Goodspeed Opera House News

ANNIE, the new production of the Tony Award-winning musical, went into rehearsal today in New York City with its full company. The production begins previews October 3, 2012 and opens November 8, 2012 at the Palace Theatre (Broadway at 47th Street). Meet the full cast below!

Carousel Cast & Crew create delectable treats for very special Charity Bake Sale in celebration of Julia Child's 100th Birthday at the Goodspeed Opera House in East Haddam, Connecticut. All Proceeds go to Broadway Cares.

Tonight, August 13, 2012, New York Theatre Barn will present NYTB in the D-Lounge, a monthly concert for emerging musical theatre writers (now in its 5th year), at the Daryl Roth Theatre. The August 2012 installment of NYTB in the D-Lounge features an excerpt from the new musical Carolina Breeze from writing team Joel Waggoner and Lori Mannette, as well as selections from the new musical Kingdom Come by Matt Webster. The monthly series is executive produced by Laura Brandel and Jason Najjoum.

Hartford Stage, under the leadership of Artistic Director Darko Tresnjak and Managing Director Michael Stotts, announced six new and two returning members have been elected to the Tony Award-winning theatre's Board of Directors. Joining the Board for an initial two year term are Lois Anderson of Avon, Sonya D. Dockett of Avon, Judith E. Meyers of North Haven, Eric D. Ort of Farmington, Charlie Ortiz of Hartford, Esther A. Pryor of West Hartford, Judith E. Thompson of West Hartford, and John H. P. Wheat of Bloomfield.

Marking the 25th anniversary of the John Waters' original film, Principal Pops Conductor Jack Everly brings together an all-star cast of Broadway, film and TV stars for the full symphonic production of the Broadway musical, Hairspray. Hairspray: In Concert! will premiere with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra Jan. 11-13, 2013, and with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra Jan. 24-27, 2013.

WaterTower Theatre Producing Artistic Director Terry Martin today announced casting details for The Mystery of Irma Vep which will open the 2012-2013 season. The show stars WaterTower Theatre veterans Regan Adair and Bryan T. Donovan.

Goodspeed Musicals celebrates summer fun in the groovy production The Bikinis a new musical beach party. This hip musical will run from tonight, August 9 to September 2 at The Norma Terris Theatre in Chester, Conn., Goodspeed's home for developing new works.

Walnut Street Theatre opens its 204th season with the American premiere of Erich Segal's LOVE STORY, the musical. With direction and musical staging by Annabel Bolton, the production is described as 'a delicate story of life and love' and begins previews on September 4th, opens on September 12th and runs through October 21st on the WST Mainstage.

Today in 1989, the first Broadway revival of Shenandoah opened at the Virginia Theatre (now the August Wilson Theatre), where it ran for 32 performances. Shenandoah is a musical that was written in 1975 with music by Gary Geld, lyrics by Peter Udell, and a book by Udell, Philip Rose and James Lee Barrett, based on Barrett's original screenplay for the 1965 film Shenandoah. The musical first opened at the Goodspeed Opera House in 1974 and then transferred to Broadway, opening on January 7, 1975. It ran on Broadway for a total of 1,050 performances, closing August 7, 1977. The production was nominated for six Tony Awards, including Best Musical, and won two, one for Best Actor in a Musical (John Cullum) and the other for Best Book of a Musical.

On Monday, August 13, 2012, New York Theatre Barn will present NYTB in the D-Lounge, a monthly concert for emerging musical theatre writers (now in its 5th year), at the Daryl Roth Theatre. The August 2012 installment of NYTB in the D-Lounge features an excerpt from the new musical Carolina Breeze from writing team Joel Waggoner and Lori Mannette, as well as selections from the new musical Kingdom Come by Matt Webster. The monthly series is executive produced by Laura Brandel and Jason Najjoum.

Producers Jeffrey Richards, Jerry Frankel and Howard & Janet Kagan announced today that THE ANARCHIST, a new play written and directed by DAVID MAMET starring PATTI LuPONE and DEBRA WINGER, previously announced to be presented at the Lyceum Theatre, will now be presented on Broadway at the newly refurbished Golden Theatre (252 West 45th Street). All persons who purchased tickets prior to the venue change will be contacted by Telecharge.

A gang member learns to fight for his community and morphs into a civic leader in '99% 'Reduced Fat, or, You Can Bank On Us,' Theater for the New City's 36th annual Street Theater musical, which will tour City streets, parks and playgrounds throughout the five boroughs from tonight, August 4 to September 16 in free performances.

Goodspeed Musicals adds eight additional performances of the celebrated Rodgers & Hammerstein classic. Carousel will now run through September 29, 2012 at the Goodspeed Opera House; The Bikinis plans to hit the stage for an additional 8 performances.

Director Rob Ruggierio's production of the classic, like the ups and downs experienced while riding a carousel horse (the carousel is wonderfully recreated for the prologue on the restrictive Goodspeed stage), has moments of delight and some disappointments.

Goodspeed Musicals presents Carousel to the main stage, now playing through September 23 at the Goodspeed Opera House in East Haddam, Conn. Check out the pictures from the opening night cast party below!

Goodspeed Musicals presents Carousel to the main stage, now playing through September 23 at the Goodspeed Opera House in East Haddam, Conn. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the production below.

Victoria Clark, Harriet Harris, Ann Harada and Peter Bartlett will join Laura Osnes as Cinderella and Santino Fontana as the Prince in a workshop of the new production of Rodgers & Hammerstein's CINDERELLA August 2nd and 3rd in New York, it has been announced by the musical's producer Center Theatre Group in association with Robyn Goodman, Stephen Kocis and Jill Furman.

One for My Baby, set to a score of some three dozen Harold Arlen classics and billed as "a song-and-dance celebration ofbig-city nightlife at the end of World War II," will have a private, industry-only workshop at the New 42nd Street Studios, 229 West 42 Street, this October 11 and October 12.

Damn Yankees (the new Boston Red Sox version) is now playing at the Ogunquit Playhouse through August 18. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the production below, starring Carson Kressley as Applegate.