Brian Dennehy News

Come and join the Oxford Film Festival as they join in on the celebration of the 50th anniversary of Earth Day on April 21 with the virtual showing of Fantastic Fungi. The film is directed by Louie Schwartzberg and is a consciousness-shifting film that takes us on an immersive journey through time and scale into the magical earth beneath our feet, an underground network that can heal and save our planet. Through the eyes of renowned scientists and mycologists like Paul Stamets, best-selling authors Michael Pollan, Eugenia Bone, Andrew Weil, and others, we become aware of the beauty, intelligence and solutions the fungi kingdom offers us in response to some of our most pressing medical, therapeutic, and environmental challenges.

Two time Tony Award winner Brian Dennehy has passed away at 81 from natural causes. 

During this time when productions all over the world have been put on pause, we are coming together to celebrate plays that have left their mark on theater history. This week we will be focusing on the plays of Pulitzer Prize winning playwright, Arthur Miller. Today's play, Death of a Salesman!

Today, Goodman Theatre makes available for online streaming its production of Jocelyn Bioh's School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play directed by Lili-Anne Brown, while performances are suspended to mitigate spread of COVID-19.

Outfest — the non-profit organization with the mission to create visibility for diverse LGBTQ+ stories and empower tomorrow's artists and storytellers by building empathy to drive meaningful social change through its tentpole festivals, Outfest Forward educational labs, fellowships, and Legacy film restoration program — has announced the official lineup for Outfest Fusion 2020: Culture. Film. Music. Story. presented by Comcast NBCUniversal.  Now in its 17th year, Outfest Fusion will celebrate 5 days of screenings, performances, panels, galas, workshops, and world premieres across 6 unique LA venues. This year's festival takes place March 6 - 10, 2020. 

Irish American Writers and Artists, Inc. (IAW&A) announces its 2020 Board, electing Maria Deasy as President and Brendan Costello Jr. as Vice President. Sean O'Dowd will join the Board as Treasurer, while Karen Daly will resume her role as Secretary.

Goodman Theatre Artistic Director Robert Falls has announced casting for his upcoming revival of Molly Sweeney by Brian Friel. In assuming the title role, Chicago favorite Kate Fry returns to the Goodman, following her recent appearance in Falls' production of The Winter's Tale. Joining Fry are stage and screen star Brendan Coyle (Downton Abbey), who returns to the Goodman following his triumphant appearance in last season's St. Nicholas by Conor McPherson, and Chicago's Christopher Donahue (Oedipus Rex at Court Theatre, Moby Dick at Lookingglass).

Theatre Communications Group (TCG), the national organization for theatre, has shared the co-chair and host committee list of the 2020 TCG Gala: Our Stories, which will be held on Monday, February 3, 2020 at The Edison Ballroom, 240 W 47th St, New York, NY 10036. The Gala will honor the National Black Theatre Festival, David Henry Hwang, and TCG's arts advocacy at the federal level.

Could Love Letters be headed off-Broadway, starring Elaine May and Frank Langella? According to Showbiz411, the duo will lead the A.R. Gurney play this spring at the Acorn Theater on W 42nd St. The production is expected to begin in March.

Having grown up in the Alhambra Theatre, Jessica Booth has played in just about every role from a child performer in Christmas Carole to leading lady as Jovi in Elfa??the Musical. Now she takes on an entirely new role, as Director of the acclaimed Broadway hit, Love Letters. To make it just a little more challenging (or perhaps interesting), Ms. Booth will be directing her parents, Lisa Valdini-Booth and Tod Booth. Mrs. Booth has been in more than 200 Alhambra performances and was once knowing widely as the a?oevoice of Winn-Dixie Supermarkets,a?? and Mr. Booth is the Alhambra's former owner and current Creative Director, himself having directed more than 200 shows at the iconic theater.

Mary Stuart, the drama depicting the intertwined lives of England's Elizabeth I and Mary, Queen of Scots opens at PIONEER THEATRE COMPANY (PTC) on JANUARY 10, 2020 and runs through JANUARY 25, 2020. Tickets for this production can be purchased by calling 801-581-6961 or visiting pioneertheatre.org.

