Second Stage Theatre News

American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.) announces the final show of its 2008-09 season: Edward Albee's At Home at the Zoo, staged by acclaimed director Rebecca Bayla Taichman (world premieres of Theresa Rebeck's The Scene and Mauritius and Sarah Ruhl's Dead Man's Cell Phone). This new spellbinder by the master playwright who also penned Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and A.C.T.'s The Goat, or Who is Sylvia?, is a meticulously calibrated and dangerously brutal look at relationships intimate and unexpected. The story opens with Peter, a tweedy book editor, and his wife, Ann, whose everyday conversation takes an unexpected turn into dangerously personal territory. It's the kind of conversation that can drive a husband out for a walk-to Central Park, where Jerry, a desperate outcast, awaits. An unforgettable pairing of Albee's original The Zoo Story with a freshly penned prequel, At Home at the Zoo (formerly titled Peter and Jerry) bares its teeth to threaten the delicately balanced world its characters inhabit. Artistic Director Carey Perloff has put together an all-star artistic team on this production, featuring Tony Award-nominated actor Manoel Felciano (Ragtime at The Kennedy Center, A.C.T.'s Rock 'n' Roll, and Sweeney Todd on Broadway) as Jerry and scenic designer Robert Brill, who received a Tony Award nomination last week for his work on Guys and Dolls on Broadway. Hailed by critics as 'a thoroughly satisfying package of jagged-edged provocation' (Newsday) and 'an essential and heartening experience' (The New York Times), Edward Albee's At Home at the Zoo plays at A.C.T. June 5-July 5, 2009. Opening night is Wednesday, June 10, 2009, at 8 p.m. Tickets-starting at $14-are available by calling A.C.T. Ticket Services at 415.749.2228, or at www.act-sf.org.

Ghostlight Records confirms yesterday's digital release of the Original Broadway Cast Recording of the critically acclaimed new musical NEXT TO NORMAL. The 4/7 digital release, which has already reached #20 on iTunes, will be followed by a Double-CD brick-and-mortar retail release on May 12th.

Following a critically acclaimed season which included the Pulitzer Prize finalist Becky Shaw and the Broadway transfer of its musical hit Next to Normal, Second Stage Theatre (Carole Rothman, Artistic Director; Ellen Richard, Executive Director) has announced three of the four plays scheduled for its upcoming 31st Season.

A new play written and directed by Paul Weitz and the rain-check run of the latest Douglas Carter Beane play are set for the 2009-10 season at Off Broadway's Second Stage Theater according to a report in Variety.

BroadwayWorld Presents The 2009 Tony Award Nominees: 'Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play'

BroadwayWorld Presents The 2009 Tony Award Nominees: 'Best Musical'

Second Stage Theatre (Carole Rothman, Artistic Director; Ellen Richard, Executive Director) has extended its run of Dick Scanlan and Sherie Rene Scott's EVERYDAY RAPTURE two weeks, through June 14. Directed by Michael Mayer, EVERYDAY RAPTURE stars Ms. Scott and also features Eamon Foley, Lindsey Mendez, and Betsy Wolfe.

J. ROBERT SPENCER, one of the stars of the new Broadway musical NEXT TO NORMAL, will receive an Honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts from his alma mater, Shenandoah University. Spencer is a 1991 cum laude graduate of Shenandoah Conservatory's musical theatre program.

Second Stage Theatre (Carole Rothman, Artistic Director; Ellen Richard, Executive Director) will kick off this summer's Second Stage Theatre Uptown Series with the world premiere of Zakiyyah Alexander's 10 Things To Do Before I Die. Directed by Jackson Gay, 10 Things To Do Before I Die will feature Francois Battiste, Natalie Venetia Belcon, Kyle Beltran, Dion Graham, and Tracie Thoms. Opening night is Thursday, May 28 at 7:00pm.

