Chicago Shakespeare Theatre News

During last night's Season Release Bash at Fischman Liquors and Tavern, artistic director and co-founder Michael Patrick Thornton proudly announced The Gift Theatre's 2015 season of three world premieres. The all-new season will include the debuts of David Rabe's expanded Good For Otto, Gift Ensemble member William Nedved's Body and Blood and Naperville native Mat Smart's The Royal Society of Antarctica.

Principal casting has been announced for the upcoming world premiere production of AN AMERICAN IN PARIS. The cast will include Robert Fairchild as Jerry Mulligan, Leanne Cope as Lise Dassin, Veanne Cox as Madame Baurel, Jill Paice as Milo Davenport, Brandon Uranowitz as Adam Hochberg, and Max Von Essen as Henri Baurel.

One of Broadway's best musicals, the award winning Guys and Dolls opens on July 19 at the State Theatre, Arts Centre Melbourne for 10 shows only. Starring in this new production are Verity Hunt-Ballard, Martin Crewes, Chelsea Plumley, Adam Murphy, Bobby Fox and Christopher Horsey.

Barrington Stage Company (BSC), the award-winning theatre in Downtown Pittsfield, MA, under the leadership of Artistic Director Julianne Boyd and Managing Director Tristan Wilson, presents Breaking the Code, Hugh Whitemore's biographical drama of Alan Turing, starring BSC Associate Artist Mark H. Dold. Directed by Joe Calarco, performances of Breaking the Code are from July 17 through August 2, with a press opening on Sunday, July 20 at 5pm.

Nick Gehlfuss (Shameless, The Newsroom), Shawn Hatosy (Southland, Reckless), Amber Tamblyn (Joan of Arcadia, Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants) and Alicia Witt (Justified, 88 Minutes) are cast in the Geffen Playhouse production of Reasons to Be Pretty, nominated for the Tony Award for Best Play (2009). Helmed by Geffen Playhouse Artistic Director Randall Arney, Reasons to Be Pretty will be performed in the Gil Cates Theater July 29 to August 31 with an opening night of August 6.

Northlight Theatre, under the direction of Artistic Director BJ Jones and Executive Director Timothy J. Evans, announces casting for the first three productions of the 40th Anniversary Season.

Profiles Theatre announces the Midwest premiere of Annapurna by Sharr White, opening at The Alley Stage, 4147 N. Broadway on June 12, 2014. Annapurna, directed by Profiles ensemble member Eric Burgher and featuring ensemble member Darrell W. Cox with guest artist Lia D. Mortensen, runs June 13, 2014 - July 20, 2014.

The cast of the Tony and Grammy Award-winning Best musical Once welcomes Jessie Fisher to the role of 'Girl' beginning tomorrow, Tuesday, June 17. Joanna Christie played her final performance on Sunday, June 15. Below, check out a first look at Fisher in action onstage!

Co-founders John Stoops, Tim Evans, and Marc Grapey proudly announce the second season of Three Oaks Theater Festival, a summer theater festival that brings limited-engagement runs of highly-acclaimed, professional productions to audiences in Harbor Country, Michigan. This expanded season is being performed in creative venues throughout Harbor Country, including the Acorn Theater, Vickers Theatre, and the historic Lakeside Inn. Three Oaks Theater Festival is presented with major support by The Pokagon Fund.

The cast of the Tony and Grammy Award-winning Best musical ONCE welcomes Jessie Fisher to the role of 'Girl' beginning Tuesday, June 17. Joanna Christie will play her final performance on Sunday, June 15.

As BroadwayWorld reported last night, Jessie Mueller won the 2014 Tony Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical for BEAUTIFUL- THE CAROLE KING MUSICAL. BroadwayWorld's own Richard Ridge was in the press room to catch up with the winner on what the award means to her - hear what Mueller had to say below!

Jessie Mueller won the 2014 Tony Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical for BEAUTIFUL: THE CAROLE KING MUSICAL. Jessie Mueller was nominated for a Tony Award in 2012 for her performance in On a Clear Day You Can See Forever.

Route 66 Theatre Company is pleased to present the first of it's 2014 Concert Series events: Michael Mahler and The Lincoln Squares performing The Joshua Tree by U2 along with special musical theater guest performers. Tickets are currently on sale through the Route 66 Theatre Company website: www.route66theatre.org. The concert will be a one night only special event on Sunday, June 15 at 7 pm. Doors open at 6:30PM.

Since May 13, four of Chicago's most prominent live performance venues have added their names to the list of free ticket offers available to guests attending the BroadwayWorld Chicago Tony Award Viewing Party! The Second City and its sister, UP Comedy Club, along with Glencoe's Writers Theatre and Rogers Park's Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre, have joined the previously announced Lyric Opera of Chicago, Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, American Blues Theatre, First Folio Theatre and more. Be the first person to answer a "Chicago At The Tonys" trivia question, and take home a voucher good for tickets to one of Chicago's hottest theater spaces!

Route 66 Theatre Company will present the first of it's 2014 Concert Series events: Michael Mahler and The Lincoln Squares performing The Joshua Tree by U2 along with special musical theater guest performers. Tickets are currently on sale through the Route 66 Theatre Company website: www.route66theatre.org. The concert will be a one night only special event on Sunday, June 15 at 7 pm. Doors open at 6:30PM

Ever since 2014 Tony nominee Jessie Mueller burst onto the New York theatre scene in 2011's On A Clear Day You Can See Forever, she has starred in three other Broadway shows- including her current gig, Beautiful. But before taking on Carole King, Mueller established herself as a major part of theatre in Chicago, starring in such shows as Guys & Dolls, Henry IV, She Loves Me, Animal Crackers and more. Click here to watch a full collection of her Chicago work as compiled by the Chicago Tribune.

Peninsula Players Theatre, America's Oldest Professional Resident Summer Theater and Door County's theatrical icon, announces cast members for its 79th season, running June 17 through October 19, 2014. The mix of plays includes a world premiere comedy, a classic thriller, a frighteningly funny farce, the Midwest premiere of a Civil War drama and a musical featuring a music icon.

Lookingglass Theatre Company announces an extension of In the Garden: A Darwinian Love Story, the World-Premiere production by Artistic Associate Sara Gmitter and directed by Jessica Thebus. The show now runs through Sunday, June 29, 2014. The two-week extension goes on sale to the public on Thursday, May 15, 2014. In the Garden runs at Lookingglass Theatre Company, located inside Chicago's historic Water Tower Water Works, 821 N. Michigan Ave. at Pearson.

Court Theatre closes its 2013-2014 season with the Chicago premiere of M. Butterfly written by David Henry Hwang and directed by Artistic Director Charles Newell, with choreography by Jamie Guan. M. Butterfly will run today, May 8 - June 8, 2014 at Court Theatre, 5535 S. Ellis Avenue. Press Opening is Saturday, May 17, 2014 at 8:00PM.

Longtime Oregon Shakespeare Festival (OSF) costume designer Deborah M. Dryden has been selected by the Theatre Development Fund (TDF) as the 2014 recipient of the TDF/Irene Sharaff Lifetime Achievement Award for costume design. The award will be presented by designer David Woolard at tonight's May 2 ceremony at the Hudson Theatre in New York City.