Ars Nova News

Lynne Meadow (Artistic Director), Barry Grove (Executive Producer), and Mandy Greenfield (Artistic Producer) just announced that Manhattan Theatre Club will produce the American premiere of THE LION, the new autobiographical musical written and performed by 2013 ASCAP Cole Porter Songwriting Award winner Benjamin Scheuer, directed by Sean Daniels. The five-week limited engagement for THE LION will begin previews on Tuesday, June 10 and open Thursday, June 26 as the second production of MTC's 2013-2014 season of The Studio at Stage II - Harold and Mimi Steinberg New Play Series at New York City Center - Stage II (131 West 55th Street).

54 BELOW, Broadway's Supper Club, presents Patrick Page in 'Good to be Bad' tonight, January 28th at 9:30 pm.

YALE REPERTORY THEATRE presents the world premiere of THESE PAPER BULLETS!, a modish ripoff of William Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing, adapted by Rolin Jones, with songs by Billie Joe Armstrong, and directed by Jackson Gay, March 14-April 5 at the University Theatre (222 York Street). Opening Night is Thursday, March 20.

In the midst of their first National concert tour and their first major magazine cover spread, Well-Strung, The Singing String Quartet, will make their debut at New York's celebrated Broadway club 54 Below with shows on February 2 and March 16 at 9:30 PM. The foursome have been referred to as "absolutely amazing" by BBC Radio host Jo Good during their recent London debut, and as "the hottest thing with a bow since Jennifer Lawrence in The Hunger Games" by the New York Daily News. The new show directed by Donna Drake features new arrangements of songs by Pink, Kelly Clarkson, Taylor Swift and Third Eye Blind among others as well as new material written by Jeffery Roberson (aka Varla Jean Merman). For tickets please visit www.well-strung.com.

Pivot goes bilingual in January with the acquisition of 'bref.' the French breakout hit with already over 3 million fans on Facebook.

SCR announced that it will produce Five Mile Lake by Rachel Bonds on the Julianne Argyros Stage. The new work is an intimate look at life in a small town and is the final world premiere work for the company's 50th Season. The show runs April 13-May 4 and is an anchor production for the 17th annual Pacific Playwrights Festival. It will be directed by Daniella Topol. Tickets are available online: www.scr.org.

Theatre at St. Clement's hosts the World Premiere of The Clearing, written by Jake Jeppson (Jerome Fellowship recipient) and directed by Josh Hecht (Drama Desk Award winner for Christine Jorgensen Reveals). The Clearing runs Off-Broadway now through February 9, 2014. Previews began January 15 for a January 19 opening. Theatre at St. Clement's is located at 423 West 46th Street between 9th and 10th Avenues in New York City. BroadwayWorld has photos from the opening night festivities below!

54 BELOW, Broadway's Supper Club, presents Patrick Page in 'Good to be Bad' on Tuesday, January 28th at 9:30 pm

Coming up this week, 54 BELOW, the performance venue located just below the legendary Studio 54 at 254 West 54th Street, presents some of the brightest stars from Broadway, cabaret, jazz and beyond:

PROPAGANDA: A Festival Celebrating Russian Voices. Staged readings will feature Orange is the New Black's Uzo Aduba and Catherine Curtin, Broadway's Dan Oreskes, Tobias Segal, Thomas Schall, Nadia Bowers, and Jason Tam, Blue Bloods' Robert Sella, Kings' Michael Crane, The Bridge Project's Michelle Beck, and The West Wing's Thomas Kopache in new plays by groundbreaking Russian playwrights.

Sex Tips for Straight Women from a Gay Man is a new comedy beginning performances at The 777 Theatre (777 Eighth Avenue, between 47th and 48th Streets) on Wednesday, January 22nd. On Saturday, January 25th, Sex Tips for Straight Women from a Gay Man will hold a post-show talk-back with Dan Anderson and Maggie Berman, the authors of the international best-selling book on which the show is based. The talk-back, moderated by award-winning writer Michael Musto, will also feature playwright Matt Murphy and director Tim Drucker. This event will be held following the 2:00pm matinee that day (3:30 pm). The press opening for Sex Tips for Straight Women from a Gay Man is set for February 9, 2014.

Ars Nova presents, as part of the Out Loud series, a FREE reading of THE BIGGEST VALLEY by A. Zell Williams, directed by Jesse Jou. The cast includes McKinley Belcher, Kaliswa Brewster, Ronald Peet and Sarah Steele.

Drawing from actual emails, chat transcripts, and text messages, We Were Nothing! is an intimate site-specific theater experience about two childhood friends staying connected and losing touch.

Producers Howard and Janet Kagan announced today that due to popular demand, the limited engagement of NATASHA, PIERRE & THE GREAT COMET OF 1812, named one of the Best Musicals of 2013 by The New York Times and one of Time Magazine's Top 10 Musicals of 2013,will extend for the third time at Kazino (45th Street between Times Square and 8thAvenue). Tickets are on sale now at Telecharge.com for performances through Sunday, March 2, 2014.

The Meeting* hosted by Justin Sayre, the acclaimed comedy/variety show, will begin the three-month engagement at JOE'S PUB at The Public Theater tonight, January 16 at 9:30 PM with a celebration of Rock legend David Bowie.

Razor & Tie Music Publishing and Ghostlight/Sh-K-Boom Records have created a joint venture to sign and nurture the talents of a new generation of theatrical composers and writers. The venture's first signing is New York City based songwriter and artist Shaina Taub, who straddles the world of theater music and contemporary pop performance. The venture is an extension into the publishing arena of the successful longstanding distribution and marketing relationship between Razor & Tie and Ghostlight/Sh-K-Boom Records.

Theatre at St. Clement's will host the World Premiere of The Clearing, written by Jake Jeppson (Jerome Fellowship recipient) and directed by Josh Hecht (Drama Desk Award winner for Christine Jorgensen Reveals). The Clearing runs Off-Broadway from tonight, January 15 - February 9, 2014. Previews begin tonight, January 15 for a January 19 opening. Theatre at St. Clement's is located at 423 West 46th Street between 9th and 10th Avenues in New York City. Click below to go behind the scenes with the cast and creative team!

Tony Award nominee Annaleigh Ashford and Will Van Dyke will release a single of 'Another Time' on iTunes, and wherever digital music is sold, today, January 14th.