LaJolla Playhouse News

Once again, the NAACP Beverly Hills/Hollywood Branch's Theatre Viewing Committee has spoken, and the nominations are in for the 28th Annual NAACP Theatre Awards. This year's pedigreed list of nominees collectively represents a rich, extensive dossier of legacies and accolades for both stage and screen. These nominees include members of a legendary 'gospel royal family' as well as a Legend whose part of an elite group of artists in the EGOT winners circle. These, along with all their fellow nominees, will be honored for their excellence on the small and large stages during our annual awards dinner, slated to be held on Monday, June 17, 2019, 6:00 p.m.at the prestigious Millennium Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles, California.

Ensemble for the Romantic Century (Eve Wolf, Executive Artistic Director) continues the 2018 - '19 season, ERC's 18th, with its final offering of the season, Hans Christian Andersen: Tales Real & Imagined by Eve Wolf. 

Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater announces the full company for the world premiere of Aaron Posner's JQA, recipient of an Edgerton Foundation New Play Award. The first of Posner's plays that is not adapted from an existing work, JQA shines a spotlight with humor and care on an ineffectual presidency, the idea of government and how a society lives in relationship to it, and the American experiment as it continues to evolve. Directed by Posner as well, JQA runs March 1 through April 14, 2019 in the Arlene and Robert Kogod Cradle.

PlayPenn, the nationally recognized new play development organization located in Philadelphia, is thrilled to announce new work dramaturg Julia Mauro Bumke as their Director of Education. A graduate of Harvard and Princeton Universities, Ms. Bumke will assume her position full time on August 1, 2018.

Broadway's smash hit musicalMemphis, winner of four Tony Awards® including Best Musical, Best Score, Best Book and Best Orchestrations, will open at The Gateway on July 6th and run through July 21st with preview performances on July 5th.

PlayPenn, the nationally-recognized new play development organization based in Philadelphia, is proud to announce their Summer 2018 Education offerings, which include both courses in Philadelphia and around-the-globe via a unique online platform. A number of internationally-recognized theatre artists are part of the program's faculty, including the return of Obie-winning performer Nilaja Sun, local favorite Michael Hollinger, and acclaimed writer Winter Miller.

PlayPenn, the new play development organization which assisted in the development of the Tony Award-winning international hit OSLO by J.T. Rogers, has announced their 2018 New Play Development Conference plays and writers. The conference, which takes place July 10 through July 29, 2018 in Philadelphia, includes workshops and readings of six plays, at least two additional readings of works-in-progress, and forums for artists and theatre lovers.

Escape to Margaritaville opened last week at the Marquis Theatre and BroadwayWorld at the Gypsy Robe ceremony before the production's opening night performance. We're taking you behind the scenes with recipient Matt Allen below!

The World Premiere of Don Nguyen's Hello, From the Children of Planet Earth opens tonight, on March 7 at The Duke on 42nd Street, a New 42nd Street project. Presented by The Playwrights Realm (Katherine Kovner, Founding Artistic Director; Roberta Pereira, Producing Director) and directed by Jade King Carroll, this philosophical, and tender comedy is split between the perspectives of a lesbian couple trying to conceive, and their potential-sperm-donor/aerospace engineer friend as they're stretched to contemplate the unknowns of their future.

The World Premiere of Don Nguyen's Hello, From the Children of Planet Earth opens tonight, on March 7 at The Duke on 42nd Street, a New 42nd Street project. Presented by The Playwrights Realm (Katherine Kovner, Founding Artistic Director; Roberta Pereira, Producing Director) and directed by Jade King Carroll, this philosophical, and tender comedy is split between the perspectives of a lesbian couple trying to conceive, and their potential-sperm-donor/aerospace engineer friend as they're stretched to contemplate the unknowns of their future.

Due to demand, The New Group has announced a three-week extension for Jerry Springer - The Opera, with Matt McGrath appearing as Jerry Springer beginning March 13.  Terrence Mann, currently appearing in the role of Jerry Springer, plays his final performance March 11 due to an existing commitment beyond that date.

PlayPenn, Philadelphia's artist-driven organization dedicated to the development of new plays and playwrights, has teamed up with R. Eric Thomas, Senior Staff Writer for ELLE Magazine (known for his 'Eric Reads the News' column) and winner of the 2016 Barrymore Best New Play Award for his work TIME IS ON OUR SIDE, to present an innovative and fun seminar designed to unlock the creative writer in any of us. Thomas, along with Yale-Horn Drama winning playwright Jacqueline Goldfinger, will present ART FOR ALL: A PRACTICAL GUIDE FOR LEADING A CREATIVE LIFE on February 18 at 4PM.

ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK star and Broadway veteran DALE SOULES guest stars on TruTv's hit comedy series AT HOME WITH AMY SEDARIS airing tomorrow, Tuesday, December 12 at 10:30 PM/9:30 PM Central. Check local listings in your area.

An array of award-winning teaching artists are lined up to share their craft and art with theater enthusiasts, theatre artists and writers in 2018. PlayPenn, the new play development organization based in Philadelphia, is proud to announce their Winter and Spring 2018 Education Series, led by award-winning playwright and University of Pennsylvania playwriting professor Jacqueline Goldfinger, which features both face-to-face courses in Philadelphia and online workshops that can be taken from anywhere in the world.

The producers of IRVING BERLIN'S WHITE CHRISTMAS have announced full casting for the North American Tour of IRVING BERLIN'S WHITE CHRISTMAS.

Natalie Weiss & Sally Wilfert first met in 2015 when asked to perform together for The Finger Lakes Musical Theatre Festival's Fall Gala. Immediately in rehearsal, they realized how seamlessly their voices intertwined into one, ultimately forging a special bond, almost like a sisterhood. This magical experience inspired and carried into what would become the One Voice EP, which drops today on iTunes.

Acclaimed actors and Tony Award nominees Daphne Rubin-Vega and Tom Hewitt celebrate the 'twisted' works of Aaron Mark in TWO TALES OF TERROR at the Beckett Theatre at Theatre Row (410 West 42nd Street), presented by All For One Theater (AFO) as a Halloween offering.

Acclaimed actors and Tony Award nominees Daphne Rubin-Vega and Tom Hewitt celebrate the 'twisted' works of Aaron Mark in TWO TALES OF TERROR at the Beckett Theatre at Theatre Row (410 West 42nd Street), presented by All For One Theater (AFO) as a Halloween offering.

PlayPenn, Philadelphia's new play development organization, is proud to announce that arts administrator and theatre artist Erin Read will join PlayPenn as the team's new General Manager.

The Hunchback of Notre Dame is not a typical Disney stage creation. It is a dark, brooding musical and probably not appropriate for children. While the first act is rather slow, the second act is strong. It is well worth seeing.