Marsha Norman News

Today in 1991, The Secret Garden opened at the St. James Theatre, where it ran for 709 performances.The Secret Garden is a musical based on the 1911 novel of the same name by Frances Hodgson Burnett. The musical's book and lyrics are by Marsha Norman, with music by Lucy Simon. Directed by Susan H. Schulman with choreography by Michael Lichtefeld, the cast featured Daisy Eagan, Mandy Patinkin, and Rebecca Luker. It won the 1991 Tony Awards for Best Book of a Musical, Best Featured Actress in a Musical (Daisy Eagan), and Best Scenic Design (Heidi Landesman).

Today we are talking to a versatile stage and screen actress who has scored in a number of unique roles on Broadway and around the country in addition to making a recent mark with her work on the Broadway-themed web series IT COULD BE WORSE - the passionate and compelling Alison Fraser. Discussing her vast resume and some of her most fondly remembered performances to date, Fraser opens up about her remarkable career thus far - including her work originating parts in IN TROUSERS, MARCH OF THE FALSETTOS, THE SECRET GARDEN, ROMANCE/ROMANCE, GUNMETAL BLUES, THE DIVINE SISTER and more - and looks ahead to her most recent projects, current, upcoming and beyond. Most importantly, Fraser details the finer points of LOVE THERAPY, the new Wendy Beckett play she stars in Off-Broadway and outlines her continuing collaboration onstage with the playwright, having previously starred in CHARITY CASE, as well as what we can expect from the realistic new drama, opening April 29. Additionally, Fraser sheds some light on her recent work in the world premiere of the Tennessee Williams play IN MASKS OUTRAGEOUS AND AUSTERE and how that led to her new solo revue, THE TENNESSEE WILLIAMS SONGBOOK. Plus, memories of appearing in GYPSY on Broadway with Patti LuPone and working with Arthur Laurents on that as well as his own final play, cameoing on SMASH, reflections on her memorable musical partnerships with husband Rusty Magee and noted FALSETTOS songwriter William Finn, as well as thoughts on the contemporary theatre scene and her various theatre-related web projects, favorite recent shows and much, much more!

Celebrating its 20th anniversary, Firehouse Theatre Project presents a series of plays that span the entire contemporary era from an American classic set in sultry post WWII New Orleans to a hilarious new satire set in a present day wrestling ring. Winners of 10 prestigious awards and numerous nominations for their New York premiers, the 2013-14 season boasts three Pulitzer Prize for Drama finalists and an Outer Critics Circle Award winner for Outstanding Off-Broadway Musical.

Theatre Agile, Altera Vitae Productions and the Rialto Theatre present Marg Szkabula (Pissy's Wife). The cabaret-style play, written by Ron Chambers, directed by Lib Spry (assisted by Luciana Burcheri) and starring Carolyn Fe with musical sidekick, Le Jack runs in the Rialto Hall from May 15 to 26, 2013. With Ms Fe's love of music and theatre, this one woman show is a natural for the raspy-voiced blues diva (see bio below).

The Guthrie today announced that it has commissioned Tony Award and Drama Desk Award-winning Broadway songwriter and composer Jason Robert Brown to create an original music piece for its 50th-anniversary gala performance BEHOLD. Brown's composition will be based on text excerpts from Shakespeare's Hamlet.

Surfside Players announces its Second Stage production 'NIGHT, MOTHER, a drama by Marsha Norman, running tonight, April 19-28, 2013.

Williamstown Theatre Festival Artistic Director Jenny Gersten has announced that Festival veteran Steven Pasquale will play 'Robert Kincaid' in this summer's World Premiere of The Bridges of Madison County. As previously announced, the new musical, which runs on the Main Stage from August 1 - 18, 2013, features a book by Marsha Norman, music & lyrics by Jason Robert Brown, and direction by Bartlett Sher. Pasquale returns to WTF after appearing opposite Kelli O'Hara last summer in the World Premiere of Far From Heaven.

Columbia Stages will present NEW PLAYS NOW, the annual festival of new plays by emerging artists from the MFA Theatre Program at Columbia University School of the Arts. NEW PLAYS NOW will run from tonight, April 17 to May 11 and will feature original works by Paulina Barros, Keith Boynton, Talya Chalef, Angelica Cheri, Pei-Chieh Chiang, Paola Lazaro Muñoz, Alessandra Most, Christina Quintana, Torrey Townsend, and Zhao Binghao.

