Richard Greenberg News

The Broadway League has awarded coveted New York Education Grants to the Broadway productions of Manhattan Theatre Club?s The American Plan, by Richard Greenberg, and to 9 to 5: The Musical. Each production receives a $5,000 grant towards its 2009 educational initiatives. The grants are important to the growth and development of theatre education and audience development in the city as they encourage theatres to create more opportunities for young people and to exchange ideas about live performance.

South Coast Repertory's 12th annual Pacific Playwrights Festival (PPF) will shine the spotlight on seven new plays written by America's finest writers. Since its creation in 1998, PPF has grown into one of the most important festivals of new scripts in the United States. This year's Festival will take place during the May 1 through May 3 weekend and will feature five staged readings and two fully-produced World Premieres on South Coast Repertory's Segerstrom and Julianne Argryos Stages. Tickets to PPF may be purchased online at www.scr.org, by phone at (714) 708-5555 or in person at the SCR box office.

The Hipgnosis Theatre Company proudly presents William Shakespeare's Macbeth, one of his best-known and darkest works, directed by John Castro. Macbeth runs from April 3 to 19, 2009 in a limited engagement at the Clemente Soto Velez Center (Flamboyan Theater), located at 107 Suffolk Street, between Rivington & Delancey, in NYC. Official opening is April 3. The play follows on the heels of the company's acclaimed 2008 production of Bertolt Brecht's The Caucasian Chalk Circle, which received a 2008 NY Innovative Theater Award nomination for Outstanding Production Of A Play.

Oskar Eustis, Artistic Director of The Public Theater, has announced the 26-member Broadway cast of HAIR: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical. Newcomers to the cast include Gavin Creel, Caissie Levy and Sasha Allen, who join the rest of the tribe, who are reprising their roles from Central Park last summer. HAIR begins preview performances on Friday, March 6 at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre (302 West 45th Street, NYC) with an Opening Night set for Tuesday, March 31, 2009.

An upper class African American family wrestles with parental expectations, sibling rivalry, and issues of class and race. Following a two-year hiatus, Joseph Stern's multiple award-winning Matrix Theatre Company returns with the West Coast premiere of Stick Fly by Lydia R. Diamond, an important new play from one of America's freshest and most dynamic voices. Shirley Jo Finney directs Chris Butler, Avery Clyde, Tinashe Kajese, Terrell Tilford, John Wesley and Michole Briana White at The Matrix Theatre, April 4 through May 31, with previews beginning March 26.

Playwright Jeffrey Hatcher's MURDERERS, takes the mainstage as Asolo Rep's ninth production this season - the fifth to open in repertory for 2009. The offbeat, killer comedy opens on March 13 and continues through May 23, 2009. Tickets are available through the Asolo Rep box office at (941) 351-8000, toll-free at (800) 361-8388, as well as online at www.asolo.org.

Roundabout Theatre Company's (Todd Haimes, Artistic Director) limited engagement of Pal Joey will play its final performance on Sunday, March 1st at 2:00 PM. This revival of Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart's classic musical stars Stockard Channing (Vera Simpson), Matthew Risch (Joey Evans) and Martha Plimpton (Gladys Bumps) and is directed by Joe Mantello at Studio 54 on Broadway (254 West 54th St).

Eric Schaeffer, Artistic Director of Signature Theatre, today announced casting for the world premiere production of the musical Giant by composer Michael John LaChiusa and playwright Sybille Pearson.

TDF's Accessibility Programs (TAP), which have been instrumental in expanding open captioning on and Off Broadway, and regionally across the United States, announce the schedule of performances which will feature the service on Broadway this spring.Open captioning, which TDF introduced on Broadway in 1997, is more inclusive of all hard-of-hearing audiences than traditional sign language interpretation. Through open captioning, an electronic text display, placed on the side of the stage, shows what the actors are saying or singing and describes sound effects on stage in real time.To date, TAP has organized more than 350 open-captioned performances of more than 250 different Broadway, Off Broadway and regional productions.

Roundabout Theatre Company's (Todd Haimes, Artistic Director) limited engagement of Pal Joey will play its final performance on Sunday, March 1st at 2:00 PM. This revival of Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart's classic musical stars Stockard Channing (Vera Simpson), Matthew Risch (Joey Evans) and Martha Plimpton (Gladys Bumps) and is directed by Joe Mantello at Studio 54 on Broadway (254 West 54th St).

