Jonathan Larson News

Coming up this week, 54 BELOW, the performance venue located just below the legendary Studio 54 at 254 West 54th Street, presents some of the brightest stars from Broadway, cabaret, jazz and beyond:

Walden, a story-theatre style musical adaptation of Thoreau's best seller, featuring his work on the underground railroad and his star-crossed romance will be performed as a stage reading today, Monday, October 7th at The Gym at Judson Memorial Church. Book and Lyrics for Walden are written by Katherine Brann Fredricks and the music is composed by Bert Draesel. Brian Maschka directs a cast of eleven including Drew Aber, Cole Burden, Tyrone Davis, Jr, Susannah Jones, Lisa CM Lamothe, Rob Langeder, Heather Lundstedt, Ronnie Nelson, Doug Shapiro, Thalia St. Hubert and Stephanie Umoh.

Walden, a story-theatre style musical adaptation of Thoreau's best seller, featuring his work on the underground railroad and his star-crossed romance will be performed as a stage reading on Monday October 7th at The Gym at Judson Memorial Church. Book and Lyrics for Walden are written by Katherine Brann Fredricks and the music is composed by Bert Draesel. Brian Maschka directs a cast of eleven including Drew Aber, Cole Burden, Tyrone Davis, Jr, Susannah Jones, Lisa CM Lamothe, Rob Langeder, Heather Lundstedt, Ronnie Nelson, Doug Shapiro, Thalia St. Hubert and Stephanie Umoh.

"Crossing The River", a discussion featuring interfaith leaders led by Reverend Susan Turchin, and "The Power of the Voice", a discussion with innovative contemporary theater composers hosted by Natasha, Pierre and The Great Comet of 1812's Dave Malloy, will be offered as free post-performance events following upcoming performances of Prospect Theater Company's world premiere of TAMAR OF THE RIVER. The announcement was made today by Cara Reichel and Melissa Huber, the Producing Artistic Director and Managing Director of Prospect Theater Company.

On Sunday, September 22 New Georges held their BIG Benefit at Seamen's House, a private townhouse in Chelsea. The fundraiser featured a special performance by Eisa Davis and short plays and songs written specifically for the event by Laura Eason, Boo Killebrew, Julie Kramer, Rachel Peters and Charise Castro Smith, featuring Heidi Schreck, Maria-Christina Oliveras, Amy Wilson, Stephanie Wright Thompson, Eric Clem and others. Scroll down for photos from the festivities!

For the first DG Conservatory event of the fall, the Dramatists Guild is thrilled to team up with the writers who created Behind the Music-al, Kyle Ewalt and Michael Ian Walker, on Tuesday, October 8, 2013, at 6:00 p.m. The event will take place at the Dramatists Guild's New York office, in the Frederick Loewe Room, 1501 Broadway (between 43rd and 44th Streets), Suite 710. This free seminar is opening a limited number of seats to the public and reservations are required.

At a benefit event held for New Georges on Sunday, September 22, Producing Artistic Director Susan Bernfield and board member Michael Osso announced a new program at New Georges, The Audrey Residencies, and the artists and projects chosen for 2013-14, the program's inaugural year. Sunday's event also featured the premiere showing of a video about New Georges produced by tdf for tdfSTAGES' Meet the Theatre series and directed by Mark Blankenship, tdf's online content editor, to be released in early November.

Producers Whoopi Goldberg, Stage Entertainment and Troika Entertainment have announced that the North American Tour of the five-time Tony Award nominated musical SISTER ACT will begin its second year of performances. The tour opened on October 2, 2012 at Toronto's Ed Mirvish Theatre and is still rocking the rafters across the country. SISTER ACT opened to stellar reviews and continues to receive them across the country.

Utah Repertory Theater Company, hailed as 'the most exciting up-and-coming theater company in the state' by Broadway World, approaches its first-year anniversary.

Tick, tick... BOOM!, a rock musical, is an autobiographical tale of a young composer on the brink of turning 30 and falling into oblivion. Red Branch Theatre Company presents the show now through October 13, 2013. Click below to watch highlights from the show!

Tick, tick... BOOM!, a rock musical, is an autobiographical tale of a young composer on the brink of turning 30 and falling into oblivion. Red Branch Theatre Company presents the show now through October 13, 2013. Three actors portray ten characters through fourteen songs to take the audience on the playwright/composer's journey that ignited an interest in Jonathan Larson's work and ultimately led to Broadway sensation, RENT. Larson originally began performing the piece as a solo work in 1990. Following his death in 1996, playwright David Auburn revised the work and adapted it for three actors. It opened Off-Broadway in 2001. Below, BroadwayWorld has a first look at Red Branch's cast in action!

The Incubator Arts Project presents Blue Wizard / Black Wizard, written by Eliza Bent and Dave Malloy, with Music by Dave Malloy and Eliza Bent. Directed by Dan Safer, the play will run Dec 5 - 22, Tuesdays, Thursdays - Sundays at 8pm.

Angelwalk Theatre's Artistic Producer Brian Goldenberg has just sent out a plea to the community for support on the company's current production of Jonathan Larson's TICK, TICK...BOOM!, playing through Oct. 6. You can read his entire letter below.

This week we are excited to share a song by the talented writing team Joshua Salzman and Ryan Cunningham. Here is the brilliant Lauren Kennedy singing 'Don't Say Another Word' at our CEC concert at the Canal Room.

Below, we launch our 'Meet the Staff' series by profiling our Chief Theatre Critic Michael Dale!