William J. Norris News

The Jeff Awards Committee today announced 197 nominations in 34 categories for Chicago Equity theatrical productions, which opened between August 1, 2011, and July 31, 2012. The Jeff Awards judges attended opening nights of 118 Equity productions offered by 55 producing organizations. From these openings, 96 productions were 'Jeff Recommended,' which made them eligible for award nominations.

I love horror. Since I was a kid I've been obsessed with horror films - one of the greatest, of course, being H.P. Lovecraft's Re-Animator. As a teen, it was eye-opening to say the least to see the terrible (and terribly funny) things happening on that screen.

The 2012 New York Musical Theatre Festival, Red Hen Productions, The Schramm Group LLC and Gramily Entertainment present the New York premiere of RE-ANIMATOR™ THE MUSICAL featuring George Wendt ("Cheers", Broadway's Elf). This new musical comedy with a storyline that involves considerable bloodshed will feature a "splash zone" in the first few rows of the theater. RE-ANIMATOR™ THE MUSICAL plays July 17 at 8:00pm, July 18 at 4:30 and 8:00pm, July 19 at 8:00pm, July 21 at 5:30 pm and 9:00 pm and July 22 at 9:00pm at the PTC Performance Space (555 West 42nd Street). Tickets for RE-ANIMATOR™ THE MUSICAL are $25, a can be purchased by calling (212) 352-3101 or by visiting www.nymf.org. For more information:www.nymf.org. Check out photos from the production below!

When it first came out in 1985, RE-ANIMATOR quickly became a hit among horror fans and established a cult following both for the film and its mad scientist, Jeff Combs, who played Herbert West. Graham Skipper plays West in the musical and is just as fiendish as his film counterpart and funnier than ever in the broadly drawn, extremely eccentric role.

Writers' Theatre, under the direction of Artistic Director Michael Halberstam and Executive Director Kathryn M. Lipuma, continues its 20th Anniversary Season with The Caretaker by Harold Pinter, directed by Ron OJ Parson.

The Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle's 43rd Annual Awards Show will take place on Monday, March 19, 2012 at A Noise Within in Pasadena. The show will feature performances from previously-announced hosts Jason Graae (recipient of the 2007 Joel Hirschhorn Award for outstanding achievement in musical theatre) and Lesli Margherita (nominee for Kiss Me, Kate). In addition, the Awards show will feature the Los Angeles premiere performance of My Husband, by Paul Rudnick, a short play added to the New York production of Standing on Ceremony: The Gay Marriage Plays. Also, Yvette Tucker and Salvatore Vasallo will perform an excerpt from "Slaughter on Tenth Avenue," from On Your Toes, choreographed by this year's Hirschhorn Award recipient, Lee Martino.

Writers' Theatre, under the direction of Artistic Director Michael Halberstam and Executive Director Kathryn M. Lipuma, continues its 20th Anniversary Season with The Caretaker by Harold Pinter, directed by Ron OJ Parson.

Writers' Theatre, under the direction of Artistic Director Michael Halberstam and Executive Director Kathryn M. Lipuma, continues its 20th Anniversary Season with The Caretaker by Harold Pinter, directed by Ron OJ Parson.

A Red Orchid Theatre opens its 2010-2011 season with Louis Slotin Sonata, written by Paul Mullin and directed by Ensemble Member Karen Kessler. The production will run September 10 - October 24, 2010 at A Red Orchid Theatre, 1531 N. Wells. Press opening is September 13, 2010 at 7pm.

A Red Orchid Theatre opens its 2010-2011 season with Louis Slotin Sonata, written by Paul Mullin and directed by Ensemble Member Karen Kessler. The production will run September 10 - October 24, 2010 at A Red Orchid Theatre, 1531 N. Wells. Press opening is September 13, 2010 at 7pm.

A Red Orchid Theatre opens its 2010-2011 season with Louis Slotin Sonata, written by Paul Mullin and directed by Ensemble Member Karen Kessler. The production will run September 10 - October 24, 2010 at A Red Orchid Theatre, 1531 N. Wells. Press opening is September 13, 2010 at 7pm.

The Gerald W. Lynch Theater at John Jay College announces its Spring 2010 Season at the Gerald W. Lynch Theater at John Jay College, 899 Tenth Avenue, NYC, presenting three series: The Art of Justice, which integrates the arts and issues on justice; Great Music for a Great City, unique explorations of classical music; and Familytime!, bringing the arts to the next generation.

Consistently included among the Midwest's top-tier holiday events, Goodman Theatre's annual production of A Christmas Carol returns for its 31st season. Guided by sixteen years of experience with the production, Chicago actor/director William Brown returns to direct Tom Creamer's adaptation of Charles Dickens' 1843 novella for his third consecutive year.

Victory Gardens Theater will welcome playwright Sarah Ruhl back to her hometown Chicago with a special public event - Ruhl Makers - a panel of leading women theater artists in Chicago who have helped Ruhl escape 'reading hell' to become arguably the top contemporary playwright in America today.

Eurydice, a bold, slyly comic, visually fascinating take on the classic Orpheus myth by Sarah Ruhl, is enjoying an ambitious revival by Victory Gardens Theater, to open the 35th season at Chicago's #1 presenter of new plays.