August Wilson News

Cast members from the Tony, Grammy and Olivier Award-winning hit musical JERSEY BOYS will be featured on 'Wheel of Fortune' beginning tonight and through the month of May to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the popular TV game show. Cast members will appear tonight, Monday, April 29; Tuesday, May 7; Friday, May 17 and Friday, May 24. 'Wheel of Fortune' airs at 7:30pm on Channel 7 in the New York area. Check local listings for time outside the New York area.

The Tony, Grammy and Olivier Award-winning hit musical Jersey Boys, the story of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons, ends its first national tour at San Francisco's SHN Curran Theatre today, April 28, 2013, after playing a total of 2,598 performances on the road. The second national tour continues to travel throughout the country. Jersey Boys worldwide has been seen by over 15 million people.

Jujamcyn Theaters (Jordan Roth, President) and True Colors Theatre Company (Kenny Leon, Co-Founding Artistic Director) have announced the judges for the 5th Annual August Wilson Monologue Competition on Monday, May 6th at 7:00 p.m. at the August Wilson Theatre (245 West 52nd Street). The event, which is free and open to the public, features high school students from Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, Pittsburgh and Seattle performing monologues by the late, legendary American playwright.

BroadwayWorld.com's SHOW BIZ: Rush, Lottery & Standing Room Only Ticketing Policies - updated on 4/26/2013.

The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust will host a Gallery Crawl tonight, April 26, 2013, from 5:30-9:00 p.m., in downtown Pittsburgh's Cultural District. The Gallery Crawl is an urban showcase featuring a wide variety of thought provoking art exhibitions, live bands, DJs, dance, theater, and more. Everything from the traditional to the avant garde is on display for art lovers of all ages.

The Drama League (Executive Director, Gabriel Shanks) has announced the 2013 Drama League Awards Nominees for Distinguished Play, Distinguished Revival of a Play, Distinguished Musical, Distinguished Revival of a Musical, and Distinguished Performance Award. The nominations were announced at a ceremony hosted by Patina Miller and Michael Urie this morning at Sardi's Restaurant which were streamed live online at www.BroadwayWorld.com.

Theatre Communications Group (TCG), the national organization for theatre, proudly announces that the 24th annual TCG National Conference will take place in San Diego from June 19 to 21, 2014. The TCG National Conference provides the largest forum for the national theatre community to assemble for artistic and intellectual exchange. The multi-day event draws more than 1,000 theatre professionals from around the world for meetings, speeches and performances, as well as a chance to explore the local theatre community.

Casting has been announced for 'Joe Turner's Come and Gone,' which begins previews April 24 at the Center Theatre Group/Mark Taper Forum at the Los Angeles Music Center. Opening night is May 8 and performances run through June 9, 2013. BroadwayWorld has a video of Director, Phylicia Rashad, discussing the show. Check it out below!

BroadwayWorld.com's SHOW BIZ: Rush, Lottery & Standing Room Only Ticketing Policies - updated on 4/19/2013.

Creator/Producer Judy Craymer has announced that MAMMA MIA!, the global smash hit musical based on the songs of ABBA, will transfer from the Winter Garden Theatre to the Broadhurst Theatre in late 2013.

Pulitzer Prize- winning playwright Quiara Alegria Hudes unveils The Happiest Song Plays Last-the latest and last play of her acclaimed 'Elliot Trilogy'-at Goodman Theatre, produced in association with Teatro Vista. The Happiest Song Plays Last appears now through May 12 in the Owen Theatre. Opening Night is Monday, April 22. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast in action below!

Stephen Sondheim and Wynton Marsalis will collaborate on A BED AND A CHAIR: A New York Love Story, a new musical event featuring Sondheim's music arranged and performed by the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis, announced Arlene Shuler, President & CEO of New York City Center. This Encores! Special Event, directed by frequent Sondheim collaborator John Doyle, and conceived by Peter Gethers, Jack Viertel and John Doyle, will run for seven performances, November 13 - 17 at City Center. City Center's annual Gala Benefit will take place on Thursday, November 14 and will include a post-performance dinner at the Plaza Hotel.

The American Conservatory Theater Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.) Program, which has trained such celebrated actors as Elizabeth Banks, Annette Bening, Anna Deavere Smith, Anika Noni Rose, and Denzel Washington, will present three classic works in repertory this spring: Caryl Churchill's innovative and provocative comedy Cloud 9; Bertolt Brecht's riveting drama Galileo; and August Wilson's classic American drama Seven Guitars. Performances will feature students from all three years of A.C.T.'s acclaimed M.F.A. Program.

Three friends embark on a joyous journey of sisterhood, discovering their inner 'duende' through a flamenco class for middle-aged women. Heart Song, the newest comedy/drama from Stephen Sachs (Bakersfield Mist, Cyrano), opens at The Fountain Theatre on May 25 with Shirley Jo Finney (In the Red and Brown Water) directing and choreography by internationally renowned flamenco dancer Maria "Cha Cha" Bermudez.

On Thursday, April 18 there will be a brief Q&A session with the cast and creative team of August Wilson's 'Fences' after the performance. Our guest that evening will be Mack Staton, Ph.D., a professor in the Department of English and Visual Arts at Johnson C. Smith University. His scholarly pursuits include minority literature, in particular African American. He teaches modern drama and screenwriting. Join us after the show for some thoughtful give and take on August Wilson's Pulitzer Prize winning drama.

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts today announced it will produce the world premiere original musical production of Little Dancer featuring book and lyrics by Tony Award winner Lynn Ahrens, music by Tony Award winner Stephen Flaherty, and direction and choreography by five-time Tony Award winner Susan Stroman. The musical will begin performances in the Kennedy Center Eisenhower Theater in October 2014. Casting and additional details about Little Dancer will be announced at a later date.

BroadwayWorld.com's SHOW BIZ: Rush, Lottery & Standing Room Only Ticketing Policies - updated on 4/12/2013.

Today in 2000, The Wild Party opened at the Virginia Theatre (now the August Wilson Theatre), where it ran for 68 performances. The Wild Party is a musical with a book by Michael John LaChiusa and George C. Wolfe and music and lyrics by LaChiusa. It is based on the 1928 Joseph Moncure March narrative poem of the same name. The Broadway production coincidentally opened during the same theatrical season (1999-2000) as an off-Broadway musical with the same title and source material. Its plot centers on a party - fueled by bathtub gin, cocaine, and uninhibited sexual behavior - hosted by Queenie and Burrs, whose relationship is disintegrating. The cast included Toni Collette (making her Broadway debut) as Queenie, Mandy Patinkin as Burrs, and Yancey Arias as Black.