Jane Kaczmarek News

With venues everywhere dark during this extraordinary time, world-class theater from L.A. Theatre Works is just a click away.

Opening night of the West Coast premiere of 'Found: A New Musical' was held at the Los Angeles Theatre Center last Thursday, Feb. 20.

It's curtains up on a special episode of West Broadway! I'm Los Angeles publicist and Broadway veteran Will Armstrong. This episode is a bit of a departure from our normal shows at west of Broadway, but as I think of it, maybe it's less of a departure and more of an evolution. After all, as I see it, a podcast about musical theater on the West Coast is great. But what is musical theater without... Theater?

Pasadena Playhouse, The State Theater of California, presents The Father, written by Florian Zeller, translated by Christopher Hampton and directed by Jessica Kubzansky, now through March 1, 2020. The production stars Alfred Molina (Frieda, An Education, Enchanted April) in a tour-de-force role in perhaps one of the most awarded plays of recent times on two continents – winning the 2014 Molière Award, and nominations for the Evening Standard Theatre Award, Olivier Award for Best New Play, and Tony Award for Best Play.

Last night, Williamstown Theatre Festival held its annual gala! Among those in attendance were Laura Benanti, Joshua Boone, Dawn Landes, Kyle MacLachlan, Ashley Park and more.

Montalvo Arts Center brings the hit public radio show Selected Shorts to Saratoga live on stage as part of its Carriage House Concert Series. Conceived in 1985, Selected Shorts is a weekly public radio show with a simple premise: take great stories by well-known and terrific writers and have them performed by actors of stage and screen. Today, its podcast consistently ranks as one of the most popular NPR shows on iTunes. From fiction to classic and beyond, the stories of Selected Shorts are brought to life by actors from stage, screen, and television. At Montalvo, Selected Shorts will include special guests David Strathairn and Jane Kaczmarek, and others to be announced, presenting Unexpected Encounters, an evening of funny, moving readings about unlikely connections.

August Wilson's “Jitney,” opened this week at Center Theatre Group at the Mark Taper Forum, running now through December 29.

Williamstown Theatre Festival (Mandy Greenfield, Artistic Director) announced that the 2020 WTF Gala in New York City honoring Bo & Katherine Peabody will be held at Tao Downtown in New York City on Monday, February 10, 2020, and feature special appearances by Tony Award winner Laura Benanti (My Fair Lady, She Loves Me, Gypsy), Joshua Boone (Network, WTF's Artney Jackson, Actually, and Where Storms are Born), Tony Award nominee Ashley Park (WTF's Grand Horizons, Mean Girls, The King and I), and Kyle MacLachlan (a?oeTwin Peaksa??, a?oePortlandiaa??, a?oeDesperate Housewivesa??), among many others to be announced at a later date.

Now in its third season, California School of the Arts a?" San Gabriel Valley (CSArts-SGV) continues to provide meaningful and often life-changing experiences for its 1,200 aspiring young artists through programs such as the 2019-2020 Master Artist Series. In addition to the school's 10 arts conservatories, this unique program provide students the opportunity to learn from real-world experts in a variety of industries. Acclaimed artists, esteemed educators and top industry leaders visit CSArts-SGV to impart their knowledge and provide students with exclusive advice through demonstrations, residencies, panel discussions, master classes and more.

Hadestown star and 2019 Tony Award winner André de Shields has emerged from the underworld to star in the latest episode of the acclaimed public-radio children's podcast, Circle Round.

Opening night of Little Shop of Horrors was celebrated last night at the Pasadena Playhouse. The production stars George Salazar as “Seymour Krelborn;” Mj Rodriguez as “Audrey;” Kevin Chamberlin, as “Mr. Mushnik;” Matthew Wilkas as “Orin Scrivello;” and Amber Riley as “Audrey ll.” 

There is quite a lot to like about this exemplary Williamstown Theatre Festival Commission and recipient of an Edgerton Foundation New Play Award. I've discussed the play with several people who've seen it.  They all enjoyed and spoke highly of the experience, but each focused on a different aspect of its many nuances and facets. You would be crazy not to go and see what it says to you if / while you can. TELL ME I'M NOT CRAZY continues only through August 3rd at Williamstown Theatre Festival's Nikos Stage.

The Eugene O'Neill Theater Center announces casting and creative teams for the summer season of new musicals and plays selected for development at the National Music Theater Conference and National Playwrights Conference.

Pasadena Playhouse, State Theatre of California,announces Playhouse Celebrity Game Night: Speed Charades, ahilarious competition where celebrity teams go head-to-head and battle it out in a fierce and fun game of speed charades benefiting the programs of the Pasadena Playhouse. Players for the Monday, June 10 fundraiser will include John C. Reilly, Jane Kaczmarek, Alfred Molina, Simon Helberg, Matthew Lillard, Melora Hardin, Jason George, Cynthia Rowley, and more. 

The Yale Repertory Theatre production of Samuel Beckett's classic 'Happy Days' celebrated its opening night at Center Theatre Group/Mark Taper Forum. See photos from the evening!

Pasadena Playhouse, the State Theater of California, hosted a star-studded opening night last evening for The Public Theater production of Tiny Beautiful Things starring Academy Award-nominated writer and actress Nia Vardalos, who reprises the role of Sugar for the Playhouse production. Vardalos originated the role of Sugar at The Public Theater under the direction of Thomas Kail.