Craig Lucas News

Aurora Theatre Company presents the World Premiere of lauded Chicago playwright Joel Drake Johnson's THE FIRST GRADE. Aurora Theatre Company Artistic Director Tom Ross directs this new play from Johnson, whom The Chicago Reader declared 'balances gallows humor with acute insight and compassion. He creates characters so real you wonder what will happen to them after the final blackout.' Featuring Julia Brothers and Warren David Keith, along with Rebecca Schweitzer, Paul Santiago, Tina Sanchez, and Adrian Anchondo, THE FIRST GRADE plays January 22-February 28 at the Aurora Theatre in Berkeley.

Playwrights Horizons (Tim Sanford, Artistic Director; Leslie Marcus, Managing Director) continues its 2009/2010 Season with the World Premiere of A COOL DIP IN THE BARREN SAHARAN CRICK, a new play by Kia Corthron (Breath, Boom at Playwrights Horizons/PH, Force Continuum), directed by Obie Award winner Chay Yew (Durango at The Public).

Full casting is set for the upcoming Arena Stage musical The Light in the Piazza, book by Craig Lucas, music and lyrics by Adam Guettel, based on the novel by Elizabeth Spencer.

Playwrights Horizons (Tim Sanford, Artistic Director; Leslie Marcus, Managing Director) is now accepting entries for its popular LIVEforFIVE online lottery for $5 tickets to the World Premiere of CLYBOURNE PARK, a new play by Bruce Norris (The Pain and the Itch at Playwrights Horizons/PH 2006-2007 Season).

Rattlestick Playwrights Theater continues its 15th anniversary season with the world premiere of Blind, by Craig Wright (The Pavilion, Lady). Directed by Lucie Tiberghein (The Pavilion, Geometry of Fire), performances begin Wednesday, February 17th, 2010. Opening night is Thursday, February 25th at 7pm. The show is scheduled to run through Sunday, March 21st, 2010.

In January, South Africa's master dramatist comes back to Berkeley Repertory Theatre with his latest show: Coming Home.

Acclaimed soprano Nina Stemme returns to the Met for the first time in nine years, adding the demanding title role of Ariadne auf Naxos to her company repertoire.

In January, South Africa's master dramatist comes back to Berkeley Repertory Theatre with his latest show: Coming Home.

Olivier Award Winner Lesli Margherita (ZORRO - West End) returns to the Los Angeles stage with an encore performance of her solo show ALL HAIL THE QUEEN (THE REIGN CONTINUES).

MCC Theater (Robert LuPone, Bernard Telsey, Artistic Directors; William Cantler, Associate Artistic Director; Blake West, Executive Director) has announced complete casting for the company's third and final production of their 2009-2010 season, Beth Henley's Family Week, directed by Jonathan Demme.

Rod Gilfry, who had taken a hiatus from SOUTH PACIFIC to play Captain Von Trapp in Paris' Theatre du Chatelet's THE SOUND OF MUSIC, will return to his role as 'Emile de Becque' on January 19 when the next leg of the SOUTH PACIFIC tour makes its stop in Melbourne, Florida.

Roundabout Theatre Company in association with Long Wharf Theatre is pleased to announce the full company for Tennessee Williams' play The Glass Menagerie, directed by Gordon Edelstein with Patch Darragh (Tom Wingfield), two-time Tony® Award winner Judith Ivey (Amanda Wingfield), Keira Keeley (Laura Wingfield), Michael Mosley (Jim O'Connor).

Meet the 'broads' of Millennium Manor. Broadway veterans Ivonne Coll (Tony-nominated Chronicle of Death Foretold), June Gable (Tony nominee for Candide), Leslie Easterbrook (original Broadway production of California Suite), and Barbara Niles (Jesus Christ Superstar) are four ladies of 'a certain age' in a sparkling new musical with book by Jennie Fahn and toe-tapping music and lyrics by Joe Symon.

Tony Award-winning actress Karen Ziemba, Long Wharf Theatre favorite John Procaccino, Yale School of Drama graduate Erica Sullivan and Broadway performer Jacob Ming-Trent will be in Long Wharf Theatre's production of Sylvia, by state resident A.R. Gurney, directed by Associate Artistic Director Eric Ting.

Dynamic tenor José Cura sings the title role of Verdi's rarely performed Stiffelio, the composer's daring opera about faith, jealousy, and redemption.

The Yale Institute for Music Theatre (Mark Brokaw, Artistic Director; Beth Morrison, Producer) will select three original music theatre works to receive two-week workshops in New Haven June 13-27, 2010. Submissions will be accepted November 1, 2009 through January 11, 2010.

THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA, winner of 6 Tony Awards, will makes it's Canadian debut on January 30 by the Acting Up Stage Theater Company. The show will perform Jan. 30-Feb. 21 at the Berkeley Street Theatre Downstairs in Toronto.

Off-Broadway's Abingdon Theatre Company continues its 17th Season with the world premiere of PHANTOM KILLER. A new thriller by Jan Buttram, author of 'Texas Homos'

Variety reports that stage and screen star Rosemarie DeWitt has been cast alongside Kate Hudson and Gael Garcia Bernal Earthbound for Film Department.

Dynamic tenor José Cura sings the title role of Verdi's rarely performed Stiffelio, the composer's daring opera about faith, jealousy, and redemption.