Alabama Shakespeare Festival News

As first reported on Deadline.com, two-time Tony Award winner Norbert Leo Butz has joined the cast of Jason Katims' NBC drama pilot COUNTRY, starring Jason Ritter.

Court Theatre Artistic Director Charles Newell and Executive Director Stephen J. Albert present Tony Kushner's Tony Award-winning Angels in America, Part One: Millennium Approaches and Part Two: Perestroika, directed by Artistic Director Charles Newell. Angels in America will run March 30 - June 3, 2012 at Court Theatre, 5535 S. Ellis Avenue. Press Opening is Saturday, April 14, 2012; Part One: Millennium Approaches at 3PM and Part Two: Perestroika at 8PM.

The 39 Steps hits Arizona Theatre Company's stage at the Temple of Music and Art. Alfred Hitchcock's The 39 Steps plays from January 14 - February 4, 2012 and continues its run in Phoenix at the Herberger Theater Center through February 26, 2012.

Ken Ludwig is an internationally acclaimed playwright whose many hits on Broadway, in London's West End and throughout the world have made his name synonymous with modern comedy. He has had six shows on Broadway and six in the West End, and he has won the Laurence Olivier Award, England's highest theatre honor, as well as three Tony Award nominations and two Helen Hayes Awards. His work has been commissioned by the Royal Shakespeare Company and has been performed in thirty countries in over twenty languages. Ken Ludwig is also the author of the popular Lend Me a Tenor and Moon Over Buffalo.

Ken Ludwig is an internationally acclaimed playwright whose many hits on Broadway, in London's West End and throughout the world have made his name synonymous with modern comedy. He has had six shows on Broadway and six in the West End, and he has won the Laurence Olivier Award, England's highest theatre honor, as well as three Tony Award nominations and two Helen Hayes Awards. His work has been commissioned by the Royal Shakespeare Company and has been performed in thirty countries in over twenty languages. Ken Ludwig is also the author of the popular Lend Me a Tenor and Moon Over Buffalo.

Pioneer Theatre Company will present the stage adaptation of the Jane Austen novel Emma, February 17 through March 3, 2012.

Continuing its 25th Anniversary Season, the Shakespeare Theatre Company is set to present Eugene O'Neill's Pulitzer Prize-winning play, Strange Interlude.

Pioneer Theatre Company will present the stage adaptation of the Jane Austen novel Emma, February 17 through March 3, 2012.

Two "winter-blues" busting comedies, the Broadway smash The 39 Steps and Travels With My Aunt will be running in tandem at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival beginning on January 27. The 39 Steps will be performed at ASF's Festival stage from January 27 through February 7 and Travels With My Aunt will run on ASF's Octagon stage from February 3-7. Both shows will return later in the repertory season.

Theatre Aspen is holding a private reading of the new musical Cross That River on Thursday, January 26th, in New York City. The musical is subtitled "a new musical about the black west" with a book by Allan & Pat Harris and Andrew Carl Wilk and music and lyrics by Allan Harris (based on an original story by Allan & Pat Harris).

Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater announces casting for Eugene O'Neill's singular comedy Ah, Wilderness! Helen Hayes Award winner and former Arena Stage Associate Artistic Director Kyle Donnelly returns to direct her 21st show at Arena Stage. Ah, Wilderness! runs March 9-April 8, 2012 in the Fichandler Stage as part of the two-month Eugene O'Neill Festival.

Writers' Theatre, under the direction of Artistic Director Michael Halberstam and Executive Director Kathryn M. Lipuma, continues its 20th Anniversary Season with Hesperia by Randall Colburn, directed by Associate Artistic Director Stuart Carden.

WaterTower Theatre Producing Artistic Director Terry Martin today announced the line-up for the 2012 Out of the Loop Fringe Festival, March 1-11 at the Addison Theatre Centre.

MARVELL REP, which presented an impressive inaugural New York season in 2011, has announced its 2012 repertory season devoted to provocative and incendiary plays that have been burned, banned and caused riots.

Tony-winner, Broadway star and BroadwayWorld.com fave Norbert Leo Butz is on set today filming a guest starring role in the upcoming NBC series - SMASH. Butz will play the lead character in HEAVEN ON EARTH, the 'currently running show within a show' written by the characters played by Debra Messing and Christian Borle. He will perform an original tune, entitled 'The Higher You Get, the Farther You Fall' written by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman.

The 39 Steps hits Arizona Theatre Company's stage at the Temple of Music and Art. Alfred Hitchcock's The 39 Steps plays from January 14 - February 4, 2012 and continues its run in Phoenix at the Herberger Theater Center from February 9 - 26, 2012.

Berkshire Theatre Group will celebrate Elvis Presley's birthday with two of the finest Elvis Impressionists around, Mike Albert and Scot Bruce, backed by the Big "E" Band, on January 13th at 8pm at The Colonial Theatre.

Court Theatre Artistic Director Charles Newell and Executive Director Stephen J. Albert present the World Premiere of Invisible Man, adapted from Ralph Ellison's novel by Oren Jacoby, and directed by Christopher McElroen.