Stephen Schwartz News

The Mornington Players present their 2011 season.

The Mornington Players present their 2011 season.

New York City Opera General Manager and Artistic Director George Steel today announced the company's 2010-2011 season, which spotlights American composers and 20th-century works within a mix of world premieres, New York premieres and new productions. Offering audiences the opportunity to experience new and rarely performed operas as well as modern interpretations of traditional repertoire, the 2010-2011 season will also feature the launch of a concert series showcasing the non-operatic works of several of the composers of this season's operas. Taking advantage of the possibilities offered by the recent renovation of the company's home, the David H. Koch Theater, the concert series expands the repertoire and programming of City Opera and casts new light on the season's productions.

The company of the first North American tour of WICKED welcomes Amanda Jane Cooper as Glinda on Tuesday, April 19 in Ft. Lauderdale, FL.

American Opera Projects (AOP) announces the return of its popular Composers & the Voice program for its upcoming 2011-2012 season. Created and led by Composers & the Voice Artistic Director Steven Osgood, six composers or composer/librettist teams will be selected for a year-long fellowship, working with the company's Resident Ensemble of Singers and Artistic Team.

Christian Youth Theater (CYT) Kansas City North proudly presents Godspell, Thursday, April 7 - Sunday, April 10 at YouthFront Auditorium, 4715 Rainbow Blvd., Shawnee Mission, KS 66205.

Christian Youth Theater Kansas City North Presents GODSPELL

After breaking box office records and selling out in record time in 2008, WICKED, Broadway's biggest blockbuster, will return to Pittsburgh, with performances at the Benedum Center, from September 7 through October 2.

David Elzer &Peter Schneider, producers of the smash-hit, award-winning productions of The Marvelous Wonderettes and Life Could Be A Dream, are thrilled to announce that their critically-acclaimed, smash-hit, Ovation Recommended, world premiere original musical, HAVING IT ALL, music by John Kavanaugh, book by David Goldsmith & Wendy Perelman, lyrics by David Goldsmith, conceived by Wendy Perelman, with musical direction by Greg Nabours and directed by Richard Israel is EXTENDING through Sunday, May 29 at the NoHo Arts Center, 11136 Magnolia Blvd. (at Lankershim) in North Hollywood.

The Theatre Lab School of the Dramatic Arts will open the musical "Rags" by Stephen Schwartz ("Wicked"), Charles Strouse ("Annie"), and Joseph Stein ("Fiddler on the Roof") on April 14th.

As we move beyond the tomfoolery of April 1 and into beautiful springtime weather here on the California Central Coast, I certainly hope your plans in the weeks ahead include attending a play or 2 (or 3?) at one of the several live performance and theatre establishments in our area!

Chicago Shakespeare Theater (CST) premieres Murder for Two-A Killer Musical, created by Joe Kinosian (music/book) and Kellen Blair (lyrics/book), May 12-June 19, 2011, Upstairs at Chicago Shakespeare. This comedic Agatha Christie-like whodunit musical comes with a surprising twist: one actor plays the inspector, the other plays all 10 suspects, and both play the piano. Staged by CST veteran director David H. Bell, this 75-minute premiere features the show's co-creator Joe Kinosian playing the slew of hilarious would-be criminals and Chicago favorite Alan Schmuckler performing the role of the inspector. Tickets for Murder for Two-A Killer Musical Upstairs at Chicago Shakespeare May 12-June 19, 2011, are $25-$30, with special discounts available for groups of 10 or more. All patrons receive a 40% parking discount at Navy Pier garages. For more information or to purchase tickets, contact Chicago Shakespeare Theater's Box Office at 312.595.5600 or visit the Theater's website at www.chicagoshakes.com

All work and play! Petterino's (150 N. Dearborn St., Chicago), the downtown theater district go-to restaurant, presents "Monday Night Live" on Monday, April 11 beginning at 7:30 p.m. with guest performances by select cast members of WORKING, currently playing at the Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place (175 E. Chestnut St., Chicago) through June 5, 2011.

New York City Opera's General Manager and Artistic Director George Steel will moderate an in-depth roundtable discussion on what defines the opera and musical theater genres at the Gershwin Theatre on the set of Stephen Schwartz's acclaimed Broadway production WICKED. He will be joined by a panel of distinguished composers and playwrights including Stephen Schwartz, Rufus Wainwright (composer and performer), Adam Guettel (composer of FLOYD COLLINS and THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA), John Kander (composer of CABARET and CHICAGO) and David Henry Hwang (librettist for operas such as ALICE IN WONDERLAND and THE FLY, playwright of M. BUTTERFLY, book for FLOWER DRUM SONG, TARZAN and AIDA on Broadway). The discussion precedes the New York premiere of Schwartz's first opera SEANCE on a WET AFTERNOON, opening at New York City Opera on Tuesday, April 19.

WICKED will honor the Actors Fund with a special, added performance on Sunday, April 3 at 8pm at the Gershwin Theatre. All procedes will go to benefit The Actor's Fund's programs and services. The Actors Fund is a nationwide human services organization that helps all professionals in performing arts and entertainment. The Fund is a safety net, providing programs and services for those who are in need, crisis or transition.

TheatreWorks, the nationally-acclaimed theatre of Silicon Valley, has announced the line-up for its 2010-2011 season. Founding Artistic Director Robert Kelley and Managing Director Phil Santora announced a 41st season that will include three world premieres (bringing the company's total to 56); three regional premieres including the newest play by the author of AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY, Broadway's quirky hit musical about writers writing a quirky hit musical and a spell-binding mystery about a Japanese-American veteran charged with murder; and two Broadway favorites. The company will once again lead off with an extensive New Works Festival.

Come join the celebrations in June, where once again Adelaide Festival Centre will be transformed into Cabaret mode and experience some of the best Cabaret at one of the world's most unique festivals for the genre.

LA MIRADA THEATRE FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS & UPRIGHT CABARET are thrilled to announce the performers for its third show of their season, I WANT TO HOLD YOUR HAND: The Music of The Beatles, which will include James Snyder (Broadway: Cry-Baby, Pasadena Playhouse: Dangerous Beauty), Tom Lowe (London: Les Miserables, Cats) and Elizabeth Brackenbury (Vanities, Rock Of Ages), performing the music of The Beatles, and their own selections, under the musical direction of Todd Schroeder, in a one night only concert - I WANT TO HOLD YOUR HAND which will perform on Sunday, April 17, 2011 at 7:30PM at the NEW Cabaret Lounge at La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts, 14900 La Mirada Blvd. in La Mirada.

Long before Dorothy drops in, two other girls meet in the land of Oz. One - born with emerald green skin - is smart, fiery and misunderstood. The other is beautiful, ambitious and very popular. WICKED tells the story of their remarkable odyssey, how these two unlikely friends grow to become the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good.

The 2011 Festival of New American Musicals, a five-month musical theatre festival, will be held April 1 through August 28, 2011, throughout Southern California. Marcia Seligson, Bob Klein, and Linda Shusett are the Executive Producers of the annual festival, now in its fourth year. This year's Festival includes 16 world premieres, and an additional 10 west coast premieres.