Chris Jones News

North Coast Repertory Theatre Presents: The Sequel to Over the Tavern King O' the Moon By Tom Dudzick Directed by Matt Thompson

Walter Stearns, Executive Director of the Mercury Theater, 3745 N. Southport Ave., announced today that the acclaimed Route 66 Theatre Company's production of A TWIST OF WATER, which has enjoyed a sold out run at Theater Wit, will transfer to the Mercury Theater previewing April 14, re-opening May 1 for a limited engagement through June 5th.

The new Broadway musical Baby It's You! tells the inspiring story of Florence Greenberg, the woman who changed the recording world forever when she discovered The Shirelles and created Scepter Records, becoming the music industry's first female powerhouse. Starring Tony Award winner Beth Leavel as Greenberg, conceived by Floyd Mutrux, directed by Floyd Mutruxand Sheldon Epps, and written by Tony nominated book writers Mutrux and Colin Escott, the team behind Broadway's Million Dollar Quartet, Baby It's You! began performances at Broadway's Broadhurst Theatre (235 West 44th Street) Saturday, March 26, 2011, and opens TONIGHT, April 27, 2011, at 6:30pm. Baby It's You! features a cast of 19 that includes Allan Louis, Geno Henderson, Erica Ash, Kelli Barrett, Kyra DaCosta, Crystal Starr Knighton, Barry Pearl, Christina Sajous, Brandon Uranowitz,Alison Cimmet, Erica Dorfler, Berlando Drake, Adam Heller, Jahi A. Kearse, Annette Moore, Zachary Prince, Ken Robinson and Chelsea Morgan Stock.

Walter Stearns, Executive Director of the Mercury Theater, 3745 N. Southport Ave., announced today that the acclaimed Route 66 Theatre Company's production of A TWIST OF WATER, which has enjoyed a sold out run at Theater Wit, will transfer to the Mercury Theater previewing April 14, re-opening May 1 for a limited engagement through June 5th.

The Scooty & JoJo Show and Metro present the comic rock spectacle, Alien Queen: The Concert, on Friday, May 13 at Metro. Tickets are on sale now at the Metro box office and metrochicago.com.

Ben Stiller, Edie Falco and Jennifer Jason Leigh star in the Broadway revival of John Guare's comedic masterpiece THE HOUSE OF BLUE LEAVES, directed by David Cromer. THE HOUSE OF BLUE LEAVES, a strictly limited 16-week engagement opened tonight, April 25, 2011 at the Walter Kerr Theatre!

North Coast Repertory Theatre Presents: The Sequel to Over the Tavern King O' the Moon By Tom Dudzick Directed by Matt Thompson

At the outbreak of World War I, Joey, young Albert's beloved horse, is sold to the cavalry and shipped to France. He's soon caught up in enemy fire, and fate takes him on an extraordinary odyssey, serving on both sides before finding himself alone in no man's land. But Albert (played by Seth Numrich) cannot forget Joey and, still not old enough to enlist, he embarks on a mission to find him and bring him home. Did the show bring home accolades? Find out now!

Walter Stearns, Executive Director of the Mercury Theater, 3745 N. Southport Ave., announced today that the acclaimed Route 66 Theatre Company's production of A TWIST OF WATER, which has enjoyed a sold out run at Theatre Wit, will transfer to the Mercury Theater previewing April 14, re-opening May 1 for a limited engagement through June 5th.

North Coast Repertory Theatre Presents: The Sequel to Over the Tavern King O' the Moon By Tom Dudzick Directed by Matt Thompson

THE MOTHERF**KER WITH THE HAT is a new high-octane, verbal cage match about love, fidelity, and misplaced haberdashery from playwright Stephen Adly Guirgis. Jackie and Veronica have been in love since the 8th grade. But now, Jackie is on parole and living clean and sober under the guidance of his sponsor, Ralph D, while still living and loving with his volatile soul mate Veronica who is fiercely loving, but far from sober. Still, their love is pure. And true. Nothing can come between them - except a hat. Did the show earn critics' tip of the hat? Find out now!

