Austin Pendleton News

Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts at Brooklyn College (BCBC) presents Fiddler on the Roof on Sunday, April 14, 2013 at 3pm. All tickets are $45/$36 (orchestra/mezzanine) and can be purchased by phone at 718-951-4500 (Tues-Sat, 1pm-6pm), or online at www.BrooklynCenterOnline.org.

Classic Stage Company, under the leadership of Artistic Director Brian Kulick and Executive Director Greg Reiner, will present a private reading of a new musical comedy A DOCTOR IN SPITE OF HIMSELF by Sheldon Harnick, based on Molière's LE MEDECIN MALGRE LUI, today, February 1 at MTC Studios. The musical features a score by Harnick, as well as English Adaptation and Additional Dialogue. The reading will be directed by David Glenn Armstrong, with musical direction by Amanda Morton. The cast will feature Ben Davis, Beth Fowler, David Garrison, Cady Huffman, Charles Kimbrough, Jose Llana, Patrick Richwood, Robb Sapp and Elena Shaddow.

Fresh from Ivanov starring Ethan Hawke, Obie Award-winning director Austin Pendleton directs Tennessee Williams' stark and religiously sensual morality play Suddenly Last Summer with the Mississippi Mud.

Abingdon Theatre Company - which has produced more than 78 new American plays in its 20-year history - continues its 2012-2013 Season with the world premiere of BODEGA BAY by Elisabeth Karlin (THE MOONCALF), set to begin previews Friday, January 25, prior to its official press opening February 3, at Abingdon Theatre Company's Dorothy Strelsin Theatre (312 West 36th Street). Sturgis Warner, who recently helmed Najla Said's PALESTINE, directs. Performances run through February 17.

Abingdon Theatre Company - which has produced more than 78 new American plays in its 20-year history - continues its 2012-2013 Season with the world premiere of BODEGA BAY by Elisabeth Karlin (THE MOONCALF), set to begin previews tonight, January 25, prior to its official press opening February 3, at the Abingdon Theatre Company's Dorothy Strelsin Theatre (312 West 36th Street). Sturgis Warner, who recently helmed Najla Said's PALESTINE, directs. Performances run through February 17.

Steppenwolf Theatre Company ensemble member Austin Pendleton directs The Birthday Party by Harold Pinter in the Upstairs Theatre, at the helm of a Pinter play for the first time. The theater has been newly reconfigured by Pendleton with scenic designer Walt Spangler to bring the audience closer to the story by moving the stage to the center of the room. The Birthday Party begins previews tonight, January 24 (Opening night is February 3, 2013; Press performances are February 2 at 3pm and February 5 at 7:30pm) and runs through April 28 in Steppenwolf's Upstairs Theatre (1650 N Halsted St). Check out photos of the cast in rehearsal below!

Mad Horse Theatre Company welcomes the New Year with the Maine Premiere of Rajiv Joseph's Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo. This remarkably haunting play throws two American soldiers, a tormented Iraqi translator, a brooding tiger, and a host of spirits together in war-torn Iraq and dares you not to look away as they try to find meaning, forgiveness and redemption among the city's ruins.

Mad Horse Theatre Company welcomes the New Year with the Maine Premiere of Rajiv Joseph's Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo. This remarkably haunting play throws two American soldiers, a tormented Iraqi translator, a brooding tiger, and a host of spirits together in war-torn Iraq and dares you not to look away as they try to find meaning, forgiveness and redemption among the city's ruins. Director Nathan Speckman recently appeared on Good Day Maine to talk about the show, and Tootie Van Reenan gave a preview performance as the Tiger. Watch below!

Steppenwolf Theatre Company ensemble member Austin Pendleton directs The Birthday Party by Harold Pinter in the Upstairs Theatre, at the helm of a Pinter play for the first time. The theater has been newly reconfigured by Pendleton with scenic designer Walt Spangler to bring the audience closer to the story by moving the stage to the center of the room. The Birthday Party begins previews January 24 (Opening night is February 3, 2013; Press performances are February 2 at 3pm and February 5 at 7:30pm) and runs through April 28 in Steppenwolf's Upstairs Theatre (1650 N Halsted St). Check out photos of the cast in rehearsal below!

Mad Horse Theatre Company welcomes the New Year with the Maine Premiere of Rajiv Joseph's Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo. This remarkably haunting play throws two American soldiers, a tormented Iraqi translator, a brooding tiger, and a host of spirits together in war-torn Iraq and dares you not to look away as they try to find meaning, forgiveness and redemption among the city's ruins.

