Jessica Lewis News

About Productions presents the World Premiere of Bleeding Through, co-written and co-directed by Theresa Chavez and Rose Portillo. The production, inspired by and adapted from Klein's highly praised inventive novella of the same name, opens Saturday, October 31 at Shakespeare Festival/LA in Downtown Los Angeles and runs through November 22 and the first production photos have been released.

Ken Davenport and Robyn Goodman have announce that Neil Haskell, featured on Fox's hit reality show 'So You Think You Can Dance,' will return to the cast of Altar Boyz, the acclaimed musical comedy at New World Stages, reprising the role of Luke, for one week only, beginning tomorrow, Friday October 30th. He replaces Lee Markham who will return Wednesday November 4th.

On Monday, February 8, 2010, The Drama League will present its annual all-star gala, 'A MUSICAL CELEBRATION OF BROADWAY.' This year's black-tie event, to be held in the Grand Ballroom at The Pierre New York, will honor five-time Tony Award winner and entertainment icon Angela Lansbury.

In 1938, just one year after forming The Mercury Theater, Orson Welles took to the air with a series of radio broadcasts on the Columbia Broadcasting System called The Mercury Theater on the Air. In the most famous of these episodes, Welles directed and narrated an adaptation of H.G. Wells' novel 'The War of the Worlds,' reading without commercial interruption as it was a news broadcast.

American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.) has announced that the West Coast premiere of David Mamet's presidential farce November has been extended by popular demand through Sunday, November 22, 2009. Directed by Ron Lagomarsino, November will have six additional performances: 8 p.m. performances Wednesday, November 18, through Saturday, November 21, with 2 p.m. matinees on Saturday, November 21, and Sunday, November 22.

Variety reports that DreamWorks will be memorializing composer George Gershwin in a new biopic to be penned by Memoirs of a Geisha writer and Creditor's director Doug Wright, and produced by Marc Platt ('Wanted') and famed singer and pianist Michael Feinstein.

Throughout the years, the GYPSY OF THE YEAR COMPETITION has become one of the hottest and most anticipated tickets of the fall season. New York's most talented 'gypsies,' chorus members from Broadway and Off-Broadway shows, join in a competition/variety show as six weeks of intensive fundraising to benefit Broadway Cares/ Equity Fights AIDS (BC/EFA) come to a close with the 21st ANNUAL GYPSY OF THE YEAR COMPETITION.

The New York Post is reporting that DWTS' Maksim Chmerkovskiy and Kym Johnson will be dancing their way into Broadway's recently extended BURN THE FLOOR after Thanksgiving. A representative for the show has confirmed that the pair will perform through mid-January, 2010.

Whatsonstage.com is reporting that Simon Callow star in a double bill of two little-seen one-man holiday plays by Charles Dickens: Dr. Marigold and Mr. Chops at Riverside Studios. The productions will run from December 12 - January 31.

Tom Jones, lyricist, book-writer and director of The Fantasticks, will make a special appearance at Night of 1,000 Luisas, the benefit concert featuring performers who've played Luisa, the musical's ingénue role, from every decade since the show opened in 1960, next Wednesday, November 4, 2009 at 7:00 PM.

ELOQUENT PROTEST - a human response to war - returns to the West End on Remembrance Sunday, 8 November 2008 at 3 pm. This year's event will be held at the prestigious Duke of York's Theatre in St. Martin's Lane with the aide of the Ambassador Theatre Group.

JENNA ESPOSITO - the 2008 and 2009 MAC (Manhattan Association of Clubs) Award Nominee for 'Best Female Vocalist' - will bring poodle skirts and puppy love back into fashion with her second CD 'To Connie, Love Jenna - Jenna Esposito Sings Connie Francis,' the world's first-ever tribute CD to one of the most beloved and best-selling female vocalists of the 20th Century. The disc will be available at iTunes, Amazon.com and CDBaby.com.

Celebrated cabaret performer Jamie deRoy will host a special edition of the acclaimed 'MAC/ASAPC Songwriters' Showcase,' an ongoing series exploring the role of Songwriters in America on Saturday, October 31st from 2pm to 4Ppm at the Metropolitan Room. The afternoon program will focus on Songwriters from the West Coast with participants including Melissa Manchester, Mark Winkler, Shelly Markham and Geoffrey Leigh Tozer.

Actress Carrie Fisher was on ‘Charlie Rose' last night and to discuss her new one woman Broadway show Wishful Drinking, a Roundabout production.

Women's Project will present the world premiere production of Liz Duffy Adams's restoration-style comedy Or, directed by Wendy McClellan and featuring Kelly Hutchinson, Andy Paris and Maggie Siff.

Theater Talk, a weekly expose of American theater that airs on PBS Friday nights (PBS/Thirteen) and 5 times weekly on CUNY TV will feature Broadway heavyweights Michael Korie, Arthur Perlman, Neil Simon and more in it's upcoming broadcasts this fall.

The Hollywood Reported has revealed that actress Jessica Biel will both produce and star in F***ing Engaged, an adult-only comedy by newcomer Julia Brownell about a couple who make a pact to have sex every day leading to their wedding in an attempt to fight the platonic 'old married couple' syndrome.

According to Variety, stage and screen star, and frequent tabloid subject, Anne Heche has signed onto two new films: Cedar Rapids and The Other Guys.

According to a report in the New York Times this morning, members of advocacy groups such the Alliance for Inclusion in the Arts - an advocacy group for blind and deaf actors - are none to pleased with the casting of Abigail Breslin as Hellen Keller in the upcoming Broadway revival of The Miracle Worker.

Rolex presents 'AMERICA DANCES! Celebrating Our Sparkling Heritage - Broadway, TV & Film'- Career Transition For Dancers' 24th Anniversary Jubilee on Monday, November 2, 2009 at 7:00 pm at New York City Center. Patrick Swayze (1952 - 2009) will be honored posthumously with the 2009 Rolex Dance Award. The Career Transition For Dancers' Awards for Outstanding Contributions to the World of Dance will be given to Lawrence Herbert and the Lloyd E. Rigler - Lawrence E. Deutsch Foundation. The show will be followed by an 'Anniversary Supper with the Stars' at The Grand Ballroom at The Hilton New York.