JoAnne Akalaitis News

I think it's important to report right from the outset that several times during The Public's outdoor production of Euripides' ancient Greek drama, The Bacchae, I looked down to discover that I was involuntarily tapping my toes to Philip Glass' new score. It's not that the master minimalist had peppered the centuries-old text with a collection of Jerry Hermanish showtunes, but that the tandem work of Glass' scoring for synth, brass and percussion and Nicholas Rudall's brisk, modern-sounding translation produced an irresistible give-and-take between speech and tone. No mere incidentals, Glass' airy, elongated pitches, frequently lush and at times strikingly accented, carry equal weight as the spoken words; echoing, answering back, subtextualizing and, most importantly, pushing the production toward its inevitable climax. If the composer's contribution is the 90-minute evening's most memorable, that's not to discredit the rest of director JoAnne Akalaitis' always interesting (if sometimes lacking for passion) production.

Full of Noises will present Euripides' Andromache: A New Version by Jesse Alexander Myerson at the Workmen's Circle (45 East 33rd Street) in a limited run from Thursday, October 8th through Sunday, October 25th.

Broadway's most talked about new musical and the biggest Tony Award-winner in years is coming to the Orange County Performing Arts Center.

Full of Noises will present Euripides' Andromache: A New Version by Jesse Alexander Myerson at the Workmen's Circle (45 East 33rd Street) in a limited run from Thursday, October 8th through Sunday, October 25th.

The Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park production of Euripides' THE BACCHAE, directed by JoAnne Akalaitis with original music by Philip Glass and translated by Nicholas Rudall, will run through August 30 at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park. The official press opening takes place tonight, Monday, August 24 at 8 p.m. Performances of Shakespeare in the Park will be Tuesday through Sunday at 8pm.

The Public Theater (Artistic Director Oskar Eustis; Executive Director Andrew D. Hamingson) announced complete casting today for the Shakespeare in the Park production of Euripides' THE BACCHAE, directed by JoAnne Akalaitis with original music by Philip Glass and translated by Nicholas Rudall. Anthony Mackie (The Hurt Locker) will play the lead role of Pentheus joining George Bartenieff as Cadmus; André De Shields as Teiresias; Jonathan Groff as Dionysus; Karen Kandel as Chorus Leader; Joan MacIntosh as Agave; Steven Rishard as Cowherd; and Rocco Sisto as Messenger.

The Public Theater (Artistic Director Oskar Eustis; Executive Director Andrew D. Hamingson) announced casting for the Shakespeare in the Park production of Euripides' THE BACCHAE, directed by JoAnne Akalaitis with original music by Philip Glass and translated by Nicholas Rudall. THE BACCHAE will run August 11-August 30 at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park with an official press opening on Monday, August 24 at 8 p.m. Bank of America returns as lead sponsor of Shakespeare in the Park 2009.

Today's Broadway Blogs on BroadwayWorld.com from Wednesday, August 26, 2009.

The Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park production of Euripides' THE BACCHAE, directed by JoAnne Akalaitis with original music by Philip Glass and translated by Nicholas Rudall, will run through August 30 at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park. The official press opening took place last night, Monday, August 24 at 8 p.m. Performances of Shakespeare in the Park will be Tuesday through Sunday at 8pm.

The Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park production of Euripides' THE BACCHAE, directed by JoAnne Akalaitis with original music by Philip Glass and translated by Nicholas Rudall, will run through August 30 at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park. The official press opening took place last night, Monday, August 24 at 8 p.m. Performances of Shakespeare in the Park will be Tuesday through Sunday at 8pm.

The Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park production of Euripides' THE BACCHAE, directed by JoAnne Akalaitis with original music by Philip Glass and translated by Nicholas Rudall, will run through August 30 at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park. The official press opening takes place tonight, Monday, August 24 at 8 p.m. Performances of Shakespeare in the Park will be Tuesday through Sunday at 8pm.

The Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park production of Euripides' THE BACCHAE, directed by JoAnne Akalaitis with original music by Philip Glass and translated by Nicholas Rudall, will run through August 30 at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park with an official press opening on Monday, August 24 at 8 p.m. Performances of Shakespeare in the Park will be Tuesday through Sunday at 8pm.

The Public Theater (Artistic Director Oskar Eustis; Executive Director Andrew D. Hamingson) will begin previews Tuesday, August 11, for the Shakespeare in the Park production of Euripides' THE BACCHAE, directed by JoAnne Akalaitis with original music by Philip Glass and translated by Nicholas Rudall.

The Public Theater (Artistic Director Oskar Eustis; Executive Director Andrew D. Hamingson) announced complete casting today for the Shakespeare in the Park production of Euripides' THE BACCHAE, directed by JoAnne Akalaitis with original music by Philip Glass and translated by Nicholas Rudall. Anthony Mackie (The Hurt Locker) will play the lead role of Pentheus joining George Bartenieff as Cadmus; André De Shields as Teiresias; Jonathan Groff as Dionysus; Karen Kandel as Chorus Leader; Joan MacIntosh as Agave; Steven Rishard as Cowherd; and Rocco Sisto as Messenger.

The Public Theater (Artistic Director Oskar Eustis; Executive Director Andrew D. Hamingson) announced casting for the Shakespeare in the Park production of Euripides' THE BACCHAE, directed by JoAnne Akalaitis with original music by Philip Glass and translated by Nicholas Rudall. THE BACCHAE will run August 11-August 30 at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park with an official press opening on Monday, August 24 at 8 p.m. Bank of America returns as lead sponsor of Shakespeare in the Park 2009.

The Public Theater (Artistic Director Oskar Eustis; Executive Director Andrew D. Hamingson) will begin previews Tuesday, August 11, for the Shakespeare in the Park production of Euripides' THE BACCHAE, directed by JoAnne Akalaitis with original music by Philip Glass and translated by Nicholas Rudall.

The Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center today announces several additions to the creative team for Wonderland: Alice's New Musical Adventure. According to producer Judith Lisi, president and CEO of TBPAC, Marguerite Derricks will choreograph the production and Ron Melrose will serve as music supervisor and provide vocal and dance arrangements as well as incidental music. Susan Hilferty, Neil Patel and Paul Gallo will design the costumes, sets and lights respectively, while Jon Weston will design the sound and Sven Ortel will design video and projections.

Award winning actor and 30 Rock star, Alec Baldwin raved about the Shakespeare in the Park production of TWELFTH NIGHT's final performance in his column on the Huffington Post.

Sharp eyed visitors to our BroadwayWorld.com message boards reported that several cast members of the Shakespeare in the Park production of Twelfth Night, including stars Anne Hathaway and Raul Esparza had a very special surprise in store for the brave souls who waited in line in Central Park to get free tickets to the show's last performance tonight, Sunday July 12th.

The Public Theater (Artistic Director Oskar Eustis; Executive Director Andrew D. Hamingson) announced complete casting today for the Shakespeare in the Park production of Euripides' THE BACCHAE, directed by JoAnne Akalaitis with original music by Philip Glass and translated by Nicholas Rudall. Anthony Mackie (The Hurt Locker) will play the lead role of Pentheus joining George Bartenieff as Cadmus; André De Shields as Teiresias; Jonathan Groff as Dionysus; Karen Kandel as Chorus Leader; Joan MacIntosh as Agave; Steven Rishard as Cowherd; and Rocco Sisto as Messenger.