George Milton News

Good morning, BroadwayWorld! Because we know all our readers eat, sleep and breathe Broadway, what could be better than waking up to it? Today's big news: Laura Benanti, Jane Krakowski and Phylicia Rashad return to the stage -- plus, it's St. Patrick's Day!

Grammy-nominated, internationally acclaimed artist Ute Lemper's collaboration with renowned best-selling author Paulo Coelho, The 9 Secrets, is available now via Steinway & Sons. In celebration, Lemper will perform the piece in its entirety in a fully staged production at Symphony Space in New York City on May 13, tickets and information here.

Turkeys are on-sale at your local supermarket, so there's no better way to know Thanksgiving is just around the corner - yep, less than two weeks away! - which means that local theater companies will be unleashing their holiday season productions with enough productions of A Christmas Story (both the musical and the play), It's A Wonderful Life and Ebenezer Scrooge-led shows that you could shake a stick at!

Halloween's all done in, there are still three weeks ahead before we officially give thanks, and Christmas - and all its accompanying frenzy and frivolity - is about seven weeks away! So what's there to do for all the theatrical types jonesing for a trip to make believe? Plenty! Theater companies all over middle Tennessee are showing off their best and brightest, with a number of eagerly anticipated shows opening this weekend and/or continuing from their earlier opening nights and next Tuesday there's a sparkling new Broadway musical swinging through Music City to entertain you…

In Of Mice and Men, writer John Steinbeck relates the tale of two lifelong friends whose hard-scrabble lives are played out against the backdrop of the Great Depression: two men whose bleak existence is made even more challenging by the cruel realities of the world at that time. Since its publication in 1937, Steinbeck's slim novella has inspired artists to offer different interpretations of the story - to varying degrees of success, to be certain - including numerous film versions, a Carlisle Floyd opera, ballets and stage productions, including a recent Broadway run and, closer to home, a production now onstage from Middle Tennessee's oldest community theater organization.

The Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center will present a live panel discussion with the producing team behind Broadway's Of Mice and Men in conjunction with the HD broadcast of the play by National Theatre Live tonight, December 20.

The Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center will present a live panel discussion with the producing team behind Broadway's Of Mice and Men in conjunction with the HD broadcast of the play by National Theatre Live on Saturday, December 20. The pre-screening panel will take place onstage at the Mahaiwe starting at 7:00pm, followed by the 8:00pm broadcast. Panelists will include Broadway Producer David Binder, Marketing Director/Associate Producer Eric Schnall, Steinbeck Estate Representative Elizabeth Winick Rubinstein, and Executive Producer/General Manager Wendy Orshan, who will serve as moderator.

It is a solid retelling of a classic with enough good elements to warrant seeing it. And it's OF MICE AND MEN. I wouldn't miss that for the world.

The Texas Rep Theatre Co., Houston's Uptown Classic Theatre, continue to celebrate its 10th anniversary season with John Steinbeck's American classic Of Mice and Men. Chosen by audiences as one of The Texas Repertory Theatre's 'greatest hits', Of Mice & Men opens tonight, October 17th, and will run 4 performances a week through November 9th.

The Texas Rep Theatre Co., Houston's Uptown Classic Theatre, continue to celebrate its 10th anniversary season with John Steinbeck's American classic Of Mice and Men. Chosen by audiences as one of The Texas Repertory Theatre's "greatest hits", Of Mice & Men previews on October 16th, opens on October 17th, and will run 4 performances a week through November 9th.

The Texas Rep Theatre Co., Houston's Uptown Classic Theatre, continue to celebrate its 10th anniversary season with John Steinbeck's American classic Of Mice and Men. Chosen by audiences as one of The Texas Repertory Theatre's "greatest hits", Of Mice & Men previews on October 16th, opens on October 17th, and will run 4 performances a week through November 9th.

The New Hampshire Theatre Awards have announced the finalists for both the professional and community productions for 2013. Each year these awards recognize the talent and dedication necessary to produce outstanding theatrical productions across the state.

As BroadwayWorld reported last week, John Steinbeck's OF MICE AND MEN will be heading to Broadway beginning (tentatively) Saturday, March 22, 2014, with an opening night slated for Thursday, April 17, 2014. The show is set to run through Sunday, July 27, 2014. The play will be directed by Anna D. Shapiro. James Franco has just confirmed in an interview with US Weekly that he will lead the production as 'George', and Chris O'Dowd (Bridesmaids, Girls) will costar as 'Lennie.' Additional casting has not yet been announced.

Now according to the New York Times, the production will be led by James Franco as 'George', who has been long rumored to be involved with the revival. Though no one has signed on to play 'Lennie', Chris O'Dowd (Bridesmaids, Girls) is in talks to make his Broadway debut in the role. Additional casting has not yet been announced.

BroadwayWorld received an Equity auditions notice today for John Steinbeck's OF MICE AND MEN, which will be heading to Broadway beginning (tentatively) Saturday, March 22, 2014, with an opening night slated for Thursday, April 17, 2014. The show is set to run through Sunday, July 27, 2014. The play will be directed by Anna D. Shapiro.

Hudson Theatre Works, New Jersey's newest Equity theatre company, will begin its inaugural season with John Steinbeck's classic tale of friendship and compassion, Of Mice and Men. It is scheduled to run Thursdays thru Sundays, tonight, April 5th - 21st, at the historic Park Performing Arts Center (www.parkpac.org), 560 32nd Street, Union City, New Jersey, evenings at 8PM and matinees at 2PM.

Hudson Theatre Works, New Jersey's newest Equity theatre company, will begin its inaugural season with John Steinbeck's classic tale of friendship and compassion, Of Mice and Men. It is scheduled to run Thursdays thru Sundays, April 5th - 21st, at the historic Park Performing Arts Center (www.parkpac.org), 560 32nd Street, Union City, New Jersey, evenings at 8PM and matinees at 2PM. Tickets are $25 each with senior and student discounts available.

Hudson Theatre Works, New Jersey's newest Equity theatre company will begin it's inaugural season with John Steinbeck's classic tale of friendship and compassion, Of Mice and Men. It is scheduled to run Thursdays thru Sundays, April 5th - 21st, at the historic Park Performing Arts Center (www.parkpac.org), 560 32nd Street, Union City, New Jersey, evenings at 8PM and matinees at 2PM. Tickets are $25 each with senior and student discounts available.