Marsha Norman News

The stars gathered at the Lyceum Theatre last night to celebrate opening night of The Realistic Joneses. The new play stars Golden Globe and Emmy Award-winner; Academy Award and Tony Award-nominee Toni Collette ('Hostages,' 'United States of Tara,' The Sixth Sense, The Wild Party), Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Award-winner Michael C. Hall ('Dexter,' Chicago, 'Six Feet Under'), Tony Award-winner Tracy Letts(Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?; August: Osage County; 'Homeland'), and Academy Award-winner and Golden Globe-nomineeMarisa Tomei (My Cousin Vinny; The Wrestler; Salome). Below, BroadwayWorld brings you full photo coverage from the star-studded theatre arrivals!

Rubicon Theatre continues the company's 16th Not Your Typical Season with a special run of Love, Loss, and What I Wore -- a witty and wise celebration of womanhood adapted by Nora and Delia Ephron, creators of such hits as 'When Harry Met Sally,' 'Sleepless in Seattle,' 'You've Got Mail,' 'The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants' and 'Silkwood.'

Last evening, Monday, March 31, 2014, The Juilliard School honored Christopher Durang and Marsha Norman for their 20 years of leadership of Juilliard's Lila Acheson Wallace American Playwrights Program. Scroll down for photos!

Pulitzer Prize winner Marsha Norman has selected playwright Janine Nabers as the winner of the 2014 Yale Drama Series for her play Serial Black Face, chosen from 1638 entries from 41 countries. As winner of the competition, Serial Black Face will be published by Yale University Press, receive a staged reading at Lincoln Center Theater's Claire Tow Theater, and Ms. Nabers will be presented with the David Charles Horn Prize, a cash award of $10,000.

As BroadwayWorld previously reported, Ghostlight Records will release the original Broadway cast recording of The Bridges of Madison County, the new romantic musical by the Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winning team of Marsha Norman ('night Mother, The Color Purple) and Jason Robert Brown (The Last Five Years, Parade). In the video below, go in the recording studio with stars Steven Pasquale and Kelli O'Hara as they record 'One Second and a Million Miles.'

One of the most common questions I encountered as a counselor when working with someone who had just experienced the suicide of a family member or acquaintance was 'Why did s/he do it?' Or, in confronting someone who was suicidal, the question is, 'Why do you want to do that?' Ironically, most of the time there is no thoughtful answer.

The Old Globe today announced the creative team of Christopher Durang's Tony Award-winning farce Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, which will be directed by Jessica Stone. Stone, who is a frequent collaborator with Old Globe Associate Artist Nicholas Martin, will base this production on his Tony-nominated Broadway direction. Martin had been previously announced to return to San Diego to direct but had to withdraw due to scheduling conflicts. Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike will run May 17 - June 22, 2014 on the Donald and Darlene Shiley Stage in the Old Globe Theatre, part of the Globe's Conrad Prebys Theatre Center. Preview performances run May 17 - 21. Opening night is May 22 at 8:00 p.m. Tickets can be purchased by subscription only. Single tickets are scheduled to go on sale on Friday, April 4 at 12 noon and will be available 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.

F*It Club, the New York Innovative Award-winning film and theatre company, continues its annual series of short, commissioned world-premiere plays at the brand new Sheen Center in lower Manhattan with The Spring Fling: First Love, six new short plays by Halley Feiffer (How to Make Friends and Then Kill Them), Kate Gersten (Benefit of the Doubt), Jason Grote (Mad Men, Smash, Hannibal, 1001), Mark Sitko (Rocky Philly, Tube), Tommy Smith (White Hot, Pigeon), and Lauren Yee (The Hatmaker's Wife). Performances will be Thursday, May 1st through Sunday, May 11th with Wednesday through Saturday night performances at 8pm and Sunday matinees at 2p. Tickets are $18 and available at ovationtx.com and at the door.