Second Stage Theatre (Carole Rothman, Artistic Director; Ellen Richard, Executive Director) presents EVERYDAY RAPTURE, written by Dick Scanlan (Tony nominee for Thoroughly Modern Millie) and Sherie Rene Scott (Tony nominee for Dirty Rotten Scoundrels), with musical supervision by Tom Kitt(Next to Normal, High Fidelity), directed by Michael Mayer (Tony Award winner for Spring Awakening). Previews began on Tuesday, April 7; the opening took place last night, Sunday, May 3, 2009. BroadwayWorld.com's cameras were there to capture all the celebrating!

Awards were handed out for 14 categories and 2 special awards are announced by the Off-Broadway League for the Lucille Lortel Awards recognizing Outstanding Achievement Off-Broadway. This year?s ceremony benefits The Actors Fund. A list of nominees follows below.

Sara Katz and Sh-K-Boom Records are happy to announce a new venue for THINGS TO RUIN, the critically acclaimed, incendiary collection of songs by Joe Iconis, directed by John Simpkins. For the month of May, T2R will be presented at Second Stage Theatre (307 W 43rd) with performances beginning Monday, May 4, 2009. This limited-engagement run is scheduled through Monday, May 18th (detailed schedule below). Tickets are $25 and can be purchased by calling 212-246-4422 or online at www.2st.com.

Second Stage Theatre (Carole Rothman, Artistic Director; Ellen Richard, Executive Director) presents EVERYDAY RAPTURE, written by Dick Scanlan (Tony nominee for Thoroughly Modern Millie) and Sherie Rene Scott (Tony nominee for Dirty Rotten Scoundrels), with musical supervision by Tom Kitt (Next to Normal, High Fidelity), directed by Michael Mayer (Tony Award winner for Spring Awakening). Previews began on Tuesday, April 7; opening night is tonight Sunday, May 3, 2009.

THINGS TO RUIN is about human beings who are messy, emotional, drugged up, knocked down, inspired, electric and who don't have nearly enough time to cause the kind of commotion they so desperately need to. Performed by a cast of viciously talented young singers and a highly flammable four-piece band led by Joe himself, THINGS TO RUIN rocks with an occasionally profane and always heartfelt explosion of music and high drama.

In anticipation of its upcoming production Groundswell, The New Group proudly presents 'Creative Producing: A Conversation with Hal Prince.' This ONE NIGHT ONLY special event takes place Monday, April 27 at 7:00 PM. Tickets are $20 and may be arranged through Ticket Central at www.ticketcentral.com or (212) 279-4200. This event is free to New Group subscribers.

April is the cruelest - and most hilarious - month at Berkeley Repertory Theatre, when Les Waters lets loose with another shocking script from Martin McDonagh. In 2007, the Obie Award-winning director scored a direct hit with his extended run of The Pillowman; since then, the Academy Award-winning author released his first feature film, In Bruges. Now Berkeley Rep reenlists these seasoned artists for another vicious comedy: The Lieutenant of Inishmore. Staged in the state-of-the-art Roda Theatre, this edgy farce begins previews on April 17, opens April 22, and closes May 17. BART and Wells Fargo serve as season sponsors for Berkeley Rep's 41st year of fearless theatre, and the executive producers for this show are Marjorie Randolph, Betty and Jack Schafer, and Philip and Shirley Schild.

April is the cruelest - and most hilarious - month at Berkeley Repertory Theatre, when Les Waters lets loose with another shocking script from Martin McDonagh. In 2007, the Obie Award-winning director scored a direct hit with his extended run of The Pillowman; since then, the Academy Award-winning author released his first feature film, In Bruges.

For this one-night-only event, Broadway performers will join the 2ST Board of Trustees to perform 'The Quest for Fame,' featuring the Great White Way's best show-stopping numbers in this spring gala benefit for the acclaimed off-Broadway theatre company.

The new musical Next to Normal officially opened on Broadway on April 15th. BroadwayWorld.com's cameras were there as the cast celebrated opening night at the Edison Balroom.

Broadway's new hit NEXT TO NORMAL has been deemed ineligible for Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards, the New York Times is reporting. Nominators for the two organizations and the show's producers could not agree on a performance schedule and the critical issue of whether the show would be eligible for awards in all categories.