Joe Dziemianowicz News

Lynn Nottage's critically acclaimed world premiere comedy, BY THE WAY, MEET VERA STARK, has extended a second time, for two weeks through June 12 at Second Stage Theatre (305 West 43rd street). Directed by Jo Bonney, BY THE WAY, MEET VERA STARK is Ms. Nottage's first play to be produced in New York since she won the Pulitzer Prize for Ruined in 2009. For ticket information, please call the Second Stage Box Office at 212-246-4422 or visit the company's website, www.2ST.com. BY THE WAY, MEET VERA STARK opened to critical acclaim on Monday, May 9th. Elisabeth Vincentelli of the New York Post called the play, "A DAZZLING, WILDLY ENTERTAINING COMEDY ABOUT RACIAL IDENTITY IN HOLLYWOOD" and Joe Dziemianowicz of the New York Daily News dubbed it, "AN ENORMOUSLY ENTERTAINING COMEDY." Terry Teachout of the Wall Street Journal called Vera Stark, "A SHARP-TOOTHED, INGENIOUSLY CONSTRUCTED COMEDY," while Roma Torre of New York 1 News raved, "BY THE WAY, MEET VERA STARK IS AN INCREDIBLE PIECE OF WORK - A LAUGH RIOT IN THE FIRST HALF FOLLOWED BY SCINTILLATING SOCIAL COMMENTARY IN THE SECOND -- IT ALL ADDS UP TO AN INCOMPORABLE GEM!" BY THE WAY, MEET VERA STARK features Stephanie J. Block, Tony Award-nominee Daniel Breaker, Tony Award-nominee David Garrison, Kimberly Hebert Gregory, Kevin Isola, Tony Award nominee Sanaa Lathan, and Tony Award-winner Karen Olivo. In this new comedy, Lynn Nottage draws upon the screwball films of the 1930's to take a funny and irreverent look at racial stereotypes in Hollywood. BY THE WAY, MEET VERA STARK is a seventy year journey through the life of Vera Stark (Sanaa Lathan), a headstrong African-American maid and budding actress, and her tangled relationship with her boss, a white Hollywood star (Stephanie J. Block) desperately grasping to hold on to her career. When circumstances collide and both women land roles in the same Southern epic, the story behind the cameras leaves Vera with a surprising and controversial legacy scholars will debate for years to come.

Producers Whoopi Goldberg and Stage Entertainment have announced that the Tony-nominated Broadway musical SISTER ACT will launch a North American tour at Toronto's Canon Theatre in the fall of 2012. Additional cities, dates and casting will be announced at a later date. The North American tour of SISTER ACT will be booked by The Road Company.

The 67th annual Theatre World Award winners for Outstanding Broadway or Off-Broadway Debut Performances during the 2010-2011 theatrical season are: Ellen Barkin, The Normal Heart, Desmin Borges, The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity, Halley Feiffer, The House of Blue Leaves, Grace Gummer, Arcadia, Rose Hemingway, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, John Larroquette, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, Heather Lind, The Merchant of Venice, Patina Miller, Sister Act, Arian Moayed, Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo, Jim Parsons, The Normal Heart, Zachary Quinto, Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes and Tony Sheldon, Priscilla Queen of the Desert

Lynn Nottage's world premiere comedy, BY THE WAY, MEET VERA STARK, already extended one week through May 29 at Second Stage Theatre, opens tonight, May 9. Directed by Jo Bonney, BY THE WAY, MEET VERA STARK is Ms. Nottage's first play to be produced in New York since she won the Pulitzer Prize for Ruined in 2009. For ticket information, please call the Second Stage Box Office at 212-246-4422 or visit the company's website, www.2ST.com. BY THE WAY, MEET VERA STARK features Stephanie J. Block, Tony Award-nominee Daniel Breaker, Tony Award-nominee David Garrison, Kimberly Hébert Gregory, Kevin Isola, Tony Award nominee Sanaa Lathan, and Tony Award-winner Karen Olivo. Let's see what the critics had to say!

The first ballot for Best Play was radically fractured, with no single candidate garnering more than five of the 24 total votes. On the third (weighted) ballot, the race remained competitive, with Good People and Jerusalem winning 23 points and Other Desert Cities running just behind them with 22 points. Since no play reached the necessary threshold of 37 points, the Circle moves to a fourth ballot-newly approved in a bylaw change in January-that reduced the field to the third ballot's top four vote-getters (including The Motherf**ker with the Hat, which had received 11 points, narrowly edging out such contenders as Bengal Tiger in the Baghdad Zoo, The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity, War Horse and The Intelligent Homosexual's Guide to Capitalism and Socialism with a Key to the Scriptures). On this ballot, in which previous proxy voters did not participate, Good People won with 34 points, with Other Desert Cities in second place with 30 points.

Good People, written by David Lindsay-Abaire, today won the New York Drama Critics' Circle Award (NYDCC) for Best Play of the 2010-2011 season. The award for Best Foreign Play play went to Jerusalem, written by Jez Butterworth. The Book of Mormon received the award for Best Musical. The selections were made at the 76th annual voting meeting of the organization today at the offices of Time Out New York in Manhattan.

