Ars Nova News

Cult-hit Brooklyn rockers Sky-Pony are known for their themed live shows: 'a beautiful mash-up of music, choreography, costumes, projections and drama' (Village Voice). On Sunday March 18 they'll serve up their latest themed concert, titled Rites of Spring, at NYC's Rockwood Music Hall Stage 2. Expect a healthy dose of their lush, lyrical, cheeky indie-pop -- ringing in spring with a program of songs about lust, love and rebirth. 

Due to popular demand, Pipeline Theatre Company (Ari Schrier, Artistic Director; Natalie Gershtein, Producing Director) is proud to announce a one-week extension of the world premiere production of Folk Wandering, a new musical conceived by Jaclyn Backhaus (Men on Boats) and Andrew Neisler (Clown Bar), featuring a book by Backhaus; music by collaborating composers Blake Allen(Boston|Nebraska), Backhaus, Mike Brun (Music Director, Mr. Burns), Andrew R. Butler (Finn the Fearless), Joel Esher (PharmaBro: an American Douchical!), Alex Fast (The Drawer Boy), Jo Lampert (Joan of Arc: Into The Fire), Barrie Mclain (Hundred Days), Annie Tippe (Director, Ghost Quartet), and Dominique Toney ('Crazy Ex-Girlfriend'); and lyrics by Allen, Backhaus, Brun, Butler, Esher, Lampert, McLain, and Tippe. Andrew Neisler will direct.

 Cherry Lane Theatre has announced casting for the final production of the Obie award-winning MENTOR PROJECT now in its 20th season. Sam Chanse's THE OPPORTUNITIES OF EXTINCTION is being presented at Cherry Lane (38 Commerce St.) from March 28 - April 7,2018, it has been announced by Seri Lawrence and Janio Marrero, Cherry Lane's Co-Artistic Directors.  Angelina Fiordellisi is Cherry Lane's Founding Artistic Director. Ms. Chanse is mentored by recipient of the National Endowment for the Arts playwriting fellowship and the Helen Merrill Distinguished Playwright Award, Migdalia Cruz.

Five-time Obie Award-winning theater company Clubbed Thumb (Maria Striar, Producing Artistic Director; Michael Bulger, Associate Artistic Director) is proud to announce the line-up for SUMMERWORKS, its annual series of new plays. Now in its 23rd season, SUMMERWORKS will run May 19 through June 30 at The Wild Project (195 E 3rd Street) in Manhattan, and will feature productions of three new plays: TIN CAT SHOES by Trish Harnetiaux and directed by Knud Adams; WILDER GONE by Angela Hanks; and PLANO by Will Arbery and directed by Taylor Reynolds.

One Eyed Jacks welcomes, for one night only, Alexis Michelle, one of the last queens left standing on RuPaul's Drag Race Season 9, in her new one woman show ALEXIS, I AM!

The Tank (Meghan Finn and Rosalind Grush, Artistic Directors), The Renovationists, and Parity Productions will co-present the World Premiere of Corbin Went's OLD NAMES FOR WILDFLOWERS, directed by Emma Rosa Went at The Tank (312 West 36th Street between 8th and 9th Avenues), May 11-25. Performances will be Friday, May 11 at 8pm, Saturday, May 12 at 8pm, Sunday, May 13 at 7pm, Thursday, May 17 at 8pm, Friday, May 18 at 8pm, Saturday, May 19 at 8pm, Sunday, May 20 at 7pm, Wednesday, May 23 at 8pm, Thursday, May 24 at 8pm, and Friday, May 25 at 8pm. Tickets ($25) are available for advance purchase at www.thetanknyc.org. The performance will run approximately 90 minutes, with no intermission.

Mean Girls, the new musical produced by Lorne Michaels, Stuart Thompson, Sonia Friedman, and Paramount Pictures based on the hit film, is pleased to announce ticket lottery policies for all performances of the show's Broadway premiere. Mean Girls is now in rehearsals; preview performances begin Monday, March 12 and opening night is Sunday, April 8 at the August Wilson Theatre (245 West 52nd Street).

SLATE Live has teamed up with Employee of the Month with Catie Lazarus to celebrate the ninth year anniversary of the talk show, which The New York Times calls as a "beloved downtown institution." On Thursday, March 15th, downtown darling Catie Lazarus will interview and honor comedian Hannibal Buress (30 Rock, Broad City), Tony Award-winning Broadway and (now film) music conductor and director Alex Lacamoire (Hamilton, Dear Evan Hansen, Incredibles II); actor Emily Mortimer (The Party, Marry Poppins, Newsroom), musical guest The Resistance Revival Chorus, fresh from The Grammy's with Kesha and the Women's March.

The Hearth (Artistic Directors Julia Greer and Emma Miller) will extend the World Premiere of Gracie Gardner's female coming of age story, ATHENA, directed by Emma Miller (NYIT nominated director of For Annie) at JACK (505 ½ Waverly Avenue between Fulton and Atlantic Ave, Brooklyn) for additional performances on Tuesday, March 20, Wednesday, March 21, Thursday, March 22, Friday, March 23, and Saturday, March 24 at 8pm. The original run of the production, which is now sold out, was scheduled for February 15-March 3. Tickets ($18 under 30; $25 over 30) are available in advance at www.artful.ly/store/events/14073 . 

