Robert Falls News

The most wonderful time of the year is underway as rehearsals begin this week for Goodman Theatre's A Christmas Carol, 'a joyous present for the entire family' (Chicago Sun-Times), in its 36th annual production. Directing the holiday favorite for the first time, Henry Wishcamper's production features all-new on stage magic-set elements, special effects and more. The cast of 27 (below, includes 14 new and 13 returning cast members) stars Larry Yando, who most recently appeared in Mary Zimmerman's production of The Jungle Book as Shere Khan, in his sixth turn as Ebenezer Scrooge and 8-year-old Matthew Abraham as Tiny Tim for the second year. A Christmas Carol runs November 16 - December 28 in the Goodman's Albert Theatre.

Mat Hostetler is joining the cast of THE PREACHER AND THE SHRINK, a new play by Merle Good starring Dee Hoty. Performances will begin November 2nd, with the official Opening Night on Monday, November 18th at 7 PM at The Beckett Theatre at Theatre Row, 410 West 42nd Street. The limited engagement is scheduled to run through January 4th. Mat is replacing Richard Thierot who has accepted a role in Luna Gale, a world premiere drama at the Goodman Theatre directed by Robert Falls. Under the direction of Steven Yuhasz, THE PREACHER AND THE SHRINK will also feature Tom Galantich(Mamma Mia!, City of Angels, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels), Adria Vitlar (The Columnist, Blood and Gifts) and Nicholas Urda(Love's Labour's Lost).

Happy Birthday, Liev Screiber! Schreiber's performance as Ricky Roma in the 2005 Broadway revival of David Mamet's 'Glengarry Glen Ross', directed by Joe Mantello, earned him his first Tony Award. He was again a Tony nominee for his portrayal of Barry Champlain in the 2007 Broadway revival of Eric Bogosian's 'Talk Radio', directed by Robert Falls, Other stage work includes The Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park production of 'Macbeth', in the lead role opposite Jennifer Ehle, directed by Moises Kaufman; 'Iago'; 'Hamlet'; 'Henry the V'; and 'Cymbeline'.

Following a season that included the best-selling ensemble musicalJames Joyce's The Dead, the critically-acclaimed two-man drama A Walk in the Woods, and the highly-successful area premiere of Conor McPherson's adaptation The Birds, Quotidian Theatre Company opens its 16th season with The Iceman Cometh, a rarely-performed masterpiece by Nobel Laureate and Pulitzer Prize winner Eugene O'Neill that The New York Times calls a 'tough, loquacious, magnificent play'. Quotidian's production runs October 25 - November 24 at The Writer's Center in downtown Bethesda.

Lifelong Chicagoan Roche Edward Schulfer's 40 years of distinguished service to Goodman Theatre-a rarely-exceeded tenure at a single American theater-will be celebrated with a star on the 'Walkway of Stars' beneath the iconic Goodman marquee, and at the 2013/2014 Season Opening Celebration today, September 24.

EXPO CHICAGO, The International Exposition of Contemporary & Modern Art, in conjunction with Choose Chicago and Chicago's Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events(DCASE), present EXPO ART WEEK, a citywide celebration of arts and culture with over 100 special events, institutions, museums, galleries, theaters and restaurants participating, Sept. 16 – 22, 2013. For an entire list of EXPO ART WEEK events including Chicago gallery openings, visitexpochicago.com/visitors/expo-art-week.

Director Dan Deal brings the Egypt of Elton John and Tim Rice to life at the Ware Center for PRiMA Theatre

Fiddlehead Theatre Company has announced its 2013-2014 season, the premiere season as Resident Theatre Company at Boston's Historic Strand Theatre (543 Columbia Road, Dorchester, MA). Fiddlehead Theatre Company has a 20-year history of presenting professional theatre and educational programming for the Boston area and is committed to producing theatre that uplifts while engaging audiences in current issues.

Today in 2000, Aida opened at the Palace Theatre, where it ran for 1852 performances. Aida is a musical with music by Elton John, lyrics by Tim Rice, and book by Linda Woolverton, Robert Falls, and David Henry Hwang. Aida was nominated for five Tony Awards and won four Tony Awards in 2000, including Best Musical Score and Best Performance by a Leading Actress. Aida was also named by Time Magazine in 2000 as one of the top ten theatre productions of the year. The First National tour was nominated for nine National Broadway Theatre awards (now 'Touring Broadway Awards') and won five awards, including Best Musical, Best Direction, Best Actor, and Best Actress.

