Ars Nova News

Producers Robb Nanus, Rachel Sussman, Ryan Bogner and Adam Silberman announced today that the critically acclaimed play The Woodsman, a uniquely inventive retelling of the origins of Oz's Tin Woodsman, will begin performances on Wednesday, January 27, 2016 and officially open on Sunday, February 7, 2016 at Off-Broadway's New World Stages - Stage 5 (340 West 50th Street).

Michael Kimmel's (The Last Goodbye) new play will be read for the first time in New York on November 30th, 2015 at 7:30 PM for a one night-only benefit reading in Theater 511 at Ars Nova (511 West 54thStreet), directed by Molly Beach Murphy (Big Bend in the Red Dirt Desert) and featuring an all-star cast. Kimmel is also the author of Songbird, which premiered and is running currently at 59e59, now extended through December 6th. Proceeds will benefit Healthy Birth Day & Count The Kicks, which is dedicated to the prevention of stillbirth and infant death through education, advocacy, and support. The evening is stage managed by Michelle Heller (Les Miserables) and produced by Allison Bressi (Songbird).

Crowded Fire Theater (CFT) Crowded Fire's newly appointed Artistic Director Mina Morita unveiled the 2016 mainstage season lineup of three contemporary plays that continue to uphold the company's long tradition of producing boundary - pushing, thought-provoking theater. At a season-announcement party on Saturday, November 14th Morita addressed Crowded Fire donors, patrons, and artists saying "At Crowded Fire, we are unafraid of tackling big issues. We commit ourselves to true experimentation of form and content to question, disrupt, or complicate comfortable notions of cultural hierarchy."

Current Broadway KINKY BOOTS cast member Natalie Joy Johnson continues her cabaret residency at The Duplex with the new show, 'An Evening In Natalie Joy Johnson'. Her second show is tonight - Monday, November 16th - at 9:30pm.

The Meeting* hosted by Justin Sayre, the acclaimed comedy/variety show, will return to JOE'S PUB at The Public Theater on Sunday, November 22 at 9:30 PM to continue the Fall 2015 Season. The Meeting* has been called 'delicious and delightfully droll' by The New York Post and 'hilarious and sardonic' by The Village Voice. A story for Slate.com called the evening 'so deliciously icy that it left me shivering with fear and delight.' The 2014-2015 season sold out after a New York Times 'Arts & Leisure' piece ran last fall. The November 2015 show will feature a centennial celebration of legendary gay jazz composer Billy Strayhorn, with special guests Tonya Pinkins, Nathan Lee Graham and Natalie Douglas. Tracy Stark serves as the show's Music Director.

Ars Nova presents TASTiSKANK tonight, November 16, at 8pm.

Tony Award-winning Broadway starlet Annaleigh Ashford -- currently receiving raves in SYLVIA, and also celebrated for her work on stage in YOU CAN'T TAKE IT WITH YOU, KINKY BOOTS, RENT, WICKED and LEGALLY BLONDE, as well as on the hit Showtime television series MASTERS OF SEX - celebrates the release of her debut album a LIVE recording of her critically acclaimed cabaret show LOST IN THE STARS, which debuted last December at 54 Below and has since traveled to select cities across the country.

Ensemble Studio Theatre and EST's Youngblood are proud to present UNFILTERED 2015-2016, the annual festival series of brand new, full-length plays from emerging playwrights under the age of thirty. This year's Youngblood graduates are also the first beneficiaries of the new exit commission grant, donated this year by Tony-nominated playwright Robert Askins.

?Vineyard Theatre's 2015-2016 season kicks off tonight, November 11 at 8pm when the new musical comedy GIGANTIC begins previews at The Acorn Theatre at Theatre Row (410 West 42nd Street).

A friendly reminder! Vineyard Theatre's 2015-2016 season kicks off tomorrow, November 11 at 8pm when the new musical comedy GIGANTIC begins previews at The Acorn Theatre at Theatre Row (410 West 42nd Street).

