Ars Nova News

Barnes & Noble will celebrate the release of the new Ghostlight Records cast recording NATASHA, PIERRE AND THE GREAT COMET OF 1812 with a special in-st0re performance and CD signing today, December 10, the CD release date.

54 BELOW presents Ali Stroker in 'Finding Glee' tonight, December 10, 2013 at 7pm. 'Finding Glee' tells the story of Ali Stroker's unexpected journey to the FOX hit show GLEE, with all of the road bumps and successes along the way. Ali belts out musical theatre classics and radio hits as she shares these hilarious and heartwarming stories.

The Meeting* hosted by Justin Sayre - the acclaimed comedy/variety show hailed as 'rambunctious, uproarious and unpredictable' by The Wall Street Journal, 'delicious and delightfully droll' by The New York Post, and 'hilarious and sardonic' by The Village Voice - has moved to 54 BELOW for a six month run after four sell-out seasons in New York's West Village. The next show will be on Wednesday, December 18 at 9:30 PM. Justin Sayre and The Meeting*, known for a signature blend of outrageous comedy, politics, culture and everything in between, were named one of the Top 10 nightclub shows of 2011 by Time Out New York, received the 2012 Bistro Award for 'Comedy Artistry' and a 2011 MAC Award nomination for Best Male Comedy Performance.

Joe's Pub at The Public (Dec. 9-15), will feature performances from JOSEPH STIGLITZ, THE MEN IN BLAZERS, THE LONG CHRISTMAS DINNER, JARELL PERRY WITH SPECIAL GUEST LOCKSMITH AND HOST KID FURY, MISS TESS & THE TALKBACKS / KRISTIN ANDREASSEN + MICHAELA ANNE, BRIDGET EVERETT & THE TENDER MOMENTS, THE LOSERS LOUNGE 20TH ANNIVERSARY, REVEREND BILLY & THE STOP SHOPPING CHOIR, JOHN ROBERTS, and TAMMY FAYE STARLIGHT IS NICO: UNDERGROUND.

Drawing from actual emails, chat transcripts, and text messages, We Were Nothing! is an intimate site-specific theater experience about two childhood friends staying connected and losing touch.

A new musical based on the 2008 movie Bottle Shock is now in development as part of the Ars Nova Uncharted program by writers James D. Sasser and Charles Vincent Burwell. Director Kent Nicholson helms the process.

Now in its 10th year, Goodman Theatre's 2013 New Stages festival features five FREE new plays-two fully staged workshop productions performed in repertory plus three staged readings-in the Owen Theatre, today, December 7 - 22.

THE PLACE WE BUILT - a new play by Sarah Gancher that marks the 2nd annual production from the Clifford Odets Play Commission - will receive its debut December 11-14 at the Marilyn Monroe Theatre (115 E. 15 St. Lee Strasberg Way) in Manhattan. The play is presented by the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute and the Lee Strasberg Center in collaboration with NYU Tisch School of the Arts Undergraduate Department of Drama.

THE PLACE WE BUILT - a new play by Sarah Gancher that marks the 2nd annual production from the Clifford Odets Play Commission - will receive its debut December 11-14 at the Marilyn Monroe Theatre (115 E. 15 St. Lee Strasberg Way) in Manhattan. The play is presented by the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute and the Lee Strasberg Center in collaboration with NYU Tisch School of the Arts Undergraduate Department of Drama.

THE DIXON PLACE NON-DENOMINATIONAL, NON-SECTARIAN, NON-PARTISAN, NON-OFFENSIVE HOLIDAY SPECTACLE! is set for tonight, December 5 at 6:30pm at Dixon Place, 161A Chrystie Street, New York, NY 10002.

The Incubator Arts Project presents Blue Wizard / Black Wizard, written by Eliza Bent and Dave Malloy, with Music by Dave Malloy and Eliza Bent. Directed by Dan Safer, the play will run tonight, Dec 5 - 22, Tuesdays, Thursdays - Sundays at 8pm.

54 BELOW presents Ali Stroker in 'Finding Glee' on December 10, 2013 at 7pm. 'Finding Glee' tells the story of Ali Stroker's unexpected journey to the FOX hit show GLEE, with all of the road bumps and successes along the way. Ali belts out musical theatre classics and radio hits as she shares these hilarious and heartwarming stories.

On Her Shoulders is pleased to present a staged reading of A Bold Stroke for a Wife by Susanna Centlivre, directed by Rebecca Patterson and edited by Tasha Gordon Solomon, on December 16, 2013.

Vineyard Theatre (108 E. 15 St.) has announced the dates, creative team and leading actress for its next production - the new musical ARLINGTON by Victor Lodato and Polly Pen - with previews set to begin Wednesday, February 12 prior to its official opening night on Sunday, March 2, according to Douglas Aibel, Artistic Director, and Sarah Stern, Co-Artistic Director.

Casting is complete for the world premiere of Greg Edwards & Andy Sandberg's new comedy, Craving for Travel, which will run Off-Broadway January 9 - February 9, 2014 at the Peter J. Sharp Theater (416 W. 42nd Street, NYC).

Williamstown Theatre Festival has named Mandy Greenfield as its new Artistic Director, the Festival's Board Chair Matt Harris announced today. Greenfield, who is currently Artistic Producer at Manhattan Theatre Club, succeeds Jenny Gersten beginning September 2014. As previously announced, Gersten departs Williamstown Theatre Festival in January 2014 to become Executive Director of Friends of the Highline. Gersten will program the upcoming 2014 season, and Williamstown Theatre Festival Producer Stephen Kaus will oversee the season. Greenfield's tenure as Artistic Director will begin immediately following the 2014 season, the Festival's 60th.

Negin Farsad, Becky Yamamoto and Kendra Cunningham present the weekly standup show, Comedy School Dropout. In the grand tradition of East Village alternative rooms, Comedy School Dropout brings top-notch standup comics, the occasional comedy musical act, subversive duo, or extremely talented threesome, to the stage for the cut-rate price of zero dollars!

Manhattan Theatre Club's American premiere of Taking Care of Baby by Tony Award winner Dennis Kelly begins its final week of performances tonight at 7:30PM.

NATASHA, PIERRE AND THE GREAT COMET OF 1812 - which concluded a hit summer engagement downtown - is now playing at the opulent custom venue Kazino in the Broadway Theater District, on West 45th Street between Times Square and 8th Avenue, for a 14-week limited run. NATASHA, PIERRE AND THE GREAT COMET OF 1812 began performances on Friday, September 27 and is scheduled to run through Sunday, January 5. The show just celebrated its 200th performance and you can check out photos from the celebration below!

The Meeting* hosted by Justin Sayre - the acclaimed comedy/variety show hailed as 'rambunctious, uproarious and unpredictable' by The Wall Street Journal, 'delicious and delightfully droll' by The New York Post, and 'hilarious and sardonic' by The Village Voice - has moved to 54 BELOW for a six month run after four sell-out seasons in New York's West Village. The next show will be on Wednesday, December 18 at 9:30 PM. Justin Sayre and The Meeting*, known for a signature blend of outrageous comedy, politics, culture and everything in between, were named one of the Top 10 nightclub shows of 2011 by Time Out New York, received the 2012 Bistro Award for 'Comedy Artistry' and a 2011 MAC Award nomination for Best Male Comedy Performance.