New York's Rattlestick Playwrights Theater presents its Los Angeles premiere of the critically-acclaimed play Slipping, written and directed by Daniel Talbott, which began previews Thursday, April 4, 2013 at Elephant Stages' Lillian Theatre in Hollywood, Calif. and will run through May 5, 2013. The opening night party for Slipping, the first Los Angeles production from Rattlestick, was held at the Elephant Stages' Lillian Theatre on Saturday, April 13, 2013 in Los Angeles, Calif. Scroll down for photos from the celebrations!

MCC THEATER (Robert LuPone, Bernard Telsey, William Cantler, Artistic Directors; Blake West, Executive Director) today announced the first two productions of its 2013-14 Main Stage Season: the Broadway premiere of The Snow Geese by MCC alum Sharr White, which is a co-production with Manhattan Theatre Club (MTC); and the New York premiere of John Pollono's Small Engine Repair, which had previously been scheduled for the MCC 2012-13 Season. An announcement regarding the remaining productions of the MCC Theater 2013-14 Main Stage Season is forthcoming.

Second Stage Theatre's acclaimed production of Jason Robert Brown's musical, THE LAST FIVE YEARS, has received a third and final one-week extension, and will now end its run on Saturday, May 18. The musical has broken box office records for the off-Broadway institution and ranks among the longest-running productions in Second Stage's 34 year history.

Alessandra Most's PRIVATE POLICY a circus in two acts will receive its world premiere at the Pershing Square Signature Center in the Studio Theatre April 26 - 29. The work will be presented as part of the Columbia University School of the Arts New Plays Now Festival. Jill Harrison will direct the production. This play is mentored by Marsha Norman.

Pulitzer Prize winner Marsha Norman has selected playwright Jen Silverman as the winner of the 2013 Yale Drama Series for her play Still, chosen from almost 1100 entries from 30 countries. As winner of the competition, Still will be published by Yale University Press, receive a staged reading at Lincoln Center Theater's Claire Tow Theater, and Ms. Silverman will be presented with the David Charles Horn Prize, a cash award of $10,000.

Williamstown Theatre Festival Artistic Director Jenny Gersten has announced additions to the Festival's 59th Season, including Blood Play, The Debate Society's off- Broadway hit, which will play the Nikos Stage, August 7 - 18, 2013. It was also announced today that celebrated comedian (and Williamstown Theatre Festival regular) Lewis Black will return to the WTF Main Stage for My Fair Lewis, a one-night-only evening of stand-up, on Monday, July 22, and that the Festival's signature Late-Night Cabaret series - featuring Festival stars in rarely seen cabaret performances - returns to Goodrich Hall, July 11 - 13, July 25 - 27, August 8 - 10 at 10:30 PM.

On Monday, May 13, 2013, Theatre Communications Group (TCG), the national organization for theatre, will honor Ruth and Stephen Hendel and Ming Cho Lee with a Gala Evening at the Angel Orensanz Foundation in New York City. The Gala co-chairs are playwright Lydia R. Diamond and interior designer Jasmine M. Keller. The Gala honorary chairs are Anne Kaufman, Obie award-winning director; Nelle Nugent, Broadway producer; Judith O. Rubin, chairman of the board of Playwrights Horizons; and Liz Smith, columnist and 'The Grand Dame of Dish'.

The Los Angeles Premiere of Slipping will begin tonight, April 6, and run through Sunday, May 5, 2013, as Rattlestick Playwrights Theater's first LA production. The show will play Elephant Stage's Lillian Theatre, 1076 Lillian Way in Los Angeles, Calif.

New York's Rattlestick Playwrights Theater presents the Los Angeles premiere of the critically-acclaimed play Slipping, written and directed by Daniel Talbott, which begins previews tonight, April 4, 2013 at Elephant Stages' Lillian Theatre in Hollywood, CA. The five-week limited engagement is scheduled to open Sunday, April 7, 2013 at 7:00pm and run through Sunday, May 5, 2013.