Douglas Carter Bean News

Maine State Music Theatre (MSMT) is presenting the New England premiere of XANADU, playing July 20 - August 6 at the Pickard Theater in Brunswick.

Dallas Theater Center proudly presents The Wiz at the Dee and Charles Wyly Theatre at the AT&T Performing Arts Center July 8 - August 7. Dallas Theater Center Artistic Director Kevin Moriarty will direct the first-ever collaboration between Dallas Theater Center and Dallas Black Dance Theatre.

Rising Action Theatre announced its 2011-2012 Fifth Anniversary Season. Five plays and musicals, celebrating the diversity and promoting tolerance through the theatre arts, will comprise the Season, beginning in September.

Brooklyn's award-winning Off-Off Broadway theatre celebrates its 45th season beginning September 2011.

Dallas Theater Center proudly presents The Wiz at the Dee and Charles Wyly Theatre at the AT&T Performing Arts Center July 8 - August 7. Dallas Theater Center Artistic Director Kevin Moriarty will direct the first-ever collaboration between Dallas Theater Center and Dallas Black Dance Theatre.

RISING ACTION THEATRE ANNOUNCES AUDITIONS FOR TWO FALL PRODUCTIONS - 'AS BEES IN HONEY DROWN' and 'THRILL ME' Audition Dates: Monday, July 11 - 7 pm - 10 pm Wednesday, July 13 - 6 pm - 7:30 pm (Call Backs to follow at 7:30 pm) Appointments not required.

Cape Rep Theatre will continue its 26th Season on July 28 with the Regional Premiere of Xanadu. Dani Davis will direct with choreography by Todd Underwood and musical direction by Scott Sotrr.

SISTER ACT features an original score with music by multi-Academy, Grammy and Golden Globe Award-winning composer Alan Menken (Little Shop of Horrors, Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid and Enchanted), lyrics by Tony and Academy Award-nominee Glenn Slater (The Little Mermaid), and a book by multi-Emmy Award winners Cheri and Bill Steinkellner ('Cheers') with additional book material by Tony and Olivier Award nominee Douglas Carter Beane (Xanadu, The Little Dog Laughed).

Fortunately, Toby's has the right Kira in Heather Marie Beck. In her game willingness to clown rather than just be pretty and sound lovely, she reminds me a bit of Cameron Diaz. I will long treasure the memory of her staggering along, one skate on and one skate off, as she doggedly makes her escape from a too-importunate Sonny. Beck may know, and we may know, that the character looks ridiculous, but the character doesn't know; that's real comedy.

President Barack Obama was in New York City yesterday to begin fundraising for his 2012 re-election campaign. As part of the visit, he invited potential endorsers to a performance of SISTER ACT as part of an event hosted by producer Whoopi Goldberg. Tickets for the special performance and evening event ranged from $250 to $10,000 (the latter of which includes a photo shoot with the President). Click below to hear from the President following the show, praising the performance and discussing equal rights and the challenges and hope facing our future.

Transport Group, the Drama Desk and OBIE award-winning theatre company has announced that The Patsy, written by Barry Conners, performed by five-time OBIE Award winner David Greenspan, and directed by four-time Drama Desk Award nominee Jack Cummings III, will begin performances Friday, July 15, at 7:30pm at The Duke on 42nd Street, a New 42nd Street® project, 229 West 42 Street. The opening is scheduled for Sunday, July 24, at 7:30pm.

Following a critically acclaimed season which included the World Premiere of Lynn Nottage's hit comedy, By the Way, Meet Vera Stark, Second Stage Theatre has announced three of the four mainstage productions in the company's upcoming 33rd season.

The Public Theater (Artistic Director, Oskar Eustis; Interim Executive Director, Joey Parnes) is proud to announce that acclaimed playwright Kristoffer Diaz will be the first recipient of The Gail Merrifield Papp Fellowship. The Fellowship, announced at The Public Theater's Gala on Monday night which honored Gail Merrifield Papp for her lifelong service and dedication to The Public Theater, was created to support a playwright every season.

Dallas Theater Center is pleased to announce it is commissioning two new works from playwright Kristoffer Diaz in collaboration with The Public Theater.

Producers Whoopi Goldberg and Stage Entertainment have announced full details and casting for the first ever UK & Ireland tour of the hit musical comedy SISTER ACT, which will open at the Manchester Opera House on Thursday 29 September with a Gala night for Press on Tuesday 4 October.

Michael Riedel reports in today's New York Post that the Off-Broadway hit musical LYSISTRATA JONES, which closes on Friday at the Judson Memorial Church is hoping to move to Broadway (with a search led by General Manager Alan Wasser) in the fall with a budget between $6-7 million at a small house, ideally the Broadhurst or the Walter Kerr.

No Way To Treat a Lady, the award-winning musical comedy thriller by Douglas J. Cohen, returns to the stage this summer for a two week run at Cape Cod's legendary summer theatre, The Cape Playhouse in Dennis, MA.

The 2011 Tony Awards were celebrated last night, June 12, at the Beacon Theatre in Manhattan! BroadwayWorld was of course on hand for the red carpet bring you photos of all of the stars. Below, we bring you the first part of the complete red carpet coverage!

We're just hours away from the 2011 Tony Awards on CBS this Sunday night, June 12 at 8pm and, as usual, BroadwayWorld.com will be your one-stop shop for all things Tonys on Tony Day, Night and Beyond!

When Aristophanes premiered the knockabout comedy, Lysistrata, in 411 B.C., his tale of women denying sex to their husbands until they ended the Peloponnesian War was an irreverent protest against then-contemporary politics.  In their giddily fun and sexy musical update, Lysistrata Jones, bookwriter Douglas Carter Beane and composer/lyricist Lewis Flinn ditch the anti-war hoopla in favor of college basketball hoops.  At first it seems a lot sillier - the girlfriends of an apathetic team stop putting out until they win a game - but then evolves into neat little explorations of self-esteem, self-discovery and the importance of non-sexual connections in romantic relationships.  I'm not saying they delve into Sondheimish depths here, but this twist to the story adds a refreshingly original and unexpected angle to an already immensely enjoyable show.