Dianne Wiest News

On last night's LATE NIGHT, guest Alan Cumming premiered a sneak peek of his new upcoming Broadway musical HOOVER DAM: THE MUSICAL.

Comedy superstars Tina Fey (“30 Rock,” “SNL”) and Amy Poehler (“Parks and Recreation,” “SNL”) reunite in SISTERS, the uproarious hit coming to Digital HD on March 1, 2016, and Blu-ray, DVD and On Demand on March 15, 2016

Some of Broadway's most talented musical leading ladies will come together in The Ladies Who Sing Sondheim, a gala benefit for Off-Broadway's esteemed Classic Stage Company on Monday, March 14 at Alice Tully Hall (1941 Broadway) helmed by Tony Award winner John Doyle, who will become the company's new Artistic Director in July. The evening will include performances from Sondheim's canon by Victoria Clark (The Light in the Piazza), Cynthia Erivo (The Color Purple), Joaquina Kalukango(The Color Purple), Judy Kuhn (Fun Home, CSC's Passion), Marin Mazzie (Kiss Me, Kate) and Alexandra Silber (Fiddler on the Roof). Additional performers will be announced in the coming weeks.

Roundabout Theatre Company's Noises Off officially opens tonight, January 14, 2016. This is a limited engagement through Sunday, March 6, 2016, on Broadway at the American Airlines Theatre on Broadway. Scroll down to learn more about the cast and watch interviews with the company!

As Helen Sinclair (Emma Stratton) holds her hand over playwright David Shayne's (Michael Williams) mouth (picture above), fans of the 1994 film Bullets Over Broadway are bound to chuckle as they remember the famously unforgettable line spoken by the movie's Helen Sinclair Oscar winner Dianne Weist, 'Don't speak!' Weist, Jennifer Tilly as Olive and Chaz Palminteri as Cheech stole the brilliant film, so when I heard a couple of years ago that they were rehashing this for a Broadway musical, my reaction was 'Sacrilege! Why? Don't tamper with perfection!' Well, they didn't listen to me, obviously, as the musical went forward, and for some sketchy reasons, was a flop on Broadway. Let me tell you, as reluctant as I was to see the musical now onstage at the Pantages through January 24, I am glad I did, for it is actually quite good, with mostly sparkling performances, ingenious choreography recreated from Susan Stroman's original, fabulous costumes by William Ivey Long...and it's faithful to the film. No one dared to touch Woody Allen's uncannily sharp plot, dialogue and laugh lines. Yes, it could have an original score, but what is accomplished with the old standards aiding in moving the story forward, kind of like in Mamma Mia, works damn well. It's fun, ear and eye-filling entertainment!

As a new year begins, Connecticut's professional theater scene offers many exciting viewing opportunities including premieres of new shows as well as some old some old favorites. What shows am I most looking forward to? Here are some tops picks for 2016:

As of today, both Tonya Pinkins and director Brian Kulick have commented on the situation. Read Tonya's full statement (which was referenced in an earlier article) below!

Classic Stage Company's production of Bertolt Brecht's MOTHER COURAGE AND HER CHILDREN, starring Tony Award winner Tonya Pinkins, begins performances tonight, December 9 for a limited engagement through January 24. MOTHER COURAGE AND HER CHILDREN will be directed by Brian Kulick and will feature original music by Tony Award winner Duncan Sheik. The official press opening is Thursday, January 7.

The New Group presents the world premiere of STEVE, a new play by Mark Gerrard. Directed by Cynthia Nixon, this production features Ashlie Atkinson and Francisco Pryor Garat, and as announced, Mario Cantone, Jerry Dixon, Malcolm Gets and Matt McGrath. A limited Off-Broadway engagement plays now through December 27 at The Pershing Square Signature Center (The Romulus Linney Courtyard Theatre, 480 West 42nd Street), with Official Opening Night set for tonight, November 18.

Nixon made her directorial debut last season with The New Group's Rasheeda Speaking. She's back with the company for her sophomore effort.

Gimme a chorus line of gorgeous girls with gams up to here, a tap-dancing mob of darkly handsome wise guys, a serious lady of the theater whose teeth marks may be found all around a stage set - place them amid a whimsical and altogether unbelievable plot as thin as the best of the old-time movie musicals, complete with a score of tuneful hits from the jazz age, then throw 'em a laugh-out-loud funny script by Woody Allen - and I am in musical theater nirvana.

BroadwayWorld is excited to report that Classic Stage Company's production of Bertolt Brecht's MOTHER COURAGE AND HER CHILDREN, starring Tony Award winner Tonya Pinkins, will begin performances Wednesday, December 9 for a limited engagement through January 24. MOTHER COURAGE AND HER CHILDREN will be directed by Brian Kulick and will feature original music by Tony Award winner Duncan Sheik. The official press opening is Thursday, January 7.

The New Group presents the world premiere of STEVE, a new play by Mark Gerrard. Directed by Cynthia Nixon, this production features Ashlie Atkinson and Francisco Pryor Garat, and as announced, Mario Cantone, Jerry Dixon, Malcolm Gets and Matt McGrath. A limited Off-Broadway engagement plays tonight, November 3, through December 27 at The Pershing Square Signature Center (The Romulus Linney Courtyard Theatre, 480 West 42nd Street), with Official Opening Night set for Wednesday, November 18.

After her directorial debut with last season's RASHEEDA SPEAKING, The New Group presents her sophomore effort.

CBS has given a full-season, 22 episode order to LIFE IN PIECES, television's #1 new comedy.

The Old Globe today shared its 2016 Summer Season, which will feature new and familiar works directed by four major American stalwarts. The season features the welcome return of Steve Martin (Bright Star) with the World Premiere of his new play Meteor Shower, an adult comedy, directed by Gordon Edelstein, in a co-production with Long Wharf Theatre, where he serves as Artistic Director. Paul Gordon's musical Sense and Sensibility will have its West Coast premiere, presented in association with Chicago Shakespeare Theater, where it had its world premiere in February 2015, directed by CST Artistic Director Barbara Gaines. The Summer Shakespeare Festival will include Macbeth, directed by Brian Kulick, Artistic Director of Classic Stage Company, and Love's Labor's Lost, directed by three-time Tony Award winner Kathleen Marshall.

Women's Project Theater, under the leadership of Producing Artistic Director Lisa McNulty and Managing Director Maureen Moynihan, has announced the rotating casts for the New York premiere of DEAR ELIZABETH, the inaugural production at the WP's new theatrical home the McGinn/Cazale Theatre, 2162 Broadway (at 76th Street).

Fall in love again with the timeless classic EDWARD SCISSORHANDS and celebrate its 25th anniversary with an all-new beautifully remastered, all-new 4k transfer available everywhere today, October 13.

Brian Kulick will step down as the Artistic Director of Off-Broadway's acclaimed Classic Stage Company following the current 2015-16 season. Kulick will be succeeded by the company's current Associate Director, Tony Award-winner John Doyle. Doyle will assume the position in July of 2016. Kulick, who has led Classic Stage Company for twelve seasons, will direct two of the current season's mainstage productions: Mother Courage and Her Children, starring Tonya Pinkins and Nathan the Wise, starring F. Murray Abraham. Doyle is directing the season's final offering, Peer Gynt.

The second season of Theater Close-Upon THIRTEEN will continue to bring a diverse cross-section of those provocative plays to primetime and online audiences, premiering today, October 1.