner for Best Musical: It's Karate, Kid! The Musical).Tickets are $15 plus $15 min. food/beverage purchase. For reservations, please call 212-695-6909.

CALENDAR LISTING:
“COMME TU VEUX,” featuring powerhouse performers Ritter Hanz and Kevin Smith Kirkwood as you want them, singing styles from R&B and Pop to Broadway. “Comme Tu Veux” performs Monday and Tuesday Sept. 22nd and 23rd at 9:30PM at the Laurie Beechman Theatre, 407 W. 42nd Street, just west of Ninth Avenue, underneath the West Bank Cafe. Tickets are $15 plus $15 minimum food/beverage purchase. For reservations, please call 212-695-6909.

BIO INFORMATION:

Ritter Hanz - Member of Actors Equity, Ritter has performed all over the world. He starred in the European Tour of Jesus Christ Superstar (with Kevin), directed by Baayork Lee, performing the roles of Peter and Jesus throughout Germany, Austria, Denmark, and Switzerland. He also performed as a Lead Vocalist for Royal Caribbean Cruiselines performing in Mexico and the Caribbean. He has worked with Holland America performing in Hawaii, Alaska, Mexico, Central and South America. Ritter has toured the United States with the Grease! National Tour (also with Kevin), playing both Eugene and Teen Angel, Enjolras in Les Misérables at Maine State Music Theatre, Annas in Jesus Christ Superstar at Kansas City Starlight Theatre, a lead vocalist at Branson Variety Theatre in Broadway Spectacular. He has also worked on The Dreamer, a musical about the life of George Washington Carver, with BJ Crosby. He has done recordings for Derin Brockovich, a campy spin on “Erin Brockovich,” and once again with Kevin  for It’s Karate, Kid! The Musical. Ritter’s NYC cabaret experience began 7 years ago at the Duplex in a show called Impossible, Bitch also starring Kevin Smith Kirkwood, and he has since been heard wowing audiences at Metropolitan Room, Joe's Pub, Splash, XL, XES Lounge, and The Ritz.

Kevin Smith KIRKWOOD - is a native of Toledo, OH, where at a young age, he began studying alto saxophone and conducting his church’s youth choir. Toledo All City Choir, All-Ohio Youth Choir, and OMEA Honors Choir were some of the ensembles he sang in high school. Since graduating from Fordham University in NYC, he co-founded and conducted the award-winning Fordham Glee Club as well as the choir at Community United Methodist Church in Jackson Heights. In the theater world, Kevin recently made his Broadway debut in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. He then went on to earn rave reviews as Mitch the Comfort Counselor on the 1st national tour of Spelling Bee. Off-Broadway, Kevin earned raves in The New York Times for his performance in ‘How to Save the World and Find True Love in 90 Minutes’ and also for It’s Karate, Kid! The Musical. His performance as Mr. Miyagi also earned him a New York IT Award nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor. Other NYC credits include: The Understudy, Sunfish, Dragapella: Starring the Kinsey Sicks, and Izzy!. Other national tours include: Godspell, Jesus Christ Superstar (Europe), and Grease! (with Cindy Williams). Favorite regional credits include: Smokey Joe’s Café (John Engeman Theater), Songs for a New World, Elton John & Tim Rice’s Aida (Actor’s Playhouse), Big River, Violet, and RENT (Weathervane Theater). No stranger to the worlds of cabaret, Kevin collaborated with Ritter 7 years ago on their first sold-out engagement, Impossible, Bitch!. In 2004, his solo show, It’s Me Baby, It’s Kevin! also had a sold out engagement at Rose’s Turn. Kevin is a founding member of the Jaradoa Theater company, a new service and outreach based company in NYC whose mission is to promote mercy, beauty, and truth through performance and service. www.jaradoatheater.org

Whoopi Goldberg and Tony Bennett Team Up for 'Exploring the Arts' Benefit Gala 9/23 - 9/23/2008

Susan and Tony Bennett will host the second annual Exploring The Arts benefit gala to raise funds to support arts education in public schools.  The evening will be held on Tuesday, September 23 at Cipriani Wall Street and will be hosted by Whoopi Goldberg.  Tony Bennett along with Jerry Seinfeld and John Mayer will perform at the event. Honored at the event will be Reed Hastings, Chairman, President and CEO of Netflix, Sumner Redstone, Executive Chairman, Viacom, Inc. and CBS Corporation and Steve Wynn, Chairman and CEO of Wynn Resorts. Ticketing and event coordination for   Susan and Tony Bennett's Exploring the Arts gala is being handled by Inez Weinstein Special Events at 212-254-6677.

