Bill Cosby News

American Idol runner-up, Justin Guarini, will star in the industry only Equity staged reading of the new musical THE AWAKENING OF ANGEL DeLUNA - with book & lyrics by Judylynn Schmidt, and music & lyrics by Lee Ellis - produced by Kate Griffler on Monday, March 23rd at Theater 80 (80 St. Mark's Place) at 3:00pm & 7:00pm. Tracy Bersley directs and Barbara Anselmi acts as music director.

On Monday Evening, February 23 at 7:00 PM, six New York theater institutions will participate in a special panel discussion featuring five current and upcoming Off-Broadway shows. Harlem Stage (150 Convent Avenue at West 135th Street) will host producing companies Classical Theatre of Harlem, Manhattan Theatre Club, Playwrights Horizons, The Public Theater and Signature Theatre Company in an evening titled I'VE KNOWN RIVERS: A Conversation with Christina Anderson, Charles Fuller, Lynn Nottage & Liesl Tommy. The event marks a unique collaborative effort between six New York theater institutions: a panel discussion in which five gifted African-American theater artists - all of whom have projects happening almost simultaneously at five of New York's most respected non-profit theaters - will discuss their lives, work, and current projects. Moderated by actress Sabrina LeBeauf (Three Sisters, Classical Theatre of Harlem in partnership with Harlem Stage, February/March), the evening's four panelists will be Christina Anderson (author, Inked Baby, Playwrights Horizons, March/April), Charles Fuller (author, Zooman and the Sign, Signature Theatre Company, March/April), Lynn Nottage (author, Ruined, Manhattan Theater Club, January-March) and Liesl Tommy (director, The Good Negro, The Public Theater, March/April). The event title comes from a poem by Langston Hughes, 'The Negro Speaks of Rivers.'

On Monday Evening, February 23 at 7:00 PM, six New York theater institutions will participate in a special panel discussion featuring five current and upcoming Off-Broadway shows. Harlem Stage (150 Convent Avenue at West 135th Street) will host producing companies Classical Theatre of Harlem, Manhattan Theatre Club, Playwrights Horizons, The Public Theater and Signature Theatre Company in an evening titled I'VE KNOWN RIVERS: A Conversation with Christina Anderson, Charles Fuller, Lynn Nottage & Liesl Tommy.

The OBIE, Drama Desk and Lortel Award-winning Classical Theatre of Harlem (CTH) will begin their 10th Anniversary Season with a new production of Anton Chekhov's classic THREE SISTERS, directed by CTH Co-Founder Christopher McElroen (The Cherry Orchard). Performances will be at Harlem Stage Gatehouse, 150 Convent Avenue at West 135th Street, and will begin on Thursday, February 5th. Opening night is scheduled for Wednesday, February 18th and the show will run through Sunday, March 8th.

Omaha Performing Arts will host comedian and television star Bill Cosby to Slosburg Hall at the Orpheum Theater for two performances on Saturday, March 21, 2009 at 4:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. Bill Cosby is, by any standards, one of the most influential stars in America today. Whether it be through concert appearances or recordings, television or films, commercials or education, Bill Cosby has the ability to touch people's lives. His humor often centers on the basic cornerstones of our existence, seeking to provide an insight into our roles as parents, children, family members, and men and women. Without resorting to gimmickry or lowbrow humor, Bill Cosby's comedy has a point of reference and respect for the trappings and traditions of the great American humorists such as Charlie Chaplin, Will Rogers, W.C. Fields and Groucho Marx.

On Monday Evening, February 23 at 7:00 PM, six New York theater institutions will participate in a special panel discussion featuring five current and upcoming Off-Broadway shows. Harlem Stage (150 Convent Avenue at West 135th Street) will host producing companies Classical Theatre of Harlem, Manhattan Theatre Club, Playwrights Horizons, The Public Theater and Signature Theatre Company in an evening titled I'VE KNOWN RIVERS: A Conversation with Christina Anderson, Charles Fuller, Lynn Nottage & Liesl Tommy. The event marks a unique collaborative effort between six New York theater institutions: a panel discussion in which five gifted African-American theater artists - all of whom have projects happening almost simultaneously at five of New York's most respected non-profit theaters - will discuss their lives, work, and current projects. Moderated by actress Sabrina LeBeauf (Three Sisters, Classical Theatre of Harlem in partnership with Harlem Stage, February/March), the evening's four panelists will be Christina Anderson (author, Inked Baby, Playwrights Horizons, March/April), Charles Fuller (author, Zooman and the Sign, Signature Theatre Company, March/April), Lynn Nottage (author, Ruined, Manhattan Theater Club, January-March) and Liesl Tommy (director, The Good Negro, The Public Theater, March/April). The event title comes from a poem by Langston Hughes, 'The Negro Speaks of Rivers.'

