Craig Lucas News

Clubbed Thumb, the Obie Award-winning New York theatre company that commissions, develops and produces funny, strange, and provocative news plays, presents SUMMERWORKS 2011, its 16th annual festival of original works by American playwrights, from June 5-25 at HERE Arts Center (145 6th Avenue) in Manhattan, it has been announced by Maria Striar, Clubbed Thumb's Producing Artistic Director.

Clubbed Thumb, the Obie Award-winning New York theatre company that commissions, develops and produces funny, strange, and provocative news plays, presents SUMMERWORKS 2011, its 16th annual festival of original works by American playwrights, from June 5-25 at HERE Arts Center (145 6th Avenue) in Manhattan, it has been announced by Maria Striar, Clubbed Thumb's Producing Artistic Director.

kef theatrical productions is thrilled to announce the upcoming staged reading of Jay Russell's CRADLE & ALL on Wednesday, May 11th at 7:00 PM at the ArcLight Theatre.

The Araca Group announces the return of AracaWorks, a week-long series of play readings celebrating new work for the theatre.

Decca is proud to continue its association with American composer Nico Muhly with the release of their third album together, Seeing is Believing.

According to Peter Jackson's Facebook page, roadway veteran Lee Pace will join previously announced Cate Blanchett, and Ian McKellan in the Upcoming big screen adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's THE HOBBIT. Pace will play Thranduil. Filming is set to begin in February in New Zealand, as confirmed by MGM, Warner Brothers, and New Line, and Lord of the Rings director and Oscar-winner Peter Jackson will direct the two-part film.

Legacy of Light, a new play by Karen Zacarias, anchors the sixth annual FusionFest of new work and completes the Cleveland Play House's 84-year run at 8500 Euclid Avenue.

Huntington Theatre Company presents the world premiere of Sons of the Prophet by Stephen Karam (Speech & Debate, columbinus), directed by Peter DuBois (Trust, Becky Shaw). The cast of the irreverent and darkly comic story includes Kelsey Kurz (The Merchant of Venice with Al Pacino) as elder brother Joseph, Dan McCabe (Donnie Darko, Saving Throw Versus Love) as younger brother Charles, and Tony Award winner Joanna Gleason (Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, A Day in the Death of Joe Egg, Into the Woods) as Gloria, Charles' eccentric employer. The production will clsoe on May 1, 2011.

From her creation of the pivotal roles of Susan in Marvin Hamlisch & Craig Carnelia's simply smashing (if underappreciated) SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS and Clara in Adam Guettel & Craig Lucas's five-time Tony-winning THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA, to her effortless essaying of two of the most beloved female roles in the musical theater canon, opposite two of the biggest leading men on Broadway - THE PAJAMA GAME with Harry Connick, Jr. and SOUTH PACIFIC with Matthew Morrison (and Paulo Szot) - in addition to her work in Frank Wildhorn's JEKYLL & HYDE and DRACULA, Stephen Sondheim's FOLLIES and SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE, along with her stunning studio albums - all of these are just some of the reasons why Kelli O'Hara is in a very special class of performers. In this all-encompassing conversation we discuss all of the aforementioned shows, as well as working with all of her fabulous co-stars and collaborators, and we also take a look at her recording studio work with Harry Connick, Jr. and take a look ahead to her sophomore solo album, ALWAYS which will be released on June 3. Plus, we have first news on her new roles in the musical versions of THE BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY, written by Jason Robert Brown, and FINDING NEVERLAND by Scott Frankel. We even have dish on working with Liza Minnelli and shooting SEX & THE CITY 2! This is all coming in anticipation of the tribute to Bob Hope at the NY Pops gala on May 2, which will also feature performances by Tom Wopat and Aaron Lazar - both of whom we will continue our SPOTLIGHT ON NY POPS series with later on this weekend. Don't miss them or a special presentation by theatre legend Angela Lansbury! Further information about the NY POPS event - including tickets - is available here.

Decca is proud to continue its association with American composer Nico Muhly with the release of their third album together, Seeing is Believing. Having previous concentrated on choral music and a complete ballet score, this album includes four original compositions and three orchestral arrangements of vocal works originally by both William Byrd and Orlando Gibbons. The Aurora Orchestra, the relatively new, young British ensemble, records this album under the direction of contemporary music specialist Nicholas Collon. The album will be released on June 21, 2011 just days before the premiere of Muhly's opera, Two Boys, in London.

Multi-award winning company Rogue Machine announces an extended schedule for their popular (CRITIC'S CHOICE-LA Times; GO- LA Weekly, CRITIC'S PICK-Backstage, Ovation RECOMMENDED) WORLD PREMIERE production of SMALL ENGINE REPAIR.

Acclaimed Off-Broadway theater company Playwrights Horizons (Tim Sanford, Artistic Director; Leslie Marcus, Managing Director) has announced initial details for its 2011 special online Auction in connection with its annual Spring Gala Benefit. Bidding for the auction, which will feature an eclectic array of items and unique opportunities, begins tomorrow, Tuesday, April 26 at 8AM at www.biddingforgood/playwrightshorizons. Online bidding will continue for three weeks through Wednesday, May 18 (with items staggered to close at 8PM and 9PM).

50 of America's top young theatre artists will be travelling to London this May as part of The 2011 TS Eliot US/UK Exchange - a project run by the historic The Old Vic Theatre in London, currently under the artistic direction of Kevin Spacey.

The Eugene O'Neill Theater Center announced today four musicals to be developed at its 2011 National Music Theater Conference under the leadership of Artistic Director Paulette Haupt.

'Bringing Broadway to Staten Island' continues for The Harbor Lights Theater Company as they announce this year's 2011 season. As was demonstrated last season, each play andor musical offers Staten Island an affordable theatrical experience of exceptional quality for families and individuals of all ages to enjoy. The heart of Harbor Lights' mission is to tap not only the Broadway community across the harbor, but also the talent right in our own backyard, to create vital, memorable theater for the entire community.

"Bringing Broadway to Staten Island" continues for The Harbor Lights Theater Company as they announce this year's 2011 season.

Civic Light Opera of South Bay Cities and Executive Producer James A. Blackman III continue their 20th Anniversary Season with Adam Guettel and Craig Lucas' sweeping musical, The Light in the Piazza. Performances begin on Wednesday April 20 (with a gala press opening on Saturday April 23) and will run through Sunday May 8 at the Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center.

Asolo Rep is proud to present the fully staged World Premiere production of Steven Drukman's new play The Innocents. Chosen from five plays developed during Asolo Rep's 2010 Unplugged new play festival, The Innocents opens on April 15, 2011 as part of the repertory season and in conjunction with the 2011 Unplugged Festival of New Plays.

The Eugene O'Neill Theater Center announced today eight plays to be developed at the 2011 National Playwrights Conference (NPC) under the leadership of Artistic Director Wendy C. Goldberg. The selected playwrights will spend the month of July at the O'Neill's campus developing and presenting staged readings of their work during the NPC's 47th season. Tickets for these readings go on sale Wednesday, June 8. Advanced ticket sales for O'Neill Members will be available Monday, May 16

The Playwrights Horizons World Premiere production of GO BACK TO WHERE YOU ARE, a new play by five-time Obie Award winner David Greenspan (author/performer of She Stoops to Comedy, performer in The Wax and director of Kate's Diary, all at PH; Coraline; Some Men; The Argument; The Myopia; The Boys in the Band) is set to open Tuesday, April 12 at 7:30 PM at Playwrights Horizons' Peter Jay Sharp Theater