Playwrights Horizons News

This week's New York Times In Performance video features Tony Award-nominated actress Jan Maxwell in a scene from Anthony Giardina's play "The City of Conversation,"

Producers Stephen Byrd, Alia Jones-Harvey, and Paula Marie Black announced today that the new musical stage adaptation of Black Orpheus will feature a book by Pulitzer Prize winner Lynn Nottage and will be directed by multi Tony Award winner George C. Wolfe.

This is the final week to see the acclaimed Off-Broadway engagement of Ethel Sings by Joan Beber at Theatre Row's Beckett Theatre (410 West 42nd Street, between 9th and 10th Avenues). This limited engagement concludes July 13th.

Yesterday, America's national Independence Day celebration kicked off the festivities for our country's 238(th) birthday with an all-star salute led by Tom Bergeron (DANCING WITH THE STARS). Broadcast live on PBS from the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol, the event featured performances by: Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Frankie Valli; Grammy Award-winning music legend Patti LaBelle; platinum recording artist and songwriter Philip Phillips; multi-platinum recording artist and actress Jordin Sparks; the world-famous Muppets; five-time Grammy Award-winning singer and songwriter Michael McDonald; country music superstar Sara Evans; singer-songwriter Kendall Schmidt from Big Time Rush and HEFFRON DRIVE; and five-time Tony Award nominee and Broadway star Kelli O'Hara; with the National Symphony Orchestra under the direction of top pops conductor Jack Everly.

Skyrocketing rents. Loss of diversity. Evictions, Google Glass wearing nouveau riche, The War on the Poor. What is The City coming to? The Tony Award-winning San Francisco Mime Troupe (SFMT) opens its 55th season with RIPPLE EFFECT, a musical comedic tale of intersecting lives and cultures that reflect the familiar neighborhood tensions that are polarizing San Franciscans today.

Good morning, BroadwayWorld! Because we know all our readers eat, sleep and breathe Broadway, what could be better than waking up to it? This weekend's big news: It's the Fourth of July (yay!) and PBS's A CAPITOL FOURTH and NBC's MACY'S FOURTH OF JULY FIREWORKS SPECTACULAR round up some of the hottest talent from Broadway and the music scene tonight, THEATER TALK remembers 1776's Peter Stone, and Center Stage's digital project MY AMERICA launches on Fandor!

Playwrights Horizons has announced initial casting for its upcoming 2014/2015 Season. The announcement includes casting for the first two shows of the season: initial casting for BOOTYCANDY, the New York premiere of a new play written and directed by Obie Award winner Robert O'Hara (In the Continuum, Antebellum, Insurrection: Holding History); and initial casting for GRAND CONCOURSE, the World Premiere of a new play by playwright and two-time Obie Award-winning actress Heidi Schreck (There Are No More Big Secrets, Creature), directed by Kip Fagan (The Revisionist, Asuncion).

The National Alliance For Musical Theatre (NAMT) announced today its selections for the 26th Annual Festival of New Musicals. Beautiful Poison, Cubamor, Great Wall, How To Break, Mary Marie, The Noteworthy Life of Howard Barnes, String and Stu For Silverton make up the eight new musicals that will be presented at the 26th Annual Festival of New Musicals on Thursday, October 23, 2014 and Friday, October 24, 2014 at New World Stages (340 West 50th Street).

Second Stage Theatre (Carole Rothman, Artistic Director) continues the 2014 Uptown Series (Chris Burney, Associate Artistic Director and 2ST Uptown Curator) with the New York premiere of MALA HIERBA, written by Tanya Saracho (HBO's 'Looking' and 'Girls') and directed by Jerry Ruiz. MALA HIERBA will feature ROBERTA COLINDREZ, SANDRA MARQUEZ, MARTA MILANS, and ANA NOGUEIRA. Previews begin Monday, July 14th and opening night is Monday, July 28th.

What place do values such as teamwork and loyalty have in today`s constantly changing marketplace? Can a middle-aged business owner who clings to these values unite his staff at a weekend retreat and save his small travel agency from the recession? Will a perfectly executed trust fall do the trick?

Artistic Director Hal Brooks has announced that the 20th Season of the Cape Cod Theatre Project, featuring staged readings of new work by Cory Hinkle, Hamish Linklater, Seth Moore and the Lobbyists, and Alena Smith is now cast. Obie Winner and Tony Nominee Johanna Day will be joined by Girls star Michael Zegen and others.

Back by popular demand, THE BOOK OF MORMON, which played a record breaking two week run in 2013, returns for a limited engagement at the Detroit Opera House, July 1 through July 13, 2014.

Principal casting has been announced for the upcoming world premiere production of AN AMERICAN IN PARIS. The cast will include Robert Fairchild as Jerry Mulligan, Leanne Cope as Lise Dassin, Veanne Cox as Madame Baurel, Jill Paice as Milo Davenport, Brandon Uranowitz as Adam Hochberg, and Max Von Essen as Henri Baurel.

Roundabout Theatre Company has announced that Tony Award winner Levi Kreis (Million Dollar Quartet) joins the company of Violet as 'The Preacher.' Violet stars two-time Tony Award winner Sutton Foster, Colin Donnell, Alexander Gemignani and Tony Award nominee Joshua Henry. Only six weeks remain to see the Tony nominated production, which plays a strictly limited engagement at Broadway's American Airlines Theatre (227 West 42nd Street) through August 10, 2014.

Curious Theatre Company announces their newest program for young playwrights: The Curious New Voices National Collective. Building on the 10-year success of their month-long local Summer Writing Intensive, this summer Curious will be piloting a week-long intensive open to young playwrights selected by regional theatres across the country.

Throughline Artists will present SUMMER SHORTS 2014, their eighth annual festival of new American short plays from established and emerging writers, at 59E59 Theaters (59 East 59th Street). Performances will begin Friday July 18th, and continue through Saturday August 30th only.

Curious Theatre Company announces their newest program for young playwrights: The Curious New Voices National Collective. Building on the 10-year success of their month-long local Summer Writing Intensive, this summer Curious will be piloting a week-long intensive open to young playwrights selected by regional theatres across the country.

Northlight Theatre, under the direction of Artistic Director BJ Jones and Executive Director Timothy J. Evans, announces casting for the first three productions of the 40th Anniversary Season.

The Brooklyn College Department of Theater will present its inaugural New Works Brooklyn festival today, June 25-29. The series will feature staged readings of one-act plays written by Kia Corthron, Erin Courtney, Jose Rivera, Anne Washburn, and Mac Wellman, all of whom will take part in audience talkbacks during the week. In addition, Rivera will direct his own piece, and Corthron, Courtney, Washburn, and Wellman will take part in a panel discussion on the development of new plays on the closing day of the festival.