Joan Marcus News

The event, taking place in the Eisenhower Office Building's South Court Auditorium, will feature remarks from Obama, and will be livestreamed at http://www.whitehouse.gov//live.

The Bridges of Madison County, the new musical based on the best selling novel by Robert James Waller, opens tonight, February 20, 2014, at 8:00 PM at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre (236 West 45th Street). Let's see what the critics had to say...

The Smith Center for the Performing Arts announces the highly anticipated lineup of performances for the 2014-2015 Broadway Las Vegas Series. Running August 2014 to May 2015, the upcoming season sponsored by Southern Nevada Ford Stores will boast Broadway favorites, three first national tours and exciting Las Vegas premieres. As a testament to The Smith Center's commitment to bringing top-tier productions and first-run shows, the center is excited to launch its first-ever national tour with the previously announced, Tony Award-winning musical KINKY BOOTS.

Broadway In Chicago and Producers Kevin McCollum, Doug Morris and Berry Gordy have announced an additional open call casting search for African American singers for the upcoming national tour of MOTOWN THE MUSICAL, with a rare opportunity to audition for this hit Broadway musical at Ballet Chicago (17 N State Street) on Thursday, February 20 at 12 p.m. The first national tour will launch in Chicago April 22 - July 13, 2014 at the Oriental Theatre.

When GHOST: THE MUSICAL opened on Broadway it was met by a bevy of critical slams and was plagued by technical issues that would stall the production. Now, the troubled movie turned musical turned theme-park ride is limping, zombie-like, across the nation in a Non-Equity National Tour. Luckily, the production is employing a handful of theatre professionals. In many ways, that is this overblown clunker of a show's only saving grace.

Caryl Churchill's latest plays like two hours worth of sketches from the last ten minutes of SNL.

Roundabout Theatre Company's production of Machinal, starring Rebecca Hall and directed by Lindsay Turner, will conclude its limited engagement on March 2, 2014 at 2:00PM.

The talk back series at Harold Pinter's acclaimed production of NO MAN'S LAND continues Thursday, February 20 with Ian McKellen, Patrick Stewart, Billy Crudup, Shuler Hensley and moderator Barbara Chai (Wall Street Journal correspondent). After the performance of NO MAN'S LAND, Chai and the actors will discuss Harold Pinter's play and answer audience questions about the production and the acclaimed repertory season. The ticketed audience for each performance is welcome to stay, free of charge, for the talk back. A ticket is required for the performance.

Debra Messing, star of Manhattan Theatre Club's world premiere Outside Mullingar, the new play by John Patrick Shanley, directed by Doug Hughes, will appear on 'The Today Show' as a live guest today, February 18 at 10:00AM. Locally, the program can be found on NBC (Time Warner Cable channel 4.)

Legendary best friends Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart always seem to be having a blast by the looks of their social media. From dressing up as a lobster to sitting on Santa's lap, the stars of blockbuster films Lord of the Rings and X-Men, know how to have a good time. Today, February 18, at noon, they join WNYC's On the Media host Brooke Gladstone for a lunchtime conversation about their newest projects including their two plays currently on Broadway, their epic friendship, and much more in The Greene Space at WNYC.

Debra Messing, star of Manhattan Theatre Club's world premiere Outside Mullingar, the new play by John Patrick Shanley, directed by Doug Hughes, will appear on 'The Today Show' as a live guest on Tuesday, February 18 at 10:00AM. Locally, the program can be found on NBC (Time Warner Cable channel 4.)

Playwrights Horizons' New York premiere production of Stage Kiss, a new play marking the eagerly-anticipated return to PH of two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist and Tony Award nominee Sarah Ruhl (Dead Man's Cell Phone at PH; The Clean House, In the Next Room..., Eurydice), is currently in previews off-Broadway. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast in action below!

After breaking box office records and selling out in record time in 2012, Wicked, Broadway's biggest blockbuster, will return to Sacramento Community Center Theater from May 28 through June 15 as part of the Broadway Sacramento series. Tickets for the return engagement go on sale today, February 15.

David Henry Hwang's KUNG FU, starring Cole Horbie and Phoebe Strole, is currently in previews ahead of an official opening night on February 24, 2014 in The Irene Diamond Stage at The Pershing Square Signature Center. The production will continue through March 30. Check out a first look at the cast in action, below!

"The new season, our 48th season at the Music Center of Los Angeles," said Ritchie, "will include from Broadway two hit musicals and a celebrated drama - the magical 'Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella,' the mischievous 'Matilda The Musical' and the much beloved Cicely Tyson in Horton Foote's exquisite 'The Trip to Bountiful.'

Ghostlight Records has announced the release of the Original Cast Recording of the new Broadway hit Beautiful - The Carole King Musical. The album, produced by Jason Howland and Steve Sidwell, with Kurt Deutsch serving as Executive Producer, will be recorded on Monday, February 17th and will be available for purchase digitally and in stores this spring. Like the musical, the cast record of Beautiful will feature a stunning array of beloved songs written by Gerry Goffin/Carole King and Barry Mann/Cynthia Weil, including 'Will You Love Me Tomorrow,' 'One Fine Day,' (You Make Me Feel Like A) Natural Woman,' 'On Broadway,' 'You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling,' and many more.

While waiting for the snow to clear you can show your metro card to purchase $20 tickets to see Roundabout Theatre Company's MACHINAL starring Rebecca Hall on Broadway. The $20 tickets go on sale at 10AM tomorrow morning, February 13. Machinal plays at 8pm tomorrow night at the American Airlines Theatre (227 West 42 Street). $20 tickets are available for purchase at the box office only. Machinal is a limited engagement through March 2.

16 years after they swept San Francisco Bay Area audiences off their feet with the Tony Award-winning production Fool Moon, American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.) welcomes back Tony Award winners Bill Irwin and David Shiner in the West Coast premiere of the Signature Theatre production of Old Hats. Using music, technology and movement - plus a few other tricks up their sleeves - Old Hats combines the inimitable magic, slapstick and hilarity of Irwin and Shiner into a wild and remarkable outing of theatre for generations old and new. Directed by Tina Landau, Old Hats was the recipient of the 2013 Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Alternative Theatrical Experience and the 2013 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Revue. Old Hats marks the first collaboration for Irwin and Shiner since the smash Broadway hit Fool Moon, which set A.C.T. box office records during its sold-out 1998 run and their return engagement in 2001. At this time, tickets to Old Hats are available only to subscribers of A.C.T.'s 2014-15 season.