Seattle Rep News

Voting has opened for the 2015 BroadwayWorld Seattle Regional Awards! Check out the latest live stats as of November 27th. Nominations were reader-submitted and after the nomination period ended, BroadwayWorld's local editors proofed the list for eligibility and errors. Voting runs through December 31.

Rubicon Theatre celebrates the holidays with the company's first presentation of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, a World Premiere adaptation written by Producing Artistic Director Karyl Lynn Burns and directed by Brian McDonald. Rubicon's A Christmas Carol features a 24-member cast (the largest ensemble since the company's production of Fiddler on the Roof and the largest ever for a play).

Seattle drag artists Jinkx Monsoon (Jerick Hoffer) and Major Scales (Richard Andriessen) are set for Seattle Rep's 2015-2016 season, bringing their new holiday show Jinkx Monsoon & Major Scales: Unwrapped to the Leo K. Theatre starting tonight, November 25.

Due to an overwhelming positive response from critics and audiences alike, Berkeley Rep has announced that the west coast premiere of the Pulitzer Prize- winning play, Disgraced will extend for an additional week. Originally scheduled to close on December 20, the critically acclaimed play will run through Sunday, December 27.

In what has become an annual ritual, a total of 36 established and emerging composers, lyricists, and librettists will converge on the Goodspeed campus from mid-January through mid-February 2016 to participate in the Johnny Mercer Foundation Writers Colony at Goodspeed Musicals. The writing teams, representing 19 new musicals, will populate the campus, creating a truly exciting environment for discovery and inspiration. BroadwayWorld is excited to report that Goodspeed has announced its 2016 participants. Scroll down for details!

The New York premiere of Pulitzer Prize finalist and Emmy Award nominated writer Rolin Jones and Tony Award nominee and Grammy Award winning Green Day front man Billie Joe Armstrong's new play with music THESE PAPER BULLETS!, directed by Jackson Gay, begins tonight, November 20, at Atlantic Theater Company.

Dear Readers, for those that may only read the beginnings of my reviews, I must start off this by telling you to stop reading this right now and go get tickets to the new musical "Come From Away" currently at the Seattle Rep. After you have done that you can come back and read the rest of this. I'll wait. Done? OK now that you've done that I can tell you that what you will be seeing is the best musical I've seen all year and possibly ever. At least it will rank in my top 10 of shows that have affected me so much with its sheer brilliant storytelling and heart. This one CANNOT be missed!

This week, we go around our Broadway World to feature stories in Baltimore, New Orleans, Seattle, and more. Check out our top 10 stories around our Broadway World below, which include the National Tour of 42ND STREET in Orange County, MY FAIR LADY in New Orleans, and COME FROM AWAY in Seattle, just to name a few.

World-premiere musical COME FROM AWAY comes to Seattle Rep now through December 13 in the Bagley Wright Theatre. A co-production with La Jolla Playhouse, COME FROM AWAY is the first musical to be on the main stage of the Rep in over 15 years. It opens tonight, November 18, 2015. Featuring book, music and lyrics by the Canadian husband-and-wife team of Irene Sankoff and David Hein (My Mother's Lesbian Jewish Wiccan Wedding), the production is directed by La Jolla Playhouse Artistic Director Christopher Ashley.

Theatre Communications Group (TCG), the national organization for the American theatre, is pleased to announce the recipients of the inaugural Audience (R)Evolution Travel Grants.

La Jolla Playhouse, nationally-renowned for its development of new work, has announced four world-premiere productions for the 2016/2017 season, including works by Tony Award winner Joe DiPietro, Pulitzer Prize winners Quiara Alegria Hudes and Ayad Akhtar, and 2014 Barrie and Bernice Stavis Playwriting Award winner Jeff Augustin.

Diversionary Theatre has announced that tickets are on sale for A Civil War Christmas: An American Musical Celebration In Concert, written by Paula Vogel and directed by Kim Strassburger. Performances of this holiday-inspired production begin Thursday, December 10th, 2015, at 7pm at 4545 Park Blvd. San Diego, CA.

The Dramatists Guild Fund with PlayPenn and University of the Arts will present A Traveling Masters Event with Melissa James Gibson (Placebo, All Is Bright, The Americans) as part of DGF's Traveling Masters Program tonight, November 13 at 6:30 PM at  The University of the Arts, Philadelphia, PA (401 South Broad Street).

BroadwayWorld is excited to report initial casting for The Public Theater's New York premiere of HEAD OF PASSES, written by Tarell Alvin McCraney and directed by Tina Landau. Phylicia Rashad returns to The Public to play 'Shelah' in this deeply moving new drama about family, acceptance, and the power of faith. Rashad last appeared at The Public in THE STORY by Tracey Scott Wilson in 2003. HEAD OF PASSES begins previews on Tuesday, March 15 in the Newman Theater with an official press opening on Monday, March 28.

Greenway Arts Alliance continues their season of world premieres with FRONT DOOR OPEN, a drama written by veteran playwright Tom Baum, directed by acclaimed theater and television director Asaad Kelada. There will be two preview performances tonight and tomorrow, November 11 and 12 at 8:00 pm with opening night set for Friday, November 13 at 8:00 pm.

Huntington Theatre Company, the 2013 recipient of the Regional Theatre Tony Award and Boston magazine's Best Theatre of 2013 and 2014, presents the world premiere production of A CONFEDERACY OF DUNCES, adapted by Jeffrey Hatcher from the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by John Kennedy Toole, directed by David Esbjornson (Guess Who's Coming to Dinner and All My Sons) and featuring Nick Offerman of NBC's 'Parks and Recreation.' Performances will run tonight, November 11, through December 13, 2015 at the Huntington's mainstage, the BU Theatre.

Today, March 16, 2015, Asolo Repertory Theatre and the FSU/Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training announced their highly anticipated 2015-16 seasons with a special presentation in the Mertz Theatre.

Aurora Theatre Company presents the Bay Area Premiere of Pulitzer Prize finalist (Freedomland) Amy Freed's THE MONSTER-BUILDER. Art Manke, who directed the World Premiere of THE MONSTER-BUILDER at Portland's Artists Repertory Theatre in 2014, makes his Aurora directing debut with this viciously funny comedy featuring Danny Scheie (The Mystery of Irma Vep), Rod Knapp (The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity), Nancy Carlin (Hysteria), Thomas Gorrebeeck (The Eccentricities of a Nightingale), Tracy Hazas, and Sierra Jolene. THE MONSTER-BUILDER plays November 6 through December 6 at the Aurora Theatre in Berkeley. For tickets ($32-60) and information the public can call (510) 843-4822 or visit auroratheatre.org.

Berkeley Repertory Theatre is proud to present the West Coast premiere of Disgraced by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Ayad Akhtar.

The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey closes its 53rd season with THE MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR by William Shakespeare, directed by Artistic Director Bonnie J. Monte.