Jason Veasey News

'Don't roll your eyes at me,' a person of influence instructs a promising young musical theatre writer. 'I'm the chair of the Second-Coming-Of-Sondheim Award so I know what the f... I'm talking about!'

Ucross, a prestigious artist residency program and creative laboratory for the arts in northeast Wyoming, is proud to announce the debut of "Ucross Spotlight": a nationwide series of performances, live readings, moderated panels, and cultural events featuring its esteemed alumni. "Ucross Spotlight" will debut on Wednesday, June 19, at Playwrights Horizons (416 West 42nd Street), with a conversation between Michael R. Jackson, Billy Porter and Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, moderated by Jacobs-Jenkins.

Playwrights Horizons (Artistic Director Tim Sanford, Managing Director Leslie Marcus), will, from today, May 13, through Thursday, May 16, accept entries for the Live for Five online lottery, giving out $5 tickets to the world premiere production of 2019 Whiting Award Winner Michael R. Jackson's A Strange Loop, (May 24-July 7), presented in association with Page 73 (Producing Artistic Director Michael Walkup, Managing Director Amanda Feldman). Directed by Stephen Brackett (Be More Chill, Buyer and Cellar) and choreographed by Raja Feather Kelly (Playwrights: If Pretty Hurts Ugly Must Be a Muhf**ka; Ugly (Black Queer Zoo), Fairview), A Strange Loop explores the thoughts of Usher, a black, queer writer working a job he hates while writing his original musical: a piece about a black, queer writer, working a job he hates while writing his original musical. Michael R. Jackson's blistering, momentous new musical (and his professional debut) follows a young artist at war with a host of demons-not least of which are the punishing thoughts in his own head-in an attempt to capture and understand his own strange loop.

Last night, Theatre Now New York (TNNY) presented its Sixth Annual Festival of 10-Minute Musicals at Merkin Hall at Kaufman Music Center, 129 West 67th Street, New York, NY 10023. SOUND BITES 6.0 grants composers, lyricists, and librettists the unique opportunity to present their work in front of a live audience. This one-night only event, now in its sixth year, showcases 10 new musicals by up-and-coming musical theatre writing teams.

Theatre Now New York (TNNY) is pleased to announce the official casting and full creative teams for SOUND BITES 6.0, the Sixth Annual Festival of 10-Minute Musicals. This year's festival is scheduled for next Tuesday, April 2, 2019 at 7pm at Merkin Hall at Kaufman Music Center, 129 West 67th Street, New York, NY 10023. Scroll down for more detailed information on each musical's casting and creative team.

Playwrights Horizons, in association with Page 73, present the world premiere production of A Strange Loop, with book, music, and lyrics by 2017 Jonathan Larson Award and2017 Lincoln Center Emerging Artist Award-winner Michael R. Jackson, directed by Stephen Brackett (Be More Chill, Buyer and Cellar), and choreographed by Raja Feather Kelly (Playwrights: If Pretty Hurts Ugly Must Be a Muhf**ka; Ugly (Black Queer Zoo), Fairview).

The Public Theater announced the sixth season of PUBLIC STUDIO today, which will present two new works this spring. Continuing The Public's commitment to nurturing new playwrights, the two productions will run in succession in The Public's Shiva Theater and be presented as pared-down productions with the low ticket price of $15. This vital program continues The Public's mission of making new work by emerging artists accessible to all audiences.

There will be a special industry reading of THE WRATH OF CONNIE by Jon Marans and directed by Brian Hargrove to be presented by the Friar's Club and Chris Massimine. This special Friars and invitational presentation will be on Wednesday, January 30th at 8:00 p.m. at the Friar's Club, 57 East 55th Street (between Madison and Park Avenues) in the Milton Berle Room.

A New York City Twisted Holiday Tradition is now in its eleventh year!

