Tom Viertel News

On November 7 and 8 (9:30PM), director extraordinaire Jack O'Brien brings his new show to 54 Below, titled 'I've Still Got My Health, So What Do I Care?' Come join O'Brien for a Diamond Jubilee Celebration of a life lived on and off the stage. Tales from Hamlet to Hairspray. Selections from Cole Porter to James Taylor. Stories, songs with an occasional A flat and a surprise guest or two. BroadwayWorld brings pictures of the first performance below!

On Monday, November 3, two-time Tony Award winner Patti LuPone launched her two-week return engagement to 54 Below in an all-new show, Part Two of "Far Away Places." Check out a look back at opening night below!

Tom Viertel, Executive Director of Commercial Theater Institute (CTI), has announced the 2014-2015 Season. CTI is the theatre industry's leading training and professional development program which covers a wide range of topics and features over 100 of the most distinguished industry professionals as lecturers and panelists including many Tony Award- winning producers. CTI programs include a 14-week program that explores producing in-depth, a 3-day intensive introduction to producing and half-day or one day workshops on specialized topics. More to be announced!

54 Below, Broadway's Supper Club, announces a new partnership with New Jersey Perfoming Arts Center (NJPAC) to present a series of evenings direct from 'Broadway's living room' to the audiences at the esteemed arts venue in Newark, NJ. The series, '54 Below at NJPAC,' launches with three Saturday night events, originally presented on stage at 54 Below, celebrating the music of legendary Broadway songwriters and featuring all-star Broadway talent.

(NJPAC) to present a series of evenings direct from 'Broadway's living room' to the audiences at the esteemed arts venue in Newark, NJ. The series, '54 Below at NJPAC,' launches with three Saturday night events, originally presented on stage at 54 Below, celebrating the music of legendary Broadway songwriters and featuring all-star Broadway talent.

At the gala 46th Annual Equity Jeff Awards held at Drury Lane Oakbrook on Monday, October 13, awards were spread among numerous theatres honoring a season of outstanding productions. From Writers Theatre, "The Dance of Death", a battle of wits between a tyrant and his manipulative wife, received the Production-Play award for a large theatre, along with its two principal actors Larry Yando and Shannon Cochran. "The Normal Heart", Larry Kramer's tale of the early indifference in N.Y. about the HIV/Aids crisis, presented by TimeLine Theatre Company, was honored with awards for Production-Play for a midsize theatre and for Director Nick Bowling.

The 46th Annual Jeff Awards ceremony honoring excellence in professional theatre produced within the immediate Chicago area is tonight, October 13 at Drury Lane Oakbrook, 100 Drury Lane, Oakbrook Terrace.

Following their triumphant performances as 'Matilda' in the Broadway smash Matilda The Musical, 11 year old Paige Brady, 11 year old Gabriella Pizzolo, 11 year old Ripley Sobo and 9 year old Ava Ulloa (aka the 'Newtildas') perform some of their favorite songs from Broadway and beyond in their upcoming concert, 'When Children Rule The World' at 54 BELOW tonight, October 10, 2014.

Following their triumphant performances as 'Matilda' in the Broadway smash Matilda The Musical, 11 year old Paige Brady, 11 year old Gabriella Pizzolo, 11 year old Ripley Sobo and 9 year old Ava Ulloa (aka the 'Newtildas') perform some of their favorite songs from Broadway and beyond in their upcoming concert, 'When Children Rule The World' at 54 BELOW on Friday, October 10, 2014. BroadwayWorld is excited to bring you an exclusive sneak peek of the ladies in rehearsal below!

The National Music Theater Institute (NMTI) students have just returned to campus from two weeks training in New York City; scroll down for photos from the visit! NMTI is the newest credit-earning, semester-long intensive from the National Theater Institute at the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center. Utilizing the O'Neill's 50-year experience in training young theater artists and history of developing new musicals (including Nine, Avenue Q, In The Heights, [title of show], and Violet), NMTI offers broad-based training in all areas of musical theater: acting, singing, directing, writing, dance, composition, and choreography. In addition to the semester's rigorous curriculum-classes 14 hours a day, 7 days a week with emphasis on collaboration and the creation of original work- two weeks of the semester are spent learning in the epicenter of American music theater.

Following their triumphant performances as "Matilda" in the Broadway smash Matilda The Musical, 11 year old Paige Brady, 11 year old Gabriella Pizzolo, 11 year old Ripley Sobo and 9 year old Ava Ulloa (aka the "Newtildas") perform some of their favorite songs from Broadway and beyond in their upcoming concert, "When Children Rule The World" at 54 BELOW on Friday, October 10, 2014.

Tom Viertel, Executive Director of Commercial Theater Institute (CTI), has announced the 2014-2015 Season. CTI is the theatre industry's leading training and professional development program which covers a wide range of topics and features over 100 of the most distinguished industry professionals as lecturers and panelists including many Tony Award- winning producers. CTI programs include a 14-week program that explores producing in-depth, a 3-day intensive introduction to producing and half-day or one day workshops on specialized topics. More to be announced!

Chicago actress, TV and film star Jane Lynch did the honor today of announcing the nominees for the 2013-2014 Equity Jeff Awards.

The Shapiro Sisters announced today that their debut album Live Out Loud: Live at 54 BELOW will be released on September 9th, 2014. The Shapiro Sisters, 11-year old Milly Shapiro (Matilda, Original Broadway Cast of Matilda The Musical) and older sister, 14-year-old Abigail Shapiro (Cindy Lou Who, How The Grinch Stole Christmas), recorded the album live at the famed 54 BELOW over a series of three performances this past May and June.

Award-winning songwriters Zina Goldrich and Marcy Heisler ('Taylor the Latte Boy', 'Alto's Lament', Ever After) brought their their vivacious, eclectic, romantic, and seriously funny songbook to 54 Below last night, June 12. Check out coverage of their performance below!

Theater Resources Unlimited (TRU) celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center with their April panel, Nurturing New Works: What Producers Can Learn from the National Playwrights Conference tonight, April 30, 2014 at 7:30pm at The Players Theatre, 115 MacDougal Street, Mainstage Theatre, NYC. Doors open at 7pm for networking and refreshments, presentations and roundtable introductions start at 7:30pm (come prepared with your best half-minute summary of who you are, and what you need).

Meryl Streep was honored with the 14th-Annual Monte Cristo Award at Edison Ballroom last night, presented by the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center. BroadwayWorld was there for the special night and you can check out photos from the celebration below!

Theater Resources Unlimited (TRU) celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center with their April panel, Nurturing New Works: What Producers Can Learn from the National Playwrights Conference on Wednesday, April 30, 2014 at 7:30pm at The Players Theatre, 115 MacDougal Street, Mainstage Theatre, NYC. Doors open at 7pm for networking and refreshments, presentations and roundtable introductions start at 7:30pm (come prepared with your best half-minute summary of who you are, and what you need).