CATCH ME IF YOU CAN opened on Broadway Sunday, April 10, 2011 at the Neil Simon Theatre. This new musical, created by a team of Tony winners, features a book by Terrence McNally, music by Marc Shaiman, lyrics by Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman, choreography by Jerry Mitchell and is directed by Jack O'Brien. CATCH ME IF YOU CAN is based on the book and hit 2002 DreamWorks film of the same name directed by Stephen Spielberg with screenplay by Jeff Nathanson and book by Frank Abagnale, Jr.

The Scooty & JoJo Show and Metro premiere the new comic rock spectacle, Alien Queen: The Concert, 9pm on Friday, May 13th, 2011, at Metro, 3730 N. Clark St. Chicago, IL

BENGAL TIGER AT THE BAGHDAD ZOO - a finalist for the 2010 Pulitzer Prize in Drama - a tiger haunts the streets of present day Baghdad seeking the meaning of life. As he witnesses the puzzling absurdities of war, the tiger encounters Americans and Iraqis who are searching for friendship, redemption and a toilet seat made of gold. So does BENGAL TIGER AT THE BAGHDAD ZOO have a golden touch? Let's find out.

North Coast Repertory Theatre Presents: The Sequel to Over the Tavern King O' the Moon By Tom Dudzick Directed by Matt Thompson

The national tour of the new Broadway musical comedy THE ADDAMS FAMILY, based on the bizarre and beloved family of characters created by legendary cartoonist Charles Addams, announces the first leg of its tour route through the New Year. Launching on September 15 at the Mahalia Jackson Theater for the Performing Arts in New Orleans, the national tour of THE ADDAMS FAMILY will visit: New Orleans, LA 9/15 - 9/24 Mahalia Jackson Theater for the Performing Arts St. Louis, MO 9/27 - 10/9 The Fabulous Fox Theatre Charlotte, NC 10/11 - 10/16 Ovens Auditorium Tampa, FL 10/18 - 10/23 David A. Straz, Jr. Center for the Performing Arts Miami, FL 10/25 - 10/30 Adrienne Arsht Center Orlando, FL 11/1 - 11/6 Bob Carr Performing Arts Centre West Palm Beach, FL 11/8 - 11/13 The Raymond Kravis Center for the Performing Arts Toronto, ON 11/16 - 11/27 Toronto Centre for the Arts Schenectady, NY 11/29 - 12/4 The Proctors Theatre Buffalo, NY 12/6 - 12/11 Shea's Performing Arts Center Chicago, IL 12/13 - 1/1 The Cadillac Palace Theatre The production will continue on to more than 30 cities in the U.S. and Canada in 2011 and 2012, including Houston, Boston, Hartford, Durham, Baltimore, Cleveland, St. Paul, San Diego, Los Angeles, Washington D.C., Pittsburgh and more. Additional cities will be announced in the coming weeks. For more information, please visit www.TheAddamsFamilyMusical.com. THE ADDAMS FAMILY, entering its second year on Broadway, began performances in March 2010 at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre and immediately became one of Broadway's biggest hits, regularly grossing over $1 million a week. To date, it has grossed over $59 million. Prior to Broadway, the musical grossed $12,031,010 during 8 weeks at the Oriental Theatre in Chicago, becoming the most successful pre-Broadway engagement in that city's history (a city that also hosted the world premieres of such huge successes as The Producers and Spamalot). Chris Jones of the Chicago Tribune described the production as "classic, full-tilt, fast paced, old-fashioned musical comedy!" and John Simon of Bloomberg News called it "uproarious! A glitzy-gloomy musical entirely worthy of the macabre drawings by Charles Addams." THE ADDAMS FAMILY features a book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice, and music and lyrics by Andrew Lippa. The production is directed and designed (sets and costumes) by Phelim McDermott and Julian Crouch with creative consultation by Jerry Zaks and choreography by Sergio Trujillo. The production features lighting design by Natasha Katz, sound design by Acme Sound Partners and puppetry by Basil Twist. The production also features music supervision by Mary-Mitchell Campbell, orchestrations by Larry Hochman, dance arrangements by August Eriksmoen, hair design by Tom Watson, make-up design by Angelina Avallone and special effects design by Greg Meeh. THE ADDAMS FAMILY features an original story. It's every parent's nightmare. Your little girl has suddenly become a young woman, and what's worse, has fallen deliriously in love with a sweet, smart young man from a respectable family. Yes, Wednesday Addams, the ultimate princess of darkness, has a "normal" boyfriend, and for parents Gomez and Morticia, it's a shocking development that turns the Addams house upside down when they are forced to host a dinner for the young man and his parents. In a prolific career spanning six decades, Charles Addams created several thousand cartoons, sketches and drawings, many of which were published in The New Yorker. But it was his creation of characters that came to be known as The Addams Family that brought Addams his greatest acclaim. With a unique style that combined the twisted, macabre and just plain weird with charm, wit and enchantment, Addams' drawings have entertained millions worldwide and served as the inspiration for multiple television series and motion pictures. THE ADDAMS FAMILY is produced on Broadway by Stuart Oken, Roy Furman, Michael Leavitt, Five Cent Prods., Stephen Schuler, Decca Theatricals, Scott M. Delman, Stuart Ditsky, Terry Allen Kramer, Stephanie P. McClelland, James L. Nederlander, Eva Price, Jam Theatricals/Mary Lu Roffe, Pittsburgh CLO/Gutterman-Swinsky, Vivek Tiwary/Gary Kaplan, The Weinstein Co./Clarence, LLC and Adam Zotovich/Tribe Theatricals, by special arrangement with Elephant Eye Theatrical. For more information on THE ADDAMS FAMILY, visit Uwww.theaddamsfamilymusical.comU. For tour booking information, please contact Meredith Blair at The Booking Group (212) 869-9280 mblair@thebookinggroup.com

