Helen Hayes News

Initial casting has been announced for The Muny's production of THE WIZ - part of their 100th season. Grammy Award winner Nathan Lee Graham will star as The Wizard, Jared Grimes will portray the scarecrow, Mykal Kilgore will ring to life the Lion, and James T. Lane will ease on down the road as the Tinman.

Rorschach Theatre proudly announces the first annual MAGIC IN ROUGH SPACES readings, developing and presenting three new plays of American magical realism. Following a nationwide search, selected playwrights will spend three days next month in Washington working with local directors, designers, dramaturgs and actors. On Sunday, April 8 each play will receive a public reading at the Atlas Performing Arts Center.

The Ziegfeld Club, one of the first New York City performing arts charities to benefit women, is thrilled to announce that the third Liz Swados Inspiration Grant is now open to applicants. Created in 2016 and underwritten by actress Diane Lane, The Liz Swados Inspiration Grant serves to honor an influential female music educator in New York City through a $5,000.00 cash grant.

Rehearsals are in full swing for The 5th Avenue Theatre's production of Kiss Me, Kate, which begins performances next Friday, April 6.

Broadway In Detroit is pleased to announce that the hit Broadway musical ON YOUR FEET! - 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 - will makes it's Detroit debut at the Fisher Theater, May 1 - 13, 2018. Tickets for ON YOUR FEET! start at $39 and are now on sale at all Ticketmaster locations, by phone at 800-982-2787 and online at www.broadwayindetroit.com or www.ticketmaster.com. Tickets are also available for purchase at the Fisher Theatre box office.

Internationally acclaimed Canadian/New Zealand Jewish comic performer, musician and writer Deb Filler returns to MetroStage with her latest smash hit, having performed it in Toronto, London, Sydney, Jerusalem, NYC and LA. A brilliant storyteller she has charmed audiences world-wide with stories of her encounters with three Lennys: Leonard Bernstein, Leonard Cohen and another Jewish musician called Lenny with only a guitar and a raft of lovable characters.

Award-winning actor/director Frank Ferrante re-creates his acclaimed New York and London stage portrayal celebrating America's greatest comedian - Groucho Marx.  You will feel as though Groucho is back, as Ferrante sings, dances and performs classic routines on the North Coast Rep stage, April 23 & 24 at 7:30pm.

The Greenhouse Theater Center is pleased to conclude its 2017-18 season with the Chicago premiere of Marc Acito's touching and humorous play BIRDS OF A FEATHER, directed by Artistic Director Jacob Harvey. Based on one of America's most banned books, Acito's hit comedy brings to life the story of the Central Park Zoo's gay penguins to tell a truly hilarious human story. BIRDS OF A FEATHER will play April 27 - June 10, 2018 at Greenhouse Theater Center (Upstairs Main Stage), 2257 N. Lincoln Ave. in Chicago.

The Detroit Mercy Theatre Company concludes their 47th season with The Complete History of America (abridged), April 6 - 22. From the founders of Reduced Shakespeare Company and authors of the world renowned, The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged). Performances will be at The Marlene Boll Theatre inside of the Boll Family YMCA in downtown Detroit

A classic tap-happy musical and a new production of a legendary Broadway comedy are highlights of Bucks County Playhouse's 2018 Season. Executive Producer Robyn Goodman, Producing Director Alexander Fraser and Producers Stephen Kocis and Josh Fiedler announced details of the season, which will kick off at the historic Playhouse in New Hope, Pennsylvania on May 19.

The best news coming out of 44th Street these days is that the refurbishing of the Helen Hayes Theater has been completed and that Second Stage, while retaining its longtime Off-Broadway home one block down, has set up residency, making the intimate playhouse Broadway's only venue exclusively dedicated to works by living American authors.

Artistic Director Ryan Rilette and Managing Director Ed Zakreski are thrilled to announce the five mainstage shows that will comprise Round House Theatre's 41st Season. This announcement comes on the heels of the launch of 'Full Circle,' a capital campaign that will expand the company's artistic and education programming, as well as make significant upgrades to the interior performance and public spaces at the company's theatre in Bethesda, Md.

The Kennedy Center's production of IN THE HEIGHTS concluded its run yesterday. Anthony Ramos, who originated the roles of John Laurens and Philip Hamilton in the Original Broadway Cast of Hamilton, starred as Usnavi in the Broadway Center Stage production of In the Heights at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Presented as a part of the inaugural season of Broadway Center Stage, a Kennedy Center-produced series of musicals in semi-staged concerts, In the Heights ran March 21-25, 2018 in the Eisenhower Theater.

The Welders-Washington's only playwrights' collective devoted exclusively to developing and producing new plays-will host its annual fundraiser, The Joint-- on Saturday, April 21 at the Molly Smith Study at Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater.

Paata and Irina Tsikurishvili return to the stage in this new creation to honor Synetic Theater Founding Board Member Ina Milton and Founding Company Member Philip Fletcher. It is because of Ina and Phillip that Synetic Theater is what it is today; Ina for her relentless and generous support and Philip for his undeniable talent. It's been eight years since Paata and Irina Tsikurishvili have appeared on stage together, and they want to take this opportunity to invite you to share in celebrating Ina Milton and Philip Fletcher. Don't miss this once in a lifetime chance to see Synetic Theater's founding husband and wife team of Paata and Irina Tsikurishvili together again on stage.

The Iceman Cometh begins previews tonight at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre. Get to know the cast below as they begin Broadway performances!

Cleveland Play House (CPH) is proud to announce the cast of the high-spirited, interactive musical comedy The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. Broadway and TV actress Ali Stroker (Glee, Deaf West's Production of Spring Awakening) joins Broadway veterans Kirsten Wyatt (Annie, Elf, Shrek), John Scherer (Sunset Boulevard, By Jeeves, Funny Girl), Lee Slobotkin, Chad Burris (both of Book of Mormon), Kay Trinidad Karns (Little Mermaid), and more in this laugh-out-loud musical directed by Marcia Milgrom Dodge on the Allen Stage through May 6th. This production is sponsored by Huntington National Bank and Zinner & Co.

Broadway's Kenny Seymour will join as Music Director and Guest Conductor to previously announced MOTOWN: The Musical and Helen Hayes nominee N'Kenge in the one-woman show Legends: Diana Ross, Billie Holiday, Beyonce' and More with the Jacksonville Symphony at the Times-Union Center for the Performing Arts on March 23rd and 24th at 8:00pm.

Esther and Schmuli are shy young Orthodox Jews embarking on an arranged marriage, despite barely knowing each other. Abe and Julia are high-profile celebrities embarking on a dangerously flirtatious correspondence, despite being married to other people. On the surface, the lives of these two couples couldn't be more different. But Anna Ziegler's funny, insightful, and mysterious new drama explores the hidden connections between seemingly disparate people, drawing audiences into an intriguing puzzle and a deeply sympathetic look at modern love.

See brand-new photos of Vanessa Hudgens, Anthony Ramos, Ana Villafane, and more as they bring uptown to the capital with In the Heights at the Kennedy Center!