Second Stage News

La MaMa presents Poor Baby Bree in I Am Going to Run Away, a one-woman musical conceived and performed by Bree Benton, with an original book written by Bree Benton and fifteen archival songs from the golden age of vaudeville (1890s-1930s). I Am Going to Run Away is directed by David Schweizer, with musical direction by Franklin Bruno (on piano), and featuring Karen Waltuch (on viola) and Jacob Garchik (on tuba and trombone).

Pacific Theatre today announced another season of theatre that matters for its 2012-2013 season.

Steppenwolf Theatre Company hosts an evening of conversation about the world of storytelling on Monday, April 16 in Steppenwolf's Downstairs Theatre. Featured for the event are two expert storytellers, Tony Award-winning ensemble member Frank Galati and Pulitzer Prize-finalist E.L. Doctorow, moderated by Steppenwolf Artistic Director Martha Lavey.

The latest in unauthorized gossip and buzz from the heart of Chicago's showtune video bars, and musical theater news from Chicago to New York. The latest on the big musicals in Aurora, Oakbrook, Munster and Lincolnshire, two retro-60s jukebox shows, season announcements from Porchlight, Boho, Chicago Shakes and Court, plus the Light Opera Works gala!

Linda Lavin (Broadway Bound), Sebastian Arcelus (Elf), LaChanze (The Color Purple), Emily Skinner (Side Show), Shuler Hensley (Oklahoma!), Daniel Breaker (Passing Strange) and Sierra Boggess (Love Never Dies, The Little Mermaid) will be among the star players in the upcoming Broadway Hal Prince tribute, PRINCE OF BROADWAY, The New York Times reveals.

BASE Entertainment has just announced that DINER, a new musical based on the critically acclaimed 1982 film with a book by Academy Award winner and original DINER screenwriter Barry Levinson and music & lyrics by 9-time Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Sheryl Crow, will have its pre-Broadway world premiere at San Francisco's SHN Curran Theatre (445 Geary Street). Directed and choreographed by Tony Award winner Kathleen Marshall, DINER will play a strictly limited four week engagement from Tuesday, October 23, 2012, through Sunday, November 18, 2012, with an opening night of Friday, November 2, 2012. Due to these confirmed San Francisco dates DINER will now bow on Broadway in the spring of 2013, instead of the fall of 2012 as previously announced. Design team and casting will be announced at a later date.

The New Group presents the world premiere of An Early History of Fire, a new play by Tony Award-winning playwright David Rabe. Directed by Jo Bonney, this production features Deema Aitken, Gordon Clapp, Erin Darke, Jonny Orsini, Devin Ratray, Dennis Staroselsky, Theo Stockman and Claire van der Boom. Limited Off-Broadway engagement is slated April 5 - May 26 at The New Group at Theatre Row (410 West 42nd Street). Official Opening Night is set for Monday, April 30 at 7:00 PM.

Midwest New Musicals continues Words and Music, its concert reading series of original musicals, with VERVE by Fran Zell and Karena Mendoza on Monday, March 19, at 7:30 PM at the Light Opera Works Second Stage at 1420 Maple (at Lake) in Evanston. Tickets are $15, available at Light Opera Works box office: (847) 920-5360 or at the door.

Broadway veteran Brian d'Arcy James stopped by NBC's New York Live to discuss SMASH. Find out what he has to say about what's to come this season and about his upcoming films in the interview below!

The Gallery Players today announced cast and crew for Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun. Directed by Reginald L. Douglas and produced by Brian Michael Flanagan, The Gallery Players' production of this seminal American play opens Saturday March 17.

American Repertory Theater (A.R.T.) begins performances of the world premiere production FUTURITY: A MUSICAL BY THE LISPS, with music and lyrics by Cesar Alvarez with The Lisps; book by Molly Rice and Cesar Alvarez; directed by Sarah Benson.Performances run from Friday, March 16 through Sunday, April 15, 2012 at the A.R.T.'s second space, OBERON, at 2 Arrow Street, Cambridge.

The Broadway play Red comes to Berkeley Repertory Theatre in March, staged as a valedictory by Obie Award-winner Les Waters as he departs the Bay Area to take the reins at Actors Theatre of Louisville. John Logan, the Oscar-nominated author of Aviator and Gladiator, won Tony and Drama Desk Awards for this feverish 90-minute drama. Now Waters and two exceptional actors bring this powerful play to local audiences. Red begins previews on the intimate Thrust Stage on March 16, opens March 22, and runs through April 29.

Roundabout Theatre Company announced tonight that Stephanie J. Block will return as "Reno Sweeney" to the 2011 Tony® Award winning musical comedy Anything Goes on March 15, 2012, replacing Sutton Foster in the iconic role.

When Performance Network Theatre decided to engage in two co-productions for their 30th Anniversary season, an opportunity arose to revive their second stage offerings. With both "God of Carnage" and the upcoming "Dead Man's Shoes" being rehearsed off-site, Performance Network's black box rehearsal hall was wide open for use by a neighboring company, The Penny Seats, and the first show of their second season, Jeffrey Hatcher's "What Corbin Knew." Performances will begin Feb 28 and run through March 14, 2012 at Performance Network.

The Public Theater (Artistic Director Oskar Eustis; Executive Director Patrick Willingham) is set to present Ethan Lipton's NO PLACE TO GO for a limited engagement at Joe's Pub, beginning Wednesday, March 14.

The Public Theater (Artistic Director Oskar Eustis; Executive Director Patrick Willingham) will begin previews on Wednesday, March 14 for NO PLACE TO GO, directed by Leigh Silverman and written by Ethan Lipton with music composed by Ethan Lipton and His Orchestra. NO PLACE TO GO is the first Joe's Pub commission, as part of its New York Voices Series, to become part of The Public Theater's season. Single tickets, priced at $30, are on sale now.

Tony Award-winning ensemble member Frank Galati returns to the helm at Steppenwolf Theatre Company with his stage adaptation of The March, Pulitzer Prize-finalist E.L. Doctorow's novel about General William Tecumseh Sherman's Civil War march through Georgia.

Two-time Golden Globe® winner, Academy Award® & Tony Award® nominee Kathleen Turner returns to Toronto in the National Tour of Matthew Lombardo's play HIGH, May 8-13, 2012 at The Royal Alexandra Theatre. Directed by Rob Ruggiero, HIGH also features Evan Jonigkeit as "Cody Randall" and Timothy Altmeyer as "Father Michael Delpapp".