Michael Mayer News

Over 400 guests including current and past New York City high school students, and the performing arts professional mentors who have participated in TDF's Open Doors, the theatre arts mentoring program that TDF founded in 1998 with playwright Wendy Wasserstein, will attend this year's graduation at 5:30pm on Monday, June 1 at The Gerald W. Lynch Theater at John Jay College (524 West 59th Street, NYC).   TDF's Open Doors was the first arts education program to receive a special Tony Honor for Excellence in the Theatre when it received the special honor in 2012. This year, Open Doors had 30 mentors working with 24 groups of students from New York City high schools.

The Hypocrites will launch their 2015-16 season with the Chicago premiere of the smash Broadway musical AMERICAN IDIOT, featuring music by Grammy Award-winning punk rock band Green Day, book by Green Day frontman/guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong and Michael Mayer and lyrics by Armstrong, direction by Steven Wilson, musical direction by Andra Velis Simon and choreography by Katie Spelman. AMERICAN IDIOT will play August 28 - October 25, 2015 at The Den Theatre Mainstage, 1329 N. Milwaukee Ave. in Chicago's Wicker Park neighborhood. Tickets are currently available at at www.the-hypocrites.com. The press opening Sunday, September 6 at 3 pm.

The Drama League, embarking on a landmark year of celebration commemorating its 100 years of service to the American theater, announced today The Drama League Centennial Gala set for Monday evening, November 2, 2015 at The Plaza (768 Fifth Avenue). Cocktails and silent auction will begin at 7:00 p.m. followed by dinner and performance at 8:00 p.m.  Special Guests and performers will be announced at a later date.  The Centennial Gala Committee is now in formation; tables and seats are available by calling (212) 244-9494.

On Monday, May 25th the Theater People Podcast welcomes Tony-nominated composer Jeanine Tesori. In the interview, she talks of the five-year journey that she took alongside lyricist and book writer Lisa Kron adapting Alison Bechdel's celebrated graphic memior. After a ground breaking Off-Broadway run, the musical is now Tony-nominated and playing at Broadway's Circle in the Square Theater. Tesori and Kron have been nominated together for this year's Best Original Score award; should they win, the pair would become the first all-female writing team in Tony history to take home that the prize.

A sexy cast of beautiful people inhabits Green Day's punk rock opera American Idiot, in a ferocious glory|struck production that opened last weekend at The Vortex. Directors Topher Rhys and Jen Oundjian (who also choreographs) take full advantage of the concert venue space and go for a panoramic experience, moving the action offstage whenever possible. The concept enhances the surround sound feel of the show and if you approach it from a concert mindset it will be easy to go with the flow. In a way, by chopping up the visual space to include playing areas all around the space, it enhances the disconnectedness we see in the characters. Plus, there is a certain kind of bond an audience feels with an actor when he is dripping with sweat and singing his guts out right next to you.

HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH star Darren Criss stopped by this week's TODAY and tells Kathie Lee and Hoda that there is nothing like performing in front of a live theater audience.

 Phoenix Theatre of Indianapolis announces the Indiana premiere of American Idiot opening June 4, 2015 on the Livia and Steve Russell Stage. This production runs through July 5, 2015, with Bryan Fonseca serving as director, Emily Ristine Holloway serving as Assistant Director, Tim Brickley and Jeanne Bowling serving as co-Musical Directors, and Cherri Jaffee and Mariel Greenlee serving as co-choreographers.

glory|struck productions presents an immersive, warehouse staging of AMERICAN IDIOT, vibrantly brought to life in Downtown Los Angeles' Arts District. Performances run through June 7th. Check out a first look at Alec Cyganowski and Lindsay Pearce performing 'Boulevard of Broken Dreams'!

On Monday, May 18th, the Theater People Podcast welcomes IT SHOULDA BEEN YOU star Lisa Howard. Lisa made her Broadway debut as Rona Lisa Peretti in the 2006 Tony nominated production of 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE. From there she has been seen on Broadway in SOUTH PACIFIC, PRISCILLA, QUEEN OF THE DESERT, and 9 TO 5. In IT SHOULDA BEEN YOU, Howard has received glowing notices and a Drama Desk Award nomination for her turn as Jenny, older sister of the Bride who's gone out of her way to plan the perfect wedding. Despite acting alongside Broadway favorites like Tyne Daly, Harriet Harris, and Sierra Boggess, much has been made of IT SHOULDA BEEN YOU being a star making vehicle for Howard. 

Featuring two smash hit musicals - GREEN DAY'S AMERICAN IDIOT and HEATHERS: THE MUSICAL, our season will also include two hot and exciting contemporary plays: Aaron Posner's bold new riff on Chekhov's THE SEAGULL entitled STUPID f**kING BIRD - and a kind of co-production with Arizona Theatre Company - Laura Eason's steamy SEX WITH STRANGERS.

glory|struck productions presents an immersive, environmental staging of AMERICAN IDIOT, to be vibrantly brought to life in a yet-to-be-disclosed warehouse venue of Downtown Los Angeles' Arts District. Performances begin tonight, May 15th. Scroll down for a sneak peek at the cast in costume!

Darren Criss talks HEDWIG!

According to Variety, Tony-winning director Michael Mayer is set to helm a big screen version of Anton Chekhov's The Seagull, which has been adapted by playwright Stephen Karam.

Taye Diggs will return to Broadway this summer in Hedwig and the Angry Inch, the 2014 Tony Award winning Best Musical Revival. Diggs will play the title role in the acclaimed musical for a limited 12-week engagement starting Wednesday, July 22 at the Belasco Theatre (111 West 44th Street).

Darren Criss talks choosing perfect kissers!

Darren Criss, who recently stepped into the starring role in Broadway's HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH, stopped by Billboard.com to give a quick 'Hedwig' make-up lesson to Billboard editor Jason Lipshutz.

Good morning, BroadwayWorld! Because we know all our readers eat, sleep and breathe Broadway, what could be better than waking up to it? Today's big news: Two classics begin off-Broadway, Brian Stokes Mitchell is feted at lunch, Darko Tresnjak directs KISS ME, KATE, and JASPER IN DEADLAND comes to Seattle!

On Monday, May 11 the Theater People podcast welcomes 2015 Tony-nominee, Tony Yazbeck. Currently starring in the critically acclaimed and Tony nominated Broadway revival of ON THE TOWN, Tony opens up about how the role first came to him for the 2008 Encores production, his experience with the pre-Broadway run at Barrington Stage, and how, as a true triple threat, he was particularly suited to play the role on Broadway.

glory|struck production's immersive and environmental staging of Green Day's AMERICAN IDIOT, to be vibrantly brought to life in a warehouse of Downtown Los Angeles' Arts District, is in final rehearsals before its May 15th opening at The Vortex. Scroll down for a sneak peek at the cast!

Second Stage Theatre (Carole Rothman, Artistic Director, Casey Reitz Executive Director) has announced complete casting for its upcoming world premiere production of WHORL INSIDE A LOOP, a new play by Dick Scanlan and Sherie Rene Scott, co-directed by Michael Mayer and Mr. Scanlan, the creative team behind the Tony-nominated, critically acclaimed hit, Everyday Rapture, which had its world premiere at Second Stage Theatre in 2009.