Joan Marcus News

William Inge's Pulitzer Prize-winning play Picnic returns to Broadway in a striking new production helmed by acclaimed director Sam Gold (Roundabout's Look Back in Anger, Seminar). Academy Award winner Ellen Burstyn stars alongside theatre veterans Reed Birney (The Dream of the Burning Boy) and Elizabeth Marvel (Other Desert Cities), rising stars Maggie Grace ('Lost') and Sebastian Stan ('Gossip Girl'), Emmy Award winner Mare Winningham (recently seen in Tribes), Madeleine Martin (August: Osage County) and Ben Rappaport (Hope Springs). Check out three new photos of Sebastian Stan and Maggie Grace onstage below!

The juggernaut has arrived! Yes the winner of nine Tony Awards including Best Musical, "The Book of Mormon", has come to the Paramount Theatre to sold out houses. But can this highly anticipated touring show live up to all the hype and deliver? Do the Elders in Africa put on fabulous tap numbers? Well, for those that haven't seen the show yet, the answer to that is a resounding, "YES!"

The Other Place, the new play starring Laurie Metcalf, plays Manhattan Theatre Club's Samuel J. Friedman Theatre (261 West 47th Street). The Other Place opens tonight, January 10. The Other Place stars Laurie Metcalf ('Roseanne,' November), Daniel Stern ('The Wonder Years,' Diner), Zoe Perry (Broadway debut), and John Schiappa (Assassins, Take Me Out). Check out photos of the stars onstage below!

Producers Alan D. Marks, Barbara Marks, Wade Turnbull, Steve Hendel, Ruth Hendel, and Tom Kirdahy have just announced that COTTON CLUB PARADE, the Encores! Special event that played two acclaimed runs at New York City Center, will arrive on Broadway this fall.

Troika Entertainment presents the international hit, Priscilla Queen of the Desert The Musical. Priscilla Queen of the Desert The Musical launches its national tour on January 8 in Minneapolis, MN at the Orpheum Theatre. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the production below!

The hit Broadway revival of The Heiress has partnered with GoldDerby.com on an exclusive sweepstakes where fans can enter to win round trip air travel for two to New York City, a two night stay at the DoubleTree by Hilton Metropolitan and a pair of tickets to The Heiress, plus a backstage tour of the Walter Kerr Theatre. For more information, go to www.goldderby.com/news/3804/the-heiress-contest-broadway.html.

Manhattan Theatre Club's extended engagement of GOLDEN AGE, the third play in Terrence McNally's opera trilogy, directed by Tony Award winner Walter Bobbie, begins the final week of its run tomorrow at 7 PM at MTC at New York City Center - Stage I (131 West 55th Street). When it ends its engagement on Sunday, January 13, the production will have played 20 preview performances and 48 regular performances.

Performances of Tennessee Williams' Cat on a Hot Tin Roof starring Scarlett Johansson as Maggie, Ciarán Hinds as Big Daddy, Benjamin Walker as Brick and Debra Monk as Big Mama, directed by Rob Ashford, began on December 18. Cat on a Hot Tin Roof opens January 17 and will play a limited engagement for 15 weeks only, through March 30, 2013 at the Richard Rodgers Theatre (226 West 46th Street). BroadwayWorld has a first look at the Johansson and Walker onstage in the photo below!

As expected (thankfully) 2012 provided Southern California audiences--specifically here in Orange County and nearby Los Angeles and San Diego--a season full of outstanding, remarkable theater offerings from touring companies, impressive regional productions, and even some tiny black box theaters. And, of course, as is the common practice during the ushering of a new year, the enjoyable past-time of putting together a year-end 'best of' list is something contributor Michael Lawrence Quintos truly looks forward to doing, especially when there's a plethora of great work to choose from--many of which he had the pleasure of reviewing exclusively for BroadwayWorld.

THE OTHER PLACE, the new play starring Laurie Metcalf, is now in previews at Manhattan Theatre Club's Samuel J. Friedman Theatre (261 West 47th Street). THE OTHER PLACE will open Thursday, January 10. THE OTHER PLACE stars Laurie Metcalf ('Roseanne,' November), Daniel Stern ('The Wonder Years,' Diner), Zoe Perry (Broadway debut), and John Schiappa (Assassins, Take Me Out). Get a first look at the stars onstage in the photos below!

Even if the names Marc Kudisch and Jeffrey Denman are as foreign to you as the middle monikers of the three wise men, there's a wonderful familiarity to their on-stage personas as The Holiday Guys.  It's the kind of relaxed, off-the-cuff give and take that's been enjoyed for generations, whether packaged as Hope and Crosby, Allen and Rossi or Brooks and Reiner.

TheatreWorks, the nationally acclaimed theatre of Silicon Valley, presents a family treat for the holidays, the Tony Award-winning musical BIG RIVER. Helmed by TheatreWorks Founding Artistic Director Robert Kelley, BIG RIVER plays November 28-December 30, 2012 (press opening December 1) at TheatreWorks at the Lucie Stern Theatre in Palo Alto.

A writer, traveler & political activist, Gavin was also in the last show at the Palace prior to 'Annie', 'Priscilla Queen of the Desert'.

The subjectivity of the truth appears to be a running theme in the intriguing work of young playwright, Amy Herzog, who follows the recent success of After The Revolution and 4,000 Miles with a moving drama, The Great God Pan.

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK: THE BOOK OF MORMON opens in Chicago, Blythe Danner returns to Broadway, CHICAGO celebrates a milestone, and so much more!

American Airlines has been announced as the official airline of the new critically acclaimed new production of the Tony Award-winning musical Annie. Cast members from the production will perform a selection of songs from the show at Terminal 8 at John F. Kennedy International Airport as part of American Airlines' JFK concert series on Friday, December 21 at 2:15 PM and 2:45 p.m.

William Inge's Pulitzer Prize-winning play Picnic returns to Broadway in a striking new production helmed by acclaimed director Sam Gold (Roundabout's Look Back in Anger, Seminar). Academy Award winner Ellen Burstyn stars alongside theatre veterans Reed Birney (The Dream of the Burning Boy) and Elizabeth Marvel (Other Desert Cities), rising stars Maggie Grace ('Lost') and Sebastian Stan ('Gossip Girl'), Emmy Award winner Mare Winningham (recently seen in Tribes), Madeleine Martin (August: Osage County) and Ben Rappaport (Hope Springs). Get a first look at the production photos below!

THE BOOK OF MORMON, winner of nine Tony Awards including Best Musical, just launched its Second National Tour in Chicago at the Bank of America Theatre (18 West Monroe), featuring Nic Rouleau as Elder Price, Syesha Mercado as Nabulungi & Ben Platt as Elder Cunningham. Check out just-released production shots below!

DEAD ACCOUNTS star Katie Holmes will appear on tomorrow's episode of "The Late Show with David Letterman." "The Late Show" airs locally on CBS2 at 11:35 PM or visit http://www.cbs.com/shows/late_show/ to watch online.