James Lapine News

Roundabout Theatre Company's (Todd Haimes, Artistic Director) limited engagement of Sondheim on Sondheim will play its final performance on Sunday, June 27th at 2:00 PM. This new Broadway musical stars Barbara Cook, Vanessa Williams, Tom Wopat, Leslie Kritzer, Norm Lewis, Euan Morton, Erin Mackey & Matthew Scott. Music & lyrics are by Stephen Sondheim and the production is conceived & directed by James Lapine.

STANDING ON CEREMONY: THE GAY MARRIAGE PLAYS, a collection of short plays written for marriage equality to benefit Human Rights Campaign, Marriage Equality New York and New York Theatre Workshop will take place on Monday, June 14, 2010 at 7:00 p.m. at the Angel Orensanz Center, 172 Norfolk Street in New York City, between Houston and Stanton Streets. Dancing and a glamorous wedding reception will follow.

ANNE CATTANEO is the dramaturg of Lincoln Center Theater and the creator and head of the Lincoln Center Theater Directors' Lab. A three term past president of Literary Mangers and Dramaturgs of the Americas, she is the recipient of LMDA's first Lessing Award for lifetime achievement of dramaturgy. She has worked widely as a dramaturg on classical plays with directors such as James Lapine, Robert Wilson, Adrian Hall, Robert Falls, Mark Lamos and JoAnne Akalaitis. As the director of the Playworks Program at the Phoenix Theater during the late 1970's, she commissioned and developed plays by Wendy Wasserstein (Isn't It Romantic) Mustapha Matura (Meetings) and Christopher Durang (Beyond Therapy). For the Acting Company, she created two projects: Orchards (published by Knopf and Broadway Play Publishing) which presented seven Chekhov stories adapted for the stage by Maria Irene Fornes, Spalding Gray, John Guare, David Mamet, Wendy Wasserstein, Michael Weller and Samm-Art Williams, and Love's Fire (published by William Morrow) responses to Shakespeare sonnets by Eric Bogosian, William Finn, John Guare, Tony Kushner, Marsha Norman, Ntozake Shange and Wendy Wasserstein. Her own translations of 20th Century German playwrights include Brecht's Galileo (Goodman Theater 1986 starring Brian Dennehy) and Botho Strauss' Big And Little (Phoenix production starring Barbara Barrie, published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux.) She is currently on the faculty at Juilliard.

One of Orange County's newest theater companies, 3D Theatricals, will present THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE from May 21 thru June 13 at the O.C. Pavilion Theatre in the Arts district of downtown Santa Ana.

New York Theatre Workshop (NYTW) Artistic Director James C. Nicola and Managing Director William Russo have announced that Jonathan Cake has joined the cast of Restoration, written by Claudia Shear, and directed by Christopher Ashley. Mr. Cake assumes the role to have been played by Danny Mastrogiorgio.

Roundabout Theatre Company (Todd Haimes, Artistic Director), is pleased to announce a two week extension of Tennessee Williams' play The Glass Menagerie now through Sunday, June 13, 2010.

The new Disney animated film, 'Tangled' has just released its official trailer for the November movie. The movie is a retelling of the classic fairytale, Rapunzel. Actors involved include Mandy Moore as Rapunzel, Zachary Levi, Tony award winner Donna Murphy, Ewan McGregor and Steve Martin. Songs are composed by legendary composer and lyricist, Alan Menken and Glenn Slater. 'Tangled' will be the 50th animated feature in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series, planned for release on November 24, 2010.

The League of Professional Theatre Women (LPTW), a non-profit organization committed to promoting visibility and increasing opportunities for women in the professional theatre, is pleased to recognize the talents of two outstanding women: the Ruth Morley Design Award will be given to Tony Award-winning costume designer Susan Hilferty, and the LPTW Lucille Lortel Award and accompanying grant will be presented to director and actor Rebecca Patterson.

