David Ives News

Although operetta wasn't completely on its way out when Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II brought Music In The Air to Broadway in 1932, the popularity of the genre was indeed waning a bit as jazzy and witty scores by the likes of George and Ira Gershwin, Rodgers and Hart and Cole Porter dominated the decade's theatre music. But the creators of Show Boat, just five years earlier, weren't done quite yet.

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.

Winners of the 2009 Richard Rodgers Awards for Musical Theater were announced today by the American Academy of Arts and Letters, which administers the Rodgers Awards. They are: Cheer Wars by Karlan Judd and Gordon Leary Rosa Parks by Scott Ethier and Jeff Hughes

Philadelphia Theatre Company will present the world premiere of Terrence McNally's newest play The Golden Age as part of its 2009-2010 season. Following its run in Philadelphia, the PTC production will move to the Kennedy Center as part of its 'Terrence McNally's Nights at the Opera' Festival.

Broadway's most talked about new musical and the biggest Tony Award-winner in years is coming to Cleveland. Spring Awakening, the 8-time Tony Award? winning Broadway musical, will open at PlayhouseSquare's PalaceTheatre and play for 16 performances, March 3-15. Spring Awakening is part of the KeyBank Broadway Series at PlayhouseSquare. Spring Awakening swept the 2007 Tony Awards? winning eight out of its eleven nominations, including Best Musical, Best Director (Michael Mayer), Best Book (Steven Sater), Best Choreography (Bill T. Jones), Best Orchestrations (Duncan Sheik), Best Lighting Design (Kevin Adams), Best Featured Actor (John Gallagher Jr.).

Evolution of a Relationship is a collection of short plays that document the relationships between a man and a woman all through their lives - with pieces by some of the best comedic playwrights - Peter Stone & Carl Reiner, David Ives, George Herman, Aaron Loeb and Robert Anderson.

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.

The producers of Blithe Spirit are pleased to announce the show will play The Shubert Theatre (225 West 44th Street). Rehearsals are scheduled to begin Monday, January 26, 2009 with the first performance on Thursday, February 26, 2009.

Full calendar of events, photos of recent performances, audio, video and more at Emelin.org. All in the Timing Six One-Act Comedies by David Ives $20; Seniors, non-Purchase college students $15; Purchase students, staff and faculty $5 Feb 27 & 28 @ 7:30 pm, Feb 28 & Mar 1 @ 2 pm This delightful and clever collection of short farces makes for one of the funniest evenings in the history of modern theatre. The metaphysics of Philadelphia, Leon Trotsky, esperanto, and monkeys with typewriters all inspire Ives's hilarious imagination in this witty, side-splitting off-Broadway hit. Presented by the Purchase Repertory Theatre, Conservatory of Theatre Arts & Film, Purchase College, SUNY.

Evolution of a Relationship is a collection of short plays that document the relationships between a man and a woman all through their lives - with pieces by some of the best comedic playwrights - Peter Stone & Carl Reiner, David Ives, George Herman, Aaron Loeb and Robert Anderson.

Lakewood Theatre Company will celebrate its 56th anniversary season. Season tickets for the 2009 season are on sale now and prices range from $140.00 - $150.00. Performances are Thursday -Saturday at 8:00 PM, Sundays at 7:00 PM and some Sunday matinees at 2:00 PM. Season tickets can be purchased at the LTC Box Office at 368 S. State Street in Lake Oswego. Box Office hours are 9-5 weekdays and 10-4 on Saturdays. Call 503-635-3901 to charge your order by phone. Tickets may also be purchased on line beginning April 15th at http://www.lakewood-center.org

The 13th Arrondissement of Paris by Mat Smart (directed by Lisa Adler) will be performed at the Horizon Theatre Company from February 13 - March 15, 2009.Three couples in search of their perfect love! In this charming and theatrical romantic comedy, 28-year old Vincent is in love with his girlfriend, Annie. They?re committed and comfortable and Vincent can?t imagine spending his life with anyone else. And yet ... his worry sends him on an impulsive visit to his late grandparents? apartment in the 13th Arrondissement of Paris, carrying only a suitcase of their surprising love letters in hopes of discovering something about his own love. Now in its 25th season, Horizon Theatre Company has been bringing exciting area and world premieres of contemporary plays to Atlanta's audiences under the leadership of Co-Artistic Directors and Founders Lisa and Jeff Adler since 1983. A professional theatre with a reputation for excellent ensemble acting, Horizon produces outstanding new plays by today's playwrights that reflect and challenge the lives of the diverse people living in the urban Southeast. Horizon has introduced Atlanta audiences to the works of such well-known contemporary playwrights as Rebecca Gilman, Wendy Wasserstein, David Hare, Terrence McNally, and David Ives, as well as plays by talented emerging writers.

