Helen Hayes News

Featuring seven productions, New Rep's 2018-2019 season includes Straight White Men, a searing satirical comedy and New England Premiere; We Will Not Be Silent, a compelling historical drama and New England Premiere; 1776, a spirited musical revival; Heartland, an evocative existential drama and a National New Play Network Rolling World Premiere; Still Standing, an inspirational one-woman musical; and Cardboard Piano, an engaging socio-political drama and New England Premiere. Becoming Dr. Ruth will replace Vieux Carre as the final production during the season, a compelling one-woman show about the world's most famous sex therapist, Dr. Ruth Westheimer.

Casting is announced for two REPRISE 2.0 productions with two Tony Award leading actress nominees: Laura Bell Bundy (Legally Blonde - Tony Nomination, Hairspray, Anger Management) is to play Charity in Sweet Charity, directed and choreographed by three time Tony Award-winner Kathleen Marshall from June 20 to July 1, and Carmen Cusack (Bright Star - Tony Nomination, Wicked) is to play Victoria Grant in Victor/Victoria directed by Richard Israel and choreographed by John Todd from September 5 to 16 at UCLA's Freud Playhouse.

The Muny announced today the parental powerhouse that will star in the theatre's closing centennial season production,Meet Me In St. Louis, August 4 - 12. Tony-nominated Erin Dilly will star alongside real-life husband Stephen R. Buntrock as Mrs. Anna and Mr. Alonso Smith, respectively.

Come From Away star Jenn Colella and The Band's Visit sensation Katrina Lenk announced the nominees for the 2017-18 Outer Critics Circle Awards today, April 24th in the Oak Room at New York's renown Algonquin Hotel (59 W 44th Street. Check out the video below!

An exclusive single ticket presale to 59E59 Members for the shows THE ORIGINALIST and HERSHEY FELDER AS IRVING BERLIN, both part of 59E59's subscription season, begins today, Tuesday, April 24, at Noon. Single tickets go on sale to the general public on Wednesday, May 30.

The Old Globe's 2017-2018 Season continues with today's announcement of the complete cast and creative team for the Southern California debut of A Thousand Splendid Suns, Ursula Rani Sarma's sweeping and deeply moving theatrical production based on the best-selling book by Khaled Hosseini (The Kite Runner).

Come From Away star Jenn Colella and The Band's Visit sensation Katrina Lenk will announce the nominees for the 2017-18 Outer Critics Circle Awards tomorrow, April 24th in the Oak Room at New York's renown Algonquin Hotel (59 W 44th Street. Be sure to check back at 11am to watch BroadwayWorld's exclusive live stream of the announcement!

The Public Theater (Artistic Director, Oskar Eustis; Executive Director, Patrick Willingham) announced complete casting today for the 2018 Free Shakespeare in the Park production of OTHELLO beginning Tuesday, May 29 at the Delacorte Theater, continuing a 56-year tradition of free theater in Central Park. Directed by Tony Award winner Ruben Santiago-Hudson, OTHELLO will officially open on Monday, June 18 and will run through Sunday, June 24.

Overture Center for the Arts is pleased to announce the Wisconsin premiere and the state's only engagement of the hit Broadway musical ON YOUR FEET! will take the Overture Hall stage Tuesday, May 15-Sunday, May 20. Based on the life story of seven-time GRAMMY® winning international superstar Gloria Estefan and her husband, 19-time GRAMMY® winning producer-musician-entrepreneur Emilio Estefan, the first national tour stars Cuban-American Broadway actress Christie Prades as Gloria Estefan, and acclaimed stage and television actor Mauricio Martinez as Emilio Estefan.

Producer Scott Rudin announced today a special Midnight Performance for Edward Albee's Three Tall Women on Thursday, May 17 at the Golden Theatre (252 West 45th Street), which will be a one-night-only benefit for The Actors Fund. The first Broadway production of Edward Albee's Pulitzer Prize-winning masterpiece stars two-time Academy Award®-winner Glenda Jackson, Tony Award® winner, three-time Emmy Award® winner, and 2018 Academy Award® nominee Laurie Metcalf, and Tony Award® nominee Alison Pill, and is directed by two-time Tony Award® winner Joe Mantello. Tickets will be available at actorsfund.org.

Chris Evans stopped by Good Morning America to discuss upcoming Marvel film Avengers: Infinity War, performing in Lobby Hero on Broadway, and more! Check out the clip below!