On Monday Evening, February 23 at 7:00 PM, six New York theater institutions will participate in a special panel discussion featuring five current and upcoming Off-Broadway shows. Harlem Stage (150 Convent Avenue at West 135th Street) will host producing companies Classical Theatre of Harlem, Manhattan Theatre Club, Playwrights Horizons, The Public Theater and Signature Theatre Company in an evening titled I'VE KNOWN RIVERS: A Conversation with Christina Anderson, Charles Fuller, Lynn Nottage & Liesl Tommy.

Ars Nova (Jason Eagan, Artistic Director; Jon Steingart & Jenny Wiener Steingart, Executive Producers) will present Playlist for five performances only January 22nd - 25th. All tickets are only $15 and can be purchased at www.arsnovanyc.com.

The OBIE, Drama Desk and Lortel Award-winning Classical Theatre of Harlem (CTH) will begin their 10th Anniversary Season with a new production of Anton Chekhov's classic THREE SISTERS, directed by CTH Co-Founder Christopher McElroen (The Cherry Orchard). Performances will be at Harlem Stage Gatehouse, 150 Convent Avenue at West 135th Street, and will begin on Thursday, February 5th. Opening night is scheduled for Wednesday, February 18th and the show will run through Sunday, March 8th.

Ars Nova (Jason Eagan, Artistic Director; Jon Steingart & Jenny Wiener Steingart, Executive Producers) will present Playlist for five performances only January 22nd - 25th. All tickets are only $15 and can be purchased at www.arsnovanyc.com.

In support of his new and now highly acclaimed cast album 'PICTURE INCOMPLETE' (LML MUSIC), Trent Armand Kendall will open his new one-man musical at the Shimberg Playhouse at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center (1010 N. W.C. MacInnes Place, Tampa Bay, Florida) on Friday, November 21st where it will play through Sunday, November 23rd. For reservations call: 813-229-7827 or (Toll Free) 800-955-1045. Show times are: Friday & Saturday at 8:00pm and Sunday at 4:00pm.

In support of his new and now highly acclaimed cast album 'PICTURE INCOMPLETE' (LML MUSIC), Trent Armand Kendall will open his new one-man musical at the Shimberg Playhouse at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center (1010 N. W.C. MacInnes Place, Tampa Bay, Florida) on Friday, November 21st where it will play through Sunday, November 23rd. For reservations call: 813-229-7827 or (Toll Free) 800-955-1045. Show times are: Friday & Saturday at 8:00pm and Sunday at 4:00pm.

Producer John Breglio and the Apollo Theater Foundation, Inc. announced today that the national tour of the smash hit musical Dreamgirls will premiere at the legendary Apollo Theater (253 West 125 Street) in November 2009, for a limited engagement.

Celebration theater presents the first family-Friendly Series... THE DADDY MACHINE Written by PATRICIA LOUGHREY Music and Lyrics by RAYME SCIARONI Based on the Book by Johnny VALENTINE Limited Engagement Now Playing at Celebration Theatre in Hollywood!

The Wilma Theater continues its 30th Anniversary Season with the U.S. Premiere of Schmucks, directed by the Wilma's co-Artistic Director Jiri Zizka. A comic fantasy by Roy Smiles -who returns to the Wilma for a second consecutive season - Schmucks is a tale of a fictitious meeting between two comic icons, Groucho Marx and Lenny Bruce.

Sleepwalk With Me, (www.SleepwalkWithMike.com) a new comedy written by and starring Mike Birbiglia will play The Bleecker Street Theater, off Broadway (45 Bleecker Street just East of Lafayette Street) beginning October 17th with the official opening scheduled for November 11th, it was announced today by producers Eli Gonda and Ryan Scott Warren of QuasiWorld Entertainment and Nathan Lane.

Today, an Equity casting notice was put up for a revival of the musical Dreamgirls. According to the notice, rehearsals will begin September 21, 2009 with performances starting in early November 2009.

The YORK THEATRE COMPANY (James Morgan, Producing Artistic Director) will add a performance of its hit show, ENTER LAUGHING: THE MUSICAL, on Sunday September 21st at 8 pm, in memory of Bruce Adler, who played the role of Forman in York's two previous incarnations of Enter Laughing, The Musical-in the Fall 2007 Musicals in Mufti Series, and in December 2007, when the show was brought back for an additional weekend of performances. Mr. Adler died July 25th of liver cancer; he was 63 years old. 100% of the York's revenues from the performance will go to the Adler Family, supporting an educational fund for his three surviving children.