Ars Nova News

'Oceanside' by Nick Gandiello will have its world premiere production at Merrimack Repertory Theatre under the direction of Melia Bensussen this winter. The production marks the first full-length professional production for Gandiello, an up-and-coming playwright whose work has received considerable national attention from playwriting conferences and workshops.

Tony Award nominee Annaleigh Ashford will perform a final encore performance of Annaleigh Ashford - Lost in the Stars tonight at 9:30pm at 54 Below. Ashford with Will Van Dyke and the Whiskey 5 then head on the road to Chicago, Denver, San Francisco and Las Vegas with more cities to be announced soon. Tickets and more information can be found at www.LostInTheStarsCabaret.com.

Son of Semele Ensemble (SoSE) will present the West Coast premiere of Trish Harnetiaux's If You Can Get to Buffalo, an exploration of "A Rape in Cyberspace" by Julian Dibbell, opening March 14, 2015, at the Son of Semele Theater.

Colorado native and Tony Award nominee Annaleigh Ashford will be performing in ANNALEIGH ASHFORD - LOST IN THE STARS at The Garner Galleria Theatre April 11 & 12 only. Tickets go on sale to current DCPA subscribers starting at 10a on Monday, February 16th by calling 303.893.4100 or visiting denvercenter.org. A public on-sale will follow on February 19th at 10a.

The winner of the 2015 Richard Rodgers Award for Musical Theater was announced earlier this week by the American Academy of Arts and Letters, which administers the Rodgers Awards: String, by Adam Gwon and Sarah Hammond. The show was awarded a Studio Production.

Ben Rimalower's new play about spending beyond his means -- will be performed in rep with his first piece PATTI ISSUES at The Duplex (61 Christopher Street at Seventh Avenue) through April 29. PATTI ISSUES, which ran for a year at the same venue and subsequently toured the country and abroad, explores his obsession with Broadway diva Patti LuPone and his relationship with his troubled gay father. The pieces will be performed on alternating Wednesday nights at 7:00 PM. Both shows are written and performed by Ben Rimalower and directed by Aaron Mark.

Philadelphia Theatre Company's continues its 40th Anniversary season with the Tony Award-nominated play Mothers and Sons by Terrence McNally tonight, February 6, through March 8. Directed by Wendy Goldberg, the cast features Hugh Kennedy, Emmy Award-winning actress Michael Learned, James Lloyd Reynolds, and Patrick Gibbons and Jacob D. Wilner in alternating performances.

The Flea Theater has announced the World Premiere of Cory Finley's comedy THE FEAST. It is directed by Flea Resident Director Courtney Ulrich (White Hot), featuring three members of The Bats, the resident acting company at The Flea. Previews begin March 4 with opening slated for March 15.

New York City's premier development hub and acclaimed new work producer Ars Nova (Jason Eagan, Artistic Director; Renee Blinkwolt, Managing Director) has announced casting for the world premiere of Small Mouth Sounds, a new play by Bess Wohl, directed by OBIE Award-winner Rachel Chavkin (Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812). A limited Off-Broadway engagement is slated March 10 - April 11 at Ars Nova (511 West 54th Street). Official Opening Night is Monday, March 23.

Following a sold-out and critically acclaimed start to their 18th season, Theatre Exile returns to present the Philadelphia premiere of The Whale by Samuel D. Hunter from tonight, February 5 to March 1, 2015 at Theatre Exile's Studio X, 1340 S. 13th Street (13th and Reed Street)

Two River Theater, under the leadership of Artistic Director John Dias and Managing Director Michael Hurst, continues its 2014/15 Season with Guadalupe in the Guest Room, a new play by Tony Meneses, directed by Daniella Topol. The production will run February 14-March 15, 2015, with the opening night on Friday, February 27 at 8pm. Tickets starting at $20 and ticket packages for Two River's spring season of three world premieres are available from 732.345.1400 or tworivertheater.org. Guadalupe in the Guest Room is supported by lead production sponsor U.S. Trust.

PLAYHOUSE CREATURES THEATRE has announced that it will present HUNTER GATHERERS, a black comedy about an annual dinner party that blurs the line between civilized and primal man, March 3 - March 28 at the Duo Theatre, 62 East 4th St. 2nd floor. Written by Peter Sinn Nachtrieb and directed by Eric Tucker (Wall Street Journal's 2014 Director of the year), The production will have its official opening on Saturday, March 7th at 8:00PM.

The New York Musical Theatre Festival (NYMF) today announced that Jen Bender has been named as the new Director of Programming and Artist Services for the organization. Jen returns to NYMF after having served as a founding producer of the Festival in 2004.

Broadway In Chicago has announced Tony Award nominee Annaleigh Ashford (Kinky Boots, Chicago production of WICKED, You Can't Take It With You and Masters of Sex) makes her solo Chicago premiere with an evening of song, story and sequin in her critically-acclaimed, Lost in the Stars, for one-night only on Saturday, March 21 at 8 PM at the Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place (175 E. Chestnut). Individual tickets go on-sale to the public on Friday, February 6 at 10 AM.

Connecticut Repertory Theatre (CRT) will present the Greek comedy Lysistrata by Aristophanes in the Nafe Katter Theatre on the UConn-Storrs campus from February 26th through March 8th. See how one woman's crusade to end the Peloponnesian War leads to wild laughter, bawdy puns, and both genders begging to make love, not war. For tickets and information, call 860-486-2113 and visit www.crt.uconn.edu.

54 BELOW, Broadway's Supper Club, will present The Songs of Jacob Yandura & Rebekah Greer Melocik on Monday, February 16th at 9:30pm. The list of Broadway stars set to perform now includes James Snyder (If/Then), Greg Hildreth (Cinderella, Peter and the Starcatcher), Jenni Barber (Wicked, The Nance), and Ben Fankhauser (Newsies), among others.

On Monday, February 2nd at 9:30pm, performers will gather to perform A-Sides: The Songs of Anna K. Jacobs at the Laurie Beechman Theatre.

'You On The Moors Now' is written by Jaclyn Backhaus and directed by John Kurzynowski. The show will be on stage at HERE in New York City from February 13th to February 28th. Broadwayworld.com interviewed Backhaus and Kurzynowski about their careers and the upcoming show.

?The Meeting* hosted by Justin Sayre, the acclaimed comedy/variety show, will return to Joe's Pub at The Public Theater on Sunday, February 15 at 9:30 PM to continue the Winter/Spring 2015 Season.

"Oceanside" by Nick Gandiello will have its world premiere production at Merrimack Repertory Theatre under the direction of Melia Bensussen this winter. The production marks the first full-length professional production for Gandiello, an up-and-coming playwright whose work has received considerable national attention from playwriting conferences and workshops.