Joe Mantello News

Lincoln Center Theater has announced final casting for its upcoming production of John Guare's new play A FREE MAN OF COLOR. Justina Machada (HBO's Six Feet Under and Broadway's , In The Heights) and veteran actor John McMartin (Follies, Into The Woods, Showboat, Sweet Charity) will join Paul Dano, mos and Jeffrey Wright in the production, to be directed by George C. Wolfe. Also joining the cast of 32 will be Yao Ababio, Derric Harris, Esau Pritchett, Jerome Stigler and Senfaub Stoney. A FREE MAN OF COLOR will begin performances Thursday, October 21 at 8pm at the Vivian Beaumont Theater. Opening night is Thursday, November 18 at 6:45pm.

TopDog Productions in a co-production with the Elephant Theatre Company are thrilled to announce the Los Angeles Intimate Theatre Premiere of the 2002 Pulitzer Prize-winning play, TOPDOG/UNDERDOG, written by Suzan-Lori Parks and directed by Marty Papazian.

Producer Daryl Roth announced today that the first cast members are in place for the Joel Grey-directed, 25th anniversary staged reading of Larry Kramer's ground-breaking play, The Normal Heart, at the Walter Kerr Theatre (219 West 48th Street) on Monday, October 18 at 7:30 p.m. Victor Garber, Jason Butler Harner, John Benjamin Hickey, Joe Mantello, Michael Stuhlbarg, and Patrick Wilson are set to star in the one-night-only event on Broadway that will benefit The Actors Fund and Friends In Deed. Additional casting news will be announced shortly. This reading comes on the heels of the sold-out, acclaimed reading of The Normal Heart at Los Angeles' Geffen Playhouse in September, which was also directed by Mr. Grey.

Broadway In Chicago is thrilled to announce that individual tickets for the return engagement of WICKED will go on sale Wednesday, September 15, 2010. The longest running Broadway musical in Chicago history will return this holiday season for eight weeks only, December 1, 2010 - January 23, 2011.

The Santaland Diaries, the stage adaptation of David Sedaris' acerbic and hilarious account of his stint working as a Christmas elf in Macy's 'SantaLand,' runs at Hennepin Stages in downtown Minneapolis, Friday, Nov. 26-Friday, Dec. 31, 2010.

Broadway In Chicago is thrilled to announce that the return engagement of WICKED will include the return of two Chicagoan stars, Barbara Robertson and Gene Weygandt. Robertson will join the cast as Madame Morrible for the Chicago run, and Weygandt will begin performances as The Wizard with the tour in Boston before arriving in Chicago.

The company of the first North American tour of WICKED welcomes Gene Weygandt as The Wizard on Tuesday, September 14 in Boston, MA. Weygandt, a WICKED veteran, has previously played The Wizard in Chicago and on Broadway. On Broadway, he created the role of Paul in big: The Musical and is a three-time recipient of Chicago's Jefferson Award. Mr. Weygandt's many film and TV credits include: The Birdcage, The Babe, 'The Beast,' 'Cybill,' 'Home Improvement,' 'Murphy Brown,' 'Drew Carey,' 'Ellen,' 'Coach' and 'USA High.'

After breaking box office records and selling out in record time in 2007, WICKED, the smash-hit musical, will return to Orlando's Bob Carr Performing Arts Centre February 23 through March 27, 2011.

WICKED is now playing in Finnish at the Helsinski City Theater. For video footage of the production, click below.

The San Francisco production of the smash hit musical WICKED will play its final performance on Sunday, September 5, 2010, ending its record-breaking run at the Orpheum Theatre. Tickets are now on sale for all performances through September 5th. Upon closing, WICKED will have played 660 performances and 12 previews.

Jackie Burns and Chandra Lee Schwartz deserve top billing in the latest touring company of the beloved Broadway smash hit musical. See it for the first time or the umpteenth time and you'll be enchanted by this production.

After breaking box office records and selling out in record time last year, WICKED, Broadway's biggest blockbuster, will return to Indianapolis' Murat Theatre at Old National Centre December 15-January 1. Tickets for the return engagement go on sale Friday, October 15.

After breaking box office records and selling out in record time when the show last played Boston, WICKED, the smash-hit musical, will return to the Boston Opera House for a limited engagement September 1 - October 17.

Theyre_playing_Sour_Song_20010101 Broadway darling Sutton Foster and Seth Rudetsky are teaming up on a concert version of They're Playing Our Song to benefit The Actor's Fund on August 30 at the Gerald W. Lynch Theatre at John Jay College in New York City. The concert will be directed and choreographed by Denis Jones and musical directed by Steve Freeman. Additional casting details are forthcoming.

Producer Daryl Roth has announced that Obie, Helen Hayes and GLAAD award-winner Marc Wolf will perform his solo show Another American: Asking and Telling at the DR2 Theatre (103 E. 15th Street, NYC).

WICKED has unveiled a brand new video that will bring fans Behind the Emerald Curtain. Be the first to get an exclusive look at the Costume Edition, and follow the construction of a new Madame Morrible costume, from bolt to Broadway by clicking below.

A day-of-performance lottery for a limited number of orchestra seats will be held daily for WICKED, which will be playing September 1 - October 17 for seven weeks only at the Boston Opera House

New Village Arts, Carlsbad's award-winning, professional theatre is very proud to announce its Tenth Season. This will be NVA's biggest season ever, with eight full productions, NVA's first musical and two local premieres. Over the past nine seasons, NVA has established itself as one of the most important mid-sized theatres in San Diego, producing over 40 highly acclaimed productions, including a world-premiere holiday show, multiple regional and local premieres, unforgettable American and world classics, the intense work of Sam Shepard and the popular FREE Shakespeare in the Park. New Village Arts honors that history in Season 10 and introduces some exciting new traditions for North County, by selecting shows that honor the history of the company, recognize the amazing current growth and give an intriguing glimpse into the future. All of the plays take us on an adventure - into growing up, learning about love and loss and celebrating the power of the human soul.

Lincoln Center Theater (under the direction of Andre Bishop, Artistic Director and Bernard Gersten, Executive Producer) has announced that Justin Guarini will join de'Adre Aziza, Laura Benanti, Danny Burstein, Nikka Graff Lanzarone, Patti LuPone, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Mary Beth Peil and Sherie Rene Scott in the cast of its upcoming production of the new musical WOMEN ON THE VERGE OF A NERVOUS BREAKDOWN, based on the film by Pedro Almodóvar, with a book by Jeffrey Lane, music and lyrics by David Yazbek and direction by Bartlett Sher.

Lincoln Center Theater (under the direction of Andre Bishop, Artistic Director and Bernard Gersten, Executive Producer) has announced that Justin Guarini will join de'Adre Aziza, Laura Benanti, Danny Burstein, Nikka Graff Lanzarone, Patti LuPone, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Mary Beth Peil and Sherie Rene Scott in the cast of its upcoming production of the new musical WOMEN ON THE VERGE OF A NERVOUS BREAKDOWN, based on the film by Pedro Almodóvar, with a book by Jeffrey Lane, music and lyrics by David Yazbek and direction by Bartlett Sher. This world premiere production will begin previews on Saturday, October 2 at 8pm and open on Thursday, November 4 at 6:45pm on Broadway at the Belasco Theatre (111 W. 44 Street).