The Old Globe News

Asolo Rep continues its record-breaking 2015-2016 season and the fourth season of its five-year American Character Project with the thrilling and poignant Tony-nominated and Pulitzer Prize-winning drama: DISGRACED.

Drama Desk Award winner Michael Urie (Buyer and Cellar, 'Ugly Betty') will serve as host of the 61st Annual Drama Desk Awards on Sunday, June 5, 2016 at 8:00 PM at The Town Hall (123 W. 43rd Street), it was announced today by Charles Wright, Drama Desk President, and Gretchen Shugart, CEO of TheaterMania.com.

On last night's TONIGHT SHOW, the cast of the new Broadway musical BRIGHT STAR performed 'Sun's Gonna Shine,' led by Carmen Cusack, who makes her Broadway debut in the show.

Seattle Repertory Theatre presents Kimber Lee's heart-felt drama, BROWNSVILLE SONG (B-SIDE FOR TRAY), a vivid and stirring play that leaves one family at a powerful crossroads in search of hope. Directed by Juliette Carrillo (Seattle Rep's The Brothers Size), BROWNSVILLE SONG (B-SIDE FOR TRAY) runs March 25-April 24, 2016 in the Leo K. Theatre.

The Old Globe welcomes Globe Artistic Director Barry Edelstein, making his musical directing debut with RAIN, a sumptuous world premiere musical by one of the most significant teams working in theatre today: composer and lyricist Michael John LaChiusa (The Wild Party, Giant) and book writer Sybille Pearson (Giant). Based on the short story by Somerset Maugham, RAIN will play March 24 - May 1, 2016 on the Donald and Darlene Shiley Stage in the Old Globe Theatre, part of the Conrad Prebys Theatre Center. Previews run March 24 - 31. Opening night is Friday, April 1 at 8:00 p.m. BroadwayWorld has a sneak peek at the stars in character, plus the full company, below!

Bright Star, the new musical from Grammy and Emmy Award winner Steve Martin and Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Edie Brickell, will make its national television debut tonight on NBC'S "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon."  The appearance will include interviews with Martin and Brickell, as well as a cast performance of the number "Sun's Gonna Shine," which Variety called, "A gorgeous anthem to optimism," led by Carmen Cusack.  (Ms. Cusack's starring role in Bright Star marks her Broadway debut.)  "The Tonight Show" airs on NBC at 11:35 p.m. (10:35 p.m. Central). 

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: THE CRUCIBLE begins on Broadway, DRY POWDER begins at The Public, and the Great White Way welcomes two new faces!

Cleveland Play House's (CPH) monumental 100th Season continues with the regional premiere of LUNA GALE today. CPH welcomes back film and stage legend Austin Pendleton to direct this contemporary drama that begs the question 'To whom do you belong?' Written by Rebecca Gilman, recipient of the 2015 Roe Green Award, LUNA GALE runs today, February 27 through March 20 in the intimate Allen Theatre.

Ghostlight Records has released the original cast recording of the world premiere musical FIRST DAUGHTER SUITE -- written by Michael John LaChiusa and directed by Kirsten Sanderson -- in digital formats today, February 26. The physical CD will be online and in stores on Frida­­y, April 1.

The Old Globe and the San Diego Public Library were selected last year to co-host the only stop in California for FIRST FOLIO! THE BOOK THAT GAVE US SHAKESPEARE, on tour from the Folger Shakespeare Library, a national traveling exhibition organized by the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, DC to commemorate the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare's death.

The new musical BRIGHT STAR by Grammy and Emmy winner Steve Martin and Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Edie Brickell, directed by Tony Award winner Walter Bobbie, will play Broadway's Cort Theatre (138 West 48th Street), beginning tonight, February 25, with an official opening night set for Thursday, March 24, 2016.

Meet & Greet, a comedy by Stan Zimmerman (The Golden Girls, Roseanne, Gilmore Girls) & Christian McLaughlin(Married...with Children, The Bold and the Beautiful, Desperate Housewives), will receive industry readings in New York on Thursday, March 3rd. The readings will be held at 11am & 4pm and are by invitation only.

The Inwood Film Festival has just announced the jury for its Short Shorts program as part of its inaugural Short Film Festival in Inwood, NYC, on March 2 and 3, 2016 at Casandra Hall. In a neighborhood bereft of cinemas or theaters, the small but mighty Inwood Film Festival is honored to have such a revered, diverse, and accomplished collection of storytellers on its first jury.

The Public Theater presents the new musical SOUTHERN COMFORT that tells the true story of a group of transgender friends living life on their own terms in the back hills of rural Georgia. SOUTHERN COMFORT begins previews tonight, February 23 and will run through Sunday, March 27 in The Public's Anspacher Theater, with an official press opening on Monday, March 7. 

Tonight,  Steve Martin and Edie Brickell will visit the TONIGHT SHOW STARRING JIMMY FALLON to talk about their new Broadway musical BRIGHT STAR. The cast of the show will serve as the night's musical guests.

U.S. premiere of upcoming George Feydeau farce, Now You See It, opening Sat., Feb. 27

The Goodman Theatre's buzzy new world premiere WAR PAINT has enlisted one more Tony winner.

In December, Kate Shindle took the stage at Feinstein's/54Below to perform 'Ghost Light' by Kerrigan and Lowdermilk. The concert was directed by Brandon Ivie.

Still not over Hamilton's performance at the Grammys? Gearing up for Waitress to hit Broadway in March? Didn't have time to check in on your favorite Broadway stars? Well don't worry BroadwayWorld has rounded up some of the biggest stories from this week from Broadway and beyond with BroadwayWorld's 'This Week in Pictures.'

Southwark Playhouse today announces the full cast for the UK premiere of JC Lee's LUCE, which runs March 9 to April 2. Joining Mel Geidroyc are Natasha Gordon, Martins Imhangbe, Elizabeth Tan and Nigel Whitmey. Natasha Gordon replaces Josette Simon who has had to withdraw from the production for personal reasons. Simon Dormandy, whose recent productions include his own stage adaptation of iconic film The Hudsucker Proxy, will direct, and his Hudsucker collaborator Dick Bird designs.