David Mamet News

BroadwayWorld.com recently reported that Patti LuPone has been cast on 30 Rock to play the mother 'of Judah Friedlander's... well, um, unique Frank'. NBC has announced that also guesting on the March 5 episode will be John Lithgow.

American Idol runner-up, Justin Guarini, will star in the industry only Equity staged reading of the new musical THE AWAKENING OF ANGEL DeLUNA - with book & lyrics by Judylynn Schmidt, and music & lyrics by Lee Ellis - produced by Kate Griffler on Monday, March 23rd at Theater 80 (80 St. Mark's Place) at 3:00pm & 7:00pm. Tracy Bersley directs and Barbara Anselmi acts as music director.

Speed-The-Plow concludes its limited run today, Sunday, February 22, 2009.

Entertainment Weekly is reporting that Patti LuPone has been cast on 30 Rock to play the mother 'of Judah Friedlander's... well, um, unique Frank'. There's no word on how many episodes LuPone will appear on of the hit show.

Magnolia, Artistic Associate Regina Taylor's world premiere about possibility in the face of seismic social change, takes root at the Goodman this spring, March 14 - April 19, 2009. Directing for the first time at the Goodman, Tony Award winner Anna D. Shapiro helms a cast of 12 led by Academy Award nominee Annette O'Toole (Smallville, A Mighty Wind, 48 Hours) and Tony Award nominee John Earl Jelks (August Wilson's Radio Golf and Gem of the Ocean) in the leading roles of Lily and Thomas. Tickets to Magnolia are $25 - $70. A complete performance schedule including dates, times and ticket prices appears at the end of this release. Target is the lead Corporate Sponsor Partner of Magnolia and Lead Diversity Night Sponsor.

Atlantic Theater Company (Neil Pepe, Artistic Director; Jeffory Lawson, Managing Director) is proud to announce the final production of its 2008-2009 season - the world premiere of Leslie Ayvazian's play MAKE ME, directed by Atlantic associate artistic director Christian Parker. Casting will be announced shortly.

The Phoenix Theatre of Indianapolis will begin its 2008-2009 season with political plays featuring ripped-from-the-headlines content, and will continue the season with the first Indianapolis production of a work by popular Irish playwright Conor McPherson, a world premiere 'mock operetta' by Jack O'Hara, and a Spanish-language production as well as the regional premieres of a number of plays.

The New York Post's Michael Riedel reports this morning that British producer John Gore has been seen scouting out Broadway's Cort Theatre for a possible production of Dario Fo's 'Accidental Death of an Anarchist' which would star Eddie Izzard. The producer is also currently hunting for a director and a writer to do a fresh adaption of the play.

The American Repertory Theatre (A.R.T.) presents the fifth production of its 2008-09 Season: Samuel Beckett?s iconic masterpiece Endgame, directed by Marcus Stern, at the A.R.T.?s Loeb Drama Center, 64 Brattle Street, Cambridge. The production begins performances on Saturday, February 14 and runs through Sunday, March 15; it will be available for press viewing from Wednesday, February 18 at 7:30pm.

Jean Doumanian Productions and Barrow Street Theatre(Scott Morfee and Tom Wirtshafter) today announced that they will produce director David Cromer's acclaimed staging of Thornton Wilder's Our Town at Off Broadway's Barrow Street Theatre. Performances will begin on February 17, with anofficial opening night set for Thursday, February 26. The production will require acomplete redesign of the theater space.

Join celebrated cabaret performer Jamie deRoy when she celebrates Oscar with an evening featuring Academy Award-winning songs and winners as the theme of her Multi MAC Award-winning variety show, Jamie deRoy & friends on Monday, February 16th (7:00PM) at the New York hotspot The Metropolitan Room (34 West 22nd Street - between 5th & 6th Avenues).

The 2008-2009 Reprise Theatre Company season continues with the classic international hit 'Man of La Mancha,' starring Brent Spiner, written by Dale Wasserman with music by Mitch Leigh and lyrics by Joe Darion. The production will be directed by Michael Michetti, co-artistic director of The Theatre at Boston Cout.

Finally appearing together again after their Tony Award? winning performances in Evita, Patti LuPone joins Mandy Patinkin onstage for An Evening with Patti LuPone and Mandy Patinkin. These Broadway legends will bring their critically acclaimed theatre concert to the Fisher Theatre, April 14 -19, 2009.

The 2008-2009 Reprise Theatre Company season continues with the classic international hit 'Man of La Mancha,' starring Brent Spiner as Cervantes/Quixote. Julia Migenes, the renowned opera and theatre performer, will play Aldonza/Dulcinea; Valerie Perri will play the role of Aldonza/Dulcinea at matinee performances; and Tony nominee Lee Wilkof will play Sancho Panza.

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.

Join celebrated cabaret performer Jamie deRoy when she celebrates Oscar with an evening featuring Academy Award-winning songs and winners as the theme of her Multi MAC Award-winning variety show, Jamie deRoy & friends on Monday, February 16th (7:00PM) at the New York hotspot The Metropolitan Room (34 West 22nd Street - between 5th & 6th Avenues).

Center Theatre Group has announced that Bill Pullman and Julia Stiles will appear in David Mamet's 'Oleanna', the third production of the Mark Taper season, replacing the previously announced 'Uncle Vanya.' That production was cancelled due to scheduling conflicts. Tony-winning Broadway director Doug Hughes will stage 'Oleanna,' which is scheduled to run May 28th through July 12th. Opening night is scheduled June 5th.

John Leguizamo, last seen in the ill-fated Broadway revival of David Mamet's American Buffalo, is returning to his downtown roots with a new one man project, 'WORK IN PROGRESS' which he'll debut at the Barrow Street Theatre beginning February 27th. 'WORK IN PROGRESS' will play through March 11th, 2009.

On Tuesday, February 3rd, beloved star of stage and screen Nathan Lane, celebrated his birthday at The Cafe Carlyle in Manhattan by taking in a performance of Christine Ebersole's acclaimed cabaret concert. Ms. Ebersole sang 'Happy Birthday' to Mr. Lane in the style of Marilyn Monroe. Also in attendance at the event were Rupert Everett, Michael Blakemore, Rob Ashford, Chris Noth, Anne Kaufman Schneider (playwright George S. Kaufman's daughter), Scott Wittman and Andrea Martin.

Film and theatre production company Jean Doumanian Productions (August: Osage County) will produce a musical based on Mitchell Zuckoff's acclaimed biography 'Ponzi's Scheme: The True Story of a Financial Legend.' Jean Doumanian Productions will be co-producing the musical with Michael Shulman and Craig Saavedra of Starry Night Entertainment. The two companies jointly acquired the rights to Zuckoff's book for both the stage and film.