Helen Hayes News

Well-known gospel recording artist Kenton Rogers has joined the cast of Avant Bard's revival of The Gospel at Colonus, a critical and audience hit last season. Rogers-an actor, singer, and ordained preacher-will headline The Gospel at Colonus in the role of Singer Oedipus along with local civic legend William T. Newman Jr., who returns as Preacher Oedipus.

Last night, Broadway's new Evan Hansen, Taylor Trensch, officially began his performances in the hit musical Dear Evan Hansen! BroadwayWorld attended the big night, and you can check out photos from Trensch's first bows below!

Good morning BroadwayWorld! Today's top stories: Hey, Look Me Over! opens tonight at City Center Encores! and more.

Today, Goodman Theatre announces the Summer 2018 return of Jim McGrath's Pamplona starring stage and screen veteran Stacy Keach as Ernest Hemingway, directed by Artistic Director Robert Falls. Originally scheduled for Spring 2017, Pamplona appeared for 11 preview performances but closed prematurely after its star suddenly fell ill on Opening Night and doctors ordered recuperation.

A new star will wave through Evan Hansen's window, beginning tonight. Taylor Trensch, who made a slightly early arrival at the Music Box stage last week, officially takes over in the Tony-winning hit today, Tuesday, February 6, replacing Noah Galvin in the title role. Who is this newest Evan? Get to know him below!

The nominees for the 2018 Helen Hayes Awards were announced on February 5, 2018. One of the country's most prestigious cultural honors, The Helen Hayes Awards recognizes and celebrates excellence in professional theatre throughout the Washington metropolitan area. The National Theatre's Helen Hayes Gallery set the scene for the announcement of nominees in 47 categories for artistic excellence, and the theatre companies eligible for the 2017 John Aniello Award for Outstanding Emerging Theatre Company. The recipient of the 2018 Helen Hayes Tribute will be announced shortly.

Good morning BroadwayWorld! Today's top stories: Taylor Trensch begins performances in Dear Evan Hansen, In the Body of the World opens, and more!

Acclaimed singer/actress Linda Lavin makes her Cafe Carlyle debut with My Second Farewell Concert, May 8-19. Linda Lavin has won a Tony Award, as well as Drama Desk, Outer Critics' and Helen Hayes Award for her performance in Broadway Bound in 1987. She is a six-time Tony award nominee for her roles in The Last of the Red Hot Lovers, The Diary of Anne Frank, The Tale of the Allergist's Wife, Collected Stories and The Lyons. In 2011, Linda Lavin released her first album, Possibilities, a collection of jazz standards and show tunes.My Second Farewell Concert features Billy Stritch, her music director, and her husband Steve Bakunas at the drums.

Signature Theatre has announced the world premiere production of the new musical August Rush. The musical, adapted from the Oscar and GRAMMY Award-nominated film, features music and lyrics by Mark Mancina, book and lyrics by Glen Berger, and orchestrations and additional music by David Metzger. This premiere production will be directed by John Doyle. August Rush will run from February 5, 2019 - March 3, 2019 in Signature Theatre's MAX Theatre. The production will then transfer to Paramount Theatre in Aurora, Illinois and will run from April 24, 2019 - June 2, 2019.

Noah Galvin plays his final performance in the title role in Dear Evan Hansen tonight, February 4. The Real O'Neals alum made his Broadway debut with this role on November 21, 2017. He was the first actor to take on the role after Ben Platt left the show.

Nancy Manocherian's the cell (Artistic Director, Kira Simring) will present the Off Broadway Premiere of BASTARD JONES, a rock musical comedy based on Henry Fielding's bawdy 18th century novel, The History of Tom Jones. With book, lyrics, & direction by Marc Acito (Broadway's Allegiance) and music & lyrics by Amy Engelhardt (Grammy nominees The Bobs), performances begin June 14 at the cell. Opening is slated for Thursday, June 22.

Maestro LUKE FRAZIER and THE AMERICAN POPS ORCHESTRA - Washington, DC's innovative hometown orchestra - has teamed up with Washington, DC chapter of The National Society of Arts and Letters for their first annual vocal competition, "NextGen: Finding The Voices of Tomorrow."  The final round audition will take place on Friday, March 23 at 8:00 PM in Washington, DC at Arena Stage in The Kreeger Theater. Judges for competition will include Baayork Lee (Tony winning Broadway Legend), Jim Caruso (Birdland Jazz Club), Kelly d'Amboise (Signature Theater and APO Resident Director), and Robert Pullen (Emmy-nominated Producer and owner of Nouveau Productions). Tickets - which are $20 for adults and $10 for students - will be on sale Friday, February 2. Please visit www.TheAmericanPops.org.

Following its critically acclaimed, successful 2017 spring season, New York's beloved Dance Theatre of Harlem, under the artistic direction of Virginia Johnson, will return to NY City Center for its annual homecoming season from April 4-7, 2018.

The nonprofit AT&T Performing Arts Center and producers Scott Rudin and Barry Diller announce casting for The Humans. The first national tour will feature Richard Thomas as Erik, Pamela Reed as Deirdre, Daisy Eagan as Brigid, Lauren Klein as Momo, Therese Plaehn as Aimee, and Luis Vega as Richard.

Center Theatre Group recognizes and celebrates the recipient of the 2018 Richard E. Sherwood Award, Hana S. Kim, for her exceptional contribution to the Los Angeles theatre landscape and her work as a ground-breaking and adventurous artist.

In this joyful romance of gender roles and expectations, Orlando the man wakes up, after a particularly wild night in 17th-century Constantinople, to find himself a woman! She abandons herself to three centuries of navigating love, desire, and the world from an entirely different perspective.  Oft described as the most charming love letter in literature - written by Woolf to Vita Sackville-West - Sarah Ruhl brings the novel to life on stage in a grand, epic adventure that transcends time, place, and gender.   

Tony Kushner's Pulitzer Prize- and Tony Award-winning masterpiece finally arrives at Berkeley Rep in its entirety - directed by artistic director Tony Taccone in his 20th anniversary season! BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast of the ambitious production, check it out below!

The Greenhouse Theater Center is pleased to announce casting for 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.

For more than thirty years, Turtle Island Quartet has reinvented the role of the modern string quartet through its Grammy-winning albums and arrangements. This spring, the Quartet honors the impact of legendary saxophonist Charlie Parker with a new album, Bird's Eye View, out February 9, 2018 from Azica. The Quartet will celebrate with a CD release concert at Buck's County Playhouse (70 S. Main Street, New Hope PA 18938) on February 10, 2018 at 8 pm. The genius of Parker's improvisations almost single-handedly catapulted jazz from pop style into art music, indelibly altering the musical landscape of America. Tickets are $35-$45; purchase at www.bcptheater.org or call 215-862-2121.

He will be found! BroadwayWorld has a first look at Dear Evan Hansen's new Evan, Taylor Trensch, who made a surprise debut in Dear Evan Hansen last night. He'll perform as 'Evan Hansen' on 1/31 at 8 PM, 2/1 at 7 PM and 2/3 at 2 PM. Noah Galvin will perform all other shows this week. Noah's final performance is Sunday, 2/4 and Taylor's first 'official' performance is Tuesday, 2/6.