John Bell News

Primary Stages (Casey Childs, Executive Producer; Andrew Leynse, Artistic Director; Elliot Fox, Managing Director), in association with Martin Hummel, present the New York premiere of the new comedy, Love Child, written and performed by Daniel Jenkins (Mary Poppins, Big River) and Robert Stanton (The Coast of Utopia, All in the Timing), as an added event of the 2008-2009 season. Under the direction of Carl Forsman, performances are set to begin Sunday evening, October 12, 2008 at 5:00 p.m. and will run in repertory with A Body of Water by Lee Blessing for a limited engagement through November 19, 2008. Opening night is October 26, 2008 at 7:00 p.m.

The legendary authors of Fiddler on the Roof - Jerry Bock, Sheldon Harnick and Joseph Stein - will launch the release of the York Theatre's original cast recording of their inaugural 1958 Broadway outing, The Body Beautiful, in a special concert event at the Lincoln Triangle Barnes & Noble on Wednesday, September 17 at 5:30pm.

Tony Award-winner Tonya Pinkins (Jelly's Last Jam, Caroline or Change) and Tracie Thoms (Broadway's Drowning Crow, TV's Cold Case) star in And Her Hair Went With Her, a tour de-force for two actors by Zina Camblin.

The cast of the York Theatre's recent revival of The Body Beautiful - including Tony winner Cady Huffman (The Producers) and Tony nominees Brad Oscar (The Producers) and Megan Lawrence (The Pajama Game) - will go into the recording studio on April 7 to preserve Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick's inaugural Broadway score set to a book by Joseph Stein and Will Glickman.

The Public Theater announced details for two post-show discussions to follow performances of John Belluso's The Poor Itch. The discussions will follow performances of the production, currently playing as part of the Public LAB series, on Saturday, March 8 at 8PM and Wednesday, March 12 at 8PM.

The Public Theater (Artistic Director Oskar Eustis; Executive Director Mara Manus) announced casting today for The Poor Itch, the second play of the inaugural PUBLIC LAB initiative. Directed by Lisa Peterson, The Poor Itch is a new play by the late John Belluso that will run March 7-23. Tickets are $10 for all PUBLIC LAB performances.

Urban Stages is pleased to announce the final production of their 2007/2008 season: 27 Rue de Fleurus, a new musical derived from the imagination of Alice B. Toklas. Alice tries to set the record straight about being Gertrude Stein's 'wife' for nearly 40 years. 27 Rue de Fleurus will be directed by Urban Stages Artistic Director Frances Hill. Performances will be at 259 West 30th Street (between 7th and 8th). Previews will begin on Saturday, March 1st with the opening date scheduled for Thursday, March 6th and will run through Sunday, April 6th.

Theater By The Blind, which has worked for 29 years to develop blind and vision-impaired talent for the theater, television and film, is changing its name to Theater Breaking Through Barriers, remaining TBTB. The company continues its commitment to vision-impaired artists but has been including artists with all disabilities in their productions, and is preparing to announce its 2008 season: Romeo and Juliet and an American comedy, both performed at the Kirk Theatre on Theatre Row.

The Public Theater received an extraordinary 2.7 million dollar grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to launch 'Public LAB,' a vital new play series conceived and presented in association with LAByrinth Theater Company.

The Fulton is proud to present the world premiere of Treasure Island: A Musical Adventure, with music by Marc Robin and book and lyrics by Marc Robin and Curt Dale Clark. Starring John Herrera as Long John Silver. The show opens on March 6, 2008 and runs through March 22.

Playwrights Lucy Alibar, Jesse Cameron Alick, Robert Askins and Steven Levenson are the newest members of Youngblood, Ensemble Studio Theatre's collective of emerging professional playwrights.

The Irish Repertory Theatre will present Dylan Thomas' A Child's Christmas in Wales & Twas the Night Before Christmas, adapted and directed by Charlotte Moore, with traditional and original music, December 5 - 30, 2007. Previews begin December 5. The official opening will be on December 13, 2007.

On Friday, October 12, The York Theatre Company opened The Body Beautiful, the third of the four shows in the Fall 2007 Musicals in Mufti Series

The York Theatre Company is now in rehearsals for The Body Beautiful, the third of the four shows in the Fall 2007 Musicals in Mufti Series - the York's acclaimed series of musical theatre gems in staged concert performances, October 12, 13 & 14.

The York Theatre Company is now in rehearsals for The Body Beautiful, the third of the four shows in the Fall 2007 Musicals in Mufti Series to play October 12, 13 and 14 at the Theatre at Saint Peters.

The York Theatre Company announces casting for The Body Beautiful, the third of the four shows in the Fall 2007 Musicals in Mufti Series - the York's acclaimed series of musical theatre gems in staged concert performances. This Series celebrates the work of playwright Joseph Stein. The Body Beautiful will play October 12, 13 & 14 at the Theatre at Saint Peters; to star Dick Latessa and Cady Huffman.

The New York Musical Theatre Festival (NYMF) and Bridge Club Productions will present The Angle of the Sun, a new musical by Rachel Lampert (book and lyrics) and Larry Pressgrove (music)

Invitation-only readings of Izzy! A Dizzy Musical Fairy Tale will feature a number of Broadway stars

The Irish Repertory's production of 'Meet Me in St. Louis' exends until February 18th.

As a 10th Anniversary celebration of both 'The 24 Hour Plays' and FringeNYC, the 24 Hour Company is remounting 24 classic shows for the first time ever; the cast will include Rachel Dratch, Elizabeth Berkley, Matthew Lillard and more