David Thompson News

The Rehearsal has wrapped principal photography. A new pilot written and directed by Jaclyn Bethany the ensemble cast features Caitlin Carver (I Tonya, Dear White People), Adam David Thompson (Godless, Mozart in the Jungle), Tina Benko (Broadway's The Crucible, Mapplethorpe, The Greatest Showman), Rileigh McDonald (title role in Matilda on Broadway, The Sinner), Alex Hurt (Placebo, Cat On A Hot Tin Roof), Jaclyn Bethany, Shay Lee Abeson (The Tale) and James Udom (Crown Heights, The Revolving Cycles Truly and Steadily Roll'd).

McCarter Theatre Center is proud to announce the return of A Christmas Carol, directed by Adam Immerwahr. This family-friendly production runs December 4 - 29 in the Matthews Theatre. A popular annual event for families all across the region, McCarter Theatre Center's production brings Charles Dickens' timeless story of memory and redemption beyond the stage and out into the aisles and lobbies. Of special note this year is the addition of a sensory-sensitive relaxed performance on December 28 (details below).

The York Theatre Company honored Five-time Tony Award-winning musical theatre director/choreographer Susan Stroman with the 2018 Oscar Hammerstein Award for Lifetime Achievement in Musical Theatre and Betty Cooper Wallerstein with the York Theatre Company Founders' Award at the 27th Oscar Hammerstein Award Gala held on November 12, 2018 at The Edison Ballroom.

Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation (SDCF), the not for profit foundation affiliated with Stage Directors and Choreographers Society, presented this year's Zelda Fichandler Award, Joe A. Callaway Awards, and Breakout Award on Sunday, November 11, 2018 in Manhattan. BroadwayWorld attended the evening and you can check out the photos from the cocktail party below!

The York Theatre Company has announced, today, legendary theater writers Richard Maltby, Jr. and David Shire will join Tony Award-winner Matthew Broderick who will host a company of 60 performers honoring Five-time Tony Award-winning musical theatre director/choreographer Susan Stroman

Arkansas Repertory Theatre, the state's largest nonprofit professional theatre, is proud to announce its 2019 'Rebuild the Rep' Season. Beginning in February, the new season marks the return of The Rep after productions were suspended in April because of funding shortages.

Known for its illustrious Central Chamber Series, Central Presbyterian Church (593 Park Avenue) is proud to announce the addition of its Central Theatrical Series. The series will present material that explores the reality of the human condition and offers hope to a complex and challenging world.   Carolyn Rossi Copeland will serve as Artistic Producing Director and Breezy Wynn and Vance Thompson will serve as Executive Producers.

The York Theatre Company has announced that Tony Award-winner Matthew Broderickwill host a company of 60 performers honoring Five-time Tony Award-winning musical theatre director/choreographer Susan Stroman (Oklahoma!; The Producers; Crazy For You; Showboat; Big, The Musical) with the 2018 Oscar Hammerstein Award for Lifetime Achievement in Musical Theatre

Composer Stephen Schwartz has revealed what's next for him in his most recent newsletter for The Schwartz Scene.

The New York premiere of Ngozi Anyanwu's GOOD GRIEF, directed by Awoye Timpo, will begin performances the Vineyard Theatre (108 East 15th Street) on Thursday, October 11.  Opening night is set for Tuesday, October 30th.

Today ChiChi Anyanwu of the NYC Black Theater Network, Marcia Pendelton, President of Walk Tall Girl Productions/Black Theater Online, and the award-winning Vineyard Theatre announced BLACK PLAYWRIGHTS: THEY SPEAK. WHO LISTENS? A Black Theater Fall Preview: Off Broadway Edition.

The album for the new dance musical The Beast in the Jungle is not your typical cast recording. Actually, it's not a cast recording at all, but a score recording that's purely instrumental. Even though the lack of dialogue and character voices makes it a more challenging score to listen to out of context (as opposed to a typical "cast album"), it's a truly masterful and moving score in its own right.

Great Performances presents more of the Great White Way's brightest stars with a new "Broadway's Best" lineup premiering Fridays, November 2-23 at 9 p.m. on PBS (check local listings). Returning for a second year, this fall's lineup includes the beloved musicals "An American in Paris The Musical" and Rodgers & Hammerstein's "The Sound of Music," as well as documentaries about the making of John Leguizamo's Tony-nominated play "Latin History for Morons" and 21-time Tony-winning director and producer Harold Prince. All programs will be available to stream the following day via pbs.org/gperf and PBS apps.

Broadway Records and Yellow Sound Label today announced that The Beast in the Jungle (Original Score Recording) will be released digitally and in stores on Friday September 14, 2018. The album is currently available for pre-order at www.BroadwayRecords.com and Amazon.com.

Vineyard Theatre Artistic Directors Douglas Aibel and Sarah Stern announce complete cast for the New York premiere of Ngozi Anyanwu's GOOD GRIEF, directed by Awoye Timpo. Performances will begin at the Vineyard Theatre (108 East 15th Street) Thursday, October 11 with opening night set for Tuesday, October 30th.

Somewhere between its opening of SWEET CHARITY in late June and the end of July, Reprise 2.0 postponed its second scheduled production of its inaugural season, VICTOR/VICTORIA. In its place, the company has mounted a revival of Kander & Ebb's musical revue, THE WORLD GOES 'ROUND, and, while it isn't a rarely revived book musical, which has always been Reprise's focus in the past, it does contain a score derived from some of the best songs in the classic Kander & Ebb catalogue (think CHICAGO and CABARET).

Artistic Directors Douglas Aibel and Sarah Stern announce that Jeremy O. Harris is the recipient of the 2018-19 Paula Vogel Playwriting Award. Mr. Harris will be presented with the award at The Vineyard's annual Emerging Artists Luncheon on Friday, October 12 from noon-2:30pm at the National Arts Club (15 Gramercy Park South) in Manhattan. Paula Vogel will speak at the event.

ESPN announced today a 20-hour, 10-part documentary 'Basketball: A Love Story' from Peabody Award-winning director Dan Klores. The sweeping project, which consists of more than 60 interconnected 'short stories,' will be available across multiple ESPN platforms in a variety of viewing experiences. Klores has created a vibrant mosaic of the game, featuring 165 exclusive interviews. The cast encompasses basketball's most prominent figures, from Bob Cousy, LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Dr. J, Yao Ming, Stephen Curry and Diana Taurasi, to Magic Johnson, Oscar Robertson, Bill Russell, Larry Bird, Chris Paul and Kobe Bryant. Klores' short stories explore the complex nature of love as it relates to the game and opens the window to insights and perspectives about race, politics, media, art, business, style and entertainment. The episodes will feature different narrators: Chadwick Boseman, Julianne Moore, Chris Cuomo, Ashley Judd, Michael Che, Ansel Elgort, Ahmad Rashad, Robin Quivers, Daveed Diggs, and Fisher Stevens.

REPRISE 2.0, led by Producing Artistic Director Marcia Seligson, presented in association with the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television Department of Theater (UCLA TFT) chaired by Brian Kite, performing at UCLA Freud Playhouse, announces casting for Grand Hotel performing October 24 to November 4, as well as a new 2-show FlexPass for $99, now on sale at Reprise2.org and by phone at 866-811-4111.