Goodspeed Opera House News

A total of 46 established and emerging writers, composers and lyricists will converge on the Goodspeed campus in East Haddam, CT this month to participate in the Johnny Mercer Writers Colony at Goodspeed Musicals. The writing teams, representing nearly 30 new musicals, will populate the campus, creating a truly exciting environment for discovery and inspiration.

Lyric Opera of Chicago General Director Anthony Freud announced today that two major Broadway and TV performers – Jenn Gambatese and Edward Hibbert – have been cast in the new production and company premiere of Rodgers and Hammerstein's iconic The Sound of Music, to be presented at the Civic Opera House, 20 N. Wacker Drive, in Chicago, this spring.

Today at Goodspeed's 9th annual Festival of New Musicals, the two-time Tony Award-winning theatre announced plans for the production of a new musical, The Circus in Winter. Featuring a Book by Hunter Foster and Beth Turcotte and Music and Lyrics by Ben Clark, The Circus in Winter is inspired by the acclaimed novel of the same name by Cathy Day. The production will run this fall at The Norma Terris Theatre in Chester, Connecticut, Goodspeed's home for new musicals.

The 'Impossible Dream' musical is back! The national tour of Man of La Mancha will be at the Long Center for two shows only, tonight and tomorrow, January 14 and 15.

Pioneer Theatre Company presents the military drama A Few Good Men January 24 through February 8, 2014.

Goodspeed Musicals' Board of Trustees announced today that a change in leadership will occur at the theatre after the 2014 season. Michael Price, who has led the organization for 45 years, has decided to retire from the position of Executive Director at the end of 2014 but will remain active with Goodspeed in advisory and fundraising roles through 2016.

Deadline reports that original BOOK OF MORMON star and Tony nominee Rory O'Malley has joined FX's BRADDOCK & JACKSON comedy series. He will star alongside fellow thesp Kelsey Grammer, as well as Martin Lawrence.

The 'Impossible Dream' musical is back! The national tour of Man of La Mancha will be at the Long Center for two shows only, January 14 and 15.

Voting is now underway for Connecticut! We have a record number of votes in already, but if you haven't voted yet, click here to vote! If you have voted already, tell your friends.

Tickets are now on sale for the fourth annual 'A Swinging Birdland Christmas' celebration at Birdland Jazz Club. To celebrate the holidays, Birdland regulars Klea Blackhurst, Jim Caruso and Billy Stritch will perform swinging arrangements of beloved seasonal specials like 'Christmas Waltz,' Kay Thompson's 'Holiday Season,' 'Sleigh Ride,' and 'I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm' among other favorites. The singers will be joined by Steve Doyle on bass and Carmen Intorre on drums.

Voting is now underway for Connecticut! We have a record number of votes in already, but if you haven't voted yet, click here to vote! If you have voted already, tell your friends.

Charlie Brady (South Pacific, Burnt Part Boys), Danny Gardner (Neuroses, Room 17B), and Phoebe Strole (Glee, Spring Awakening, The Big Meal) join Gregory Jacobs-Roseman with Leslie Kritzer in Hungover for the Holidays at 54 Below.

The quintessential portrait of maniacal ambition and lust for power is on stage in William Shakespeare's epic history play Richard III at Folger Theatre. Robert Richmond

The Ninth Annual Goodspeed Festival of New Musicals, produced by Goodspeed Musicals' Max Showalter Center for Education in Musical Theatre, kicks off its much-anticipated three day festival of brand new works on Friday, January 17, at the Goodspeed Opera House with a staged reading of the timely musical Adam Lives. On Saturday, January 18, the musical fantasy A Proper Place debuts. On the final day of the festival, the unconventional Theory of Relativity by the team who wrote the Goodspeed and Broadway tuner The Story of My Life will be presented. Several special events will round out this exciting weekend. Tickets are available at the Goodspeed Box Office or by calling 860.873.8668 or online at www.goodspeed.org. Tickets are $15 each for one show, $10 each for students. This year's festival is sponsored in part by lead corporate sponsor RisCassi & Davis, P.C. with additional support by The Adolph and Ruth Schnurmacher Foundation, Inc. and The Noel Coward Foundation.

The world's tastiest new musical will have its premiere this winter in NYC. The Chocolate Show!, arriving just in time for Valentine's Day, will begin performances on Saturday, February 1 with an official opening night set for Friday, February 14 at the 47th Street Theatre, 304 West 47th Street between 8th and 9th Avenues. Featuring book and music by Alan Golub & Laura Goldfader, lyrics by Mr. Golub, The Chocolate Show! is directed by Dan Foster, choreographed by Grady McLeod Bowman and under the music direction of Jeffrey Klitz, who also provided the musical arrangements and orchestrations. Tickets for The Chocolate Show! are $39.50 - $59.50 and can be arranged online at www.ticketcentral.com or by calling 212.279.4200 or at the TicketCentral Box Office located at 416 West 42nd Street. The 47th Street Theatre box office (304 West 47th Street) will open one hour before each performance.

Voting is now underway for Connecticut! We have a record number of votes in already, but if you haven't voted yet, click here to vote! If you have voted already, tell your friends.

UPDATE: Howard Sherman told BroadwayWorld: 'A group of students met with Principal Guarino to offer him a range of suggestions of programs that could be implemented quickly to address his possible concerns, although since he has not been specific in his reservations about RENT, their efforts involve a good amount of guesswork. Mr. Guarino has said he is still considering the request to move the show back to its original date, but as it has already lost preparatory time, one cannot help wonder whether Mr. Guarino is simply running down the clock so that his promulgated dates become inevitable, despite their many conflicts. A group of parents will be meeting with Mr. Guarino on Monday.'

Alley Theatre Artistic Director Gregory Boyd announces the cast and creative team for Other Desert Cities. A riveting new play by Pulitzer Prize nominee and creator of TV's hit drama Brothers & Sisters, Jon Robin Baitz's Other Desert Cities was named the Outstanding Play by the Outer Critics Circle and called 'the best new play on Broadway' by The New York Times. Jackson Gay returns to direct this new production after helming the Alley Theatre's productions of August: Osage County, Red andIntelligence-Slave.

The drama surrounding Trumbull High School's impending production of Rent continues, as administators recetly committed to moving the show forward on its home turf. Now the question is whether the students will perform the show at their school (on a delayed schedule), or on their previously announced run dates at Goodspeed Opera House. If the production were to go on at the high school, participating students would be unable to attend their previously planned choir trip to England.

Charlie Brady (South Pacific, Burnt Part Boys), Danny Gardner (Neuroses, Room 17B), and Phoebe Strole (Glee, Spring Awakening, The Big Meal) join Gregory Jacobs-Roseman with Leslie Kritzer in Hungover for the Holidays at 54 Below.