Ben Rappaport News

William Inge's Pulitzer Prize-winning play Picnic returns to Broadway in a striking new production helmed by acclaimed director Sam Gold (Roundabout's Look Back in Anger, Seminar). Academy Award winner Ellen Burstyn stars alongside theatre veterans Reed Birney (The Dream of the Burning Boy) and Elizabeth Marvel (Other Desert Cities), rising stars Maggie Grace ('Lost') and Sebastian Stan ('Gossip Girl'), Emmy Award winner Mare Winningham (recently seen in Tribes), Madeleine Martin (August: Osage County) and Ben Rappaport (Hope Springs).

Roundabout Theatre Company's Artistic Director Todd Halmes just posted a blog entry on the upcoming Broadway production Picnic, discussing his reasons for staging the play. The show begins this Friday, December 14, 2012. Read Halmes' remarks below!

William Inge's Pulitzer Prize-winning play Picnic returns to Broadway in a striking new production helmed by acclaimed director Sam Gold (Roundabout's Look Back in Anger, Seminar). Academy Award winner Ellen Burstyn stars alongside theatre veterans Reed Birney (The Dream of the Burning Boy) and Elizabeth Marvel (Other Desert Cities), rising stars Maggie Grace ('Lost') and Sebastian Stan ('Gossip Girl'), Emmy Award winner Mare Winningham (recently seen in Tribes), Madeleine Martin (August: Osage County) and Ben Rappaport (Hope Springs). The marquee is currently going up at the American Airlines Theatre, and you can check out the work in progress below!

William Inge's Pulitzer Prize-winning play Picnic returns to Broadway in a striking new production helmed by acclaimed director Sam Gold (Roundabout's Look Back in Anger, Seminar). Academy Award winner Ellen Burstyn stars alongside theatre veterans Reed Birney (The Dream of the Burning Boy) and Elizabeth Marvel (Other Desert Cities), rising stars Maggie Grace ('Lost') and Sebastian Stan ('Gossip Girl'), Emmy Award winner Mare Winningham (recently seen in Tribes), Madeleine Martin (August: Osage County) and Ben Rappaport (Hope Springs). Watch Roundabout's just-released commercial for Picnic below!

The cast met the press earlier just yesterday and you can check out full coverage below!

The cast met the press earlier today and BroadwayWorld's Richard Ridge was there to chat with the whole gang. Check out what they hed to say below!

Roundabout Theatre Company will present of Picnic, starring Reed Birney as "Howard Bevans", Maggie Grace as "Madge Owens", Elizabeth Marvel as "Rosemary Sydney", Sebastian Stan as "Hal Carter", Mare Winningham as "Flo Owens" and Ellen Burstyn as "Helen Potts". This production will be directed by Sam Gold. The cast will also feature Madeleine Martin (Millie Owens), Ben Rappaport (Alan Seymour), Cassie Beck (Christine Schoenwalde), Maddie Corman (Irma Kronkite), Chris Perfetti (Bomber). Picnic will begin previews on December 14, 2012 and open officially on January 13, 2013 at the American Airlines Theatre on Broadway (227 West 42 nd Street). This will be a limited engagement through February 24, 2013. The cast met the press earlier today and you can check out a photo preview below. Be sure to check back later for complete photo coverage!

Roundabout Theatre Company has announced the full Broadway cast of PICNIC, starring Reed Birney as "Howard Bevans", Maggie Grace as "Madge Owens", Elizabeth Marvel as "Rosemary Sydney", Sebastian Stan as "Hal Carter", Mare Winningham as "Flo Owens" and Ellen Burstyn as "Helen Potts".

HOPE SPRINGS is coming to theaters on August 10, 2012 from Sony Pictures. The comedy drama is directed by David Frankel and stars Steve Carell, Meryl Streep, Tommy Lee Jones, Jean Smart, Susan Misner, Marin Ireland, Ben Rappaport and Daniel Flaherty.

ABC details its 13 comedy pilots under consideration for next season.

This OBIE Award-Winning ongoing series presents staged readings of new plays and rarely-performed classic texts.

This OBIE Award-Winning ongoing series presents staged readings of new plays and rarely-performed classic texts.

Following a critically acclaimed season which included the World Premiere of Lynn Nottage's hit comedy, By the Way, Meet Vera Stark, Second Stage Theatre has announced three of the four mainstage productions in the company's upcoming 33rd season.

Second Stage Theatre (Carole Rothman, Artistic Director) kicks off this summer's Second Stage Theatre Uptown Series with the world premiere of Sex Lives of Our Parents, written by Michael Mitnick. Directed by Davis McCallum, Sex Lives of Our Parents will feature Teddy Bergmann (Peter and the Starcatcher), Lisa Emery (Far East), Daniel Jenkins (Mary Poppins), Virginia Kull (Dividing the Estate), Ben Rappaport (NBC's 'Outsourced') and Mark Zeisler (Second Stage Theatre's Eurydice). Previews begin on June 7th and opening night is Wednesday, June 22

Second Stage Theatre (Carole Rothman, Artistic Director) kicks off this summer's Second Stage Theatre Uptown Series with the world premiere of Sex Lives of Our Parents, written by Michael Mitnick. Directed by Davis McCallum, Sex Lives of Our Parents will feature Teddy Bergman (Peter and the Starcatcher), Lisa Emery (Far East), Daniel Jenkins (Mary Poppins), Virginia Kull (Dividing the Estate), Ben Rappaport (NBC's 'Outsourced') and Mark Zeisler (Second Stage Theatre's Eurydice). Previews begin on June 7th and opening night is Wednesday, June 22.

Second Stage Theatre (Carole Rothman, Artistic Director) kicks off this summer's Second Stage Theatre Uptown Series with the world premiere of Sex Lives of Our Parents, written by Michael Mitnick. Directed by Davis McCallum, Sex Lives of Our Parents will feature Teddy Bergmann (Peter and the Starcatcher), Lisa Emery (Far East), Daniel Jenkins (Mary Poppins), Virginia Kull (Dividing the Estate), Ben Rappaport (NBC's 'Outsourced') and Mark Zeisler (Second Stage Theatre's Eurydice). Previews begin on June 7th and opening night is Wednesday, June 22

THE BOOK OF MORMON opened last night, Thursday, March 24 at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre to RAVE reviews. Here's a look at the red carpet arrivals!

Bonnie Pfeifer Evans, fashion model, philanthropist and real estate investor; Mindy Grossman, Chief Executive Officer of HSN, Inc (Home Shopping Network); and Bebe Neuwirth, two-time Tony Award-winner currently starring on Broadway in Addams Family are Women's Project's 2011 Women of Achievement.