The Public Theatre News

Theatre for a New Audience, whose vision is based on its core commitment to ideas, to language, and to artists and audiences, has scheduled the first three of its new Open Books Series of free lectures beginning Thursday, April 25, at 6:00pm with Kenneth Gross, author of Puppet: An Essay on Uncanny Life (University of Chicago Press, 2011), and continuing with Penelope Niven, author of Thornton Wilder: A Life (Harper, 2012) Tuesday, May 21,at 5:00pm and Jonathan Kalb, author of Great Lengths: Seven Works of Marathon Theater (University of Michigan Press, 2011), Thursday, May 30, at 6:00pm.

Perhaps you saw him on Broadway in Wicked where he's spent the past five years playing the Wizard, or prior to that as the lovable Mr. Cellophane in the long running Broadway show Chicago opposite stars such as Melanie Griffith and Brooke Shields. Celebrating his 43rd year as a professional actor, PJ Benjamin will now be appearing at The Public Theatre, Lewiston/Auburn's Professional Theatre as Ralph Bellini, the charming lovestruck star of the heartwarming romantic comedy The Last Romance. Other Broadway shows in Mr. Benjamin's history include: Pippin; Duke Ellington's Sophisticated Ladies; the Tony Award winning play Torch Song Trilogy; Charlie in the musical Charlie and Algernon (Los Angles critics award), The Pajama Game directed by George Abbott; Wind in the Willows; Ain't Broadway Grand and Sarava. He may also be familiar to younger audiences as the voice of Sergeant Dodo Bird in the animated film, Ice Age.

The Flea Theater will present the New York Premiere of WHITE HOT by Tommy Smith (Pigeon, The Wife). It is directed by Courtney Ulrich and stars The Bats. Performances run April 26 - May 26 at The Flea (41 White Street between Church and Broadway in Tribeca).

Sundance Institute just presented playwright and Sundance Institute Theatre Lab alum Branden Jacobs-Jenkins with the first-ever Tennessee Williams Award from the Institute's Theatre Program, which supports the development of new work for the stage. Sundance Institute Emeritus Trustee Sally Field presented the honor and accompanying $10,000 grant at the Celebrate Sundance Institute benefit for its Theatre Program last night at Stephan Weiss Studio in Greenwich Village. BroadwayWorld was there for the festivities and you can check out who was there to celebrate below!

Winner of the 2012 Fred Ebb Award, musical theatre composer/lyricist Sam Willmott will showcase his work with The Songs of Sam Willmott at the York Theatre tonight, April 8th at 6:30 PM. Presented by the Fred Ebb Foundation in association with the York Theatre Company, the free concert event will feature Tony nominee Tony Sheldon (Priscilla: Queen of the Desert) with Etai BenShlomo (Wicked), Griffin Birney (Fun Home), Alyse Alan Louis (Mamma Mia!), Grace McLean (The Last Goodbye), Matthew Schechter (Mary Poppins), and Sam Teldaldi (Fantasy Football: The Musical). The band includes Gregg Monteith and Peter Sachon. Sam Pinkleton directs with musical direction by Matt Aument. Rachel Sussman produces.

The 2013 national tour company of 'HAIR' is filled with a talent cast and an exceptional ensemble. It is a non-stop succession of vignettes and monologues, combined with an extraordinary amount of dance, exquisitely choreographed by Karole Armitage, with innovative scene direction by Diane Paulus.

The Theatre Department at the University of Alaska Southeast works with Perseverance Theatre's Director of Education, Shona Strauser, to bring to life The Marriage of Bette and Boo by Christopher Durang. Strauser directs a group of students from UAS, who form both the cast and production team. The show plays today, April 5-7, 2013 at the Hendrickson Theatre, located in room HB 113 of the Hendrickson Annex at UAS.

Lincoln Center announces its concerts, films and events for April 2013, including American Songbook in the Penthouse, Great Performers, Meet the Artist Saturdays, Target Free Todays and JustFilms at AtriumFlix. Details below!