Charity Buzz is coordinating the on-line and live auction for the organization.  The on-line auction will begin on September 16 and can be viewed at www.charitybuzz.com . It features a host of celebrity-donated items from Andre Agassi, Christina Aguilera, Stephen Colbert, Katie Holmes, Elton John, George Michael, Bette Midler, John Travolta among others as well as entertainment and travel related offerings, including a luxury villa vacation in Tuscany and tickets to Saturday Night Live, the Today Show and many Broadway shows.

Susan and Tony Bennett founded Exploring the Arts (ETA), a non-profit organization to strengthen the role of arts education in the public schools. They have raised millions of dollars to date and have fostered a unique partnership between the public and private sectors.  Susan and Tony founded the Frank Sinatra School of the Arts (FSSA), a public NYC arts high school in Queens, which is supported by ETA.  FSSA opened in 2001 in temporary quarters and since its inception has consistently been a exemplary NYC high schools with one of the highest graduation rates in the city.  A permanent site for the school, designed by Susan T. Rodriguez, design partner in award winning Polshek Partnership Architects, is set to open to students in February 2009, adjacent to the Kaufman Astoria Studios complex in Astoria, Queens (Tony Bennett's hometown).  For more information on ETA and FSSA please visit www.exploringthearts.org .

Tony Bennett is a 15-time Grammy winner and has two Emmy Awards to his credit.  His forthcoming CD, "A Swingin' Christmas featuring the Count Basie Big Band," will be released for this holiday season.  Bennett's guest appearance on the hit series ENTOURAGE, will air this Sunday, September 14.

www.tonybennett.net

www.benedettoarts.com

Karita Mattila To Star in Strauss's 'Salome' at the MET - 9/23/2008

Soprano Karita Mattila, who electrified Met audiences in the title role of Richard Strauss's Salome in 2004, returns as the voluptuous Judean princess this season, beginning September 23. Two of her fellow Finns are making their company debuts: Juha Uusitalo as Jochanaan (John the Baptist) and Mikko Franck, who will conduct. The cast also includes Ildikó Komlósi as Herodias, Kim Begley in the role of Herod and Joseph Kaiser as Narraboth. Performances run through October 16. The matinee on Saturday, October 11, will be transmitted live worldwide as part of the The Met: Live in HD series.

"It's hard to imagine how anyone could quibble with any aspect of Karita Mattila's performance in the title role of Strauss's Salome," wrote The New York Times in 2004. "Given the physical and emotional toll of her portrayal, that she could also sing this daunting role with such gleaming power, eerie expressivity and, most remarkably of all, beguiling lyricism was stunning."  The New Yorker, calling it a "dream performance," added: "The only word fit for the occasion is a British one: Mattila left her audience gobsmacked."

Mattila adds a new role to her Met repertory when she sings Tatiana in Eugene Onegin later this season. The soprano, who won the first Cardiff Singer of the World Competition in 1983, made her Met debut seven years later as Donna Elvira in Mozart's Don Giovanni. Since then, she has sung Eva in Wagner's Die Meistersinger and Elsa in Lohengrin; the title role in Puccini's Manon Lescaut (which was transmitted last January on The Met: Live in HD series) and Musetta in his La Bohème; Lisa in Tchaikovsky's The Queen of Spades; Leonore in Beethoven's Fidelio; the title roles in two works by Janácek, Jenůfa and Kát'a Kabanová; the Verdi heroine Amelia in Simon Boccanegra; and Chrysothemis in Strauss's Elektra.

The 29-year-old Finnish maestro, Mikko Franck, makes his debut on the Met podium. Formerly artistic director of the National Orchestra of Belgium, Franck is now the Finnish National Opera's artistic director and general music director. After studying with the noted teacher Jorma Panula at the Sibelius Academy, Franck launched an international career. By the time he was 23, he had conducted the Philharmonia Orchestra, the London Symphony Orchestra, the Israel Philharmonic, the Munich Philharmonic, the Berlin State Opera, and the major Scandinavian orchestras.

