Helen Hayes News

Goodspeed Musicals kicks off its 2017 season at The Goodspeed with the Broadway hit Thoroughly Modern Millie. You'll get a kick out of this dance-filled musical comedy running April 21 - July 2 at The Goodspeed in East Haddam, Conn.

The Nora Theatre Company is proud to Madeleine George's Precious Little from March 2 - 26, 2017.Precious Little  is directed by Melia Bensussen . The press performance is Monday, March 6 at 7:30PM. Precious Little is a A Catalyst Collaborative@MIT Production.

Multi-award winning Foothill Music Theatre will give Bay Area audiences their first look at the 2014 revised version of the acclaimed Broadway musical Side Show, this spring, running March 2-19, 2017. Scroll down for a sneak peek at the leading ladies!

The Astoria Performing Arts Center (APAC) will present a limited engagement of the Tony Award-winner Raisin this spring. The musical, which won the Best Musical Tony Award in 1973,  will return to New York City after a 42-year hiatus from May 4 to May 27, 2017 at Good Shepherd United Methodist Church, 30-44 Crescent St (at 30th Road), Astoria, NY 11102. 

Turning Page opened off-Broadway at Dixon Place on Monday, February 27th. Take a look at the cast enjoying opening night festivities!

Theater Close-Up -- the unique collaboration between THIRTEEN and the large community of New York City area Off-Broadway and regional theaters - continues with John Strand's The Originalist, captured live on-stage at Arena Stage in Washington, D.C., Monday, March 13 at 9 p.m. on THIRTEEN, with an encore presentation on Sunday, March 19 at 3:40 a.m. The play will also air Sunday, March 26 at 10 p.m. on WLIW21. The play, directed on the stage by Molly Smith, will be available for streaming for two weeks after the broadcast. L to R: Edward Gero as Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia and Kerry Warren as Cat in The Originalist at Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater. Credit: C. Stanley Photography. Four-time Helen Hayes Award winner Edward Gero (Red) returned to Arena Stage as one of America's most brilliant and polarizing figures: Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. When bright, liberal, Harvard Law School graduate Cat (Kerry Warren) embarks on a nerve-wracking clerkship with Justice Scalia, she discovers him to be both an infuriating sparring partner and an unexpected mentor. How will their relationship affect one of the most incendiary cases ever to reach the nation's highest court? Along the way, Cat's relationship with Scalia is complicated further by Brad (Harlan Work), an adversarial law clerk on Scalia's staff. Gero had last appeared at Arena Stage as Mark Rothko in 'Red.' He is a four-time Helen Hayes winner and 14-time nominee. Regional credits include Mark Rothko in 'Red' at the Goodman Theatre; the title role of 'Sweeney Todd' at Signature Theatre; 'The Chosen' at Theater J; Ebenezer Scrooge in 'A Christmas Carol' and Horace Vandergelder in 'Hello, Dolly!' at Ford's Theatre; 'American Buffalo,' 'Shining City' (Helen Hayes nomination) and 'Skylight' (Helen Hayes Award) at Studio Theatre; and 'The Matchmaker' at Center Stage. In 30 seasons with the Shakespeare Theatre Company, he's played 70 roles, including Helen Hayes-winning turns in 'Henry IV,' 'Richard II' and 'Macbeth.' In New York, he's appeared at South Street Theatre and Classic Stage. Author John Strand is a resident playwright with Arena Stage through the American Voices New Play Institute. His previous work at Arena Stage includes 'The Miser,' an adaptation of the Moliere play set in Reagan-era America; 'Lovers and Executioners,' winner of the Charles MacArthur Award for Outstanding New Play; and Tom Walker, also commissioned by Arena Stage. His recent work includes the book and lyrics for 'Hat! A Vaudeville,' a new musical with a score by composer Dennis McCarthy (South Coast Repertory); 'Lincolnesque,' a dark comedy about politics and madness in D.C. (The Old Globe, dir. by Joe Calarco); and 'Lorenzaccio,' his adaptation of Alfred de Musset's 1834 French classic (Shakespeare Theatre Company, dir. by Michael Kahn). Of the Arena Stage production, The New York Times wrote, '... The meat of the play draws a portrait of the private man in accordance with the public record: rigid in his views, deeply moralistic and unafraid to express his florid contempt for those benighted souls who see things from any perspective other than his own. Also: He's funny.' DC