Chicago Shakespeare Theater News

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Drury Lane Theatre, 100 Drury Lane, presents the Mel Brooks Broadway hit YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN, previewing January 16, opening Thursday, January 23, and running through March 16, 2014. The cast is led by Devin DeSantis as "Dr. Frederick Frankenstein" (Anyone Can Whistle with Patti LuPone at the Ravinia Festival, four years in the Radio City Christmas Spectacular, and Pirates of Penzance, Boys from Syracuse and Hot Mikado at Drury Lane Theatre); Jeff Award winner Jeff Dumas as "Igor" (First National Tour of Spamalot Directed by Mike Nichols, Bounce at The Kennedy Center, NBC TV's Chicago Fire, The Merry Widow at Lyric Opera Chicago, Pacific Overtures at Chicago Shakespeare Theater and Winesburg, Ohio at About Face Theatre); and Johanna McKenzie Miller as "Elizabeth Benning" (Mary Poppins at Marriott Theatre, Fiddler on the Roof at Drury Lane Theatre, The Music Man at Marriott Theatre, Sunday in the Park with George at Ravinia Festival and The Three Musketeers at Chicago Shakespeare Theater). The production is Directed by Drury Lane Theatre Artistic Director William Osetek (Drury Lane Theatre's smash hit production of Spamalot and Jeff Award nominee for Best Director and Best Production for Thoroughly Modern Millie) and Choreographed by Jeff Award winner Tammy Mader (Sunset Boulevard, Gypsy, Thoroughly Modern Millie and Hairspray at Drury Lane Theatre).

Producers Jayson Raitt, Barbara Whitman, Steven Chaikelson and Second Stage Theatre just announced that Murder For Two composer Joe Kinosian will reprise his Joseph Jefferson Award-nominated performance as 'The Suspects' beginning Monday, January 20, 2014 in Murder For Two at Off-Broadway's New World Stages - Stage 5 (340 West 50th Street), alongside Brett Ryback, who continues in the role of 'Marcus,' the evening's lovable, if not experienced, detective. Murder For Two features book and music by Joe Kinosian, book and lyrics by Kellen Blair and direction by Scott Schwartz.

Producers Jayson Raitt, Barbara Whitman, Steven Chaikelson and Second Stage Theatre present the Kellen and Joe Christmastime Show tonight, Monday, December 16, 2013. Kinosian and Blair herald in the holiday season with their annual festive concert which will include selections from their songbook (including a handful of holiday tunes) performed by some of Broadway's brightest talent. Admission to the post-show 'singback' is exclusive to ticket holders for tonight's performance of Murder for Two. A portion of ticket sales for that performance will benefit Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.

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Part of Redtwist's off-night series called MORE RED. Performed in rotating rep with Redtwist's MAIN season show, Elemeno Pea, and its DARK RED late-night series show, Men Exposed. Press opening: Saturday, December 21, 2013 at 3:00pm

Asolo Repertory Theatre opens its 2013-14 rep season with PHILADELPHIA, HERE I COME! Directed by Academy Award nominee and two-time Tony Award winner Frank Galati, previews for the show will be held January 7 - 9 and the production will run from January 10 - April 12.

Producers Jayson Raitt, Barbara Whitman, Steven Chaikelson and Second Stage Theatre will present the Kellen and Joe Christmastime Show on Monday, December 16, 2013. Kinosian and Blair herald in the holiday season with their annual festive concert which will include selections from their songbook (including a handful of holiday tunes) performed by some of Broadway's brightest talent. Admission to the post-show 'singback' is exclusive to ticket holders for the December 16, 2013 performance of Murder For Two. A portion of ticket sales for that performance will benefit Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.

The latest in unauthorized gossip and buzz from the heart of Chicago's showtune video bars, and musical theater news from Chicago to Broadway. That 'Sound Of Music' show becomes a national conversation, 'Saving Mr. Banks,' The House 'Nutcracker,' two Scrooge twists, our January 'Phantom,' Dee Snider's show, the 'Meet John Doe' OSCR and our latest Broadway transfers!

A new crop of local talent joins Goodman Theatre's artistic team for the 2013/2014 Season. The four Chicago-based writers named to the fourth season of the Playwrights Unit-a year-long residency program designed to support and develop new works-include Andrew Hinderaker, Gift Theatre ensemble member; Mickle Maher, cofounder of Theater Oobleck; Anne Garcia-Romero, a resident playwright at Chicago Dramatists; and Laura Schellhardt, who oversees undergraduate playwriting at Northwestern University. A partnership with Chicago Dramatists, the Playwrights Unit meets twice per month with members of the Goodman's artistic team to discuss their plays-in-progress and provide feedback for one another. The program includes readings of the playwrights' works-in-progress at Chicago Dramatists in early 2014, and culminates in summer 2014 with staged readings of their completed works at the Goodman. Playwrights Unit alumni include Greg Allen, Alice Austen, Ike Holter and Christopher Oscar Peña (2012/2013 Season); Philip Dawkins, Nambi E. Kelley, Elaine Romero and Martin Zimmerman (2011/2012 Season); and Seth Bockley, Lisa Dillman, Laura Jacqmin and Rohina Malik (2010/2011 Season).

