-Signature Theatre in Washington DC -Papermill Playhouse in New Jersey -The Guthrie Theatre in Minneapolis, MN -Alliance Theatre in Atlanta, GA -Yale Repertory Theatre
Actors Theatre of Louisville always puts on amazing productions of classics and new works. Plus the Humana Festival every year. It's got a Tony, too!
"Who says you can't bend over backwards and eat bugs if you want to? I guess the bugs would probably say you can't do that that, but assuming that they are willing and consenting bugs, then there's no problem. Let's wig out eating bugs."
-RuPaul
I am in Denver and the Denver Center is pretty sweet. They have a great artistic director who has big visions for the center. They were one of the centers that rolled out Quilters, and they are also becoming one of the leaders in new play development.
And they too have a Tony!
Upcoming Shows:
Quilters, A Bronx Tale, August: Osage County, Wicked, Spring Awakening, Little House on the Prairie
"Chicago is it's own incredible theater town right there smack down in the middle of the heartland. What a great city! I can see why Oprah likes to live there!" - Dee Hoty :-D
The Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland founded in 1935. OSF has a Tony. Three different theatres.
2008 Season: A Midsummer Night's Dream, Fences, The Clay Cart, The Further Adventures of Hedda Gabler by Jeff Whitty, A View From The Bridge, Welcome Home, Jenny Sutter by Julie Marie Myatt, Coriolanus, Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner by Luis Alfaro, Othello, Our Town and The Comedy of Errors.
Fences and Jenny Sutter have closed. The other nine plays are running in rep.
2009 Season: Macbeth, Death and the King's Horseman by Wole Soyinka, The Music Man, Equivocation (World Premiere) by Bill Cain, Paradise Lost by Clifford Odets, Dead Man's Cell Phone, The Servant of Two Masters, All's Well That Ends Well, Henry VIII, Much Ado About Nothing, and Don Quixote World Premiere adaptation by Octavio Solis.
Steppenwolf is pretty good, however they are very inconsistent. I recall seeing a musical version of The Fall of the House of Usher that was...interesting. However, I look forward to seeing The Tempest with Frank Galati. The Goodman is always good. I still regret not seeing the Lear with Stacey Keach. They'll be doing The Seafarer later this year. I LOVE Chicago Shakespeare, and it is great that they were recognized at the Tony Awards. Many of their actors and artistic directors are connected to the RSC or Stratford Festival, which shows in their quality. They also do wonderful Sondheim productions like Passion with Ana Gasteyer. Another great Chicagoland company is Marriott Lincolnshire, which is often the first regional theatre to present popular musicals. It was the first to house the Producers, and one of the first to present Les Miz (in the round...quite different). Also, Northlight Theater in Skokie is incredible. That's where The Last Five Years began it's existence, and it is housing Grey Gardens later this year. Chicago theatre is just as good as anything you'll find in New York, but in Chicago it's almost more abundant...if you're looking for a diet of mostly straight plays.
Not in Chicago: The Stratford Shakespeare Festival in Ontario, CA Fantastic Shakespeare and great musicals too. The artistic director, Des McAnnuf, is directing the Broadway revival of Guys and Dolls. (he previously directed Jersey Boys).
- The ONLY REGIONAL THEATER COMPANY that won TWO TONYS for Best Regional Production in 1980 and 1995. It was formed in 1953.
-17 of its productions end up on Broadway! and won more than a dozen Tony Awards for Best Revivals and New Musicals.
