Huntington Theatre Company News

The final two plays have been announced for Manhattan Theatre Club's upcoming 2018-2019 season off-Broadway at New York City Center (131 W. 55th Street).

The board of MassDevelopment, the Mass Cultural Council's partner in the administration of the Massachusetts Cultural Facilities Fund (CFF), has awarded Chester Theatre Company (CTC) one of 63 capital grants given statewide by the CFF, a state program that fosters the growth of the creative economy by supporting building projects in the nonprofit arts, humanities, and sciences. In a press release issued by the Mass Cultural Council, MassDevelopment President and CEO Lauren Liss stated, 'The Cultural Facilities Fund supports crucial capital projects at institutions that serve as the backbone of the Massachusetts creative economy.'

American Blues Theater announces encore performance run of BUDDY - The Buddy Holly Story, written by Alan Janes, directed by Lili-Anne Brown, with musical direction by Ensemble Member Michael Mahler. BUDDY - The Buddy Holly Story will close as planned on May 26, 2018 and reopen June 29 - September 15, 2018 at Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont Ave. in Chicago. Tickets will be on sale for the encore run on May 15, 2018.

Reagle Music Theatre of Greater Boston kicks off the company's spectacular 50th Anniversary Summer Season with A Chorus Line from June 7-17. The multiple Tony Award-winning musical will run for 8 performances at the Robinson Theatre, 617 Lexington St., Waltham, MA.

Kitchen Theatre Company concludes its 2017-2018 Season with a female-led production of Matt & Ben by Mindy Kaling and Brenda Withers, a comedy about friendship, fame, and two well known public figures. Performances of Matt & Ben begin at the Kitchen Theatre Company in The Percy Browning Performance Space on May 27 and run through June 10.

Huntington Theatre Company board and staff are celebrating the shattering of a fundraising record at the Spotlight Spectacular gala, Monday, May 7. Held at the Boston Center for the Arts Cyclorama, the gala brought in $1.275 million to support the Huntington's operations for the fiscal year, including its broad range of education and community outreach programs.

In conjunction with its current production of Top Girls, Huntington Theatre Company will host several special events and post-show conversations. Admission to onsite post-show events is free with a ticket to Top Girls, available online, by phone at 617 266 0800, or in person at the Huntington Avenue Theatre (264 Huntington Avenue) and Calderwood Pavilion at the BCA (527 Tremont Street) box offices. Tickets start at $25. Performances run through May 20, 2018 at the Avenue of the Arts / Huntington Avenue Theatre.

Tony and Grammy Award winner Billy Porter does not hold back. The busy actor, composer and director has also put out four solo albums. The most recent, Billy Porter Presents: The Soul of Richard Rodgers, features Porter's new, soulful takes on classic Richard Rodgers songs, from 'My Funny Valentine' to 'Edelweiss.'  Porter will be bringing his album to life on the Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts stage on Saturday, June 2 at 8pm.

Connecticut Repertory Theatre (CRT) announces the casting for the first production of the 2018 Nutmeg Summer Series: "Disaster!", the hilarious new musical straight from Broadway. CRT welcomes the co-writing team of the show, as Jack Plotnick will direct and three-time Emmy Award

Tony Award-nominated director Liesl Tommy (A RAISIN IN THE SUN, MA RAINEY'S BLACK BOTTOM, RUINED) returns to the Huntington Theatre Company to lead a stellar, diverse cast in prolific British playwright Caryl Churchill's TOP GIRLS. Written in 1982 as a diatribe against Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher's anti-union administration in England, the themes of Churchill's outspoken feminist play remain relevant and all too familiar more than three decades later. In addition to choosing actors outside the box of white, British women, Liesl also fields a creative team of designers which is almost exclusively female.

The Boston Theater Critics Association has announced that Randy Rainbow, comedian, actor, and internet sensation, will be the Guest of Honor at the 36th Annual Elliot Norton Awards on Monday, May 21, 2018 at 7 PM, at the Huntington Avenue Theatre.  

Goodman Theatre celebrates the lives of "two strong, vibrant women dispensing joy and wisdom" (Chicago Tribune) in a major revival of Emily Mann's Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters' First 100 Years. Directed by the Goodman's longtime Resident Director Chuck Smith, the production features Ella Joyce and Marie Thomas as the Delany centenarians, Bessie (1891 - 1995) and Sadie (1889 -1999), respectively. The sisters were discovered in 1991 when Amy Hill Hearth interviewed them for The New York Times. Following the article, the trio co-authored the book, Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters' First 100 Years-a New York Times bestseller and heartfelt reflection of their family history and triumphs over prejudices in times of social unrest. Mann adapted it for the stage, first at McCarter Theatre Center in Princeton, New Jersey and then to Broadway, where it ran for 317 performances. Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters' First 100 Years appears May 5 - June 10, 2018 in the Albert Theatre (opening night is Monday, May 14). Tickets ($20 - $75; subject to change) are now on sale at GoodmanTheatre.org/HavingOurSay, by phone at 312.443. 3800 or at the box office (170 North Dearborn). ComEd is the Major Corporate Sponsor, Conagra Brands Foundation is the Major Production Sponsor and ITW and PwC are the Corporate Sponsor Partners. 

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.

The Huntington Theatre Company's production of "Merrily We Roll Along" took home seven awards, including Best Musical in the Large Stage category, and SpeakEasy Stage's "Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night" earned five Small Stage (including Best Play) honors at the 22nd Annual IRNE Awards held last night.

Amas Musical Theatre(Donna Trinkoff, Artistic Producer) and The Amas Musical Theatre Lab will present further staged readings of Play It by Heart, a new musical, with music by David Spangler, Jerry Taylorand Marty Dodson, lyrics byDavid Spangler, Jerry Taylor,R.T. Robinson, and Marty Dodson, and book byWilly Holtzman. Directed by Daniel Goldsteinwith music direction by Andrew Wilder, the readings (by invitation only) will be held on Thursday, May 17 at 1pm and 5pm at Opry City Stage (48th/49th& Broadway).

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).

Boston Playwrights' Theatre (BPT) presents Boston Theater Marathon XX, featuring 50 ten-minute plays, written by 51 New England playwrights, and produced by 50 New England theatres in ten hours.

The Huntington Theatre Company presents the World Premiere of Fall, which tells the true story of Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Arthur Miller's secret son Daniel, his child with third wife, Inge Morath. Born with Down syndrome, Daniel was institutionalized, and his existence was never acknowledged by his parents. Written by playwright and renowned journalist Bernard Weinraub (The Accomplices, Above the Fold), and directed by Huntington Artistic Director Peter DuBois, Fall runs May 18 - June 16, 2018 at the Huntington's Stanford Calderwood Pavilion at the Boston Center for the Arts.

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.

The Huntington Theatre Company presents the World Premiere of Fall, which tells the true story of Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Arthur Miller's secret son Daniel, his child with third wife Inge Morath. Born with Down syndrome, Daniel was institutionalized and his existence was never acknowledged by his parents. Written by playwright and renowned journalist Bernard Weinraub (The Accomplices, Above the Fold), and directed by Huntington Artistic Director Peter DuBois, Fall runs May 18 - June 16, 2018 at the Huntington's Stanford Calderwood Pavilion at the Boston Center for the Arts.