Joe Mantello News

The American Repertory Theater is pleased to welcome actress Amy Brenneman back onto the Loeb Stage, with her autobiographical show Mouth Wide Open, created with longtime collaborator Sabrina Peck.

Patrons have the opportunity to purchase single tickets to WICKED Monday, May 23, at 7:00 a.m. EST in person at the Box Office at Theater Square, 655 Penn Avenue; and 9:00 a.m. EST by phone (412) 456-4800 and online at wicked.pgharts.org

Winners of the 2010-11 Drama League Awards, presented at the 77th Annual Drama League Awards Ceremony and Luncheon on Friday, May 20, 2011 (1 p.m.) at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in Times Square. Here is BroadwayWorld.com's special coverage of all the men in attendance.

Winners of the 2010-11 Drama League Awards, presented at the 77th Annual Drama League Awards Ceremony and Luncheon on Friday, May 20, 2011 (1 p.m.) at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in Times Square..

Patrons have the opportunity to purchase single tickets to WICKED Monday, May 23, at 7:00 a.m. EST in person at the Box Office at Theater Square, 655 Penn Avenue; and 9:00 a.m. EST by phone (412) 456-4800 and online at wicked.pgharts.org

Star on the NORMAL HEART, Ellen Barkin recently stopped by 'Late Night with JImmy Fallon' to chat about the Broadway revival. Click below to check out the interview!

The Independent Theater Bloggers Association (the 'ITBA') announced the 2011 recipients of the Third Annual Patrick Lee Theater Blogger Awards. Patrick Lee was one of the ITBA's founding members. Patrick passed away suddenly last June, and was an erudite, passionate, and tireless advocate for theater in all its forms. Patrick was also the ITBA's first awards director, and was a regular contributor to Theatermania and TDF Stages.

The Drama League has announced the rosters of stars who will appear as presenters at The 77th Annual Drama League Awards Ceremony and Luncheon on Friday, May 20, 2011 (noon) in the Grand Ballroom of the Marriott Marquis Hotel in Times Square (1535 Broadway at 46th Street). The ceremony will be hosted by Kathleen Turner (High).

After breaking box office records and selling out in record time in 2006 and 2008, WICKED, Broadway's biggest blockbuster, will return to Atlanta's Fabulous Fox Theatre from September 14-October 9, as a special to the Broadway Across America - Atlanta 2011-12 season.

Culled from as A-list a list as you are ever likely to acquire - Steven Spielberg, Robert Greenblatt, Craig Zadan, Neil Meron, Michael Mayer, Theresa Rebeck and Marc Shaiman/Scott Wittman onwards - SMASH is the adult answer to riveting dramatic musical entertainment coming with heart, laughs, unforgettable characters and some of the biggest twists this side of the starry stages on the Great White Way. Oh, yeah, and those hallowed Broadway halls, too. Plus, SMASH provides a great new opportunity to showcase the unbelievable talent on display on the stages of Broadway and Off-Broadway and beyond, particularly given the fact that it is shot in New York and it is being cast by the biggest casting director on Broadway, Bernie Telsey. Consider the theatre-centric casting LAW & ORDER times seventy six (trombones). All of New York is the talent pool from which the stage of SMASH shall be set. And, what exactly is SMASH about, anyway? Well, SMASH is all about Broadway and what makes a musical tick - from the very inception of the show's idea by the songwriters, through writing, rehearsals and the road; all the way to the big Broadway opening where dreams are made - and nightmares born - on one magnificent, momentous night. As viewers, we are taken inside the ticking clock of the show and we experience each and every one of the multitude of machinations enacted by everyone from the stars - Marilyn Monroe, and the actress playing her, Ivy; and, more importantly, her alternative, Karen - to the overworked director (Derek), harried songwriters Tom and Julia, and the speculative and cutthroat producer behind it all, Eileen.

