Charles Dickens News

Queens Theatre will present the Tony-nominated play Say Goodnight Gracie, starring Alan Safier as George Burns, written by Rupert Holmes (The Mystery of Edwin Drood) and directed by Michael White. The show will be at Queens Theatre (14 United Nations Avenue South, Flushing Meadows Corona Park) today, September 27 at 2pm & 8pm and on Sunday, September 28 at 3pm. Join Rupert Holmes, Alan Safier, and Moderator WABC's Sandy Kenyon for a lively talk-back after the 3pm performance on Sunday, September 28.

SecondStory Repertory has announced its Theatre For Young Audiences Season 16. These one hour, family friendly, plays and musicals are perfect for school aged children. Scroll down for details!

Journey with Pip through a modern Dickensian England meeting some of the most elaborate characters in literature.

A Noise Within (ANW), the acclaimed classical repertory theatre company, continues its 2014-2015 REVOLUTIONary season with The Dance of Death by August Strindberg in a new adaptation by Irish playwright Conor McPherson, which opens on Saturday, October 18 and runs through Sunday, November 23, 2014.

KWP Productions announces its 2014-2015 Season, consisting of two heartwarming and lively musicals. Season tickets are on sale now and are $30-$37.50 per person, best seats in the theatre. Links for purchasing tickets are at www.kwpproductions.com

Nominees for the 2014 LA STAGE Alliance Ovation Awards were announced on the evening of Monday, September 22 at Native Voices at the Autry National Center in Los Angeles. The nominations were revealed by past Ovation Award recipients Gigi Bermingham, Brighid Fleming, Parmer Fuller, Jennifer Haley, Brian Kite, Glynn Turman, and John Zalewski, along with LA STAGE Alliance Chief Executive Officer Terence McFarland.

Charles Dickens' last novel, unfinished at the time of his death in 1870, supplied the story for the musical The Mystery of Edwin Drood which won five Tony Awards when it first premiered in 1985. Although it won for Best Book and Best Score, I hardly find either completely satisfying. On the musical side, it's very much like operetta, with pretty singing, but with only one memorable song 'Don't Quit While You're Ahead'. As far as the book is concerned, it is a lengthy attempt to complete Dickens' story by allowing the audience to have its say...certainly a novel concept in 1985. Was he murdered? Was he in fact alive at the end? You decide! On the positive side, it is creative and very theatrical as a play within a play encouraging grande overplaying by the company of actors, and making it an assuredly fun entertainment. Despite mixed feelings about the play, I cannot but laud the current production at Actors Coop which is magnificently staged by director Stephen Van Dorn, wonderfully choreographed by Julie Hall and with an astounding ensemble... through October 26.

Nominees for the 2014 LA STAGE Alliance Ovation Awards were announced on the evening of Monday, September 22 at Native Voices at the Autry National Center in Los Angeles. The nominations were revealed by past Ovation Award recipients Gigi Bermingham, Brighid Fleming, Parmer Fuller, Jennifer Haley, Brian Kite, Glynn Turman, and John Zalewski, along with LA STAGE Alliance Chief Executive Officer Terence McFarland.

Journey with Pip through a modern Dickensian England meeting some of the most elaborate characters in literature.

Unbound Productions Executive Director Jonathan Josephson, Artistic Director Paul Millet, and Producing Artistic Director Jeff G. Rack have announced details for WICKED LIT 2014, the 6th annual immersive theatre event that will take place at Mountain View Mausoleum and Cemetery in Altadena, California. The production will run from October 3-November 8, 2014.

Lexikat Artists and MB Artists in association with the multi-award-winning NoHo Arts Center Ensemble (NoHo ACE) are thrilled to announce that the world premiere musical, SCARY MUSICAL The Musical, book by Richard Hochberg, music and lyrics by Richard Hochberg and Michael Paternostro, musical direction by Brent Crayon, orchestrations by Kenny Seymour and directed and choreographed by James J. Mellon will let YOU choose the killer! With three different alternate endings, this is the first theatre production that asks you to TURN ON YOUR PHONES during the show to vote!

