Helen Hayes News

New Repertory Theatre presents the New England premiere of Young Jean Lee's STRAIGHT WHITE MEN, most recently seen on Broadway over the summer. Lee became the first Asian-American female playwright to have a play produced on Broadway with this exploration of privilege, identity, and American values in a white, middle-class family.

When there is a sick child in a family, says playwright Anne Marilyn Lucas, an entire family revolves around the child's illness.  In 2016 more American lives were taken by drug overdoses than were lost in the Vietnam War, according to the Centers for Disease Control, and deaths increased by 10.7%, to 72,000, the following year. 

Hero's Welcome weaves a twisted and darkly comedic tale of relationships shaped by love, redemption, jealously, and deceit. When Murray, a war hero, returns to his home town after 17 years away he hopes to settle down with his new wife and refurbish his family's old hotel

Avant Bard theatre announces the full cast and creative team for its 2018/2019 season opener, Illyria, or What You Will, freely adapted from Twelfth Night by Jonelle Walker and Mitchell Hebert and directed by Mitchell Hebert. Illyria reimagines Shakespeare's comedy of mixed-signal love as a bohemian cabaret set in a Manhattan dive bar in the early 1980s, where identity, sex, and gender are what you will-and habitues find freedom to be who they truly are.

Adventure Theatre MTC (ATMTC), recent recipient of a Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding Play or Musical Adaptation, brings to the stage the world premiere musical, Blueberries for Sal, written by Washington, D.C. Helen Hayes Nominated playwrights Michael J. Bobbitt and Sandra Eskin and featuring new music and lyrics by William Yanesh (Caps for Sale). Celebrating the 70th anniversary of the book by Robert McCloskey, this female helmed musical is recommended for all ages and opens September 21, 2018. Tickets are $20 each and can be purchased online at www.adventuretheatre-mtc.org or by calling 301-634-2270.

Monumental Theatre Company is set to produce the following shows for the 2019 Season: Dress Up Day, Daddy Long Legs, Flip Flop, and Be More Chill.

Producer Lauren Class Schneider announced today that Kathleen Chalfant, Ann Harada and Ana Villafañe will join the stellar all-female ensemble for the staged reading of Twelve Angry Men. Tony Award winner Cady Huffman will direct.

Creative Cauldron opens its 2018-2019 season with Nevermore, the hauntingly beautiful musical written by resident composer and director, Matt Conner and writer, Grace Barnes. Nevermore draws from the poetry and short stories of the iconic Edgar Allan Poe. After its premiere at Signature Theatre in 2006, The Washington Post hailed Nevermore for its 'romantic music, ablaze with feeling.' Following its 2011 run at Creative Cauldron, Nevermore earned Creative Cauldron its first Helen Hayes Award recommendation. This imaginative musical delves deep into Poe's psyche and explores his gripping obsession with the pivotal women who seemingly haunt his tortured existence. The production will run through October 28 at Creative Cauldron, Falls Church, 410 South Maple Avenue. Performances are Thursdays at 8:00PM, Fridays at 8:00PM, Saturdays at 8:00PM, and Sundays at 2:00PM & 7:00PM. 

Book-It Repertory Theatre continues its 29th season with the enchanting My Ántonia by Willa Cather. Annie Lareau, who adapted the novel and starred as Ántonia in Book-It's original 2008 production, returns to direct the 2018 production.

On Thursday, September 6, (5:30pm EST) BroadwayWorld's Steve Schonberg is getting up close and personal with Jenn Colella and Chilina Kennedy, who will head to Birdland on September 10 to perform a song cycle, Call It Love! Don't forget to tune in to our official Facebook page to submit your questions live or send us questions in advance on Twitter @BroadwayWorld with #AskJennandChilinaBWW.

