Lucille Lortel News

The New York Musical Theater Festival, Stella Entertainment and Quill & Quaver Associates will present the world premiere of the new Australian Musical, THE MAPMAKER'S OPERA, based on the novel "The Mapmakers Opera" by Bea Gonzalez, with a dynamic score based on Gypsy Flamenco, Latino and regional Mexican infused musical styles, July 9-20 at the Pearl Theatre, 555 West 42nd St. A moving love story set against the backdrop of the Mexican Revolution, and an Official Selection of the 2014 New York Musical Theatre Festival's Next Link Project, THE MAPMAKER'S OPERA is directed by Donald Brenner with book and Lyrics by Victor Kazan and music by Kevin Purcell.

MCC Theater has announced the extension of the American premiere of Penelope Skinner's celebrated play The Village Bike, starring indie film actress Greta Gerwig, and featuring direction by Sam Gold. The production is now scheduled at the Lucille Lortel Theatre (121 Christopher Street, NYC) through Sunday, July 13, 2014. It was previously scheduled through June 28th. Tickets for the added performances are on sale now.

Michael Cerveris, Isaiah Johnson, Randy Newman, Laura Osnes, Vonda Shepard, Brooklyn Shuck, Tony Vincent and Broadway Inspirational Voices have been cast in Randy Newman's Faust: The Concert, which will be performed on July 1 as the second Encores! Off-Center presentation of the 2014 season. Faust will be directed by Thomas Kail and choreographed by Marcos Santana. Jeanine Tesori is the Encores! Off-Center artistic director; Chris Fenwick is its music director.

Musician/composer/lyricist Michael Patrick Walker is world premiering a new musical Dog and Pony at the Old Globe in San Diego. Walker is best known as one of the composers of the hit musical Altar Boyz. He was nominated for a 2005 Lucille Lortel Award for Best Off-Broadway Musical and for two 2005 Drama Desk Awards for Best Music and for Best Lyrics for Altar Boyz. The show also won the 2005 Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Off-Broadway Musical. In our chat, Walker talks in depth about Dog and Pony and working with the cast and creative team at the Old Globe.

Do blondes really have more fun? Audiences will soon find out at Pittsburgh CLO's production of Legally Blonde The Musical, June 13-22 at the Benedum Center. This mega movie hit will be brought to life by a cast of Broadway's best and Pittsburgh CLO veterans. Watch as Elle Woods takes over the stage with her vivacious personality and a score sure to please.

Roundabout Theatre Company (Todd Haimes, Artistic Director) just announced that Tony Award winner Levi Kreis (Million Dollar Quartet) will join the company of Violet as 'The Preacher,' beginning performances Tuesday, July 1, 2014. Violet stars two-time Tony Award winner Sutton Foster, Colin Donnell, Alexander Gemignani and Tony Award nominee Joshua Henry. The Tony nominated production plays a strictly limited engagement at Broadway's American Airlines Theatre (227 West 42nd Street) through August 10, 2014.

MCC Theater presents Greta Gerwig, with Max Baker, Jason Butler Harner, Lucy Owen, Cara Seymour, and Scott Shepherd, in the American premiere of Penelope Skinner's celebrated play The Village Bike, the final production of MCC's 2013-14 Main Stage season. The Village Bike is directed by Sam Gold, who recently directed the much-raved new musical Fun Home and this season's The Realistic Jones on Broadway. The Village Bike is currently in previews at The Lucille Lortel Theatre (121 Christopher Street, NYC), with an official opening tonight, June 10, 2014. Let's see what the critics had to say...

The Peccadillo Theater Company presents Penguin Rep's production of DROP DEAD PERFECT, a new comedy starring the legendary Everett Quinton at the Theatre at St. Clements (423 W 46th St - between 9th and 10th Avenue) beginning Tuesday, July 15th, with opening set for Sunday, July 20th at 7PM.

Producers of Heathers: The Musical, the new smash-hit musical stage adaptation of Daniel Waters' iconic 1989 dark comedy film, will host A VERY HEATHERS PROM immediately following the performance on Wednesday, June 18, from 10:30PM-2:00AM at New World Stages (340 West 50th Street) in New York City. The Prom celebrates the release of the show's World Premiere Cast Recording on Yellow Sound Label, available now for digital download on iTunes, and in stores June 17.

