Bette Davis News

Banks Brothers Productions will be presenting the world premiere of the satirical black comedy 'The Cousin Cleotha War' today, March 20-23 2014 at Midtown Art Center.

Manhattan Theatre Club's world premiere of Tales from Red Vienna, the new play by David Grimm, directed by Kate Whoriskey, opened tonight, March 18 at MTC at New York City Center - Stage I (131 West 55th Street). Let's see what the critics had to say...

Ladies of the Camellias, written by Lillian Groag and directed by co-artistic director Gary Rucker will be next on the Main Stage at the multi-award-winning Rivertown Theaters for the Performing Arts on the Main Stage running today, March 14 - 29, 2014.

I went to see a program with Ariel Rivka's Book of Esther at the Ailey Citigroup as the dance centerpiece and emerged from the performance with admiration for the world premiere of Take...Taken...Taking, by Alan Obuzor, named by Dance Magazine as one of the 25 choreographers of 2013 to watch, and watch I did.

The Laguna Playhouse Executive and Artistic Directors, Karen Wood and Ann E. Wareham invite you to take 83 books, with three chameleon-like actors in 98 minutes, and mix it all up into one hilarious evening of ridiculous fun! It's the Reduced Shakespeare Company's production of ALL THE GREAT BOOKS (abridged), written and directed by Reed Martin and Austin Tichenor with additional material by Matthew Croke and Michael Faulkner. ALL THE GREAT BOOKS (abridged) will begin previews today, March 4 and will open on Saturday, March 8 at 7:30pm and run through Sunday, March 30, 2014 at the LagunaPlayhouse, 606 Laguna Canyon Road in Laguna Beach.

Cenerentola e senza ombra di dubbio la fiaba per eccellenza, l'arrampicata sociale piu famosa al mondo che affonda le sue radici nella tradizione popolare cinese. Messa per iscritto prima da Giambattista Basile e poi da Perrault e dai Fratelli Grimm, questa favola vanta gia diversi adattamenti 'musicali:' dalla celebre trasposizione Disney del 1950 alla versione made-for-TV di Rodgers & Hammerstein del 1957 (la stessa ha avuto ben due remake e due riduzioni teatrali, una delle quali e attualmente in scena)... passando per My Fair Lady (1956), la risposta di Lerner & Loewe al trend della 'Cinderella story.' Per non parlare delle versioni meno conosciute - ma non per questo meno valide - come The Slipper and the Rose (1976), con le musiche dei fratelli Sherman (su tutti: Mary Poppins, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang), o The Glass Slipper (1955), con protagonista Leslie Caron.

Ladies of the Camellias, written by Lillian Groag and directed by co-artistic director Gary Rucker will be next on the Main Stage at the multi-award-winning Rivertown Theaters for the Performing Arts on the Main Stage running March 14 - 29, 2014.

Hotel Nikko San Francisco and Michael Feinstein announced today that legendary actress Joan Collins is coming to Feinstein's at the Nikko with her internationally acclaimed one-woman show, One Night with Joan, for two performances only - Thursday, April 10 (8 p.m.) and Friday, April 11 (8 p.m.). Featuring stories and secrets of her celebrated life and career as one of the world's most glamorous and intriguing actresses, One Night with Joan is a not-to-be-missed opportunity to spend an intimate evening in the company of a true English Hollywood legend. Joan Collins will take to the stage with honesty, style and grace and with the same engaging wit and frankness that turned her two memoirs, 'Past Imperfect' and 'Second Act' into international bestsellers. Her latest memoir 'Passion for Life' has just been published by Constable & Robinson. Tickets for One Night with Joan range in price from $60 - $75 and are on-sale now and available by calling 866.663.1063 or visiting www.ticketweb.com.

The Laguna Playhouse Executive and Artistic Directors, Karen Wood and Ann E. Wareham invite you to take 83 books, with three chameleon-like actors in 98 minutes, and mix it all up into one hilarious evening of ridiculous fun! It's the Reduced Shakespeare Company's production of ALL THE GREAT BOOKS (abridged), written and directed by Reed Martin and Austin Tichenor with additional material by Matthew Croke and Michael Faulkner. ALL THE GREAT BOOKS (abridged) will begin previews on Tuesday, March 4 and will open on Saturday, March 8 at 7:30pm and run through Sunday, March 30, 2014 at the LagunaPlayhouse, 606 Laguna Canyon Road in Laguna Beach.

