Signature Theatre News

Lark Play Development Center and Playwrights of New York (PoNY) welcomed 7th PoNY Kimber Lee, the newest Lark/PoNY fellow to begin her one-year residency in the PoNY apartment in the heart of Manhattan's theater district.

Actor and songstress Sandy Bainum, a longtime friend of Signature Theatre and cast member of this winter's production of Gypsy - will celebrate the launch of her new CD Simply with a special one-night-only concert and signing event at the theatre on the evening of Monday, November 18 at 7:30pm. Admission to the event is free, with a suggested donation of $30 by cash or check. All proceeds from the evening benefit Only Make Believe (OMB), a New York City and Washington DC based non-profit organization that brings the arts into hospitals and care facilities for children suffering from chronic illnesses and disabilities.

Signature Theatre has revealed the first production photos for this fall's world-premiere production of Pride in the Falls of Autrey Mill, written by Really Really playwright Paul Downs Colaizzo. Running in the ARK Theatre beginning October 15, this explosive family drama hits right at the heart of Signature's ongoing commitment to producing today's most exciting new plays.

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum will take the stage at the Shakespeare Theatre Company this holiday season. Making his STC mainstage directing debut, STC Associate Director Alan Paul heads up the hilarious and fun musical farce based on the classic plays of ancient Roman playwright Plautus. A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum will play at Sidney Harman Hall (610 F Street NW) from November 21, 2013-January 5, 2014.

Amas Musical Theatre (Donna Trinkoff/Artistic Producer) will present three free staged readings of "FRIDA" a new musical by Michael Aman and Dana P. Rowe, directed by Maria Torres. The readings will take place on Friday, October 25th at 6:00pm, and Saturday, October 26th at 3:00pm and 7:00pm at The Theatre at the 14th Street Y, 314 East 14th Street. Tickets are free and reservations are available via email at boxoffice@amasmusical.org or by calling 212-563-2565.

On Monday, October 28 (7:30pm), Kutztown University Presents will welcome back alumnus and founder of Arlington, Virginia's TONY-award winning Signature Theatre, Eric Schaeffer, as he directs Signature Broadway. The concert event is set to take place as a part of the Performing Artists Series in Schaeffer Auditorium.

54 BELOW, Broadway's Supper Club, presents VARIOUS ALUMNI OF ELON UNIVERSITY (THE CLASSES of 2005 - 2013) in 'HELLO MY NAME IS...' on November 17th, 2013 at 11:30 PM. This concert revolves around the milestones AFTER graduation. Starting an artistic journey is not something taken lightly by any of us, and these songs are meant to tell the story of those that battle and persevere against less-than-90-seconds-in-the-room days, and something deep and destructive about a lonely moment in the city. All that, just to wake up the next morning and start again. All that, for 300 dollars a week, to do a revue in the middle of nowhere. All that, for the eventual Broadway, Off-Broadway, and Tour/Regional success of our entire cast. This is worth celebrating. This is a story worth singing. There's something exciting and terrifying and FEARLESS about what we do. So, we choose to revel in the struggle of being a 20-something, and share our stories through this concert.

The highly acclaimed show NOTHING TO HIDE begins its limited run tonight, Wednesday, October 23rd in The Romulus Linney Courtyard Theatre at The Pershing Square Signature Center (480 West 42nd Street between 9th and 10th Avenues). Two of the world's most gifted sleight-of-hand artists, Derek DelGaudio (2011 & 2012 Close-up Magician of the Year) and Helder Guimarães (2011 & 2012 Parlor Magician of the Year), star in this uniquely unconventional magic show directed by Emmy Award winner Neil Patrick Harris.

After numerous extensions and unprecedented attendance due to word-of-mouth that broke box office records at the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles, the highly acclaimed show NOTHING TO HIDE will premiere in New York this fall in a limited engagement. Two of the world's most gifted sleight-of-hand artists, Derek DelGaudio (2011 & 2012 Close-up Magician of the Year) and Helder Guimarães (2011 & 2012 Parlor Magician of the Year) star in this uniquely unconventional magic show, directed by Emmy Award winner Neil Patrick Harris. Through a series of diverse and engaging vignettes, NOTHING TO HIDEleads the audience on an amazing and memorable journey into a world of pure astonishment.

Transporting audiences to an era of mobsters, moonshine, and murder, Cynthia von Buhler's SPEAKEASY DOLLHOUSE brings an actual unsolved Prohibition-era murder to life in the downtown building that once served as mobster Meyer Lansky's hangout. For three upcoming Saturday performances - November 16, November 23, and December 7 - Tony Award nominee Euan Morton will step into the DOLLHOUSE to play the role of bandleader "Henry Azelrod," performing with members of the jazz band Grandpa Musselman & His Syncopators.

