The Public Theater News

The Public Theater presents the world premiere musical Hamilton, beginning previews tonight, January 20, in The Public's Newman Theater. Inspired by the book 'Alexander Hamilton' by Ron Chernow, with book, music, and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda and directed by Thomas Kail, Hamilton runs through Sunday, April 5 with an official press opening on Tuesday, February 17.

PRETTY BABIES, a new play by Antony Raymond who also serves as the director, will have its World Premiere at 13th Street Rep on February 26th. The ensemble cast is led by Stacey Roca who had a recurring role as Rachel on the UK series The Office staring Ricky Gervais; she also played Katrina Howard in Waking the Dead (BBC). PRETTY BABIES is being produced by the critically acclaimed Elsinore County Theater Company who previously produced the plays Elsinore County (The Lion Theatre/Theatre Row), Julio! (The Kraine Theater), and Gin & Milk (FringeNYC).

The Public Theater announced today that it will present The 24 Hour Plays: A Bennington Alumni Tribute to Nicky Martin on Monday, January 19 at 8:00 p.m. in the Anspacher Theater. This one-night-only benefit will bring together Bennington College alumni - including Emmy, Tony, and Golden Globe winners and nominees - to write, cast, rehearse, and present six one-act plays within a 24 hour period. The event kicks off The 24 Hour Plays 20th Anniversary Season.

Directed by Austin Pendleton, BETWEEN RIVERSIDE AND CRAZY begins previews tonight, January 16, 2015 and will officially open on Wednesday, February 11, 2015 at Second Stage Theatre's Tony Kiser Theatre (305 West 43rd street).

The Daily Mail writes that Anne Hathaway is in talks to appear onstage in George Brant's GROUNDED, a one-woman drama about an F16 pilot involved in airstrikes in the Middle East, at the Public Theater this spring. THE LION KING and SPIDER-MAN director Julie Taymor will helm and design the production.

PRiMA Theatre, a Lancaster non-profit, professional theatre organization, has announced their fifth anniversary season (Details at primatheatre.org), starting with FIVE, a special fifth anniversary cabaret featuring PRiMA's finest talent and the unforgettable show-stopping tunes from the past five seasons. Professional performers include Kristen Brewer, Michael Fisher, Josh Keefer, Erin McCullough, Reji Woods. The singers will be accompanied by Music Director and acclaimed regional pianist Andy Roberts. Past shows represented by song include PRiMA's Glee, The Music of West Side Story, Chess, Guilty Pleasures, Rockin Rodgers & Hammerstein, Songs For A New World, Monster Music, 80's Re-Lived! and Oz in Concert.

The Performance Project @ University Settlement will present the World Premiere of TALA, a multicultural play about the immigrant experience written and directed by Kyoung H. Park. Produced by Kyoung's Pacific Beat, previews began January 8 at University Settlement with opening set for January 10. The show runs through January 23, 2015.

Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts and the New York Philharmonic today announced plans for the two organizations to collaborate on a new, multi-year opera initiative to present fully-staged productions of significant modern operas not yet seen in New York.

The Samuel French Off Off Broadway Short Play Festival (OOB) is now accepting submissions for its 40th annual season, taking place this summer in New York City. The OOB Festival is New York's oldest, continuous short play festival, featuring emerging playwrights from across the United States, Canada, and abroad. 30 plays will be selected for the weeklong festival, and six plays will be published in the 40th edition of the Off Off Broadway Festival Plays anthology series.

This spring, NYU SKIRBALL CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS (Michael Harrington, Executive Director) is proud to present Gob Squad's WESTERN SOCIETY, in association with The Public Theater and part of NYU Skirball's Visions + Voices Global Performance Series. WESTERN SOCIETY will open on February 18, 2015 and run through February 22, 2015. Tickets are available now at www.nyuskirball.org.

Jared Zirilli has joined the cast of The Civilians' world premiere production Pretty Filthy, BroadwayWorld has confirmed.

The Public Theater announced a second extension today for the world premiere musical HAMILTON, beginning previews on Tuesday, January 20 in The Public's Newman Theater. Inspired by the book "Alexander Hamilton" by Ron Chernow, with book, music, and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda and directed by Thomas Kail, HAMILTON will now run through Sunday, April 5 with an official press opening on Tuesday, February 17.

Joe's Pub at the Public has announced its nightly performances, January 14 - 25, 2015. Details below!

Theater artist Taylor Mac makes his New York Live Arts debut with A 24-Decade History of Popular Music: 1900-1950s, presented by New York Live Arts as part of The Public Theater's Under the Radar Festival, today, January 13-25, 2015.

After a sold-out run at the 2015 Under The Radar Festival; The Deconstructive Theatre Project is proud to present encore performances of The Orpheus VariationsFebruary 4th– 14th These ten special encore performances will be presented at The 14th Street Y (344 East 14th Street, between 1st & 2nd Aves) in New York City.

?Bay Street Theater & Sag Harbor Center for the Arts is pleased to announce that KIM FINK has joined Bay Street Theater as the DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT. Most recently at The Public Theater, Kim has many years of experience working at a variety of performing arts, cultural, educational and social service organizations in New York City.

Hosted by Sirius XM Radio Star Seth Rudetsky, this unique series will debut this winter at The Nourse Theater with two concerts. First up will be the red-hot star of TV's “Smash” and Broadway's “Wicked,” Megan Hilty on February 7th, followed by Grammy, Emmy, and Tony Award nominated superstar Vanessa Williams on April 25.

NiCori Studios and Productions in association with the Oakeside Bloomfield Cultural Center announces a new installment of the monthly concert series, Music at the Mansion, on Sunday, January 25, at 3pm. Performers include Daryl Glenn, Gas Lamp Players and Marieann Meringolo.

HAM: A Musical Memoir, a new theatrical event based on Sam Harris' book, HAM: Slices of a Life (a collection of stories and essays published by Simon & Schuster) is an innovative and exciting hybrid theatrical concept and the culmination of Harris' successful 30 year career as actor, vocalist and, now, author. HAM: A Musical Memoir will play a limited engagement, with an opening night set for tonight, January 12, 2015 at Theater 511 at Ars Nova.