This Fall will bring with it ten new Broadway plays and five new Broadway musicals, and yet there is even more on the way for Off-Broadway, including: ALL THE FACES OF THE MOON, ARGUENDO, THE OLD FRIENDS, FETCH CLAY MAKE MAN, BIKE AMERICA, NATURAL AFFECTION, FUN HOME, BAD JEWS, LADY DAY, ANTHEM, GRASSES OF A THOUSAND COLORS, THE PATRON SAINT OF SEA MONSTERS, THE JACKSONIAN, HOW I LEARNED WHAT I LEARNED, CHERI, DOMESTICATED, LIES MY FATHER TOLD ME, THE (CURIOUS CASE OF THE) WATSON INTELLIGENCE, and THE COMMONS OF PENSACOLA.

Now in its 10th year, Goodman Theatre's 2013 New Stages festival features five FREE new plays-two fully staged workshop productions performed in repertory plus three staged readings-in the Owen Theatre, December 7 - 22. All five plays celebrate Latino playwrights: The Upstairs Concierge, a contemporary farce about celebrity and baseball by Pulitzer Prize finalist (for The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity) Kristoffer Diaz; and The Solid Sand Below, an examination of the intoxicating nature of war which Martin Zimmerman developed during his time as a member of the Goodman's Playwrights Unit, and which was selected for the 2013 National Playwrights Conference at The Eugene O'Neill Theater Center in Connecticut. The three staged readings, which complement the two workshop productions over the December 13 - 15 "Industry Weekend," are TBA. Tickets are free, but reservations are required: 312.443.3800, GoodmanTheatre.org or visit the box office (170 N. Dearborn).

Goodman Theatre Resident Director Chuck Smith presents the Chicago premiere production of Cheryl L. West's Pullman Porter Blues-a 2013 Helen Hayes/Charles MacArthur Award nominee for Outstanding New Play/Musical. This blues-infused 'glorious ride' (DCist) follows three generations of African American Pullman porters in the 1930s-an era that no longer enslaves them, but still exploits them-in an updated production especially for the city of Pullman's origin. Below, BroadwayWorld has a sneak peek at the cast and creative team in rehearsal!

The New Group launches its 2013-2014 season with the New York premiere of the Geffen Playhouse production of The Jacksonian, by Pulitzer Prize winner Beth Henley. Directed by Tony Award winner Robert Falls, this production features Ed Harris, Glenne Headly, Amy Madigan, Bill Pullman and Juliet Brett. Previews begin October 25 in advance of an Official Opening Night on Thursday, November 7 at 7:00pm. A limited Off-Broadway engagement is slated through December 15 at The New Group @ Theatre Row (The Acorn Theatre / 410 West 42nd Street).

Lifelong Chicagoan Roche Edward Schulfer's 40 years of distinguished service to Goodman Theatre-a rarely-exceeded tenure at a single American theater-will be celebrated with a star on the 'Walkway of Stars' beneath the iconic Goodman marquee, and at the 2013/2014 Season Opening Celebration on September 24.

Acclaimed playwright and screenwriter Noah Haidle returns to Chicago with his newest work, Smokefall, which examines life's big questions through the prism of an ordinary family. Hailed by The New Yorker as "formidably talented, with a sort of freewheeling intuitive daring," the Michigan native playwright most recently wrote the 2012 film Stand Up Guys (starring Alan Arkin, Christopher Walken and Al Pacino) and previously authored Mr. Marmalade, Vigils (at the Goodman in 2006) and Persephone for the stage. Director Anne Kauffman, in her Goodman debut, assembles an ensemble cast for the Goodman production, including legendary Chicago actor Mike Nussbaum (Henry VIII at Chicago Shakespeare Theatre) as the Colonel; Catherine Combs (The Delling Shore at Actors Theatre of Louisville Humana Festival) in the roles of Beauty and Blessing; Katherine Keberlein (Boeing, Boeing at Drury Lane Oakbrook) as Violet; Guy Massey (Failure: A Love Story at Victory Gardens Theater) as Footnote and Fetus Two; and Eric Slater (Gloryana at New York City's Public Theater) as Daniel and Fetus One. A world-premiere co-production with South Coast Repertory, Smokefall runs October 5 - November 3 in the Owen Theatre (opening night is Monday, October 14). Tickets ($10-$40; subject to change) are on sale now at GoodmanTheatre.org/Smokefall, by phone at 312.443.3800 or at the box office (170 North Dearborn). Bank of America is the 2013/2014 Owen Season Sponsor.

OC-centric presents the best of Orange County playwriting… great stories with guts, wit, laughter and drama, brought to life by skilled actors and directors from across the Southland. Two plays igniting the conflicts concerning troubled students and teachers and a pair of plays unfolding the transforming world of the movies make the 3rd annual edition of OC-centric: Orange County's New Play Festival something special. It all happens at Chapman University, which hosts this destination new play event for the third consecutive year. OC-centric is produced in conjunction with Tamiko Washington (Actors Circle Ensemble & Chapman University) and Eric Eberwein.

Fear No Art Chicago presents The Fall Series at Chicago City Winery of THE DINNER PARTY. TICKETS ON SALE NOW!