Ben Wexler News

An annual event eagerly anticipated by New York's most serious and knowledgeable musical theater fans, Bound for Broadway previews four of the best new musicals headed to New York theaters.

For over 50 years TheaterWorksUSA has presented family-friendly adaptations of celebrated books on stages across the country. This fall, TheaterWorksUSA will be offering its trademark brand of quality entertainment in New York as they partner with BMCC Tribeca Performing Arts Center (199 Chambers St, New York, NY 10007) to present four shows based on beloved children's books Charlotte's Web, Pete the Cat, Dragons Love Tacos & The Magic School Bus: Lost in the Solar System.

The American Theatre Wing just presented the 2018 Jonathan Larson® Grants recipients are Jay Adana (music and lyrics), Andrew R. Butler & Andrew Farmer (music, lyrics, and book), Emily Kaczmarek& Zoe Sarnak (music, lyrics, and book), and Mark Sonnenblick(music and lyrics). Four prestigious, unrestricted grants of $10,000 each, as well as additional support in the form of residencies, concerts, and recording grants, totaling over $48,000 were given at a private event at the WNYC Greene Space. 

Due to demand, The New Group has announced a three-week extension for Jerry Springer - The Opera, with Matt McGrath appearing as Jerry Springer beginning March 13.  Terrence Mann, currently appearing in the role of Jerry Springer, plays his final performance March 11 due to an existing commitment beyond that date.

The American Theatre Wing (Heather Hitchens, President & CEO) announced today that the 2018 Jonathan Larson® Grants recipients areJay Adana (music and lyrics), Andrew R. Butler & Andrew Farmer (music, lyrics, and book), Emily Kaczmarek & Zoe Sarnak (music, lyrics, and book), and Mark Sonnenblick(music and lyrics). Four prestigious, unrestricted grants of $10,000 each, as well as additional support in the form of residencies, concerts, and recording grants, totaling over $48,000, will be presented on Monday, March 19, 2018 at a private event at the WNYC Greene Space. The event will feature special performances of the recipients' work.

Rattlestick Playwrights Theater has announced the line-up for NEW SONGS NOW, an unplugged concert series, presented in association with New Neighborhood and Rosalind Productions, Inc. taking place Sunday, July 23 through Thursday, July 27 at 8:30pm at Rattlestick Playwrights Theater (224 Waverly Place New York, NY 10014).

Rattlestick Playwrights Theater has announced its complete 2017/18 which will kick off with Diana Oh's {my lingerie play} 2017: Installation #9: THE CONCERT AND CALL TO ARMS!!!!!!!!! this September, presented in association with Rosalind Productions, Inc., music by Diana Oh, co-directed by Stephanie Ryan Johnstone and Oh, with music direction by Ryan McCurdy. The mainstage season will continue in January 2018 with Dael Orlandersmith's UNTIL THE FLOOD and Mashuq Mushtaq Deen's DRAW THE CIRCLE will be presented in repertory.

Rattlestick Playwrights Theater and Rosalind Productions Inc. have announced the New Voices/New Works summer reading series. The New Voices/New Works program was launched earlier this year and actively scouts and incubates new voices.

This week The BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop presented its top works in this year's showcase. The event was held at The Marjorie S. Deane Little Theater in New York City and premiered performances of the best of songs written and composed by recent members of this Drama League, Drama Desk and Tony honored workshop. BroadwayWorld has photos from the showcase below!

Signature Theatre will co-host a free event with The Ghostlight Project to kick off The Ghostlight Project's Who's Your Neighbor campaign, a week-long initiative that encourages people to volunteer. The event will take place Monday, May 1 at The Pershing Square Signature Center (480 West 42nd Street between 9th and 10th Avenues).

The BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop will present its top works in this year's showcase on Monday, May 1st at 4:30 PM. The event will be held at The Marjorie S. Deane Little Theater in New York City (10 West 64th Street) and will premiere performances of the best of songs written and composed by recent members of this Drama League-, Drama Desk- and Tony-honored workshop.

Symphony Space's PROJECT BROADWAY, a celebration of all that's new and exciting on the Great White Way, returns for its second installment, March 27 - April 2. This year's theme is 'The Art of Collaboration,' spotlighting the alchemy that turns music, book, choreography, and staging into theatrical magic.

