Alliance Theatre News

Previews begin Friday, October 12 for the Playwrights Horizons' production of THE WHALE, the New York premiere of a new play by Obie Award winner Samuel D. Hunter (A Bright New Boise). Directed by Davis McCallum (February House, A Bright New Boise, the upcoming Water By the Spoonful at Second Stage), the production has an Opening Night set for Monday, November 5 at 7PM at Playwrights Horizons' Peter Jay Sharp Theater (416 West 42nd Street).

Over the weekend, BRING IT ON: THE MUSICAL welcome several special guests- Broadway favorite Ann Harada and 'Good Morning America's' George Stephanopoulos. Both stopped to chat with the cast afterwards, and you can check out photos below!

In Houston, The Ensemble Theatre is proudly opening its 36th season with Pearl Cleage's THE NACIREMA SOCIETY REQUESTS THE HONOR OF YOUR PRESENCE AT A CELEBRATION OF THEIR FIRST ONE HUNDRED YEARS, often shorted to THE NACIREMA SOCIETY. The play premiered to fantastic audience reception on October 20, 2010 at Alliance Theatre at the Woodruff in Atlanta, Georgia, and The Ensemble Theatre's production makes it very easy to see why it was so well received.

Preview performances of Edward Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? begin this evening, Thursday, September 27, 2012, at the Booth Theatre (222 West 45th Street). Opening night is set for Saturday, October 13, 2012, exactly 50 years to the day of the play's original Broadway opening on Saturday, October 13, 1962.

American Theater Company announces two American classics never-before-paired on a single night-The Catholic Repertory: Doubt & Agnes of God-directed by ATC Artistic Director PJ Paparelli and featuring Ensemble Member Sadieh Rifai, Lance Baker, Penelope Walker and Kate Skinner.

Atlanta's nationally acclaimed ALLIANCE THEATRE will stage the multi-award-winning Broadway musical Next to Normal-the production's first run for Atlanta audiences. Next to Normal is the gripping story of a suburban family coping with the affects of mental illness. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the rehearsal photos below.

On November 10 at 8:00 p.m., The Atlanta Opera opens its 2012-13 season at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre with Bizet's Carmen.

Lookingglass Theatre Company will open its 25th Anniversary Season with Metamorphoses, based on the Myths of Ovid, written and directed by Lookingglass Ensemble Member Mary Zimmerman. The show will play tonight, September 19 - September 28, 2012. The return of Lookingglass' seminal production, coinciding with the 10th Anniversary of the Broadway run, will open at Lookingglass in the fall of 2012 and will then move to Washington D.C.'s Arena Stage.

Film, television and Broadway Actor Richard Thomas, star of the current Manhattan Theatre Club production of Ibsen's "An Enemy of the People," has been named Honorary Chair of the National Corporate Theatre Fund (NCTF) as it moves forward with its national theatre education initiative "Impact Creativity."

The Alliance Theatre has announced that its world premiere What I Learned in Paris has been extended. The romantic comedy by Pearl Cleage, which was originally scheduled to close on September 30 will receive 4 additional performances - Thursday, October 4, 7:30p; Friday, October 5, 8:00pm; and Saturday, October 6, 2:30p & 8:00p.

Universal Pictures Stage Productions/Glenn Ross, Beacon Communications/Armyan Bernstein & Charlie Lyons and Executive Producers Kristin Caskey and Mike Isaacson are pleased to announce the release of the Original Broadway Cast Recording of Bring It On: The Musical. The album, produced by Ghostlight Records and available on Back Lot Music, will be released for digital download on iTunes beginning September 25, 2012 and in stores October 16, 2012. The cast of Bring It On recorded the album at MSR Studios in New York City on August 9, 10 and 16, 2012 under the direction of Album Producers Alex Lacamoire, Tom Kitt and Kurt Deutsch.

The Suzi Bass Awards, Inc. announced nominations for the 2011-2012 Atlanta professional theatrical season this evening to an enthusiastic crowd of patrons and theatre industry artists. The Suzi Nomination Party, which rotates venues, was hosted this year by the Aurora Theatre in Lawrenceville, GA. The spacious lobby allowed guests to enjoy drinks, hors d'ouevres and the chance to congratulate their colleagues. Guest announcers, Atlanta's own funny men Bryan Brendle, Bart Hansard, Tony Larkin, Aurora Theatre artistic director Tony Rodriguez and Scott Warren shared the list of nominees while playfully riffing on the 2011/2012 Atlanta theatre season.

Theatrical Outfit has announced Two Drink Minimum, a world premiere comedy by William Balzer about families and the phone lines that bind them. October 25 - November 18, 2012 at the Balzer Theater at Herren's. Directed by Scott Warren. Starring William S. Murphy, Susan Shalhoub Larkin and Matthew Myers.

In response to the CPS teachers' strike, Court Theatre is offering a special free performance of August Wilson's Jitney, directed by Resident Artist Ron OJ Parson, for any CPS student (and one parent/guardian) with a valid CPS ID. This free matinee will be Thursday, September 13, 2012 at 10:30am at Court Theatre, 5535 S. Ellis Avenue. There is no need to RSVP, simply present a valid CPS ID at the theatre.

Atlanta-based, nationally acclaimed Elton John tribute artist Craig A Meyer, returning home from a ten-month, nationwide tour in locales from Niagara Falls to Honolulu, announces his ultimate concert of the season, an end of summer blowout to be held September 7 at the Mable House Barnes Theater in Cobb County, where he resides.