Arthur Laurents News

Laura Benanti's forthcoming engagement at New York's 54 BELOW will be recorded and released by Broadway Records. 'In Constant Search of the Right Kind of Attention: Live At 54 BELOW' will be released digitally on September 6th and on CD on September 10, 2013. The CD is now available for pre-order at http://amzn.com/B00CRU5YW0.

BroadwayWorld's Richard Ridge was thrilled to sit down and speak with nearly all of this year's Tony Award nominees at the official Tonys Meet & Greet on May 1, 2013, and we will be bringing you special coverage on all of them throughout the awards season. Today we bring you Amanda Green, a nominee for Best Original Score for Hands on a Hardbody. Check out what she had to say below!

Paper Mill Playhouse has just announced the cast and creative team for Disney's The Little Mermaid, based on the classic animated film of the same title.

Maine State Music Theatre has announced its 55th Season.

Notable Broadway leading man and internationally recognized Glee star Matthew Morrison offered up a spectacular musical medley last night on the 2013 Olivier Awards with a tribute to the Leonard Bernstein/Stephen Sondheim/Arthur Laurents musical theatre staple WEST SIDE STORY.

Today we are talking to a versatile stage and screen actress who has scored in a number of unique roles on Broadway and around the country in addition to making a recent mark with her work on the Broadway-themed web series IT COULD BE WORSE - the passionate and compelling Alison Fraser. Discussing her vast resume and some of her most fondly remembered performances to date, Fraser opens up about her remarkable career thus far - including her work originating parts in IN TROUSERS, MARCH OF THE FALSETTOS, THE SECRET GARDEN, ROMANCE/ROMANCE, GUNMETAL BLUES, THE DIVINE SISTER and more - and looks ahead to her most recent projects, current, upcoming and beyond. Most importantly, Fraser details the finer points of LOVE THERAPY, the new Wendy Beckett play she stars in Off-Broadway and outlines her continuing collaboration onstage with the playwright, having previously starred in CHARITY CASE, as well as what we can expect from the realistic new drama, opening April 29. Additionally, Fraser sheds some light on her recent work in the world premiere of the Tennessee Williams play IN MASKS OUTRAGEOUS AND AUSTERE and how that led to her new solo revue, THE TENNESSEE WILLIAMS SONGBOOK. Plus, memories of appearing in GYPSY on Broadway with Patti LuPone and working with Arthur Laurents on that as well as his own final play, cameoing on SMASH, reflections on her memorable musical partnerships with husband Rusty Magee and noted FALSETTOS songwriter William Finn, as well as thoughts on the contemporary theatre scene and her various theatre-related web projects, favorite recent shows and much, much more!

Wendy Beckett's seductive new play, LOVE THERAPY opens at the DR2 Theatre (101 East 15th Street) on Monday, April 29th. Directed by Evan Bergman, LOVE THERAPY is the fourth in a series of ten of Ms. Beckett's plays that will be brought across the Pacific from Australia by Peter Walters for Pascal Productions. For tickets, please visit Telecharge.com or call (212) 239-6200.

GYPSY is the penultimate stage mother musical, but it's also a look at the decline of vaudeville and the rise of burlesque during the depression, and it's ultimately a look at how the famous stripper, Gypsy Rose Lee, made her debut in show business. Jules Styne (composer), Stephen Sondheim (lyricist), and Arthur Laurents (book) have constructed a sturdy classic that's interesting to watch at a time when reality television has essentially revived the Ted Mack Amateur Hour, and all the baggage that comes with that. Stray Dog Theatre continues their stellar season with a rousing production of this popular standard.

From May 10-June 8, SpeakEasy Stage will proudly present the Boston regional theatre premiere of the groundbreaking musical IN THE HEIGHTS.

The latest in unauthorized gossip and buzz from the heart of Chicago's showtune video bars, and musical theater news from Chicago to Broadway. The Jeff nominations are out, 'Big Fish' is open, 'Anything Goes' and 'Mormon' perform, plus Jessie Mueller's 'Carousel,' BoHo's 'Spider Woman, new season announcements and those two new Spanish opera productions!

