Armistead Maupin News

Concetta Tomei, best known for her roles on TV's China Beach and Providence and on stage in The Elephant Man (opposite David Bowie) and Sarah Ruhl's The Clean House, leads the cast of Abingdon Theatre Company's world premiere of THE MOTHER OF INVENTION, a new play by Academy Award, Drama Desk Award and Outer Critics Circle Award-winner James Lecesne, as Dottie Nerber.

The critically acclaimed off-Broadway hit The Absolute Brightness of Leonard Pelkey, written by and starring James Lecesne, the writer of the Academy Award-winning film Trevor comes to the Raymond F. Kravis Center for the Performing Arts for a limited performance engagement Friday, December 2 through Sunday, December 4. 

Outfest, the non-profit organization promoting equality by creating, sharing, and protecting LGBT stories on the screen, announced today that Jeffrey Tambor ('Transparent'), Amy Landecker ('Transparent'), Dax Shepard ('Parenthood'), Shay Mitchell ('Pretty Little Liars'), Teri Polo ('The Fosters') and Sherri Saum ('The Fosters') will be presenting Legacy Awards to Jill Soloway, Sean Hayes and Freeform, respectively. Singer Samuel Larsen ('Glee') is set to perform.

SAN FRANCISCO, CA (August 2, 2016) – Today, co-publishers Na Lei Hulu I Ka Wekiu  and Spark Press announced the release of “The Natives Are Restless: A San Francisco Dance Master Takes Hula into the 21st Century,” an innovative, first-of-its-kind coffee-table book exploring the rich ethnic dance tradition of Hawaiian hula. Written by Hawaii-born, San Francisco-based journalist Constance Hale, the stunning book's narrative uses Makuak?ne – a visionary in the hula world – to tell the largely untold story of hula, examining how it has roared back as an authentic art form after two centuries of overt suppression, benign neglect, and tourist cliché. In addition to its rich narrative, the book features extraordinary photography, archival material, and illustrations. The Natives Are Restless will be released on Today, October 11, 2016 and will be available in bookstores, on Amazon, and through Na Lei Hulu i ka W?kiu. It is distributed nationally by Ingram and will receive a national media campaign.  

Outfest, the Los Angeles-based nonprofit organization promoting equality by creating, sharing, and protecting LGBT stories on the screen, announced today that it will honor Emmy Award-winning actor and producer Sean Hayes ('Will and Grace') in addition to previously announced honorees Jill Soloway and Freeform at the 2016 Legacy Awards.

Abingdon Theatre Company will present two world-premiere plays and a new musical in the June Havoc Theatre as part of its 2016-2017 Season of new works by established and emerging writers, marking the first full season programmed by Artistic Director Tony Speciale.

Outfest, the Los Angeles-based nonprofit organization promoting equality by creating, sharing, and protecting LGBT stories on the screen, announced today that it will honor Golden Globe and two-time Emmy Award-winning writer-director Jill Soloway ("Transparent," Afternoon Delight) and Freeform, the Disney|ABC Television Group network, at the 2016 Legacy Awards on Sunday, October 23rd.

SAN FRANCISCO, CA (August 2, 2016) – Today, co-publishers Na Lei Hulu I Ka Wekiu  and Spark Press announced the release of “The Natives Are Restless: A San Francisco Dance Master Takes Hula into the 21st Century,” an innovative, first-of-its-kind coffee-table book exploring the rich ethnic dance tradition of Hawaiian hula. Written by Hawaii-born, San Francisco-based journalist Constance Hale, the stunning book's narrative uses Makuak?ne – a visionary in the hula world – to tell the largely untold story of hula, examining how it has roared back as an authentic art form after two centuries of overt suppression, benign neglect, and tourist cliché. In addition to its rich narrative, the book features extraordinary photography, archival material, and illustrations. The Natives Are Restless will be released on Tuesday, October 11, 2016 and will be available in bookstores, on Amazon, and through Na Lei Hulu i ka W?kiu. It is distributed nationally by Ingram and will receive a national media campaign.  

