Lucille Lortel News

The very popular and Tony winning Karen Olivo, who was most recently seen appearing in the sold out IN THE HEIGHTS reunion concert in New York City, shared a blog on her web site this morning, revealing a new direction. BWW selfishly hopes that this won't be a permanent break.

This past weekend the cast of the Grammy award and eight time Tony award-winning Dublin based musical Once joined together to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. On stage in the show's fully functioning bar at the Phoenix Theatre in the West End proved to be the ideal setting for their celebrations.

Vineyard Theatre's annual Gala, this year celebrating the institution's 30th Anniversary, will take place at The Edison Ballroom (240 West 47th Street) tonight, March 18, 2013 beginning at 6:00 p.m. (cocktails at 6:00pm, dinner at 7:30pm and performance at 8:30pm).

The Improvisational Repertory Theatre Ensemble returns for another season of on-the-spot laughs, including The Groovy Gang Adventures and its 2013 Improvisational Acting Workshop Series.

Composer Glen Hansard from the Tony and Grammy Award-winning Best Musical, Once will be featured on 'CBS Sunday Morning' today, March 17th, from 9-10:30AM on channel 2. Check local listings.

Composer Glen Hansard from the Tony and Grammy Award-winning Best Musical, Once will be featured on 'CBS Sunday Morning' this Sunday, March 17th, from 9-10:30AM on channel 2. Check local listings.

The Award-Winning Epic Theatre Ensemble, now in their 12th year presents William Shakespeare's RICHARD III: Born With Teeth, part of Shakespeare for a New Generation, a national program of the National Endowment for the Arts in cooperation with Arts Midwest. The production, directed by Ron Russell, begins previews Off-Broadway on Tuesday, April 16th and opens Saturday, April 20th at 8:00 PM at the Pershing Square Signature Center (480 West 42nd Street). The play will run through May 4th. Epic Theatre Ensemble's tickets are $25 for this production. Student Rush is also available. For tickets, please visit www.Ticketcentral.com or call (212) 270-4200. For more information, visit www.epictheatreensemble.org/R3.

Joe's Pub recently welcomed Tony Award winner Tonya Pinkins in her return to their stage for an ongoing series BRING ON THE MEN. Best known for her celebrated roles in Caroline, or Change and Jelly's Last Jam, Tonya made her Broadway debut in the original cast of Merrily We Roll Along. Broadway audiences have also delighted in her performances in Chronicle of a Death Foretold, Play On!, The Wild Party and Radio Golf, while television audiences know her from As The World Turns, All My Children, Army Wives and 24. Check out highlights from her concert below!

The Vineyard Theatre has announced the cast for the world-premiere of Jenny Schwartz's SOMEWHERE FUN. Ms. Schwartz returns to The Vineyard following her critically acclaimed play GOD'S EAR in 2008.

Classic Stage Company, under the leadership of Artistic Director Brian Kulick and Executive Director Greg Reiner, announced today that PS Classics, home to a dozen Sondheim cast albums, will record and release the cast recording of its critically-acclaimed new production of Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine's Tony Award-winning musical PASSION, directed by John Doyle.

Dallas Theater Center presents Neil Simon's classic American comedy, The Odd Couple, directed by DTC Artistic Director Kevin Moriarty. When two men with struggling relationships, neat and particular Felix Ungar and disheveled and rough-edged Oscar Madison, decide to live together, the results are funny and poignant. The Odd Couple opens with previews tonight, March 15 and runs through Sunday, April 14 at the Dee and Charles Wyly Theatre in the AT&T Performing Arts Center.

Competitive backstabbing alternates with supportive camaraderie amongst emerging writers and their famous professor in Theresa Rebeck's award-winning drama Seminar, receiving its Philadelphia premiere at Philadelphia Theatre Company tonight, March 15-April 14 at the Suzanne Roberts Theatre (Broad and Lombard Streets). Directed by Scott Schwartz, the ensemble cast features Rufus Collins, Matt Harrington, Teresa Avia Lim, Genevieve Perrier, and Luigi Sottile.

Yale Repertory Theatre presents Paul Giamatti in HAMLET by William Shakespeare, directed by James Bundy, at the University Theatre (222 York Street), tonight, March 15-April 13. Opening Night is Thursday, March 21, at 7:30PM.

Classic Stage Company, under the leadership of Artistic Director Brian Kulick and Executive Director Greg Reiner, announced today that their critically-acclaimed new production of Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine's Tony Award-winning musical PASSION, directed by John Doyle (director of the acclaimed Broadway revivals of Sondheim's Sweeney Todd and Company), will extend once again by popular demand for four additional performances through Friday, April 19 at CSC (136 East 13th Street). PASSION stars Melissa Errico (Clara), Judy Kuhn (Fosca) and Ryan Silverman (Giorgio). The production also features Stephen Bogardus (Colonel Ricci), Jeffry Denman (Lieutenant Barri), Jason Michael Evans (Private Augenti), Ken Krugman (Lieutenant Torasso), Orville Mendoza (Sergeant Lombardi), Tom Nelis (Doctor Tambourri), Will Reynolds (Major Rizzoli/Ludovic), John Antony (understudy) and Amy Justman (understudy). CSC also announced that twenty $10 tickets for each of the final four performances - Tuesday, April 16 at 7pm, Wednesday, April 17 at 7pm, Thursday, April 18 at 8pm and Friday, April 19 at 8pm - generously underwritten by TheaterMania.com and Aaron Lieber/Bruce Horten. These special $10 tickets will go on sale to the public Tuesday, Apri1 2 at 12pm, available in person at the CSC Box Office only.

The 2013-2014 Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatre season was announced today by CTG Artistic Director Michael Ritchie.

MCC THEATER (Robert LuPone, Bernard Telsey, William Cantler, Artistic Directors; Blake West, Executive Director) has just announced that Leslie Bibb (Iron Man, ABC's 'GCB') and Jenna Fischer (NBC's 'The Office') will be 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) in the world premiere of MCC Playwright-in-Residence Neil LaBute's new play, Reasons to Be Happy, which LaBute will also direct. 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 begin at the Lucille Lortel Theatre (121 Christopher Street, NYC) on May 16, 2013 and continue through June 23, 2013. An official opening is set for June 11, 2013 at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are now on sale.

According to Deadline.com, The Office's Jenna Fischer will be starring in Neil LaBute's Reasons To Be Happy off-Broadway at MCC Theater's Lucille Lortel Theater, beginning May 16, the same night The Office finale will air on NBC. The show will open on June 11, 2013. This will be Fischer's stage debut.