Juha Uusitalo, a bass-baritone born in Finland and formerly an orchestral flutist, makes his Met debut as Jochanaan. He is a member of the Finnish National Opera, where he was widely praised for his 2006 portrayal of Scarpia opposite Mattila's first-ever Tosca. He is known for his Wagnerian roles, particularly the title role in Der Fliegende Holländer which served as his debut at La Scala, Vienna State Opera, San Francisco Opera, Deutsche Oper Berlin, and with the Boston Symphony Orchestra under James Levine. He has also sung the heroic bass-baritone roles of Wotan in the Ring cycle and Amfortas in Parsifal.

Ildikó Komlósi, a Hungarian mezzo-soprano, is Herodias. Komlósi made her Met debut as Charlotte in Massenet's Werther and has also sung Preziosilla in Verdi's La Forza del Destino.

British tenor Kim Begley sings Herod. In 2003, he made his Met debut as Laca opposite Mattila in Jenůfa. Begley has also appeared here as Count Pierre Bezukhov in Prokofiev's War and Peace last season and as Samuel Griffiths in the world premiere of Tobias Picker's An American Tragedy.

Canadian tenor Joseph Kaiser sings Narraboth. A Met National Councils finalist in 2005, he made his unscheduled company debut in 2007 opposite Anna Netrebko in Gounod's Roméo et Juliette. He then appeared here as Tamino in Mozart's Die Zauberflöte.

This production of Richard Strauss's 1905 opera Salome, directed by Jürgen Flimm with sets and costumes by Santo Loquasto, returns to the Met for the first time since its premiere four years ago. Lighting design is by James F. Ingalls and choreography by Doug Varone.

Hip-Hop Theater Festival Returns September 23- October 11 - 9/23/2008

Hip-Hop Theater Festival (HHTF) returns to its roots with a uniquely entertaining presentation that
bridges the gap between the art, culture, and music of Hip-Hop from September 23 - October 11. Teaming with New York University’s (NYU) Skirball Center, NYU’s Center for Multicultural Education and Programs, the Public Theatre and several collaborators across New York City, the Hip-Hop Theater Festival aims to showcase the artistic form of Hip-Hop culture through fully-produced theater works, staged readings, educational panels, dance showcases and workshops.

In collaboration with NYU’s Skirball Center, the Hip-Hop Theater Festival opens with renowned poet and spoken word artist Marc Bamuthi Joseph's much-anticipated the break/s. Inspired by Jeff Chang’s 2005 award winning Can't Stop Won't Stop which captures the creation of Hip-Hop as a local, political and artistic movement and based on Marc Bamuthi Joseph’s international travels, the break/s is a breakthrough multimedia performance that explores the artist's emergence in a time of Hip-Hop globalization and trans nationalism.

For the first time, Hip-Hop Theater Festival has partnered with the Public Theatre to present an unprecendented tour across all five boroughs free of charge. In the play Taking Over, Hip-Hop Theater Festival founder and award-winning actor Danny Hoch takes on gentrification through nine expertly performed roles. As a native New Yorker who has witnessed firsthand the many colors, complexities and contradictions that reflect gentrification, Mr. Hoch presents a unique forum for thought and discussion. Yielding top-notch reviews from its run at the Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Mr. Hoch shares his multi-faceted experience with gentrification with his New York neighbors.

The Hip-Hop Theater Festival will also present the Hip-Hop remix of Voices: A Peoples History of the United States. The Voices project is a unique collaboration between Anthony Arnove and Howard Zinn, the authors of Voices and HHTF, as they set to ignite and honor the voices from America’s progressive history of activism as read by some of today’s hottest talent from the Hip-Hop generation. Uniquely fashioned as a night of theater, this one time event promises to be a unique fuse of multi-generational artists and performers, celebrating the courageous participants of history that gave birth to arguably the most powerful generation of Americans yet, the post-civil rights generation of Hip-Hop heads from Chuch D to Eminem.

With this year’s Style Masters, the Hip-Hop Theater Festival evolves into another realm of arts and culture. Hosted by NYU’s Skirball Center and curated by Alan Ket, an avid collector, historian and practitioner, Style Masters is a visual-arts exhibit celebrating the pioneering artists that have helped to shape the worldwide public art phenomenon known as graffiti. Style Masters intends to recognize and highlight the global contributions made by local NYC based artists such as PART ONE, CHAIN 3, T-KID 170 and NOC 167, while making an effort to preserve work that should not be forgotten in the broader lexicon of Hip-Hop and urban culture.

