Vineyard Theatre News

Don't let this summer end without seeing 'America's Favorite Original Boy Band'! Olney Theatre Institute presents a limited return engagement of Forever Plaid August 24 through September 15 on Olney Theatre Center's Historic Stage.

Carner and Gregor have announced the winners of the BARELY LEGAL SHOWTUNE EXTRAVAGANZA V casting contest. Eight winners were selected from over 100 submissions received from college students around the country. Winners were selected by a four-person judging panel comprised of Casting Directors Michael Cassara and Jason Najjoum, Concert Director Marlo Hunter, and Concert Producer Alina Gutierrez. Carner and Gregor were not involved in the judging process. After four sold-out editions, Carner & Gregor's BARELY LEGAL SHOWTUNE EXTRAVAGANZA is back for its fifth year. The concert will take place Today, August 5th at (le) Poisson Rouge. Showtime is 8PM. Doors open at 7PM.

Berkeley Repertory Theatre's Artistic Director Tony Taccone today announces the appointment of Liesl Tommy as the nonprofit's associate director. Tommy, who most recently directed Berkeley Rep's critically acclaimed production of Ruined, joins the Theatre's artistic team effective September 1. Tommy will fulfill various artistic duties including directing for Berkeley Rep's main stage; developing new work through The Ground Floor, the Center for the Creation and Development of New Work; and supporting ongoing artistic pursuits in the spirit of cultivating and producing innovative and adventurous work for the Theatre.

Today in 2003 Avenue Q opened at the John Golden Theatre, where it ran for 2534 performances. Avenue Q was conceived by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx, who wrote the music and lyrics. The book was written by Jeff Whitty and the show was directed by Jason Moore. Avenue Q is an 'autobiographical and biographical' coming-of-age parable, addressing and satirizing the issues and anxieties associated with entering adulthood. It opened Off-Broadway in March 2003, co-produced by The New Group and the Vineyard Theatre, and later won three Tony Awards, including Best Musical, and spawned Las Vegas and West End productions, two national tours, and a variety of international productions. Currently playing at New World Stages (340 W. 50 St.), today will be declared AVENUE Q DAY by the City of New York in honor of the show's 10th anniversary.

As Happy Never After reaches the end of its rehearsal period, playwright Hannah Rodger talks about where the journey to the 2013 Fringe Festival began:

Primary Stages, in association with Ted Snowdon, launches their 29th season with the New York premiere of Harbor at Primary Stages at 59E59 Theaters. Written by Tony-nominated Chad Beguelin (Elf, The Wedding Singer) and directed by Tony-nominated director Mark Lamos (Seascape, The Rivals, The Deep Blue Sea), the production features Erin Cummings (Starz's 'Spartacus: Blood and Sand', ABC's 'Pan Am,' CBS' 'Made In Jersey'), Randy Harrison (Showtime's 'Queer As Folk', Broadway's Wicked), Alexis Molnar (world premiere of Harbor at Westport Playhouse), and Paul Anthony Stewart (Broadway's Fiddler on the Roof, The People in the Picture). The show is currently in previews, and opening night is August 6. Harbor runs through September 8. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast in action below!

Sundance Institute and the LUMA Foundation previously announced that the two organizations would collaborate to host The Sundance Institute | LUMA Foundation Theatre Directors Retreat at Domaine de l'Armelliere, today, July 29 - August 9, in Arles, France. Under the supervision of Philip Himberg, Artistic Director of The Sundance Institute Theatre Program, Producing Director Christopher Hibma and Program Associate Anne Kauffman, the Retreat will be the first theatre director-centered residency at the Institute.

Based on the award-winning children's book by Eileen Spinelli, featuring music and lyrics by singer, songwriter and superstar children's recording artist Laurie Berkner, WANDA'S MONSTER runs July 13th through September 8th at the Vineyard Theatre. The 50-minute production is best for families with kids ages 2-10.

