Al Smith News

Buran Theatre will celebrate their 10th anniversary season in 2017 with major productions across the company's satellite system of New York City, Albuquerque, and Los Angeles.

Sixty years young, last night the National Youth Theatre celebrated its storied past, buoyant present and - with a heartfelt plea for more financial support - essential future in a star-studded diamond gala at Shaftesbury Theatre. Those NYT participants who joined the company in this glittering anniversary year really lucked out, noted my companion, but it was hard to find a dull moment in decades of pioneering, diverse and life-changing work, as illustrated by this affectionate revue.

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.

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.

HighTide Festival, internationally renowned for discovering some of the UK's best new playwrights and producing new plays, has today announced the full ancillary programme for the 2016 Festival (8-18 September) - its 10th anniversary. Spanning performance, music, visual arts, literature and talks, it also includes world premiere productions from new and established HighTide writers. For the full festival programme, visit www.hightide.org.uk

STARLIGHT EXPRESS opens at Artisan Center Theater on Friday, August 12, 2016 and runs through Saturday, September 3, 2016.  The 196 seat theater-in-the-round is located at 444 East Pipeline Road in Hurst.  Performances are at 7:30pm on Monday, Tuesday,Thursday, Friday, and Saturday with 3:00pm matinees on Saturdays beginning August 20. Reserved seating tickets are $22.00 for adults, $20.00 for students and seniors, and $11.00 for children 12 and under.  Monday through Thursday tickets are $20.00 for adults and $9.00 for children 12 and under. Tickets can be purchased online at ArtisanCT.com, or by calling the box office at 817-284-1200.

CHEAPER BY THE DOZEN opens at Artisan Center Theater today, July 22, 2016 and runs through Saturday, August 20, 2016. The 150 seat Second Stage theater is located at 444 East Pipeline Road in Hurst. BroadwayWorld has a sneak peek at the cast in costume below!

CHEAPER BY THE DOZEN opens at Artisan Center Theater on Friday, July 22, 2016 and runs through Saturday, August 20, 2016. The 150 seat Second Stage theater is located at 444 East Pipeline Road in Hurst. BroadwayWorld has a sneak peek at the cast in costume below!

Diary of a Madman is a brand new adaptation of Gogol's classic story by Al Smith, reimagined in contemporary Scotland. Directed by Christopher Haydon, the sharply political, witty Diary of a Madman is on at the Traverse Theatre 4-28 August (press performance on 5 August) and at the Gate Theatre 28-30 July and 5-24 September (press performance on 6 September).

Artistic Director of the Gate Theatre Christopher Haydon today announces the full cast for the world premiere DIARY OF A MADMAN. Haydon directs Deborah Arnott (Mavra Sheeran), Liam Brennan (Pop Sheeran), Lois Chimimba (Mel McCloud), Guy Clark (Matthew White) and Louise McMenemy (Sophie Sheeran). Following the success of the Gate Theatre's recent Fringe First winning The Christians and Grounded, Diary of a Madman marks the Gate Theatre's third visit to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

English Touring Theatre today announces the appointment of Richard Twyman as the company's new Artistic Director. Twyman takes up the position in November 2016, taking over from Rachel Tackley who leaves the company to join Chichester Festival Theatre.

Today, 14 June 2016, Christopher Haydon announced he will step down as Artistic Director of the Gate Theatre, leaving in January 2017 after five years of leading the company. His recently announced new season - Too Close To Home, will be his penultimate season at the Gate Theatre. Haydon will continue programming the Gate up until May 2017, with his last season being announced in late 2016. The post of Artistic Director at the Gate Theatre will be advertised shortly.

Artistic Director of the Gate Christopher Haydon today announces their new season: Too Close to Home. The season opens with Diary of a Madman, a brand new adaptation of Gogol's classic story by Al Smith, reimagined in contemporary Scotland (28-30 July, 5-24 September).

The final two shows in the Royal Court Theatre's 60th year were announced today: pre-industrial England-set THE SEWING GROUP by E V Crowe, directed by Stewart Laing in the Jerwood Theatre Upstairs, 10 November-22 December; and THE CHILDREN by Lucy Kirkwood, directed by James Macdonald in the Jerwood Theatre Downstairs, 17 November-14 January 2017.

Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh announces Festival 2016.

THE HOPE AND OPTIMISM INITIATIVE is thrilled to announce the winners of its "Hope On Stage" playwriting competition. THE HOPE AND OPTIMISM INITIATIVE is a $4.8 million, three-year project at the University of Notre Dame and Cornell University.

Steven Atkinson, Artistic Director, has today announced HighTide's season of new plays for their 10th anniversary year.

The New York City Department of Parks & Recreation launched its first "public computer lab" nearly 20 years ago at the Lower East Side's Al Smith Recreation Center in 1997. Today, NYC Parks is home to more than 30 Computer Resource Centers (CRCs), serving all New Yorkers-from seniors who have never touched a computer, to adolescent girls who are honing their computer science and coding skills. CRCs aim to increase community technology resources through providing internet access and technology education across the five boroughs-registration for the forthcoming session of classes begins today, Tuesday, Feb. 9.

It's no surprise that a palpable, uproarious reception greeted the opening night performance of EMPIRE - THE MUSICAL, a brand new stage show featuring book, music, and lyrics by Caroline Sherman and Robert Hull---currently having its 'out-of-town' premiere at the La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts through February 14, 2016. Directed and choreographed by Tony Award nominee Marcia Milgrom Dodge (RAGTIME), this ambitious new original musical---advertised with declared aspirations for an eventual engagement on Broadway---fashions an early 20th Century era, multi-character narrative about the construction of one of the world's most iconic skyscrapers: the Empire State Building in New York City. The good news? It's exceedingly entertaining. The not-so-good news? It's a show with lots of potential but needs a lot more tinkering and refining.

EMPIRE THE MUSICAL has been knocking around in the wings ever since Caroline Sherman and Robert Hull began writing it in 1999. Its first fully-staged production took place at the Hudson Theatre in Hollywood in 2003 and it has had periodic readings through the years in both Los Angeles and New York. Now the story of how the Empire State Building came to be is enjoying a lavish pre-Broadway run at La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts, produced in partnership with McCoy Rigby Entertainment, Sue Vaccaro, Ricky Stevens and The Rivet Gang.