Alan Anderson News

It's December! Voting is now underway for the 2019 BroadwayWorld Madison Awards, brought to you by TodayTix! Now you can vote to make sure your favorite local theatres and performers are recognized. Check out the first set of stats below.

Voting is NOW OPEN and the first votes are in for the 2019 BroadwayWorld Madison Awards, brought to you by TodayTix! The nominees are set, and now you can vote to make sure your favorite local theatres and performers are recognized!

Victory Gardens Theater continues its 45th Anniversary season with the World Premiere of The First Deep Breath by Lee Edward Colston II and directed by Steve H. Broadnax III. The First Deep Breath runs November 15 - December 22, 2019, with press performance on Friday, November 22, 2019 at 7:00pm at Victory Gardens Theater, 2433 N. Lincoln Avenue.

Victory Gardens Theater continues its 45th Anniversary season with the World Premiere of The First Deep Breath by Lee Edward Colston II and directed by Steve H. Broadnax III. The First Deep Breath runs November 15 – December 22, 2019, with press performance on Friday, November 22, 2019 at 7:00pm at Victory Gardens Theater, 2433 N. Lincoln Avenue.

Writers Theatre, under the leadership of Artistic Director Michael Halberstam and Executive Director Kathryn M. Lipuma, continues its 2019/20 Season with Stick Fly, written by Lydia R. Diamond and directed by WT Resident Director Ron OJ Parson. Stick Fly runs February 5, 2020 a?" March 15, 2020 in the Alexandra C. and John D. Nichols Theatre at 325 Tudor Court, Glencoe. 

Victory Gardens Theater continues its 45th season with the World Premiere of The First Deep Breath by Lee Edward Colston II and directed by Steve H. Broadnax III. The First Deep Breath runs November 15 a?" December 22, 2019, with press performance on Friday, November 22, 2019 at 7:00pm at Victory Gardens Theater, 2433 N. Lincoln Avenue.

Victory Gardens Theater under the direction of Artistic Director Chay Yew and Executive Director Erica Daniels, announces casting for its upcoming productions of Tiny Beautiful Things based on the book by Cheryl Strayed and adapted by Nia Vardalos, directed by Vanessa Stalling, The First Deep Breath by Lee Edward Colston II, directed by Steve H. Broadnax III, and How to Defend Yourself by liliana padilla, directed by Marti Lyons.

Milwaukee Repertory Theater announces the cast and creative teams for the 201920 Season shows 2 Pianos 4 Hands, The Niceties, The Nerd and Nunsense.

Lyric's new grand-scale coproduction of Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim's masterpiece West Side Story opens tonight and features Broadway star Corey Cott as Tony and rising star Mikaela Bennett as Maria. Additional lead casting includes Brett Thiele (Riff),Amanda Castro (Anita), Manuel Stark Santos (Bernardo), and Adam Soniak (Action). Performances run through June 2, 2019 at the Lyric Opera House, 20 N. Wacker Drive, Chicago. Tickets are on sale now starting at $29 and can be purchased at lyricopera.org/wss or by calling 312-827-5600.

The Chicago premiere of Lyric's new coproduction of Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim's masterpiece West Side Story features nearly 100 artists from Chicago and across the country.

This visceral American classic serves as the 1920s chapter of August Wilson's epic American Century Cycle. What begins as a routine recording session becomes more strained as tensions rise between the members of a blues band and the owners of the recording studio. The white producers mean to exploit the talents of the band especially the gifted and impulsive Levee but when Ma insists on having things her way, tensions are enflamed and the play builds to an unexpected and searing climax.

Writers Theatre, under the leadership of Artistic Director Michael Halberstam and Executive Director Kathryn M. Lipuma, continues its 2018/19 season with August Wilson's Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, directed by Writers Theatre Resident Director Ron OJ Parson. Ma Rainey's Black Bottom runs February 6 - March 17, 2019 in the Alexandra C. and John D. Nichols Theatre at 325 Tudor Court, Glencoe. The Press Opening is Wednesday, February 13 at 7:30 p.m.

Writers Theatre, under the leadership of Artistic Director Michael Halberstam and Executive Director Kathryn M. Lipuma, continues its 2018/19 season with August Wilson's Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, directed by Writers Theatre Resident Director Ron OJ Parson.  Ma Rainey's Black Bottom runs February 6 - March 17, 2019 in the Alexandra C. and John D. Nichols Theatre at 325 Tudor Court, Glencoe. The Press Opening is Wednesday, February 13 at 7:30 p.m.

The Lost Treasures Collection, a series of rarely performed musical gems, is back for a ninth season at Lakewood Theatre Company on its Side Door Stage. This year three musicals featuring the theme "Hey, Look Us Over," will be presented in a concert/cabaret style.  The shows are presented script-in-hand, with minimal staging. No sets, no props (free from the usual trappings of a fully staged production). The ninth season includes: On A Clear Day You Can See Forever (Oct 19-20, 2018), Promises, Promises (Feb. 15-16, 2019), and Wildcat (April 12-13, 2019)

The Lost Treasures Collection, a series of rarely performed musical gems, is back for a ninth season at Lakewood Theatre Company on its Side Door Stage. This year three musicals featuring the theme "Hey, Look Us Over," will be presented in a concert/cabaret style.  The shows are presented script-in-hand, with minimal staging. No sets, no props (free from the usual trappings of a fully staged production). The ninth season includes: On A Clear Day You Can See Forever (Oct 19-20, 2018), Promises, Promises (Feb. 15-16, 2019), and Wildcat (April 12-13, 2019)

Writers Theatre, under the leadership of Artistic Director Michael Halberstam and Executive Director Kathryn M. Lipuma, presents the World Premiere of Witch, written by Jen Silverman, inspired by The Witch of Edmonton by Rowley, Dekker & Ford. Witch, directed by Marti Lyons, runs September 26 - December 16, 2018 in the Gillian Theatre at 325 Tudor Court, Glencoe. The Press Opening is Wednesday, October 3, 2018 at 7:30 p.m. 

Writers Theatre, under the leadership of Artistic Director Michael Halberstam and Executive Director Kathryn M. Lipuma, presents Witch, written by Jen Silverman, inspired by The Witch of Edmonton by Rowley, Dekker & Ford. Witch, directed by Marti Lyons, runs September 26 - December 16, 2018 in the Gillian Theatre at 325 Tudor Court, Glencoe. The Press Opening is Wednesday, October 3, 2018 at 7:30 p.m. 

Writers Theatre Artistic Director Michael Halberstam and Executive Director Kathryn M. Lipuma announce initial casting for the company's previously announced 2018/19 season.

Not a lot of plays are written for the 50+population of which makes up a good percentage of theatregoers, according to statistics from Broadway League. This doesn't help the rising number of tenured actors looking for work either. Writer Carey Crim's Morning After Grace satisfies both the mature audience's appetite for age-relatable entertainment and the seasoned actor's fancy for distinguished roles.

Asolo Rep continues its repertory season withMORNING AFTER GRACE, a poignant comedy about new love for the older set. Penned by playwright Carey Crim, a fresh voice for the American stage, and directed by Asolo Rep Associate Artist Peter Amster (Asolo Rep: Born Yesterday, Living on Love, The Matchmaker, and more), MORNING AFTER GRACE previews January 17 and 18, opens January 19 and runs in rotating repertory through March 4 in the Mertz Theatre, located in the FSU Center for the Performing Arts.