edit : added this productions that end up on Broadway per IDBD
LIST OF THEIR PRODUCTIONS that end up on BROADWAY:
(NOTE : 13 & THE STORY OF MY LIFE are not added yet bec. it has not opened on Broadway yet! ) from more recent:
All Shook Up [Original, Musical] Originally Produced for The Goodspeed Opera House (Michael P. Price, Executive Producer) Mar 24, 2005 - Sep 25, 2005
By Jeeves [Original, Musical, Comedy] Produced by The Goodspeed Opera House (Michael P. Price, Executive Producer); Previously produced by The Goodspeed Opera House (Michael P. Price, Executive Producer) Oct 28, 2001 - Dec 30, 2001
Annie [Revival, Musical, Comedy] Originally Produced by The Goodspeed Opera House (Michael P. Price, Executive Producer) Mar 26, 1997 - Oct 19, 1997
Swinging on a Star [Original, Musical, Revue] Additionally produced both in workshop and on the mainstage of The Goodspeed Opera House (Michael P. Price, Executive Producer) Oct 22, 1995 - Jan 13, 1996
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes [Revival, Musical, Comedy] Produced in association with The Goodspeed Opera House (Michael P. Price, Executive Producer) Apr 10, 1995 - Apr 30, 1995
The Most Happy Fella [Revival, Musical, Comedy] Produced by The Goodspeed Opera House (Michael P. Price, Executive Producer); Originally produced by The Goodspeed Opera House (Michael P. Price, Executive Producer) Feb 13, 1992 - Aug 30, 1992
Oh, Kay! [Revival, Musical, All Black Cast] Inspired by production at The Goodspeed Opera House (Michael P. Price, Executive Producer) Nov 1, 1990 - Apr 14, 1991
Take Me Along [Revival, Musical, Comedy] Originally produced by The Goodspeed Opera House (Michael P. Price, Executive Producer) Apr 14, 1985 - Apr 14, 1985
Harrigan 'n Hart [Original, Musical] Originally produced by The Goodspeed Opera House (Michael P. Price, Executive Producer) Jan 31, 1985 - Feb 3, 1985
The Five O'Clock Girl [Revival, Musical, Comedy] Originally produced by The Goodspeed Opera House (Michael P. Price, Executive Producer) Jan 28, 1981 - Feb 8, 1981
Whoopee! [Revival, Musical, Comedy] Originally produced by The Goodspeed Opera House (Michael P. Price, Executive Producer) Feb 14, 1979 - Aug 12, 1979
Annie [Original, Musical, Comedy] Originally produced by The Goodspeed Opera House (Michael P. Price, Executive Producer) Apr 21, 1977 - Jan 2, 1983
Going Up [Revival, Musical, Comedy] Originally produced by The Goodspeed Opera House (Michael P. Price, Executive Producer) Sep 19, 1976 - Oct 31, 1976
Something's Afoot [Original, Musical, Mystery] Originally produced by The Goodspeed Opera House (Michael P. Price, Executive Producer) May 27, 1976 - Jul 18, 1976
Very Good Eddie [Revival, Musical] Originally produced by The Goodspeed Opera House (Michael P. Price, Executive Producer) Dec 21, 1975 - Sep 5, 1976
Shenandoah [Original, Musical] Orginally presented by The Goodspeed Opera House (Michael P. Price, Executive Producer) Jan 7, 1975 - Aug 7, 1977
Man of La Mancha [Original, Musical, Drama] Originally produced by ANTA-Goodspeed Nov 22, 1965 - Jun 26, 1971
- ANNIE, MAN OF LA MANCHA, SHENANDOAH, BY JEEVES, (US Production) ALL SHOOK UP, 13 all started at Goodspeed.
-Some of its production that did not end- up on Broadway (like PIPPIN starring Andre Ward) went on tour.
-Almost all their actors in their musicals are members of Actor's Equity. (95%)
1976: Arena Stage, Washington, D.C. 1977: Mark Taper Forum, Los Angeles, California 1978: Long Wharf Theatre, New Haven, Connecticut 1979: American Conservatory Theater, San Francisco, California
1980: Goodspeed Opera House, East Haddam, Connecticut 1981: Trinity Repertory Company, Providence, Rhode Island 1982: Guthrie Theater, Minneapolis, Minnesota 1983: Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Ashland, Oregon 1984: Old Globe Theatre, San Diego, California 1985: Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Chicago, Illinois 1986: American Repertory Theatre, Cambridge, Massachusetts 1987: San Francisco Mime Troupe, San Francisco, California 1988: South Coast Repertory, Costa Mesa, California 1989: Hartford Stage, Hartford, Connecticut
1990: Seattle Repertory Theatre, Seattle, Washington 1991: Yale Repertory Theatre, New Haven, Connecticut 1992: Goodman Theatre, Chicago, Illinois 1993: La Jolla Playhouse, San Diego, California 1994: McCarter Theatre, Princeton, New Jersey 1995: Goodspeed Opera House, East Haddam, Connecticut 1996: Alley Theatre, Houston, Texas 1997: Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Berkeley, California 1998: Denver Center Theatre Company, Denver, Colorado, Denver Performing Arts Complex 1999: Crossroads Theatre, New Brunswick, New Jersey
2000: Utah Shakespearean Festival, Cedar City, Utah 2001: Victory Gardens Theater, Chicago, Illinois 2002: Williamstown Theatre Festival, Williamstown, Massachusetts 2003: Children's Theatre Company, Minneapolis, Minnesota 2004: Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Cincinnati, Ohio 2005: Theatre de la Jeune Lune, Minneapolis, Minnesota 2006: Intiman Playhouse, Seattle, Washington 2007: Alliance Theatre, Atlanta, Georgia 2008: Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Chicago, Illinois
^^^ I cant believe that HUNTINGTON THEATER COMPANY in Boston never won a TONYS for Best Regional Theater?