Now in its 3rd year, Talawa Theatre Company's acclaimed new-writing festival, TALAWA FIRSTS will return between today 11 and 27 June. Talawa Studios -- the company's dedicated performance space in Old Street -- will become a hub of activity for three weeks, showcasing and developing the best in Black British writing.

The cast of the Tony and Grammy Award-winning Best musical ONCE welcomes Jessie Fisher to the role of 'Girl' beginning Tuesday, June 17. Joanna Christie will play her final performance on Sunday, June 15.

MCC Theater welcomes Greta Gerwig, joined by Max Baker, Jason Butler Harner, Lucy Owen, Cara Seymour, and Scott Shepherd, in the American premiere of Penelope Skinner's celebrated play The Village Bike, the final production of MCC's 2013-14 Main Stage season. The Village Bike is directed bySam Gold, who recently directed the much-raved new musical Fun Home and this season's The Realistic Jones on Broadway. The Village Bike is currently in previews at The Lucille Lortel Theatre (121 Christopher Street, NYC), with an official opening tonight, June 10, 2014. BroadwayWorld brings you highlights of the cast in action below!

Classic Stage Company has announced that Dave Quay, who appeared in the company's recent production of David Ives' The Heir Apparent, is this year's recipient of the Rosemarie Tichler Fund grant.

Buyer & Cellar, New York's longest-running comedy now starring Barrett Foa ('NCIS: Los Angeles,' Avenue Q), will play its 4oothperformance at the Barrow Street Theatre (27 Barrow Street) at 7:30pm, Friday, June 13. On Wednesday, June 11, at 2pm, original star and current star of the National tour of Buyer & Cellar, Michael Urie, will play his 400th performance as Alex More, a (fictional) Los Angeles actor who takes a job working in the (very real) basement shopping arcade of Barbra Streisand's Malibu estate. Buyer & Cellar, written by Jonathan Tolins and directed by Stephen Brackett, recouped its initial investment faster than any Off-Broadway show in recent history.

Theatre Development Fund (TDF), one of the country's foremost not-for-profit service organizations for the performing arts, has announced that Anne Trites will assume the post of Director of Development. The announcement was made by TDF's Executive Director, Victoria Bailey. Ms. Trites, who will begin her duties on June 30, has held the positions of Director of Marketing and Communications/Professor (adjunct) of Theatre Management, Yale School of Drama/Yale Repertory Theatre and Director of Development and Communications at The Canadian Stage Company.

As announced earlier this evening, the 2014 Regional Theatre Award went to New York's Signature Theatre. Each year, the Tony Awards Administration Committee presents a Tony Award to a regional theatre on the recommendation of the American Theatre Critics Association. BroadwayWorld's own Richard Ridge was in the press room to catch up with Signature's winners on what the award means to them - hear what they had to say below!

Beautiful - The Carole King Musical's Brian Ronan has won the 2014 Tony Award for Best Sound Design of a Musical. Ronan has designed the sound for over twenty five Broadway shows. Some recent designs include Annie, Bring It On, Nice Work (Tony nomination), Book of Mormon (Tony), Anything Goes (Tony nomination, Drama Desk), American Idiot, Promises Promises, Next to Normal(Tony nomination), Grease, Curtains, Spring Awakening, Grey Gardens, Pajama Game, All Shook Up, 12 Angry Men, The Tale of the Allergist's Wife, Charlie Brown, Cabaret.

Atlantic Theater Company will present the world premiere production of Stephen Adly Guirgis' play BETWEEN RIVERSIDE AND CRAZY, directed by Austin Pendleton and starring Victor Almanzar, Elizabeth Canavan, Rosal Colon, Liza Colon-Zayas, Tony Award nominee Stephen McKinley Henderson, Michael Rispoli, and Ray Anthony Thomas. The production begins previews Thursday, July 10 and will open Thursday, July 31 for a limited engagement through Saturday, August 16, 2014 off-Broadway at Atlantic's main stage Linda Gross Theater (336 West 20th Street).

Chance Theater will present the third show of its 16th Anniversary Season -- the groundbreaking 21st century musical, In The Heights. Written by Pulitzer Finalists Lin-Manuel Miranda and Quiara Alegria Hudes, with direction by Chance Artistic Director Oanh Nguyen, choreography by resident artist Kelly Todd and music direction by Robyn Wallace. In The Heights will preview from July 3 through 10, regular performances will begin July 11 and continue through August 3 at Chance Theater at Bette Aitken theater arts Center.