The Public Theater News

The Public Theater announced today that Emily Skeggs has joined the company as Medium Alison in the hit musical FUN HOME. Alexandra Socha, who originated the role, has left the show for personal reasons. Directed by Sam Gold and featuring music by Jeanine Tesori, with book and lyrics by Lisa Kron, and based on Alison Bechdel's graphic novel, the critically acclaimed musical has been extended three times due to overwhelming demand. FUN HOME will run through Sunday, December 29 and tickets can be purchased by calling (212) 967-7555, www.publictheater.org, or in person at the Taub Box Office at The Public Theater at Astor Place at 425 Lafayette Street.

The Public Theater announced today that PS Classics, the label dedicated to the heritage of Broadway and American popular song, will record and release the original cast recording of the acclaimed Public Theater musical FUN HOME, directed by Sam Gold and featuring music by Jeanine Tesori and book and lyrics by Lisa Kron. Fox Theatricals and Barbara Whitman are serving as the recording's executive producers. Based on Alison Bechdel's graphic novel, FUN HOME will be recorded on Monday, December 2 and will be released as a single disc on February 18, 2014. FUN HOME received some of the best reviews of the season and was recently extended a third time due to overwhelming demand to Sunday, December 29. Anew block of tickets is on sale now and can be purchased by calling (212) 967-7555, visiting www.publictheater.org, or in person at the Taub Box Office at The Public Theater at Astor Place at 425 Lafayette Street.

On December 2nd, Believe Theatrical will host the first public reading of Rebecca Gilman's screenplay adaptation of Blue Surge at the Pater Jay Sharp Theater, 416 West 42nd Street. Michael Walker (Price Check) will direct the stellar NYC cast to be led by Rachel Brosnahan (House of Cards) and to include Jayce Bartok (The Cake Eaters), Phil Burke (Hell on Wheels) and Kate White (Fall to Rise), Autumn Dornfeld (Law & Order), Katy Wright-Mead (The Knick) and Patrick James Lynch (Peter & The Star Catcher) among others.

Following the sold out performances and overflow crowds for its Cino Nights presentations (including new plays by Gary Sunshine, Mando Alvarado, Courtney Baron, Florencia Lozano, Kristen Palmer, Emily DeVoti, Lucy Thurber, Jessica Dickey, Adam Szymkowicz, Laura Eason, Daniel Reitz, Megan Mostyn-Brown, Dael Orlandersmith, Keith Reddin, Crystal Skillman, Charlotte Miller, Brooke Berman, Cusi Cram, Daniel Talbott, Diana Stahl, Micheline Auger, Halley Feiffer, Steve DiUbaldo, Catya McMullen, Alec Silberblatt, and Emily Zemba), Rising Phoenix Rep continues the series tonight, November 26th at 8 p.m. with a new play by Sarah Shaefer titled I Can't Explain It Better Than That.

Broadway In Chicago has announce that DEE SNIDER'S ROCK & ROLL CHRISTMAS TALE, starring and written by iconic rocker Dee Snider, directed by Adam John Hunter and produced by John B. Yonover, will play the Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place (175 E Chestnut) Nov. 4, 2014 through Jan. 4, 2015. DEE SNIDER'S ROCK & ROLL CHRISTMAS TALE will be part of the Broadway In Chicago 2014 Fall Season.

Coming up this week, 54 BELOW, the performance venue located just below the legendary Studio 54 at 254 West 54th Street, presents some of the brightest stars from Broadway, cabaret, jazz and beyond:

Tony nominee, two time Drama Desk nominee, Theatre World Award and Obie winner Daniel Breaker, most recently seen in Shakespeare in the Park's Love's Labour's Lost, returns to Joe's Pub tonight, November 25th at 9:30pm.

The original cast of the Public Theater's acclaimed musical HERE LIES LOVE performs a one-time-only special benefit concert in support of the people of the Philippines in the wake of Super Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) today. All proceeds for the special show tonight, November 25 at 8:00 p.m. at Terminal 5 (610 W. 56th Street) will go to support Doctors Without Borders Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) relief efforts in the Philippines.