“In the past, the Hip-Hop Theater Festival has focused on introducing the Hip-Hop culture to other cities. This year, we are extremely excited to bring the festival back home,“ states Clyde Valentin, event producer and executive director of the Hip-Hop Theater Festival. “It has been such an amazing opportunity to work alongside recognizable organizations such as NYU’s Skirball Center and the Public Theatre to educate the city about the culture and art so ingrained in its history. With this collaboration, we believe this going to be our best festival yet.” For more information regarding the Hip-Hop Theater Festival, please visit - www.hhtf.org

Threads Company Announces Premiere of 'The Pearl Merchant' Starting 9/23 - 9/23/2008

THREADS THEATER COMPANY is pleased to announce the world premiere production of THE PEARL MERCHANT, directed by Misti B. Wills. THE PEARL MERCHANT will play a limited engagement at The Space (Times Square Arts Center, 300 West 43rd Street, Ste. 402.). Performances begin Tuesday, September 23 and continue through Saturday, October 4. Opening Night is Friday, September 26 (8 p.m.).

Press are invited: Wednesday, September 24th at 8pm; Thursday, September 25th at 8pm; Friday, September 26th at 8pm

Hannah, a painter and preschool teacher, is unable to bear a child. During a visit to her mother-in-law's home in the mountains of North Carolina, she tells her husband Tom that she wants to adopt one of her students, a boy whose single mother is gravely ill. Tom and his mother express misgivings about the idea for different reasons, some of which remain unspoken to Hannah. A mysterious woman arrives, asking probing questions about the child and triggering a series of revelations that challenge Hannah's beliefs and shake her marriage to its core. This new play brings the audience deep questions and glimpses of great hope.

The production features scenic design by April Bartlett, costume design by Deanna Frieman, and lighting design by Bobby Bradley. Kim Fuhr is the sound designer, Rachael Harrington-Davis is the props master and Amanda Bailey is the stage manager. For Threads Theater Company, Frank Mihelich is the company manager and Kim Prentice is the managing director.

THE PEARL MERCHANT plays the following regular schedule through Saturday, October 4:

Tuesdays at 8 p.m.
Wednesdays at 8 p.m.
Thursdays at 8 p.m.
Fridays at 8 p.m.
Saturdays at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.

Tickets are $15 and are now available online at www.theatermania.com or by calling 212-352-3101. Tickets may also be purchased in-person at The Space Box Office ½ hour prior to the performance for cash only.

www.threadstheatercompany.org

The Pearl Merchant was produced with help from Gifted Hands (giftedhandsnyc.com), a Manhattan volunteer program that offers recreation and healing through art, design, and craft classes for a range of populations, including at-risk youth, the homeless, people living with HIV/AIDS, and the elderly.

Talk-back: September 26, 2008 Moderated by Sheila Speller from Orielle Creative Company with Rebecca Mendel (Rosin, Steinhagen & Mendel) an adoption attorney and more guests tba...check www.threadstheatercompany.org for more information.

BIOGRAPHIES

CECILIA BRIE WALKER (Playwright) is a writer, director and performer from Austin, Texas, whose work focuses on the development of new plays and "community-engaged" theatre.

Her journey to New York began as an avid watcher of Reading Rainbow in the mountains of North Carolina, where she began lessons in dance, violin, and acting. After a detour through Texas and a half-hearted attempt at preparing for medical school, she spent four years working with college students during which she took an acting class that re-ignited her passion for theatre. She swiftly moved to Austin, where she dove into the theatre community, earning a nomination for Best Actress in a Play for Youth for her portrayal of Lucy and the White Witch in The Lion, the Witch, and The Wardrobe, and portrayed Charlotte in a staged-radio-show interpretation of Charlotte's Web, which won Austin's B. Iden Payne award for "Best Production of a Play for Youth."

Brie assisted the late Dr. Barbara Haum, a performance/multi-media artist, in the direction of a "distributed performance" between NYU and Tel Aviv University, Trespassing Boundaries, and a second project, 54 Weeks, which is an online, multi-media, interactive meditation on the yearly schedule of Torah readings. Brie's own work has been performed in Austin's FronteraFest fringe theatre festival and HopeArts festival, and in New York at New Dramatists, NYU's Theatrix Festival of New Work, and The Village Church.

She holds an MA in Educational Theatre from NYU where she co-founded a laboratory workshop for students exploring "devising" techniques, and performed in two seasons of New Plays for Young Audiences, workshopping with playwrights including Byrony Lavery, Y.York, Susan Zeder, and Laurie Brooks.

