Jeff Talbott News

The Drama League presents DirectorFest,  the only festival in the United States dedicated to the art of contemporary stage directing. Launching the 2020 series is the musical Hello Again, with Book, Music and Lyrics by Michael John LaChiusa, Music Direction by Jesse Kissel, and Directed by 2019 Drama League Leo Shull Musical Directing Fellow Ben Randle.

The Drama League (Artistic Director Gabriel Stelian-Shanks, Executive Director Bevin Ross) announced today the acting company for the 36th annual DirectorFest, the only festival in the United States dedicated to the art of contemporary stage directing. Directorfest will take place January 10 - February 4, 2020 at various locations around NYC: The New Ohio Theatre (154 Christopher Street), The Drama League Theater Center (32 Avenue of the Americas), LaGuardia Performing Arts Center (31-10 Thomson Avenue), and Joe's Pub (425 Lafayette Street). For festival details and tickets, visit directorfest.org or call (212) 244-9494 x102.

Pioneer Theatre Company announces the titles for two of the three plays featured in the seventh season of its new play reading series, PLAY-BY-PLAY.

The Drama League announced today the 2020 line-up of DirectorFest: The 36th Annual Directors Festival, the only festival in the United States dedicated to the art of contemporary stage directing. For its 36th year, the festival will include six fully-staged productions, a showcase concert of a new musical, a town hall, and conversations with directors including 2017 Tony Award Winner Rebecca Taichman (Indecent), 2014 Tony Award Winner and 2010 Drama League Founders Award for Excellence in Directing Kenny Leon (A Soldier's Play), and Intimacy Director Claire Warden (HBO's Mrs. Fletcher).

MCC Theater (Bob LuPone, Bernie Telsey, Will Cantler, Artistic Directors; Blake West, Executive Director) is pleased to announce the next panel discussion as part of their a?oeLet's Talka?? series a?" a?oeAbout the Journey a?" A conversation exploring the unique stories behind the musicals of todaya?? a?" on October 19, 2019, at 5:15pm at The Robert W. Wilson MCC Theater Space (511 West 52nd Street).

National Alliance for Musical Theatre announces preliminary casting and additional programming for the 31st Annual FESTIVAL OF NEW MUSICALS, which takes place on Thursday, October 24 and Friday, October 25, 2019 at New World Stages

As the lights come up on the Tony Winning Cleveland Play House's opening production of its 104thseason, it's 1942 and the Oberon Play House (a stand-in name for CPH), is about to open its season. There is a major problem, however. The plays scheduled are all Shakespeare, the company's males are all off fighting in World War II, and the director is in the service of his country.

Works & Process, the performing arts series at the Guggenheim, presents MCC Theater: Seared by Theresa Rebeck on Monday, September 9, 2019 at 7:30pm.

Cleveland Play House opens its 2019-2020 season with the celebratory, heart-felt comedy Into The Breeches! written by George Brant. Directed by CPH Artistic Director Laura Kepley, the uplifting, laugh-out-loud comedy runs from September 14th through October 6th in the Allen Theatre at Playhouse Square.

Fearless Young Artists Productions under the supervision of LaQuest Sharnell Pringle, will present 3 invitation only readings of the Critically acclaimed plays Closer (Patrick Marber), The Submission (Jeff Talbot) and The Dead Guy (Eric Colbe) on July 15th, 17th and 19th directed by Rock of Ages star and Heathers: The Musical alum, Dan Domenech. Cast members include Jordan McDonald, LaQuet Sharnell Pringle (Memphis, Sweet Charity), Zen Pace (Narcissus), Ryan Kay, Lambert Tamin (Klein Syndicate) & Renata Soares (Out of Water - A Brazillian Pocket Musical).

The Green Room 42 presents the debut performance of New York City based band Stereo Dawn on Sunday, May 19th at 9:30pm. Standout performer on and off Broadway, Chris Dwan (Finding Neverland, Enter Laughing) and multi-talented music director/orchestrator, Will Van Dyke (Pretty Woman, Kinky Boots, RENT) make their Green Room 42 concert debut. Inspired by singer-songwriters of the 90s, boy bands of the 2000s and contemporary music of today, this duo will be joined by some of New York's best musicians to perform a set of all new, original tunes. After years of experience bringing new musicals to life on Broadway, regionally and across the world, there's new music on the horizon.

Letters to the President, the multi-composer song cycle, reimagines letters written to Presidents throughout our United States history. Each song is inspired by an individual letter and written by a different composer or writing team.

Previews begin tonight at 7:30pm for the New York Premiere production of The Light, the first show at MCC Theater's new home, The Robert W. Wilson MCC Theater Space (511 West 52nd Street), ahead of an official opening on Sunday, February 10.

Following their sold-out concert Crazy Rainbow Days: New Songs by Will Van Dyke & Jeff Talbott at Feinstein's/54 Below, the musical theatre writing team is releasing the single "Take Me to the Party", performed both in the concert and on the single by Broadway star Wesley Taylor.

Pioneer Theatre Company presents The Lion in Winter, a fascinating look at two of the most iconic figures in English history. The play premiered on Broadway in 1966 and was adapted into an Academy Award-winning movie. The production runs from January 4 -19, 2019.

Everyone's favorite characters from Cleveland Street are back for their 11th production with Cleveland Play House (CPH) during the 2018 holiday season. A Christmas Story will once again delight Cleveland audiences with the story you know and love, based on the original motion picture that was filmed in Cleveland. CPH's production of A Christmas Story has quickly become an annual holiday tradition for families of all generations. Each year, these performances attract thousands of new guests to live theatre at Cleveland Play House. Previews begin November 23rd with press opening on November 30th at the Allen Theatre in Playhouse Square. This production will be sponsored by Dollar Bank and Pinecrest.

Following their last sold-out concert A View of the River at 54 Below/Feinstein's, the songwriting team of Will Van Dyke and Jeff Talbott are hosting Tony Award winner Annaleigh Ashford, Tony nominees Kate Baldwin and Orfeh, and a starry list of other top-notch Broadway performers in a concert called Crazy Rainbow Days: New Songs by Will Van Dyke & Jeff Talbott at 9:30 p.m. on Sunday, October 28th. The evening will feature never-before-heard songs from Van Dyke and Talbott's musicals, as well as several all-new songs created exclusively for the evening.

Playwright Matthew Ivan Bennett's ART & CLASS "aims to be a character study in standing up - one that shows the costs of standing up. It's a topic that's dead center in American life right now.'

BroadwayWorld has a first look at Pioneer Theatre Company's production of J.T. Rogers' award-winning drama, Oslo, in its first major regional premiere, running through Saturday, Sept. 29, 2018.