Cooper Grodin News

The Public Theater announced today that Tony Award winner Denis O'Hare has been cast as The Baker in Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine's beloved musical INTO THE WOODS, directed by Timothy Sheader with co-direction by Liam Steel. INTO THE WOODS will be O'Hare's Shakespeare in the Park debut. Previews begin on Monday, July 23 at the Delacorte Theater and continue for five weeks through Saturday, August 25, with an official press opening on Thursday, August 9.

The Public Theater will begin previews on Tuesday, June 5 for AS YOU LIKE IT, the first show of The Public's 50th Anniversary season at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park--home of free Shakespeare in the Park. Directed by Daniel Sullivan, AS YOU LIKE IT will continue for four weeks through Saturday, June 30, with an official press opening on Thursday, June 21.

According to a report by Entertainment Weekly's PopWatch, Amy Adams, soon to be playing The Baker's Wife in Into the Woods, 'would definitely consider,' continuing her role in the production if it moves to Broadway. 'That would be amazing,' she said.

Rumours that The Public Theatre's production of INTO THE WOODS will transfer to Broadway have been fueled once more by The New York Post, which reports that extentions to Donna Murphy, Amy Adams and the rest of the cast's contracts are being negotiated.

The Public Theater announced complete casting today for AS YOU LIKE IT, the first show of the 50th Anniversary season of free Shakespeare in the Park at the Delacorte. Directed by Daniel Sullivan, AS YOU LIKE IT will begin previews on Tuesday, June 5 and continue for four weeks through Saturday, June 30, opening on Thursday, June 21.

Matthew Grills, tenor, of Rochester, N.Y, won the $15,000 First Prize in the finals of the 2012 Lotte Lenya Competition, held on April 21, 2012, at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester. In a close contest, Justin Hopkins, bass-baritone of Philadelphia, and Jacob Keith Watson, tenor of Wynne, Ark., tied for Second Prizes of $10,000, and Megan Marino, mezzo-soprano of Malvern, Penn., was awarded the Third Prize of $7,500.

As first reported exclusively by BroadwayWorld.com last week, the Public Theater confirmed today that Tony Award-winner Donna Murphy has been cast as The Witch in Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine's beloved musical INTO THE WOODS, directed by Timothy Sheader with co-direction by Liam Steel. Murphy last performed at the Delacorte in the Shakepeare in the Park production of The Mystery of Edwin Drood in 1985. INTO THE WOODS will begin previews on Monday, July 23 and continue for five weeks through Saturday, August 25 with an official press opening on Thursday, August 9.

BroadwayWorld's Rialto Chatter was the first to break the news in January that INTO THE WOODS was to play the Delacorte Theatre as part of the 2012 Shakespeare in the Park season.

The Public Theater (Artistic Director Oskar Eustis; Executive Director Patrick Willingham) announced additional casting today for the 50th Anniversary season of free Shakespeare in the Park at the Delacorte. Robert Joy (Le Beau, Lord) and Oliver Platt (Touchstone) join the previously announced MacIntyre Dixon (Adam), David Furr (Orlando), Renee Elise Goldsberry (Celia), Omar Metwally (Oliver), Lily Rabe (Rosalind), and Stephen Spinella (Jaques) in Shakespeare's comedy AS YOU LIKE IT, directed by Daniel Sullivan.

The Public Theater has announced additional casting today for the 50th Anniversary season of free Shakespeare in the Park at the Delacorte. David Furr (Orlando) and Stephen Spinella (Jaques) join the previously announced MacIntyre Dixon (Adam), Renee Elise Goldsberry (Celia), Omar Metwally (Oliver), and Lily Rabe (Rosalind) in Shakespeare's comedy AS YOU LIKE IT, directed by Daniel Sullivan.

Twelve exceptionally talented young singer-actors have made it through two rounds of auditions for the 2012 Lotte Lenya Competition and will compete for top prizes of $15,000, $10,000 and $7,500 in the finals, to be held on April 21, 2012, at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York. Three-time Tony Award nominee Rebecca Luker, Broadway and Encores! music director Rob Berman, and Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization President and American Theater Wing Chairman of the Board Theodore S. Chapin will serve as judges.

Take a look at the other side of Les Miserables with Andrew Varela's 'Police State of Mind'.

The all new production of 'Les Misérables,' featuring glorious new staging and spectacular re-imagined scenery inspired by the paintings of Victor Hugo, just opened at the Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatre on Friday, June 17, 2011. Performances will continue through July 31, 2011.

The all new production of 'Les Misérables,' featuring glorious new staging and spectacular re-imagined scenery inspired by the paintings of Victor Hugo, just opened at the Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatre on Friday, June 17, 2011. Performances will continue through July 31, 2011.Click Below to go inside of opening night!

The all new production of 'Les Misérables,' featuring glorious new staging and spectacular re-imagined scenery inspired by the paintings of Victor Hugo, just opened at the Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatre on Friday, June 17, 2011. Performances will continue through July 31, 2011.

The all new production of "Les Miserables," featuring glorious new staging and spectacular re-imagined scenery inspired by the paintings of Victor Hugo, opens at the Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatre on Friday, June 17, 2011.

Cameron Mackintosh's new 25th anniversary production of Les Misérables welcomes J. Mark McVey to the role of Jean Valjean beginning in Tempe, AZ, at ASU Gammage June 7-12, 2011. The all new production of Les Misérables features glorious new staging and spectacular reimagined scenery inspired by the paintings of Victor Hugo.

Caitlin Mathes, mezzo-soprano of Dayville, Connecticut, won the $15,000 First Prize in the finals of the 2011 Lotte Lenya Competition, held on April 16, 2011, at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, N.Y. Instead of awarding Second and Third Prizes, judges presented three equal prizes of $8,000 each to Jing Lin, soprano, of Putian, China; Emma Sewell, soprano, of London, England; and Jacob Lewis Smith, bass/baritone, of Albuquerque, New Mexico.

The premiere Detroit engagement of Cameron Mackintosh's new 25th anniversary production of Les Misérables will be at the Fisher Theatre, thru April 3.

The premiere Detroit engagement of Cameron Mackintosh's new 25th anniversary production of Les Miserables will be at the Fisher Theatre, March 22 - April 3.