Brian MacDevitt News

Every so often a musical comes to town that we're told, 'Breaks all the rules!,' and 'Changes Broadway Forever!' That's nice. Usually this has something to do with having rock music, weak story-telling and an advertising campaign that convinces you that it's like nothing else Broadway has ever seen.

Goodspeed Musicals', the only two-time Tony Award winning theatre in the country, latest production, 13, a new musical comedy about coming of age, teen traumas and high school survival, will hit the stage at The Norma Terris Theatre in Chester, Connecticut, May 9 - June 8. 13 is sponsored by Essex Savings Bank.

PS Classics, the label dedicated to the heritage of Broadway and American popular song, will record the original Broadway cast recording of A Catered Affair next Monday (April 7), it was announced today by the show's producer, Jordan Roth and Tommy Krasker, co-founder of PS Classics.

Three-time Emmy Award-winner Edie Falco, Tony Award-winner Dick Latessa, Tony Award-nominee Brooks Ashmanskas and A Catered Affair's Matt Cavenaugh have joined the line-up of performers participating in the upcoming New York Times 'TimesTalk event,' 'Harvey & Family,' celebrating the career of four-time Tony Award-winner Harvey Fierstein, at the new TimesCenter (242 West 41st St.) on Tuesday, April 1st at 6:00 p.m.

Oprah Winfrey, Scott Sanders and the producing team of the Broadway smash hit The Color Purple are proud to announce that tickets for the first North American Touring production of The Color Purple in Pittsburgh will go on sale Monday, April 7, 2008 at 9 a.m. The Color Purple will run for two-weeks as part of the Pittsburgh CLO's 2008 Summer Season June 3 - June 15, 2008 at the Benedum Center.

A Catered Affair, Broadway's newest musical, will begin preview performances next Tuesday, March 25 at 8:00 p.m. With a book by four-time Tony Award-winner Harvey Fierstein, score by John Bucchino and directed by Tony Award-winner John Doyle, A Catered Affair will play the Walter Kerr Theatre (219 West 48th Street). Opening night is set for 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 17, according to producer Jordan Roth (Vice President, Jujamcyn Theaters).

The producers of The Color Purple announced today that the show will play its final performance on Sunday, February 24, 2008 at 7:30pm, after playing 30 preview performances and 910 regular performances at the Broadway Theatre.

The San Diego Theatre Critics Circle Awards were announced at a West Coast ceremony last night and A Catered Affair, the new musical with book by four-time Tony Award-winner Harvey Fierstein, score by John Bucchino and directed by Tony Award-winner John Doyle, was the big winner with 7 awards, including Outstanding New Musical.

Classic Stage Company, under the leadership of Artistic Director Brian Kulick and Executive Director Jessica R. Jenen, will continue its 40th anniversary season with two-time Academy Award winner Dianne Wiest and Tony Award winner Alan Cumming starring in Anton Chekhov's The Seagull, beginning performances Wednesday, February 20 at Classic Stage Company (136 East 13th Street).

10 moments that linger in my mind as the most memorable of 2007. Please share yours.

Transforming such a momentous story into a staged musical, as bookwriter Marsha Norman has done with The Color Purple, could not have been an easy task. What has ended up on stage more closely resembles a Disney spin on history, rather than a gritty realization of historical abuse. Yet, it strikes a soulful chord with a gospel and jazz aged sensibility, giving the musical an otherwise absent poignant heartbeat.

David Henry Hwang's hilarious new play recalls the Miss Saigon controversy, Shakespeare's Cymbeline gets a gorgeous production at Lincoln Center and Barry Williams (a/k/a Greg Brady) shows off some impressive musical comedy skills.

The LA Times reports Oprah Winfrey, legendary American talk-show host and producer of Broadway's The Color Purple, may be planning a stage-to-screen adaptation of the hit musical production.

The Lincoln Center Theater production of William Shakespeare's Cymbeline, directed by Mark Lamos and featuring Jonathan Cake, Michael Cerveris, John Cullum, John Pankow, Martha Plimpton and Phylicia Rashad, opened on Sunday, December 2 at 6:30PM at the Vivian Beaumont Theater.

The Lincoln Center Theater production of William Shakespeare's Cymbeline, directed by Mark Lamos and featuring Jonathan Cake, Michael Cerveris, John Cullum, John Pankow, Martha Plimpton and Phylicia Rashad, opens on Sunday, December 2 at 6:30PM at the Vivian Beaumont Theater.

Manhattan Theatre Club's critically acclaimed production of Adam Bock's The Receptionist has been extended by popular demand through Sunday, December 30 at New York City Center - Stage I

The Receptionist playwright Adam Bock and actress Jayne Houdyshell, who plays the title role, will be featured guests on this weekend's edition of NY1's 'On Stage.'

The Lincoln Center Theater production of William Shakespeare's Cymbeline, directed by Mark Lamos and featuring Jonathan Cake, Michael Cerveris, John Cullum, John Pankow, Martha Plimpton and Phylicia Rashad, is currently in previews and will open on Sunday, December 2 at 6:30PM at the Vivian Beaumont Theater.

William Shakespeare's Cymbeline, directed by Mark Lamos and featuring Jonathan Cake, Michael Cerveris, John Cullum, John Pankow, Martha Plimpton and Phylicia Rashad, began previews Thursday, November 1 at the Vivian Beaumont Theater. Opening night for this Lincoln Center Theater production is Sunday, December 2 at 6:30PM.

Manhattan Theatre Club's world premiere production of Adam Bock's The Receptionist opens tonight at New York City Center - Stage I