Ben Brantley News

The Public Theater's Music Theater Initiative presents its first Songwriter Showcase, featuring sneak previews of three musicals in development by today's hottest young writing teams, curated by MTI director, Ted Sperling, Tony Award winner for THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA.

Italy's Dario D'Ambrosi, a radical innovator of the theater and founder of the movement called Teatro Patologico (Pathological Theater), will stage a novel version of 'Romeo and Juliet' at La MaMa December 3 to 13. His interpretation is meant to contrast the marvel of love with the fragility of life, the shock of the moment of total loss, and what he calls a 'schizophrenia of the world.'

Italy's Dario D'Ambrosi, a radical innovator of the theater and founder of the movement called Teatro Patologico (Pathological Theater), will stage a novel version of 'Romeo and Juliet' at La MaMa December 3 to 13. His interpretation is meant to contrast the marvel of love with the fragility of life, the shock of the moment of total loss, and what he calls a 'schizophrenia of the world.'

The New York Times is reporting that the producers of THE 39 STEPS have begun discussions to move the play to New World Stages (where it could take the place of The Toxic Avenger, which announced this morning that it was closing). No decisions have been made, but Bob Boyett, the lead producer, tells the paper that they hope to follow Avenue Q's successful lead if business arrangements can be made.

IN THE HEIGHTS, winner of four 2008 Tony Awards® and the 2008 Grammy® Award for Best Musical Show Album, is coming to the Fabulous Fox Theatre in St. Louis from November 10-22.

Alfred Hitchcock's THE 39 STEPS, Broadway's longest running comedy, plays its 700th performance tomorrow night, Tuesday, November 10, at the Helen Hayes Theatre (240 West 44th Street). At that performance, the production will tie the runs of such legendary plays as The Miracle Worker (1959) and That Championship Season (1972). THE 39 STEPS also recently passed such long-running shows as Purlie (1970), Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1955), The Children's Hour (1934) and August: Osage County (2007).

IN THE HEIGHTS, winner of four 2008 Tony Awards® and the 2008 Grammy® Award for Best Musical Show Album, will be making a stop on its national tour at the Fabulous Fox Theatre in St. Louis from November 10-22.

Alfred Hitchcock's THE 39 STEPS, Broadway's longest running comedy, continues its popular 'Hitchcock Meets Hilarious' Talkback Tuesday series Tuesday, November 10 with Humorist and Author Kate Clinton.

IN THE HEIGHTS, winner of four 2008 Tony Awards® and the 2008 Grammy® Award for Best Musical Show Album, is coming to The Fabulous Fox Theatre in Atlanta from November 3-8, 2009, as part of the 2009-2010 Broadway Across America - Atlanta season.

IN THE HEIGHTS, winner of four 2008 Tony Awards® and the 2008 Grammy® Award for Best Musical Show Album, is coming to The Fabulous Fox Theatre in Atlanta from November 3-8, 2009, as part of the 2009-2010 Broadway Across America - Atlanta season.

Broadway's hit comedy, The 39 Steps, makes it National Tour Debut at the Shubert Theater in New Haven during an exclusive Connecticut engagement running November 5-7, 2009. The four performances, running Thursday and Friday at 8pm, and Saturday at 2 & 8pm are sponsored by Lexus of New Haven, Whitney Center and media sponsors, New Haven Register and WTNH, News Channel 8.

Broadway's hit comedy, The 39 Steps, makes it National Tour Debut at the Shubert Theater in New Haven during an exclusive Connecticut engagement running November 5-7, 2009. The four performances, running Thursday and Friday at 8pm, and Saturday at 2 & 8pm are sponsored by Lexus of New Haven, Whitney Center and media sponsors, New Haven Register and WTNH, News Channel 8.

Fridays and Saturdays at 8 pm; Sunday matinees at 3 pm and Thursday November 19th at 7 pm. Winner of the 2007 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, David Lindsay-Abaire's touching play follows a couple whose young son has accidentally been killed by a teenage driver.

I never thought of myself as especially gossipy. Surely there are at least two other Michaels in this burg who set the gold standard at reporting that sort of stuff. But when ace press agent Richard Kornberg, the man who convinced half the city that Ben Brantley loved In My Life, says, 'Come here, Michael. You're gossipy,' I pay attention. So after handing me tickets for Friday night's performance of Absinthe, Kornberg wanted to make sure I knew that Daniel Bedingfield would be in the audience that night.

IN THE HEIGHTS, winner of four 2008 Tony Awards® and the 2008 Grammy® Award for Best Musical Show Album, is coming to The Fabulous Fox Theatre in Atlanta from November 3-8, 2009, as part of the 2009-2010 Broadway Across America - Atlanta season.

IN THE HEIGHTS, winner of four 2008 Tony Awards® and the 2008 Grammy® Award for Best Musical Show Album, is coming to The Fabulous Fox Theatre in Atlanta from November 3-8, 2009, as part of the 2009-2010 Broadway Across America - Atlanta season.

The Irish Repertory Theatre announces a one-week extension of its latest hit THE EMPEROR JONES -- Eugene O'Neill's powerful classic about the charismatic Brutus Jones, a self proclaimed emperor of an island nation, who attempts to flee the angry natives and his personal demons -- with performances now scheduled to run through December 6 at The Irish Repertory Theatre (132 West 22nd Street) in Manhattan. Ciaran O'Reilly directs.

The smash hit stage comedy The 39 Steps which is based on Alfred Hitchcock's 1935 classic film thriller, celebrated Halloween by holding a special on-stage contest to find New York City's best Alfred Hitchcock film character costume lookalike.

Tony Award nominee Brian d'Arcy James will reprise his Obie-winning role in Conor McPherson's The Good Thief for the Keen Company's one-night only benefit at the Lucille Lortel Theatre, on November 2nd.

In the Heights, winner of four 2008 Tony Awards and the 2008 Grammy Award for Best Musical Show Album, debuts in Minnesota at Hennepin Theatre Trust's Orpheum Theatre, Dec. 1-6, 2009.