Circle in the Square News

Today Thursday, July 7, open call auditions for the first-ever Broadway revival of Stephen Schwartz's landmark rock musical GODSPELL took place at The Actors Chapel in midtown Manhattan. Thousands of hopefuls showed up for their chance to participate in the historic revival. BroadwayWorld was on hand for the chaos and brings you photo coverage below!

The Colony Theatre is thrilled to present the second production of its 37th season of shows - its first ever with six productions instead of five! Hal Linden & Christina Pickles will star in the classic, ON GOLDEN POND, written by Ernest Thompson and directed by Cameron Watson (Trying, Grace and Glorie).

Artistic Director BJ Jones and Executive Director Timothy J. Evans announce the first show of Northlight's 2010-2011 season, Snapshots, a new show described by the authors as a 'musical scrapbook,' that includes some of the best-loved music and lyrics by the creator of Wicked, Godspell, Pippin! and Working.

Barrington Stage Company (BSC), under the leadership of Julianne Boyd, Artistic Director, and Tristan Wilson, Managing Director, launched an iCritic Booth during the first week of performances for their hit production of 'Guys and Dolls'.

The 40th Anniversary production and first-ever Broadway revival of Stephen Schwartz's landmark rock musical GODSPELL will begin preview performances Thursday, October 13, 2011 at Circle in the Square Theatre (1633 Broadway at 50th Street). Directed by Daniel Goldstein and choreographed by Tony Award nominee Christopher Gattelli (South Pacific), Opening Night is Monday, November 7 (7 p.m.).

Lynne Meadow (Artistic Director) and Barry Grove (Executive Producer), announced that Manhattan Theatre Club, by special arrangement with Jon B. Platt and Scott Landis, will produce the Broadway premiere of VENUS IN FUR, the play by David Ives directed by Tony Award winner Walter Bobbie featuring Tony Award nominee Nina Arianda reprising her acclaimed breakthrough performance. VENUS IN FUR will begin performances Thursday, October 13 at MTC's Samuel J. Friedman Theatre (261 West 47th Street) in a limited engagement. A November opening night for the production will be announced shortly.

Theodore Mann and Paul Libin, on behalf of Circle in the Square Theatre, paid tribute to playwright Eugene O'Neill on Saturday with a special plaque placed on the former site of the Golden Swan (also known as the Hell Hole), one of O'Neill's inspirations for Harry Hope's saloon in 'The Iceman Cometh.'

Think you've got what it takes to perform in a great big Broadway show? Here's your chance! On Thursday, July 7, 2011, open call auditions for the first-ever Broadway revival of Stephen Schwartz's landmark rock musical GODSPELL are set to begin at 10 a.m. at The Actors Chapel in midtown Manhattan (239 West 49th Street, between Broadway and 8th Avenue). Auditions will continue until 5 p.m.

According to published reports, stage and screen star Peter Falk passed away in his Beverly Hills home yesterday, He was 83 years old. As stated by his rep, 'Peter Falk is survived by his wife, Shera, of 34 years and two daughters from a previous marriage.'

Barrington Stage Company's Musical Theatre Lab, under the leadership of Tony Award-winning composer/lyricist William Finn, Musical Theatre Lab Artistic Producer, Julianne Boyd, Artistic Director, and Tristan Wilson, Managing Director, presents the world premiere of Mormons, Mothers and Monsters, a quirky new musical with book and lyrics by Sam Salmond and music by Will Aronson.

Barrington Stage Company, the award-winning theatre in Downtown Pittsfield, MA, under the leadership of Artistic Director Julianne Boyd and Managing Director Tristan Wilson, presents Lee Blessing's Going to St. Ives, from June 22 through July 9 at BSC Stage 2.

DreamWorks Theatricals and Neal Street Productions, Ltd. are pleased to announce that SHREK THE MUSICAL with book and lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire and music by Jeanine Tesori, directed by Jason Moore and Rob Ashford, will play DeVos Performance Hall, for one week only, June 21-26, 2011.

