Ars Nova News

Rady&Bloom Collective Playmaking, presenting the World Premiere of The Upper Room, co-written and co-directed by Jeremy Bloom and Brian Rady, with music composed and performed by Catherine Brookman (Broadway revival of Hair), running May 22 - June 12, 2015. Previews begin May 22 for a May 28 opening.

Artistic Director Hal Brooks has announced that the 21st Season of the Cape Cod Theatre Project will feature staged readings of new work by Lucas Hnath, Laura Jacqmin, Kevin Armento, and actor-turned-playwright Ryan King. The 2015 Season, the fourth under Mr. Brooks' leadership, runs weekends from July 2 through July 25, 2015 in Falmouth, MA.

Kathy Evans, Founding Executive Director of Rhinebeck Writers Retreat, announced the 17 writers and 8 new musicals selected for the fifth summer of weeklong retreats. For eight consecutive weeks beginning July 5th, each writing team will have a residency in Rhinebeck, New York. Writers are provided a private home, transportation, food, and a $400 stipend. This year's writers include Obie winner Kirsten Childs, Tony nominee Elizabeth Davis, and 2015 Jonathan Larson award-winners Charlie Sohne, Tim Rosser, and Sam Willmott, who also just won the Kleban Prize. 

THE OTHER THING, written by Emily Schwend and directed by Lucie Tiberghien, makes its world premiere at Second Stage tonight, May 21, following previews from May 12. The production runs through June 7, 2015.

Starsky + Cox - the couple named "Psychics to the Stars" by Vanity Fair, known for their international best-selling book Sextrology - will bring this season's premier installment of  STARRING - A Midsummer's Evening of Entertaining Enlightenment to Joe's Pub at The Public Theater on Sunday, June 21 at 7:00 PM for the summer solstice.

The New York Drama Critics' Circle previously named Between Riverside and Crazy, by Stephen Adly Guirgis, best play of the 2014-15 season. Hamilton was named best musical. The selections were made at the organization's 80th annual voting meeting, at the offices of Time Out New York in Manhattan. The awards were presented at a private cocktail reception last night, May 19. BroadwayWorld brings you photos from inside the special celebration below!

The New York Drama Critics' Circle previously named Between Riverside and Crazy, by Stephen Adly Guirgis, best play of the 2014-15 season. Hamilton was named best musical. The selections were made at the organization's 80th annual voting meeting, at the offices of Time Out New York in Manhattan. The awards will be presented at a private cocktail reception tonight, May 19.

FRESH PRODUCE'd L.A. returns tonight, May 19th at 8 p.m. at Moth Theater Company, located at 4359 Melrose Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90029. The series runs the third Today of each month, featuring three new short plays or excerpts of plays from three new writers.

The American Theatre Wing and the Village Voice just announced the winners of the 60th Annual OBIE Awards.

Original ensemble members, Michael Winther, Kimberly Grigsby, Shane Shanahan are joined by cellist, Peter Sachon as they reunite with Pulitzer prize-winning lyricist, Mark Campbell and many of the composers for a special one-night-only concert event, celebrating the ten year anniversary of Songs from an Unmade Bed, the critically acclaimed, theatrical song cycle originally produced off-Broadway by New York Theatre Workshop in 2005.

The National Alliance for Musical Theatre (NAMT) announces nine awards granted from their National Fund for New Musicals, a major funding program to support NAMT member not-for-profit theatres in their collaborations with writers to create, develop and produce new musicals. Now in its seventh year, the Fund will provide grants totaling $46,000 to ten organizations across the country.

The Skivvies, Cyrille Aimee, Adam Kantor, Julie Hill, Josh Sharp and Aaron Jackson will join the previously announced headliners Melissa Errico, Liz Callaway, Michael McElroy, Lauren Worsham, Rachel  York, Randy Graff, Kim David Smith and Danielle Grabianowski for the fifth annual "Night Of A Thousand Judys" - presented by The Meeting* hosted by Justin Sayre - on Monday, June 1. The Pride concert to benefit The Ali Forney Center will take place at Merkin Concert Hall at the Kaufman Center (129 West 67th Street in Manhattan). Called "a rambunctious, uproarious, unpredictable all-star concert" by The Wall Street Journal, "Night Of A Thousand Judys" will honor the iconic Judy Garland with special skits, tributes and songs from her legendary career as movie star, recording artist and stage performer. There will be a pre-show VIP reception at 6:30 PM and the performance at 8:00 PM.

Tonight's performance of THE OTHER THING at Second Stage Uptown has been cancelled following a nearby apartment fire, BroadwayWorld has confirmed.

SPARKLE & CIRCULATE with JUSTIN SAYRE - the official monthly podcast of the International Order of Sodomites - has posted the seventh episode, which features an in-depth conversation with Carl Siciliano, founder of the Ali Forney Center, which provides shelter and services for homeless LGBT youth. The show is available on iTunes here.  Every June, Sayre's event Night of a Thousand Judys honors Judy Garland for Pride and raises money for the organization. Carl explains how the center was formed, who Ali Forney was and the challenges they face with fundraising. The first six episodes of the show - featuring interviews with Randy Harrison, Michael Musto, Frank DeCaro, Kim David Smith, Jeffery Self and R&B legend Sarah Dash - are also available. SPARKLE & CIRCULATE is produced by Dan Fortune and Tyrus Emory.

The Ensemble Studio Theatre Marathon of One-Act Plays, the original festival of its kind, returns for its 35th incarnation, tonight, May 13, at 7:00pm at the Ensemble Studio Theatre, 549 West 52nd Street. 

The Meeting* hosted by Justin Sayre, the acclaimed comedy/variety show, will return to JOE'S PUB at The Public Theater on Sunday, May 17 at 9:30 PM to conclude the Spring 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 Fall 2014 shows sold out after a New York Times 'Arts & Leisure' piece ran last September. The May show will be a celebration of The Scissor Sisters with special guests Amber Martin, Edgar Oliver, Tammy Faye Starlight, Michael Cavadias, Bridget Barkan, Jamie Wright, Angela DiCarlo, Philip Taratula and Brendan Michael. David Nagler serves as the show's Music Director.

After a run in Spring 2014 at Playwrights Horizons (Artistic Director, Tim Sanford; Managing Director, Leslie Marcus), the critically acclaimed score of FLY BY NIGHT: A NEW MUSICAL has been recorded, produced and mixed by Emmy Award winner and Grammy Award nominee Michael Croiter (Matilda, Big Fish, Murder Ballad).  The Original Cast recording will be released in digital and CD formats on June 9, 2014, and may be purchased at www.yellowsoundlabel.com and www.PHnyc.org, as well as through online outlets such as iTunes and in stores nationwide. It is also available for pre-order at www.yellowsoundlabel.com.

This year -- the 10th annual Young Playwrights Festival -- featured 35 alums from the last 20 years of the National Theater Institute returning to the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center to nurture new works and new voices through the Young Playwrights Festival. 

 Ars Nova has announced the lineup for its 8th Annual ANT Fest, running June 1 - 26.  This year's festival of all new talent features four nonstop weeks of comedy, music & theater mash-ups, and invites audiences on a nightly adventure with the next wave of breakthrough artists at Ars Nova.  A complete lineup is listed below.

Theatre 4the People is thrilled to announce the world premiere of IN VESTMENTS, written by Sara Florence Fellini and directed by Isaac Byrne. IN VESTMENTS began performances on Thursday, May 7 for a limited engagement through Today, May 30. Press Opening is tonight, May 9 at 7:30 PM.