James Lapine News

Tickets are now on sale for The Brown Paper Box Co.'s upcoming production, A NEW BRAIN, with music and lyrics by William Finn and book by Finn and James Lapine. The show will run Thursdays through Saturdays at 7:30 PM and Sundays at 2:00 PM now-March 9 at Rivendell Theatre in Chicago's Edgewater neighborhood (5779 N. Ridge Ave.).

Today in 2008, the first Broadway revival of Sunday in the Park with George opened at Studio 54, where it ran for 149 performances. Sunday in the Park with George is a 1983 musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by James Lapine. The musical was inspired by the painting 'A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte' by Georges Seurat. The musical won the 1985 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, two Tony Awards for design (and a nomination for Best Musical), numerous Drama Desk Awards, the 1991 Olivier Award for Best Musical and the 2007 Olivier Award for Outstanding Musical Production.

'Es war einmal ...' Mit diesen Worten beginnen nicht nur alle M'rchen, sondern auch Stephen Sondheims m'rchenhaftes Musical Into the Woods f'r die ganze Familie. Doch schon die n'chsten Worte lauten 'Ich will ...!' Alle haben sie ihre W'nsche: Aschenputtel m'chte unbedingt auf den Ball des Prinzen gehen. Hans m'chte seine geliebte Kuh vor dem Tod bewahren und ist daf'r bereit, eine Bohnenranke hinauf zu klettern. Rotk'ppchen will seine Gro'mutter im Wald besuchen und das Leben kennen lernen. Und der B'cker und seine Frau wollen endlich den Fluch der Kinderlosigkeit 'berwinden, der auf ihnen lastet. Kein Problem, erkl'rt ihnen die b'se Hexe von nebenan: Sie m'ssten nur in den Wald gehen und einen Schuh aus purem Gold, ein rotes Cape, eine milchwei'e Kuh und eine goldene Haarstr'hne herbeischaffen ... Ab in den Wald!

Lincoln Center Theater has announced that John Aylward, Kristen Bush, Beth Dixon, Barbara Garrick, Jan Maxwell, Luke Niehaus, Kevin O'Rourke and Michael Simpson will be featured in its upcoming production of THE CITY OF CONVERSATION, a new play by Anthony Giardina, directed by Doug Hughes. THE CITY OF CONVERSATION begins previews Thursday, April 10 and opens on Monday, May 5 at the Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater (150 West 65 Street). Additional casting for THE CITY OF CONVERSATION will be announced at a later date.

The latest in unauthorized gossip and buzz from the heart of Chicago's showtune video bars, and musical theater news from Chicago to Broadway. 'The Last Ship' sails, 'Chicago' and 'The Heartbeat Of Home' stop by, 'Chicago's Golden Soul,' and 'Ain't Misbehavin' pack 'em in, catch 'Dessa Rose,' 'Love Story' and 'A New Brain,' and the Waa-Mu Show announces 2014, plus more!

This is a most enjoyable production, and an opportunity to see this musical for the first time in Adelaide.

To celebrate the reissue of Moss Hart's ACT ONE and its adaption for the stage, Barnes & Noble hosted an event, in conjunction with the Lincoln Center Theater, yesterday, February 18. Tony Shalhoub and Santino Fontana were both in attendance, along with Hart's son, Christopher. BroadwayWorld brings you photos from the special event below!

Anthony Warlow, Australia's leading star of musical theatre, returns home this June with Tony-Award winner Faith Prince in an exclusive concert event titled Direct From Broadway. The Australian tour premieres at the Adelaide Cabaret Festival on June 10, then travels to Perth, Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane.

Mercury Theater Chicago, 3745 N Southport Ave., presents The Hypocrites' production INTO THE WOODS, directed by Geoff Button* with Musical Direction by Matt Deitchman, and opened on Tuesday, February 11 at 7:30 p.m., running through Sunday, March 30. Check out a look back at opening night below!

Primary Stages, Daryl Roth, and Ted Snowdon in association with Jamie deRoy has announced a two week extension for The Tribute Artist, a new world premiere comedy written by and starring Tony-nominee Charles Busch (The Divine Sister, The Tale of the Allergist's Wife, Olive and the Bitter Herbs). Extended through March 30 at Primary Stages at 59E59 Theaters, the production is directed by Busch's long-time collaborator Carl Andress (The Divine Sister, The Third Story), and features Mary Bacon (Harrison, TX...; Giant), Cynthia Harris (Lost in Yonkers, 'Mad About You'), Julie Halston (Olive and the Bitter Herbs, Anything Goes) Keira Keeley (Angels in America, The Glass Menagerie), and Jonathan Walker (The Assembled Parties, The Divine Sister).

The original cast recording of William Finn's unusual and idiosyncratic first major musical IN TROUSERS is now available to order on iTunes.

