Arizona Theatre Company News

Hershey Felder take to the stage as the dean of American songwriters in HERSHEY FELDER AS IRVING BERLIN ~ currently, the second production of Arizona Theatre Company's 49th Season. And it is a bonanza!

I'm all for a tribute to a wonderful composer such as Stephen Schwartz. But the new musical 'Snapshots' currently playing at Village Theatre feels less like a tribute and more like theft. OK, maybe theft is too strong of a word since Schwartz is aware of the show and has given his blessing but it's definitely appropriating someone else's good works with not much new to say.

The Old Globe's GLOBE FOR ALL returns to bring free professional Shakespeare directly to diverse, multigenerational audiences in underserved communities around San Diego County. This second year of GLOBE FOR ALL follows a highly successful inaugural production in 2014. One of the Bard's most charming comedies, MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING, will be directed by renowned Shakespearean Rob Melrose, Artistic Director of San Francisco's Cutting Ball Theater, who makes his Globe debut. He directs a cast of local professional actors, including recent graduates of the Old Globe/University of San Diego Graduate Theatre Program.

Disgraced, Ayad Akhtar's edge-of-your-seat Pulitzer Prize- winning play about a successful Muslim-American lawyer whose dinner guests' discussion of race and identity explodes to reveal racial prejudices and personal secrets plays at the Temple of Music and Art from tonight, Oct. 17 through Nov. 7. I. Michael and Beth Kasser are Arizona Theatre Company's 2015-16 Season Sponsors.

Complete casting has been announced for the opening production of Passage Theatre's 30th anniversary season, Song for the Disappeared, a world premiere by Tanya Saracho. Directed by Alex Correia, the production will play Trenton's The Mill Hill Playhouse through October 25.

Artistic Directors Douglas Aibel and Sarah Stern announce the cast for the first show of Vineyard Theatre's 2015-2016 season, the musical comedy GIGANTIC, beginning previews at The Acorn Theatre @ Theatre Row (410 West 42nd Street) on November 11.  Single tickets are now available by calling Telecharge at (212) 239-6200 or visiting www.telecharge.com/Off-Broadway/Gigantic.

Disgraced, Ayad Akhtar's edge-of-your-seat Pulitzer Prize- winning play about a successful Muslim-American lawyer whose dinner guests' discussion of race and identity explodes to reveal racial prejudices and personal secrets plays at the Temple of Music and Art from Oct. 17 through Nov. 7. I. Michael and Beth Kasser are Arizona Theatre Company's 2015-16 Season Sponsors.

Quintessential American songwriter Irving Berlin left an indelible mark on the classic American songbook with hits like 'White Christmas,' 'Puttin' on the Ritz,' 'There's No Business Like Show Business' and, of course, 'God Bless America.' Arizona Theatre Company brings Berlin's story to vibrant, toe-tapping life in Hershey Felder as Irving Berlin, tonight, Oct. 8, through Oct. 25 at the Herberger Theater Center, 222 E. Monroe in Phoenix.

Final performances of the acclaimed madcap comedy DROP DEAD PERFECT, starring the legendary Everett Quinton, will take place Oct 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th and 11th at Theatre at St. Clements (423 West 46 Street - between 9th and 10th Avenues) completing its limited engagement. The revival opened on August 23rd and received overwhelming rave reviews, critic picks, and audience accolades. DROP DEAD PERFECT is directed by Joe Brancato and written by Erasmus Fenn. The comedy is produced by Penguin Rep Theatre, Morton Wolkowitz, Barbara Freitag and Jamie deRoy.  Tickets are $69 and can be purchased by visiting www.dropdeadperfect.com or calling 845-786-2873.

Theatre Puget Sound (TPS) is very proud to present actor Timothy McCuen Piggee with the Sustained Achievement Award as part of the 7th Annual Gregory Awards. Timothy has appeared on most Seattle stages, including leading roles with ACT Theatre, Intiman Theatre, Village Theatre, Seattle Repertory Theatre, Seattle Children's Theatre, 5th Avenue Theatre, Showtunes, Seattle Group Theatre, The Empty Space Theatre, and Tacoma Actor's Guild, among others.

Stray Cat Theatre scores a huge hit with SEX WITH STRANGERS. Heather Lee Harper and Tyler Eglen deliver spell-binding performances.

Arizona Theatre Company, in a special collaboration with Stray Cat Theatre, will present Laura Eason's new comedy about the calculations people are making to find love or fame in an age of social media, brightly-lit phone screens and blogging. SEX WITH STRANGERS plays tonight, Sept. 24, through Oct. 11 in Stage West at the Herberger Theater Center, 222 E. Monroe.

Hershey Felder as Irving Berlin will now begin performances on Friday October 30th, 2015 in Felder's Chicago theatrical home, the Royal George Theatre , 1641 N. Halsted Street, Chicago. Having broken all box office records in its World Premiere at Los Angeles' Geffen Playhouse, Hershey Felder as Irving Berlin makes its Midwest Premiere in a strictly limited pre-NYC and continuing National Tour engagement. The British import I FOUND MY HORN was originally scheduled for this presentation slot.  However, due to scheduling issues across the pond, I FOUND MY HORN will now appear in the spring slot at the Royal George Theatre.

The Arizona Theatre Company Board of Trustees has elected Mac Perlich, President and Publisher of On Media, and Steven Tepper, Dean of the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts at Arizona State University, to three year terms.

You are never truly alone, not when you are in the company of a song, the great American songbook composer and lyricist reminds the opening night's audience of Hershey Felder as Irving Berlin at the Temple of Music and Art in downtown Tucson. It is a statement that rings true throughout the evening as patrons find themselves coming together to hum and sing along to Berlin's classics, when invited -- and spontaneously, as well.

Quintessential American songwriter Irving Berlin left an indelible mark on the classic American songbook with hits like 'White Christmas,' 'Puttin' on the Ritz,' 'There's No Business Like Show Business' and, of course, 'God Bless America.' Arizona Theatre Company brings Berlin's story to vibrant, toe-tapping life in Hershey Felder as Irving Berlin, Oct. 8-25 at the Herberger Theater Center, 222 E. Monroe in Phoenix.

B Street Theatre's Mainstage will present the regional premiere of 5 LESBIANS EATING A QUICHE, playing October 4 - November 15, 2015.

Amas Musical Theatre and The Amas Musical Theatre Lab will present further staged readings for the New York premiere of I AM, I WILL, I DO, a new musical with book, music and lyrics by Dan Manjovi.

Scottsdale Musical Theater Company is proud to present the Arizona premiere of the musical revue SONDHEIM ON SONDHEIM with a cast of some of the Valley's best talent.

Rubicon Theatre Company welcomes stage and screen veterans Linda Purl, Brett Rickaby and Peter Van Norden in the company's mainstage production of the Tony-Award winning play COPENHAGEN, directed by international artist Judy Hegarty Lovett.