The York Theatre Company (James Morgan, Producing Artistic Director; Evans Haile, Executive Director), dedicated to the development of new musicals and the rediscovery of musical gems from the past, as part of its acclaimed NEO Reading Series, an ever-growing, one-of-a-kind program dedicated to helping and propelling new, emerging, and outstanding musical theatre writers, in association with Penn State Musical Theatre, will present a staged reading of the new musical Tyrants, with music and lyrics by 2017-2018 NEO writer Alexander Sage Oyen and book by S.P. Monahan (Diva: Live From Hell) for ONE PERFORMANCE ONLY on Monday, October 22, 2018 at 11:00 a.m. at the York Theatre Company at Saint Peter's (619 Lexington Avenue, entrance on East 54th Street, just east of Lexington Avenue).

York Theatre Company in association with Penn State Musical Theatre present a reading of TYRANTS - by Alexander Sage Oyen and S.P. Monahan

Joe Iconis, who the New York Times called 'The Future of Musical Theatre' has his past throughly implanted at Barrington Stage Company. BSC, Julianne Boyd, artistic director and the William Finn Musical Theatre Lab have been an integral part of Joe's life. Last night he brought his family of supremely talented singers and musicians to the Boyd-Quinson Mainstage for a wild finale to another great season at the award winning theatre in Pittsfield Ma. Broadwayworld was there for the event - check out the photos below!

Barrington Stage Company (BSC) will welcome back one of its most popular performers, Joe Iconis, in Joe Iconis and Family Take Over the Mainstage on Sunday, September 2 at 7:00pm.

Barrington Stage Company is welcoming back one of its most popular performers, Joe Iconis, in Joe Iconis and Family Take Over the Mainstage on Sunday, September 2 at 7:00pm.

Now entering its 56th season, the New York Youth Symphony (NYYS) is launching a Musical Theater Composition (MTC) program, to be led by newly-appointed director Anna K. Jacobs. In a partnership with the Harlem School of the Arts, this new program aims to diversify the world of musical theater by creating opportunities for young composers to have their compositions workshopped and performed by both peers and professionals.

Kristin Stokes (The Lightning Thief, The Ballad of Little Jo) and Peter LaPrade (The Lightning Thief) have joined the line-up for THE CAPULET PARTY at The Green Room 42 on Monday, March 19th at 9:30pm!

Golden Globe nominee Philip Casnoff (Chess, Chicago, CBS' Sinatra), will take on the title role in 54 SINGS ROCKABYE HAMLET, a one night only concert at Feinstein's/54 Below on Sunday, April 1st, 2018, at 7:00pm.

Olivia Puckett (Dear Evan Hansen, American Idiot), Gerard Canonico (Groundhog Day, Be More Chill), Taylor Iman Jones (Groundhog Day, Head Over Heels), George Psomas (Fiddler on the Roof, South Pacific), Jason Veasey (The Lion King, Broadway Bounty Hunter), Anthony Crouchelli (Tarzan, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer), Shelby Finnie (The Prom), Shea Madison (Mr. Chekov and Mr. Porter), Charlotte Maltby (The Sound of Music), Taylor McMahon (AcousticaElectronica), Matt Rodin (BROadway, Red Carpet Challenge), Kristen Sandler (Joseph...Dreamcoat, Elf), Stephen Wagner (Kid Frankenstein), Kalyn West (Prince of Egypt), and Adam Wedesky (The Green Bird) have joined the line-up for THE CAPULET PARTY at The Green Room 42 on Monday, March 19th at 9:30pm.

If It Only Even Runs A Minute is the Bistro Award-winning concert series celebrating rare songs, behind-the-scenes tales, and inspiring photos from underappreciated musicals. Created and hosted by Feinstein's/54 Below Creative and Programming Director Jennifer Ashley Tepper and Book of Mormon's Kevin Michael Murphy, with musical direction by Jeremy Robin Lyons, each concert includes performances and stories from original cast members and writers of selected featured shows, as well as new interpretations.

The Drama League officially launches DirectorFest tomorrow, a city-wide festival focusing on the art and future of contemporary American stage directing, at various locations around NYC: The Sheen Center for Thought and Culture (18 Bleecker Street), The Drama League Theater Center (32 Avenue of the Americas), and The Drama Book Shop (250 West 40th Street) from January 13-22, 2018. Festival details, tickets and additional information are now available at www.directorfest.org, or by calling (212) 244-9494.