Woody Allen News

As previously reported, screen star and Drama Desk-winning actor Anthony Hopkins will star in Thor, the Kenneth Branagh helmed film for Marvel Studios. Production begins in January and Paramount Pictures will distribute the film on May 20, 2011.

Broadway's most talked about new musical and the biggest Tony Award-winner in years is coming to the Orange County Performing Arts Center.

Launching a new 'tradition' Harvey Fierstein replaces Topol in the North American tour of the TONY award winning musical FIDDLER ON THE ROOF. Chaim Topol, regrettably informed the show's producers he would have to leave the production due to a shoulder injury requiring emergency long term treatment.

RACE, the new play written and directed by David Mamet, is proud to announce its award winning design team: set designer Santo Loquasto, lighting designer Brian MacDevitt and costume designer Tom Broecker.

Nashville Opera's upcoming production of Phillip Glass's The Fall of the House of Usher seamlessly melds contemporary opera, bold cinematic effects, and the 'undead.'

Broadway stars Chita Rivera, Rosie Perez and Martha Plimpton are set for the Transport Group Gala, 'Gimme a Break' to be held December 7th at Asia Society and Museum. The event will honor Broadway veterans Joe Mantello and Terrence McNally. The night will be hosted by Hunter Bell and Jeff Bowen of [title of show]. The night will also feature performances by Marian Seldes, Stephanie J. Block and Brooks Ashmanskas.

Erich Steinbock, Managing Director of The Carlyle Hotel, announced today the return of resident leading lady, Elaine Stritch, to the Café Carlyle in an all-new show: 'At Home At The Carlyle: Elaine Stritch Singin' Sondheim. . . One Song At A Time.' The strictly limited engagement will play the month of January 2010, at the legendary nightspot, with opening night set for Tuesday, January 5 (through January 30).

Launching a new 'tradition' Harvey Fierstein replaces Topol in the North American tour of the TONY award winning musical FIDDLER ON THE ROOF. Chaim Topol, regrettably informed the show's producers he would have to leave the production due to a shoulder injury requiring emergency long-term treatment.

In case you haven't yet heard the news, Bay Street Theatre has announced a major fundraising campaign aimed at righting its financial ship, which has been hit hard by the economic recession. But the first potential life preserver has been cast, by an anonymous donor who has put forth a $250,000 challenge grant.

Broadway star, Tony, Grammy and Golden Globe Award winner, Bernadette Peters will pen a second children's book, Stella is a Star, set for publishing and release in the spring of 2010 by Blue Apple Books. The book, inspired by Peters' dog Stella, will feature illustrations by Liz Murphy. Proceeds will go to Broadway Barks, the charitable organization co-founded by Peters and Mary Tyler Moore over over 10 year ago in support of animal shelters.

B.D. Wong, Anita Gillette and Robert Klein have been added to the roster of celebrities who will celebrate the posthumous release of Remember How I Love You: Love Letters from an Extraordinary Marriage, Jerry and Elaine Orbach's autobiographical memoir recounting their thirty year marriage, at a once-in-a-lifetime reunion of the couple's colleagues and friends at The Snapple Theater Center on Monday, November 9, 2009 at 5:30 PM.

Regis Philbin, Richard Belzer and Len Cariou have been added to the roster of celebrities who will celebrate the posthumous release of Remember How I Love You: Love Letters from an Extraordinary Marriage, Jerry and Elaine Orbach's autobiographical memoir recounting their thirty year marriage, at a once-in-a-lifetime reunion of the couple's colleagues and friends at The Snapple Theater Center on Monday, November 9, 2009 at 5:30 PM.

Acclaimed theater company Playwrights Horizons (Tim Sanford, Artistic Director; Leslie Marcus, Managing Director) has announced nine initial performers who will participate in the return of its unique benefit evening STORIES ON 5 STORIES on Monday, November 9. Among those taking part in the special event will be two-time Academy Award winner and two-time Obie Award winner Diane Wiest (Memory House at Playwrights Horizons/PH, Hannah and Her Sisters, Bullets Over Broadway), Tony Award winner Debra Monk (Assassins at PH, Redwood Curtain, Curtains), Obie Award winner Jason Butler Harner (current Stage Manager in Our Town, Hedda Gabler, The Coast of Utopia), Clarence Derwent Award winner Zoe Kazan (100 Saints You Should Know at PH; Come Back, Little Sheba; Things We Want), Theatre World Award winner Cassie Beck (The Drunken City and Prayer for My Enemy at PH), Cristin Milioti (The Retributionists at PH, the upcoming The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter), Sue Jean Kim (The Drunken City and BFE at PH, 365 Days/365 Plays), Carmen M. Herlihy (The Thugs, Crooked) and Greg Keller (Broadway's Uncle Vanya, The Rainmaker). Additional performers will be announced in the coming weeks.

A host of film and theater celebrities will celebrate the posthumous release of Remember How I Love You: Love Letters from an Extraordinary Marriage, Jerry and Elaine Orbach's autobiographical memoir recounting their thirty year marriage, at a once-in-a-lifetime reunion of the couple's colleagues at The Snapple Theater Center on Monday, November 9, 2009 at 5:30 PM.

Broadway Cares/ Equity Fights AIDS has announced the exciting news that Broadway star, Tony, Grammy and Golden Globe Award winner, and long-time BC/EFA friend and Trustee Bernadette Peters will perform a special one night only concert 'Bernadette Peters: A Special Concert for Broadway Barks Because Broadway Cares' on Monday, November 9 at 8 PM at Broadway's Minskoff Theatre (1515 Broadway).

A STEADY RAIN, currently playing at The Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre on Broadway starring Daniel Craig and Hugh Jackman, will dedicate the November 8th performance to The Actors Fund, granting proceeds to the fund in support of their programs and services. The curtain rises at 7:00pm.

Art D'Lugoff, former owner of the legendary Village Gate (now Le Poisson Rouge) and off-Broadway producer died at the Allen Hospital of New York-Presbyterian Hospital in Manhattan, where he had been taken on Wednesday due to shortness of breath. He was 85. The cause of death has not been determined.

VITAL THEATRE COMPANY is pleased to announce its family holiday offering, 'THE KLEZMER NUTCRACKER.' Based on the award-winning book The Golden Dreydl by ELLEN KUSHNER, the production features music by PETER ILLYICH TCHAIKOVSKY, arranged by MICHAEL McLAUGHLIN & DAVID HARRIS and performed by THE SHIRIM KLEZMER ORCHESTRA, a book by ELLEN KUSHNER, direction by LINDA AMES KEY, and choreography by BETHANY WHITE

The Venue Ensemble Theatre will present Yasmina Reza's ART from November 6th through November 22nd. The cast features Steve DuMouchel, Eric Misener, and Mark Myers and is directed Michael Holden. Venue Theatre will donate a portion of each ticket sold to the Creative Clay organization.

The 92YTribeca will present Annabelle Gurwitch and Jeff Kahn's You Say Tomato, I Say Shut Up in a one-night only engagement on November 5. Tomato is the pair's look at love and relationships, inspired by their own thirteen-year marriage.The play is adapted from their upcoming memoir of the same title, which will be released in February 2010.