Lucille Lortel News

Take Wing And Soar Productions, in partnership with Voza Rivers/New Heritage Theatre Group, present TWAS' Tenth Year Anniversary Season main stage production of Oscar Wilde's celebrated comedy, THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST, directed by Kevin Connell for a limited run at the Poet's Den Theater, from tonight, June 14th through 30th, 2013.

Lincoln Center Theater has announced four productions to be produced in the Vivian Beaumont and Mitzi E. Newhouse Theaters during the 2013-2014 season: the world premiere ofDomesticated, a new play by Bruce Norris, featuring Laurie Metcalf, directed by Anna D. Shapiro beginning performances Thursday, October 10 in the Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater; a new production of Shakespeare's Macbeth, featuring Ethan Hawke in the title role, directed by Jack O'Brien, beginning performances Thursday, October 24 in the Vivian Beaumont Theater; Act One, adapted and directed by James Lapine from the autobiography by Moss Hart, beginning performances Thursday, March 20 in the Beaumont; and the world premiere of The City of Conversation, a new play by Anthony Giardina, directed by Doug Hughes, beginning performances Thursday, April 10 in the Newhouse. In addition to these four productions, LCT3, Lincoln Center Theater's initiative to produce the work of new artists and to engage new audiences, will produce a season of three plays, to be announced, in the Claire Tow Theater.

On Monday, June 24th at 1:00pm acclaimed Irish Playwright, Ed Malone, will direct a Special Industry (by invitation only) Pre-Broadway Reading of his new revolutionary play THE BALLAD of CHARLIE and CATE.

Hangar Theatre kicks off its 2013 season tonight, June 13th with Neil Simon's irresistible comedy Last of the Red Hot Lovers, which runs through June 29.

Reviews are in for the show, and playwright Neil LaBute took particular offense to some harsh words from David Cote- a theatre critic for TimeOut New York. Cote wrote: 'If Neil LaBute were to teach a course on playwriting, I bet his lesson plan would look something like this: 'Week 1: Dumbing down characters to pad out dialogue and pump up conflict.' 'Week 2: 'Stringing together two-person scenes, no matter how monotonous it gets.' 'Week 3: Embracing flat, shallow protagonists whose poor life choices are both predictable and banal.' And finally, 'Week 12: Blasting tracks by Nirvana during changes to simulate tension and edginess.' Luckily, there is no Professor LaBute, so we're not overrun with relationship clunkers such as Reasons to Be Happy.'

MCC Theater recently announced that Neil LaBute's new play, Reasons to be Happy, also directed by LaBute, will now extend through Saturday, June 29th. Reasons to Be Happy is a companion piece to LaBute's critically-acclaimed award-winning play,Reasons to Be Pretty, first produced at MCC Theater in 2008 before moving to Broadway where it was nominated for three 2009 Tony Awards, including Best Play. Performances began at the Lucille Lortel Theatre (121 Christopher Street, NYC) on May 16, 2013. BroadwayWorld brings you highlights from the show below!

MCC Theater recently announced that Neil LaBute's new play, Reasons to be Happy, also directed by LaBute, will now extend through Saturday, June 29th. Reasons to Be Happy is a companion piece to LaBute's critically-acclaimed award-winning play,Reasons to Be Pretty, first produced at MCC Theater in 2008 before moving to Broadway where it was nominated for three 2009 Tony Awards, including Best Play. Performances began at the Lucille Lortel Theatre (121 Christopher Street, NYC) on May 16, 2013. It officially opened last night and BroadwayWorld brings you photos from the theatre arrivals below!

On Wednesday, June 26, TKTS in Times Square, the same-day discount theatre outlet for Broadway and Off Broadway shows celebrates 40 years in Times Square. Beginning at 11am, there will be a special celebration in honor of TKTS' 40th Anniversary behind the TKTS Booth on Broadway and 47th Street. A proclamation from the City of New York will be presented to Theatre Development Fund (TDF) and accepted on its behalf by 'The Unofficial Mayor of Broadway,' 4-time Tony Award winner Harvey Fierstein. (Fierstein most recently wrote the book for the Broadway musical Kinky Boots, which won the most Tony Awards of any production this year, including 'Best Musical'). After the presentation, the cast of Forbidden Broadway will perform a special tribute to TKTS written by the show's creator, Gerard Alessandrini.

MCC Theater recently announced that Neil LaBute's new play, Reasons to be Happy, also directed by LaBute, will now extend through Saturday, June 29th. Reasons to Be Happy is a companion piece to LaBute's critically-acclaimed award-winning play,Reasons to Be Pretty, first produced at MCC Theater in 2008 before moving to Broadway where it was nominated for three 2009 Tony Awards, including Best Play. Performances began at the Lucille Lortel Theatre (121 Christopher Street, NYC) on May 16, 2013. It officially opened last night and BroadwayWorld brings you photos from the curtain call below!

