Jayne Houdyshell News

LUCKY STIFF, the zany off-Broadway musical from Tony-winners Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty, comes to the big screen!

LUCKY STIFF, the zany off-Broadway musical from Tony®-winners Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty, comes to the big screen!

Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater kicks off the 2014/15 season with the world premiere of Morris Panych's The Shoplifters, a biting comedy about society's haves and have-nots and how much they might actually have in common. Noted Canadian playwright and director Panych, a two-time recipient of the Governor General's Literary Award, makes his Arena Stage debut with an expertly drawn cast of oddball characters and a high-stakes battle of wills involving a career shoplifter whose life of petty crime is halted by an overzealous rookie security guard and his ambivalent mentor. The Shoplifters runs September 5-October 19, 2014 in the Kreeger Theater. Check out the trailer below!

Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater kicks off the 2014/15 season with the world premiere of Morris Panych's The Shoplifters, a biting comedy about society's haves and have-nots and how much they might actually have in common. Noted Canadian playwright and director Panych, a two-time recipient of the Governor General's Literary Award, makes his Arena Stage debut with an expertly drawn cast of oddball characters and a high-stakes battle of wills involving a career shoplifter whose life of petty crime is halted by an overzealous rookie security guard and his ambivalent mentor. The Shoplifters runs September 5-October 19, 2014 in the Kreeger Theater. Check out a sneak peek below!

Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater kicks off the 2014/15 season with the world premiere of Morris Panych's The Shoplifters, a biting comedy about society's haves and have-nots and how much they might actually have in common. Noted Canadian playwright and director Panych, a two-time recipient of the Governor General's Literary Award, makes his Arena Stage debut with an expertly drawn cast of oddball characters and a high-stakes battle of wills involving a career shoplifter whose life of petty crime is halted by an overzealous rookie security guard and his ambivalent mentor. The Shoplifters runs September 5-October 19, 2014 in the Kreeger Theater.

Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater kicks off the 2014/15 season with the world premiere of Morris Panych's The Shoplifters, a biting comedy about society's haves and have-nots and how much they might actually have in common. Noted Canadian playwright and director Panych, a two-time recipient of the Governor General's Literary Award, makes his Arena Stage debut with an expertly drawn cast of oddball characters and a high-stakes battle of wills involving a career shoplifter whose life of petty crime is halted by an overzealous rookie security guard and his ambivalent mentor. The Shoplifters runs September 5-October 19, 2014 in the Kreeger Theater.

Good morning, BroadwayWorld! Because we know all our readers eat, sleep and breathe Broadway, what could be better than waking up to it? Today's big news: The National Tour of WICKED welcomes a new 'Glinda' and 'Boq' this evening, Amber Tamblyn takes the stage at the Geffen, Jessica Grove is back in her fins as 'Ariel' in NC, and MY LIFE IS A MUSICAL (don't we all wish?) premieres in Long Island!

Tony-nominated actress Jayne Houdyshell (Broadway's Romeo and Juliet, Follies, Wicked, Well) will kick off Arena Stage's 2014/15 season in her D.C. stage debut starring as Alma in Morris Panych's world-premiere comedy The Shoplifters, September 5 - October 19, 2014.

The Public Theater's free Shakespeare in the Park production of Much Ado About Nothing officially opens tonight, Monday, June 16. The production will run through Sunday, July 6.

A reception at 6:30 precedes the ceremony, which will begin at 7:30. All are welcome to attend the free event, which is fast becoming the theater-networking event in the state.

For people, like me, who sit in front of a computer for a living, or have long commutes each day, podcasts are an entertaining and educational way to pass the time. Last month I introduced you to the 20 Top Podcasts for theatre fans, and chief among them was the Theater People Podcast, hosted by Patrick Hinds. Recently, I spoke to Patrick about the his incredible Broadway friends, his research process, and why Laura Osnes made him sick to his stomach.

Peter Maloney and Mare Winningham are the recipients of the annual Richard Seff Award presented by the Actors' Equity Foundation to a veteran male and female character actor for the best performance in a supporting role in a Broadway or Off-Broadway production. The announcement was made by Arne Gundersen, president of the Foundation, which administers the award.

The Freeman Studio, the Tribeca-based acting studio led by Scott Freeman, continues to supplement its acting curriculum with an unusual mix of panels, talks and workshops in May. The so-called extracurricular activities, which give actors a rich environment in which to broaden creatively and even experiment, include free industry panels and talks, and low-cost workshops called Today Specials. Most of these add-ons are led by notable theatre artists, are either free or low-cost, and are open to the public.

The Freeman Studio, the Tribeca-based acting studio led by Scott Freeman, continues to supplement its acting curriculum with an unusual mix of panels, talks and workshops in May. The so-called extracurricular activities, which give actors a rich environment in which to broaden creatively and even experiment, include free industry panels and talks, and low-cost workshops called Saturday Specials. Most of these add-ons are led by notable theatre artists, are either free or low-cost, and are open to the public.

Good morning, BroadwayWorld! Because we know all our readers eat, sleep and breathe Broadway, what could be better than waking up to it? Today's big news: A RAISIN IN THE SUN, starring Denzel Washington, opens tonight on Broadway, and GUYS AND DOLLS plays in concert with an all-star cast at Carnegie Hall!

Zum ersten Mal seit 36 Jahren war Shakespeare's Klassiker Romeo und Julia live auf dem Broadway in einer beeindruckenden, modernen Produktion zu erleben. Unglucklicherweise ist New York fur viele deutsche Theaterliebhaber oft zu weit entfernt, aber wir haben jetzt die Chance dieses heiße Paar, Orlando Bloom und Condola Rashad, durch BroadwayHD einmalig auf deutschen Kinoleinwanden zu erleben.

Carnegie Hall today announced that two-time Tony Award winner Judy Kaye will now play the role of General Matilda B. Cartwright, replacing previously announced actress Jayne Houdyshell, for its gala benefit performance of Guys and Dolls on Thursday, April 3 at 7:30 p.m. in Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage. Kaye's career highlights include Tony Awards for her performances as Best Featured Actress in a Musical in The Phantom of the Opera and Nice Work If You Can Get It and Tony Award nominations for her roles in Mamma Mia! and Souvenir.

The New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA) will present an evening with acclaimed actor, playwright and a 1994 NYFA Fellow in Playwrighting Lisa Kron. Kron will sign discuss and read from her play In the Wake (published by Theatre Communications Group) on Monday, March 24th at 7:00 at Barnes and Noble at 150 East 86th Street. Joining Ms. Kron will be Jayne Houdyshell, who was nominated for a Tony Award for her role in Kron's Tony nominated play Well.

Carnegie Hall today announced the complete cast for its gala benefit performance of Guys and Dolls on Thursday, April 3 at 7:30 p.m. in Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage. Tony Award winner Len Cariou (Sweeney Todd, Applause, A Little Night Music) joins the cast as Arvide Abernathy along with Tony Award nominee Lee Wilkof (Assassins, Little Shop of Horrors, Kiss Me Kate) as Harry the Horse. Members of the Mission Band joining Allison Blackwell (Agatha) are J.D. Webster (Calvin), Linda Mugleston (Martha), and Joseph Torello (Joseph).

This weekend, The Freeman Studio continues its popular series of free industry panels and talks in which distinguished theatre artists and executives are invited to explore a wide range of topics.