The comic genius of Charlie Chaplin will be on full display as Philadelphia-based "Not So Silent Cinema" provides live accompaniment to three Chaplin shorts in a special one-performance only event at Bucks County Playhouse, Sunday, April 29 at 2 p.m. The presentation is part of the Playhouse's Visiting Artist Series.

Classic Stage Company, under the leadership of Artistic Director John Doyle and Executive Producer Jeff Griffin, and Transport Group, under the leadership of Jack Cummings III (Artistic Director) and Lori Fineman (Executive Director), present a new production of Tennessee Williams' SUMMER AND SMOKE, directed by Jack Cummings III, Artistic Director of The Transport Group, now in  previews at CSC (136 East 13th Street) for a limited engagement through Sunday, May 20.  Opening night is Thursday, May 3.  The cast of SUMMER AND SMOKE will feature Glenna Brucken (Rosemary), Phillip Clark (Dr. Buchanan), Nathan Darrow (John Buchanan),  Hannah Elless (Nellie Ewell), Elena Hurst (Rosa Gonzales), Marin Ireland (Alma Winemiller), Tina Johnson(Mrs. Bassett), Gerardo Rodriguez (Papa Gonzales), T. Ryder Smith (Reverend Winemiller), Ryan Spahn (Archie Kramer),Jonathan Spivey (Roger Doremus), and Barbara Walsh (Mrs. Winemiller).

Writers Theatre, under the leadership of Artistic Director Michael Halberstam and Executive Director Kathryn M. Lipuma, presents Buried Child, written by Sam Shepard and directed by WT Resident Director Kimberly Senior. Buried Child runs May 9 - June 17, 2018 in the Alexandra C. and John D. Nichols Theatre at 325 Tudor Court, Glencoe. The Press Opening is Wednesday, May 16 at 7:30 p.m.

Lou Volpe, the retired theatre education pioneer was recently inducted into the prestigious Bucks County Playhouse Hall of Fame, following such honorees as Angela Lansbury, Oscar Hammerstein and Shirley Jones. A formal ceremony was held on April 14 at the historic playhouse. Volpe, whose career is the inspiration behind "Rise," the new TV series on NBC, was heralded for his life's work as a high school drama teacher at Harry S. Truman High School in Levittown, PA. During his tenure there, he transformed this Bucks County community with the magic of theater.

I like, many musical theatre nerds get excited every time a world premiere musical comes to town. Arena Stage is providing that fix right now with an Alaskan-rooted premiere of Snow Child. Today's subjects Christiane Noll and Matt Bogart are currently living their theatre lives as the leads in this production, which runs through May 20, 2018.

Court Theatre, under the continuing leadership of Charles Newell, Marilyn F. Vitale Artistic Director, concludes its 2017/18 season with the Asolo Repertory Theatre, Arena Stage, Pasadena Playhouse production of The Originalist by John Strand, directed by Molly Smith with Associate Director Seema Sueko, and featuring Edward Gero as Antonin Scalia. The Originalist runs May 10 - June 10, 2018 at Court Theatre, 5535 S. Ellis Ave. The press opening is Saturday, May 19, 2018 at 8:00pm.

The Public Theater (Artistic Director, Oskar Eustis; Executive Director, Patrick Willingham) announced today a two-week extension for the world premiere of MLIMA'S TALE. Written by two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Lynn Nottage and directed by Obie Award winner Jo Bonney, MLIMA'S TALE continues The Public's Astor Anniversary Season at their landmark downtown home on Lafayette Street, celebrating 50 years of new work and the 50th Anniversary of HAIR. MLIMA'S TALE will now run two additional weeks through Sunday, June 3.

Theater Alliance closes Season 15 with the regional premiere of Gabrielle Reisman's Flood City, an absurdly dark comedy about the aftermath of tragedy. 

Town Hall Theatre "Generations" Season 2017-2018 closes with Kate Hamill's rollicking new adaptation of SENSE & SENSIBILITY, based on the classic novel by Jane Austen.  SENSE & SENSIBILITY will have 12 performances, including two previews, May 31 through June 23, 2018, at Town Hall Theatre Company, 3535 School Street, in Lafayette, CA.  Tickets are $18 - $30, and are available through the Box Office at (925) 283-1557 or online at www.TownHallTheatre.com.