It's Official! Sutton Foster is coming BACK to Broadway, as Roundabout Theatre Company has just announced that it will present two-time Tony Award winner Sutton Foster in a Broadway production of VIOLET (first seen as part of Encores! Off-Center concert series in 2013), directed by Leigh Silverman. Based on the short story 'The Ugliest Pilgrim' by Doris Betts, VIOLET features music by Jeanine Tesori and book & lyrics by Brian Crawley. VIOLET will be produced in association with Amy Sherman-Palladino and Daniel Palladino, David Mirvish, Barry and Fran Weissler, Elizabeth Armstrong, and Mary Jo and Ted Shen.

Theatre Rhinoceros presents… The Bay Area Premiere of the Stephen Sondheim Musical ROAD SHOW Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, Book by John Weidman, Starring Bill Fahrner * and Rudy Guerrero* Musical Direction by Dave DobruskyDirected by John Fisher Bay Area Premiere - Limited Engagement - 15 Performances Only! January 2 - 19, 2014Wed. - Sat. - 8:00 pm / Sun. - 3:00 pm Previews Jan. 2 & 3 (Thurs. & Fri.) - Opens Sat. Jan. 4 - 8:00 pm Eureka Theatre in SF www.TheRhino.org

Joe's Pub at The Public welcomes the faithful and the faithless this holiday season with a winter program that includes Yiddish lullabies, kvetching, yuletide cheer, anti-consumerist sermons, sports, jazz, storytelling and of course Sandra Bernhard's hilarious and entertaining end-of-year free for all.

Following the sold out performances and overflow crowds for its Cino Nights presentations (including new plays by Gary Sunshine, Mando Alvarado, Courtney Baron, Florencia Lozano, Kristen Palmer, Emily DeVoti, Lucy Thurber, Jessica Dickey, Adam Szymkowicz, Laura Eason, Daniel Reitz, Megan Mostyn-Brown, Dael Orlandersmith, Keith Reddin, Crystal Skillman, Charlotte Miller, Brooke Berman, Cusi Cram, Daniel Talbott, Diana Stahl, Micheline Auger, Halley Feiffer, Steve DiUbaldo, Catya McMullen, Alec Silberblatt, and Emily Zemba), Rising Phoenix Rep continues the series on Tuesday, November 26th at 8 p.m. with a new play by Sarah Shaefer titled I Can't Explain It Better Than That.

Following critically acclaimed, smash-hit runs at The Hartford Stage and San Diego's Old Globe Theatre, A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder, starring Jefferson Mays, Bryce Pinkham, and featuring Lisa O'Hare, Lauren Worsham, Jane Carr, Pamela Bob, Joanna Glushak, Eddie Korbich, Jeff Kready, Mark Ledbetter, Jennifer Smith, Price Waldman, and Catherine Walker, opened opened earlier this month at the Walter Kerr Theatre. Below you can check out photos of director Darko Tresnjak in the BroadwayWorld.com series 'In The Spotlight' by acclaimed photographer Walter McBride!

Directed by Richard Nelson, REGULAR SINGING began performances at The Public Theater on Saturday, November 16 and runs in repertory with the previous Apple Family Plays through Sunday, December 15. Below, BroadwayWorld brings you photos from opening night!

The Playwrights Foundation's 2013 Winter Rough Readings Series concludes with readings of Rob Melrose's adaptation of OZMA of OZ on Monday, December 2, 7:30pm at Roble Hall, Stanford University and on Tuesday, December 3, 7pm at The Thick House, San Francisco. Directed by Rob Melrose, OZMA of OZ is a trip-hop musical based on L. Frank Baum's third book in the Wizard of Oz series and presented in partnership with Cutting Ball Theatre.

This holiday season, for one weekend only, Dec 13, 14, and 15th, The Public Theatre, will present their acclaimed adaptation of A Christmas Carol followed by a holiday sing-a-long featuring Christmas Carol fiddler Jennifer Armstrong.

Tony nominee, two time Drama Desk nominee, Theatre World Award and Obie winner Daniel Breaker, most recently seen in Shakespeare in the Park's Love's Labour's Lost, returns to Joe's Pub on November 25th at 9:30pm.

The long-gestating late-career musical drama from John Kander and the late Fred Ebb based on Friedrich Durrenmatt's dark 20th century play THE VISIT is set for a new production at the Williamstown Theatre Festival this summer, starring the iconic Broadway legend who has taken on the major central role of the piece a few times prior, the one and only Chita Rivera.