Signature Theatre News

Good morning, BroadwayWorld! Because we know all our readers eat, sleep and breathe Broadway, what could be better than waking up to it? Today's big news: FROM HERE TO ETERNITY goes from stage to screen in the UK, and 54 Below hosts some 'BITCHING & BELTING' and revives 1776 tonight!

Paulette Haupt, Artistic Director of the National Music Theater Conference at the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center, will conduct a public symposium on orchestrating musical theater in today's world on Thursday, July 3 at 1:00pm. The Orchestration Symposium comes as the summer conference continues its focus on exploration and role of orchestration and arranging in the development of new work.

Signature Theatre (Founding Artistic Director James Houghton, Executive Director Erika Mallin) just announced that Edward Norton has been elected as the Board of Trustees' new Chairman andKate Roche Hope has been elected as the new President. Mr. Norton and Mrs. Hope will serve 3 year terms effective immediately. Actor and director Ruben Santiago-Hudson (The Piano Lesson, August Wilson's How I Learned What I Learned) and Richard Willett, the Vice President and General Manager of East Hampton's Wines by Morrell, will also be joining the Board of Trustees.

The National Alliance For Musical Theatre (NAMT) announced today its selections for the 26th Annual Festival of New Musicals. Beautiful Poison, Cubamor, Great Wall, How To Break, Mary Marie, The Noteworthy Life of Howard Barnes, String and Stu For Silverton make up the eight new musicals that will be presented at the 26th Annual Festival of New Musicals on Thursday, October 23, 2014 and Friday, October 24, 2014 at New World Stages (340 West 50th Street).

Award winning writer/performer Tim Realbuto will be guest on several upcoming television shows to promote his star-studded (not-so-solo) solo show at 54 Below, which is entitled Tim Realbuto: Alone (With Plenty of Help) and will tell the story of his life growing up in show business with hilarity and poignancy. He's enlisted the help of some top stars to play characters in his life, voices in his head, and sometimes (when things get too tough), they will even play Tim himself.

Olney Theatre Center, a Maryland destination for professional theater performance and education, in conjunction with National Players, continues its critically-acclaimed 76th Anniversary season with The Tempest running July 15 - August 3, 2014 on the Root Family Stage.

Actors by day and Folk-Rock Stars by night.. Eryn Murman and Jason Hite's Band 5j Barrow just became the official Winners of the WNYC's Ultimate Battle of the Boroughs. Hundreds of musical acts entered the competition and 5j Barrow went on to win the Manhattan battle a few months ago at The Greenespace. The final battle was held on Friday, June 27th against the other borough winners and 5j BARROW took the crown to become WNYC's # 1, 2014 Ultimate Battle Winners of NYC!

On July 1, 2014, single tickets go on sale for Signature Theatre's 25th Anniversary Season. The 2014/15 season will bring three new musicals to life in world premieres including the world premiere of the Sheryl Crow and Barry Levinson penned musical adaptation of the 1982 movie Diner; Kid Victory by John Kander (Chicago, Cabaret) and Greg Pierce; and Soon by Nick Blaemire. The season begins with Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine's Pulitzer Prize-winning musical Sunday in the Park with George; and continues with the musical version of Sinclair Lewis's best-selling novel Elmer Gantry; the DC area premiere of Sex with Strangers by Laura Eason; a world premiere concert event Simply Sondheim celebrating the work of Stephen Sondheim; and Kander & Ebb's classic musical Cabaret. Tickets to all of these events as well as Signature's Cabaret and Holiday Follies concerts go on sale to the public July 1 at 10AM.

For Tonight, a new original musical, by creators Shenelle Williams, Spencer Williams and Whitney Rhodes is headed to New York City to participate in The New York Musical Theatre Festival (NYMF) as a developmental reading. For Tonight's story is inspired by the life of the writer's great-great-great-grandfather in the 1830's in Northern Wales/Liverpool. With its indie-rock inspired score and a completely original book, this story focuses on the universal themes of love, family and acceptance. The show will have three performances at The Studio Theatre at Theatre Row in July 2014.

Principal casting has been announced for the upcoming world premiere production of AN AMERICAN IN PARIS. The cast will include Robert Fairchild as Jerry Mulligan, Leanne Cope as Lise Dassin, Veanne Cox as Madame Baurel, Jill Paice as Milo Davenport, Brandon Uranowitz as Adam Hochberg, and Max Von Essen as Henri Baurel.

The Theatre @ Boston Court and Circle X Theatre Co. present Stupid f**king Bird, by Aaron Posner, directed by Michael Michetti. Opening night is Today, June 28, 2014 on the Main Stage at Boston Court Performing Arts Center, 70 North Mentor Avenue.

Beginning June 28, Imagination Stage welcomes back its popular show for the very young, Mouse on the Move.

Beginning June 28, Imagination Stage welcomes back its popular show for the very young, Mouse on the Move. Described as "ridiculously adorable" by Our Kids, this production had its world premiere in January 2012 at Imagination Stage, making it the theatre's 35th commissioned new work for children at that time. Now, in its 35th season, Imagination Stage is thrilled to remount this interactive play.

Award winning writer/performer Tim Realbuto will be guest on several upcoming television shows to promote his star-studded (not-so-solo) solo show at 54 Below, which is entitled Tim Realbuto: Alone (With Plenty of Help) and will tell the story of his life growing up in show business with hilarity and poignancy. He's enlisted the help of some top stars to play characters in his life, voices in his head, and sometimes (when things get too tough), they will even play Tim himself.

Theatre Communications Group (TCG) has announced the publication of Gnit by Will Eno. A bold adaptation of Henrik Ibsen's classic Peer Gynt, Gnit enjoyed its world premiere at Actors Theatre of Louisville in 2013, as part of the Humana Festival of New American Plays.

Hundreds of up-and-coming musical acts entered. Just over 60 were selected. Now, only five bands -- each representing one of New York City's boroughs -- are left standing in our 2014 Battle of the Boroughs.

The New Group celebrates its 20th Anniversary in 2014-2015 and has announced three productions for this milestone season: the first major New York revival of Sticks and Bones, the Tony Award-winning play by David Rabe, directed by Scott Elliott, and featuring Holly Hunter and Bill Pullman; the New York premiere of Rasheeda Speaking by Joel Drake Johnson, helmed by Cynthia Nixon in her directorial debut, and featuring Tonya Pinkins and Dianne Wiest; and the world premiere of The Spoils, a new play written by and featuring Jesse Eisenberg, directed by Scott Elliott. Special 20th Anniversary events at The New Group to be announced.

It's the summer of 1776, and the nation is ready to declare independence...if only our founding fathers can agree to do it! 1776 follows John Adams of Massachusetts, Benjamin Franklin of Pennsylvania, and Richard Henry Lee and Thomas Jefferson of Virginia as they attempt to convince the members of the second Continental Congress to vote for independence from the shackles of the British monarchy by signing the Declaration of Independence.

Songstress Sandy Bainum will return to the Metropolitan Room on July 20 with her cabaret show entitled Sandy Bainum.

54 BELOW, Broadway's Supper Club, presents Whitney Bashor Live at 54 Below tonight, June 26, 2014. Bashor starred on Broadway this season as Marian/Chiara in The Bridges of Madison County, singing Jason Robert Brown's folk-inspired 'Another Life'. Bashor's solo concert debut will showcase wide-ranging vocals, as she explores influences of rock and roll, R&B, folk classics, country and contemporary Broadway standards.