Lucille Lortel News

A mother coming to terms with her daughter. A composer coming to terms with his genius. And, even though they're separated by 200 years, these two people share an obsession that might, even just for a moment, make time stand still. Drama, memory and music combine to transport you from present-day New York to nineteenth-century Austria in this extraordinary American play about passion, parenthood and the moment of beauty that can transform a life. Nominated for five Tony awards, 33 Variations runs from May 1 - 25, 2013 at ArtsWest Playhouse and Gallery in West Seattle.

Annapurna, by award-winning playwright Sharr White, is a funny and surprising exploration of love and loss. Emma and Ulysses haven't laid eyes on each other in twenty years. Now she's back, lugging her matching suitcases into his squalid Colorado motor home for a final reckoning that neither of them saw coming. Annapurnabrings husband-and-wife stars Megan Mullally ('Will & Grace') and Nick Offerman ('Parks and Recreation') to the Odyssey Theatre under the guidance of director Bart DeLorenzo, winner of the 2012 TCG Alan Schneider Award.

The American Repertory Theater (A.R.T.) at Harvard University has announced that three-time Emmy Award-winning actor Bryan Cranston will play the lead role of Lyndon Baines Johnson in Robert Schenkkan's new play All The Way opening the A.R.T.'s 2013-14 Season at the Loeb Drama Center. The production, directed by Bill Rauch, will begin performances on September 13, 2013.

The Public Theater announced another two week extension today for the world premiere musical HERE LIES LOVE, with concept and lyrics by David Byrne, music by David Byrne and Fatboy Slim, additional music by Tom Gandey and J Pardo, and choreography by Annie-B Parson. Directed by Alex Timbers, HERE LIES LOVE began performances on Tuesday, April 2 and has been extended twice due to high demand. The new 360 degree musical will now run through Sunday, June 2 in The Public's LuEsther Theater, with an official press opening on Tuesday, April 23.

Portland Center Stage will soon present the upcoming world-premiere production of the new musical Somewhere in Time, based on the novel by renowned author Richard Matheson (I Am Legend, What Dreams May Come) and the subsequent hit film starring Christopher Reeve, Jane Seymour and Christopher Plummer. Somewhere in Time begins preview performances on Tuesday, May 28, 2013 with a new official opening night set for Wednesday, June 5. Tickets are on sale now at www.pcs.org/somewhere. Check out photos of the cast in rehearsal below!

Casting has been announced for "The Scottsboro Boys," which begins previews May 21 at the Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatre at the Los Angeles Music Center. Opening night is May 29 and performances run through June 30, 2013.

Amas Musical Theatre (Donna Trinkoff, Artistic Producer) to present 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 begins performances on May 30 and will celebrate its opening on Monday, June 3 and will run through June 29, 2013 at The 30th Street Theatre (259 West 30 Street). Tickets are $45 (preview tickets are $25 through June 2) and are available at www.teaforthree.com or by calling (212) 868-4444. Discounts for seniors, students and groups are available.

The Drama League has just announced that Patina Miller and Michael Urie will co-host the announcement of the 2013 Drama League Nominees for Distinguished Production of a Play, Distinguished Production of a Musical, Distinguished Revival of a Play, Distinguished Revival of a Musical, and the much coveted Distinguished Performance Award set for Tuesday morning, April 23, 2013 at 11:00 a.m. at Sardi's. The nominations ceremony will be broadcast worldwide via live stream right here at www.broadwayworld.com.

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts today announced it will produce the world premiere original musical production of Little Dancer featuring book and lyrics by Tony Award winner Lynn Ahrens, music by Tony Award winner Stephen Flaherty, and direction and choreography by five-time Tony Award winner Susan Stroman. The musical will begin performances in the Kennedy Center Eisenhower Theater in October 2014. Casting and additional details about Little Dancer will be announced at a later date.

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.

Atlantic Theater Company has announced that Olivier and two time Tony Award winning playwright John Guare will make his Off Broadway acting debut in the world premiere production of his new play 3 KINDS OF EXILE, directed by Atlantic artistic director Neil Pepe, featuring Atlantic ensemble members Peter Maloney and David Pittu and guest artists Alison Cimmet, Jeffrey Kuhn, Jacquelyn Landgraf, Martin Moran, Kate Rigg, Omar Sangare and Timothy Splain.

Brooke Shields has been announced as the director of the Hollywood Bowl's upcoming production of CHICAGO, which holds the record as the third longest running show in Broadway history. Rob Fisher has also been announced as the conductor of the production. Shields starred in CHICAGO both on Broadway and in London's West End and this marks her directing debut. Fisher's association with the show began with the 1996 Broadway revival and he continues to be supervising music director of CHICAGO productions around the globe.

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 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.

Rattlestick Playwrights Theater's Artistic Director David Van Asselt and Managing Director Brian Long have announced that because of rave notices and sell-out houses, the world premiere of Buyer & Cellar, written by Jonathan Tolins, directed by Stephen Brackett, and starring Michael Urie, will extend for one week, through Sunday, May 12, at Rattlestick Playwrights Theater, 224 Waverly Place, west of Seventh Avenue South.

Westport Country Playhouse will present a Sunday Symposium, "A Conversation with Playwright A. R. Gurney," following the Sunday, May 5, 3 p.m. matinee performance of Gurney's witty and heartfelt story of the American family and its vanishing traditions, "The Dining Room," directed by Mark Lamos. David Kennedy, Westport Country Playhouse associate artistic director, will moderate.

Ghostlight Records has announced the digital release of THE JOE ICONIS ROCK AND ROLL JAMBOREE today, April 16, 2013. The new album is a collection of songs performed by Joe and his merry band of musical theater misfits. Epic theater ballads, simple folk songs, heavy rock rave-ups and bar room sing-alongs coexist in this eclectic, borderline-insane line up of tunes. The album will be available through all digital music outlets.

The 2013 theatre awards season is quickly approaching, and keeping track of all of the important dates for the many ceremonies and their corresponding nomination announcements is no easy feat. Stay up to date on all the need-to-know facts with BroadwayWorld's Awards Season Calendar below!