GFour Productions, producers of MENOPAUSE THE MUSICAL and Tony-nominated FIDDLER ON THE ROOF, today announced that they will present their new play MIDDLETOWN at The Apollo Theater from February 27 - March 22, 2020.

Theatre Communications Group (TCG), the national organization for theatre, has announced the 2020 TCG Gala: Our Stories will be held on Monday, February 3, 2020 at The Edison Ballroom (240 W 47th Street). The Gala will honor the National Black Theatre Festival of Winston-Salem and David Henry Hwang and will include festive performances, inspiring speakers, and a celebratory dinner with theatre leaders, celebrities, and enthusiasts. A 6:00pm cocktail reception will be followed by a 7:00pm seated dinner, with entertainment beginning at 7:20pm. Additional programming will be announced soon.

Goodman Theatre, now in its 95th season, announces the a?oeLegacy & Promisea?? Education and Engagement luncheon on Wednesday, February 5 featuring Emmy Award-winning and Tony Award-nominated actor Sean Hayes. Hayes joins the Goodman's Walter Director of Education and Engagement Willa J. Taylor and more for this 5th annual event, which celebrates the theater's programs for youth, schools and lifelong learners. Proceeds from the event support these programs, all of which are offered completely FREE of charge to participants and are 100% funded by individual contributions. Event leadership includes Joan Clifford, Immediate Past Chair and Benefit Events Leadership Chair; Patricia Cox, Education and Engagement Trustee Leadership Chair; Kathleen Cowie, Goodman Theatre Trustee and Education and Engagement Committee Chair; and Teri Brown and Lorrayne Weiss, Women's Board Education and Engagement Co-chairs. The event takes place at The Palmer House (17 E. Monroe) at 12noon (registration opens at 11:30am). Tickets start at $250; call 312.443.3811 ext. 220. Proceeds benefit Education and Engagement at the Goodman. Media interested in attending/covering should call 312.443.5151.

Carol Burnett is one of the last living legends of Hollywood; she is the epitome of comedy. As a critic, this was a career highlight for me. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think I'd be in the same room with one of my heroes. On October 23, Ms. Burnett honored Long Island by appearing at the Tilles Center for 2 sold-out performances of her one-woman show: Carol Burnett: An Evening of Laughter and Reflection.

Today's conversation is with Lang Leav- an international best-selling author and social media sensation. She is the winner of a Qantas Spirit of Youth Award and coveted Churchill Fellowship. Her books continue to top bestseller charts in bookstores worldwide. 

Jonathan Demar, Tony Award-winning producer of Hadestown and formerly of Broadway's A Christmas Carol, will make his Green Room 42 debut on November 10th at 7pm with an all new version of his solo show Setting the Standard. Joining him as a special guest for the evening will be Broadway's Janet Krupin (If/Then, Hands On a Hardbody, Bring It On: The Musical).

Sundance Institute announced today two support tracks for artists from underrepresented communities, continuing the Institute's commitment to fostering inclusive artistic visions. Announced today are the eight members of the second class of the Momentum Fellowship, a full-year program of deep, customized creative and professional support for writers, directors, and producers from underrepresented communities who are poised to take the next step in their careers, working across documentary and feature filmmaking, and episodic content. Sundance Institute also announced the four awardees of the inaugural Launch Grant Fund, a new opportunity for emerging filmmakers from underrepresented communities launching their first feature film.

From executive producer Anthony Bourdain, “WASTED! The Story of Food Waste” aims to change the way people buy, cook, recycle, and eat food. Through the eyes of celebrity chefs like Bourdain, Dan Barber, Mario Batali, Massimo Bottura, and Danny Bowien, audiences will see how the world's most influential chefs make the most of every kind of food, transforming what most people consider scraps into incredible dishes that create a more secure food system. “WASTED! The Story of Food Waste” (Anna Chai & Nari Kye | 2017 | 85 min. | USA) is a documentary examining the issue of food waste, its contribution to climate change, and how we all can make small changes, all of them delicious, to solve one of the greatest problems of the 21st Century.