Henry Stram News

Casting is complete for Marc Blitzstein¹s The Cradle Will Rock, the inaugural show of New York City Center¹s new Encores! Off-Center series, playing for five performances, July 10 ­ 13 at City Center. The cast includes Danny Burstein, Eisa Davis, Raul Esparza, Peter Friedman, Aidan Gemme, Judy Kuhn, David Margulies, Martin Moran, Michael Park, Robert Petkoff, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, Anika Noni Rose, Matthew Saldivar and Henry Stram.

Danny Burstein, Eisa Davis, Raul Esparza, Peter Friedman, Judy Kuhn, Martin Moran, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, Anika Noni Rose and Henry Stram will star in Marc Blitzstein's The Cradle Will Rock, the inaugural show of New York City Center's new Encores! Off-Center series, playing for five performances, July 10 - 13 at City Center. The show will be directed bySam Gold and choreographed by Chase Brock; Jeanine Tesori is the Encores! Off Center artistic director. Chris Fenwick is the music director. In keeping with City Center's founding mission to make the arts accessible to all and to younger audiences, the majority of tickets are $25.

Rattlestick Playwrights Theater's Artistic Director David Van Asselt and Managing Director Brian Long have announced the cast and creative team for the world premiere of Charles Ives Take Me Home, written by Jessica Dickey and directed by Daniella Topol. Charles Ives Take Me Home will begin performances tonight, May 29, 2013 at Rattlestick Playwrights Theater at 224 Waverly Place. The official opening night is set for Thursday, June 13 at 7pm. The production is scheduled to run through June 29.

Rattlestick Playwrights Theater's Artistic Director David Van Asselt and Managing Director Brian Long have announced the cast and creative team for the world premiere ofCharles Ives Take Me Home, written by Jessica Dickey and directed by Daniella Topol. Charles Ives Take Me Home will begin performances on Wednesday, May 29, 2013 at Rattlestick Playwrights Theater at 224 Waverly Place. The official opening night is set forThursday, June 13 at 7pm. The production is scheduled to run through June 29.

NBC and Columbia Records announced that the soundtrack for Bombshell, the musical within NBC's Golden Globe-nominated series television hit 'SMASH' (Tuesdays, 10-11pm ET), will be released today, February 12.

piece by piece productions, Rising Phoenix Repertory, and The Barrow Group have announced that All The Rage, written and performed by Martin Moran, and directed by Seth Barrish, began performances on Saturday, January 19, at 7pm at the Peter Jay Sharp Theater, 416 West 42 Street, between Ninth and Tenth Avenues. The opening night was yesterday, January 30, and you can check out coverage from the opening below!

NBC and Columbia Records announced that the soundtrack for Bombshell, the musical within NBC's Golden Globe-nominated series television hit 'SMASH' (Tuesdays, 10-11pm ET), will be released on February 12. Bombshell is available now for pre-order.

Following REBECCA's cancellation on Broadway and the news that financier and stock broker Mark C. Hotton was arrested yesterday for his role in the show's collapse, Bloomberg reports that REBECCA's producers now have 10 weeks-until Dec. 31-to raise $4.5 million or face returning millions more to their investors.

The twisting tale of REBECCA's cancellation on Broadway made a new turn this morning with multiple news outlets reporting that troubled financier and stock broker Mark C. Hotton was arrested this morning at 6am for his role in the show's collapse.

According to the New York Post, Ronald Russo , lawyer for producer Ben Sprecher has now said that 'Sprecher had been led to "Abrams" by shadowy Long Island businessman, Mark Hotton, who told him Abrams died before he could hand over the dough, sources have said. There also were three other investors Hotton told Sprecher about who supposedly promised another combined $2 million for the show, the sources have said. But "following an extensive search over the last week, I can now confirm that there is no evidence whatever that "Paul Abrams" or any of the other three investors brought to this production by Mr. Hotton, ever existed," said Sprecher's lawyer, Ronald Russo. The lawyer said they conducted an investigation in both the US and England.'

As previously reported, the Broadway production of REBECCA, which was to open this fall, has been delayed indefinitely and is now at the center of an investigation to determine if any criminal wrongdoing occured in the show's long road to Broadway.

This morning, October 3, the following letter was composed by one of the Principal cast members of REBECCA, Karen Mason, in hopes of clearing up the ongoing speculation of the cancelled Broadway prodution of REBECCA

Now according to the New York Times, the United States attorney's office is investigating whether the investor ever existed in the first place. Sprecher told NYT: "I never made up or fabricated any investor, and I never made up Paul Abrams." He also revealed that a new production of Rebecca is in the works that he 'hoped to mount soon, on Broadway or elsewhere.'

Ben Sprecher and Louise Forlenza, producers for Rebecca, the Musical, announced this afternoon that they were left with no option but to postpone the show. A new timeline has not been announced.

The offstage saga of REBECCA the musical continues to twist and turn with drama of its own. Today, Michael Riedel reports exclusively in the New York Post that, according to his sources, the show 'has been cancelled due to a lack of financing.'

As BroadwayWorld reported last week, REBECCA's lead producer Ben Sprecher recently confirmed the receipt of new financial commitments from investors to alleviate the $4.5 million gap in the musical's budget. Now according to the New York Times, the cast of the show has been notifoed that rehearsals will indeed begin on Monday, October 1.

After sending an email to cast and creative team members as previously reported yesterday, September 20, REBECCA's lead producer Ben Sprecher has confirmed the receipt of new financial commitments from investors to alleviate the $4.5 million gap in the musical's budget, according to The New York Times' ArtsBeat blog.

According to The New York Times' ArtsBeat blog, producer Ben Sprecher of the Broadway musical Rebecca sent an email to the show's cast and crew today with details about the production's fate.

REBECCA, the new musical based on the classic novel by Daphne du Maurier novel, has delayed the start of its rehearsals by two weeks due to the death of a key investor responsible for a $4.5 million investment pool in the production . REBECCA was scheduled to begin rehearsals Monday, September 10 prior to an October 30 first preview and November 18 premiere at the Broadhurst Theatre.

Williamstown Theatre Festival presents The Elephant Man, now running on the Nikos Stage through August 5. View new production photos below!