Broadway's most talked about new musical and the biggest Tony Award?-winner in years is coming to the Fabulous Fox Theatre in St. Louis. Spring Awakening, the 8-time Tony Award? winning Broadway musical, will play a two-week engagement from February 10-22, 2009. Curtain times for the U.S. Bank Broadway Series presentation are Tuesdays through Fridays at 8 p.m.; Saturdays at 2 & 8 p.m.; Sunday, February 15 at 2 & 7:30 p.m.; and Sunday, February 22 at 2 p.m. There is also a weekday matinee on Thursday, February 19 at 1 p.m.

Kern and Hammerstein's Music in the Air, the second Encores! production of New York City Center's 2008-09 season, concluded its limited run yesterday, Sunday, February 8th. Music in the Air, a rarely seen 1932 musical, was directed by Gary Griffin with music direction by Rob Berman and choreography by Michael Lichtefeld. The production ran for five performances at City Center, West 55th Street (between 6th and 7th Avenues). BroadwayWorld's camera caught the final curtain call of the Encores! treat. The cast includes Kristin Chenoweth, Douglas Sills, Dick Latessa, Marni Nixon, Tom Alan Robbins, Sierra Boggess, Walter Charles, Anne L. Nathan, David Schramm, Ryan Silverman and Robert Sella. Music in the Air, with music by Jerome Kern, book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II and orchestrations by Robert Russell Bennett, has been restored by the Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization and has not been seen in New York in its original form since its premiere Broadway engagement at the Alvin Theatre in 1932. Opening on November 8th of that year, it played for 342 performances in a production directed by the authors. A revised version had a brief revival at the Ziegfeld Theatre in 1951. Music in the Air is a musical romance, with the wit and elegance of an Ernst Lubitsch film. It's the story of a Bavarian music teacher (Robbins), his beautiful young daughter (Boggess), and the daughter's suitor (Silverman), who travel to the big, bad city of Munich where they encounter a cast of self-involved, egotistical theater folk who promise them fame, fortune and romance. Kristin Chenoweth and Douglas Sills play a Diva (Chenoweth) and an egotistical operetta librettist (Sills) who take the young couple under their wings (and claws). Songs include 'I've Told Ev'ry Little Star' and 'The Song Is You.' Photos by Walter McBride/Retna Ltd.

Today's Broadway Blogs on BroadwayWorld.com from Friday, February 6, 2009.

Amicus productions have come up with A Flea In her Ear that tickles the funny bone. * * * 1/2 (out of 5)

Jean Cheever and Tom Polum, producers of The Toxic Avenger, announced today that casting is complete for the upcoming new musical about New Jersey's first superhero. Joining the previously announced Nancy Opel are Sara Chase, Nick Cordero, Demond Green and Matt Saldivar. Ms. Opel, Mr. Cordero and Mr. Green all starred in the George Street Playhouse production of the show, while Ms. Chase appeared in the initial workshop production. Tony Award-winner John Rando directs. Featuring book and lyrics by Joe DiPietro (I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change) and music by David Bryan (Bon Jovi), The Toxic Avenger will begin performances on Wednesday, March 18, 2009, at New World Stages (340 West 50th Street). Opening Night is set for Monday, April 6th.

After a lengthy hiatus, Douglas Sills is jumping back into New York's theatre scene in perhaps the most challenging way imaginable: appearing in a leading role in an Encores production.

Primary Stages (Casey Childs, Founder & Executive Producer; Andrew Leynse, Artistic Director; Elliot Fox, Managing Director) has announced its upcoming 25th anniversary season of new works offering a 3-play series celebrating female playwrights. The 2009-2010 Season will see the world premiere of A Lifetime Burning by Cusi Cram, and the New York premieres of Happy Now? by Lucinda Coxon, and Night Watcher by Charlayne Woodard at Primary Stages at59E59 Theaters (59 East 59 th Street). In a statement, Casey Childs, Founder & Executive producer, said, 'Primary Stages hasalways had a commitment to playwrights and we have been lucky to help nurture andenjoy the success of many extraordinary women writers. We are thrilled to premiere these new works by these three playwrights as a way to celebrate our 25th Anniversary.