Andrew Jackson News

Peter and the Starcatcher will begin preview performances on Broadway at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre this Spring, and with off-Broadway cast memeber Christian Borle currently starring in NBC's SMASH, many have been wondering whether he will take part in the Broadway transfer. Now the New York Times has confirmed that Borle will reprise his role as Black Stache in the production.

The Broadway at Birdland concert series will present We're Gonna Have To Ask You To Leave...(a benefit concert to kick out cancer), to be presented at Birdland on tonight, January 23 at 7pm.

The Public Theater will continue the 2011-2012 Public Forum season in February with a night of conversation and songs featuring Stew, Heidi Rodewald and Michael Cerveris. This Public Forum event will coincide with the new musical, The Total Bent, premiering in February as part of the Public Lab series. This intimate evening featuring three great singer-songwriters will take place on Monday, February 27 at 9:30 p.m. at Joe's Pub. Member tickets, priced at $15, are on sale now. Single tickets, priced at $20, go on sale Thursday, January 26.

The Public Theater welcome back Mike Daisey's critically acclaimed THE AGONY AND THE ECSTASY OF STEVE JOBS on Tuesday, January 31 for an extended run in the Martinson Theater. Created and performed by Mike Daisey and directed by Jean-Michele Gregory, the return engagement of THE AGONY AND THE ECSTASY OF STEVE JOBS will run an additional five weeks to March 4. Tickets, priced at $75-$85, are on sale now. Tickets can be purchased at (212) 967-7555 or www.publictheater.org.

The New York Times is the first to report today that producers of Peter and the Starcatcher have announced that the show will open this Spring at Broadway's Brooks Atkinson Theater, with previews beginning on on March 28 and opening on April 15.

The New Group presents Russian Transport, written by Erika Sheffer, in a world premiere limited engagement January 17 - March 10, 2012. Directed by Scott Elliott, the production features Janeane Garofalo, Daniel Oreskes, Morgan Spector, Sarah Steele and Raviv Ullman. Official Opening Night is Monday, January 30 at The New Group @ Theatre Row (410 West 42nd Street).

BLOODY BLOODY ANDREW JACKSON star Benjamin Walker is the title character in 20th Century Fox's Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. Get a behind the scenes look at the movie below!

Studio 42 will present the new play BILLY WITCH by playwright Gregory S. Moss (Soho Rep's ORANGE, HAT & Grace, PUNKPLAY).

Alley Theatre Artistic Director Gregory Boyd announces the cast and creative team for the "hysterically funny" (New York Post) new musical The Toxic Avenger.

The Public Theater has just announced the return of PUBLIC SINGS! on March 5, 2012, an unforgettable evening that celebrates the rich history of musicals produced by The Public Theater, including HAIR, A Chorus Line, and Caroline, or Change, as well as new musicals in development like February House premiering at The Public this May. This intimate evening at Joe's Pub will welcome to the stage many popular Public Theater and Joe's Pub artists, including Laura Benanti, David Byrne, Raul Esparza, Jesse L. Martin, Lin-Manuel Miranda and Steven Pasquale, as well as offer a sneak peak at upcoming musicals. PUBLIC SINGS! tickets can be purchased by calling the Development Office at (212) 539-8554.

NETworks Presentations will present a new production of Richard Rodgers & Oscar Hammerstein's Pulitzer Prize-winning musical SOUTH PACIFIC, making its Nashville debut at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center's Andrew Jackson Hall, playing February 7 to 12 as part of the HCA/TriStar Broadway series.

Named as First Night's Outstanding Musical of 2011 was Lipscomb University Theatre's production of Hairspray, directed and choreographed by Justin Boccitto. ACT 1's production of American Buffalo, directed by Ryan Williams, claimed top honors as First Night's Oustanding Play of 2011, and the national touring company's Memphis, the Musical, which played Andrew Jackson Hall at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center, was named as First Night's Outstanding Touring Production of 2011, besting productions of Spring Awakening, In The Heights, Wicked and Les Miserables.

With a capacity crowd of 200 people on hand at The Keeton Theatre, First Night founder and executive producer Jeffrey Ellis, who covers theater, opera and dance throughout Tennessee for BroadwayWorld.com, unveiled his choices via First Night's Top 11 of 2011, while the winners of the BroadwayWorld.com Nashville and Tennessee Theatre Awards were announced by co-hosts Britt Byrd, Jamie Free, Katherine Sandoval Taylor and Lar'Juanette Williams.

Playwright Nate Eppler, Mas Nashville's FIVE, the Boiler Room Theatre, Lipscomb University's Hairspray, ACT 1's American Buffalo and the national touring company of Memphis, the Musical were the top winners at Sunday night's Midwinter's First Night at Nashville's Keeton Theatre, which also featured the presentation of the BroadwayWorld.com Nashville and Tennessee theatre awards.

Joe's Pub has announced the following upcoming events.

BroadwayWorld.com has learned that the hit open-air production of INTO THE WOODS that played London's Regent's Park Theatre in 2011 is now planning for a transfer to Central Part's Delacorte Theater as part of the Public Theater's Summer 2012 programming. Casting is said to be underway already for the role of 'The Witch' and that the producers are seeking a big name. Nothing officially has been announced on a possible transfer, as The Public is expecting to announce the 2012 summer season at the Delacorte sometime next month. The Public Theatre had no comment by press time.

According to Variety, Broadway director Alex Timbers will directthe upcoming big screen adaptation of Dale E. Basye's Children's book- Heck. THe movie will feature a screenplay by Bob Iserson and will be produced by Karen Rosenfelt.

Playwrights Horizons just announced complete casting for the New York premiere of ASSISTANCE, a new play by Leslye Headland (Bachelorette). Directed by Trip Cullman (A Small Fire, The Drunken City and Manic Flight Reaction at Playwrights Horizons, Bachelorette), the production will begin previews Friday, February 3 at 8PM with an Opening Night set for Tuesday, February 28 at 7PM. The limited engagement will play through Sunday, March 11 at Playwrights Horizons' Mainstage Theater (416 West 42nd Street).

The Public Theater (Artistic Director Oskar Eustis; Executive Director Patrick Willingham) will present the return of GATZ, the theatrical adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, this spring for a limited seven-week engagement.

The Civilians will present Let Me Ascertain You: Occupy Wall Street, Part II. Following the company's first Occupy Wall Street cabaret at Joe's Pub, Civilians' artists continued to conduct interviews with demonstrators about the movement's recent events, including the mass police action that cleared the protests out of Zuccotti Park and what the movement's future holds.