Celebrated for its commitment to encouraging parents (and grandparents) to read and learn with their kids, the Walnut Street Theatre for Kids 2014-2015 Season will feature four great musicals based on popular children's books and shows, along with a family-favorite holiday classic. These hour-long musicals deliver real-life lessons in a welcoming, kid-friendly environment that's both creative and affordable. They're written especially for kids in grades K-6 and their grown-up friends. The Walnut takes pride in bringing together families through reading, learning and the arts.

Emerson Theatre Collaborative (ETC), in association with Black Stars of the Great White Way - a Chapman Roberts and Richard Allen Center for Art & Culture, announces its production of the play, Hour Farther written by David Horace Greer, directed by Camilla Ross, and starring renowned stage and screen actor and singer, Kirk Taylor. Most recently, Mr. Taylor had the honor of working alongside the late Robin Williams and Mila Kunis in the film, The Angriest Man In Brooklyn directed by Phillip Alden Robinson.

Today in 2008, A Tale of Two Cities opened at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre, where it ran for 60 performances. A Tale of Two Cities is a musical with book, music and lyrics by Jill Santoriello based on the novel of the same name by Charles Dickens.The Broadway production featured James Barbour, Natalie Toro, Aaron Lazar, Gregg Edelman, and Brandi Burkhardt.

The Geffen Playhouse announces its production of The Gospel According to Thomas Jefferson, Charles Dickens and Count Leo Tolstoy: Discord. Written by Scott Carter, executive producer and writer for Bill Maher's Politically Incorrect and Real Time, this whip-smart philosophical comedy features Larry Cedar (Deadwood, PBS's Square One TV), David Melville (Travel Channel Lawrence of America, film Ironclad) and Armin Shimerman (Quark on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Associate Artistic Director at The Antaeus Company) and will be again helmed by director, Matt August (Broadway How the Grinch Stole Christmas). Discord begins previews on October 7 with the press opening on October 15. The closing date is currently scheduled for November 16.

Live Source will present an evening of adaptations in-progress, SOURCED-OUT, at La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club. The evening will feature excerpts from works by Micheline Auger (Donkey Punch), Jonathan Cottle, Katrina Day, Crystal Skillman (Wild) and Elizabeth Spano at La MaMa's The Club (74A East 4th Street, 2nd Floor) tonight, September 18, 2014. Doors will open at 8:00PM, with performances beginning at 8:30PM.

Tune in to New York's 'Best Story Hour' (The Village Voice Best of NY), as Naked Girls Reading presents AS SEEN ON TV! Join your favorite naked readers for a literary celebration of the best of the boob tube, featuring biographies, memoirs, novelizations, the books that inspired the shows, and much much more!

Actors Co-op announces its first show in its 2014-2015 season (and 23rd year of producing theatrical excellence in Los Angeles!) with an immersive and environmental production of the five-time Tony Award-winning Broadway musical 'Whodunit,' THE MYSTERY OF EDWIN DROOD, book, music and lyrics by Rupert Holmes, choreography by Julie Hall, musical direction by Jake Anthony and directed by Stephen Van Dorn. THE MYSTERY OF EDWIN DROOD will begin previews tonight, September 17 and Thursday, September 18 at 8pm and will open on Friday, September 19 at 8pm and run through Sunday, October 26 at the Actors Co-op Crossley Theatre, 1760 N. Gower St. (on the campus of the First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood) in Hollywood.

Queens Theatre will present the Tony-nominated play Say Goodnight Gracie, starring Alan Safier as George Burns, written by Rupert Holmes (The Mystery of Edwin Drood) and directed by Michael White. The show will be at Queens Theatre (14 United Nations Avenue South, Flushing Meadows Corona Park) on Saturday, September 27 at 2pm & 8pm and on Sunday, September 28 at 3pm. Join Rupert Holmes, Alan Safier, and Moderator WABC's Sandy Kenyon for a lively talk-back after the 3pm performance on Sunday, September 28.

Owner/Artistic Director Shaun Michael McNamara, has announced the All Puppet Players commitment to a permanent residence in Arizona with their new Kickstarter Campaign to procure the funding for a theatre HOME to call their very own.