Signature Theatre News

Amas Musical Theatre (Donna Trinkoff/Artistic Producer) will present two free staged readings of 'notes to MariAnne', a new musical by David Rossmer and Dan Lipton, directed by Leigh Silverman. The readings will take place on Thursday, September 12th at 1:00pm and 4:30pm, at The Steve and Marie Sgouros Theatre (formerly The Players Loft), 115 MacDougal Street. Tickets are free and reservations are available via email at boxoffice@amasmusical.org or by calling212-563-2565.

Megan Mullally is a two-time Emmy-winning star of TV's Will & Grace, and recent star of Broadway's Young Frankenstein. On August 28 & 29 she returns to Provincetown by popular demand - for two shows only - after her sold-out Art House debut last summer. Patti LuPone won her second Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical, as well Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards, for her performance as Rose in the most recent Broadway production of Gypsy, and created the title role in Evita on Broadway with her now legendary performance, for which she won her first Tony and Drama Desk Awards. On August 31 and September 1 she makes a triumphant Provincetown return for 4 shows only, after debuting at The Art House last summer. Chita Rivera is a living Broadway legend and a two-time Tony winner as Aurora in Kiss of the Spider Woman and Anna in The Rink. She originated the Broadway roles of Anita in West Side Story, Rosie in Bye Bye Birdie, Velma in Chicago, and appeared in the original casts of Guys and Dolls, Can Can, Seventh Heaven, Mr. Wonderful, Jerry's Girls, and many others. She makes her Provincetown debut on Sept. 7 & 8 with two shows only. Series host and SiriusXM radio star Seth Rudetsky joins each of these three leading ladies at the piano. For tickets please visit www.ptownarthouse.com, or call 1-800-838-3006.

The Active Theater (Nathaniel Shaw, Artistic Director) announced today the final selections for its 2013/2014 year-long play development series, now in its second official season: LOVELY SEND ANYWHERE, by Douglas J. Cohen, and SAM I AM, by Joshua H. Cohen.

Round House Theatre launches its 2013/2014 Bethesda season with the hauntingly humorous tragicomedy The Beauty Queen of Leenane by esteemed playwright Martin McDonagh, which runs tonight, August 21 thru September 15. Director Jeremy Skidmore returns to Round House with this Tony and Drama Desk Award-winning black comedy. Opening night is Monday, August 26, 2013.

Commonwealth Shakespeare Company and Boston Landmarks Orchestra will present a concert version of Cole Porter's Kiss Me Kate with Broadway's Marc Kudisch* as Fred Graham/Patruchio and Kerry O'Malley* as Lilli Vanessi/Katherine. Steven Maler, Founding Artistic Director of Commonwealth Shakespeare Company and Associate Artistic Director, Adam Sanders, will direct with Boston Landmark Orchestra's Music Director Christopher Wilkins, conducting. The free event will be held tonight, August 21st at 7:00PM at DCR's Hatch Shell on the Esplanade.

Last night, the 2013 Summer Hummer, a bawdy benefit burlesque in support of Taking Care of Our Own, raised $24,500, greatly exceeding attendance and contributions from last year's inaugural event. Taking Care of Our Own is a program of theatreWashington, providing assistance to Washington area theatre professionals experiencing unforeseen emergencies.

The Shakespeare Theatre Company's annual Free For All is a much-loved Washington tradition, offering free Shakespeare performances to the general public for the past 22 years. This year the beloved tradition launches the Company's 2013-2014 Season by reviving Much Ado About Nothing, initially presented during the 2011-2012 Season with original direction by Ethan McSweeny. Much Ado About Nothing will run at STC's Sidney Harman Hall (610 F Street NW) from today, August 20-September 1, 2013. Resident Assistant Director Jenny Lord will direct this delightful summer comedy for residents and visitors to D.C.

Angelina Fiordellisi, Founding Artistic Director of Cherry Lane Theatre, announces the following productions for the company's 2013-14 season:

Signature Theatre presents this summer's all-new production of Tony Award-winning musical Miss Saigon, directed by Signature Artistic Director Eric Schaeffer. Running in the MAX Theatre, the production opens the theatre's 2013/14 season with all the adventure, romance, and excitement that Signature promises with the re-imagining of a classic musical. Check out the sneak peek below!