Theatre Scene opined, 'Arena and director Molly Smith have given this fine work a good, rigorous production ... Edward Gero is a continuing wonder ...' Theater Close-Up on THIRTEEN has most recently featured Rasheeda Speaking from The New Group, Fashions for Men from Mint Theater, Wiesenthal filmed at the Acorn Theatre at Theatre Row, Repairing a Nation from Crossroads Theatre Company in New Brunswick, New Jersey, Incident at Vichy from Signature Theatre Company, The Woodsman recorded at New World Stages, Buried Child from The New Group, and Buyer & Cellar from Westport Country Playhouse. THIRTEEN is using its unrivaled expertise in producing national PBS arts programming - which began with such classic series as Theater in America, part of the award-winning series Great Performances and special limited series such as Stage on Screen -- to provide New Yorkers with unparalleled access to great Off-Broadway and regional offerings. The Originalist is a production of Stage17, and was directed for television by Diana Basmajian. For Theater Close-Up, Mitch Owgang is producer; Bill O'Donnell is series producer; and David Horn is executive producer. Executive-in-charge for WNET is Neal Shapiro. Major support for this presentation of Theater Close-Up is provided by the Howard Gilman Foundation, and Bernard and Irene Schwartz. # # # About WNET WNET is America's flagship PBS station and parent company of THIRTEEN and WLIW21. WNET also operates NJTV, the statewide public media network in New Jersey. Through its broadcast channels, three cable services (KidsThirteen, Create and World) and online streaming sites, WNET brings quality arts, education and public affairs programming to more than five million viewers each week. WNET produces and presents such acclaimed PBS series as Nature, Great Performances, American Masters, PBS NewsHour Weekend, Charlie Rose and a range of documentaries, children's programs, and local news and cultural offerings. WNET's groundbreaking series for children and young adults include Get the Math, Oh Noah! and Cyberchase as well as Mission US, the award-winning interactive history game. WNET highlights the tri-state's unique culture and diverse communities through NYC-ARTS, Reel 13, NJTV News with Mary Alice Williams and MetroFocus, the daily multi-platform news magazine focusing on the New York region. In addition, WNET produces online-only programming including the award-winning series about gender, First Person, and an intergenerational look at tech and pop culture, The Chatterbox with Kevin and Grandma Lill. In 2015, THIRTEEN launched Passport, an online streaming service which allows members to see new and archival THIRTEEN and PBS programming anytime, anywhere: www.thirteen.org/passport. About Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater Under the leadership of Artistic Director Molly Smith and Executive Director Edgar Dobie, is a national center dedicated to American voices and artists. Arena Stage produces plays of all that is passionate, profound, deep and dangerous in the American spirit, and presents diverse and ground-breaking work from some of the best artists around the country. Arena Stage is committed to commissioning and developing new plays and impacts the lives of over 10,000 students annually through its work in community engagement. Now in its seventh decade, Arena Stage serves a diverse annual audience of more than 300,000. Arenastage.org For media only: Photos and press releases can be accessed here: http://www.thirteen.org/13pressroom/press-release/theater-close-originalist/

James Bundy, Dean/Artistic Director has announced the appointment of Shaminda Amarakoon as Chair of the Technical Design and Production Department and Director of Production at Yale School of Drama/Yale Repertory Theatre for a three-year term effective July 1, 2017.

Arena Stage Artistic Director Molly Smith and Executive Director Edgar Dobie announce the 2017/18 season lineup for the company's 68th season. The season reflects Arena Stage's commitment to championing diverse voices and producing work that is politically and socially-relevant.

Steppenwolf Theatre Company Artistic Director Anna D. Shapiro and Executive Director David Schmitz announced today the 2017/18 Season. The nation's premier ensemble theater, Steppenwolf celebrates its 42nd season with seven captivating shows - three world premieres and four Chicago premieres - that embrace diversity, compassion and imagination.