Lily Rabe, who is currently appearing in MTC's critically acclaimed production of THE AMERICAN PLAN, will be featured this weekend on 'CBS2 News Sunday' at approximately 8:45 AM. Rabe spoke to CBS2 anchor Dana Tyler at MTC's Samuel J. Friedman Theatre for the segment. Tyler spoke to Rabe about her recent success with THE AMERICAN PLAN as well as her recent successes both on and Off-Broadway.

Manhattan Theatre Club is pleased to announce that due to popular demand, their acclaimed production of Richard Greenberg?s THE AMERICAN PLAN has been extended through Sunday, March 22 at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre (261 West 47th Street).

The Tony Awards Administration Committee met today for the third time this season to decide the eligibility of nine Broadway productions for the 2009 American Theatre Wing's Tony Awards?, presented by The Broadway League and The American Theatre Wing.

Eight new productions, four of which are company premieres, will highlight the Metropolitan Opera's 2009-10 season. General Manager Peter Gelb and Music Director James Levine jointly announced plans that include: the Met premieres of Rossini's Armida, Verdi's Attila, Jan?ček's From the House of the Dead, and Shostakovich's The Nose; new productions of Bizet's Carmen, Offenbach's Les Contes d'Hoffmann, Thomas's Hamlet, and Puccini's Tosca; and 18 revivals from the company's repertory. The season is the first to be entirely planned under Gelb's leadership, in collaboration with Levine (the past three seasons were planned before Gelb became General Manager in 2006-07 but included some productions, repertoire, and casting changes made by Gelb).

Stockard Channing, star of Roundabout Theatre Company's Pal Joey, will be interviewed on 'Regis and Kelly,' tomorrow, February 5th between 9:00-10:00AM on channel 7. Roundabout Theatre Company (Todd Haimes, Artistic Director) presents a new Broadway production of PAL JOEY starring Stockard Channing (Vera Simpson), Matthew Risch (Joey Evans) and Martha Plimpton (Gladys Bumps). PAL JOEY features a new book by Tony? Award winner Richard Greenberg, based on the original book by John O'Hara, with music direction by Tony? Award winner Paul Gemignani, choreography by Graciela Daniele and directed by two-time Tony? Award winner Joe Mantello at Studio 54 on Broadway.

Stockard Channing, star of Roundabout Theatre Company's Pal Joey, will be interviewed on 'Regis and Kelly,' tomorrow, February 5th between 9:00-10:00AM on channel 7. Roundabout Theatre Company (Todd Haimes, Artistic Director) presents a new Broadway production of PAL JOEY starring Stockard Channing (Vera Simpson), Matthew Risch (Joey Evans) and Martha Plimpton (Gladys Bumps). PAL JOEY features a new book by Tony? Award winner Richard Greenberg, based on the original book by John O'Hara, with music direction by Tony? Award winner Paul Gemignani, choreography by Graciela Daniele and directed by two-time Tony? Award winner Joe Mantello at Studio 54 on Broadway.

Mercedes Ruehl, who is currently appearing in MTC's critically acclaimed production of Richard Greenberg's THE AMERICAN PLAN, will be a featured guest on tomorrow's edition of 'The Joan Hamburg Show.' Ruehl will be appearing as part of the Hamburg's regular 'Live at Sardi's' series at approximately 11 AM on WOR (710 AM).

Mercedes Ruehl, who is currently appearing in MTC's critically acclaimed production of Richard Greenberg's THE AMERICAN PLAN, will be a featured guest on tomorrow's edition of 'The Joan Hamburg Show.' Ruehl will be appearing as part of the Hamburg's regular 'Live at Sardi's' series at approximately 11 AM on WOR (710 AM).

Oskar Eustis, Artistic Director of The Public Theater, has announced the 26-member Broadway cast of HAIR: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical. Newcomers to the cast include Gavin Creel, Caissie Levy and Sasha Allen, who join the rest of the tribe, who are reprising their roles from Central Park last summer. Currently in rehearsal at the Union Square Theatre, HAIR begins preview performances on Friday, March 6 at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre (302 West 45th Street, NYC) with an Opening Night set for Tuesday, March 31, 2009.

Stage and screen actress Lily Rabe talks about her life and her current role oppposite Mercedes Ruehl in The AMERICAN PLAN