Daniel Baker News

Christina Applegate ('Up All Night') will join the panel as a guest judge and the show will feature a spectacular performance from Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.

The judges of SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE announced the Top 20 finalists who will compete to be named America's Favorite Male and Female Dancer. This season's Top 20 finalists are: Girls - Alexa Anderson, Lindsay Arnold, Witney Carson, Audrey Case, Janaya French, Eliana Girard, Amber Jackson, Janelle Issis, Amelia Lowe and Tiffany Maher; and Boys - Daniel Baker, Nick Bloxsom-Carter, Cole Horibe, Matthew Kazmierczak, Dareian Kujawa, George Lawrence II, Brandon Mitchell, Cyrus Spencer, Will Thomas and Chehon Wespi-Tschopp.

Jose Rivera, the Obie Award-winning playwright and Academy Award nominee (The Motorcycle Diaries) will move from the page to the stage when he joins the cast of his play Massacre (Sing to Your Children), having its world premiere at Rattlestick Playwrights Theater (224 Waverly Place - off Seventh Avenue South, between Perry & West 11th Streets), it was announced today.

Jose Rivera, the Obie Award-winning playwright and Academy Award nominee (The Motorcycle Diaries) will move from the page to the stage when he joins the cast of his play Massacre (Sing to Your Children), having its world premiere at Rattlestick Playwrights Theater (224 Waverly Place - off Seventh Avenue South, between Perry & West 11th Streets), it was announced today. Mr. Rivera will play Erik, the character created by original cast member Adrian Martinez, who is leaving the production due to an imminent film commitment.

The Brown University/Trinity Rep MFA Programs present Slawomir Mrozek's TANGO, directed by Shana Gozansky (Brown/Trinity Directing MFA '12). Performances are May 3 through May 13 in the Citizens Bank Theater, Pell Chafee Performance Center, 87 Empire St., Providence. Tickets are $12 (general admission) and $6 (students and seniors), and are now on sale at the Trinity Rep box office at 201 Washington Street in Providence, by phone at (401) 351-4242, and online at www.trinityrep.com.

The Ceremony for the Seventh Annual Kevin Kline Awards took place last night at the Loretto-Hilton Theater, honoring productions in St Louis from 2011. We've got the full list of nominees and winners below.

The Huntington Theatre Company's production of MA RAINEY'S BLACK BOTTOM completes August Wilson's Century Cycle, ten plays that reflect the African-American experience in America by the decade throughout the 20th century. Yvette Freeman (NBC's ER) is a force of nature in the title role, and local actor Jason Bowen captivates as the hotheaded young trumpeter who personifies the Zeitgeist.

Rattlestick Playwrights Theater has announced the cast and creative team for the world premiere of Massacre (Sing to Your Children), by Obie Award-winning playwright Jose Rivera, directed by Brian Mertes. Performances will begin Wednesday, April 4th at Rattlestick Theater (224 Waverly Place - off Seventh Avenue South, between Perry & West 11th Streets). The official opening night is set for Thursday, April 12th. The production is scheduled to run through May 12th.

The New Victory Theater presents The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Laura Eason, adapted from the Novel by Mark Twain.

The Independent Reviewers of New England (IRNE) Awards recognize the extraordinary wealth of talent in the Boston theatre community, and this year's nominations have just been announced. IRNE Reviewers include among others David Brooks Andrews, Sheila Barth, Jules Becker, Kay Bourne, Beverly Creasey, Shirley Esthimer, Richard Fahey, Guy Giampapa, Norm Gross, Nancy Grossman, Bryce Lambert, Beatrice Lee, Kilian Melloy and Larry Stark.

The New Victory Theater presents The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Laura Eason, adapted from the Novel by Mark Twain.

One of the most belovedcharacters of American literature comes to life in an imaginative new adaptation of Mark Twain's The Adventures of Tom Sawyer at Kansas City Repertory Theatre. Twain's enduring paean to the joys of childhood is adapted for the stage by Laura Eason and directed by Jeremy B. Cohen. The production runs January 20-February 12 at Spencer Theatre in the James C. Olson Performing Arts Center on the UMKC campus.

One of the most belovedcharacters of American literature comes to life in an imaginative new adaptation of Mark Twain's The Adventures of Tom Sawyer at Kansas City Repertory Theatre. Twain's enduring paean to the joys of childhood is adapted for the stage by Laura Eason and directed by Jeremy B. Cohen. The production runs January 20-February 12 at Spencer Theatre in the James C. Olson Performing Arts Center on the UMKC campus.

Dallas Theater Center launches its 2011-2012 season with Shakespeare's beloved final play, The Tempest, at the Dee and Charles Wyly Theatre at the AT&T Performing Arts Center Sept. 9 - Oct. 9.

Chautauqua Theater Company Artistic Directors Vivienne Benesch and Ethan McSweeny announce the first production of CTC's 28th season: Anton Chekhov's Three Sisters, translated by Paul Schmidt.

California Symphony unveils a World Premiere by internationally-recognized composer Cindy Cox in its upcoming concert, to be helmed by guest conductor George Cleve. The new work by Cox is an orchestral piece for the entire symphony with extra timpani, entitled En espiral. The program also includes the Flute Concertino, op. 107, D major by French composer Cécile Chaminade, Concerto for Clarinet and Viola, op. 88, E minor by Max Bruch, and Antonín Dvo?ák's Symphony No. 7, op. 70, D minor. This concert will be performed 4:00 pm, Sunday, March 6, 2011 at The Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Center Drive, Walnut Creek. For tickets and information the public can call (925) 943-7469 or visit www.californiasymphony.org.

California Symphony unveils a World Premiere by internationally-recognized composer Cindy Cox in its upcoming concert, to be helmed by guest conductor George Cleve. The new work by Cox is an orchestral piece for the entire symphony with extra timpani, entitled En espiral. The program also includes the Flute Concertino, op. 107, D major by French composer Cécile Chaminade, Concerto for Clarinet and Viola, op. 88, E minor by Max Bruch, and Antonín Dvo?ák's Symphony No. 7, op. 70, D minor. This concert will be performed 4:00 pm, Sunday, March 6, 2011 at The Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Center Drive, Walnut Creek. For tickets and information the public can call (925) 943-7469 or visit www.californiasymphony.org.

The Yale Repertory Theatre presents Danai Gurira's ECLIPSED previews began, October 24th, and the show opened October 29th. The cast features Pascale Armand, Zainab Jah, Adepero Oduye, Stacey Sargeant, and Shona Tucker.

Hartford Stage has announced casting for Elyzabeth Gregory Wilder's gospel play Gee's Bend, which will begin performances Jan. 14, 2010. The production, directed by Hana Sharif (2009-2010 Aetna New Voices Fellow, Rise and Fall of Day; Elliott, A Soldier's Fugue), will run through February 14, 2010. Official opening night is January 20.

The Yale Repertory Theatre presents Danai Gurira's ECLIPSED previews began, October 24th, and the show opened October 29th. The cast features Pascale Armand, Zainab Jah, Adepero Oduye, Stacey Sargeant, and Shona Tucker.