The Pasadena Playhouse (Danny Feldman, Producing Artistic Director and Sheldon Epps, Artistic Director Emeritus) announced today that they will present THE ORIGINALIST and HOLD THESE TRUTHS as part of the theater's 2016-2017 Season. THE ORIGINALIST, by John Strand (Charles MacArthur Award-winning Lovers and Executioners), directed by Molly Smith (Camp David and Artistic Director of Arena Stage), and starring four-time Helen Hayes Award-winner Edward Gero (Goodman Theatre's Red), tells the story about a liberal law student's nerve-wracking clerkship with Justice Antonin Scalia.

Labyrinth Theater Company presents the world premiere of the witty and socially poignant production of Dolphins and Sharks by upcoming playwright James Anthony Tyler. The production, which marks Tyler's professional debut, is scheduled for February 9 - March 19 and is directed by Charlotte Brathwaite.

Laguna Playhouse Artistic Director Ann E. Wareham is thrilled to announce the fourth show in the Laguna Playhouse 2016-2017 season, Hershey Felder as OUR GREAT TCHAIKOVSKY, written  by Hershey Felder, music by Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and directed by Trevor Hay. "This might be the most powerful piece of work that Hershey and Trevor have ever brought to the Playhouse. Tchaikovsky's story is as relevant and important today as it was in the 1800s," says Wareham.  OUR GREAT TCHAIKOVSKY will begin previews on Today, March 1; will open on Sunday, March 5 at 5:30pm and will run through Sunday, March 26, 2017 at the Laguna Playhouse, 606 Laguna Canyon Road in Laguna Beach.

Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company announces the next production of its 37th Season, Pike St. by playwright Nilaja Sun, directed by Ron Russell.  Pike St. will run from March 27-April 23, 2017.

The Ojai Playwrights Conference announced today performers and honorees for its 20th Anniversary Benefit Gala - 'Celebrating 20 Years of Visionary Voices' Scheduled for Saturday, April 8, 2017, the Benefit begins at 4:00pm at Matilija Auditorium with an extraordinary event created especially for this evening.

The lavish new production of THE SOUND OF MUSIC, directed by three-time Tony Award winner Jack O'Brien, announces Nicholas Rodriguez as Captain Georg von Trapp, beginning March 21 in Hershey, PA.

The New Group has announced full casting for Hamish Linklater's The Whirligig, with Noah Bean, Jon DeVries, Alex Hurt, Jonny Orsini and Grace Van Patten, and as previously announced, Norbert Leo Butz, Zosia Mamet and Maura Tierney, set to appear in this world premiere directed by Scott Elliott.

Theater, television and film icon, Shirley Jones, will be inducted into the Bucks County Playhouse Hall of Fame during the Playhouse's third Oscar Hammerstein Festival, April 22-23, 2017.

At the Mezzanine Theatre at the A.R.T./New York Theatres (502 W 53rd Street), Soho Rep. is pleased to present the world premiere of Richard Maxwell's Samara, commissioned by Artistic Director Sarah Benson. In a departure, Maxwell, who has directed nearly all 20 of his plays, is handing over the directorial duties to Benson. Maxwell's work was seen previously at Soho Rep. in 2001 with Cavemen and in 1999 with Cowboys and Indians.

After a sold-out, standing-room-only Toronto engagement from November 2016, through January 2017, COME FROM AWAY will return to Toronto's Royal Alexandra Theatre in a new Canadian production beginning performances Tuesday, February 13, 2018.

Signature Theatre's world premiere production of Mrs. Miller Does Her Thing, written and directed by Pulitzer Prize winner James Lapine (Sunday in the Park with George, Into the Woods), based on the real-life story of Elva Miller, a middle-aged housewife who gained notoriety as an unlikely pop phenomenon in the 1960s for her warbling renditions of chart topping hits 'Downtown,' 'Monday, Monday,' 'A Hard Day's Night,' and more, runs tonight, February 28, through March 26 in Signature Theatre's MAX Theatre.