The latest in unauthorized gossip and buzz from the heart of Chicago's showtune video bars, and musical theater news from Chicago to Broadway. 'Passion,' 'Road Show' and 'Into The Woods' celebrate Sondheim's birthday, 'Dessa Rose' and 'Rent' rake in the reviews, Black Ensemble and Bailiwick announce spring shows, new musicals from Writers Theatre and Chicago Shakespeare, plus Ravinia and Court plan summers 2014 and 2015 and more....

From the magical romances of ALADDIN and THE BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY to the perils of showbiz in CABARET, BULLETS OVER BROADWAY and ACT ONE; from the gripping physicality of ROCKY to the revolutionary tune of LES MISERABLES and the friendship and loss of OF MICE AND MEN, this season runs the gamut when it comes to captivating tales. BroadwayWorld has rounded up this season's musical adaptations and the plays, books and films that inspired them. Scroll down for the list, and be sure to let us know your favorites!

Court Theatre announces its 60th season under the continuing leadership of Artistic Director Charles Newell, Executive Director Stephen J. Albert, and Board Chair Marilyn Fatt Vitale. The company's ambitious 2014/15 season will feature the World Premiere of Native Son adapted from Richard Wright's classic novel by Nambi E. Kelley and co-produced with American Blues Theater; Euripides' Iphigenia in Aulis translated by Nicholas Rudall and directed by Artistic Director Charles Newell; Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot, directed by Resident Artist Ron OJ Parson; and the World Premiere of Lisa Peterson and Denis O'Hare's The Good Book, directed by Lisa Peterson. Closing out the anniversary season is Marsha Norman and Lucy Simon's The Secret Garden, based on the beloved novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett and directed by Artistic Director Charles Newell with music direction by Doug Peck.

As BroadwayWorld previously reported, Ghostlight Records will record the original Broadway cast recording of The Bridges of Madison County, the new romantic musical by the Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winning team of Marsha Norman ('night Mother, The Color Purple) and Jason Robert Brown(The Last Five Years, Parade). The cast was in the recording studio yesterday and BroadwayWorld brings you full photo coverage below!

As BroadwayWorld previously reported, Ghostlight Records will record the original Broadway cast recording of The Bridges of Madison County, the new romantic musical by the Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winning team of Marsha Norman ('night Mother, The Color Purple) and Jason Robert Brown (The Last Five Years, Parade). The cast was in the recording studio today and BroadwayWorld brings you a photo preview from the special event below. Check back later for full coverage!

Ghostlight Records will record the original Broadway cast recording of The Bridges of Madison County, the new romantic musical by the Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winning team of Marsha Norman ('night Mother, The Color Purple) and Jason Robert Brown (The Last Five Years, Parade).

Broadway's BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY has released an all-new TV spot. Check it out below!

Yesterday Artistic Director Mark Clements announced Milwaukee Repertory Theater's 2014/15 Season. 'Next season will offer strong stories that are substantive pieces of theater that are both enlightening and entertaining,' said Clements. 'The season includes two exciting world premieres, after all the terrible things I do and Five Presidents. We will also continue the tradition that I started upon my arrival by including a musical on our main stage - the first production in the Quadracci Powerhouse will be the award-winning musical, The Color Purple. Audiences responded so enthusiastically to last year's production of Ragtime, I believe they are in for another treat with The Color Purple.'

The Dramatists Guild of America held their annual awards ceremony last night at The Lambs Club in New York. The ceremony was hosted by Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson Lopez. Check out a look back at the festivities below!

Following previews at Edinburgh Festival 2013 and a current eight-week off-Broadway run at St. Luke's Theater, New York, Billy Hayes' one-man show comes to Soho Theatre this April for its London premiere.

Beck Center for the Arts presents its production of American playwright Marsha Norman's riveting drama 'night, Mother, in the intimate Studio Theater, March 21 - May 4, 2014. Show times are 8:00 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 3:00 p.m. Sundays. There are no performances April 18-20.

Bashor speaks exclusively with BWW and explains how her co-stars Kelli O'Hara and Steven Pasquale went out of their way to make sure her Broadway debut was a big deal!