Symphony Space's PROJECT BROADWAY, a celebration of all that's new and exciting on the Great White Way, returns for its second installment, March 27 - April 2. This year's theme is 'The Art of Collaboration,' spotlighting the alchemy that turns music, book, choreography, and staging into theatrical magic.

They're baaaaaaaaack! The York Theatre Company welcomes the return engagement of the game show for musical theater lovers, Tune in Time, presented by Amy Engelhardt and Heather Shields.

The Curran today released a music video of the song 'Ring of Keys,' from the Tony Award-winning musical Fun Home, which will re-open the Curran this January after an extensive renovation that is currently underway (and pictured in scenes from the video). The song, written by Tony Award-winners Lisa Kron and Jeanine Tesori, and performed by students from Oakland School for the Arts (OSA), is in celebration and support of GLAAD and 'Spirit Day' on October 20, 2016, a day that encourages all to take a stand against bullying of LGBTQ youth and wear purple. Watch it below!

The York Theatre Company (James Morgan, Producing Artistic Director; Evans Haile, Interim Executive Director; David McCoy, Chairman of the Board), celebrates Pride Month with the June installment of the game show for musical theater lovers, TUNE IN TIME, presented by Amy Engelhardt and Heather Shields, hosted by Emily McNamara, with Musical Director Nate Buccieri and annoyingly insistent timekeeper Sheila Head, and featuring celebrity guest judges drag performers Marti Gould Cummings, Judy Darling and Brita Filter, on Monday evening, June 20, 2016 beginning at 7:30 p.m. at The York Theatre Company at Saint Peter's (Citicorp Building, entrance on East 54th Street, just east of Lexington Avenue).

Founding Executive Director Kathy Evans announced the 19 writers and 9 new musicals selected for this summer's Rhinebeck Writers Retreat residencies.  For nine consecutive weeks beginning June 26, each writing team will have a weeklong residency in Rhinebeck, New York to write their new musical. This year's writers include New York Drama Critics award winner Brian Crawley, Tony nominee Hunter Foster, 2016 Kleban award winner Daniel Goldstein, Susan Smith Blackburn finalist Michele Lowe, Arlen award winner Georgia Stitt, Fred Ebb award winner Adam Gwon, and New Dramatists Loewe Award winner Sarah Hammond. The 9 musicals were selected from among 95 applicants by a distinguished panel: Kent Nicholson of Playwrights Horizons, Donna Lynn Hilton of Goodspeed Musicals, Barbara Pasternack of Theatreworks USA, Steve Stettler of Weston Playhouse, Mara Isaacs of Octopus Theatricals, Drama Desk nominated composer Neil Bartram, and Robert Zukerman, former Director of Theatre at the New York State Council on the Arts. 

The Dramatists Guild Fund celebrated the work of FUN HOME's Lisa Kron on Monday, May 2 at an intimate Salon. BroadwayWorld brings you exclusive photo coverage from the event below!

The York Theatre Company welcomes the May installment of the game show for musical theater lovers,  Tune in Time, presented by Amy Engelhardt and Heather Shields, hosted by Emily McNamara, with Musical Director Nate Buccieri and annoyingly insistent timekeeper Sheila Head, celebrates warmer weather and skimpier clothing with celebrity judges Nick Cearley and Lauren Molina (from the popular performance group The Skivvies) and Tony Award winnerDaisy Eagan (The Secret Garden), on Monday evening, May 9, 2016 beginning at 7:30 p.m. at The York Theatre Company at Saint Peter's(Citicorp Building, entrance on East 54th Street, just east of Lexington Avenue). 

Symphony Space pays exuberant homage to the Great White Way with Project B-way/95, a two-week celebration comprising 14 events, April 7 - 20. Curated and Produced by Joel Fram andAnnette Jolles, and named for the intersection where Symphony Space stands, Project B-way/95 salutes Broadway with an exciting array of concerts, tributes, film screenings, discussions, workshops, and more. Anchored by three starry concerts in the Sharp Theatre - an evening with the incomparable Patti LuPone (Tuesday, April 19), the cheerfully nepotistic "All in the Family" with Kelli O'Hara (Monday, April 11), and this year's installment of Symphony Space's signature event, Wall to Wall Stephen Schwartz (Saturday, April 16) - Project B-way/95 offers something for every lover of American musical theater. Tickets for all events are available at symphonyspace.org.