Michael Weller News

The New South Wales Minister for Tourism, Jodi McKay, announced today that in 2011, Sydney (Australia) will host the World Premiere of a new musical, DOCTOR ZHIVAGO starring Anthony Warlow.

Lincoln Center Theater (under the direction of Andre Bishop, Artistic Director, and Bernard Gersten, Executive Producer) has announced that Liz Baltes, Kate Fry, Drew Gehling, Marc Kudisch and Bobby Steggert will comprise the cast of its upcoming production of A MINISTER'S WIFE, a new musical with book by Austin Pendleton, music by Joshua Schmidt and lyrics by Jan Levy Tranen, based on Candida by George Bernard Shaw.

Lincoln Center Theater has announced plans to produce the New York premiere of A MINISTER'S WIFE, a new musical adapted from George Bernard Shaw's Candida by Austin Pendelton, with music by Joshua Schmidt and lyrics by Jan Tranen during its 2010-2011 season.

Continuing their mission of developing new works and cultivating the next generation of playwrights, Urban Stages (Frances Hill, Artistic Director) will present a reading of David Koteles' The Cook's Tour, directed by Chris Henry. The reading will take place on Tuesday, February 8 at 6PM.The free reading will take place at Urban Stages Theatre (259 West 30 Street) reservations can be made by calling 212 421-1380.

Continuing their mission of developing new works and cultivating the next generation of playwrights, Urban Stages (Frances Hill, Artistic Director) will present a reading of David Koteles' The Cook's Tour, directed by Chris Henry. The reading will take place on Tuesday, February 8 at 6PM.The free reading will take place at Urban Stages Theatre (259 West 30 Street) reservations can be made by calling 212 421-1380.

MCC Theater (Robert LuPone, Bernard Telsey, Artistic Directors; William Cantler, Associate Artistic Director; Blake West, Executive Director) will celebrate the company's 25th anniversary by honoring a host of MCC artists past and present at Miscast 2011. This highly anticipated annual gala will take place on Monday, March 14, 2011 at The Hammerstein Ballroom (311 West 34th Street between 8th and 9th Avenues). Andy Cohen (Host of Bravo TV's 'Watch What Happens Live') will host the evening. David Duchovny (star of the recent MCC Theater hit, The Break of Noon), Téa Leoni, Hugh Dancy (star of yet another recent MCC hit, The Pride) and Claire Danes are this year's honorary chairs. Funds raised from Miscast help MCC Theater produce some of the most talked-about new work Off Broadway and support their Youth Company and in-school partnerships that serve New York City public high school students, as well as their literary development work with emerging playwrights.

Broadway veteran Kevin Anderson leads the cast in the Los Angeles run of world premiere production of Neil LaBute's The Break of Noon. The Break of Noon, which is a co-production with MCC in New York, will feature Catherine Dent as well as Tracee Chimo and John Earl Jelks, who performed their roles in the New York portion of the run. Helmed by director Jo Bonney, The Break of Noon begins in previews on January 25, 2011 and officially opens February 2, 2011.

Profiles Theatre continues its 2010-2011 Season with reasons to be pretty by Neil LaBute, directed by Steppenwolf ensemble member Rick Snyder.

Alley Company Artist and Pulitzer finalist Rajiv Joseph is currently enjoying an astonishing year, with three plays opening in the next few months.

Second Stage Theatre (Carole Rothman, Artistic Director) has announced that STEPHANIE J. BLOCK, DANIEL BREAKER, KIMBERLY HÉBERT GREGORY, KEVIN ISOLA and KAREN OLIVO will star in the world premiere comedy, BY THE WAY, MEET VERA STARK, the new play by Lynn Nottage, directed by Jo Bonney. BY THE WAY, MEET VERA STARK is Ms. Nottage's first play to be produced in New York since she won the Pulitzer Prize for Ruined in 2009.

Profiles Theatre is bringing back its acclaimed Midwest Premiere of Jailbait by Deirdre O'Connor, directed by Artistic Director Joe Jahraus, for a limited engagement at its new space, The Second Stage.

Playwrights Horizons announced in December that it had commissioned FAR FROM HEAVEN, a new musical with book by Tony Award winner and two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist Richard Greenberg (Take Me Out, Three Days of Rain), music by Tony Award nominee Scott Frankel (Grey Gardens) and lyrics by Tony Award nominee Michael Korie (Grey Gardens, The Grapes of Wrath).

Rehearsals for the new musical production Doctor Zhivago began in Sydney today, with the full cast assembled for the first time.

Rehearsals for the new musical production DOCTOR ZHIVAGO began in Sydney today, with the full cast assembled for the first time. The creative team, a mix of US and Australian, were thrilled with the excitement and energy in the rehearsal room. Director Des McAnuff (Jersey Boys) arrived in Australia from Canada just before Christmas to commence rehearsals, and others had flown in from the US including composer Lucy Simon, choreographer Kelly Devine, music supervisor Eric Stern, orchestrator Danny Troob and US co-producer Anita Waxman. Lyricists Michael Korie and Amy Powers and book writer Michael Weller arrive next week.

According to the NY Times, Cherry Lane Theatre's Angelina Fiordellisi, will resign as Artistic Director sometime between March and June of 2011. Additionally, Fiordellisi plans to sell the building, which has been a Greenwich Village staple since 1924, due to ongoing financial struggles.

Playwrights Horizons (Tim Sanford, Artistic Director; Leslie Marcus, Managing Director) announced today that it has commissioned FAR FROM HEAVEN, a new musical with book by Tony Award winner and two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist Richard Greenberg (Take Me Out, Three Days of Rain), music by Tony Award nominee Scott Frankel (Grey Gardens) and lyrics by Tony Award nominee Michael Korie (Grey Gardens, The Grapes of Wrath). The musical is being adapted from the acclaimed, award-winning 2002 Focus Features/Vulcan Productions motion picture Far From Heaven, written and directed by Todd Haynes.

Playwrights Horizons (Tim Sanford, Artistic Director; Leslie Marcus, Managing Director) announced today that it has commissioned FAR FROM HEAVEN, a new musical with book by Tony Award winner and two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist Richard Greenberg (Take Me Out, Three Days of Rain), music by Tony Award nominee Scott Frankel (Grey Gardens) and lyrics by Tony Award nominee Michael Korie (Grey Gardens, The Grapes of Wrath). The musical is being adapted from the acclaimed, award-winning 2002 Focus Features/Vulcan Productions motion picture Far From Heaven, written and directed by Todd Haynes.

Profiles Theatre is bringing back its acclaimed Midwest Premiere of Jailbait by Deirdre O'Connor, directed by Artistic Director Joe Jahraus, for a limited engagement at its new space, The Second Stage.

Broadway veteran Kevin Anderson leads the cast in the Los Angeles run of world premiere production of Neil LaBute's The Break of Noon. The Break of Noon, which is a co-production with MCC in New York, will feature Catherine Dent as well as Tracee Chimo and John Earl Jelks, who performed their roles in the New York portion of the run. Helmed by director Jo Bonney, The Break of Noon begins in previews on January 25, 2011 and officially opens February 2, 2011.

Opera Grows in Brooklyn Sunday, December 5th - 7:00 p.m. Galapagos Art Space 16 Main Street in DUMBO, Brooklyn