Final Analysis was a big winner at the 2012 Midtown International Theatre Festival Awards - even besting the producers expectations garnering 13 nominations (the most by any one production) and walking away with 7 awards. The production is readying to move to a larger space, The Alice Griffin Jewel Box Theatre at the Pershing Square Signature Theatre Center.

Dallas Theater Center launches its 2013-14 season with A Raisin in the Sun. Tre Garrett of Fort Worth's Jubilee Theatre will make his directorial debut at DTC with this Tony Award-winning play. A Raisin in the Sun begins with a Pay-What-You-Can performance on Friday, September 13 and runs through Sunday, October 27 at the Dee and Charles Wyly Theatre in the AT&T Performing Arts Center.

Signature Theatre presents this summer's all-new production of Tony Award-winning musical Miss Saigon, directed by Signature Artistic Director Eric Schaeffer. Running in the MAX Theatre, the production opens the theatre's 2013/14 season with all the adventure, romance, and excitement that Signature promises with the re-imagining of a classic musical. Check out the videos below!

Today we are talking a phenomenally talented performer known for his decades treading the boards in a number of featured and lead roles, most recently wowing crowds with his turn as one of the title characters in THE GERSHWINS' PORGY & BESS - the engaging and golden-voiced Norm Lewis. Discussing many of his most celebrated roles as well as some more obscure, Lewis paints a vivid picture of his career trajectory thus far and shares compelling and candid stories of working on productions as varied and diverse as the original Broadway versions of THE WHO'S TOMMY, SIDE SHOW, THE WILD PARTY, AMOUR, THE LITTLE MERMAID and SONDHEIM ON SONDHEIM as well as his sensational work regionally in projects such as his recent essaying of Javert in LES MISERABLES at The Muny (to say nothing of the 25th Anniversary live at the 02) as well as turns in SWEENEY TODD and THE WIZARD & I: THE MUSIC OF STEPHEN SCHWARTZ among many others. Additionally, Lewis sheds some light on his recent onscreen work, clueing us in on how he became involved with hit nighttime soap SCANDAL and how he enjoyeds working with co-stars Kerry Washington and Tony Goldwyn on it - and if we will possibly see him in Season Three, perhaps. Plus, Lewis opens up about his upcoming solo gigs and performing plans - including first news on his starring part in the upcoming Public Theater musical version of THE TEMPEST - as well as touches upon a host of topics ranging from his appearances at spectacular special events - DREAMGIRLS: IN CONCERT, HAIR: IN CONCERT, TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA in the Park - to his appearance in SEX & THE CITY 2 (opposite Liza Minnelli) to recording studio work, dream projects, future goals, favorite workshop/reading experiences and much, much more!

Horton Foote's THE OLD FRIENDS, directed by Michael Wilson runs August 20 through September 29, 2013 with a September 12 opening night in The Irene Diamond Stage at The Pershing Square Signature Center (480 West 42nd Street between 9th and 10th Avenues). BroadwayWorld has a sneak peek at the cast in rehearsal below!

Signature Theatre presents this summer's all-new production of Tony Award-winning musical Miss Saigon, directed by Signature Artistic Director Eric Schaeffer. Running in the MAX Theatre beginning tonight, August 15, the production opens the theatre's 2013/14 season with all the adventure, romance, and excitement that Signature promises with the re-imagining of a classic musical.

The Jerome L. Greene Performance Space at WNYC and WQXR, the state-of-the-art venue of the nation's most listened-to news/talk and classical public radio stations, will make history this fall when it creates, for the first time, exclusive recordings of all 10 of August Wilson's American Century Cycle Plays.

Signature Theatre Company's THE OLD FRIENDS cast met the company Broadway's THE TRIP TO BOUNTIFUL after a performance of Bountiful this past weekend. The meet and greet gave the two casts the opportunity to say hello and chat about what it's like to work on plays by the esteemed playwright Horton Foote. Check out a group photo below!

Coleavens Industries will present Lies We Tell Ourselves (when flamethrowers aren't enough) as part of the 17th annual New York International Fringe Festival - FringeNYC. Premiering at FringeNYC, Lies We Tell Ourselves will be presented at The Players Theatre (115 Macdougal Street, Fringe venue #17).