As a super-special Spring extension of BroadwayWorld's SOUND OFF column, every day until the Tony Awards on June 12 we will be presenting a spectacular new entry in the SPOTLIGHT ON THE 2011 TONY AWARDS series featuring a particularly entertaining, interesting, relevant and exciting Tony Awards-related clip from the last sixty-three years of the ceremonies (and subsequent seasons on Broadway) with a rundown and commentary on the sights, sounds and showmanship on display in each carefully chosen selection - all, of course, coming in anticipation of Broadway's biggest night, which will be broadcast on CBS this year, as always. Once again this year, BroadwayWorld is the official home of the 2011 Tony Awards and we will also be featuring exclusive interviews, articles, photos, video content, interactive features and more in the coming days and weeks leading up to the event so be sure to check back daily for your theatre fix!

The upcoming season finale of the hit Fox comedy 'Glee' will feature scenes filmed on the stage of the Broadway blockbuster musical, WICKED. Check out a photo of Broadway veteran Lea Michele, who lend her voice to the upcoming 'Dorothy of Oz' film, on the set of WICKED below!

Currently starring in the Broadway revival of THE NORMAL HEART, Emmy-winner Jim Parsons just stopped by 'The Late Show with David Letterman' to chat about Broadway audiances, telethons, and more!

The upcoming season finale of the hit Fox comedy 'Glee' will feature scenes filmed on the stage of the Broadway blockbuster musical, WICKED.

Outer Critics Circle, the organization of writers and commentators for all media covering New York theatre announced today its award winners for the 2010-11 season in 23 categories.

Alexander Greenfield (Asst. Director, BORN YESTERDAY) will direct a cast that includes Jason Michael Snow (The Book of Mormon), Tobias Segal (The Miracle Worker), Arden Myrin (Chelsea Lately), Lucas Near-Verbrugghe (Bloody, Bloody Andrew Jackson) Maggie Low (Times of War) and Elizabeth West (The Women) in a reading of Pulitzer- nominated Tom Diggs' new play LOVE IN THE TIME OF REAGAN at an industry reading in midtown Manhattan one day only on May 16, 2011 at 3 pm in an undisclosed location.

After breaking box office records and selling out in record time in 2009, WICKED, Broadway's biggest blockbuster, returns to Omaha's Orpheum Theater, Wednesday, May 25 through Tickets for WICKED's return engagement went on sale February 21. They start at $39 and can be purchased online at TicketOmaha.com; by calling 402-345-0606 or at Ticket Omaha in the Holland Performing Arts Center, 13th and Douglas streets, Omaha, Neb. For group sales call 402-661-8516 or toll-free at 866-434-8587.

WICKED, the most anticipated musical production of the 2011 season will go on sale to the public on Saturday, May 14.

With a 2011 Tony nomination for Best Featured Actor In A Play for his magnetic turn in the critically-hailed revival of Larry Kramer's THE NORMAL HEART on Broadway and a leading role on Showtime's THE BIG C co-starring real-life close friend Laura Linney, as well as a busy film career that boats memorable turns in THE REF, ME & MY SHADOWS: LIFE WITH JUDY GARLAND, FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS, the recent remake of THE TAKING OF PELHAM 123 and TRANSFORMERS: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN, John Benjamin Hickey is a very busy man. Nevertheless, he was kind enough to recently take some time out of his beyond busy schedule to talk all about his stage and screen career - including sharing some revealing anecdotes about starring in THE CRUCIBLE with Liam Neeson and Linney, as well as working with the esteemed playwright Arthur Miller himself, in addition to his work in Terrance McNally's LOVE, VALOUR, COMPASSION, Sam Mendes and Rob Marshall's revival of CABARET, and, of course, all about the George C. Wolfe/Joel Grey production of THE NORMAL HEART starring director/actor Joe Mantello that he is participating in now. Plus, we have his thoughts on his recent GOOD WIFE appearance, feelings on the place of political theatre in society today, what roles he would like to take on in the future, his affection for the work of Edward Albee - and much, much more.

Below, we bring you Joe Mantello, Best Actor in a Play nominee for The Normal Heart. Both a director and performer, Mantello is perhaps best known for his acclaimed direction of Wicked, Assassins, 9 to 5, November, Three Days of Rain, and Glengarry Glen Ross among many others, and his performance as the original Louis Ironson in Angels in America.