Goodspeed Opera House News

Connecticut Repertory Theatre (CRT) will present William Shakespeare's Pericles, Feb. 26 - March 8 in the Nafe Katter Theatre on the Storrs campus. For tickets and information, call 860-486-4226 or visit www.crt.uconn.edu. In Shakespeare's masterful story, Pericles, Prince of Tyre, suffers agonizing losses, endures personal betrayals, and faces a tsunami-like wave of spirit-numbing catastrophes in a quest that also includes moments of celebration, festivity, observance, remembrance and unparalleled joy. Pericles' tempest-tossed odyssey raises profound questions about why suffering and grave, undeserved misfortunes befall our lives, and offers hope through courage and redemption.

The Flea Theater will extend its critically acclaimed World Premiere production of Itamar Moses' LOVE/STORIES (OR BUT YOU WILL GET USED TO IT), a collection of five short new plays. Moses is the author of The Four of Us, Bach at Leipzig, Back Back Back and Celebrity Row, a playwright whose sensibility is the perfect match for The Bats, The Flea's resident company of emerging artists. Originally scheduled to close March 9, the production has been extended for 3 more weeks, through March 30.

On Friday, February 20th, The Spotlight Cabaret will present an incredible cast of Broadway and Off-Broadway performers performing new music by Julia Meinwald. Everything is Nice features Manoel Felciano (Broadway's Sweeney Todd, Cabaret, and Jesus Christ Super Star), Nick Blaemire (Broadway's Cry Baby, Things to Ruin at the Zipper), Katrina Dideriksen (Hairspray Las Vegas, Jerry Springer: The Opera at Carnegie Hall), Lauren Worsham (Candide at City Opera, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Beer, Weston Playhouse's Light in the Piazza) and Dustin Sullivan (Reduced Shakespeare Company, Ann of Green Gables with TheatreWorks), with Liz Carbonell and Mary Ann Shaub.

The producers of ROCK OF AGES announced the complete, awesome cast for Broadway's new, smash hit musical today. Constantine Maroulis, ('American Idol' Season 4, Broadway's The Wedding Singer, RENT) reprising his critically acclaimed role as 'Drew', is now joined by Broadway's best 1970's & 1980's period actors Amy Spanger (The Wedding Singer, Kiss Me Kate) as 'Sherrie' and James Carpinello (Saturday Night Fever, VH1's 'So NoTORIous') as 'Stacee Jaxx'.

Connecticut Repertory Theatre (CRT) will present William Shakespeare?s Pericles, Feb. 26 ? March 8 in the Nafe Katter Theatre on the Storrs campus. For tickets and information, call 860-486-4226 or visit www.crt.uconn.edu.

Goodspeed Musicals will proudly honor five time Tony Award-winner, Broadway legend William Ivey Long at a Gala evening on Saturday, May 2, 2009 when he will receive The Goodspeed Award for Outstanding Contribution to Musical Theatre in recognition of his extraordinary career. Previous award recipients include Julie Andrews, Ira Gershwin, Jerry Herman, Stephen Schwartz, Tommy Tune, Susan Stroman and Gerald Schoenfeld. Proceeds from the Gala will support Goodspeed Musicals? Education Programs.

The sounds of the 50s will continue at Florida Studio Theatre due to popular demand! After many sold-out performances, Hula Hoop Sha-Boop will extend to the Gompertz Theatre, after ninety-eight performances in the Goldstein Cabaret, on Wednesday, March 25, 2009 and continue through Sunday, March 29, 2009.

The 2008-2009 Reprise Theatre Company season continues with the classic international hit 'Man of La Mancha,' starring Brent Spiner, written by Dale Wasserman with music by Mitch Leigh and lyrics by Joe Darion. The production will be directed by Michael Michetti, co-artistic director of The Theatre at Boston Cout.

On Friday, February 20th, The Spotlight Cabaret will present an incredible cast of Broadway and Off-Broadway performers performing new music by Julia Meinwald. Everything is Nice features Manoel Felciano (Broadway's Sweeney Todd, Cabaret, and Jesus Christ Super Star), Nick Blaemire (Broadway's Cry Baby, Things to Ruin at the Zipper), Katrina Dideriksen (Hairspray Las Vegas, Jerry Springer: The Opera at Carnegie Hall), Lauren Worsham (Candide at City Opera, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Beer, Weston Playhouse's Light in the Piazza) and Dustin Sullivan (Reduced Shakespeare Company, Ann of Green Gables with TheatreWorks), with Liz Carbonell and Mary Ann Shaub.

