Jed Peterson News

ASCAP Award-winning writer/producer Chip Deffaa's new CD, 'The Irving Berlin Duets Album'--being released August 31st--will features such  Broadway notables as Stephen Bogardus ('Bright Star'), Jon Peterson ('Cabaret'), Seth Sikes ('The Band's Visit'), Giuseppe Bausilio  ('Hamilton'), and more.  The album, an outgrowth of shows  celebrating Berlin that Deffaa has been presenting  at the venerable 13th Street Theater, features 29  Irving Berlin duets--a mix of  famed numbers, rarities, and rediscoveries--including some never-before-recorded material.  The album--which will be available  from Amazon, CDBaby, ITunes, Footlight Records etc. on August 31st--may be pre-ordered, as either a physical CD or a digital download, here:  https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/chipdeffaasirvingberlind.  

New York Classical Theatre, New York City's all-free Off-Broadway equity theatre company, will bring back its critically acclaimed production of Oscar Wilde's comic masterpiece, The Importance of Being Earnest: Two Ways for a tour of three New York City parks.

In Oscar Wilde's THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST, Gwendolen says, "In matters of grave importance, style, not sincerity, is the vital thing." It seems that NY Classical's new production took this quip to heart as their stylizing replaces more nuanced characterization at times, at least in the gender-reversed version.

New York Classical Theatre kicks off its 20th anniversary season with a gender-flipping production of Oscar Wilde's comic masterpiece The Importance of Being Earnest, with the entire cast swapping roles at every other performance. See photos from the production below.

New York Classical Theatre kicks off its 20th anniversary season with a gender-flipping production of Oscar Wilde's comic masterpiece The Importance of Being Earnest, with the entire cast swapping roles at every other performance. The production, directed by Stephen Burdman, also marks the debut of NY Classical's annual indoor performance, extending its season year-round and continuing its all-free performance policy. The production will be presented from March 5-24, 2019 at The Mezzanine Theatre at A.R.T./New York Theatres (502 West 53rd Street).

New York Classical Theatre (Stephen Burdman, Artistic Director) kicks off its 20th anniversary season with a gender-flipping production of Oscar Wilde's comic masterpiece The Importance of Being Earnest, with the entire cast swapping roles at every other performance. The production, directed by Stephen Burdman, also marks the debut of NY Classical's annual indoor performance, extending its season year-round and continuing its all-free performance policy. The production will be presented from March 5-24, 2019 at The Mezzanine Theatre at A.R.T./New York Theatres (502 West 53rd Street).

Executive Producers Pam Carter and The Cliplight Theater, in conjunction with Amanda Cooper/ALC Management, are pleased to announce the world premiere of Maverick, co-authored by Frank Beacham and George Demas. A dramatization of co-author Beacham's real-life experience collaborating with Orson Welles in the months leading up to his death, Maverick begins previews at The Connelly Theater (220 E. 4th St., between Ave. A & Ave. B) on February 6, with opening night set for February 13 for a limited run through March 2. Tickets, priced $30-$50, are available at www.mavericktheplay.com.

Regeneration Theatre present SMALL CRAFT WARNING by Tennessee Williams runs until Sunday Nov 11 at the 13th Street Rep, 50 West 13th Street, NYC.

Barnaby Edwards and Regeneration Theatre present SMALL CRAFT WARNING by Tennessee Williams runs Thursday - Saturday: November 1-3

Casting is completed for Small Craft Warnings by Tennessee Williams presented by Barnaby Edwards and Regeneration Theatre.

Pleasantville theater company Arc Stages announces Private Eyes to begin their third season for their professional company, the Next Stage.

Pleasantville theater company Arc Stages announces Private Eyes to begin their third season for their professional company, the Next Stage.

In This is Not a Theatre Company's Subway Plays, audiences ride the L, N, and 7 trains while listening to "Subway Plays," an app that can be downloaded to your smart phone for $2.99 from Apple or Android. 

Over halfway through DECONSTRUCTION, Jonathan Leaf's remarkable play about Paul De Man, Mary McCarthy (Fleur Alys Dobbins) tells Hannah Arendt (Karoline Fischer) that she sees no morality 'worthy of the name' in the philosophy of Martin Heidegger. 'There's a need to find authenticity,' McCarthy concedes, 'But it seems to me that you can be genuinely and perfectly evil.' However one feels about deconstruction as a method of reading--I happen to be a fan--we should all agree that De Man was a bad guy: a thoroughgoing liar, a bigamist, a swindler, a manipulator, and the author of some 200 pieces for the Nazi publication in Belgium, Le Soir. I've lingered over this literary-historical context (ironic, given that deconstruction deemphasizes extra-textual material, including authorial intent) because while Leaf's play works beautifully as a story about the (alleged) affair between De Man and McCarthy, the play's real triumph is how deftly it evokes the intellectual minefields on which these personal relationships developed. DECONSTRUCTION is far better, to say nothing of smarter, than most of the ideologically-driven caricatures of the play suggest. This is all the more remarkable given the play runs a mere 75 minutes.

The Storm Theatre, in association with Christopher Ekstrom Productions, kicks off its 20th anniversary season with the world premiere of 'Deconstruction,' by Jonathan Leaf. The historically-inspired play directed by Storm Artistic Director Peter Dobbins, runs Mar. 3 - Mar. 25, Grand Hall (at St. Mary's Parish), 440 Grand Street, New York, NY 10002, for 16 performances. Tickets are on sale now for $25 and can be purchased at SmartTix at 212-868-4444 or www.smarttix.com.

The Storm Theatre, in association with Christopher Ekstrom Productions, kicks off its 20th anniversary season with the world premiere of 'Deconstruction,' by Jonathan Leaf.

The Storm Theatre, in association with Christopher Ekstrom Productions, kicks off its 20th anniversary season with the world premiere of 'Deconstruction,' by Jonathan Leaf. The historically-inspired play directed by Storm Artistic Director Peter Dobbins, runs Mar. 3 - Mar. 25, Grand Hall (at St. Mary's Parish), 440 Grand Street, New York, NY 10002, for 16 performances. Tickets are on sale now for $25 and can be purchased at SmartTix at 212-868-4444 or www.smarttix.com.

Broadway In Chicago, Stageworks Media and Troika Entertainment present the National Touring production of CHEERS LIVE ON STAGE. Based on the best and most memorable moments from the Emmy Award-winning classic hit TV series, CHEERS LIVE ON STAGE plays the Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place (175 E. Chestnut) tonight, September 20, through October 23, 2016.

Stageworks Media and Troika Entertainment present the National Touring production of CHEERS LIVE ON STAGE, opening in Boston, where the famous bar is located, tonight, September 9, through September 18, 2016.

Stageworks Media and Troika Entertainment will present the National Touring production of CHEERS LIVE ON STAGE, which will open in Boston, where the famous bar is located, September 9-18, 2016. As previously announced, the show will star Grayson Powell as 'Sam Malone,' Jillian Louis as 'Diane Chambers,' Barry Pearl as 'Ernie 'Coach' Pantusso,' Buzz Roddy as 'Cliff Clavin,' Sarah Sirota as 'Carla Tortelli,' and Paul Vogt as 'Norm Peterson.'