Pegasus Theatre Chicago announces its production of Eclipsed, written by Danai Gurira and directed by Producing Artistic Director Ilesa Duncan, October 4 - November 4 at Pegasus's resident home Chicago Dramatists, 773 N. Aberdeen. Opening night is Monday, Oct. 8 at 7 p.m. The performance schedule is Thursdays - Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. with added Saturday 3 p.m. or Sunday 7:00 p.m. performances (TBD). Tickets are $18 - $30 and are available at PegasusTheatreChicago.org. Discounts available for groups of ten or more by contacting boxoffice@pegasustheatrechicago.org.

Christine Dwyer will put on the apron and bake across the country as she steps into the role of Jenna in the national tour of Waitress - the Broadway musical from Grammy nominee Sara Bareilles inspired by Adrienne Shelly's 2007 motion picture.

Nightdrive will present the world premiere of Alien Nation, a live, immersive alien movie, this fall at the Paradise Factory.

Villanova Theatre presents Karen Zacarias's raucous romp, The Book Club Play, hailed as 'smart, light and pants-peeingly funny' (chicagocritic.com). Directed by Whiting and Barrymore Award winner James Ijames, this smart hit comedy about books and the people who love them runs September 18-30, 2018.

The Acting Company (Ian Belknap, Artistic Director; Elisa Spencer-Kaplan, Executive Director) will honor director and artistic leader Bill Rauch and the married civic leaders Barbaralee Diamonstein-Spielvogel and Ambassador Carl Spielvogel- individuals whose exemplary work aligns with the artistic and educational ideals of the storied repertory company that produces nationally recognized theater productions and arts education programs-at the Company's 2018 Fall Gala, on November 12. Held at the historic Metropolitan Club (One East 60th Street), the event will bring together awards, live entertainment, silent and live auctions, dinner, and cocktails in celebration of theater and its contribution to American society.

Writers Theatre, under the leadership of Artistic Director Michael Halberstam and Executive Director Kathryn M. Lipuma, presents the World Premiere of Witch, written by Jen Silverman, inspired by The Witch of Edmonton by Rowley, Dekker & Ford. Witch, directed by Marti Lyons, runs September 26 - December 16, 2018 in the Gillian Theatre at 325 Tudor Court, Glencoe. The Press Opening is Wednesday, October 3, 2018 at 7:30 p.m. 

Westport Country Playhouse will stage "Man of La Mancha," the Tony Award-winning musical about Don Quixote's quest for "The Impossible Dream," from September 25 through October 13.  Directed by Mark Lamos, Westport Country Playhouse artistic director, the story of Quixote's battle for good and the love of his fair maiden is written by Dale Wasserman, with music by Mitch Leigh, and lyrics by Joe Darion.

Manhattan Theatre Club's 2018-2019 season has kicked off with the American premiere of The Nap, get to know the cast below as they begin Broadway performances!

Tony Award nominee Christiane Noll will bring her new solo show, Am I Losing My Mind, to Feinstein's at the Nikko onMonday, December 10 at 7 p.m. In this special one-night-only engagement, Noll will perform songs from Broadway shows that feature some of the greatest female characters of all-time, including Gypsy, Sweeney Todd, Dear Evan Hansen, Jekyll & Hyde, Grey Gardens, Follies, Next to Normal, and more.

Husband-and-wife duo John Pizzarelli and Jessica Molaskey make their annual fall pilgrimage to Cafe Carlyle with an all-new show, American Stories, November 6-17. The New York Times recently described John Pizzarelli and Jessica Molaskey as "the supreme nightclub act of our time." A world-renowned guitarist and singer, John Pizzarelli has been entertaining audiences for over 20 years and has established himself as one of the prime contemporary interpreters of the Great American Songbook. Jessica Molaskey is a veteran of a dozen Broadway shows including the revival of Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine's Sunday in the Park with George, which was nominated for nine Tony Awards. TIME has raved, "Sophisticated, jazzy and engaging, the Astaire-Rodgers of the cabaret world are at the top of their game."