Ars Nova News

The New Group has announced complete casting for The Sensuality Party, a new play by Justin Kuritzkes, presented as part of the company's 2015-2016 season. 

Members of the cast of THE BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY national tour Lucy Horton, Amy Linden, Bryan Welnicki, Cole Burden, Mary Callanan, Caitlin Houlahan, J Michael Zygo, John Campione, Tom Treadwell, Cullen Titmas, Brad Greer, and Jessica Sheridan will perform at the Curtain Call Lounge (521 North Grand Blvd.) on Monday, April 11 at 7PM to benefit Broadway Cares/Equity Fights Aids (BCEFA). Doors to the event will open at 6 p.m.

The American Repertory Theater (A.R.T.) and OBERON are pleased to present the TEAM's RoosevElvis, created by Rachel Chavkin, Libby King, Jake Margolin, and Kristein Sieh with Matt Hubbs, Andrew Schneider, and Nick Vaughan, directed by Rachel Chavkin. The production runs May 6-29 at OBERON, 2 Arrow Street, Cambridge.

The Bushwick Starr presents IKE AT NIGHT, hosted by Ikechukwu Ufomadu with side-kick B. Brian Argotsinger and featuring Jonathan Jacobs aka The Vintage DJ, running May 18 - June 4, 2016.

The world-premiere production of WRINGER, a new musical by Jacob Yandura and Rebekah Greer Melocik. Produced by the award-winning New York City Children's Theater, begins today at New York City Center Stage II. The production continues through April 17, 2016.

Beyond the Usual and Bootleg Theater proudly present the World Premiere of Tell Me I'm Pretty, a hilarious and riveting new solo show - written and performed by Joshua Silverstein and directed by Diana Wyenn. Tackling race, gender, and poverty in America through storytelling, spoken word, vocal percussion, and hip hop, Tell Me I'm Pretty opens its five-week run at Bootleg Theater today, April 8, 2016. Performances run Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30pm through Saturday, May 7, 2016.

THE MEETING* hosted by Justin Sayre, the acclaimed comedy/variety show, will return to JOE'S PUB at The Public Theater to continue the Winter/Spring 2016 season on Sunday, April 17 at 9:30 PM. The April show will honor the iconic entertainer Barbra Streisand with special guests Jessica Vosk, Nick Cearley, Inyang Bassey and Amber Martin, with others to be announced. Tracy Stark serves as the show's Music Director.

?In April and May 2016, Joe's Pub at The Public will present the revival of Kiki and Herb, the legendary and fanatically-loved cabaret duo played by Mx Justin Vivian Bond and Kenny Mellman. Born in 1992 in San Francisco and retired in 2007 in New York City, the "perverse" and "transcendental" (The New York Times) septuagenarian lounge-singers will debut a new show entitled Seeking Asylum!

Ars Nova, New York's incubator for boundary-pushing theater, expands its monthly variety Showgasm. series with first-ever Showgasm. XXL on April 21 atMarquee NY. Hosted by John Early, “one of the Ten Best Comedians of 2015” (Time Out New York), with DJ Hamm Samwich, this raucous variety-show-meets-party will supersize its showcase of fresh comedy, music, burlesque, vaudeville and everything-in-between for a one-night only blow-out event. All proceeds will benefit Ars Nova and its work to discover, develop and launch the next generation of talent.

Joe's Pub at The Public has announced its nightly performances, April 6-17, 2016. Scroll down for more details and visit www.joespub.com for a complete list of shows!

What do you get when you mix Broadway and Bluegrass? The band at Roundabout Theatre Company's revival of THE ROBBER BRIDEGROOM has a pretty good idea.

Lesser America (The Bachelors, Carnival Kids, Trevor) will present HALF MOON BAY by Dan Moyer. It will be directed by Jess Chayes (AD of Peter and The Starcatcher) starring Keilly McQuail (You Got Older, Her Requiem) and Gabriel King (These Seven Sicknesses). Previews begin May 12 at Cherry Lane Theatre, where Lesser America is the inaugural Company in Residence. Opening set for Thursday, May 19.

The premiere staging of the new musical MIDNIGHT AT THE NEVER GET, which opens this week at Manhattan cabaret institution Don't Tell Mama, has announced that it will extend. A fifth performance will be added to the limited run due to popular demand. The show, which stars Sam Bolen and Mark Sonnenblick, was written by Sonnenblick, and directed by Don't Tell Mama's Associate Director of Programming Max Friedman.

On Saturday May 7, Brooklyn band Sky-Pony will hit the stage at NYC's Mercury Lounge. Freddy Hall & The Best Intentions will open.

The full cast and creative team have been announced for the world-premiere production of WRINGER, a new musical by Jacob Yandura and Rebekah Greer Melocik. Produced by the award-winning New York City Children's Theater, WRINGER will play New York City Center Stage II April 8-17, 2016.

In Episode 407 of 'Something New' -- the musical theatre podcast that interviews artists and premieres original songs -- award-winning songwriter Joel B. New sat down with Farah Alvin, a Broadway actress and Holistic Health Counselor.

PlayMakers Repertory Company concludes its Mainstage Season with Stephen Sondheim's musical masterpiece 'Sweeney Todd,' onstage now through April 23.  BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast in action below!

The Goodman commissioned world premiere of CARLYLE by Thomas Bradshaw, directed by Benjamin Kamine, features an all-Chicago cast with James Earl Jones II in the titular role, joined by Patrick Clear (Janice's Father), Maureen Gallagher (Janice's Mother), Tim Rhoze (CARLYLE's Father), Levenix Riddle (Omar/Tyrone), Tiffany Scott (Janice/Sarah), Charlette Speigner (Anita Hill/Shaniqua) and Nate Whelden (Mark).

Second Stage Theatre will begin the 2016 Uptown Series with the world premiere of Sofia Alvarez's FRIEND ART, directed by Portia Krieger. FRIEND ART will feature ZOE CHAO, AARON COSTA GANIS, ANABELLE LEMIEUX and Tony Award nominee CONSTANTINE MAROULIS (Rock of Ages, "American Idol"). FRIEND ART will begin previews on Tuesday, May 17th and will officially open on Thursday, May 26th. 

In a time where source material is a controversial topic, many people state that there have been a lack of original ideas for Broadway shows. Recently, movie adaptations have been the newest trend to hit the stage. However, adaptations are certainly not a new phenomenon. Since the beginning of what is generally considered the traditional Broadway musical, shows have been adapted from other works. Classic shows such as SHOW BOAT and THE KING AND I found the origins to their stories in novels. More recently, novel adaptations have found success with THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, and the 2014 Tony Winner for Best Musical, A GENTLEMAN'S GUIDE TO LOVE AND MURDER.