Joe Mantello News

A day-of-performance lottery for a limited number of orchestra seats will be held daily for WICKED, which will be performing from Wednesday, January 4th - Sunday, January 22nd at the Times-Union Center - Moran Theater at 300 West Water Street, Jacksonville, FL 32202.

After breaking box office records and selling out in record time in 2009, WICKED, Broadway's biggest blockbuster, will return to Austin at Texas Performing Arts Bass Concert Hall, playing January 25-February 12, 2012.

A day-of-performance lottery for a limited number of orchestra seats will be held daily for WICKED, which will be performing from Wednesday, January 4th - Sunday, January 22nd at the Times-Union Center - Moran Theater at 300 West Water Street, Jacksonville, FL 32202.

Theater Wit's annual holiday classic The Santaland Diaries, based on David Sedaris's true, hilarious holiday tale, returns for its eighth consecutive outing in 2011 featuring a newly-enhanced set and once again starring Mitchell Fain who always plays to rave reviews and sold out houses.

The third annual production of The Santaland Diaries is set to return to Portland Center Stage's Ellyn Bye Studio with a new Crumpet the Elf in tow, actor Jim Lichtscheidl.

On an upcoming episode of the Food Network's 'Cupcake Wars,' four cupcake bakers battle for a place at the star-studded party for the Los Angeles opening of the hit Broadway musical 'Wicked.' Tune in for the special episode at 8pm on January 1 on the Food Network.

Today in 1962, Broadway director and actor Joe Mantello was born. Mantello is perhaps best known for his work on Broadway productions of Wicked, Take Me Out and Assassins, as well as earlier in his career being one of the original Broadway cast of Angels in America. He most recently starred in last year's Tony winning revival of The Normal Heart, and in celebration of his birthday, you can check out a scene from the show below!

A day-of-performance lottery for a limited number of orchestra seats will be held daily for WICKED, which will be performing from Wednesday, January 4th - Sunday, January 22nd at the Times-Union Center - Moran Theater at 300 West Water Street, Jacksonville, FL 32202.

Starring Florida Rep regular, Jason Parrish, The Santaland Diaries follows the exploits of an unemployed writer who desperately takes a job as a Macy's Elf, and manages to expose the underside of Santa's workshop.

Zoetic Stage and The Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County proudly present David Sedaris' THE SANTALAND DIARIES, a side-splitting one-man play adapted for the stage by Tony Award-winning Broadway veteran Joe Mantello, now through December 23, 2011, in the intimate Carnival Studio Theater (Ziff Ballet Opera House). Starring Michael McKeever, one of South Florida's most produced and prolific artists, THE SANTALAND DIARIES is based on the outlandish, and true, chronicles of David Sedaris' unique experience during the holidays working as "Crumpet," a Christmas elf in Macy's Santaland display. This cult classic examines the desperation of unemployment, while celebrating the insanity of Christmas shopping and the ineffable 'cheer' of the holiday spirit.

Lincoln Center Theater (under the direction of Andre Bishop, Artistic Director, and Bernard Gersten, Executive Producer) has announced that Elizabeth Marvel will return to the cast of its critically acclaimed production of OTHER DESERT CITIES, a new play by Jon Robin Baitz, directed by Joe Mantello, beginning Tuesday, March 6 at the Booth Theatre (222 West 45 Street). Ms. Marvel, who created the role of Brooke Wyeth when OTHER DESERT CITIES premiered at LCT's Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater last winter, will join Stockard Channing, Stacy Keach, Judith Light and Justin Kirk in the production, replacing Rachel Griffiths who will play her final performance in the play on Sunday, March 4.

Rattlestick Playwrights Theater has announced the cast and creative team for the world premiere of Yosemite, a new play written by Daniel Talbott (Slipping). The fourth production of the company's 17th season, Yosemite will begin performances on Wednesday, January 18, 2012 at Rattlestick Theater (224 Waverly Place - off Seventh Avenue South, between Perry & West 11th Streets). The official opening night is set for Thursday, January 26th at 7pm. The production is scheduled to run through February 26th. Pedro Pascal directs.

Blackfriars Theatre, a not-for-profit mid -sized professional theatre on Rochester's "Theatre Row," brings back, for the third and final year "The Santaland Diaries," a comedy by nationally acclaimed author David Sedaris (adapted for the stage by Joe Mantello).

The Hollywood Reporter has revealed this morning that George Clooney will lead Dustin Lance Black's Prop 8 play, '8' in the show's LA premiere at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre on March 3, 2012. The show premiered with an all-star cast including Bob Balaban, Ellen Barkin, Matt Bomer, Campbell Brown, Anthony Edwards, K. Todd Freeman, Morgan Freeman, Jayne Houdyshell, Cheyenne Jackson, Jay Armstrong Johnson, Larry Kramer, Christine Lahti, Ken Leung, John Lithgow, Rory O'Malley, Rob Reiner, Ben Rosenfield, Kate Shindle, Yeardley Smith, Stephen Spinella and Bradley Whitford on Broadway on September 19, 2011 at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre.

Starring Florida Rep regular, Jason Parrish, The Santaland Diaries follows the exploits of an unemployed writer who desperately takes a job as a Macy's Elf, and manages to expose the underside of Santa's workshop.

Starring Florida Rep regular, Jason Parrish, The Santaland Diaries follows the exploits of an unemployed writer who desperately takes a job as a Macy's Elf, and manages to expose the underside of Santa's workshop.