Dennis Kelly News

Roundabout Theatre Company's national tour of the 2011 Tony Award-winning Anything Goes will complete 13 months of "Education@Roundabout" on the road with a student Postcard Production Workshop on Thursday, November 14 in Greenville, SC. Anything Goes will play at the Peace Center in Greenville, SC through November 17, 2013.

Manhattan Theatre Club's American premiere of TAKING CARE OF BABY by Tony Award winner Dennis Kelly will begin performances tomorrow, Tuesday, November 5. Directed by Erica Schmidt (Humor Abuse), the cast features Francois Battiste(Magic/ Bird), Reed Birney (Blasted, Our Leading Lady), Kristen Bush (Kin, The Common Pursuit), Tony nominee Amelia Campbell (A Streetcar Named Desire, Our Country's Good), Margaret Colin (The Columnist, "Gossip Girl"), Michael Crane(Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson off-Broadway), Ethan Phillips (Golden Age) and Zach Shaffer ("Smash").

The South Australian premiere of the award-winning play Orphans by Dennis Kelly is to be staged by Bluefruit Theatre at the Bakehouse Theatre on Angas Street from 7 November. As well as bringing together a talented, professional ensemble, Bluefruit has also collaborated with charity workers and young offenders to create a confronting piece of art that looks set to challenge and move audiences far more than an average night out at the theatre.

Steep Theatre Company's 13th Season began in grand fashion on October 3rd with the North American Premiere of Motortown by Olivier Award-winning playwright Simon Stephens. The show has now been extended through November 23rd.

When Tim Minchin and Dennis Kelly's musical MATILDA, based on Roald Dahl's novel by the same name, first leapt across the pond most assumed that the Broadway cast would not get a cast recording. However, this production has been full of surprise announcements like Bertie Carvel reprising his role as Miss Trunchbull and the addition of an overture and pre-show curtain. Garnering positive notices when it opened on Broadway, the MATILDA (Original Broadway Cast Recording) does a great job capturing the spirit of the clever and spunky show.

Menagerie Theatre Company in association with Theatre503 will present highlights from this years' HotbEd Cambridge Festival of New Writing with a season entitled HOTBED FESTIVAL DOUBLE BILL. Headlining will be Steve Waters' (Bush Theatre, Donmar) new one-act play WHY CAN'T WE LIVE TOGETHER? - exploring the lives of an ordinary couple sketched against the backdrop of the extraordinary world events from 2000-2013. The production will run at Theatre503, above the Latchmere in Battersea, from today, 15 October to 9 November 2013.

Craig Bierko, who began performances on September 17 in the role of Miss Trunchbull in Matilda The Musical, has temporarily exited the show due to an injury. A show representative told NYT: 'Due to a shoulder injury which delayed his start in 'Matilda the Musical' and which has been aggravated during performance, Craig Bierko will be taking a 12-week disability leave from the production. At this time, understudies Chris Hoch and Ben Thompson will be playing Miss Trunchbull.'

Paines Plough celebrates its 40th year in 2014. Under the artistic leadership of James Grieve and George Perrin, the company today announces a taster of the work to come across its anniversary year - the company's most ambitious programme to date.

Manhattan Theatre Club has announced full casting for the American premiere of Taking Care of Baby by Dennis Kelly and directed by Erica Schmidt. Joining previously announced cast members Reed Birney (Blasted, Our Leading Lady), Kristen Bush (Kin, The Common Pursuit), Tony nominee Amelia Campbell (A Streetcar Named Desire, Our Country's Good) and Margaret Colin (The Columnist, 'Gossip Girl'), are Francois Battiste (Magic/ Bird), Michael Crane (Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson off-Broadway), Ethan Phillips (Golden Age) and Zach Shaffer ('Smash').

Manhattan Theatre Club has announced that due to overwhelming demand, THE COMMONS OF PENSACOLA, the world premiere play currently in rehearsals at MTC, is extending an additional three weeks. The limited engagement, which begins previews on Tuesday, October 22 in advance of a Thursday, November 21 opening at New York City Center - Stage I (131 West 55th Street), must close on Sunday, January 26. This is the last possible extension for the production.

