Scott Frankel News

Artistic Director Jenny Gersten announced new Main Stage and Nikos Stage productions for the 2012 Williamstown Theatre Festival (WTF) season, the Festival's 58th Season and second under Ms. Gersten's leadership.

As previously reported, Julian Ovenden and Rosalie Craig will star in a new musical version of the film Finding Neverland, which starred Johnny Depp and Kate Winslet. The musical will feature Ovenden as Barrie, a role he played in two London workshops last winter, and Craig as Sylvia. The show begins rehearsals July 30 with a four to five week run scheduled at the Curve Theatre in Leicester. Performances will begin on September 21 and will run through October 18, 2012.

Williamstown Theatre Festival Artistic Director Jenny Gersten announced today the full cast and creative teams for Last of the Red Hot Lovers, which will be presented on the Nikos Stage from July 11 through July 22 (opening July 12), and the Preview Production of Far From Heaven, which will play the Main Stage from July 19 through July 29 (opening July 21). Both shows begin rehearsals today in preparation for their runs at the Festival.

Williamstown Theatre Festival Artistic Director Jenny Gersten announced today performance schedule changes to the runs of the workshop production of Here Lies Love and the Preview Production of Far From Heaven on the Main Stage.

According to the Daily Mail, RAGTIME's Rosalie Craig will join the new stage musical Finding Neverland, about J.M. Barrie's encounter with the Lewelyn Davies family, which inspired him to write Peter Pan.

Williamstown Theatre Festival Artistic Director Jenny Gersten has announced today the full cast and creative teams for the first two productions of the 2012 season: The Importance of Being Earnest and the World Premiere of The Blue Deep. The Importance of Being Earnest will be presented on the Main Stage from June 26 through July 14 (opening June 28) and The Blue Deep will grace the Nikos Stage from June 27 through July 8 (opening June 28). Both casts arrived in Williamstown today for their first rehearsals on the bucolic Williams College campus in preparation for the runs of these exciting and unique productions at the Festival.

Playwrights Horizons, under the leadership of Artistic Director Tim Sanford and Managing Director Leslie Marcus, has announced additional casting for its 2012/2013 Season. Four-time Tony Award nominee Kelli O'Hara and two-time Tony Award winner Judith Ivey join previously-announced Oscar and two-time Tony Award nominee Amy Ryan and Emmy Award nominee David Schwimmer for the Playwrights Horizons 2012/2013 Season at the theater company's home at 416 West 42nd Street.

Lisa D'Amour's play Detroit premiered at Steppenwolf Theatre in 2010, directed by Austin Pendleton, and was scheduled to open on Broadway in the 2011/12 season.

As previously reported, Julian Ovenden will star in a new musical version of the film Finding Neverland, which starred Johnny Depp and Kate Winslet and followed the the story of J.M. Barrie's inspiration for his famous children's book, Peter Pan.

Previews begin this Friday, May 18 for the Playwrights Horizons (Tim Sanford, Artistic Director; Leslie Marcus, Managing Director) World Premiere of RAPTURE, BLISTER, BURN, a new play by Pulitzer Prize finalist and Obie Award winner Gina Gionfriddo (Becky Shaw). Directed by Peter DuBois (Becky Shaw, Sons of the Prophet, Measure for Pleasure, Jack Goes Boating, Artistic Director of Huntington Theatre Company), the play is the final production of the theater company's 2011/2012 Season. Opening Night is set for Tuesday, June 12 at 7PM and the limited engagement will play through Sunday, June 24 at Playwrights Horizons' Mainstage Theater (416 West 42nd Street).

The National Alliance for Musical Theatre (NAMT) announces 15 awards granted from their National Fund for New Musicals, a major funding program to support NAMT member not-for-profit theatres in their collaborations with writers to create, develop and produce new musicals. Now in its fourth year, the Fund will provide grants totaling $48,000 to 14 organizations across the country.

Acclaimed Off-Broadway not-for-profit theater company Playwrights Horizons (Tim Sanford, Artistic Director; Leslie Marcus, Managing Director) has announced additional details for its 2012 special online Auction. Bidding for the auction, which already features an outstanding array of unique opportunities and experiences, is now underway at www.BiddingForGood/PlaywrightsHorizons. Online bidding continues through Monday, May 14 (with items staggered to close at 8PM and 9PM).

Playwrights Horizons has announced additional details for its 2012 special online Auction. Bidding for the auction is now underway at www.BiddingForGood/PlaywrightsHorizons. Online bidding continues through Monday, May 14 (with items staggered to close at 8PM and 9PM).

Playwrights Horizons has announced initial details for its 2012 special online Auction in connection with its annual Spring Gala.

The Daily Mail's Baz Bamigboye today reports that Gwyneth Paltrow has been offered a role in the musical version of FINDING NEVERLAND, which will play Leicester's Curve Theatre in September 2012. Paltrow would play 'Sylvia Llewelyn Davies', whose children inspired J.M. Barrie to write Peter Pan. Julian Overden is currently set to lead the production, which will be directed and choreographed by Rob Ashford.

Philadelphia Theatre Company presents the second production and East Coast premiere of Barrymore Award-winning playwright Bruce Graham's newest play The Outgoing Tide, running March 23 through tonight, April 22, at PTC's home at the Suzanne Roberts Theatre (Broad and Lombard Streets).

Williamstown Theatre Festival Artistic Director Jenny Gersten announced today the final production of the 2012 Nikos Stage Season and an additional pre-season offering for the Festival's 58th, the second under Ms. Gersten's leadership. Academy Award nominee Patricia Clarkson (Pieces of April; WTF's The Ride Down Mount Morgan) and Bradley Cooper (Limitless; The Understudy at WTF) will return to Williamstown in The Elephant Man, written by Bernard Pomerance and directed by Scott Ellis, completing the Nikos Stage season and playing from July 25 - August 5, 2012.