Joe Mantello News

Who Wants Cake? is thrilled to announce its line-up of productions for the upcoming 2011-2012 season.

Rattlestick Playwrights Theater has announced the cast and creative team for the world premiere of The Wood, a new play written by award-winning filmmaker Dan Klores.

After breaking box office records during its last visit to the Aronoff Center, WICKED, Broadway's biggest blockbuster, will return to Cincinnati, November 2-26 as part of the Fifth Third Bank Broadway in Cincinnati 11/12 Season.

WICKED, the hit musical that tells the untold story of the Witches of Oz, has announced that Rachel Tucker will continue in her starring role as Elphaba into 2012. Julie Legrand (Madame Morrible), Nikki Davis-Jones (Standby Elphaba) and Chloe Taylor (Standby Glinda) are also all continuing in their roles. UK Executive Producer Michael McCabe commented: 'Since first joining our cast in March 2010, Rachel has thrilled audiences and critics alike with her powerful and passionate performance as Elphaba. We are all absolutely thrilled that Rachel has now decided to continue leading the company with her extraordinary professionalism and great dedication to the role - we couldn't be more proud of her success'.

Rattlestick Playwrights Theater announced today that they will kick off their 2011/2012 season with the F*!@cking Good Plays (festival, II) - seven (7) days of new play readings by ten (10) of today's hottest playwrights. The festival, to be presented at Rattlestick Theater (224 Waverly Place - off 7th Avenue South between West 11th & Perry Streets), will begin on Monday, August 1st and continue through Sunday, August 7th. Playwrights include: Trent Creswell, Jessica Dickey, Laura Eason, Kathryn Hathaway, Andrew Hinderaker, Bruce Kronenberg, James Lecesne, Florencia Lozano, Erica Schmidt, and Ken Urban. The readings will be directed by Jessica Blank, Denis Butkus, Evan Cabnet, Trip Cullman, Jill DeArmon, Michael Padden, Erica Schmidt, and Daniella Topol.

After breaking box office records and selling out in record time in 2009, WICKED, Broadway's biggest blockbuster, will return to the Civic Center of Greater Des Moines Wednesday, November 9 to Sunday, December 4. Tickets for the return engagement go on sale Saturday, August 20.

According to the LA Times, stage and screen star Justin Bartha has signed on to star in Jesse Eisenberg's new off-Broadway play Asuncion. Bartha will play 'Vinny, a progressive academic and roommate of left-wing blogger Edgar (Eisenberg), who's thrown for a loop when a Filipino roommate moves in.' The duo last worked together in the 2010 independent film 'Holy Rollers.'

After breaking box office records and selling out in record time in 2006 and 2008, WICKED, Broadway's biggest blockbuster, will return to Detroit with performances at the Detroit Opera House, December 7-31.

Lincoln Center Theater has announced that Michael Aronov, Jeremy Davidson, Robert Hogan, Jefferson Mays, Andrés Munar, Paul Niebanck, John Procaccino, Liv Rooth, Gabriel Ruiz, Pej Vahdat, Andrew Weems and Bernard White will be featured in its upcoming production of BLOOD AND GIFTS, a new play by J.T. Rogers, to be directed by Bartlett Sher, beginning Thursday, October 27 at the Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater (150 West 65 Street). Opening night is Monday, November 21.

Rattlestick Playwrights Theater announced today that they will kick off their 2011/2012 season with the F*!@cking Good Plays (festival, II) - seven (7) days of new play readings by ten (10) of today's hottest playwrights. The festival, to be presented at Rattlestick Theater (224 Waverly Place - off 7th Avenue South between West 11th & Perry Streets), will begin on Monday, August 1st and continue through Sunday, August 7th. Playwrights include: Trent Creswell, Jessica Dickey, Laura Eason, Kathryn Hathaway, Andrew Hinderaker, Bruce Kronenberg, James Lecesne, Florencia Lozano, Erica Schmidt, and Ken Urban. The readings will be directed by Jessica Blank, Denis Butkus, Evan Cabnet, Trip Cullman, Jill DeArmon, Michael Padden, Erica Schmidt, and Daniella Topol.

Lincoln Center Theater has announced that Stockard Channing, Rachel Griffiths, Stacy Keach, Judith Light and Thomas Sadoski will star in its Broadway production of Jon Robin Baitz's critically acclaimed new play OTHER DESERT CITIES this fall. The production, to be directed by Joe Mantello, begins performances Wednesday evening, October 12 and opens on Thursday, November 3 at the Booth Theater (222 West 45 Street).

First Lady Michelle Obama, and her daughters Sasha and Malia, spent the evening of Friday, July 15 in the Presidential Box at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC catching a performance of the ever ‘popular' musical WICKED. But that was not the first time the three have seen Broadway's biggest blockbuster. Michelle and her daughters first saw the musical in its sit-down engagement in their hometown of Chicago in 2007, and then again in 2008 before the family moved to Washington, DC.

Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County proudly announced six new presentations featuring internationally and nationally-renowned plays, two world premieres and critically-acclaimed artists, many from South Florida, to headline the 2011-2012 THEATER UP CLOSE SEASON in the Arsht Center's intimate Carnival Studio Theater.

Hottest Articles on BroadwayWorld.com from this weekend Sunday, July 17, 2011 - Sunday, July 17, 2011.

The American Foundation for Equal Rights (AFER) and Broadway Impact have announced the Broadway premiere of '8', a play chronicling the historic trial in the federal legal challenge to California's Proposition 8, written by AFER Founding Board Member and Academy-Award winning writer Dustin Lance Black and directed by Tony Award-winning actor and director Joe Mantello.

On Saturday, July 9, 2011, Mary Tyler Moore and Bernadette Peters hosted the 13th annual BROADWAY BARKS!, a star-studded dog and cat adopt-a-thon benefiting New York City animal shelters and adoption agencies. The event, produced by Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS is sponsored by official charity partners, the ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®), Newman's Own® Organics: The Second Generation®, with additional sponsorship by the New York Times. In the video below, Peters chats with the ladies of NY Live about the big event!

On Saturday, July 9, 2011, Mary Tyler Moore and Bernadette Peters hosted the 13th annual BROADWAY BARKS!, a star-studded dog and cat adopt-a-thon benefiting New York City animal shelters and adoption agencies. The event, produced by Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS is sponsored by official charity partners, the ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®), Newman's Own® Organics: The Second Generation®, with additional sponsorship by the New York Times. The event will take place in Shubert Alley (located between 44th and 45th Streets, between Broadway and Eighth Avenue).

On Saturday, July 9, 2011, Mary Tyler Moore and Bernadette Peters hosted the 13th annual BROADWAY BARKS!, a star-studded dog and cat adopt-a-thon benefiting New York City animal shelters and adoption agencies. The event, produced by Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS is sponsored by official charity partners, the ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®), Newman's Own® Organics: The Second Generation®, with additional sponsorship by the New York Times. The event will take place in Shubert Alley (located between 44th and 45th Streets, between Broadway and Eighth Avenue).