Adam Feldman, president of the New York Drama Critics' Circle (NYDCC), has announced that the Circle will meet at the offices of Time Out New York magazine on Monday, May 9, to select the winners of the 76th annual New York Drama Critics' Circle Awards, which will be announced at approximately 7pm, immediately following the meeting.

Winners of the 2011 Theatre World Awards, which honors debut theatre performances, will be announced May 10 at noon. Additionally theDorothy Loudon Award for Excellence and the Lunt-Fontanne Award for Ensemble Excellence will also be announced. A ceremony will be held on June 7

Adam Feldman, president of the New York Drama Critics' Circle (NYDCC), has announced that the Circle will meet at the offices of Time Out New York magazine on Monday, May 9, to select the winners of the 76th annual New York Drama Critics' Circle Awards, which will be announced at approximately 7pm, immediately following the meeting.

Joe's Pub Announces the following line up for May: LADY RIZO: AN UNESCORTED TRIBUTE TO NINA SIMONE Friday, May 20 at 9:30 PM; $15 in advance / $20 at the door 'I've always been drawn to Nina Simone's music- the strength, versatility, the raw emotion. She is, simply put, a badass diva and did something with popular music that I aim to do today- to mix, separate and explore.' - Lady Rizo

LA CAGE AUX FOLLES, the 2010 Tony Award winner for Best Revival of a Musical, will play its final Broadway performance on Sunday, May 1 at 3:00 PM at the Longacre Theatre (220 West 48th Street). At closing, the production will have played 433 performances and 15 previews. LA CAGE AUX FOLLES will be launching a national tour this fall, starting in October in Des Moines, IA.

Roundabout Theatre Company is presenting the new Broadway musical THE PEOPLE IN THE PICTURE, starring two time Tony® Award-winner Donna Murphy, directed by Leonard Foglia. THE PEOPLE IN THE PICTURE features book & lyrics by Iris Rainer Dart and music by Mike Stoller and Artie Butler.

The new Broadway musical Baby It's You! tells the inspiring story of Florence Greenberg, the woman who changed the recording world forever when she discovered The Shirelles and created Scepter Records, becoming the music industry's first female powerhouse. Starring Tony Award winner Beth Leavel as Greenberg, conceived by Floyd Mutrux, directed by Floyd Mutruxand Sheldon Epps, and written by Tony nominated book writers Mutrux and Colin Escott, the team behind Broadway's Million Dollar Quartet, Baby It's You! began performances at Broadway's Broadhurst Theatre (235 West 44th Street) Saturday, March 26, 2011, and opens TONIGHT, April 27, 2011, at 6:30pm. Baby It's You! features a cast of 19 that includes Allan Louis, Geno Henderson, Erica Ash, Kelli Barrett, Kyra DaCosta, Crystal Starr Knighton, Barry Pearl, Christina Sajous, Brandon Uranowitz,Alison Cimmet, Erica Dorfler, Berlando Drake, Adam Heller, Jahi A. Kearse, Annette Moore, Zachary Prince, Ken Robinson and Chelsea Morgan Stock.

The Broadway premiere of Larry Kramer's ground-breaking play The Normal Heart officially opens tonight, Wednesday, April 27, at the Golden Theatre (252 West 45th Street). The limited, 12-week engagement, directed by Joel Grey and George C. Wolfe, began performances on Tuesday, April 19.

Jackie Hoffman's sold-out JACKIE FIVE-OH! will perform two added shows at Joe's Pub (425 Lafayette Street) Monday, May 23 and Monday, May 30, both at 7:30 pm.

Jackie Hoffman's sold-out JACKIE FIVE-OH! will perform two added shows at Joe's Pub (425 Lafayette Street) Monday, May 23 and Monday, May 30, both at 7:30 pm. This will be the final extension for the critically-acclaimed show, which began in December and has extended three times previously due to popular demand. Hoffman will also perform Monday evening, May 2 at 7:30 pm at a previously announced benefit performance of JACKIE FIVE-OH! for The Actors Fund.

Ben Stiller, Edie Falco and Jennifer Jason Leigh star in the Broadway revival of John Guare's comedic masterpiece THE HOUSE OF BLUE LEAVES, directed by David Cromer. THE HOUSE OF BLUE LEAVES, a strictly limited 16-week engagement opened tonight, April 25, 2011 at the Walter Kerr Theatre!

Vineyard Theatre (108 E. 15 St.) will extend its world-premiere production of Christopher Shinn's play PICKED through May 22, it has been announced by Douglas Aibel, The Vineyard's artistic director.

Previews for Born Yesterday began March 31, at Broadway's Cort Theatre. Directed by Doug Hughes, this revival of Garson Kanin's award-winning comedy about sex and politics opened tonight, Easter Sunday, April 24!

GOOD PEOPLE's Estelle Parsons, who is currently appearing in the critically acclaimed play, will appear on the American Theatre Wing's "Working in the Theatre Panel" tonight, Friday, April 22at 7:30PM on CUNY TV, channel 75.