Goodspeed Musicals, the only two time Tony Award-winning theatre in the nation, is proud to announce its 46th season at the Goodspeed Opera House. The 2009 season will include three extraordinary musicals that are sure to delight theatre-goers: the dazzling Broadway song and dance extravaganza 42nd Street will run from April 17 - June 28; Lerner & Loewe's legendary Camelot will run from July 10 - September 19; and the zany adventure A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, will run from September 25 - November 29. Be among the first to purchase tickets for all three shows when the Box Office opens at 10:00 a.m. on Sunday, February 22nd, Goodspeed Musicals' 2009 season is produced by Michael P. Price.

Playwrights Horizons (Tim Sanford, Artistic Director; Leslie Marcus, Managing Director) continues its 2008/2009 Season with the New York premiere of THE SAVANNAH DISPUTATION, a new play by Evan Smith (Psych and The Uneasy Chair at Playwrights Horizons, Remedial English for the Young Playwrights Festival at Playwrights Horizons, Servicemen at The New Group). This will be Mr. Smith's fourth collaboration with the theater company. Directed by Tony Award winner Walter Bobbie (Chicago, New Jerusalem), in his Playwrights Horizons debut, the production will began previews on Friday, February 6, 2009 with an Opening Night set for Tuesday, March 3 at 7PM. The limited engagement will run through Sunday, March 15 at Playwrights Horizons' Mainstage Theater (416 West 42nd Street).

The 2008-2009 Reprise Theatre Company season continues with the classic international hit 'Man of La Mancha,' starring Brent Spiner as Cervantes/Quixote. Julia Migenes, the renowned opera and theatre performer, will play Aldonza/Dulcinea; Valerie Perri will play the role of Aldonza/Dulcinea at matinee performances; and Tony nominee Lee Wilkof will play Sancho Panza.

Van Hill Entertainment is proud to announce that the Off-Broadway premiere of ROOMS a rock romance, starring Leslie Kritzer and Doug Kreeger, will begin performances on Friday February 27th at New World Stages/Stage 2 (340 West 50th Street). Opening Night is set for Monday March 16th (7 PM). ROOMS a rock romance has music and lyrics by Paul Scott Goodman (Bright Lights Big City) and book by Goodman and Miriam Gordon, and will be directed by Scott Schwartz (Golda's Balcony, Bat Boy: The Musical, tick, tick... BOOM!, Jane Eyre).

The Brown University Literary Arts Program and the Brown/Trinity Repertory Consortium are pleased to announce the first installment of the 27th annual NEW PLAYS FESTIVAL.

LAST CALL, is a new documentary film by Christopher Ashley that explores the fascinating, cultural phenomenon of piano bars.

Playwrights Horizons (Tim Sanford, Artistic Director; Leslie Marcus, Managing Director) continues its 2008/2009 Season with the New York premiere of THE SAVANNAH DISPUTATION, a new play by Evan Smith (Psych and The Uneasy Chair at Playwrights Horizons, Remedial English for the Young Playwrights Festival at Playwrights Horizons, Servicemen at The New Group). This will be Mr. Smith's fourth collaboration with the theater company.

This January, hundreds of theater enthusiasts from across the region convened at the Goodspeed Opera House to experience the newest works in musical theater. Welcoming many new visitors to Goodspeed Musicals, it was very exciting to see wintertime at Goodspeed Landing bustling with so many eager to be a part of this exciting gathering of creative voices. Audiences in record numbers participated in the 2009 Festival of New Artists throughout the Goodspeed campus highlighted by staged readings of new musicals at the Goodspeed Opera House.

The Flea Theater invites you to the World Premiere of LOVE/STORIES (OR BUT YOU WILL GET USED TO IT), the latest from Itamar Moses, author of The Four of Us, Bach at Leipzig, and Back Back Back. Performances run January 29 - March 9 at The Flea (41 White Street between Church and Broadway in Tribeca).

I Love a Piano, an enchanting revue of the music and lyrics of Irving Berlin, spans over seven decades of American history and includes 64 of Berlin's most enduring and popular favorites. Under the direction and choreography of Ray Roderick (Chitty Chitty Bang Bang national tour), who co-created the show with Michael Berkeley, these show-stopping song and dance numbers performed by a cast of talented young actors bring fresh energy to Berlin's material. I Love a Piano runs January 29-February 15, 2009 at Arena at the Lincoln Theatre.

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts today announced casting for its production of RAGTIME in the Eisenhower Theater April 18 - May 10, 2009. Based on a 1975 novel by E.L. Doctorow, the production features book by Terrence McNally, music by Stephen Flaherty and lyrics by Lynn Ahrens, and will be directed and choreographed by Marcia Milgrom Dodge. The musical is part of the Kennedy Center's Broadway: The Third Generation, a series celebrating the current generation of Broadway musical composers. The official press night will take place on Saturday, April 25, 2009 at 7:30 p.m.