Mercury Theater Chicago, 3745 N Southport Ave., presents The Hypocrites' production INTO THE WOODS, directed by Geoff Button* with Musical Direction by Matt Deitchman, opening tonight, February 11 at 7:30 p.m. and running through Sunday, March 30. Check out highlights from the production below!

Mercury Theater Chicago, 3745 N Southport Ave., presents The Hypocrites' production INTO THE WOODS, directed by Geoff Button* with Musical Direction by Matt Deitchman, opening Tuesday, February 11 at 7:30 p.m. and running through Sunday, March 30. Scroll down for some pictures from the production!

Hottest Articles on BroadwayWorld.com from this weekend Sunday, February 9, 2014 - Sunday, February 9, 2014.

Today we are talking to a terrifically talented triple-threat diva known for her legendary Broadway performance as the title character in the iconic original production of ANNIE as well as notable appearances on Broadway since in STARLIGHT EXPRESS, LES MISERABLES, STATE FAIR and more - the engaging and passionate Andrea McArdle. Opening up about her life after 'Tomorrow' as well as sharing memories of her time in ANNIE, McArdle sheds some light on her idiosyncratic showbiz career and shares sensational stories from her past and present while also looking ahead to the future. Additionally, McArdle looks back on many of her most famous roles to date, including her roller skating days in STARLIGHT EXPRESS and her recent stint as MAME herself, as well as her various Judy Garland-related properties, too - the TV biopic RAINBOW and the stage adaptation of MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS among them, not to mention her sensational star turn as the opener of the recent sold-out series of 10th anniversary concerts at Joe's Pub, BROADWAYWORLD.COM VISITS OZ, directed by Richard Jay-Alexander and MaryBeth Abel, where she exquisitely performed 'I'm Always Chasing Rainbows'. Plus, McArdle comments on her recent Broadway Records live album 70'S & SUNNY and the material and decade that inspired it. Most importantly, McArdle looks ahead to her new series of solo shows kicking off at 54 Below this week titled DREAM ROLES and previews some of the stupendous song selections she has chosen for the show - with material by Stephen Sondheim, Charles Strouse and more included! All of that and much, much more awaits in this career-spanning chat with one of Broadway's best and best-loved leading ladies.

The evening will be co-hosted by two of the company's alumni actors: two-time Tony Award winner David Hyde Pierce (at PH in Richard Greenberg's The Maderati in 1987) and two-time Tony Award nominee, two-time Obie Award winner and 2012 Special Drama Desk Award winner Mary Testa (at PH in William Finn's In Trousers in 1979, Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty's Lucky Stiff in 1988, Tom Donaghy's From Above in 1998/Obie Award and Kathleen Tolan's The Wax in 2000).

Primary Stages, Daryl Roth, and Ted Snowdon in association with Jamie deRoy present The Tribute Artist, a new world premiere comedy written by and starring Tony-nominee Charles Busch (The Divine Sister, The Tale of the Allergist's Wife, Olive and the Bitter Herbs). Now playing through March 16 at Primary Stages at 59E59 Theaters, opening night is Sunday, February 9 at 6pm. Directed by Busch's long-time collaborator Carl Andress (The Divine Sister, The Third Story), the cast will also feature Mary Bacon (Harrison, TX...; Giant), Cynthia Harris (Lost in Yonkers, 'Mad About You'), Julie Halston (Olive and the Bitter Herbs, Anything Goes) Keira Keeley (Angels in America, The Glass Menagerie), and Jonathan Walker (The Assembled Parties, The Divine Sister).

Mercury Theater Chicago and The Hypocrites will feature Stephen Sondheim: The Man and The Music, a post-show talk back discussion on the renowned composer with Dr. Mark E. Lococo, Professor and Director of Theatre at Loyola University Chicago; Dr. Sarah Gabel, Chairperson for the Department of Fine and Performing Arts at Loyola University Chicago; and Director Geoff Button, following the 8:00 p.m. performance of INTO THE WOODS tonight, February 7 at the Mercury Theater Chicago, 3745 N. Southport Ave. With music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and the book by James Lapine, The Hypocrites bring their heightened and playful sense of theatricality to the musical INTO THE WOODS through March 30.

Playwrights Horizons presents the New York premiere production of STAGE KISS, a new play marking the eagerly-awaited return of two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist Sarah Ruhl (Dead Man's Cell Phone at PH; The Clean House, In the Next Room...) to the theater company. Directed by Rebecca Taichman (Milk Like Sugar at PH; the current Marie Antoinette, Orlando, The Scene, Luck of the Irish), the production begins previews this evening, February 7 at 8PM with an Opening Night set for Sunday, March 2 at 7PM. The limited engagement will play through Sunday evening, March 23 at Playwrights Horizons' Mainstage Theater (416 West 42nd Street).

Mercury Theater Chicago, 3745 N Southport Ave., presents The Hypocrites' production INTO THE WOODS, directed by Geoff Button* with Musical Direction by Matt Deitchman, previewing February 6, opening Tuesday, February 11 at 7:30 p.m. and running through Sunday, March 30.