Goodman Theatre News

The Harold Ramis Film School ("HRFS") at The Second City announced today that it has partnered with NBC to create the Emerging Voices Scholarship that will be awarded to students from diverse backgrounds to study at the world-renowned comedy film school. Up to four scholarships will be awarded beginning with students from the upcoming fall 2019 class.

TimeLine Theatre Company presents the Chicago premiere of Too Heavy for Your Pocket, which doubles as the Chicago debut of rising young playwright and TV writer Jireh Breon Holder, recently named one of "Tomorrow's Marquee Names, Now in the Making" by The New York Times.

Rehearsals begin for the world premiere of Lucas Hnath's "Dana H." at the Kirk Douglas Theatre in a co-production with Goodman Theatre. Adapted from interviews with Dana Higginbotham, conducted by Steve Cosson, directed by Les Waters and featuring Deirdre O'Connell in the title role, "Dana H." will begin previews May 26, open June 2 and continue through June 23, 2019.

Goodman Theatre concludes its 2018/2019 Season on a high note with Mary Zimmerman's major revival of The Music Man-Meredith Willson's joyous musical masterpiece, hailed as "one of the sunniest musicals ever" that "glows with enjoyment" with "tunes [that] are full of gusto" (The New York Times), based on a story by Willson and Franklin Lacey.

Haven Theatre announces casting for its Chicago premiere of KISS by Guillermo Calderon, Chile's most acclaimed playwright-director. Monty Cole directs and performs in this bold theatrical experience that asks if art is a tool for empathy, what are the limits? Abhi Shrestha associate directs.

On December 4, 1956, at Sun Record Studios in Memphis, Tennessee, a great moment in rock 'n' roll history occurred, almost by chance. Record producer Sam Phillips, sometimes referred to as the "Father of Rock 'n' Roll," brought together the past, present, and future artists of his recording company for an impromptu jam session which was photographed and recorded for posterity. Nile Scott Hawver (Carl Perkins), Scheider (Jerry Lee Lewis), Austin Wayne Price (Johnny Cash), and Luke Linsteadt (Elvis Presley) act out their characters with just enough imitation to evoke the originals, while never sliding into caricature.

Executive Director Thor Steingraber unveils the Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts' 2019-20 Season, which features a reconsideration of Randy Newman's musical Faust, in a concert format (May 9), an opening night recital with Itzhak Perlman accompanied by Rohan De Silva, piano (September 19), and a Beethoven 250th Birthday Celebration featuring six concerts beginning with Jonathan Biss, piano (October 15 & 16); other concerts include the Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson Trio (November 13), Royal Philharmonic Orchestra with Pinchas Zukerman, Principal Guest Conductor and Violin Soloist (January 24), Christian Tetzlaff, violin, with Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra (February 7), Academy of St Martin in the Fields with Joshua Bell (March 4) and Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra (March 25).

Berkeley Repertory Theatre today announced that the world's first name in laughter is back in Berkeley this summer with a new show: The Second City's Left Leaning and Always Right.

The Second City's Wellness Week 2019: You're Not the Only One is coming this May in collaboration with the creation of Canadian icon Margaret Trudeau's world premiere of Certain Woman of an Age. Ms. Trudeau's one-woman show candidly and gracefully tackles many of the day's most relatable and difficult topics, including dealing with mental illness under the harsh spotlight of fame. The Second City is proud to create an opportunity to have this crucial conversation on a community level, bringing the topic of personal wellness and self-care to the forefront for a full week of programming.

Buffalo Theatre Ensemble (BTE), the professional Equity company in residence at the McAninch Arts Center, 425 Fawell Blvd. on the campus of College of DuPage (COD), caps its 2018-2019 season with "Miracle on South Division Street" by Tom Dudzick, directed by Steve Scott, May 2-June 2.  

Renowned soprano Isabel Bayrakdarian, retired internist George Messerlian, and local arts benefactor Marta Babson have been elected to the Board of Directors for Community Arts Music Association (CAMA) of Santa Barbara. The elections took place December 12, 2018 (for Ms. Bayrakdarian and Dr. Messerlian), and January 24 (for Ms. Babson).

Arizona Theatre Company will present the American premiere of Things I Know to be True by Australian playwright Andrew Bovell at the Temple of Music & Art in Tucson from April 20 through May 11, and at the Herberger Theater Center in Phoenix from May 16 through June 2.

Artistic Director Robert Falls reimagines The Winter's Tale-one of William Shakespeare's final and most wildly theatrical works-following celebrated revivals of Measure for Measure (2013) and King Lear (2006) at Goodman Theatre. Hailed as "no modern director better at making a play's iconic moments pop with fresh irreverence" (Chicago Tribune), Falls has cast a 19-member company of Chicago's new and familiar faces. In The Winter's Tale, a jealous king accuses his wife of infidelity, setting off a calamitous series of events. But what begins as tragedy evolves, unexpectedly, into a fantastical journey-from wrath to redemption to reconciliation.

AstonRep Theatre Company is pleased to conclude its 2018-19 season with Rebecca Gilman's drama THE CROWD YOU'RE IN WITH, directed by Co-Artistic Director Derek Bertelsen*, playing May 16 - June 16, 2019 at The Raven Theatre (West Stage), 6157 N. Clark St. in Chicago.

We got the chance to chat with Tony-nominated director and choreographer Marcia Milgrom Dodge about RAGTIME -- its relevance to the current U.S. political climate and what makes it one of the best musicals of the 20th (and 21st century).

La Jolla Playhouse is pleased to bring back for a seventh year its acclaimed play development initiative, the DNA New Work Series, a weekend of readings of new works, taking place May 2 - 5, 2019 in the Playhouse's Rao and Padma Makeneni Play Development Center (PDC) and Seuss 1 rehearsal spaces.

Good morning, BroadwayWorld! First, we'd like to wish a happy opening to Hillary and Clinton, which officially opens tonight on Broadway!

Today, April 18th, we celebrate the birthday of Broadway favorite, Gavin Creel.

Haven Theatre today announced the appointment of Ian Damont Martin as the company's new Artistic Director and Angela Salinas as its Managing Director. Martin, who previously served as Associate Artistic Director, succeeds Josh Sobel, who has helmed the company as AD since August 2014. Sobel, who has been accepted into the MFA Directing Program at California Institute of the Arts, will serve as Associate Artistic Director through the season's end and will remain active with Haven as an Artistic Associate thereafter. Salinas, who previously worked as General/Production Manager, succeeds Executive Director Carol Cohen, who will now serve as Haven's Board President.

Center Theatre Group has announced that Deirdre O'Connell will play the title role in the world premiere of 'Dana H.' by Lucas Hnath at the Kirk Douglas Theatre in a co-production with Goodman Theatre. Adapted from interviews with Dana Higginbotham, conducted by Steve Cosson and directed by Les Waters, 'Dana H.' will begin previews May 26, open June 2 and continue through June 23, 2019. 'Dana H.' was originally commissioned by The Civilians (New York) and Goodman Theatre; it will appear at the Goodman from September 6 through October 6, 2019, during their 2019/2020 Season.