Tracy Shayne

Today's top stories include the casting of Lana Gordon in the role of Persephone in Hadestown beginning Tuesday, February 22 at Broadway’s Walter Kerr Theatre. Plus, watch the premiere of the new web series, The Aging Ingenue! In today's episode: Claire gives a killer audition! ... but for which role? Starring Sara Jean Ford, Vishal Vaidya, Ashley Blanchet, and Will Reynolds.

The New Group's just celebrated opening night of Black No More, featuring Leanne Antonio, Rhaamell Burke-Missouri, Elijah A. Carter, Jennifer Damiano, Brandon Victor Dixon, Ryan Fitzgerald, Gaelen Gilliland, Polanco Jones Jr., Zachary Daniel Jones, Tamika Lawrence, Sarah Meahl, Howard McGillin, Mary Page Nance, Oneika Phillips, Nicholas Ranauro, Malaiyka Reid, Mars Rucker, Angela M. Sauers, Tracy Shayne, Theo Stockman, Ephraim Sykes, Tariq 'Black Thought' Trotter, Akron Watson, Nyla Watson, Edward Watts and Lillias White.

The New Group's Black No More is set to officially open on Tuesday, February 15. The complete cast features Leanne Antonio, Rhaamell Burke-Missouri, Elijah A. Carter, Jennifer Damiano, Brandon Victor Dixon, Ryan Fitzgerald, and more.

Tariq TrotterTariq Trotter returned to the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon last night to discuss the new Off-Broadway adaption of Black No More, which he stars in and wrote the music and lyrics for with the Roots. The cast also features Brandon Victor Dixon, Jennifer Damiano, Tamika Lawrence, Ephraim Sykes, Lillias White, and more.

The New Group has announced that the new musical Black No More will begin previews January 18, in advance of an Official Opening Night now set for Tuesday, February 15, a schedule update due to Covid-19.  Previews were previously slated to begin January 11.

The New Group has announced complete casting for the world premiere production of Black No More.  This new musical features Book by John Ridley, Music and Lyrics by Tariq Trotter, Music Supervision, Orchestrations and Vocal Arrangements by Daryl Waters, Choreography by Bill T. Jones and Direction by Scott Elliott. 

The New Group has announced that Ephraim Sykes (Ain’t Too Proud, Tony Award nominee; Hamilton) will join the cast of the world premiere production of Black No More.

The New Group has announced that Tony Award winner Lillias White will join the cast of the world premiere production of Black No More. A strictly limited engagement will play January 11 – February 27, 2022 at The Pershing Square Signature Center with Opening Night on Tuesday, February 8. Tickets are now on sale to the public. 

From Scott Rosenfelt, the Executive Producer of Home Alone and Student Academy Award Winner Dana H Glazer: A Case of Blue: A Feature Film About Love, Longing and Redemption.

The New Group has announced the world premiere of Black No More, a new musical inspired by George S. Schuyler’s 1931 novel of the same name, featuring Book by John Ridley, Music and Lyrics by Tariq Trotter, Choreography by Bill T. Jones, Music Supervision, Orchestrations and Vocal Arrangements by Daryl Waters and Direction by Scott Elliott. 

The New Group in association with John Ridley's Nō Studios are joining forces through The New Group Off Stage division, and have announced an upcoming slate of projects. The New Group Off Stage will feature theatrical expressions in different media.

Today (July 16) in live streaming: Broadway barks is back, MCC presents Good As New, and so much more!

The New Group Off Stage will present a Reunion Reading Series featuring original casts of iconic plays from the company's first 25 years. This benefit Reunion Reading Series kicks off tonight, July 16 at 7:00pm with Sharr White's The True.

The New Group Off Stage will present a Reunion Reading Series featuring original casts of iconic plays from the company's first 25 years.

This coming season, AMERICAN SCOREBOARD, a series of actor-performed, verbatim readings of actual U.S. Congressional hearing transcripts, will once again join forces with HB STUDIO to perform four readings featuring HB students and alumni.  The series will kick-off on Monday, September 16 at 7pm at the HB Playwrights Theatre (124 Bank Street) with a performance of testimony given on March 6, 2019 before the U.S. House Judiciary Committee on Protecting Dreamers and TPS (Temporary Protected Status) recipients.   Admission to the reading is free and reservations can be made at hbstudio.eventbrite.com.

The New Group presents Jesse Eisenberg's Happy Talk, with Tedra Millan, Daniel Oreskes, Nico Santos, Marin Ireland and Susan Sarandon, in this world premiere directed by Scott Elliott. The limited engagement will play through June 16 at The Pershing Square Signature Center (The Alice Griffin Jewel Box Theatre, 480 West 42nd Street). Check out photos from inside opening night below!

Off-Broadway's The New Group will honor Edie Falco and Serge Nivelle at the company's Annual Gala on Monday, March 11 at Tribeca Rooftop (2 Desbrosses Street between Hudson & Greenwich).  The event will feature a performance by Brandon Victor Dixon and appearances by Peter Dinklage, Warren Leight, Erica Schmidt and Tarik Trotter. The evening, 6:00-10:00pm, includes cocktails, dinner and live auctions.

The New Group has just announced complete casting and the design team for Clueless, The Musical by Amy Heckerling.  This world premiere production, with choreography by Kelly Devine, directed by Kristin Hanggi, features Ephie Aardema, Lori Alan, Sara Andreas, Gilbert L. Bailey II, Dove Cameron, Will Connolly, Danielle Marie Gonzalez, Tessa Grady, Talya Groves, Chris Hoch, L'ogan J'ones, Darius Jordan Lee, Justin Mortelliti, Brett Thiele, Dave Thomas Brown and Zurin Villanueva; with Scenic Design by Beowulf Boritt; Costume Design by Amy Clark; Lighting Design by Jason Lyons; Sound Design by Gareth Owen; Projection Design by Darrel Maloney; Music Supervision, Arrangement and Orchestration by Ethan Popp and Music Direction by Matthew Smedal.  Previews begin November 20 in advance of an Official Opening Night on Tuesday, December 11.  A limited Off-Broadway engagement is slated through January 12 at The Pershing Square Signature Center (The Alice Griffin Jewel Box Theatre, 480 West 42nd Street).

The New Group's The True, directed by Scott Elliott, officially opened on September 20. A limited Off-Broadway engagement is slated through October 21 at The Pershing Square Signature Center (The Alice Griffin Jewel Box Theatre, 480 West 42nd Street).

Dorothea 'Polly' Noonan, the real-life central character of Sharr White's new political drama, THE TRUE, was the grandmother of current United States Senator Kirsten Gillibrand.  If times were different, she might have been in the Senate herself, keeping the seat warm for her.