It was an all-consuming rebirth in color as cascades of lush and textured emerald lights sprung to life in an intense surge from the heart of the stage, as a map of Oz, especially rigged as a stage curtain for the Cultural Center of the Philippines' (CCP) Main Theater, raised to unravel a fantastic tale: One told in the Philippine premiere of the blockbuster megamusical WICKED.

Charles Busch and Julie Halston are a bit like Lucy and Ethel as played by Noel and Gertie.

Let's see what the critics had to say...

The Santa Barbara International Film Festival will honor Academy Award-nominated actor Bruce Dern with the Modern Master Award at the 29th edition of the Fest

Producer of the Cape Playhouse, and Chief Executive of the Cape Cod Center for the Arts, Mark Cuddy, today announced that Joseph Guglielmo has been appointed to the newly created position of General Manager of the Playhouse and Center for the Arts campus. He begins full-time on January 20th, and will report directly to Cuddy.

The Rainbow Theatre Project presents Charles Busch's dark satire, Die Mommie Die!, as the second of six concert readings scheduled for its inaugural season. Directed by Chris Griffin, Die! plays at Source in D.C. on Monday, January 27, 2014 at 7:30 p.m., and will be preceded by a reading of Ron Burch's short play, Romeo and Jules.

The Laguna Playhouse Executive and Artistic Directors, Karen Wood and Ann E. Wareham kick off the New Year with the legendary songs of that legendary man in black, RING OF FIRE, The Music of Johnny Cash, with choreography by Paula Hammons Sloan and musical direction and direction by Steve Steiner. 'What better way to begin 2014 than to offer our subscribers and audiences a musical tribute to an American Icon,' offers Wood. 'Who doesn't love such classics as 'I've Been Everywhere,' 'I Walk The Line' and so many more! A fascinating look at a fascinating man.' 'With thirty extraordinary songs performed by a talented cast of 10, this 'Ring' starts our new year off 'On Fire,' adds Wareham. RING OF FIRE will begin previews onToday, January 7 and will open on Saturday, January 11 at 7:30pm and run through Sunday, February 2, 2014 at the Laguna Playhouse, 606 Laguna Canyon Road in Laguna Beach.

Most of ESP's recent outings have been stories written directly for the stage. For our January 2014 reading (the last to be held at our beloved NSCC before we move to ACT), we turn to a master playwright's take on (apparently) undramatic material - John Van Druten's adaptation of Christopher Isherwood's Berlin Stories, I Am a Camera.

The Laguna Playhouse Executive and Artistic Directors, Karen Wood and Ann E. Wareham kick off the New Year with the legendary songs of that legendary man in black, RING OF FIRE, The Music of Johnny Cash, with choreography by Paula Hammons Sloan and musical direction and direction by Steve Steiner. 'What better way to begin 2014 than to offer our subscribers and audiences a musical tribute to an American Icon,' offers Wood. 'Who doesn't love such classics as 'I've Been Everywhere,' 'I Walk The Line' and so many more! A fascinating look at a fascinating man.' 'With thirty extraordinary songs performed by a talented cast of 10, this 'Ring' starts our new year off 'On Fire,' adds Wareham. RING OF FIRE will begin previews onTuesday, January 7 and will open on Saturday, January 11 at 7:30pm and run through Sunday, February 2, 2014 at the Laguna Playhouse, 606 Laguna Canyon Road in Laguna Beach.

Our intrepid cabaret columnist/reviewer Stephen Hanks catches up on some reviews of fall 2013 shows, including Mary Foster Conklin's BroadwayWorld.com Award nominated tribute to Fran Landesman, solo shows from Bernard Dotson, Gary Crawford, and Lauren Glazer, and a duo show from Alison Nusbaum and Jackie Kristel.

Tune in tomorrow, Wednesday, December 18, 2013 at 12:35 PM (ET) to join in the celebration with 'Mr. Showbusiness' on Jimmy Ferraro's THEATRE CHAT AND THIS 'N THAT, broadcasting live on WWJB -- regionally and nationally on the world wide web: http://www.wwjb.com/pages/4395150.php. This week's guests are actor Gavin MacLeod and Elinor F. Rowe.