Steep Theatre Company's 13th Season will begin in grand fashion tonight, October 3rd with the North American Premiere of Motortown by Olivier Award-winning playwright Simon Stephens. The production will be directed by Steep Artistic Associate and two-time Jeff Nominated director Robin Witt. The Stephens-Witt playwright- director tandem has proven a winner in the past at Steep, resulting in two of the more memorable shows in recent Chicago theater history: Harper Regan and Pornography. Motortown will be the first Simon Stephens production in Chicago since he received the 2013 Olivier Award for Best New Play for The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night. The production is also Ms. Witt's first Steep offering since her 2012 hit production of Dennis Kelly's Love and Money.

Steep Theatre Company's 13th Season will begin in grand fashion on October 3rd with the North American Premiere of Motortown by Olivier Award-winning playwright Simon Stephens. The production will be directed by Steep Artistic Associate and two-time Jeff Nominated director Robin Witt. The Stephens-Witt playwright-director tandem has proven a winner in the past at Steep, resulting in two of the more memorable shows in recent Chicago theater history: Harper Regan and Pornography. Motortown will be the first Simon Stephens production in Chicago since he received the 2013 Olivier Award for Best New Play for The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night. The production is also Ms. Witt's first Steep offering since her 2012 hit production of Dennis Kelly's Love and Money.

Single tickets to the American premiere of TAKING CARE OF BABY, the new play by Dennis Kelly, directed by Erica Schmidtpresented as part of The Studio at Stage II - Harold and Mimi Steinberg New Play Series at New York City Center - Stage II(131 West 55th Street) are available today, Monday, September 30. The play will begin previews on Tuesday, November 5 and open Tuesday, November 19.

Dennis Kelly, who plays Elisha Whitney in Roudabout Theatre Company's ANYTHING GOES national tour, has a local connection to Orange County. He attended Chapman University in the 1960s and just yesterday visited his alma mater. He spoke with advance acting students during his visit to assistant professor Jonathan Pope Evans' class. Scroll down for photos from his visit!

The national tour of Roundabout Theatre Company's ANYTHING GOES, the new Broadway revival of Cole Porter's timeless classic musical theatre masterpiece, recently made its Orange County premiere at Segerstrom Center for the Arts as part of the Curtain Call Series, now playing through September 29. Yesterday, some of the cast stopped by GDLA to offer up some tap dance lessons, check out the segment below!

Broadway Records/Yellow Sound Label's original Broadway cast recording of the Tony Award-winning MATILDA THE MUSICAL is now available for digital download and will be available at the Shubert Theatre beginning tomorrow, September 27, 2013. The CD will be available in stores on Tuesday, October 22, 2013. The album can be pre-ordered at www.BroadwayRecords.com.

After almost a year of touring North America, the Roundabout Theatre Company's buoyant Tony Award-winning revival of ANYTHING GOES has finally docked its madcap ship of lunatics at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa for a shamefully-short one-week engagement through September 29. Featuring an incredible lead performance by Broadway vet Rachel York as Reno Sweeney, this old-fashioned crowd-pleaser is, hands-down, one of the most jubilantly entertaining revivals in recent years. It's pure smile-inducing, gimmick-free musical comedy fun.

Costa Mesa is about to get a huge dollop of Cole Porter's winsome musical magic this week when ANYTHING GOES, Roundabout Theatre Company's Tony Award-winning 2011 Revival, finally docks at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Orange County for a limited one-week engagement, September 24-29. The show also serves as the final offering of the Center's 2012-2013 Broadway season. Starring alongside Rachel York (who plays Reno Sweeney) is actor-singer-songwriter Josh Franklin, who recently stepped into the role of Billy Crocker for the show's first national tour. Before setting sail for the O.C., Franklin agreed to be subjected to a few silly rapid-fire questions from BroadwayWorld's Michael Lawrence Quintos.

The national tour of Roundabout Theatre Company's ANYTHING GOES, the new Broadway revival of Cole Porter's timeless classic musical theatre masterpiece, will make its Orange County premiere tonight, September 24 - 29 at Segerstrom Center for the Arts as part of the Curtain Call Series.

Single tickets to Manhattan Theatre Club's world premiere of Harvey Fierstein's CASA VALENTINA, are on sale today, Monday, September 23 at 12PM. Directed by Joe Mantello, CASA VALENTINA will be produced by special arrangement with Colin Callender, Robert Cole, Frederick Zollo and the Shubert Organization. The limited engagement will begin previews on Tuesday, April 1, 2014 and open Wednesday, April 23, 2014 on Broadway at MTC's Samuel J. Friedman Theatre (261 West 47th Street).