Steppenwolf Theatre Company ensemble member Austin Pendleton directs The Birthday Party by Harold Pinter in the Upstairs Theatre, at the helm of a Pinter play for the first time. The theater has been newly reconfigured by Pendleton with scenic designer Walt Spangler to bring the audience closer to the story by moving the stage to the center of the room. The Birthday Party begins previews January 24 (Opening night is February 3, 2013; Press performances are February 2 at 3pm and February 5 at 7:30pm) and runs through April 28 in Steppenwolf's Upstairs Theatre (1650 N Halsted St). In conjunction with The Birthday Party, Steppenwolf is proud to announce a one-night only performance of A Celebration of Harold Pinter, performed by British actor Julian Sands, directed by ensemble member John Malkovich.

Classic Stage Company, under the leadership of Artistic Director Brian Kulick and Executive Director Greg Reiner, today announced complete casting for the company's upcoming new production of Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine's Tony Award-winning musical PASSION, to be directed by John Doyle (director of the acclaimed Broadway revivals of Sondheim's Sweeney Todd and Company). Joining previously announced Melissa Errico (Clara), Judy Kuhn (Fosca) and Ryan Silverman (Giorgio) in the production are Stephen Bogardus (Colonel Ricci), Jeffry Denman (Lieutenant Barri), Jason Michael Evans (Private Augenti), Amy Justman (understudy), Ken Krugman (Lieutenant Torasso), Orville Mendoza (Sergeant Lombardi), Tom Nelis (Doctor Tambourri) and Will Reynolds (Major Rizzoli/Ludovic). PASSION is slated to begin performances on February 8, 2013 at CSC (136 East 13th Street), with an official press opening scheduled for Thursday, February 28, playing a limited engagement through Sunday, April 7. Tickets will go on sale to the public beginning at Noon on Thursday, January 3.

Fresh from Ivanov starring Ethan Hawke, Obie- Award winning director Austin Pendleton directs Tennessee Williams' stark and religiously sensual morality play Suddenly Last Summer with the Mississippi Mud. This is the play that moved Brookes Atkinson to praise Williams as being "at the peak of his talent as a poet of the damned." It is brought to life in a new bold raw space production that places center stage the lush language of this modern fable. Mr. Pendleton stars as Dr. Cukrowicz and helms a talented cast of actors that includes Johanna Leister (Broadway: Whose Life Is it Anyway w/Mary Tyler Moore, Tartuffe w/Victor Garber, Dracula w/Raul Julia; Beyond the Horizon at Irish Rep; The Edge Of Night), Jen Danby (Vivien Leigh: The Last Press Conference, Orson's Shadow with Mississippi Mud, Cat on A Hot Tin RoofMud Lab production, directed by Austin Pendleton; "Paula" and "Bad Pictures" vlogisodes with The Wooster Group, the film Run #3), and Maureen Mooney (Guiding Light, All My Children; Mod Donna at The Public directed by Joseph Papp, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof with the Mud, directed by Austin Pendleton). Other casting to be announced.

Abingdon Theatre Company - which has produced more than 78 new American plays in its 20-year history - continues its 2012-2013 Season with the world premiere of BODEGA BAY by Elisabeth Karlin (THE MOONCALF), set to begin previews January 25, prior to its official press opening February 3, at the Abingdon Theatre Company's Dorothy Strelsin Theatre (312 West 36th Street). Sturgis Warner, who recently helmed Najla Said's PALESTINE, directs. Performances run through February 17.

As 2013 begins, there are already several productions that are on BroadwayWorld's radar. Here is a brief list of some of the most highly anticipated productions Austin has to offer in the coming year…

BroadwayWorld brings you the Best of Little Rock in the year 2012. Check out the Top Theatre Stories from each month during in the year 2012. We look forward to another exciting year of theatre in 2013!

Parents looking for amusements for their children during the Christmas break may be happy to learn that Lynnea Benson, Artistic Director of Frog and Peach Theatre Company, is bringing back Tinkerbell Theater, two fairy tale plays performed in rotating repertory, today, December 26 to December 31 at the West End Theater, 263 West 86th St. (between Broadway and West End Ave.) The plays, 'Cinderella' and 'The Tinderbox,' had been mounted this fall, playing to growing and appreciative audiences. Each show is followed by a puppet making workshop, in which the kids in attendance make their own sock puppets.

Classic Stage Company, under the leadership of Artistic Director Brian Kulick and Executive Director Greg Reiner, announced today that acclaimed film and television actor Christopher Lloyd, will star as Azdak in the company's upcoming spring production of Bertolt Brecht's THE CAUCASIAN CHALK CIRCLE, to be directed by Brian Kulick (who directed Brecht's Galileo last season), and featuring new music by Tony Award-winning singer/songwriter Duncan Sheik, featuring translation by James and Tania Stern with lyrics by W.H. Auden. THE CAUCASIAN CHALK CIRCLE will begin performances Thursday, May 2 at CSC (136 East 13th Street) for a limited engagement. Tickets will go on sale to the general public on Tuesday, April 2.