MISTI B. WILLS (Director) is a director, actress, producer, and teacher. An award-winning director and producer, she has launched numerous productions, from classic musicals to a bilingual touring show to her favorite directorial challenges: experimental, concept-driven renderings of classic stories. NY directing credits include Off-Broadway's In Search of Euphoria at New World Stages, Songs for a New World, and a national tour of The Imaginary Invalid. With a BA in Communications (Theatre Concentration) from Eastern Nazarene College and an MA in Theatre Education from Emerson College, she has worked as a theatre educator at the secondary and university levels. Currently she is on the faculty at the New York Film Academy and the Fidelity Futurestage program in collaboration with Richard Frankel Productions. As an actress, she has trained with David Mamet and HB Studios and worked in film, stage, and voiceover. Recent film credits include Sex and the City the Movie. As a director she has trained with Anne Bogart, Michael Mayer, and Kristin Linklater.

THREADS THEATER COMPANY is a New York City-based non-profit theater company focused on producing plays that start inclusive conversations about faith and contribute to cultural renewal.

Threads Theater Company Announces Premiere of 'The Pearl Merchant' Starting 9/23 - 9/23/2008

THREADS THEATER COMPANY is pleased to announce the world premiere production of THE PEARL MERCHANT, directed by Misti B. Wills. THE PEARL MERCHANT will play a limited engagement at The Space (Times Square Arts Center, 300 West 43rd Street, Ste. 402.). Performances begin Tuesday, September 23 and continue through Saturday, October 4. Opening Night is Friday, September 26 (8 p.m.).

Press are invited: Wednesday, September 24th at 8pm; Thursday, September 25th at 8pm; Friday, September 26th at 8pm

Hannah, a painter and preschool teacher, is unable to bear a child. During a visit to her mother-in-law's home in the mountains of North Carolina, she tells her husband Tom that she wants to adopt one of her students, a boy whose single mother is gravely ill. Tom and his mother express misgivings about the idea for different reasons, some of which remain unspoken to Hannah. A mysterious woman arrives, asking probing questions about the child and triggering a series of revelations that challenge Hannah's beliefs and shake her marriage to its core. This new play brings the audience deep questions and glimpses of great hope.

The production features scenic design by April Bartlett, costume design by Deanna Frieman, and lighting design by Bobby Bradley. Kim Fuhr is the sound designer, Rachael Harrington-Davis is the props master and Amanda Bailey is the stage manager. For Threads Theater Company, Frank Mihelich is the company manager and Kim Prentice is the managing director.

THE PEARL MERCHANT plays the following regular schedule through Saturday, October 4:

Tuesdays at 8 p.m.
Wednesdays at 8 p.m.
Thursdays at 8 p.m.
Fridays at 8 p.m.
Saturdays at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.

Tickets are $15 and are now available online at www.theatermania.com or by calling 212-352-3101. Tickets may also be purchased in-person at The Space Box Office ½ hour prior to the performance for cash only.

www.threadstheatercompany.org

The Pearl Merchant was produced with help from Gifted Hands (giftedhandsnyc.com), a Manhattan volunteer program that offers recreation and healing through art, design, and craft classes for a range of populations, including at-risk youth, the homeless, people living with HIV/AIDS, and the elderly.

Talk-back: September 26, 2008 Moderated by Sheila Speller from Orielle Creative Company with Rebecca Mendel (Rosin, Steinhagen & Mendel) an adoption attorney and more guests tba...check www.threadstheatercompany.org for more information.

BIOGRAPHIES

CECILIA BRIE WALKER (Playwright) is a writer, director and performer from Austin, Texas, whose work focuses on the development of new plays and "community-engaged" theatre.

Her journey to New York began as an avid watcher of Reading Rainbow in the mountains of North Carolina, where she began lessons in dance, violin, and acting. After a detour through Texas and a half-hearted attempt at preparing for medical school, she spent four years working with college students during which she took an acting class that re-ignited her passion for theatre. She swiftly moved to Austin, where she dove into the theatre community, earning a nomination for Best Actress in a Play for Youth for her portrayal of Lucy and the White Witch in The Lion, the Witch, and The Wardrobe, and portrayed Charlotte in a staged-radio-show interpretation of Charlotte's Web, which won Austin's B. Iden Payne award for "Best Production of a Play for Youth."

