Alan Cumming News

The Drama League has announced Emmy Award winner Debra Messing will join Tony and Emmy Award winner David Hyde Pierce as co-host of the 79th Annual Drama League Awards. One of the high points of the theater season, the Awards Luncheon will be held Friday afternoon, May 17th at the Marriott Marquis Times Square (1535 Broadway) at noon.

Classic Stage Company, under the leadership of Artistic Director Brian Kulick and Executive Director Greg Reiner, will celebrate the theater's past, present and future at its 45th Anniversary Bash this Friday evening, May 10 at the Edison Ballroom (240 West 47th Street). The evening will include an exclusive sneak peek at works under consideration for the company's future Musical Theatre Initiative productions with performances from Judy Kuhn, Stephen Bogardus and Jeffry Denman-all of whom were featured in this season's critically-acclaimed Passion-as well as Alexander Gemignani, Alexandra Silba, Jenny Fellner and more, directed by Jack Cummings III, with musical direction by Greg Jarrett.

Voting opened on May 2, 2013 and runs through May 31, 2013 for the 11th Annual BroadwayWorld.com Awards! Here are the current standings as of 5/4 with just 26 days to go in voting!

James Franco, who recently revealed that he will soon make his Broadway debut in a revival of 'Of Mice and Men,' has been taking notes on his opinions of the spring theatre season. He recently wrote an article for the Huffington Post, in which he reveals his thoughts on Orphans, The Testamnet of Mary, and more.

Classic Stage Company, under the leadership of Artistic Director Brian Kulick and Executive Director Greg Reiner, will present a new production of Bertolt Brecht's The Caucasian Chalk Circle featuring Christopher Lloyd (Azdak), directed by Brian Kulick (who directed Brecht's Galileo last season), and featuring new music by Tony Award-winning singer/songwriter Duncan Sheik (Spring Awakening). The Caucasian Chalk Circle will begin performances tonight, May 3 at CSC (136 East 13th Street) for a limited engagement through Sunday, June 9. The official opening is Thursday, May 30.

The Meeting* hosted by Justin Sayre - the acclaimed comedy/variety show - will conclude its Spring 2013 season on Thursday, May 16 at The Duplex in New York's West Village. After a sell-out year, The Meeting* has added a second performance each month due to popular demand; there are now shows at 7:000 PM and 9:30 PM.

Broadway veteran and Saturday Night Live favorite, Ana Gasteyer, brings her unique comic wit and style to the stage in her show of songs and stories. The comedy superstar dons a dress and works her hardest to keep the evening elegant with her powerhouse vocals showcased in Broadway ditties, standards and more. Gasteyer fronts a swinging ensemble in an evening that promises to be classy, brassy and sassy or jazzy, quirky and tear-jerky depending on world events and/or her hair frizz factor.

'PATTI ISSUES' - the hit solo play hailed as 'ecstatically vivid' by The New York Times and praised for its 'wit, feeling and conviction' by Time Out New York - will be performed in Chicago, Fire Island Pines and Provincetown this summer after its sixth extension in New York and recent performances in Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego and Berkeley. The show can be seen at Mary's Attic in Chicago on June 13; in the Fire Island Pines at The Blue Whale and the Pavilion on select Fridays from May 17 to August 9; and at the Crown & Anchor in Provincetown, MA on July 2, 3 and 4 with a special benefit performance for the Family Equality Council on August 4. After more rave reviews and a host of awards, the New York production of 'PATTI ISSUES' will now run through June 29 at The Duplex in the West Village. See below for full listings information. Tickets for all shows can be purchased at PattiIssues.com.

SHOWTIME announces its line-up for 2013 Summer/Fall programming!

Apparently, not all upper west side Jewish families spend Christmas Day going out for Chinese food and a movie.  Take the extended family of Richard Greenberg's The Assembled Parties, who spend two December 25ths, twenty years apart, in a perfunctory celebration of the holiday while complaining about the inability to find a plumber to come right over fix a leaky pipe (Even when offered a 'Nativity surcharge.') and referring to the season's continual playing of Bing Crosby singing 'White Christmas' as, 'a tiny acoustic rape every time you leave the apartment.'

The casts of two iconic musical theatre mainstays stormed the stage of the 2013 Olivier Awards last evening, with West End star Will Young leading the Kit Kat Girls of the revival of CABARET with 'Wilkommen' and the feline corps of CATS lithely leaping forth into a fuzzy flurry, as well.

Screendaily.com reports that Michael Fassbender is currently attached to star in an upcoming film adaptation of the iconic Shakespearean play MACBETH from See Saw Films and Film4.

To prep for the live webcast of the 2013 Tony Award nominations on April 30, TonyAwards.com wrote up a list of some of the shows and performers who are eligible this season. Click HERE for the full cheat sheet!

The Tony Award Nominations were just announced and we've got the complete list. Always an equally hot topic -- we've also got the complete list of who was overlooked this year.

An article in today's The Wrap reports that Emma Stone is currently in talks to make her Broadway debut in the upcoming revival of CABARET in the role of Sally Bowles. The story cites 'an individual with knowledge of her plans' as the source.

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK: The gyspy robe gets passed again, Alan Cumming leads the Scottish play, and PIPPIN comes back to Braodway, and so much more!

Only Make Believe, the New York City and newly, Washington D.C., based non-profit organization that brings laughter and imagination to children suffering from chronic illnesses and disabilities will be hosting their first ever SPiN OUT OF SPRING event, an extravaganza for young professionals and the young at heart on May 3rd at SPiN: NYC from 7:00pm-9:30pm. The evening will include a ping-pong tournament, music, complimentary beer/wine, silent auctions, special guests, and more! Co-chairs for the event include, Susan Sarandon, Rachel Weisz, Petra Nemcova, John Hardiman, Brad Oscar, with Josh Lucas confirmed for attendance! For more information or to purchase tickets, please visit: spin.charityhappenings.org.

Classic Stage Company, under the leadership of Artistic Director Brian Kulick and Executive Director Greg Reiner, will present its annual Monday Night Open Rehearsal Series, this year featuring Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet. On three Monday evenings - May 13, May 20 and June 3 - different actors and directors will explore the text of Romeo & Juliet, giving theater-goers the opportunity to become part of the discovery process, and experience different acting approaches and directorial interpretations of one of Shakespeare's most cherished plays. CSC will open its 2013/2014 season with a new production of Romeo & Juliet starring Elizabeth Olsen. Here is the line-up for this year's Open Rehearsal series.

Now according to the New York Times, Roundabout Theater Company, which revived the musical back in 1998, is planning to bring the show back to Studio 54 in early 2014. Composer John Kander revealed to NYT that a revival is indeed in the works, with Alan Cumming attached to reprise his role as the Emcee. Rehearsals are planned to begin in January 2014.

Tony Award-winning stage and screen crossover star Alan Cumming discusses his new Broadway role in the radically re-imagined revival of William Shakespeare's MACBETH in a new interview but also hints at potentially singing and dancing his 't*ts off' onstage once again sometime soon - presumedly as the Emcee of CABARET alongside the rumored Sally Bowles of Anne Hathaway, of course.