Signature Theatre has announced that Cole Horibe ("So You Think You Can Dance") will play the role of Bruce Lee in the World Premiere of David Henry Hwang's new play KUNG FU, directed by Leigh Silverman. The production runs February 4 through March 16, 2014 with a February 24, 2014 opening night in The Irene Diamond Stage at The Pershing Square Signature Center (480 West 42ndStreet between 9th and 10th Avenues). Tickets will go on sale December 3, 2013. All tickets for the initial run of the production are $25 as part of the Signature Ticket Initiative: A Generation of Access.

After numerous extensions and unprecedented attendance due to word-of-mouth that broke box office records at the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles, the highly acclaimed show NOTHING TO HIDE will premiere in New York this fall in a limited engagement. Two of the world's most gifted sleight-of-hand artists, Derek DelGaudio (2011 & 2012 Close-up Magician of the Year) and Helder Guimarães (2011 & 2012 Parlor Magician of the Year) star in this uniquely unconventional magic show, directed by Emmy Award winner Neil Patrick Harris. Through a series of diverse and engaging vignettes, NOTHING TO HIDE leads the audience on an amazing and memorable journey into a world of pure astonishment. DelGaudio, Guimaraes and Harris met the press earlier today and you can check out a photo preview below. Check back later for full coverage.

The Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation (SDCF) proudly reveals this season's Joe A. Callaway Award winners for Direction and Choreography from more than 200 eligible productions in the 2012 - 2013 New York City theatre season. This year's awards will be presented to Ruben Santiago-Hudson for his direction of The Piano Lesson produced by Signature Theatre and Marlo Hunter for her choreography of Unlock'd produced by Prospect Theater Company. The winners join previous Joe A. Callaway Award Winners including Susan Stroman (1991), Harold Prince (1993), Julie Taymor (1996), Jack O'Brien (2001), Bartlett Sher (2002), Daniel Sullivan (2004), John Tiffany (2012) and Steven Hoggett (2012).

'4000 Miles' features Scarsdale resident and Broadway veteran Alice Cannon (Helen Hayes award- winner for James Joyce's 'The Dead') as 91 year old grandmother Vera, Jacob Perkins (Guthrie Theatre, Shakespeare Theatre of DC) as Leo, her grandson who has suffered a major loss while on a cross-country bike trip and seeks solace from her in NYC, Ella Dershowitz (soon to be featured in the New Group's premiere of 'Intimacy') as Bec, Leo's estranged girlfriend and Nadia Gan ('Golden Child' at the Signature Theatre) as Amanda, a distraction from heartache.

The National Alliance for Musical Theatre's (NAMT) 25th Annual Festival of New Musicals takes place tomorrow, Thursday, October 17 and Friday, October 18 at New World Stages (340 West 50th Street). Below, meet the writers of the 25th Annual Festival of New Musicals shows!

Roundabout Theatre Company presents The Winslow Boy, starring Tony nominee Michael Cumpsty as 'Desmond Curry', Academy & Tony Award nominee Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio as 'Grace Winslow', Alessandro Nivola as 'Sir Robert Morton' and Tony Award winner Roger Rees as 'Arthur Winslow'.

Jeremy Greenbaum (The Fantasticks) and Aaron Komo complete the cast of Prospect Theater Company's world premiere production of TAMAR OF THE RIVER, a new music theater work with music and book by Marisa Michelson, book and lyrics by Joshua H. Cohen and direction by Daniel Goldstein (Godspell). Previously announced cast members include Margo Seibert (set to make her Broadway debut as 'Adrian' in ROCKY on Broadway in Spring 2014) as Tamar, with Ako (Throne of Blood), Erik Lochtefeld (February House), Mike Longo (Hair) and Vince B. Vincent (Geography of Loss), and Jen Anaya, Adam Bashian, Margot Bassett, Troy Burton, Tamrin Goldberg and Mary Kate Morrissey. Check out highlights of the show below!

'Crossing The River', a discussion featuring interfaith leaders led by Reverend Susan Turchin, and 'The Power of the Voice', a discussion with innovative contemporary theater composers hosted by Natasha, Pierre and The Great Comet of 1812's Dave Malloy, will be offered as free post-performance events following upcoming performances of Prospect Theater Company's world premiere of TAMAR OF THE RIVER. The announcement was made today by Cara Reichel and Melissa Huber, the Producing Artistic Director and Managing Director of Prospect Theater Company.

Signature Theatre has announced that tickets are now on sale for the World Premiere of CHERI, conceived, directed and choreographed by Martha Clarke. All tickets for the initial run of the production are $25 as part of the Signature Ticket Initiative: A Generation of Access. The production runs November 19 through December 22, 2013 with a December 8 opening night in The Irene Diamond Stage atThe Pershing Square Signature Center (480 West 42nd Street between 9th and 10th Avenues).

Signature Theatre has announced the pairing of one of the theatre's most celebrated friends with the upcoming 2013/14 season's newest play. Shakespeare Theatre Company Artistic Director Michael Kahn returns to Signature this fall for the first time in nearly twenty years to direct the world premiere of Pride in the Falls of Autrey Mill, the new play by Paul Downs Colaizzo.