Alliance Theatre News

Celebration Theatre at the Lex presents its first play in its new home, under the artistic direction of Michael Matthews & Michael A. Shepperd, the Los Angeles premiere of the 27th Annual LAMBDA award- winner for Best LGBT Drama of 2014/2015, BOOTYCANDY by Robert O'Hara (Antebellum) and directed by Ovation Award-winner Michael Matthews (The Color Purple, Failure: A Love Story).  Comments Celebration Theatre's Executive Director Michael C. Kricfalusi, "All of us at Celebration Theatre are so excited to have found a new home and even more excited to kick off our 33rd season with BOOTYCANDY.  It's going to be a great year!'  BOOTYCANDYwill begin previews on Friday, October 23 at 8pm; will open on Thursday, October 29 at 8pm and perform through Sunday, December 20 at the Celebration Theatre's new home, the Lex Theatre, 6760 Lexington Ave. in Los Angeles.

WaterTower Theatre presents the world premiere of Donald Fowler's musical CREEP. The musical will open WaterTower Theatre's 2015-2016 Season on Monday, October 5, 2015 (with previews tonight, October 2, Saturday, October 3, and a Gala Preview performance on Sunday, October 4). Kate Galvin, Associate Producer at the 11th Hour Theatre Company in Philadelphia, will direct. CREEP is produced by Terry Martin.

Abingdon Theatre Company has appointed Tony Speciale as its next Artistic Director. Mr. Speciale, currently represented Off-Broadway as director of The Absolute Brightness of Leonard Pelkey, succeeds Jan Buttram, who leaves her post after 22 years. Mr. Speciale begins October 1.

Barrington Stage Company, under the leadership of Artistic Director Julianne Boyd and Managing Director Tristan Wilson, will present the new play VEILS by Tom Coash, from tonight, October 1, through October 18, with a press opening Sunday, October 4 at 3pm..

R. BUCKMINSTER FULLER: THE HISTORY (AND MYSTERY) OF THE UNIVERSE will run October 1-25, 2015 at The Balzer Theater at Herren's (downtown Atlanta), starring Tom Key as R. Buckminster Fuller. Written by D.W. Jacobs with direction by David de Vries, the play is based on the life, work, and writings of R. Buckminster Fuller.

As BroadwayWorld previously reported, Broadway veteran Terrence Mann (Beauty and the Beast, Les Miserable) takes over the roles of 'Charles Frohman' and 'Captain Hook' in the smash hit musical Finding Neverland tonight, September 29. Fellow FINDING NEERLAND star Carolee Carmello just posted another close-up of Mann in costume. Check it out below!

Northlight Theatre, under the direction of Artistic Director BJ Jones and Executive Director Timothy J. Evans, announces the World Premiere of CHARM by Philip Dawkins. Directed by BJ Jones, CHARM was developed through Northlight's Interplay Series and will be presented in Steppenwolf's Garage Theatre, 1624 N. Halsted, from October 14 - November 8, 2015.

Pegasus Theatre Chicago is pleased to launch its 2015-16 season with the world premiere drama FOR HER AS A PIANO by Nambi E. Kelley, playwright of the critically acclaimed 2014 hit Native Son, featuring music by Jaret Landon and directed by Producing Artistic Director Ilesa Duncan. Produced in association with Goodman Theatre and Chicago Dramatists, FOR HER AS A PIANO will play tonight, September 30 - November 1, 2015 at Chicago Dramatists, 1105 W. Chicago Ave. in Chicago.

Women's voices headline the Centenary Stage Company (CSC) 2015-16 season, with plays by Jennifer Haley, Gina Gionfriddo, newcomer Eleanor Burgess, and WPS alum Merri Biechler.   The CSC season compliments a movement lead by Nan Barnett (NNPN) and the Women's Voices Theatre Festival in Washington D.C. this fall,  serving to  highlight the scope of plays being written by contemporary women.   

BroadwayWorld has just learned that Tony Award-winner Beth Leavel (THE DROWSY CHAPERONE) will star in the Muny's new cabaret, MUNY MAGIC, at Sheldon Concert Hall.

To open its 32nd season the Undermain Theatre is thrilled to bring the World Premiere of Meg Miroshnik's THE DROLL to their home in Deep Ellum at 3200 Main Street. The premiere will open tonight, September 26th, 2015 - curtain time 8:15 with the playwright in attendance. Preview performances will be on Sep. 23rd, 24th and 25th. The production will run through October 17th.

BroadwayWorld has just learned  that Broadway veteran Terrence Mann (Beauty and the Beast, Les Miserable) will take over the roles of 'Charles Frohman' and 'Captain Hook' in the smash hit musical Finding Neverland beginning Tuesday, September 29. Anthony Warlow, Neverland's current Frohman/Hook, will play his final performance on Sunday, September 27.

Fear, deceit, and paranoia run rampant in Cleveland Play House's (CPH) gripping new production of Arthur Miller's THE CRUCIBLE.

To open its 32nd season the Undermain Theatre is thrilled to bring the World Premiere of Meg Miroshnik's THE DROLL to their home in Deep Ellum at 3200 Main Street. The premiere will open September 26th, 2015 - curtain time 8:15 with the playwright in attendance. Preview performances will be tonight, Sep. 23rd, Sep. 24th and 25th. The production will run through October 17th.

The Alliance Theatre's production of A STEADY RAIN, a contemporary crime drama by writer and producer Keith Huff (Mad Men, American Crime), is directed by Steppenwolf Theatre co-founder Jeff Perry (who currently plays White House Chief of Staff Cyrus Beene on ABC's SCANDAL). A STEADY RAIN runs on the Hertz Stage at the Alliance Theatre now thorugh October 11, 2015. Opening night is tonight, September 23, 2015.

The Acting Outshines the Writing at Alliance

New official photo released as rehearsals end. To mark the final day of rehearsals for PURE IMAGINATION - The Songs of Leslie Bricusse, we are releasing a new photo of legendary British songwriter Leslie Bricusse with the ridiculously talented cast of Dave Willetts, Julie Atherton, Niall Sheehy, Siobhan McCarthy and Giles Terera.

Now in it's seventh season, the Obie Award winning The Fire This Time Festival has commissioned seven playwrights to write new 10-minute plays for the 2016 festival, which will run January 18-February 6 at The Kraine Theater (85 East 4th Street between 2nd Avenue and Bowery). The 2016 playwrights will include Tanya Everett (Without Scars with Breast Friends), Keelay Gipson (The Lost at Planet Connections Theater Festivity; N/F at Downtown Urban Theater Festival), Jireh Breon Holder (2012-13 Kenny Leon Fellow, Alliance Theatre), Roger Q. Mason (Onion Creek with Son of Semele Ensemble, Los Angeles), Stacey Rose (2015-16 Dramatists Guild Fellow), Korde Arrington Tuttle (Beautiful Mess in Around the Block: a 5D Project), and Nia Ostrow Witherspoon (Global Arts Fund Grant for The Messiah Complex). 

BroadwayWorld has just learned  that Broadway veteran Terrence Mann (Beauty and the Beast, Les Miserable) will take over the roles of "Charles Frohman" and "Captain Hook" in the smash hit musical Finding Neverland beginning Tuesday, September 29. Anthony Warlow, Neverland's current Frohman/Hook, will play his final performance on Sunday, September 27.