It's Only a Play 1986 - Articles Page 12

Opened: January 12, 1986
Closing: January 26, 1986

It's Only a Play - 1986 - Off-Broadway History , Info & More

Manhattan Theatre Club Stage I
131 West 55th Street New York, NY 10019

It’s the opening night of The Golden Egg on Broadway, and the wealthy producer Julia Budder is throwing a lavish party in her lavish Manhattan townhouse. Downstairs the celebrities are pouring in, but the real action is upstairs in the bedroom, where a group of insiders have staked themselves out to await the reviews. The group includes the excitable playwright; the possibly unstable wunderkind director; the pill-popping leading lady, treading the boards after becoming infamous in Hollywood; and the playwright’s best friend, for whom the play was written but who passed up this production for a television series. Add to this a drama critic who’s panned the playwright in the past and a new-in-town aspiring singer, and you have a prime recipe for the narcissism, ambition, childishness, and just plain irrationality that infuse the theatre—and for comedy. But don’t worry: This play is sure to be the hit they have all been hoping for.


It's Only a Play - 1986 - Off-Broadway Cast

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It's Only a Play - 1986 - Off-Broadway Articles Page 12

BWW Interview: Maury Yeston Talks DEATH TAKES A HOLIDAY Ahead of London Opening
by Liz Cearns - Jan 23, 2017


Maury Yeston, the composer and lyricist best-known for Nine and Titanic, visited the West End a few months before the West End opening of his new musical, Death Takes a Holiday. Based on a film (which was based on a play) this story tells of how Death changed his perspective. He used to not quite understand why everyone he came to collect was quite so aggrieved to die, until he met a particular woman who allowed him to realise quite what makes life worth clinging to. The side effect of Death's occupation being, though, that he can't collect anyone else while he's so distracted - Death the person and death the concept take a break!  Maury was kind enough to discuss his musical background, some of his better-known works and his latest venture for the stage.

BWW Review: ROMEO AND JULIET at Shakespeare Theatre Company - A Fascinating Contemporary Treat
by Charles Shubow - Sep 26, 2016


Director Alan Paul takes risks with Shakespeare's classic tale of romance and tragedy.

Fancy a Shave? The Human Race Theatre Company to Stage SWEENEY TODD
by BWW News Desk - Sep 9, 2016


he Human Race kicks off its 2016-2017 Eichelberger Loft Season with the smash hit Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street - A Musical Thriller. Created by the Tony Award winning team by Stephen Sondheim (music and lyrics) and Hugh Wheeler (book) and based on an adaptation by Christopher Bond, this masterpiece of suspense invites audiences to attend the tale of Sweeney Todd.

Gunning for a Groom! MURIEL'S WEDDING THE MUSICAL to Premiere in Sydney Next Year with New Tunes
by BWW News Desk - Sep 8, 2016


In Muriel's Wedding The Musical, Muriel Heslop is back! And this time she's singing.

Queen's Theatre Hornchurch Presents First Major Revival of Bob Larbey's A MONTH OF SUNDAYS
by A.A. Cristi - Sep 7, 2016


This autumn, as the second work in Douglas Rintoul's inaugural season, The Queen's Theatre Hornchurch presents the first major revival of Bob Larbey's award-winning and heart-warming comedy, A Month of Sundays.

BWW Interview: Leon Lopez On The RSC's THE ROVER and THE TWO NOBLE KINSMEN
by Marianka Swain - Sep 7, 2016


Leon Lopez has had an unusual career trajectory, from pop group A:M and TV soaps like Brookside and EastEnders to musical theatre (including Rent and We Will Rock You) and directing independent films. He's currently working with the RSC, celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Swan Theatre with productions of plays that were performed there in 1986: The Two Noble Kinsmen, playing now, and The Rover, opening tomorrow.

Fancy a Shave? The Human Race Theatre Company to Stage SWEENEY TODD
by BWW News Desk - Aug 29, 2016


he Human Race kicks off its 2016-2017 Eichelberger Loft Season with the smash hit Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street - A Musical Thriller. Created by the Tony Award winning team by Stephen Sondheim (music and lyrics) and Hugh Wheeler (book) and based on an adaptation by Christopher Bond, this masterpiece of suspense invites audiences to attend the tale of Sweeney Todd.

Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn Gets A Theater in the Park for the Summer
by BWW News Desk - Aug 27, 2016


August in August' is a brand new annual live performance series teaming Joseph Grant Jr., ambassador of arts and culture for the councilman and theatrical producer Andrea J. Fulton of the Anderson & Bert Cade Fulton Foundation. Joint efforts result in the mounting of August Wilson's Tony nominated Two Trains Running directed by Sabura Rashid as its upcoming offering starting August 26th 2016. The production of 'Two Trains Running' will be featured at Fulton Park in Brooklyn on Aug. 26 from 6 to 9 p.m., and Aug. 27 at Herbert Von King Park from 4 to 7p.m. Both performances are FREE. August in August actually began Aug. 13 with the first installation of the series 'Ma Rainey's Black Bottom performed at Fulton Park in Brooklyn, produced by the Bed-Stuy Theatre Group.

Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn Gets A Theater in the Park for the Summer
by BWW News Desk - Aug 26, 2016


August in August' is a brand new annual live performance series teaming Joseph Grant Jr., ambassador of arts and culture for the councilman and theatrical producer Andrea J. Fulton of the Anderson & Bert Cade Fulton Foundation. Joint efforts result in the mounting of August Wilson's Tony nominated Two Trains Running directed by Sabura Rashid as its upcoming offering starting August 26th 2016. The production of 'Two Trains Running' will be featured at Fulton Park in Brooklyn on Aug. 26 from 6 to 9 p.m., and Aug. 27 at Herbert Von King Park from 4 to 7p.m. Both performances are FREE. August in August actually began Aug. 13 with the first installation of the series 'Ma Rainey's Black Bottom performed at Fulton Park in Brooklyn, produced by the Bed-Stuy Theatre Group.

Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn Gets A Theater in the Park for the Summer
by A.A. Cristi - Aug 19, 2016


August in August' is a brand new annual live performance series teaming Joseph Grant Jr., ambassador of arts and culture for the councilman and theatrical producer Andrea J. Fulton of the Anderson & Bert Cade Fulton Foundation. Joint efforts result in the mounting of August Wilson's Tony nominated Two Trains Running directed by Sabura Rashid as its upcoming offering starting August 26th 2016. The production of 'Two Trains Running' will be featured at Fulton Park in Brooklyn on Aug. 26 from 6 to 9 p.m., and Aug. 27 at Herbert Von King Park from 4 to 7p.m. Both performances are FREE. August in August actually began Aug. 13 with the first installation of the series 'Ma Rainey's Black Bottom performed at Fulton Park in Brooklyn, produced by the Bed-Stuy Theatre Group.

Aurora Theatre Opens 25th Season with DEAR MASTER
by A.A. Cristi - Aug 11, 2016


Aurora Theatre Company proudly opens its 25th anniversary season with a revival of the play that started it all, DEAR MASTER. Joy Carlin (The How and The Why, Talley's Folly, Jack Goes Boating) helms this elegant portraitfeaturing Bay Area favorite Michael Ray Wisely (The Letters, The Arsonists) and Aurora's first leading lady Kimberly King (Edward Albee's A Delicate Balance), wife of Aurora co-founder Ken Grantham, who played Flaubert in the original production. DEAR MASTER plays September 2 through October 2 at the Aurora Theatre in Berkeley. For tickets ($32-56) and information the public can call (510) 843-4822 or visit auroratheatre.org.

LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS Set to Return to Sydney Next Week for 10 Days Only
by Nora Dominick - Jul 14, 2016


After making waves across the country, cult musical comedy Little Shop of Horrors returns home to Sydney next week for its penultimate season. With a slew of recently announced Helpmann Award nominations including Best Male Actor in a Musical, Best Female Actor in a Musical, Best Director of a Musical and Best Choreography in a Musical, this production has received rave reviews in every major Australian capital city. Starring Brent Hill and Esther Hannaford, the production lands at Sydney's Roslyn Packer Theatre for 12 days only before concluding its run in Perth.

National New Play Network Names 2016-17 Grant Recipients
by Tyler Peterson - Jun 24, 2016


National New Play Network, the country's alliance of nonprofit theaters that champions the development, production, and continued life of new plays, announced its 2016-17 grant recipients, including the 2016 Smith Prize for Political Theatre, four Producer Residencies, and four Collaboration Fund awards that will support partnerships between multiple Member Theaters, playwrights, and other theater makers in various projects.

Samuel Beckett's Radio Play ALL THAT FALL Among Lincoln Center's 2016 White Light Festival Lineup
by Tyler Peterson - Jun 16, 2016


Ehrenkranz Artistic Director Jane Moss today announced the schedule for Lincoln Center's seventh White Light Festival, running from October 16 through November 16, 2016. The international multidisciplinary festival, which takes its name from a quotation by the Estonian composer Arvo Part, is an annual exploration of the power of art to illuminate our interior and communal lives. 'I could compare my music to white light which contains all colors. Only a prism can divide the colors and make them appear; this prism could be the spirit of the listener.' - Arvo Part

BWW Review: SIGNATURE PLAYS: THE SANDBOX, DROWNING, FUNNYHOUSE OF A NEGRO, Looking Back At An Absurdist Trio
by Michael Dale - May 25, 2016


Signature Theatre presents a program of one-acts by Edward Albee, Maria Irene Fornes and Adrienne Kennedy.