Judd Hirsch, Kathy Najimy, Wilson Jermaine Heredia, Debra Monk, Michael Stuhlbarg, Michael Longoria, Dan Butler, David Pittu, Jason Butler Harner, Jonathan Cake, Kristin Nielsen and Nancy Giles have joined the cast of STANDING ON CEREMONY: THE GAY MARRIAGE PLAYS, a collection of short plays written for marriage equality to benefit Human Rights Campaign, Marriage Equality New York and New York Theatre Workshop.

William Shakespeare's immortal comedy about the mishaps of love is staged by the Actors' NET of Bucks County, as it continues its fourteenth season. Produced by Virginia Barrie. Directed by Janet Quartarone.

Variety.com reports that Norbert Leo Butz (Tony-winner for DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS), Donna Murphy (Tony-winner for PASSION and THE KING AND I), and Bill Irwin (Tony-winner for WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF?) are set to appear in the upcoming 'Higher Ground,' now filming in New York state. Vera Farmiga (Academy Award-nominee for 'Up in the Air') will direct and star in the film, which will also feature Joshua Leonard ('Humpday'). The screenplay is based on a memoir by Carolyn Briggs about her experiences with radical Christianity.

A gorgeous, young rock star ruffles the feathers of an already conflicted string quartet in Bay Street's first Main Stage production of the 2010 Summer Season, the witty and moving play DISSONANCE. Written by Damian Lanigan, DISSONANCE makes its New York Premiere on the Bay Street stage as egos, loyalty and love are put the test in this engrossing play about a string quartet in disarray.

PS Classics, the label dedicated to the heritage of Broadway and American popular song, will record the original Broadway cast album of SONDHEIM ON SONDHEIM on June 6th and 7th. The production, presented by Roundabout Theatre Company (Todd Haimes, Artistic Director), began performances at Studio 54 on March 19th, opened officially on April 22nd and recently announced a two-week extension through June 27th.

Arden Theatre Company concludes its 2009/10 season with the Pultizer Prize-winning musical Sunday in the Park with George by Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine, directed by Terrence J. Nolen, the Arden's producing artistic director.

Opening Reagle Players' 42nd consecutive season on June 18th is the classic Into the Woods starring Broadway powerhouse Rachel York. York recently won the 2009 Irne Award for Best Musical Actress for her critically praised turn as the title character in Reagle's Hello, Dolly! That production was part of the group's 'Salute to Jerry Herman' season last summer. York now returns in mid June to portray The Witch in James Lapine and Stephen Sondheim's original fairy tale Into the Woods.

Arden Theatre Company concludes its 2009/10 season with the Pultizer Prize-winning musical Sunday in the Park with George by Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine, directed by Terrence J. Nolen, the Arden's producing artistic director. Sunday in the Park marks the twelfth Sondheim production in the company's history and the first time the Arden will use Sondheim's complete original orchestrations, led by Barrymore Award-winning musical director Eric Ebbenga.

A gorgeous, young rock star ruffles the feathers of an already conflicted string quartet in Bay Street's first Main Stage production of the 2010 Summer Season, the witty and moving play DISSONANCE. Written by Damian Lanigan, DISSONANCE makes its New York Premiere on the Bay Street stage as egos, loyalty and love are put the test in this engrossing play about a string quartet in disarray.

Porchlight Music Theatre presents the Tony Award-winning Sondheim classic Into the Woods at Theatre Building Chicago, 1225 West Belmont, from April 9 through May 30, 2010. The Press Opening is Monday, April 12 at 7:30 p.m.

Roundabout Theatre Company in association with Long Wharf Theatre is pleased to announce the full company for Tennessee Williams' play The Glass Menagerie, directed by Gordon Edelstein with Patch Darragh (Tom Wingfield), two-time Tony® Award winner Judith Ivey (Amanda Wingfield), Keira Keeley (Laura Wingfield), Michael Mosley (Jim O'Connor).

Arden Theatre Company concludes its 2009/10 season with the Pultizer Prize-winning musical Sunday in the Park with George by Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine, directed by Terrence J. Nolen, the Arden's producing artistic director.