Left Field Productions, Neil Berg, Adam Friedson and MSC OPAS at Texas A&M University welcome veteran Broadway actor Marc Kudisch to direct the world premiere project that will close the 40th Anniversary OPAS Season at Texas A&M University - Neil Berg's The Phantoms of the Opera.

Tony-Award winning actress Idina Menzel will make her return to FOX's GLEE on April 18. In the 'Sweet Dreams' episode, when the New Directions find out this year's Regional's theme is "Dreams," everyone has their own opinion as to what they should sing. Meanwhile, the day has finally come for Rachel to audition for the Broadway revival of "Funny Girl."

Do you have a well behaved little dog with a face only a mother could love? The Public Theatre, Lewiston/Auburn's Professional Theatre, is casting an 'ugly little dog' to appear briefly onstage in its upcoming production of the romantic comedy The Last Romance.

Austin Pendleton is set to play William Shakespeare in Abingdon Theatre Company's Off-Broadway premiere of Robert Brustein's THE LAST WILL, which he will also direct, beginning Friday, April 5 in the June Havoc Theatre (312 West 36th Street). Brustein's final installment of his trilogy examining the life of William Shakespeare, THE LAST WILL is set to open on April 17, with performances through May 5. OBIE Award-winner Austin Pendleton replaces actor Peter Cameron who has left the production.

A Collection of Shiny Objects will present the world premiere of queerSpawn. This new play by Mallery Avidon will be directed by Jesse Geiger, starring Obie Award winner David Greenspan. Previews begin May 10 at HERE with opening slated for May 14.

Cinderella, the only musical written by the legendary team of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II especially for television, is now on Broadway for the first time. In 'A New Take on Cinderella,' librettist Douglas Carter Beane, actors Victoria Clark and Ann Harada (the Fairy Godmother and stepsister Charlotte), and producer Robyn Goodman trace the show's long journey from its inception in 1957 to today in an all-new THEATER TALK, premiering at 1 a.m. on Friday, March 29 (2013; early Saturday morning) on Thirteen/PBS, and continues in New York City on CUNY TV* Saturday at 8:30 PM, Sunday at 12:30 PM, and Monday at 7:30 AM, 1:30 PM, and 7:30 PM.

The Theatre Department at the University of Alaska Southeast works with Perseverance Theatre's Director of Education, Shona Strauser, to bring to life The Marriage of Bette and Boo by Christopher Durang. Strauser directs a group of students from UAS, who form both the cast and production team. The show plays April 5-7, 2013 at the Hendrickson Theatre, located in room HB 113 of the Hendrickson Annex at UAS.

The Ensemble Studio Theatre will honor two of Broadway's most distinguished producers, Jeffrey Richards and Jerry Frankel, at its 45th Anniversary Gala, Monday evening, May 20, at 6:30pm at SIR Stage 37, 508 West 37th Street. Tickets are $500 and $1,000.

The Community Theatre of Little Rock continues its 57 Season with its Spring Dark Comedy 'The Smell of the Kill" by Michele Lowe. Show dates are April 26th, 27th, May 3rd, 4th, 10th and 11th at 7:30 pm and April 28th, May 5th and 12th at 2pm, to be held at the PUBLIC Theatre, located at 616 Center Street, next to Horn's Men's Store in downtown Little Rock.

Playwright Tommy Smith returns to The Flea and once again brings you to the brink with the New York Premiere of WHITE HOT. Previews begin April 26 with opening night slated for May 7.

Winner of the 2012 Fred Ebb Award, musical theatre composer/lyricist Sam Willmott will showcase his work with The Songs of Sam Willmott at the York Theatre on Monday, April 8th at 6:30 PM. Presented by the Fred Ebb Foundation in association with the York Theatre Company, the free concert event will feature Tony nominee Tony Sheldon (Priscilla: Queen of the Desert) with Etai BenShlomo (Wicked), Griffin Birney (Fun Home), Alyse Alan Louis (Mamma Mia!), Grace McLean (The Last Goodbye), Matthew Schechter (Mary Poppins), and Sam Teldaldi (Fantasy Football: The Musical). The band includes Gregg Monteith and Peter Sachon. Sam Pinkleton directs with musical direction by Matt Aument. Rachel Sussman produces.