The League of Chicago Theatres proudly announces the election of the Executive Committee Members and the appointment of four new members to The Board of Directors. The Executive Committee includes Board Chair Kate Lipuma, Executive Director, Writers Theatre; Vice Chair Rachel Kraft, Executive Director, Lookingglass Theatre Company; Treasurer Heather Schmucker, Associate Producer, Chicago Shakespeare Theatre; and Secretary Dan McArdle, Managing Director, The Neo-Futurists. Elected by members of the League, newly-elected Board Members include Brittany Barnes, Managing Director, Pavement Group; Peter Handler, Program Director, Richard H. Driehaus Foundation; Bill Melamed, Chief Marketing and Development Officer, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago; and Regina Taylor, Artistic Collective, Goodman Theatre.

Chicago Shakespeare Theater (CST) presents William Shakespeare's The Merry Wives of Windsor, directed by CST Artistic Director Barbara Gaines. Embraced by audiences as one of Shakespeare's most popular comedies, The Merry Wives of Windsor is an energetic romp with the lovable rogue Sir John Falstaff, performed by Scott Jaeck, as he charms and conspires against the townspeople of Windsor, only to be outsmarted by Mistress Page and Mistress Ford, performed by Kelli Fox and Heidi Kettenring. Chicago Shakespeare's production will transport audiences to post-war England in the late 1940s with a soundtrack of spirited dance music. The Merry Wives of Windsor will run in CST's Courtyard Theater now through January 19, 2014. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast in action below!

Chicago Shakespeare Theater (CST) presents William Shakespeare's The Merry Wives of Windsor, directed by CST Artistic Director Barbara Gaines. Embraced by audiences as one of Shakespeare's most popular comedies, The Merry Wives of Windsor is an energetic romp with the loveable rouge Sir John Falstaff, performed by Scott Jaeck, as he charms and conspires against the townspeople of Windsor, only to be outsmarted by Mistress Page and Mistress Ford, performed by Kelli Foxand Heidi Kettenring. The Merry Wives of Windsor is nonw running in CST's Courtyard Theater through January 19, 2014. BroadwayWorld has a first look below!

The original cast recording of MURDER FOR TWO, the hit new musical comedy starring Jeff Blumenkrantz and Brett Ryback, will be released digitally on Tuesday, January 14, 2014 by Ghostlight Records. Produced by Joel Moss and executive produced by Kurt Deutsch, the album will be available in stores and everywhere music is sold on Tuesday, February 11, 2014. The physical CD features complete lyrics, never-before-seen photos, a show synopsis by creators Joe Kinosian and Kellen Blair and an essay by Oscar and Grammy Award-winning composer Stephen Schwartz. Admission to the album release party is exclusive to ticket holders of the Monday, January 13, 2014performance of Murder For Two. Sign up to pre-order the original cast recording at www.sh-k-boom.com/murderfortwo.html.

Voting is now underway for Chicago! We have a record number of votes in already, but if you haven't voted yet, click here to vote! If you have voted already, tell your friends.

The latest in unauthorized gossip and buzz from the heart of Chicago's showtune video bars, and musical theater news from Chicago to Broadway. It's a non-holiday edition! With 'The Mikado,' 'Triumph Of Love,' 'Sweet Smell Of Success,' 'Cabaret' at the Marriott, 'Ain't Misbehavin',' CST's 'Gypsy' and more, plus Streisand and Sondheim on TV, and 'The Sound Of Music' at Sidetrack!

Continuing its 26th Season, Lookingglass Theatre Company presents The Little Prince, produced in Association with The Actors Gymnasium, by Rick Cummins and John Scoullar, based on the book by Antoine de Saint-Exupery, and directed by Ensemble Member David Catlin. The Little Prince runs tonight, December 5, 2013 - February 2, 2014 at Lookingglass Theatre Company, located inside Chicago's historic Water Tower Water Works, 821 N. Michigan Ave. at Pearson. The Press Opening is Saturday, December 14, 2013 at 7:30 p.m.

Chicago Shakespeare Theater (CST) and hip-hop sensations the Q Brothers are back at it again turning up the volume with a fresh take on a beloved classic. The Q Brothers and CST Creative Producer Rick Boynton have come together to develop A Q Brothers' Christmas Carol-a hip-hop reinterpretation of the perennial holiday favorite by Charles Dickens. Now, alongside Chicago theaters' familiar renditions of this heartwarming tale, audiences will participate in the creation of an energized, reinvented tradition. Work-in-progress performances of A Q Brothers' Christmas Carol will run in the theater Upstairs at Chicago Shakespeare, now through December 22, 2013. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast in action below!

Million Dollar Quartet, now the longest-running Broadway musical production in Chicago's history, is celebrating the holidays by adding performance dates and a special number for a limited time. For the holidays only, the classic 1958 song "Run, Run, Rudolph" has been added to the finale of the show.