David Ives News

'If musical theatre doesn't address important issues, who will?,' read a t-shirt I spotted at the Broadway Flea Market several years ago. And while America's theater history is rich with important issue addressing musical dramas like Show Boat and Ragtime, when Finian's Rainbow hit Broadway in 1947 it was pretty much unheard of for a musical comedy to have its main plot centered on attacking institutionalized racism.

Philadelphia Theatre Company announces its 2009-2010 mainstage season, highlighted by a world premiere by Terrence McNally, a Tony Award-winning musical and a pre-Broadway production. Expanding to a five-play series, the season features the world premiere of Terrence McNally's Golden Age, the six-time Tony Award-winning Broadway musical The Light in the Piazza by Craig Lucas and Adam Guettel, Lorenzo Pisoni's multi-award winner Humor Abuse, August Wilson's first major play Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, the dark comedy thriller Mauritius by Theresa Rebeck, and a special summer comedy revue, City of Nutterly Love: Funny as Bell!, co-produced with Chicago's The Second City.

The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey continues its 2009 Season with American playwright Lillian Hellman's compelling work, The Little Foxes beginning performances on June 3 and continuing through June 28 at the Shakespeare Theatre's Main Stage - The F. M. Kirby Shakespeare Theatre, 36 Madison Avenue at Lancaster Road in Madison.

George Feydeau's comic romp A Flea in Her Ear opens in previews tonight at Kansas City Repertory Theatre. It is the final play of the Rep's 2008-09 season, Eric Rosen's first year as artistic director. Opening night for A Flea in Her Ear is Friday, May 22; the show runs through June 7. Tony-nominated director Gary Griffin directs a new adaptation by David Ives that brings a fresh edge to the classic comedy.

New Village Arts (NVA), Carlsbad's award-winning professional theatre, has announced its' Ninth Season of programming. Executive Artistic Director Kristianne Kurner and Managing Director Alex Scollon are thrilled to announce the new season, along with expansion plans for NVA in its current location. In Season 9, New Village Arts continues to explore the human experience, this time focusing on the amazing workings of the mind. All areas are covered - from genius, to neurological afflictions, to the power of love. With two regional premieres, two American classics and three thought-provoking comedies, Season 9 is New Village Arts' most exciting and ambitious season yet!

Auditions for the second show in Pioneer Theatre Company's 2009- 2010 Season, Is He Dead? will be held on Friday, June 5th, 2009 from 12 noon to 4:00 p.m. Noon to 1 p.m. is reserved for AEA (Equity) members only, but AEA members may sign up for any time slot. Callbacks will be the morning of Saturday, June 6th, 2009; the time will be announced. Auditions will be held in Room 245 at the Simmons Pioneer Memorial Theatre. Auditioners will be required to read from the script.

Intrigue, innuendo and mistaken identities are stock and trade for French farce. Georges Feydeau's comic romp A Flea in Her Ear at Kansas City Repertory Theatre, May 15-June 7, brims with satire, hilarity and mischievous schemes, thanks to Tony-nominated director Gary Griffin and a new adaptation by David Ives that brings a fresh edge to the classic comedy.

Two-time Tony Award winner BEBE NEUWIRTH (Chicago, Sweet Charity) will perform excerpts from her acclaimed solo concert Stories With Piano to benefit off-Broadway's esteemed Classic Stage Company on Monday evening, June 8 at Twenty Four Fifth (24 Fifth Avenue at 10th Street).

The Beck Center for the Arts is proud to announce its 2009/2010 professional theater season featuring many crowd favorites and laughs on the Mackey Main Stage.

WaterTower Theatre (WTT) and Producing Artistic Director Terry Martin are proud to announce the 2009-2010 season for WTT's Main Stage Series. WTT's thirteenth season promises to entertain and engage audiences with rousing musicals, classic dramas, side-splitting comedies and highly anticipated regional premieres.

WaterTower Theatre (WTT) and Producing Artistic Director Terry Martin are proud to announce the 2009-2010 season for WTT's Main Stage Series. WTT's thirteenth season promises to entertain and engage audiences with rousing musicals, classic dramas, side-splitting comedies and highly anticipated regional premieres. The season will consist of six fully-staged productions as well as the highly successful Out of the Loop Fringe Festival.

The stage will brighten with Philadelphia Theatre Company's mainstage season finale Grey Gardens, book by Doug Wright, music by Scott Frankel, and lyrics by Michael Korie, on May 22 - June 28 at the Suzanne Roberts Theatre (Broad and Lombard Streets). Directed by Lisa Peterson, the ensemble cast features Todd Almond, Cole Burden, Kim Carson, Maggie Fitzgerald, Joy Franz, James Ijames, John Jellison, Anastasia Korbal, and Hollis Resnik.

The West Coast premiere of a newly discovered comedy by the master of American humor is next up at International City Theatre. ICT artistic director Shashin Desai directs Is He Dead?, adapted by David Ives from a play by Mark Twain that remained unpublished and unproduced for over 100 years. The four-week run takes place at ICT's home in the Long Beach Performing Arts Center, May 1 through May 24. Low-priced previews begin April 28.

Today's Broadway Blogs on BroadwayWorld.com from Sunday, March 29, 2009.

And Her Hair Went With Her by Zina Camblin and directed by Thomas W. Jones II will be performed at the Horizon Theatre Company from March 27 - April 26, 2009.

Classic Stage Company, under the leadership of Artistic Director Brian Kulick and Executive Director Jessica R. Jenen, will present THE PROUST PROJECT, a new adaptation series featuring a set of staged readings based on Marcel Proust's Remembrance of Things Past. On four successive Monday evenings beginning March 23, CSC will present staged-readings of works inspired by Proust, giving audiences a unique guided tour through one of the 20th Century's greatest novels. Audiences may enjoy each reading as an independent evening or experience them together as a cycle.

Dramatists Guild Of America's President John Weidman, Vice President Marsha Norman, Secretary David Ives and Treasurer Jonathan Reynolds have all announced that they are stepping down from their positions. Composer/lyricist Stephen Schwartz has been selected to become the new President, while Peter Parnell will take over as Vice president, Doug Wright as Secretary, and Theresa Rebeck as Treasurer.

Philadelphia Theatre Company shines a hot spotlight on comedy by offering some cool entertainment this summer. PTC collaborates with the legendary Second City comedy theatre to create a world premiere revue running July 8 through August 2, 2009. The improv troupe's lauded wit, irreverence and audience interaction will be showcased in a hilarious spoof of all things 'Philadelphia'.

Philadelphia Theatre Company shines a hot spotlight on comedy by offering some cool entertainment this summer. PTC collaborates with the legendary Second City comedy theatre to create a world premiere revue running July 8 through August 2, 2009. The improv troupe's lauded wit, irreverence and audience interaction will be showcased in a hilarious spoof of all things 'Philadelphia'.

From March 13 - April 19, 2009 Lakewood presents the classic French farce A Flea In Her Ear by Georges Feydeau (a sparkling new translation by David Ives) on the Headlee Mainstage at Lakewood Center for the Arts.