Blythe Danner News

The Public Theater announced today that Tony Award winner Denis O'Hare has been cast as The Baker in Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine's beloved musical INTO THE WOODS, directed by Timothy Sheader with co-direction by Liam Steel. INTO THE WOODS will be O'Hare's Shakespeare in the Park debut. Previews begin on Monday, July 23 at the Delacorte Theater and continue for five weeks through Saturday, August 25, with an official press opening on Thursday, August 9.

The Public Theater will begin previews on Tuesday, June 5 for AS YOU LIKE IT, the first show of The Public's 50th Anniversary season at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park--home of free Shakespeare in the Park. Directed by Daniel Sullivan, AS YOU LIKE IT will continue for four weeks through Saturday, June 30, with an official press opening on Thursday, June 21.

Hottest Articles on BroadwayWorld.com from this weekend Sunday, May 27, 2012 - Sunday, May 27, 2012.

Ana Gasteyer, from SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE and SUBURGATORY and Brian d'Arcy James from the new hit series SMASH performed to a sold-out crowd last night, May 26, at Bay Street Theatre. " Gasteyer and James mingled with the crowd, including actress Blythe Danner, at the post-show VIP soiree. Among the evenings attendees, Board Chairman Frank Filipo, Board Member Jane Holden as well as Hamptonites Bruce Sloan and Sal & Mary Lou Ranieri; and Matt McGrath, a Bay Street Theatre Artistic Associate and the director of the upcoming Mainstage production of Polly Draper in MY BRILLIANT DIVORCE, by Geraldine Aron. See below for photos from the after-party!

Manhattan Theatre Club will celebrate Artistic Director Lynne Meadow's 40th anniversary as the visionary and artistic leader of the organization with a special tribute on Monday, June 18. The event will begin at 6:30 PM with a VIP cocktail reception, followed by a 7:30 tribute event at the Samuel J. Friedman (261 West 47th Street). Immediately after the Friedman tribute event, a party will follow at Copacabana (268 West 47th Street).

Williamstown Theatre Festival Artistic Director Jenny Gersten has announced additional casting for the 2012 Summer Season. A host of Williamstown Theatre Fesival veterans and talented newcomers including Becky Ann Baker, Marylouise Burke, Tyne Daly, Brandon Victor Dixon, Alison Fraser, Heather Lind, Amy Spanger, Jeremy Strong, Lili Taylor and many more, will take the stage during the Festival's 58th Season.

The Public Theater announced complete casting today for AS YOU LIKE IT, the first show of the 50th Anniversary season of free Shakespeare in the Park at the Delacorte. Directed by Daniel Sullivan, AS YOU LIKE IT will begin previews on Tuesday, June 5 and continue for four weeks through Saturday, June 30, opening on Thursday, June 21.

Today we are talking to an Emmy Award-winning actor perhaps most well-known for his title role in the iconic and ground-breaking millennial NBC sitcom hit, WILL & GRACE, who can now be seen eight times a week on Broadway playing a pivotal role in the starry revival of Gore Vidal's politically-themed satire, THE BEST MAN - the affable Eric McCormack. Shining a spotlight on his theatrical roots at the Straford Shakespeare Festival in Canada all the way up to his small-screen sensation in WILL & GRACE and, now, his forthcoming new dramatic series, PERCEPTION, McCormack illustrates all aspects of his career and generously offers his insights, observations and shares his lessons learned over the course of his near-thirty-year career onstage and onscreen. In addition to all of that, McCormack outlines his experiences sharing the stage with titanic talents such as James Earl Jones, Angela Lansbury, Candice Bergin and the rest of the ensemble of THE BEST MAN, as well as sharing his thoughts about the relevance and poignancy of the play today, more than a half decade after its premiere, and what it says about our society, then and now, in addition to expanding on the play's pertinent political themes and their exploration in the classic drama. Plus, McCormack clues us in on his own favorite plays and musicals, initial theatrical inspiration, his stint portraying the eponymous THE MUSIC MAN, future career plans and first news about his new TNT series, PERCEPTION - all of that and much, much more!

In honor and celebration of the 50th Anniversary of Shakespeare in the Park at the Delacorte Theater, The Public Theater (Artistic Director Oskar Eustis; Executive Director Patrick Willingham) will hold a special one-night-only gala event on Monday, June 18, featuring Kevin Kline as Romeo and Meryl Streep as Juliet in a star-studded staged reading of ROMEO AND JULIET, directed by Daniel Sullivan. For information on tickets for The Public Theater's Anniversary Gala, please call (212) 539-8547 or visit www.shakespeareinthepark.org.

