Classic Stage Company News

According to The Hollywood Reporter, THE HUNGER GAMES' Wes Bentley will star in Ryan Murphy's OPEN for HBO. He will play the good-looking but arrogant 'Evan Foster'.

Broadway veteran Melissa Errico announced early last month that she would be undergoing a surgery to repair a blood vessel on her vocal chord. In April, Errico had to depart the Classic Stage Company production of Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine's Passion to go on vocal rest. The singer has started a blog to document her experiences and continues now with her fourth post.

Coming up this week, 54 BELOW, the performance venue located just below the legendary Studio 54 at 254 West 54th Street, presents some of the brightest stars from Broadway, cabaret, jazz and beyond. 54 Below also launched its series of late night events. Joining Tuesday nights' popular 'Backstage' with Susie Mosheris the '54 Piano Bar,' a new vocal competition - 'The Callback,' and more:

Celebrating the launch of her new solo album, 'ALL THIS HAPPINESS', on PS Classics, Judy Kuhn is making her debut at 54 Below, (254 W. 54th Street between Broadway & 8th Avenue) in, 'ALL THIS HAPPINESS' tonight, June 10th and Wednesday, June 12th at 7:00 p.m., featuring Dan Lipton, Musical Director, cellist Peter Sachon and percussionist Damien Bassman. The show will include songs from the new CD as well as some of her other favorites.

To coincide with the 20-year anniversary of the Ford Partnership Program, which nurtures locally based artists and arts organizations, the Los Angeles County Arts Commission presents the inaugural Zev Yaroslavsky Signatures Series. This two-concert program benefiting the Ford Theatre Foundation pairs world-renowned performers with a local artistic treasure, celebrating Los Angeles as a destination for world-class artists, who find here both collaboration with, and inspiration from, celebrated local artists.

The Old Globe today announced THINKING SHAKESPEARE LIVE!, a 90-minute presentation exploring the language of Shakespeare, on Saturday, June 15 at 11 a.m. Led by Old Globe Artistic Director Barry Edelstein and assisted by three professional classical actors, this special program based on Edelstein's book, THINKING SHAKESPEARE: A HOW-TO GUIDE FOR STUDENT ACTORS, DIRECTORS, AND ANYONE ELSE WHO WANTS TO FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE WITH THE BARD, will reveal a performer's approach to Shakespearean language so audiences may easily understand the poetry of the Bard. An ideal introduction to Shakespeare for families and young audiences, THINKING SHAKESPEARE LIVE! will take place on the Donald and Darlene Shiley Stage in the Old Globe Theatre, part of the Globe's Conrad Prebys Theatre Center.

Director Brian Kulick sets Classic Stage Company's interesting and spirited new production of Bertolt Brecht's The Caucasian Chalk Circle during the fall of the Soviet Union, 'when the hammer and sickle were replaced by the Coca-Cola bottle.'  The production's Playbill cover depicts a satisfied looking Christopher Lloyd scribbling over that iconic communist emblem with a piece of chalk.  This is certainly an unusual take for a play that, when it premiered in 1948, was intended to depict the fairness to be found in Soviet leadership.

Broadway veteran Melissa Errico announced early last month that she would be undergoing a surgery to repair a blood vessel on her vocal chord. In April Errico had to depart the Classic Stage Company production of Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine's Passion to go on vocal rest. Now, the singer has started a blog to document her experiences.

Beginning in July 2013, the Alley Theatre will produce Agatha Christie's The Hollow during its popular ExxonMobil Summer Chills series. Under the direction of Gregory Boyd, the Alley's resident company of actors will bring to life the colorful cast of characters in Agatha Christie's The Hollow.

Mint Theater (Jonathan Bank, Artistic Director) today announced their Annual Gala Benefit, which will celebrate past productions and honor George Morfogen, long time Mint actor. The benefit, Playing Favorites, will take place Monday evening, June 24th at the Cosmopolitan Club (122 East 66th Street).

If I were a classical music critic I might describe The Giacomo Variations as an ambitious exploration of common themes expressed in the three operas Mozart composed with librettist Lorenzo Da Ponte.

The European premiere of the landmark musical The Color Purple, runs from 5 July to 14 September at the Menier Chocolate Factory.

Cornelia Street Cafe presents CCi's Serial Underground featuring The Life I'm Leading: Music of Daniel Felsenfeld including several premieres tonight, June 2nd at 6pm. Guest Artists include flutists Meerenai Shim (California based), Jessica Schmitz and Sarah Carrier, pianists Blair McMillen and Mila Henry, cellist Rose Bellini, soprano Marcy Richardson and violist Stephanie Griffin.

Mississippi Mud Productions is proud to present The Blonde Bombshell Project, a new solo play written and starring Jen Danby and directed by Tony Nominee and Obie-Winning Director Austin Pendleton. Fresh from their collaboration as Catharine Holly and Dr. Sugar in Suddenly, Last Summer with Mississippi Mud, this new solo work is about about legendary Hollywood 'Blonde Bombshell' Marilyn Monroe in her final summer of 1962.

Classic Stage Company, under the leadership of Artistic Director Brian Kulick and Executive Director Greg Reiner, presents Bertolt Brecht's THE CAUCASIAN CHALK CIRCLE featuring Christopher Lloyd (Azdak), directed by Brian Kulick (who directed Brecht's Galileo last season), and featuring new music by Tony Award-winning singer/songwriter Duncan Sheik (Spring Awakening). The show was recently extended for two additional weeks through Sunday, June 23. The official opening is tonight, May 30.?

The big night is coming up quickly, and BroadwayWorld wants you to be the most knowledgable person at your Tonys party on June 6. Brush up on your trivia for the nominess for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical below!

The B Street Theatre is the first in California to present Venus in Fur, David Ives' titillating Tony Award-nominated new comedy.