Second Stage News

PlayMakers Repertory Company will present the regional premieres of three thought-provoking productions in its 2014-2015 PRC2 second stage series, kicking off Sept. 2 with Roger Guenveur Smith's powerful new one-man show "Rodney King."

Kicking off its 27th Season, Lookingglass Theatre Company presents Death Tax, by Lucas Hnath, and directed by Ensemble Member Heidi Stillman. Death Tax runs September 2, 2014 - October 12, 2014 at Lookingglass Theatre Company, located inside Chicago's historic Water Tower Water Works, 821 N. Michigan Ave. at Pearson. The Press Opening is Friday, September 12, 2014 at 7:30 p.m..

59E59 Theaters presents the second show in the inaugural 5A Season with the New York premiere of BAUER, written by Lauren Gunderson and directed by Bill English. Produced by the San Francisco Playhouse, BAUER begins performances on Tuesday, September 2 for a limited engagement through Sunday, October 12. Opening Night is tonight, September 9 at 7 PM.

Staged! and Tony Award-winning Broadway composer Jason Robert Brown go way back. For the past three years the company has been delighting musical theatre audiences with top-notch production of the composer's work and has the awards and accolades to show for it. This time, Staged! presents JRB's dark and ambitious musical Parade, September 20 through October 12. A dark and compelling look at American justice and racism, Parade won two Tony Awards for its sweeping score and powerful message.

kef theatrical productions will present IT'S ONLY KICKBALL, STUPID - the new play by Caroline Prugh and directed by Adam Fitzgerald - from today, August 28 to September 14 at The Hartley House (413 West 46th Street). IT'S ONLY KICKBALL, STUPID is a sly time-bending comedy in a special immersive production that tosses the audience into the center of the action.

As the 2014 season draws to an end, Davis McCallum, Artistic Director of the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival (HVSF) gave friends and fans something to look forward to when he announced the 2015 season at a special Sneak Peak event on Saturday evening. Noting that the pieces that he has chosen share in the deep belief in the magic of storytelling, McCallum announced that the 2015 productions will be The Winter's Tale, A Midsummer Night's Dream, An Iliad by Lisa Peterson and Dennis O'Hare, and a fourth, soon to be revealed production. 'Each of these pieces aims to transport the audience with the simplest and most powerful of theatrical means - language, wit, movement, commitment, and passion,' he told the assembled crowd.

Under the leadership of Artistic Director Sarah Benson and Executive Director Cynthia Flowers, Soho Rep. has continually produced work by bold artists who harness the intimate power of a 73-seat black box theater to create transformative experiences. Soho Rep.'s 2014-15 season, announced today, comprises three new works that each speak to the civic power of theater through their own distinctive form.

CHEMICALLY ALTERED, TELLY LEUNG PRODUCTIONS and YELLOW SOUND LABEL have announced the release of the soundtrack to GRIND: THE MOVIE, the short musical film. The five new songs performed by Anthony Rapp and Eric Michael Krop feature music by Derek Gregor and lyrics by Selda Sahin. The digital exclusive, which will be available on iTunes and other online outlets today, August 26, will be celebrated with a special release event concert at 54 Below on September 1.

In the coming months, Broadway will welcome a fresh crop of productions- many of which will mark the Broadway debuts for a slew of talented actors. Whether they are fresh faces or established stars, these Broadway babies will soon take their very first bows on the grandest stages in the world. Meet all of the Great White Way's newest stars below, and be sure to let us know who you're most looking forward to seeing onstage!

Electric Zoo is less than a week away and the excitement continues to build for the Labor Day Weekend dance music extravaganza to be held onAugust 29, 30, and 31 at Randall's Island Park. The sixth installment of Electric Zoo sees an expansion of the Sunday School brand known for championing the techno and underground house music heroes of the dance music sphere by adding a second stage, Vinyl Only.

American Theater Company (ATC) kicks off its 30th Anniversary season with two Chicago premieres exploring healthcare in America: Anna Deavere Smith's documentary Let Me Down Easy featuring ATC Ensemble Member Usman Ally, and Mercy Strain by Michael Milligan, top prize winner at the 2013 Edinburgh Festival. ATC's production is the first time Let Me Down Easy will be performed by an artist other than Deavere Smith.

Cape May Stage transforms from a theatre into a comedy club for one night only! On Monday, September 8 at 8PM, the Ivy League of Comedy Night comes back for an encore performance. Shaun Eli returns, but this time with a new headliner - lawyer turned comedian and mother of two boys Karen Bergreen. You'll be rolling in the aisles and gasping from laughter in a night that can only be described as absolutely hysterical. It's comedy night, done right.

The American Repertory Theater (A.R.T.) has announced its continuation of the Artist in Residence initiative at OBERON, the A.R.T.'s second stage and club-theater venue. Rooted in A.R.T's mission to expand the boundaries of theater by supporting local and emerging artists, OBERON launched this multi-year program in 2013 with three local performance groups: Boston Circus Guild, Liars & Believers, and Touch Performance Art. All three companies had worked previously at OBERON, creating events in the club theater model and harnessing a form of theater rooted in a social environment. Following a successful inaugural season of sold-out and much lauded original programming, this initiative moves into its second of three seasons with these unique local organizations.

LOVEBIRDS, fresh from its New York City premiere at La MaMa Theater, moves to The Marsh Berkeley. A rollicking tale of incurable romantics from GLAAD award-winning solo theater artist and comedian Marga Gomez, LOVEBIRDS enjoyed a critically acclaimed six-month original run at The Marsh San Francisco as well as a tour to the Santa Cruz Fringe Festival. Directed by David Schweizer in his sixth collaboration with Gomez, LOVEBIRDS will transfer to The Marsh Berkeley (2120 Allston Way) with performances Fridays at 8pm and Saturdays at 8:30pm. For tickets ($20-$35, $50-$100 reserved), the public may visit www.themarsh.org or call 415-282-3055 between 1 - 4pm, Monday through Friday.

Trustus Theatre's Artistic Director Dewey Scott-Wiley and Literary Manager Sarah Hammond announced on Thursday July 24th that Barbara Blumenthal-Ehrlich's Big City was named the winner of the 2014 Trustus Playwrights' Festival. The script will receive a staged reading at Trustus in Fall 2014, and the fully staged world premiere production will run today, August 21 - 29, 2015.

Pittsburgh CLO is proud to announce the cast for the Pittsburgh premiere of original comedy sensation Murder For Two, which will run October 22 through January 18 at the CLO Cabaret. Tickets start at $34.75 and are available at CLOCabaret.com, by calling 412-456-6666 or visiting the Box Office at Theater Square.

A great, big Broadway season is on its way, with fourteen productions already slated to open in the next few months. With weeks until the craziness begins, there is still plenty of time to catch up on what's been going on at Broadway's already occupied theaters . BroadwayWorld will be profiling the hits of the Great White Way that continue to draw crowds after months, years, and (in some cases) decades. Meet the current cast of Broadway's MAMMA MIA! below!

A great, big Broadway season is on its way, with fourteen productions already slated to open in the next few months. The craziness is almost upon us, but there is still plenty of time to catch up on what's been going on at Broadway's already occupied theaters . BroadwayWorld will be profiling the hits of the Great White Way that continue to draw crowds after months, years, and (in some cases) decades. Meet the current cast of Broadway's THE BOOK OF MORMON below!