Brie assisted the late Dr. Barbara Haum, a performance/multi-media artist, in the direction of a "distributed performance" between NYU and Tel Aviv University, Trespassing Boundaries, and a second project, 54 Weeks, which is an online, multi-media, interactive meditation on the yearly schedule of Torah readings. Brie's own work has been performed in Austin's FronteraFest fringe theatre festival and HopeArts festival, and in New York at New Dramatists, NYU's Theatrix Festival of New Work, and The Village Church.

She holds an MA in Educational Theatre from NYU where she co-founded a laboratory workshop for students exploring "devising" techniques, and performed in two seasons of New Plays for Young Audiences, workshopping with playwrights including Byrony Lavery, Y.York, Susan Zeder, and Laurie Brooks.

MISTI B. WILLS (Director) is a director, actress, producer, and teacher. An award-winning director and producer, she has launched numerous productions, from classic musicals to a bilingual touring show to her favorite directorial challenges: experimental, concept-driven renderings of classic stories. NY directing credits include Off-Broadway's In Search of Euphoria at New World Stages, Songs for a New World, and a national tour of The Imaginary Invalid. With a BA in Communications (Theatre Concentration) from Eastern Nazarene College and an MA in Theatre Education from Emerson College, she has worked as a theatre educator at the secondary and university levels. Currently she is on the faculty at the New York Film Academy and the Fidelity Futurestage program in collaboration with Richard Frankel Productions. As an actress, she has trained with David Mamet and HB Studios and worked in film, stage, and voiceover. Recent film credits include Sex and the City the Movie. As a director she has trained with Anne Bogart, Michael Mayer, and Kristin Linklater.

THREADS THEATER COMPANY is a New York City-based non-profit theater company focused on producing plays that start inclusive conversations about faith and contribute to cultural renewal.

Nikki Blonsky Makes Feinstein's Debut Starting 9/23 - 9/23/2008

FEINSTEIN’S AT LOEWS REGENCY, the nightclub proclaimed “Best of New York” by New York Magazine and “an invaluable New York institution” by The New York Post, will continue its 10th Anniversary season with Hairspray film star Nikki Blonsky from September 23 to October 4. The Long Island native returns to her home city for her nightclub debut “Coming Home,” which features songs from Broadway, the Great American Songbook and pop classics. Highlights will include the Bonnie Raitt favorite “Something To Talk About,” the Frank Wildhorn hit “Big Time” and selections from Hairspray. Musical Director Patti Dunham will conduct the band. Nikki will be dressed by IGIGI. All shows take place at the Regency Hotel (540 Park Avenue at 61st Street).

Nikki Blonsky marked her professional debut with Hairspray in 2007. She starred as Tracy Turnblad amongst a cast that included John Travolta, Queen Latifah and Michelle Pfeiffer. She has since gone on to star in the feature film Harold, opposite Spencer Breslin, Cuba Gooding, Jr., Colin Quinn and Ally Sheedy; and the Lifetime Original Movie Queen-Sized. She performed in concert throughout the states and abroad, and will be Regis Philbin’s special guest at Harrah’s Casino in Atlantic City on October 25.

Nikki was born and raised in Great Neck, Long Island, New York. Although she graduated from the Great Neck Village School in January 2006, she received all her dramatic and musical training at Great Neck South High School, which is a four-time Grammy Foundation Signature School, with its most recent honor bestowed in 2005.

Nikki’s high school performing credits include ‘Madame Thenardier’ in Les Miserables, ‘Mrs. Lovett’ in Sweeney Todd, ‘Kate’ in Kiss Me, Kate, ‘Rebecca Hillicker’ in The Laramie Project and the title role in Bizet’s Carmen, which was performed entirely in French. She has sung for many organizations and events in and around the Long Island, New York area, including an original song for 2002 Olympic gold medalist figure skater Sarah Hughes’ homecoming parade in Great Neck. She is also a published poet, having written an original piece in honor of Jonathan Lee Ielpi, a member of the Fire Department of New York and a volunteer firefighter at Great Neck’s “Vigilant” Fire Department, who passed away in the September 11th World Trade Center tragedy.

FEINSTEIN’S AT LOEWS REGENCY will play the following schedule: Tuesday through Thursday at 8:30 PM. The weekend schedule presents shows on Friday and Saturday evenings at 8:00 PM and 10:00 PM. All shows have a $60.00 cover with $75.00 premium seats, and a $40.00 food and beverage minimum. Jackets are suggested but not required. The club is located at 540 Park Avenue at 61st Street in New York City. For ticket reservations and club information, please call (212) 339-4095 or visit us online at feinsteinsatloewsregency.com and TicketWeb.com.