Buffalo Theatre Ensemble Returning to the MAC for 2016-17 Season
by Tyler Peterson - May 19, 2016


Buffalo Theatre Ensemble (BTE) returns this fall to the McAninch Arts Center, 425 Fawell Blvd. located on the campus of College of DuPage for the 30th Anniversary of the company's founding. The professional Equity company will resume its place as the MAC's resident theater company. The MAC is also home to the professional orchestra, New Philharmonic. For BTE season updates and ticket information will be available at AtTheMAC.org in the coming weeks. 'It's been a long hard struggle since the Ensemble went on hiatus in May 2014,' says BTE Artistic Director Connie Canaday Howard. 'But thanks to the tireless efforts of my fellow Ensemble members, Associate Artistic Director Amelia Barrett and the students, patrons and friends who advocated so strongly for us, BTE is now poised to begin an exciting new chapter in its life.'

Harbourfront Centre's World Stage Welcomes Palestinian Dancers in BADKE Tonight
by BWW News Desk - Feb 17, 2016


Harbourfront Centre's World Stage 2016 will present the Canadian premiere of Badke, a highly energetic, politically charged and stylistically diverse performance by 10 Palestinian dancers who integrate the movements of circus, capoeira and hip hop into traditional folk dance. Only four performances will be presented this weekend, February 17 - 20, at the Fleck Dance Theatre.

Harbourfront Centre's World Stage to Welcome Palestinian Dancers in BADKE This Month
by BWW News Desk - Feb 2, 2016


Harbourfront Centre's World Stage 2016 will present the Canadian premiere of Badke, a highly energetic, politically charged and stylistically diverse performance by 10 Palestinian dancers who integrate the movements of circus, capoeira and hip hop into traditional folk dance. Only four performances will be presented February 17 - 20 at the Fleck Dance Theatre.

Bristol Riverside Theatre to Continue Season with Neil Simon's RUMORS
by Tyler Peterson - Feb 1, 2016


Bristol Riverside Theatre continues the 2015-2016 Season with the Neil Simon farce Rumors, running March 22-April 17.  Directed by Keith Baker, the ensemble cast features Bruce Graham, Leonard Haas, Eleanor Handley, Valerie Leonard, Sean Thompson, Jo Twiss, Danny Vaccaro, Jessica Wagner, and Paul Weagraff.

Cleveland Play House's LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS, Starring Lauren Molina, Begins Tonight
by BWW News Desk - Jan 9, 2016


Squeals of delight and blood-curdling screams of fright will fill the Allen Theatre as Cleveland Play House's (CPH) Centennial Season continues with a humorous and heartfelt production of Little Shop of Horrors. Hearkening back to its very first productions in 1915 that featured sophisticated marionettes, CPH is bringing the cheeky and blood-thirsty plant Audrey II to life in a production that will be every vocal coach's dream - and every hemophobic's worst nightmare!

B Street Theatre's THE REALISTIC JONESES Begins Tonight
by BWW News Desk - Jan 9, 2016


By award winning playwright Will Eno, B Street enthusiastically presents THE REALISTIC JONESES as the first of four shows in our 2016 B3 Series season. THE REALISTIC JONESES will play tonight, January 9, through February 6, 2016.

Photo Flashback: A Fond Farewell to Those We Lost in 2015
by Walter McBride - Dec 31, 2015


Below, BroadwayWorld sends a fond farewell to those who passed away in 2015.

Neil Tucker's OIL to Premiere at Theatre Three This Winter
by BWW News Desk - Dec 21, 2015


Theatre Three presents the World Premiere of OIL, a new play by Neil Tucker, running January 21 - February 14, 2016.

Breaking! Cleveland Play House's LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS, Starring Lauren Molina, Announces Full Cast
by Christina Mancuso - Dec 16, 2015


Squeals of delight and blood-curdling screams of fright will fill the Allen Theatre as Cleveland Play House's (CPH) Centennial Season continues with a humorous and heartfelt production of Little Shop of Horrors. Hearkening back to its very first productions in 1915 that featured sophisticated marionettes, CPH is bringing the cheeky and blood-thirsty plant Audrey II to life in a production that will be every vocal coach's dream - and every hemophobic's worst nightmare!

BWW Interview: Autumn Bodily of FOLLIES at Conejo Players Theatre
by Cary Ginell - Nov 30, 2015


Like many Ventura County performers, Autumn Bodily has a long career in local theater. She started as a teenager in 1986 with Young Artists Ensemble in one of their earliest productions. Autumn made her Conejo Players debut in 1989 in Annie before getting married at 22 and moving around the state. She attended college and grad school, had children, and worked as a company member for the Sierra Repertory Theatre in Sonora. Her next move took her and her family from Northern California to San Diego where she worked for the La Jolla Playhouse doing page-to-stage productions. While there, she worked on many shows that would later progress to Broadway. In 2006, she performed in the musical version of Doctor Zhivago, working with composer Lucy Simon and director Des McAnuff. The show had a brief run this past spring on Broadway but only lasted for 23 performances. Since she returned to the Conejo Valley, she has performed in a variety of community theater productions, including Cabaret (Camarillo Skyway Playhouse) as Fraulein Kost and Damn Yankees (Conejo Players) as Gloria Thorpe. Autumn plays the role of Sally Durant Plummer in the Conejo Players Theatre's current production of Follies.

Other Productions of It's Only a Play

1986   Off-Broadway
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2014   Broadway Broadway Revival
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