Christina Ricci News

Classic Stage Company, under the leadership of Artistic Director Brian Kulick and Executive Director Greg Reiner announced today that acclaimed/awarding winning actresses Judy Kuhn and Melissa Errico will star as Fosca and Clara in the company's new production of Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine's Tony Award-winning musical PASSION, to be directed by John Doyle (the Tony Award-winning revivals of Sondheim's Sweeney Todd and Company). PASSION is slated to begin performances in February, 2013. Additional casting will be announced in the coming weeks and months, as well as full creative team. PASSION opened on Broadway in May of 1994 and received the Tony Award that year for Best Musical.

Classic Stage Company, under the leadership of Artistic Director Brian Kulick and Executive Director Greg Reiner, will present its sold-out Open Rehearsal Series with Monday Night ANTONY & CLEOPATRA, featuring a company of seasoned actors and directors as they explore the text over three consecutive Monday nights beginning April 16 with Stephanie Roth Haberle and Sam Tsoutsouvas, directed by Brian Kulick; followed by Laila Robbins as Cleopatra on April 23, directed by Craig Baldwin; and finally on April 30, Kim Cattrall as Cleopatra and Anthony Heald as Antony, directed by Brian Kulick. While all three evenings are sold-out, a waiting list will form each evening at 7 pm in the lobby.

Pan Am actress Christina Ricci has teamed up with online charity auctions website Charitybuzz to help raise funds for Communities in Schools. She is auctioning a pair of tickets to A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM and promises to meet the winners after the show. Bidding closes on March 30.

Nominations for the 57th Annual Drama Desk Awards will be announced at a news conference on Friday, April 27, 2011, at 9:30 AM at Feinstein's at the Loews Regency, 540 Park Avenue at 61st Street, in Manhattan. A continental breakfast will be available at 8:45 AM. Drama Desk winners Donna Murphy and Brian d'Arcy James will announce the nominations in the various categories. In addition, there will be remarks by Drama Desk President Isa Goldberg, Drama Desk Awards Executive Producer Robert R. Blume and new Drama Desk Awards Executive Producer Gretchen Shugart, Nominating Committee Chairperson Barbara Siegel and Randie Levine-Miller, Drama Desk Director of Special Events, who annually produces this event.

Classic Stage Company's upcoming production of Bertolt Brecht's GALILEO (translated by Charles Laughton) starring Academy Award winner F. Murray Abraham closes on Sunday, March 18.

Broadway veteran Brian d'Arcy James stopped by NBC's New York Live to discuss SMASH. Find out what he has to say about what's to come this season and about his upcoming films in the interview below!

Classic Stage Company, under the leadership of Artistic Director Brian Kulick, has announced that Greg Reiner will join the acclaimed Off-Broadway theater as its new Executive Director beginning March 19. Reiner comes to CSC after an extremely successful tenure as Executive Director of Tectonic Theater Project, where, among many other achievements, he produced the world premiere of The Laramie Project: Ten Years Later in 150 theaters on a single night, and oversaw the Tony nominated Broadway production of 33 Variations. Reiner succeeds Jessica R. Jenen, who departed CSC in the fall.

Q'VIVA! THE CHOSEN, the first-of-its-kind docu-journey series showcasing Latin music and dance, and featuring entertainment icon Jennifer Lopez, international music star Marc Anthony and world-renowned concert director Jamie King, will premiere Saturday, March 3 (8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX, and will continue with two-hour episodes for five weeks until its grand finale Saturday, April 7 (8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT).

Today we are talking to a stand-up comedienne celebrated for her caustic wit, erudite political humor and illuminating social observations who has also made a name for herself over the last two decades as an actress by appearing in over 100 feature films and television shows, including recurring roles on the TV series SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE, THE BEN STILLER SHOW, THE LARRY SANDERS SHOW and 24, as well as her film resume, ranging from roles in ROMY & MICHELE'S HIGH SCHOOL REUNION to WET HOT AMERICAN SUMMER to REALITY BITES, COP LAND, THE CABLE GUY, NOW AND THEN and many more - the one and only Janeane Garofalo. In addition to a twenty-year career retrospective, touching upon many of her most notable big screen and small screen appearances - sharing comments on many of her favorite colleagues and co-stars along the way - Garofalo also opens up about the theatrically attuned work she has previously done - such as HBO's THE LARAMIE PROJECT - and, most importantly, fills us in on the new play she is starring in for The New Group, RUSSIAN TRANSPORT, directed by Scott Elliott. Besides all about RUSSIAN TRANSPORT, her character in it and the political and social issues the new original play bravely tackles, Garofalo shares her enthusiasm for her newfound experiences in the theatre world and her intention of pursuing a theatre career further. Also, she clues us in on her upcoming film projects, BAD PARENTS and GENERAL EDUCATION, and offers her classic views on current politics as only she can, in her own delightfully droll and ingratiatingly idiosyncratic fashion - plus, much, much more!