Zoetic Stage (@ZoeticStageMIA) and the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County (@ArshtCenter) are proud to present the South Florida premiere of DANCING LESSONS, Mark St. Germain's insightful, poignant, witty and hilarious romantic comedy. Playing March 8 - March 25, 2018 in the intimate Carnival Studio Theater (Ziff Ballet Opera House), DANCING LESSONS continues Zoetic Stage's 2017-2018 season at the Arsht Center as part of the Center's Theater Up Close Series.

Pasadena Playhouse, the State Theater of California, announces a new Hitchcock-style drama Belleville by Pulitzer Prize finalist and Obie Award winner Amy Herzog.  Performances run from Wednesday, April 18 to Sunday, May 13; the press opening is April 22. 

One Thousand Nights and One Day (www.ProspectTheater.org) a new musical with book and lyrics by Jason Grote (1001; Shostakovich, or Silence), music by Marisa Michelson (Tamar Of The River, Naamah's Ark),and directed by Erin Ortman (For The Love Of; The Wading Pool), will play at the ART/NY Mezzanine Theatre (502 West 53rd Street between 10th and 11th Avenues), it was announced today by Cara Reichel, Producing Artistic Director of the Prospect Theater Company. Performances for the limited engagement begin April 4 and opening night is set for April 15.One Thousand Nights and One Day is based on the play 1001 by Jason Grote.

Philadelphia Theatre Company presents the Ars Nova production of the Obie Award winning play Small Mouth Sounds, written by Bess Wohl and directed by Tony nominee Rachel Chavkin (Natasha Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812). In the overwhelming quiet of the woods, six wildy dissimilar runaways from city life embark on a week-long silent retreat. Guided by an unseen guru and pledging a vow of silence, these strangers confront internal demons both profound and absurd. Both contemplative and funny, Small Mouth Sounds is a cleverly conceived and sharp observation of the pursuit of wellness and the achingly human need to connect. Small Mouth Sounds will preview on March 13 and opens on March 14, 2018. The show will run for 24 performances through April 1, 2018 at Philadelphia Theatre Company at the Suzanne Roberts Theatre (480 S. Broad Street). Tickets are on sale starting at $25 at philatheatreco.org, at the box-office, or by calling 215-985-0420.

Due to popular demand, Pipeline Theatre Company (Ari Schrier, Artistic Director; Natalie Gershtein, Producing Director) is proud to announce a one-week extension of the world premiere production of Folk Wandering, a new musical

Theater Resources Unlimited (TRU) presents their popular Writer-Producer Speed Date on Sunday, March 4, 2018. In deference to Oscar night, the event will start one hour earlier than usual: from 4:30pm - 8:00pm at NOLA Rehearsal Studio, 244 W 54th St., 11th floor. Application is free, and you must apply prior to purchasing your spot, on sale February 24, 2018. If accepted, there is a participation fee of $70 for TRU Members ($85 for non-members, $25 for each collaborator), and your pitch slot can be purchased at https://truonline.org/events/speed-date-03-04-18/.  

Soho Rep. (Sarah Benson, Artistic Director; Cynthia Flowers, Executive Director), has extended the world premiere of Aleshea Harris's Relentless Award-winning Is God Is, directed by Taibi Magar, a second time, through March 31.

Based on the short story by Isak Dinesen (and made famous by the 1987 Academy Award-winning film), Babette's Feast will begin performances Wednesday March 14th at the Theatre at Saint Clement's (423 West 46th Street, between Ninth & Tenth Avenues) for an open-ended Off-Broadway engagement.  Opening Night is set for Sunday March 25th (5pm).  The performance runs 90 minutes with no intermission.

PRIMARY STAGES (Andrew Leynse, Artistic Director; Shane D. Hudson, Executive Director; Casey Childs, Founder) announced today additional programming and events for the Winter 2018 season.

Paper Mill Playhouse (Mark S. Hoebee-Producing Artistic Director, Todd Schmidt-Managing Director), recipient of the 2016 Regional Theatre Tony Award, has announced today the cast and creative team of the world premiere production of the new musical The Sting, based on the 1973 film, and with book by Bob Martin, music and lyrics by Mark Hollmann & Greg Kotis with Harry Connick, Jr.

From March 27-April 1, Mabou Mines is proud to present the work of its 2018 SUITE/Space artists in a festival-like setting-two performances each night for 6 nights in a row-in the newly renovated, state-of-the-art Mabou Mines Theater. The inaugural SUITE/Space artists, Tariq Al-Sabir, Tamar-kali, Davalois Fearon and Sanaz Ghajar, work in a variety of disciplines and share Mabou Mines' commitment to breaking new ground in form and content. Founded in the summer of 1970 as an artist-driven collective, Mabou Mines has a long history of fostering the next generation of artists through mentorships and residencies. SUITE/Space is a new performance initiative for artists that reflect New York City's rich cultural landscape and provides artistic advisement, development support, rehearsal space, and opportunities for public performance.