James Lapine News

The original Broadway cast album of Stephen Sondheim and George Furth's Merrily We Roll Along is one of those handful of recordings - like Mack and Mabel and Candide - that a musical theatre lover can listen to hundreds of times without hearing a clue as to why the show flopped.  The quick answer, and usually the most unfair one, is 'the book.'  More often, though, the more complete answer is ambition.

59E59 Theaters (Elysabeth Kleinhans, Artistic Director; Peter Tear, Executive Producer) welcomes The Directors Company in association with New Jersey Repertory Company with the New York City premiere of POETIC LICENSE, written by Jack Canfora and directed by Evan Bergman. POETIC LICENSE begins performances on Thursday, February 9 for a limited engagement through Sunday, March 4. Press opening is Wednesday, February 15 at 7:15 PM. The performance schedule is Tuesday - Thursday at 7:15 PM; Friday at 8:15 PM; Saturday at 2:15 PM and 8:15 PM; and Sunday at 3:15 PM. Performances are at 59E59 Theaters (59 East 59th Street, between Park and Madison Avenues). Tickets are $35 ($24.50 for 59E59 Members). To purchase tickets, call Ticket Central at (212) 279-4200 or go to www.59e59.org.

According to the New York Times, Playwrights Horizons will present FAR FROM HEAVEN, a new musical with book by Tony Award winner and two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist Richard Greenberg (Take Me Out, Three Days of Rain), music by Tony Award nominee Scott Frankel (Grey Gardens) and lyrics by Tony Award nominee Michael Korie (Grey Gardens, The Grapes of Wrath), in Spring 2013. The show will also play Williamstown Theatre Festival this summer. The musical was adapted from the acclaimed, award-winning 2002 Focus Features/Vulcan Productions motion picture Far From Heaven, written and directed by Todd Haynes.

Fledgling Asian-American theatre company STIRFRY THEATRE will present, as its San Francisco debut, a staged concert version of William Finn's & James Lapine's masterpiece, FALSETTOLAND, exploring the universal themes of love, loss, and family.

Whether you've been living under a rock for the past week, or you're just in the mood for a recap of everything theatre, BroadwayWorld's feature, 'This Week in Pictures' is here to satisfy your end of the week fix. Take a look below to catch up on the latest happenings from the Great White Way to the West End (and everywhere in between) with coverage of press events, rehearsals, opening nights and more! For last week's biggest events: visit THIS WEEK IN PICTURES: January 28-February 3.

Spotlight Theatre Productions just announced that their spring musical will be Stephen Sondheim's INTO THE WOODS. Auditions are open and will take place February 6 and 9 at 7:30pm-9:30pm, with callbacks on February 11 at 9am-12:30pm at the Peekskill Senior Center.

Geva Theatre Center's 2012 Nextstage Season kicks off with I Got Sick Then I Got Better, written and performed by Jenny Allen which begins performances on March 7 and runs in the Fielding Nextstage through March 11.

Stephen Sondheim's Merrily We Roll Along, the first New York City Center Encores! production of the season, opens tonight, February 8 at New York City Center, and features Colin Donnell, Celia Keenan-Bolger, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Elizabeth Stanley, Betsy Wolfe and Adam Grupper. Merrily We Roll Along, with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by George Furth, is directed by James Lapine with music direction by Rob Berman and musical staging by Dan Knechtges. Merrily just opened, and will play a two-week run through February 19, 2012.

Little Beast Theatre Company is set to present the Los Angeles Premiere of MINE, written by Bekah Brunstetter and directed by Dep Kirkland and starring Sam Daly, Adam Harrington and Kieren Van Den Blink.

59E59 Theaters will welcome The Directors Company in association with New Jersey Repertory Company with the New York City premiere of POETIC LICENSE, written by Jack Canfora and directed by Evan Bergman.

Stephen Sondheim's Merrily We Roll Along, the first New York City Center Encores! production of the season, opens tonight, February 8 at New York City Center, and features Colin Donnell, Celia Keenan-Bolger, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Elizabeth Stanley, Betsy Wolfe and Adam Grupper. Merrily We Roll Along, with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by George Furth, is directed by James Lapine with music direction by Rob Berman and musical staging by Dan Knechtges. Merrily has been extended for a two-week run and will play for 15 performances, February 8-19, 2012. Check out performance highlights from the production below!

Stephen Sondheim's Merrily We Roll Along, the first New York City Center Encores! production of the season , will open on Wednesday, February 8 at New York City Center, and will feature Colin Donnell, Celia Keenan-Bolger, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Elizabeth Stanley, Betsy Wolfe and Adam Grupper. Merrily We Roll Along, with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by George Furth, will be directed by James Lapine with music direction by Rob Berman and musical staging by Dan Knechtges. Merrily has been extended for a two-week run and will play for 15 performances, February 8-19, 2012, 55th Street between 6th and 7th Avenues.

Colin Donnell, Celia Keenan-Bolger, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and Betsy Wolfe play four friends at different points in their lives in Stephen Sondheim's Merrily We Roll Along, the first New York City Center Encores! production of the season. Merrily We Roll Along, with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by George Furth, will be directed by James Lapine with music direction by Rob Berman and musical staging by Dan Knechtges. Merrily has been extended for a two-week run and will play for 15 performances, tonight through February 19, 2012, at New York City Center 55th Street between 6th and 7th Avenues.

Telsey + Co., casting office for the new Broadway production of ANNIE, will hold an open call in Los Angeles on Sunday, February 26, for girls ages 6-12 to audition for the roles of Annie and the orphans. ANNIE, directed by Tony Award-winner James Lapine, will open in fall 2012 at a Nederlander theatre to be announced.

Little Beast Theatre Company is set to present the Los Angeles Premiere of MINE, written by Bekah Brunstetter and directed by Dep Kirkland and starring Sam Daly, Adam Harrington and Kieren Van Den Blink.

Tony-winner Lin-Manuel Miranda talks about Merrily We Roll Along, Stephen Sondheim and opening doors.