THE LUCKY ONE is coming to theaters on April 20th from Warner Bros. Pictures. The romantic drama is written by Nicholas Sparks and Will Fetters and directed by Scott Hicks. The film stars Zac Efron, Taylor Schilling, Blythe Danner, Jay R. Ferguson, Riley Thomas Stewart and Adam LeFevre.

Williamstown Theatre Festival Artistic Director Jenny Gersten announced today the final production of the 2012 Nikos Stage Season and an additional pre-season offering for the Festival's 58th, the second under Ms. Gersten's leadership. Academy Award nominee Patricia Clarkson (Pieces of April; WTF's The Ride Down Mount Morgan) and Bradley Cooper (Limitless; The Understudy at WTF) will return to Williamstown in The Elephant Man, written by Bernard Pomerance and directed by Scott Ellis, completing the Nikos Stage season and playing from July 25 - August 5, 2012.

As first reported exclusively by BroadwayWorld.com last week, the Public Theater confirmed today that Tony Award-winner Donna Murphy has been cast as The Witch in Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine's beloved musical INTO THE WOODS, directed by Timothy Sheader with co-direction by Liam Steel. Murphy last performed at the Delacorte in the Shakepeare in the Park production of The Mystery of Edwin Drood in 1985. INTO THE WOODS will begin previews on Monday, July 23 and continue for five weeks through Saturday, August 25 with an official press opening on Thursday, August 9.

The Public Theater (Artistic Director Oskar Eustis; Executive Director Patrick Willingham) announced additional casting today for the 50th Anniversary season of free Shakespeare in the Park at the Delacorte. Robert Joy (Le Beau, Lord) and Oliver Platt (Touchstone) join the previously announced MacIntyre Dixon (Adam), David Furr (Orlando), Renee Elise Goldsberry (Celia), Omar Metwally (Oliver), Lily Rabe (Rosalind), and Stephen Spinella (Jaques) in Shakespeare's comedy AS YOU LIKE IT, directed by Daniel Sullivan.

ABC details its 12 drama pilots under consideration for next season.

The Public Theater has announced additional casting today for the 50th Anniversary season of free Shakespeare in the Park at the Delacorte. David Furr (Orlando) and Stephen Spinella (Jaques) join the previously announced MacIntyre Dixon (Adam), Renee Elise Goldsberry (Celia), Omar Metwally (Oliver), and Lily Rabe (Rosalind) in Shakespeare's comedy AS YOU LIKE IT, directed by Daniel Sullivan.

The Public Theater announced the dates today for the 50th Anniversary season of free Shakespeare in the Park at the Delacorte. AS YOU LIKE IT, directed by Daniel Sullivan, will begin previews on Tuesday, June 5 and continue for four weeks through Saturday, June 30. Joining the previously announced Lily Rabe (Rosalind) will be Macintyre Dixon (Adam); Renee Elise Goldsberry (Celia); and Omar Metwally (Oliver).

According to TVLine.com, John Barrowman is set to star in producer Shonda Rhimes upcoming ABC drama pilot GILDED LILYS. The actor will join previously announced cast members Blythe Danner, Matt Lauria, Sarah Bolger and Madeline Zima.

John Barrowman will play Julius Ashford Lily in ABC's GILDED LILIES pilot, according to TVGuide.com. He joins Brian O'Byrne, Blythe Danner and more in this Shonda Rhimes show based around the first luxury hotel to open in New York City in the 1980s.

Artistic Director Jenny Gersten announced in Williamstown today the roster of Main Stage and Nikos Stage productions for the 2012 Williamstown Theatre Festival (WTF) Season, the Festival's 58th season and second under Ms. Gersten's leadership. The Main Stage Season will kick off with a production of Oscar Wilde's classic The Importance of Being Earnest as you've never seen it before, directed by Tony Award-winner David Hyde Pierce (an alum of the Festival's training programs, making his WTF directorial debut), playing from June 26 - July 14, 2012. A new translation of Ivan Turgenev's A Month in the Country, directed by Tony Award-winner Richard Nelson (James Joyce's The Dead) has also been added to the Main Stage line-up, from August 1 - August 19, 2012. On the Nikos Stage, WTF veteran Jessica Stone (A Funny Thing...Forum) directs Neil Simon's comedy Last of the Red Hot Lovers, playing from July 11 - July 22, 2012, and the World Premiere of Olivier Award-winner Katori Hall's (The Mountaintop) WHADDABLOODCLOT!!!, will run, in association with Signature Theatre, from August 8 - 19, 2012.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, actors Matt Long, Maury Sterling and Brigid Brannagh have joined the cast of Shonda Rhimes upcoming ABC drama pilot GILDED LILYS.