Walter Stearns, Executive Director of the Mercury Theater, 3745 N. Southport Ave., announced today that the acclaimed Route 66 Theatre Company's production of A TWIST OF WATER, which has enjoyed a sold out run at Theatre Wit, will transfer to the Mercury Theater previewing April 14, re-opening May 1 for a limited engagement through June 5th.

HOW TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS WITHOUT REALLY TRYING opened on Sunday, March 27, 2011, at Broadway's Al Hirschfeld Theatre. So did the critics fall in love with the 50th Anniversary production of HOW TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS WITHOUT REALLY TRYING? Let's find out...

THE BOOK OF MORMON opened Thursday, March 24 at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre. THE BOOK OF MORMON features book, music and lyrics by Trey Parker, Robert Lopez and Matt Stone. Parker and Stone are the four-time Emmy Award-winning creators of Comedy Central's landmark animated series, 'South Park.' Tony Award-winner Lopez is co-creator of the long-running hit musical comedy, Avenue Q. The world premiere musical is choreographed by three-time Tony Award-nominee Casey Nicholaw (Monty Python's Spamalot, The Drowsy Chaperone) and directed by Nicholaw and Parker.

Following smash hit productions in Australia, London and Toronto, PRISCILLA QUEEN OF THE DESERT THE MUSICAL began previews on Broadway on February 28 and opened on March 20th. PRISCILLA QUEEN OF THE DESERT THE MUSICAL stars Tony Award® nominee Will Swenson, Olivier Award nominee Tony Sheldon and Nick Adams as the trio of friends on a heart-warming, uplifting road trip of a lifetime who hop aboard a battered old bus searching for love and friendship in the middle of the Australian outback and end up finding more than they could ever have dreamed.