Joan Marcus News

Playwrights Horizons World Premiere production of THE PATRON SAINT OF SEA MONSTERS, a new play by Blackburn Prize winner Marlane Meyer (The Chemistry of Change and Moe's Lucky Seven for PH; Etta Jenks), is currently in previews off-Broadway. Directed by two-time Obie Award winner Lisa Peterson (The Chemistry of Change for PH; An Iliad, Slavs!), the production has an Opening Night set for Tuesday, November 12 at 7PM and will play a limited engagement through Sunday evening, December 1 at Playwrights Horizons' Peter Jay Sharp Theater (416 West 42nd Street). BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast in action below!

There are many good rules pertaining to the creation of a new Broadway musical. Two of them are, 1) Just because you have the technology to do something doesn't necessarily mean that you should do it and 2) Some movies just shouldn't be made into musicals. The first U.S. national tour of Ghost: The Musical, playing at Providence Performing Arts Center is an excellent example of what happens when both of those are thrown out the window.

Four-time Tony Award nominee Tovah Feldshuh (Irena's Vow, Golda's Balcony) recently assumed the role of 'Berthe' in PIPPIN on September 24th. Feldshuh previously played the role during Tony Award winner Andrea Martin's vacation in August. Below, BroadwayWorld brings you a first look at the star in action!

Lisa Kron and Jeanine Tesori's adaptation of Alison Bechdel's graphic novel demands to be seen by anyone who takes musical theatre seriously.

Casting has been announced for the Los Angeles return engagement of Disney's THE LION KING. Los Angeles' most eagerly awaited stage production ever will leap onto the Hollywood Pantages stage from November 20, 2013 - January 12, 2014. The press opening night is Friday, November 22 at 8pm. The landmark musical will return to Los Angeles for the first time since its triumphant return engagement in November 2006, where the production played a sold-out run at Hollywood Pantages.

Broadway In Chicago is pleased to announce that a WICKED day-of-performance drawing for a limited number of orchestra seats will take place inside Block Thirty Seven. Block Thirty Seven is located at 108 N State, across from the Oriental Theatre. An additional pair of tickets for each performance will be given away, courtesy of Block Thirty Seven, in honor of the 10th Anniversary of WICKED. WICKED begins performances at the Oriental Theatre on Wednesday, October 30.

Tickets will go on sale Saturday, November 9 at 10am for the St. Louis return engagement of the Tony, Grammy and Olivier Award-winning hit musical JERSEY BOYS, the story of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons, playing the Fox Theatre February 19-March 2, 2014.

This week, the fabulous frocks and fierce fun of the first national tour of the hit stage musical PRISCILLA QUEEN OF THE DESERT returns to Southern California for a one-week limited engagement at Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Orange County, October 22 - 27. Before the colorful caravan parks itself here in Costa Mesa, Bryan West---who plays young Adam (aka Felicia)---agreed to answer a few silly questions from BroadwayWorld's Michael Lawrence Quintos...

Playwrights Horizons presents its New York premiere production of Mr. Burns, A Post-Electric Play, a new play by Anne Washburn, with music by Obie Award winner Michael Friedman. Directed by Steve Cosson, the Obie Award-winning Artistic Director of The Civilians, Mr. Burns is being presented as the first production of Playwrights Horizons' 2013/2014 Season.

Manhattan Theatre Club and MCC Theater's world premiere of Sharr White's THE SNOW GEESE, opens Thursday, October 24 at MTC's Samuel J. Friedman Theatre (261 West 47th Street). This strictly limited 11 week engagement began previews on Tuesday, October 1. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast in action below!

Do ya hear that playin'? Do ya know what's playin'? Why it's one of the best interpretations of a classic musical I've seen. The current touring production of Cole Porter's "Anything Goes", on stage now at the 5th Avenue Theatre, has three major things going for it; a director who understands the style and point of the show, a cast working their butts off while making it all look effortless and fun, and Rachel York. And all that amounts to perma-grin for two hours, leaving the theater with the uncontrollable urge to hum the tunes and a killer evening.

The captivating new production of Terence Rattigan's classic THE WINSLOW BOY comes to Roundabout directly from The Old Vic Theatre in London. The Winslow Boy, starring Michael Cumpsty, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Alessandro Nivola and Roger Rees, directed by Lindsay Posner, opens tonight, October 17, 2013 at American Airlines Theatre. Let's see what the critics had to say...

Roger Rees leads an excellent ensemble in Lindsay Posner's crackling production of Terence Rattigan's drama of family honor.

The prolific screenwriter who wrote Steven Spielberg's film Lincoln will share his outspoken views on Thursday, November 14, at 7:30 p.m., at The Ridgefield Playhouse. It will be possible to 'sit and chat' with Tony Kushner, Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright and Oscar nominated screenwriter and author of Angels in America and Caroline, or Change when he shares his outspoken views on 'taboo' subjects in contemporary history. This evening of entertaining conversation and mesmerizing storytelling will take place on stage at The Ridgefield Playhouse on Thursday, November 14, at 7:30 p.m. hosted by Emmy award-winning journalist Morton Dean who will lead an audience Q&A. This event is part of the Moffly Media Entertaining Conversation Series?and Ridgefield Library @ The Ridgefield Playhouse Event series with media sponsor WSHU 91.1fm. Bernard's (22 West Lane, Ridgefield; reservations suggested) is offering a $45 prix-fixe menu or a complimentary glass of wine with dinner before this event when tickets are presented.

Producers Paul Blake and Sony/ATV Music Publishing confirmed today that the remainder of the Pre-Broadway World Premiere run of the highly anticipated new musical Beautiful-The Carole King Musical is officially sold out at San Francisco's SHN Curran Theatre. Beautiful, which began previews on September 24, will play its final performance in San Francisco on October 20, 2013, before heading to Broadway, where it begins performances at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre (124 West 43 Street) on November 21, 2013 and officially opens on January 12, 2014.

A new block of tickets to A NIGHT WITH JANIS JOPLIN, which opened last week to rave reviews for star Mary Bridget Davies, are on sale today. Tickets for the new musical are now on sale through Sunday, March 30 by calling Telecharge.com at 212-239-6200, online atwww.telecharge.com, or at the Lyceum Theatre box office (149 West 45th Street).

The task of wrapping up a musical involving Ugandan warlords, closeted Mormons, and amphibious fornication might prove to be rough for the average lyricist - but SOUTH PARK masterminds Trey Parker and Matt Stone have done it nicely with the THE BOOK OF MORMON's 11 o'clock performance of 'Tomorrow is a Latter Day,' and the infamous anthem 'I Believe.' As do KINKY BOOTS' flashy footwear-driven 'Raise You Up/Just Be,' proving everyone loves a good drag queen in six-inch heels, or PIPPIN's big reveal in 'Finale/Magic Shows and Miracles.'

Elizabeth Olsen's Juliet makes a good argument that William Shakespeare's tragedy of teenage lust could have been submitted as a continuing arc for Lena Dunham's hit series, Girls.

Roundabout Theatre Company has announced a special talkback at BAD JEWS featuring NYC faith leaders, playwright Joshua Harmon and actor Michael Zegen following the 7:30pm performance on Thursday, October 24. The talkback is complimentary for ticketholders to this performance, and a limited number of tickets are still available to purchase.

Betsy Wolfe and Adam Kantor will reprise their roles as Cathy and Jamie in Jason Robert Brown's THE LAST FIVE YEARS in a concert version at 54 Below, running tonight, October 16 - 19, 2013.