Barrington Stage Company, the award-winning theatre in Downtown Pittsfield, MA, under the leadership of Artistic Director Julianne Boyd and Managing Director Tristan Wilson, presents Lee Blessing's Going to St. Ives, from June 22 through July 9 at BSC Stage 2.

Guys and Dolls, the ‘musical fable of Broadway', kicks off Barrington Stage Company's 2011 Mainstage Season for a five-week run through July 16. The award-winning regional theatre in downtown Pittsfield celebrates its 17th season in the Berkshires under the leadership of Julianne Boyd, Artistic Director, and TriStan Wilson, Managing Director. Directed by Tony Award-winner John Rando (Urinetown), the Guys and Dolls press opening is Sunday, June 19 at 5pm.

Antony Sher, reprising his role as Phillip Gellburg, and Tara Fitzgerald as Sylvia Gellburg will star in the Tricycle's critically acclaimed production of Arthur Miller's Olivier Award winning Broken Glass. Following a sell out run at the Tricycle Theatre in 2010, Broken Glass, directed by Iqbal Khan, will return for a limited season at the Tricycle from 10 August until 10 September, before transferring to the Vaudeville Theatre.

Barrington Stage Company and the Berkshire Visitors Bureau are excited to offer ½ TIX again in 2011, a program administered through a partnership between the two organizations. Now celebrating its 10th year, the ½ TIX program offers half-priced tickets to residents and visitors in the Berkshire community. Patrons can buy same-day half-priced tickets to cultural events at area ½ TIX Booths June 17 through September 4, 2011.

A story of creation, love, hate, adventure (and sex), The Rocky Horror Show is the musical that created a sensation, spawning the cult film which is still running 35+ years after its premiere in 1975, earning it the title of the longest-running theatrical release in film history.

INTAR (Lou Moreno, Artistic Director/John McCormack, Executive Director) will present Drawn and Quartered, a new play by Maggie Bofill, directed by Lou Moreno, beginning performances Off-Broadway Wednesday June 1st, and continuing through June 26th only, at INTAR's theater space (500 West 52nd Street, at Tenth Avenue, on the 4th Floor).

Having designed the stage sets for the Broadway productions of THE 25th ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE, LOVEMUSIK, JAY JOHNSON: TWO AND ONLY, SONDHEIM ON SONDHEIM, ROCK OF AGES, and his Tony-nominated work on THE SCOTTSBORO BOYS this season, through his revolutionary and spare designs Beowulf Boritt has positioned himself as one of the most creative and sought-after stage innovators of the twenty-first century. Discussing all aspects of the Off Broadway and Broadway productions of THE SCOTTSBORO BOYS and tracing the progress of the design of the show from inspiration to model to actual set, we also discuss some of his past accomplishments - working with the great directors Hal Prince, James Lapine, SCOTTSBORO's Susan Stroman, and Lynne Taylor-Corbett; the latter his collaborator on THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS with the New York City Ballet last month - and some enticing new productions he is developing and has coming up in the near future - PARADISE FOUND, REEL-TO- REAL, THE TOXIC AVENGER in Houston, THE TEMPEST in Dallas, the ROCK OF AGES tour and West End mounting, THE SCOTTSBORO BOYS in San Diego, and more!

Today we are featuring one of Broadway's most accomplished and charismatic leading men who has solidified himself as one of the premiere theatrical interpreters of our age in his performances on Broadway in both musicals and plays, off-Broadway and even in Shakespeare-In-The-Park productions: Raul Esparza. Mr. Esparza can certainly do it all and even though he has yet to take home a Tony Award of his own, he has enacted two of the most memorable recent performances on the yearly telecast: first, in his Broadway debut role as Riff Raff in the 2000 revival of THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW and, most recently, performing a full-bodied, soul-bared "Being Alive" from COMPANY. So, let's take a look back at those two unforgettable performances and perhaps surprise or two, as well!