?The San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus (SFGMC) announced today that they have appointed Christopher Verdugo as Executive Director. Mr. Verdugo joins SFGMC in anticipation of the Chorus' 39th Season, and together with Artistic Director Dr. Timothy Seelig, will lead the organization to new levels of growth, financial sustainability and artistic excellence. Verdugo brings over 15 years of experience leading non-profit organizations, and comes to SFGMC after five successful years as Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Gay Men's Chorus of Los Angeles (GMCLA).

In honor of NYC Pride 2016, 92Y presents a one-night-only performance of The Absolute Brightness of Leonard Pelkey, the award-winning play written and performed by James Lecesne, directed by Tony Speciale, with original music by Spring Awakening's Tony Award-winning composer Duncan Sheik. The play has scenic design by Jo Winiarski, lighting design by Matt Richards, sound design by Christian Frederickson, projection design by Aaron Rhyne, original animation & photography by Matthew Sandager, and costumes by Paul Marlow.

Betsy Wolfe has nabbed the lead role of Princess Elsa in Disney's upcoming stage adaptation of FROZEN!

Bay Street Theater will welcome THE ABSOLUTE BRIGHTNESS OF LEONARD PELKEY as a Special Mainstage Bonus Production this summer. The one-man play will run one week only from July 18 through July 24.

Earlier this month, The New York Pops, led by Music Director Steven Reineke, continued its 33rd season at Carnegie Hall's Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage with 42nd on 57th: Broadway Today. With guest artists Darren Criss (Glee) and Betsy Wolfe (The Mystery of Edwin Drood). Below, watch highlights of Wolfe as she belts out everything from NINE to THE LAST FIVE YEARS.

Abingdon Theatre Company continues its Master Class Series with THE STORY WORKSHOP, a three-day intensive workshop with award-winning  writer and actor James Lecesne, whose work includes the Off-Broadway hits The Absolute Brightness of Leonard Pelkey and Word of Mouth. The master class is set for March 18-20 at Abingdon Theatre Company (312 West 36th Street).

On Friday, March 11, 2016 at 8:00PM, The New York Pops, led by Music Director Steven Reineke, will continue its 33rd season at Carnegie Hall's Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage with 42nd on 57th: Broadway Today. With guest artists Darren Criss (Glee) and Betsy Wolfe (The Mystery of Edwin Drood), the concert brings the best of Broadway uptown. The program will feature a variety of musical theatre hits. Darren Criss replaces the previously announced Jeremy Jordan, who is unavailable due to a scheduling issue.

The critically acclaimed off-Broadway hit THE ABSOLUTE BRIGHTNESS OF LEONARD PELKEY, written by and starring James Lecesne, the writer of the Academy Award-winning film Trevor, begins a limited 23 performance engagement at the Kirk Douglas Theatre, tonight, January 13. The show runs through January 31, 2016 (press opening Thursday January 14).

Abingdon Theatre Company launches its new Master Class Series with THE SOLO STORY WORKSHOP, a three-day intensive workshop with award-winning writer and actor James Lecesne, to be held this weekend, December 11-13 at Abingdon Theatre Company (312 West 36th Street).

The critically acclaimed off-Broadway hit THE ABSOLUTE BRIGHTNESS OF LEONARD PELKEY, written by and starring James Lecesne, the writer of the Academy Award-winning film Trevor, will have a limited 23 performance engagement at the Kirk Douglas Theatre, Wednesday, January 13 to Sunday, January 31, 2016 (press opening Thursday January 14).

Abingdon Theatre Company launches its new Master Class Series with THE SOLO STORY WORKSHOP, a three-day intensive workshop with award-winning writer and actor James Lecesne, to be held December 11-13 at Abingdon Theatre Company (312 West 36th Street).

The producers of the critically-acclaimed new play THE ABSOLUTE BRIGHTNESS OF LEONARD PELKEY announced today that the play written by and starring James Lecesne will play a strictly limited three week engagement in Los Angeles from Wednesday, January 13, 2016 through Sunday, January 31, 2016 as a guest production at the Kirk Douglas Theatre (9820 Washington Boulevard, Culver City).  The hit play ends its Off-Broadway engagement Sunday, October 18, 2015 at the Westside Theatre (407 West 43 Street).