Berger News

Broadway star Robert Cuccioli, best known for his Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle winning and Tony-nominated performance as the star of Jekyll and Hyde, will take on another dual role in his long-anticipated return to Broadway: Norman Osborn / The Green Goblin in Broadway's SPIDER-MAN Turn Off The Dark. Cuccioli will play his first performance on Tuesday, August 7, 2012 at the Foxwoods Theatre (213 West 42nd Street).

Michael Riedel reports in today's The New York Post that 'It appears that Jujamcyn's got "Kinky Boots" and will put it in the Al Hirschfeld Theatre next spring following an out-of-town tryout in Chicago in the fall. Jujamcyn's co-producer will be Hal Luftig, who's on a roll with the hit revival of Evita.'

Forty-four years after it opened on Broadway, Hair still feels strangely modern in Cultural Arts Playhouse's vibrant production, which is playing through August 5 in its Plainview location.

Producers Daryl Roth and Hal Luftig have announced the full cast and creative team for the World Premiere of Kinky Boots, the new musical that brings together four-time Tony® Award-winner Harvey Fierstein (Book) and Grammy® Award-winning rock icon Cyndi Lauper (Music & Lyrics). Directed and choreographed by Tony® Award-winner Jerry Mitchell, Kinky Boots will play the Bank of America Theatre (18 West Monroe Street, Chicago, IL) beginning October 2 through November 4, 2012, in advance of a Broadway opening.

After 4+ years of research and development, Chenango River Theatre will present the world premiere of Separation Rapid, by noted novelist, screenwriter, NPR contributing correspondent and award winning playwright Susan Arnout Smith.

Dan Cortese (MTV Sports, Veronica's Closet, Surviving Suburbia) has signed on to host truTV's exciting new series Guinness World Records Gone Wild, which started production today in Santa Monica, Calif. Set to premiere later this year on truTV, Guinness World Records Gone Wild challenges people to push themselves to do astonishing things for their place in history. The one-hour series is being produced for truTV by High Noon Entertainment (Tough Love, Cake Boss, Hurricane Hunters).

The Open Fist Theatre Company presents their fourth annual FIRST LOOK FESTIVAL OF NEW PLAYS, with new works written by Neil LaBute, Elizabeth Berger, Maia Madison, and Joseph Fisher, along with staged readings by Jim Knable, Melanie Marnich, Sheldon Bull, Phil Swann & Ron West, Jason Paige and Dean Moira and Jessica Goldschmidt.

The season begins with an the return of the acclaimed production THE MADNESS OF EDGAR ALLAN POE: A LOVE STORY, an original play by Executive Director David Rice, previewing September 26, opening September 29 and running through November 4, 2012.

Last Thursday, 6/21, Spider-Man from SPIDER-MAN Turn Off The Dark threw the first pitch of the Trenton Thunder game (vs. Richmond).

First Folio Theatre (Mayslake Peabody Estate, 31st St. & Rt. 83), known for bringing high quality performances of Shakespeare and other classics to the Chicagoland stage, announces its 2012-2013 season.

Tickets for the second The Lion King performance, which is scheduled for September 30 at 1pm, went on sale at midnight on Monday, June 25 and were sold out by 8pm Monday evening.

Today we are talking to a Tony Award-winning legend famous for his performances starring in the original Broadway productions of PIPPIN and JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR, as well as his celebrated turns in stage and screen projects as diverse as ALL THAT JAZZ, SWEET CHARITY, CHICAGO, FOSSE, WICKED, GRIND, ROOTS, I'M NOT RAPPAPORT, GOLDEN BOY, IDLEWILD, FUNNY LADY, HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER and many more - the simply incredible Ben Vereen. Discussing many of his most fondly remembered roles and recounting his experiences working with many legendary directors and collaborators - Bob Fosse, Hal Prince, Tom O'Horgan, Herbert Ross, Ann Reinking, Dan Sullivan, Sammy Davis, Jr., Barbra Streisand, Liza Minnelli and many more among them - Vereen paints a vivid picture of a bygone Broadway and reminisces about many of the most significant theatrical creators of the past fifty years and his roles in their stage and film projects. Additionally, Vereen fills us in on what we can expect from his upcoming solo spotlight show - a career retrospective - that will be kicking off at 54 Below on July 10 for a two-week engagement before an even larger, Broadway-bound mounting later this year at Princeton. Also, Vereen elaborates on the causes closest to his heart, shares thoughts on GLEE and SMASH, future plans and much, much more!

The Gallery Players will present The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice, its fourth annual production of Shakespeare in the Summer. Othello runs from Thursday evening July 19th, through Sunday afternoon, August 5th. Long-standing member of the Pearl Theatre Resident Acting Company and former Gallery Players board president, Dominic Cuskern, produces. Mark Harborth, Gallery board president and admired director of many Gallery favorites--among them, Noises Off, Jesus Christ Superstar, Chess, and last year's Macbeth--will direct again.

Last night, June 20, Donald Trump and his family visited SPIDER-MAN:TURN OFF THE DARK, and headed backstage afterwards to meet the cast and crew. BroadwayWorld brings you the photos below!

The Gallery Players will present The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice, its fourth annual production of Shakespeare in the Summer.

Syfy has locked in two more summer premieres as newcomer COLLECTION INTERVENTION will launch Tuesday, August 14 at 10:00/9:00c while the original movie BOOGEYMAN is set for Saturday, August 11 at 9:00/8:00c.

According to BBC News, actor Kenneth Branagh, X Factor judge and Diamond Jubilee songwriter Gary Barlow, Royal Shakespeare Company Artistic Director Michael Boyd, and more were awarded knighthoods at Queen's Birthday Honours on June 15. Film star Kate Winslet was also recognized as a CBE (Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire), among others.

SPIDER-MAN Turn Off The Dark celebrated its one-year anniversary on Broadway yesterday, June 14, 2012. Embarking on its second year on Broadway, SPIDER-MAN Turn Off The Dark began preview performances on November 28, 2010, and officially opened on Tuesday, June 14, 2011.

Prior to the performance of POSH - Laura Wade's searing take on Britain's classes, old money and the ultra-privileged - on Thursday 14 June, there was a special discussion chaired by Alastair Campbell, writer and director of communications for Tony Blair's Government. He was be joined by Luciana Berger, Labour MP; Dr James Tilley, lecturer at Oxford in politics and international relations; and Rachel Johnson, Editor in Chief of The Lady.