Tony Award-winning Broadway starlet Annaleigh Ashford -- currently receiving raves in SYLVIA, and also celebrated for her work on stage in YOU CAN'T TAKE IT WITH YOU, KINKY BOOTS, RENT, WICKED and LEGALLY BLONDE, as well as on the hit Showtime television series MASTERS OF SEX - celebrates the release of her debut album a LIVE recording of her critically acclaimed cabaret show LOST IN THE STARS, which debuted last December at 54 Below and has since traveled to select cities across the country.

THE MEETING* hosted by Justin Sayre, the acclaimed comedy/variety show, will return to Joe's Pub at The Public Theater on Sunday, November 22 at 9:30 PM to continue the Fall 2015 Season. The November 2015 show will feature a centennial celebration of legendary gay jazz composer Billy Strayhorn, with special guests to be announced. Tracy Stark serves as the show's Music Director. 

Tony and Obie Award-winning playwright and performer Sarah Jones presents an exclusive first-look production of her latest full-length performance piece SELL/BUY/DATE at New York Live Arts for 12 performances only as part of New York Live Arts' annual Live Artery season. This dynamic multi-character, one-person play is inspired by stories of people, especially women and girls, directly impacted by sex trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation.

Tony and Obie Award-winning playwright and performer Sarah Jones presents an exclusive first-look production of her latest full-length performance piece Sell/Buy/Date at New York Live Arts for 12 performances only as part of New York Live Arts' annual Live Artery season.

Sylvia Milo's award-winning THE OTHER MOZART, directed by Isaac James Byrne, is the true, untold story of Nannerl Mozart, the sister of Amadeus -- a prodigy, keyboard virtuoso and composer, who performed throughout Europe with her brother to equal acclaim, but her work and her story faded away, lost to history. Due to popular demand, THE OTHER MOZART will continue its limited engagement, with the rotating cast of Sylvia Milo and Samantha Hoefer, at Off-Broadway's The Players Theatre (115 MacDougal Street, NYC -- Third floor - no elevator) through Monday, January 18.

UP Comedy Club, 230 W. North Avenue, known for bringing top stand-up comedy talent to Chicago, announces a month long series of all-stars: Rachel Feinstein, Jan. 7-9; Chris Redd & Megan Gailey, Jan. 15-17; Kate Berlant & John Early, Jan. 21-23; and Sean Patton, Jan. 28-30. Each show includes a feature stand-up comic and a local emcee that hosts the evening. Each headliner is set to perform Thursday 8 p.m., Friday and Saturday 8 p.m. & 10:30 p.m. (with the exception of Chris Redd & Megan Gailey set to perform Friday - Sunday).

ARS NOVA, presents TASTiSKANK on Monday, November 16, at 8pm. Straight Outta Skank-Town, the artists jointly known as TASTiSKANK-- Broadway's Sarah Litzsinger (Beauty and the Beast, Amour) and Kate Reinders (Something Rotten, Gypsy) are taking it back to where it all began, Ars Nova!

The award-winning VITAL THEATRE COMPANY is pleased to the extention of FLIGHT SCHOOL, THE MUSICAL, a new musical based on the book Flight School by Lita Judge, with a book by Cara Lustik, lyrics by Joshua H. Cohen, music by David Mallamud and directed and choreographed by Wendy Seyb. The production will continue at the Theater at Blessed Sacrament (formerly Arclight Theater Sundays only at 11:00 am, November 14th through December 6th.

Yale Repertory Theatre presents the world premiere of PEERLESS by Jiehae Park, directed by Margot Bordelon, November 27-December 19 at Yale Repertory Theatre (1120 Chapel Street). Opening Night is Thursday, December 3. The cast of PEERLESS includes Teresa Avia Lim, Christopher Livingston, Caroline Neff, JD Taylor, and Tiffany Villarin.

Crashbox Theater Company announces an extension of its World Premiere production of KITCHEN SINK EXPERIMENT(S) by Colby Day. Director Andrew J Scoville has staged the production in an authentic Brooklyn apartment with a limited audience of 20 per performance. Performances will now run through November 13 at Brian & Simone's Apartment.