Jeff Whitty News

Hot off its Broadway run, Head Over Heels-featuring the songs of 80s music icons The Go-Go's-will rock The Ringwald from May 10 to June 10. The Ringwald presents the first production of this smashing show after its Broadway debut.

The Drama League (Gabriel Stelian-Shanks, Executive Artistic Director) today announced the 2019 Drama League Awards Nominees for Outstanding Production of a Play, Outstanding Revival of a Play, Outstanding Production of a Musical, Outstanding Revival of a Musical, and the much-coveted Distinguished Performance Award. The nominations were announced this morning by the current stars of Waitress, Shoshana Bean and Jeremy Jordan, at the official announcement event at Sardi's Restaurant, which was streamed live online here at BroadwayWorld.

LA Community Theatre's Avenue Q is now on stage! Check out the photos below! This puppet-filled comedy, with music and lyrics by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx and book by Jeff Whitty, Avenue Q is an 'autobiographical and biographical' coming-of-age parable, addressing the issues and anxieties associated with entering adulthood. Winner of the Tony 'Triple Crown' for Best Musical, Best Score and Best Book, Avenue Q is 'part flesh, part felt, and packed with heart.'

Play On Shakespeare in association with Classic Stage Company (CSC) and Oregon Shakespeare Festival (OSF) presents the Play on! festival-featuring 39 readings of new, work-in-progress translations of Shakespeare's plays into contemporary modern English by some of today's most exciting playwrights-May 29-June 30 at the Lynn F. Angelson Theater at CSC (136 E. 13th Street).In 2015, Oregon Shakespeare Festival launched an ambitious 39-play, three-year commissioning project, Play on!, tasking 36 playwrights-more than half of whom were women and playwrights of color, each paired with a dramaturg-to translate Shakespeare's canon in celebration of the enduring impact of the Bard's work. Supported by a generous grant from the Hitz Foundation and inspired by long-time patron Dave Hitz's passion for Shakespeare, the project was and continues to be led by Lue Morgan Douthit. For more information, visit playonfestival.org.

Kokandy Productions is pleased to announce the Chicago premiere of the bold new musical comedy HEAD OVER HEELS, featuring songs by The Go-Go's, based on The Arcadia by Sir Phillip Sidney, conceived and original book by Jeff Whitty and adapted by James Magruder. Making its Chicago debut just six months after concluding its Broadway run, HEAD OVER HEELS is co-directed by Kokandy's new Producing Artistic Director Derek Van Barham and Elizabeth Swanson, with music direction by Kyra Leigh and choreography by Breon Arzell. Casting will be announced shortly. HEAD OVER HEELS will play July 1 - August 25, 2019 at Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave. in Chicago. Tickets are currently available at www.kokandyproductions.com, by calling (773) 975-8150 or in person at the Theater Wit Box Office. The press opening is Saturday, July 6 at 8 pm.

Written and performed by two-time Obie Award winner Heidi Schreck(Grand Concourse, 'I Love Dick') and directed by Obie Award winner Oliver Butler (The Amateurs, The Light Years), What the Constitution Means to Me opened last night, March 31, 2019, at the Helen Hayes Theater (240 W 44th Street, New York, NY).

New Conservatory Theatre Center Founder & Artistic Director Ed Decker announced the line-up for NCTC's 2019-20 subscription season last night at NCTC's annual Season Announcement Party for subscribers, donors and artists.

Centenary Stage Company and Centenary University's all student NEXTstage Repertory presents Avenue Q April 25 through May 5 in the Sitnik Theatre of The Lackland Performing Arts Center. Tickets range from $10.00 - $22.00 and are available on-line at centenarystageco.org or by phone at (908) 979 - 0900.

Avenue Q recently held some special events in honor of World Puppetry Day on March 21.

Avenue Q - the Tony Award winning Best Musical set to end its 15+ year run in NYC this spring - will celebrate WORLD PUPPETRY DAY on Thursday, March 21, 2019 with a one-night-only roster of special events, including a special ticket price for any patron who brings a puppet to the show AND a Puppet Dance Party after the 8 p.m. performance at New World Stages (340 West 50th Street), it has been announced by AVENUE Q producers Kevin McCollum and Robyn Goodman.

It's always a joy to take a stroll down 'Avenue Q,' Broadway's Tony Award winning musical soon to be ending a fifteen year run in New York City and currently being presented at the Cultural Arts Playhouse in Syosset. Audiences are still flocking to the numerous productions of this crowd-pleasing sensation popping up all over the globe. The Cultural Arts Playhouse admirably delivers the hysterical 'Sesame Street for adults' musical, faithfully sticking to the original concept and adding it's own special touches here and there keeping it fresh and exciting.

Avenue Q is extending its previously announced closing date 4 weeks, due to popular demand, with a new end date set for May 26 at New World Stages! In December it was revealed that the 15+ year run of the musical would end on April 28.

One, two, three, GO! After an extended sell-out season and three Green Room Award nominations including Best Production of a Musical, David Venn is proud to announce the Broadway hit BRING IT ON THE MUSICAL will return to Melbourne and premiere in Sydney this year.

Rise Above Performing Arts has announced their upcoming season which will include works by Andrew Lloyd Webber, Stephen Sondheim, and Lin-Manuel Miranda among others. Rise Above's mission is to bring exceptional talent with a focus on the education and development of the performing arts in the youth of the South Florida community. This will mark the company's fourth season since!

The 2019 Film Independent Spirit Award winners were announced today, February 23. The awards ceremony was held on the beach in Santa Monica, just north of the Santa Monica Pier, and was broadcast live exclusively on IFC.

The 91st Oscars® will be held on Sunday, February 24, 2019, at the Dolby Theatre® at Hollywood & Highland Center® in Hollywood, and will be televised live on the ABC Television Network. The OSCARS also will be televised live in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.

'The Oscars' airs live this Sunday, February 24, on The ABC Television Network and it will  broadcast in more than 225 countries and territories. The ceremony will be host-less for the first time since 1989.

The Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE) and the Writers Guild of America West (WGAW) tonight announced the winners of the 2019 Writers Guild Awards for outstanding achievement in writing for film, television, new media, videogames, news, radio/audio, promotional, and graphic animation categories at concurrent ceremonies at the Edison Ballroom in New York City and The Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles.

Director Paul G. Caron has announced the cast for the upcoming CLT production of the hit musical comedy Avenue Q. This puppet-filled comedy, with music and lyrics by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx and book by Jeff Whitty, Avenue Q is an 'autobiographical and biographical' coming-of-age parable, addressing the issues and anxieties associated with entering adulthood. Winner of the Tony 'Triple Crown' for Best Musical, Best Score and Best Book, Avenue Q is 'part flesh, part felt, and packed with heart.'

Avenue Q is an interesting show to describe to those who have never seen it. Naive graduate Princeton comes to New York with big dreams and little money to match. When he moves to Avenue Q he meets his neighbours where he tries to find his purpose in life. Together they tackle various issues and learn to be happy with their lot in life. So far, so straightforward, but Avenue Q is a little different. It is a musical puppet show for adults, featuring rude songs and outrageous jokes that touch on issues from internet pornography, being gay and puppet sex. It's difficult to see how it could work, but it does and this new tour that comes to the New Wimbledon Theatre in hilarious and irreverent form.