Lucille Lortel News

ONCE, the Tony and Grammy Award winning Best New Musical celebrates its 500th performance on Broadway. Once is based on the 2007 Academy Award-winning film and plays on Broadway at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre (242 West 45th Street). The production opened on Sunday, March 18, 2012.

The REP, Point Park University's professional theatre company, will produce four works, including a world premiere and a Pittsburgh premiere, in the 2013-2014 season. The season begins Sept. 6 and runs through April 6, 2014, at the Pittsburgh Playhouse.

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) andFred 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. BroadwayWorld brings you a first look at the cast in action below!

Kelrik Productions announces its final production at Unity, a satirical comedy musical called URINETOWN performing June 7 - 29.

Bay Street Theatre begins the 2013 Mainstage Season with Lend Me a Tenor (May 28 - June 23). This hilarious Ken Ludwig comedy, under the direction of Don Stephenson, includes Judy Blazer, Scott Cote, Betsy DiLellio, Donna English, Nancy Johnston, Noah Plomgren, Steve Rosen and Roland Rusinek as its hilarious cast.

Yellow Sound Label's world premiere recording of MURDER BALLAD, the critically acclaimed new musical by Julia Jordan and Juliana Nash, directed by Trip Cullman, will be released today, May 28. The album, Produced by Michael Croiter, will be available on Amazon, iTunes, and elsewhere music is sold. For additional information and to pre-order the world premiere cast recording, visit: www.yellowsoundlabel.com

La Jolla Playhouse announces the cast and creative team for His Girl Friday, adapted by John Guare (Six Degrees of Separation, House of Blue Leaves) from the Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur play The Front Page and the Columbia Pictures film His Girl Friday. Directed by Playhouse Artistic Director Christopher Ashley (Glengarry Glen Ross, Memphis), the production will kick off the 2013/2014 season, running May 28 - June 30 in the Playhouse's Mandell Weiss Theatre.

Terry Martin, WaterTower Theatre Producing Artistic Director, announced this evening the Company's 2013-2014 Main Stage season at a special VIP Sneak Preview held at the Addison Theatre Centre.

Husband-and-wife duo - two-time Tony Award-winner Katie Finneran (most recently on Broadway in 'Annie') and Darren Goldstein ('Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson') hosted the 15th Anniversary Benefit for the Off-Broadway theatre company Page 73 Productions last week at City Winery (155 Varick Street) in Manhattan. BroadwayWorld was there for the festivities and you can check out full photo coverage below!

'Humor Abuse,' the hilarious and heartfelt story of growing up in a circus, created by Lorenzo Pisoni and Erica Schmidt, directed by Schmidt and featuring a tour de force performance by Pisoni, will be presented at the Center Theatre Group/Mark Taper Forum, September 17 through November 3, 2013. The opening is set for September 21.

THE KATRINA COMEDY FEST by Rob Florence Directed by Misty Carlisle, will feature: Judy Jean Berns, Peggy Blow, Deidrie Henry, Travis Michael Holder, Jan Munroe, and L.Trey Wilson at The Lounge Theatre, 6201 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles, Calif., as part of the Hollywood Fringe Festival. The show runs at 8 PM, every Wed., Thurs., Sat., & Sun. in June.

Sherie Rene Scott returns to 54 Below for the highly-anticipated reprise of her acclaimed show 'Piece Of Meat' for a limited two-week engagement. 'Piece Of Meat' is an exhilarating evening about human desires - carnal, culinary and otherwise. Ms. Scott explores her singular storytelling and musical abilities with songs by Joni Mitchell, Paul McCartney, Talking Heads, Pete Townshend, Annie Lennox, Dire Straits, Buddy Holly, Kate Bush and Noah & The Whale, along with original compositions by music directorTodd Almond. The show features musical staging by Michele Lynch and direction by Lear Debessonett.

"Humor Abuse," the hilarious and heartfelt story of growing up in a circus, created by Lorenzo Pisoni and Erica Schmidt, directed by Schmidt and featuring a tour de force performance by Pisoni, will be presented at the Center Theatre Group/Mark Taper Forum, September 17 through November 3, 2013. The opening is set for September 21. Get a first look at Pisoni onstage below!

The Old Globe today announced Thinking Shakespeare Live!, a 90-minute presentation exploring the language of Shakespeare, on Saturday, June 15 at 11 a.m. Led by Old Globe Artistic Director Barry Edelstein and assisted by three professional classical actors, this special program based on Edelstein's book, Thinking Shakespeare: A How-To Guide for Student Actors, Directors, and Anyone Else Who Wants to Feel More Comfortable with the Bard, will reveal a performer's approach to Shakespearean language so audiences may easily understand the poetry of the Bard. An ideal introduction to Shakespeare for families and young audiences, Thinking Shakespeare Live! will take place on the Donald and Darlene Shiley Stage in the Old Globe Theatre, part of the Globe's Conrad Prebys Theatre Center. Tickets are $10 for subscribers and full-time students and $15 for general audiences andcan be purchased online at www.TheOldGlobe.org, by phone at (619) 23-GLOBE or by visiting the Box Office at 1363 Old Globe Way in Balboa Park.

Classic Stage Company, under the leadership of Artistic Director Brian Kulick and Executive Director Greg Reiner, announced today that their new production of Bertolt Brecht's THE CAUCASIAN CHALK CIRCLE featuring Christopher Lloyd (Azdak), directed by Brian Kulick (who directed Brecht's Galileo last season), and featuring new music by Tony Award-winning singer/songwriter Duncan Sheik (Spring Awakening), will extend for two additional weeks through Sunday, June 23.

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 June 14th through 30th, 2013.

Pasek and Paul - along with Lindsay Mendez, Derek Klena and other original cast members - will also appear at an in-store performance and CD signing at Barnes & Noble on the Upper East Side (150 East 86th Street, between Lexington and Third Avenues) tonight, May 23 at 7:00 PM. Call (212) 369-2180 for details.

Irish Repertory Theatre continues its 25th Anniversary Season with The Weir by Conor McPherson, author of SHINING CITY and THE SEAFARER - with previews set to begin May 15, prior to an official Off-Broadway opening tonight, May 23 on the Irish Repertory's Francis J. Greenburger Mainstage (132 West 22nd Street). Directed by Ciaran O'Reilly, performances are set to run through July 7.