Classic Stage Company's production of Bertolt Brecht's GALILEO (translated by Charles Laughton) starring Academy Award winner F. Murray Abraham, runs through Sunday, March 18. The official press opening for GALILEO is tonight, Thursday, February 23 at CSC (136 East 13th Street). GALILEO is directed by CSC's Artistic Director Brian Kulick. Ceck out just-released production shots below!

Q'VIVA! THE CHOSEN, the first-of-its-kind docu-journey series showcasing Latin music and dance, and featuring entertainment icon Jennifer Lopez, international music star Marc Anthony and world-renowned concert director Jamie King, will premiere Saturday, March 3 (8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX, and will continue with two-hour episodes for five weeks until its grand finale Saturday, April 7 (8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT).

Looking for a quick roundup of this week's events? Look no further - here are some of the best articles the week had to offer!

Classic Stage Company has announced complete casting for their upcoming production of Shakespeare's A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM, which begins previews at CSC on Wednesday, April 4 for a limited engagement through Sunday, May 20. Joining two-time Tony Award winner Bebe Neuwirth (Hippolyta/Titania) and acclaimed film/television/stage star Christina Ricci (Hermia) in the cast are Jordan Dean (Demetrius), Nick Gehlfuss (Lysander), David Greenspan (Flute/Fairy), Halley Wegryn Gross (Helena), Anthony Heald (Theseus/Oberon), Erin Hill (Starveling/Fairy), Chad Lindsey (Snout/Fairy), Taylor Mac (Egeus/Puck), James Patrick Nelson (Snug/Fairy), Steven Skybell (Bottom) and Rob Yang (Quince/Fairy). Directed by Tony Speciale (Unnatural Acts), A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM has its official opening Sunday, April 29.

Classic Stage Company's upcoming production of Bertolt Brecht's GALILEO (translated by Charles Laughton) starring Academy Award winner F. Murray Abraham, which begins previews Tuesday evening, February 1, will extend by one additional week through Sunday, March 18.

Classic Stage Company, under the leadership of Artistic Director Brian Kulick, will next season present new production of Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine's Tony Award-winning musical PASSION, to be directed by John Doyle (the Tony Award-winning revivals of Sondheim's Sweeney Todd and Company). PASSION is slated to begin performances in February, 2013.

Melissa McCarthy will be honored with an Oscar Wilde award at the popular Irish party held during Oscars week. She joins Michelle Williams as an honoree at the seventh annual "Oscar Wilde: Honoring the Irish in Film" which will on be held on February 23rd at Bad Robot, JJ Abrams' Santa Monica production company.

Classic Stage Company, under the leadership of Artistic Director Brian Kulick, will present Academy Award winner F. Murray Abraham in a new production of Bertolt Brecht's GALILEO, translated by Charles Laughton, and directed by Kulick, beginning performances Wednesday, February 1 at CSC (136 East 13th Street) for a limited engagement through Sunday, March 11. The official press opening for GALILEO is Sunday, February 12. Tickets for GALILEO go on sale to the public today, Tuesday, January 3.

BEL AMI is coming to theaters on March 2, 2012. The film is based on the french novel by Guy de Maupassant. It is produced by Uberto Pasonlini with a screenplay by Rachel Bennette and is being directed by Declan Donnellan and Nick Ormerod.

Classic Stage Company, under the leadership of Artistic Director Brian Kulick, has announced that acclaimed actress Christina Ricci will join two-time Tony Award winner Bebe Neuwirth in the company's upcoming production of William Shakespeare's A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM. Directed by Tony Speciale, A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM will begin performances Wednesday, March 28 and play a limited engagement through Sunday, May 6. Neuwirth will play the role of Titania and Ricci the role of Hermia. Additional casting will be announced early in the new year. Tickets will go on sale to the general public February 6. CSC is currently presenting the highly-acclaimed, sold-out production of Anton Chekhov's THE CHERRY ORCHARD (through January 8 only) and will next present Academy Award winner F. Murray Abraham in Bertolt Brecht's GALILEO, directed by Brian Kulick, beginning performances Wednesday, February 1.

Starting today, television audiences can fly PAN AM at no cost with all nine available episodes from the first season of the ABC network drama available for free on the iTunes store at www.itunes.com/PanAm. The series soundtrack, PAN AM: Music From and Inspired By the Original Series, also debuts on iTunes today with two free songs.