Marsha Norman News

Williamstown Theatre Festival Artistic Director Jenny Gersten announces the opening of the sixth production of the 2013 Main Stage season: The World Premiere musical, The Bridges of Madison County, opens tonight and plays on the Main Stage through August 18, following preview performances that began August 1. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast in action below!

The Bridges of Madison County, a new musical, based on the best selling novel by Robert James Waller, will begin performances on Monday, January 13, 2014, at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre (236 West 45th Street), with an opening night late February 2014. The story takes us deep into the heart of our country and tells the very moving story of a beautiful young woman leaving Italy and suddenly living in Iowa... and her joyful discovery of love. Below, go inside the sitzprobe for the pre-Broadway run at Williamstown Theatre Festival!

Mercury Theater Chicago, 3745 N Southport Ave., presents the Broadway musical THE COLOR PURPLE, based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Alice Walker, previewing August 14, opening Monday, August 26 at 7:30p.m., and running through October 27, 2013. THE COLOR PURPLE stars Trisha Jeffrey (Broadway's Rent, All Shook Up, and Little Shop of Horrors and the first National Tour of Sister Act) as 'Celie,' Jasondra Johnson (Crowns at Goodman Theatre) as 'Sophia,' and Adrienne Walker (Marriott Theatre'sDreamgirls) as 'Shug.' This highly anticipated production is led by multiple Jeff Award winners L. Walter Stearns (Director), Eugene Dizon (Musical Director), and Brenda Didier (Choreographer).

Sh-K-Boom / Ghostlight Records will release the 2013 Off-Broadway cast recording of the hit Second Stage Theatre production of The Last Five Years, created and directed by Jason Robert Brown, both in stores and via online outlets on September 24. Second Stage Theatre (Carole Rothman, Artistic Director) extended this production starring Adam Kantor and Betsy Wolfe three times. To pre-order the album, please visit www.sh-k-boom.com/thelastfiveyears-new.html.

Williamstown Theatre Festival Artistic Director Jenny Gersten announced today the full cast and creative team for the last production of the 2013 season: Blood Play, the smash hit by The Debate Society will be presented on the Nikos Stage from August 7 - 18, 2013 (opening Thursday, August 8 at 7:30 p.m.).

The Gift Theatre artistic director Michael Patrick Thornton has announced casting for the Chicago premiere of Broadsword: A Heavy Metal Play written by Marco Ramirez (Orange is the New Black; Sons of Anarchy) and directed by Keira Fromm. Guest artists Chuck Spencer (Jeff Award-winner for Redtwist's Man From Nebraska) and Pavement Group's Cyd Blakewell (currently co-starring in Mine) join The Gift Ensemble members John Kelly Connolly (The Lonesome West), James D. Farruggio (Suicide, Inc.), Gabriel Franken (Mine) and John Gawlik (The Lonesome West).

Based on the novel by Robert James Waller, THE BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY is coming to Broadway's Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre in January of 2014. Check out a teaser below!

Artistic Director Jenny Gersten announces the opening of Williamstown Theatre Festival's fifth production of the 2013 season: Johnny Baseball, the Red Sox musical, plays on the Nikos Stage from tonight, July 25 - August 3, following July 24 preview performances.

The three-time Tony Award-winning musical THE SECRET GARDEN will be brought to life in an intimate concert staging to tour the UK from October 2013, it was announced today. Full listings attached. Casting to be announced.

MOTHER DIVINE: The Musical, an official selection of the New York Musical Festival's Next Link Project, began performances July 11th at the PTC Performance Space (Pearl Theatre Company). Book and lyrics are by Laurel Klinger Vartabedian and music by Bill Evans. Click below to watch two promos for the show!

Artistic Director Jenny Gersten announces the opening of Pygmalion, the Williamstown Theatre Festival's fourth production of the 2013 season. Pygmalion, celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, plays on the Main Stage from tonight, July 18 through July 27, following July 17 preview performances.

Williamstown Theatre Festival Artistic Director Jenny Gersten announced today the full cast and creative team for the sixth production, the third and final of the 2013 Main Stage season: The Bridges of Madison County will be presented on the Main Stage from August 1 - 18, 2013. Press night is Saturday, August 3 at 8:00 p.m.

MOTHER DIVINE: The Musical, an official selection of the New York Musical Festival's Next Link Project, will begin performances July 11th at the PTC Performance Space (Pearl Theatre Company). Book and lyrics are by Laurel Klinger Vartabedian and music by Bill Evans.

Mercury Theater Chicago, 3745 N Southport Ave., presents the Broadway musical THE COLOR PURPLE, based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Alice Walker, previewing August 14, opening Monday, August 26 at 7:30p.m., and running through October 27, 2013.

An audience of theatre enthusiasts waited in anticipation at the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts last night, when Founding Artistic Director Robert Kelley and Managing Director Phil Santora of TheatreWorks, the nationally-acclaimed theatre of Silicon Valley, unveiled the thrilling line-up for its 2013-2014 season. Opening with a groundbreaking World Premiere developed at last season's New Works Festival, the line-up will also give Bay Area audiences their first look at a Broadway hit by playwright Jon Robin Baitz (The Substance of Fire, A Fair Country, Three Hotels); an Off-Broadway smash by Kenneth Lin (Fallow, Po Boy Tango); and a historical drama from Lauren Gunderson (Exit, Pursued by a Bear). Also announced is an enchanting musical journey told through little-known Stephen Sondheim gems.