Christopher Shinn News

Many Broadway fans came to know stage and screen star Jesse Tyler Ferguson for his iconic portrayal of Leaf Coneybear in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. But in an alternate universe, a very different Broadway show might have been his big break. Below, Ferguson tells Richard Ridge all about that big decision that he had to make in 2005, and discusses his many other roles that have built his career. Watch the full interview below!

On Tuesday, July 10 (1pm) join us at the Robin Williams Center (247 West 54th Street) for a Career Conversations Q&A with stage and screen star Jesse Tyler Ferguson, moderated by Broadway World's Richard Ridge of 'Backstage with Richard Ridge!'

The Los Angeles LGBT Center's Lily Tomlin/Jane Wagner Cultural Arts Center and Blanket Fort Entertainment have announced an extended run of the 2018 Hollywood Fringe Festival breakout hit Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde. Nominated for six HFF Awards including Best Comedy, winner of the 2CentsTheatre Award for Distinctive Voices, and winner of the SoHo Playhouse (NYC) Fringe Encore Series Award, this genre-bending thriller had its world premiere at the Los Angeles LGBT Center's Davidson/Valentini Theatre and returns for 10 performances only, July 12 through July 29.

Jesse Tyler Ferguson talks about his play Log Cabin, partying all night in Berlin, asking playwright Tony Kushner to marry him and his husband, & More on Late Night with Seth Meyers. Check out the clip below!

DESPERATE MEASURES, a musical comedy gone wild with music by David Friedman (Listen To My Heart), book and lyrics by Peter Kellogg (Anna Karenina), and directed by Bill Castellino (Cagney, Marry Harry), will play New World Stages (340 West 50th Street between 8th and 9th Avenues), it was announced today by producers Pat Flicker Addiss and Mary Cosette. Following critical and audience acclaim at The New York Musical Festival and The York Theater Company, performances for the open-ended engagement begin May 30th and opening night is set for June 13th.

Chrissy Metz, the Emmy Award and Golden Globe nominated star of the NBC drama This Is Us, will make her stage debut in Neil LaBute's critically acclaimed play Fat Pig at the Geffen Playhouse.

Second Stage Theater (Carole Rothman, Artistic Director; Casey Reitz, Executive Director) will celebrate its 40th Anniversary season with a slate of productions throughout the 2018-19 season, including two World Premieres, plus an acclaimed favorite in their new Broadway home.

BWW Interview: Daisy Eagan of THE HUMANS at AT&T PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

DESPERATE MEASURES, a musical comedy gone wild with music by David Friedman (Listen To My Heart), book and lyrics by Peter Kellogg (Anna Karenina), and directed by Bill Castellino (Cagney, Marry Harry), will play New World Stages (340 West 50th Street between 8th and 9th Avenues), it was announced today by producers Pat Flicker Addiss and Mary Cosette. Following critical and audience acclaim at The New York Musical Festival and The York Theater Company, performances for the open-ended engagement begin May 30th and opening night is set for June 13th.

The School of Drama at The New School's College of Performing Arts is thrilled to announce a partnership with the Cherry Lane Mentor Project for their 2018 Graduating Class. Cherry Lane will present public industry readings for the School of Drama's graduating MFA Playwrights: Karina Billini, Blake Bishton, Nikhil Mahapatra, and Erica Mann.

ENSEMBLE STUDIO THEATRE (EST) (William Carden, Artistic Director, Paul A. Slee, Executive Director), EST's YOUNGBLOOD (Graeme Gillis and RJ Tolan, Co-Artistic Directors), whose past plays include the Tony Award-nominated Hand to God, and The Radio Drama Network are proud to announce casting for the World Premiere of DIDO OF IDAHO, written by Abby Rosebrock (Singles in Agriculture) and directed by Mikhaela Mahony (Noise of the Future). DIDO OF IDAHO begins previews at EST's Curt Dempster Theatre (549 W. 52nd Street, New York, NY 10019) on March 14, 2018, with an opening night set for March 22, for a limited run through April 8, 2018.  

BroadwayHD announces today that Thom Pain, the Geffen Playhouse's filmed adaptation of its stage production of Will Eno's lauded play Thom Pain (based on nothing) starring Rainn Wilson ('The Office,' founder of Soul Pancake), will be available on BroadwayHD beginning January 11, 2018.

Congregation Rodeph Shalom, in association with Burke Cohen Entertainment, presents seven time Emmy Award winner Ed Asner and two-time Tony and Drama Desk Award nominee Johanna Day in a one-night only performance of Jeff Cohen's powerful play The Soap Myth on Wednesday, January 31st at 7 pm at Congregation Rodeph Shalom, (615 N. Broad Street, Philadelphia). The play, directed by Pam Berlin, is part of a tribute to the United Nation's International Holocaust Remembrance Day (January 27), the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau.

MCC THEATER (Robert LuPone, Bernard Telsey, William Cantler, Artistic Directors; Blake West, Executive Director) today announced the complete cast for the third show of its 2017-18 season: the World Premiere of Relevance, written by JC Lee ( How to Get Away With Murder, Looking ) with direction by Tony Award nominee Liesl Tommy (Eclipsed).

Ensemble Studio Theatre (EST) has announced three World Premiere productions for the EST 2018 season.

Chrissy Metz, the Emmy Award and Golden Globe nominated star of the NBC drama This Is Us, will make her stage debut in Neil LaBute's critically acclaimed play Fat Pig at the Geffen Playhouse.

Seven time Emmy Award-winner Ed Asner and three time Emmy Award and Tony Award-nominee Kate Burton will star in a two-week East Coast tour of concert readings of Jeff Cohen's play The Soap Myth. The readings, which will be directed by Pam Berlin and will also feature Ned Eisenberg & Blair Baker, will serve as a tribute to International Holocaust Remembrance Day. The tour will begin on Monday, January 22, 2018 in Miami Beach Florida, and will conclude on Thursday, February 1 at Hofstra University on Long Island.

Midtown Direct Rep (MDR) is delighted to present its second reading of its 2017-1018 staged reading series, Theater at The Woodland, with a presentation of FEAR, written by Matt Williams and directed by Mark Armstrong. This event will be performed for one night only on Sunday, December 3rd at 7:00pm at The Woodland (60 Woodland Rd. Maplewood, NJ), where MDR is the resident theater company. The reading is $20 (advance purchase), $25 (if purchased at the door) and open to the public. Student/Senior discounts are also available. Tickets can be purchased online through Eventbrite by clicking the link HERE.

BroadwayHD announces today that Thom Pain, the Geffen Playhouse's filmed adaptation of its stage production of Will Eno's lauded play Thom Pain (based on nothing) starring Rainn Wilson ('The Office,' founder of Soul Pancake), will be available on BroadwayHD beginning January 11, 2018.

The Theatre School at DePaul University is pleased to present Seven Homeless Mammoths Wander New England, written by Madeleine George and directed by April Cleveland (MFA Directing candidate, Class of 2019) in the Sondra & Denis Healy Theatre. The production premieres today, October 20, and runs through Sunday, October 29, 2017. Performances are Wednesdays through Saturdays at 7:30 PM and Sundays at 2 PM. Previews are on October 18 and 19 at 7:30 PM. Post-show discussions will follow the performances on October 22 (2:00 PM) and October 26 (7:30 PM).