MCC Theater's Reasons to be Happy, starring Leslie Bibb (Iron Man, ABC's 'GCB') and Jenna Fischer (NBC's 'The Office') making their New York City stage debuts opposite Josh Hamilton (The Coast of Utopia) and Fred Weller (MCC's Still Life and In a Dark Dark House), is Playwright-in-Residence Neil LaBute's new play, which LaBute will also direct. The show opens tonight, June 11, at the Lucille Lortel Theatre and runs through June 23, 2013. Let's see what the critics had to say...

Presented by Amas Musical Theatre, TEA FOR THREE: Lady Bird, Pat & Betty starring Elaine Bromka, written by Drama Desk and Lortel Award nominee Eric H. Weinberger with Ms. Bromka and directed by Byam Stevens, will welcome three very special guests for post - show discussions regarding the First Ladies, beginning June 12, 2013.

Rodgers and Hammerstein's first collaboration, Oklahoma!, which earned the legendary duo a special Pulitzer prize, opens the Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival's 22nd season. The musical previews tonight, June 12th and 13th, opens June 14th, running through June 30th on the main stage.

The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust is pleased to announce the 2013-2014 Pittsburgh International Children's Theater Family Series. Now in its 44th season, the Family Series will present award-winning, professional theater companies featuring live performances for young audiences ages 3 and up. Performances based on prize-winning and popular children's books adapted for the stage by Theatreworks USA (USA), Mermaid Theatre of Nova Scotia (Canada), and Big Wooden Horse Theatre Company (UK) can be seen at various locations throughout the Pittsburgh area. Hand Made Theatre (Russia) will present a U.S. premiere choreography that creates a magical world of trains, boats, ticking clocks, flocks of birds and more. New to the 2013-2014 Family Series is a series special, Junie B. Jones by Theatreworks USA. School matinee performances for some shows will be held on Mondays at 10:15 a.m., at the Byham Theater.

Danny Burstein, Eisa Davis, Raul Esparza, Peter Friedman, Judy Kuhn, Martin Moran, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, Anika Noni Rose and Henry Stram will star in Marc Blitzstein's The Cradle Will Rock, the inaugural show of New York City Center's new Encores! Off-Center series, playing for five performances, July 10 - 13 at City Center. The show will be directed bySam Gold and choreographed by Chase Brock; Jeanine Tesori is the Encores! Off Center artistic director. Chris Fenwick is the music director. In keeping with City Center's founding mission to make the arts accessible to all and to younger audiences, the majority of tickets are $25.

About Face Theatre kicks off LGBTQ Pride Month with the Chicago premiere of the Olivier Award-winning drama THE PRIDE by Alexi Kaye Campbell, directed by Artistic Director Bonnie Metzgar, playing now through July 13, 2013 at Victory Gardens Richard Christiansen Theater, 2433 N. Lincoln Ave. in Chicago. THE PRIDE features AFT Artistic Associates Patrick Andrews, John Francisco and Benjamin Sprunger with Jessie Fisher. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the show below!

BMCC Tribeca Performing Arts Center, the longest operating performance venue in lower Manhattan, in partnership with Lower Manhattan Cultural Council (LMCC), presents blessing the boats: the remix, a re-imagining of an original play written and performed by Sekou Sundiata, performing on June 27-29 at 8pm and June 30 at 3pm at TPAC, Theater 2 (199 Chambers Street).

Amas Musical Theatre presents the New York premiere of TEA FOR THREE: Lady Bird, Pat & Betty starring Elaine Bromka, written by Drama Desk and Lortel Award nominee Eric H. Weinberger with Ms. Bromka and directed by Byam Stevens. Tea For Three celebrated its opening on Monday, June 3 and will run through June 29, 2013 at The 30th Street Theatre (259 West 30 Street). Below, BroadwayWorld has photos from the opening night festivites!

Producers Joey Parnes and Larry Hirschhorn have announced that Christopher Durang's new comedy, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, which last night won the 2013 Tony Award for Best Play, will again extend its premiere Broadway engagement at the Golden Theatre. With this second and final extension, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike will now end its run Sunday, August 25 (it was originally scheduled to end its run on Sunday, June 30). The critically lauded play has swept the awards circuit this year, having now been named Best Play by every major theatrical awards organization including the aforementioned Tony Awards, the New York Drama Critics' Circle, the Drama Desk, the Drama League, and the Outer Critics Circle. Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike began performances on Tuesday, March 5 and opened on Thursday, March 14.