If ever a show has become part of the 'fabric' of New York and pop culture, it is the Tony Award-winning musical AVENUE Q -- with its colorful cast of humans and puppets. The ground-breaking musical hits a new landmark this summer when it celebrates its 10th anniversary on Wednesday, July 31, 2013 with a 'Thank Q' to fans for the decade of laughter and love: starting at 10 a.m., the first 100 patrons in line can purchase $10 seats (cash only) to the special 7 p.m. 10th anniversary performance at New World Stages (340 W. 50 St.), where AVENUE Q has performed for the past four years following its triumphant six-year run on Broadway.

Horse Trade Theater Group will present Less Than Rent Theatre's World Premiere of Ben Diserens' BECKETT IN BENGHAZI, today, July 25-August 10 at UNDER St. Marks.

The New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA) has announced that 33 not-for-profit theater companies have been awarded grants totaling $3,530,000 through The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation New York Theater Program. The recipients, which cover a range of small-to-mid-sized organizations-- from those which produce the classics to others exclusively devoted to the development of new work-- include The Chocolate Factory Theater in Queens, Pregones Theater in the Bronx, and St. Ann's Warehouse in Brooklyn (a complete list follows). These two-year grants, which range from $10,000 to $200,000, based on each recipient's operating budget, support the organizations' general operations.

Primary Stages launches their 29th season with the New York premiere of Harbor by Tony-nominated writer Chad Beguelin (Elf, The Wedding Singer). Directed by Tony-nominated director Mark Lamos (Seascape, The Rivals, The Deep Blue Sea), the production features Erin Cummings (Starz's 'Spartacus: Blood and Sand', CBS' 'Made In Jersey'), Randy Harrison (Showtime's 'Queer As Folk', Broadway's Wicked), Alexis Molnar (world premiere of Harbor at Westport Playhouse), and Paul Anthony Stewart (Broadway's Fiddler on the Roof, The People in the Picture). Harbor runs tonight, July 23 - September 8 at Primary Stages at 59E59 Theaters. Opening night is August 6.

The Nominating Committee attends all productions during the Broadway season and meets on the date designated by the Administration Committee to determine, by vote, the Tony Award nominees for that season. The committee of Tony Nominators, which has been expanded to 46 members for the 2013-2014 season, includes:

Berkshire Theatre Group presents William Mastrosimone's Extremities at The Unicorn Theatre which opened on July 13 and runs through July 27 at 8pm.

Thanks to a generous grant from the Time Warner Foundation, South Coast Repertory is launching its new CrossRoads Commissioning Project-a community-based initiative within the theatre's renowned new work program. As part of the project, SCR has commissioned eight playwrights, locally and nationally, to create new work inspired by residencies that explore the incredible diversity of Orange County.

Due to popular demand and critical acclaim, WANDA'S MONSTER A Family Musical will receive a commercial Off-Broadway engagement beginning tonight, July 13 and running through September 8 at The Vineyard's Dimson Theatre (108 East 15th Street), it has been announced by Barbara Zinn Krieger, Artistic Director of Making Books Sing, the non-profit and theatre company that commissioned the musical and presented it to critical acclaim and sold-out houses earlier this season.

If ever a show has become part of the 'fabric' of New York and pop culture, it is the Tony Award-winning musical AVENUE Q -- with its colorful cast of humans and puppets. The ground-breaking musical hits a new landmark this summer when it celebrates its 10th anniversary on Wednesday, July 31, 2013 with a 'Thank Q' to fans for the decade of laughter and love: starting at 10 a.m., the first 100 patrons in line can purchase $10 seats (cash only) to the special 7 p.m. 10th anniversary performance at New World Stages (340 W. 50 St.), where AVENUE Q has performed for the past four years following its triumphant six-year run on Broadway.

Theatre at breakfast is once again on the menu this Festival. Back by popular demand are two acclaimed Traverse Theatre Company productions which were developed from script-in-hand readings last year as part of the Herald Angel award-winning Dream Plays series. The shows will run Tuesday 13 - Sunday 25 August 2013.