Bill Heck News

Due to overwhelming demand, Signature Theatre Company (Founding Artistic Director James Houghton; Executive Director Erika Mallin) is pleased to announce a six-week extension for the first New York revival of Tony Kushner's ANGELS IN AMERICA: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes, directed by Michael Greif.

Signature Theatre Company (Founding Artistic Director James Houghton; Executive Director Erika Mallin) announces that single tickets for the first New York revival of Tony Kushner's ANGELS IN AMERICA: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes, will go on sale on Tuesday, August 3.

The Public Theater has announced additional casting for the 2010 Shakespeare in the Park summer season featuring THE WINTER'S TALE, directed by Michael Greif, and THE MERCHANT OF VENICE, directed by Daniel Sullivan, in repertory June 9-August 1.

On July 16, 2010 the Signature Theatre Company hosted the staff, cast, crew and designers of ANGELS IN AMERICA for a meet and greet to kick off the production. BroadwayWorld brings you official photo coverage of the event below, courtesy of The Signature Theatre.

Los Angeles based writer Shyla Marlin, along director Nick Mills prepare to unleash Still Standing, the next in their line of projects. The play follows the dramatic story of a family's ever changing makeup, and is set in New Orleans during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

The Signature Theatre has released the artwork (below left) for its upcoming production of Tony Kushner's ANGELS IN AMERICA, The New York Times reveals. The play will open Off Broadway on September 14. Milton Glaser, who created the art for the original Broadway production (below right), also created the new artwork.

The New York Times has announced that The Public Theater is actively working on a Broadway transfer of it's production of Merchant of Venice, starring Al Pacino, now playing at the Delacorte Theater. That production is scheduled to close August 1. The Public's Executive Director Andrew Hamingston tells the Times that a transfer is dependant upon the film and television filming conflicts amongst several of the cast members, including Lily Rabe, Marianne Jean-Baptiste, and Hamish Linklater.

It would certainly be an interesting experience for modern playgoers to travel back in time and see how The Merchant of Venice was first received by Shakespeare's audiences.  Those only familiar with the play's famous, 'Hath not a Jew eyes? Hath not a Jew hands, organs, dimensions, senses, affections, passions...' speech, spoken by the moneylender Shylock, might just assume the author meant it to be a drama attacking anti-Semitic tendencies of the day.

A big thank you to the folks at New Line Theatre for bringing this entry from Jason Robert Brown's blog to my attention.  It seems the Tony-winning composer/lyricist was involved in a lengthy email exchange with a young fan who didn't understand why it was wrong for her to be offering free Internet sheet music downloads of his songs.  If you've seen Sherie Rene Scott's Everyday Rapture, prepare for some déjà vu.

The Public Theater presents THE WINTERS TALE as part of this summer's Shakespeare in the Park series at the Delacorte Theatre. The show began performances on June 9 and runs through August 1. BroadwayWorld was on hand for the curtain call and opening night party for the production, which runs in repertory with THE MERCHANT OF VENICE this summer.

THE MERCHANT OF VENICE, directed by Daniel Sullivan, began performances for Shakespeare in the Park on Saturday, June 12. The Public Theater began Shakespeare in the Park performances of A Winter's Tale, directed by Michael Greif on June 9. Both shows will play in repertory through Sunday, August 1 at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park.

THE MERCHANT OF VENICE, directed by Daniel Sullivan, began performances for Shakespeare in the Park on Saturday, June 12. The Public Theater began Shakespeare in the Park performances of A Winter's Tale, directed by Michael Greif on June 9. Both shows will play in repertory through Sunday, August 1 at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park.

On Monday, June 21, The Public Theater hosted its annual gala, this year honoring sponsors Bank of America and Bernard Gersten. THE MERCHANT OF VENICE, running in repertory with THE WINTER'S TALE, gave a special performance as part of the gala event. BroadwayWorld celebrated with The Public's friends and supporters and brings you a sampling of the celebrity gala attendees below!

Signature Theatre Company (James Houghton, Founding Artistic Director; Erika Mallin, Executive Director) is pleased to announce casting for the first New York revival of Tony Kushner's Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning epic work, ANGELS IN AMERICA: A GAY FANTASIA ON NATIONAL THEMES. The production will be directed by Michael Greif. ANGELS IN AMERICA is the first production of Signature's 20th Anniversary season, celebrating the works of Tony Kushner.

Last night, June 21, The Public Theater hosted its annual gala, this year honoring sponsors Bank of America and Bernard Gersten. THE MERCHANT OF VENICE, running in repertory with THE WINTER'S TALE, gave a special performance as part of the gala event. BroadwayWorld celebrated with The Public's friends and supporters and brings you coverage of gala arrivals below.

Last night, June 21, The Public Theater hosted its annual gala, this year honoring sponsors Bank of America and Bernard Gersten. THE MERCHANT OF VENICE, running in repertory with THE WINTER'S TALE, gave a special performance as part of the gala event. BroadwayWorld celebrated with The Public's friends and supporters and brings you curtain call coverage of The Merchant of Venice below.

BroadwayWorld previously reported that Horton Foote's THE ORPHANS' HOME CYCLE would aim for a Fall 2010 Broadway opening, rather than rush the show into Broadway's Neil Simon Theatre following its acclaimed Signature Theatre run. The Hartford Courant is now reporting that Foote's play is no longer being considered for a Fall 2010 opening: 'all the talk is about the spring.'

Yale Rep's original musical, 'POP!' and Hartford Stage's production of Horton Foote's marathon 'The Orphans' Home Cycle' are big winners of the 20th annual Connecticut Critics Circle. Between them, Yale and Hartford took 11 awards out of a total of 19, with Yale pulling off a first-time feat of copping both outstanding play and musical.

Connecticut's Courant Blog reports the 2010 Connecticut Critics Circle winners, awarded Monday evening. Winning for Outstanding Play and Outstanding Musical of the Year is New Haven's Yale Rep, for ECLIPSED and POP!, respectively.

THE MERCHANT OF VENICE, directed by Daniel Sullivan, will begin performances for Shakespeare in the Park on Saturday, June 12. The Public Theater begins Shakespeare in the Park performances tonight, June 9, with the first preview of THE WINTER'S TALE, directed by Michael Greif (yesterday's scheduled opening was cancelled due to the rain). Both shows will play in repertory through Sunday, August 1 at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park. BroadwayWorld brings you the latest batch of MERCHANT production shots below!