Michael Weber, managing artistic director of Porchlight Music Theatre, has announced Porchlight's 19th season. The 2013 - 2014 season includes the Chicago premiere of the new musical farce Double Trouble, August 31 - October 6; the "Fats" Waller revue Ain't Misbehavin', February 1 - March 9, 2014, the Broadway classic How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, April 26 - June 1, 2014 and a new "Lost Musicals" series Porchlight Revisits... taking audiences to a particular time and place in Broadway musical history. All Porchlight Main Stage and Porchlight Revisits… productions take place at Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont Ave. "Early Bird" discount Season Subscriptions are on sale through July 1. Single tickets for all performances go on sale July 1 at stage773.com or by calling the Stage 773 box office at 773.327.5252. All subscriptions are available at porchlightmusictheatre.org or by phone at 773.777.9884. Group discounts are available for groups of ten or more by calling Peggy at 773.282.7427.

Michael Weber, managing artistic director of Porchlight Music Theatre, is proud to announce Porchlight's 19th season. The 2013 - 2014 season includes the Chicago premiere of the new musical farce Double Trouble, August 31 - October 6; the "Fats" Waller revue Ain't Misbehavin', February 1 - March 9, 2014, the Broadway classic How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, April 26 - June 1, 2014 and a new "Lost Musicals" series Porchlight Revisits... taking audiences to a particular time and place in Broadway musical history. All Porchlight Main Stage and Porchlight Revisits… productions take place at Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont Ave. "Early Bird" discount Season Subscriptions are on sale through July 1. Single tickets for all performances go on sale July 1 at stage773.com or by calling the Stage 773 box office at 773.327.5252. All subscriptions are available at porchlightmusictheatre.org or by phone at 773.777.9884. Group discounts are available for groups of ten or more by calling Peggy at 773.282.7427.

In a Q&A for the The New York Times, Barbra Streisand took the time to answer readers' questions about her current and future projects. When asked 'Are you still planning to play Momma Rose in 'Gypsy'?' by a reader in Seattle, Streisand simply responded, 'Yes.'

Happy Birthday to Patti LuPone! Click below to watch highlights from her prolific career!

According to a report by The New York Times, actor and Tony winning composer and lyricist Lin-Manuel Miranda will present his new show, The Hamilton Mixtape, at Vassar College's Powerhouse Theater this season, which runs June 21 to July 28, 2013.

According to a new interview with Theatre du Chatelet's Jean-Luc Choplin, the renown Paris theater will be taking on yet another musical by Stephen Sondheim in their upcoming 2013-14 season, none other than INTO THE WOODS.

The tour of the smash hit Broadway revival of WEST SIDE STORY is coming to Indianapolis. WEST SIDE STORY will open at Clowes Memorial Hall on June 4 for a limited engagement. Tickets are on sale NOW and are available in person at the Broadway Across America Box Office downtown at 342 Massachusetts Avenue, Clowes Memorial Hall, The Old National Center Ticket Office, online at BroadwayinIndianapolis.com, or by phone at 1-800-982-2787. Groups of 10 or more can book now by calling 317-632-7469 x 103. Tony Award-winning librettist Arthur Laurents' Broadway direction is recreated for the tour by David Saint, the Associate Director on Broadway. The original Jerome Robbins choreography is reproduced by Tony Award-nominee Joey McKneely (The Boy from Oz, The Life).

The tour of the smash hit Broadway revival of West Side Story is coming to Salt Lake City. West Side Story will open at the Capitol Theatre tonight, April 16 and will run through Sunday, April 21. Scroll down for photos of the cast onstage!

With Ginger Newman's bravura performance as Mama Rose setting the standard-along with a stunning portrayal by Christina Candilora as a young Gypsy Rose Lee-The Larry Keeton Theatre's production of Gypsy, the Broadway fable about stage mothers and their beleaguered children, has a lot to recommend it to theater-goers. Newman and Candilora are given strong support from Terry McLemore, Stella London, Cade Smith, Virginia Richardson and the trio of wizened strippers who urge the young Louise to "get a gimmick" (Jane Schnelle, Monykah Tyson and Emily Ann Cowart).

If you haven't had the chance to catch up on your theater news, look no further than today's recap of all things theater - exclusive features, interviews, reviews and more! - around the Broadway World for the week of April 8!