John Foley News

The latest in unauthorized gossip and buzz from the heart of Chicago's showtune video bars, and musical theater news from Chicago to Broadway. The BroadwayWorld Chicago Awards are open for nominations! Plus three shows get extensions, the Drury Lane announces 2014-15, two musical improv shows play midweek runs, some local 'Cats,' FOUR productions of 'Sweeney Todd' and more!

Geva Theatre Center invites Rochester to join in the down-home country fun of Pump Boys and Dinettes with book, lyrics and music by John Foley, Mark Hardwick, Debra Monk, Cass Morgan, John Schimmel and Jim Wann and directed by Mark Cuddy, with choreography by Peggy Hickey and musical direction by Nathan Dame. Pump Boys and Dinettes began performances on September 10 and runs in the Elaine P. Wilson Mainstage through October 13. Scroll down for photos from opening night with Cass Morgan (a Rochester native) and Debra Monk, the original Dinettes and part of the Tony-nominated team that created the show, who joined the celebrations on September 14th!

Producing Artistic Director Gwendolyn Whiteside and American Blues Theater, Chicago's second oldest Equity ensemble, are proud to announce the summer engagement of American Blues Theater's Hank Williams: Lost Highway, by Randal Myler and Mark Harelik, directed by Damon Kiely, music director Malcolm Ruhl and starring Matt Brumlow as "Hank Williams," July 25 - August 31, 2014 at the Greenhouse Theater Center's Downstage Mainstage Theater, 2257 N. Lincoln Ave. Tickets are $39 Thursdays and Fridays and $49 Saturdays and Sundays. The performance schedule is Thursday - Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2:30 p.m. Tickets go on sale March 31, 2014 at 773.404.7336 or americanbluestheater.com.

Geva Theatre Center invites Rochester to join in the down-home country fun of Pump Boys and Dinettes with book, lyrics and music by John Foley, Mark Hardwick, Debra Monk, Cass Morgan, John Schimmel and Jim Wann and directed by Mark Cuddy, with choreography by Peggy Hickey and musical direction by Nathan Dame. Pump Boys and Dinettes begins performances on September 10 and runs in the Elaine P. Wilson Mainstage through October 13.

Student-athletes face challenges on and off the athletic field. Football players at the University of Notre Dame are under intense public scrutiny of their actions both on and off the football field, whether it is a winning or losing season. Those who attended Notre Dame after 1964 had a secret weapon - Mike DeCicco, newly hired chief academic advisor of student-athletes. He and other university leaders created a system that became a model for other universities, thanks to its exceptional student graduation rate: currently 97 percent, the highest in the nation. This new book details the successes - and missteps - of 25 football players who benefited from that program and made their mark on the world as unforgettable Domers. The author also shares what she calls the 'Notre Dame Value Stream of Life,' lessons outside of the classroom from these student-athletes at the private Midwestern university.

Geva Theatre Center invites Rochester to join in the down-home country fun of Pump Boys and Dinetteswith book, lyrics and music by John Foley, Mark Hardwick, Debra Monk, Cass Morgan, John Schimmel and Jim Wann and directed byMark Cuddy, with choreography by Peggy Hickey and musical direction by Nathan Dame. Pump Boys and Dinettes begins performances on September 10 and runs in the Elaine P. Wilson Mainstage through October 13.

It doesn't happen often, but in 1981 a group of talented actors put on a little show about waitresses and garage guys. Then, in 1982 it moved to Broadway where it ran for more than 570 performances. PUMP BOYS AND DINETTES has been performed frequently around the USA ever since, and this August, director Daryl Streeter will bring the delightful musical to the ADOBE Theater for a dozen performances.

It doesn't happen often, but in 1981 a group of talented actors put on a little show about waitresses and garage guys. Then, in 1982 it moved to Broadway where it ran for more than 570 performances. 'Pump Boys and Dinettes' has been performed frequently around the USA ever since, and this August, director Daryl Streeter will bring the delightful musical to the ADOBE Theater for a dozen performances.

It doesn't happen often, but in 1981 a group of talented actors put on a little show about waitresses and garage guys. Then, in 1982 it moved to Broadway where it ran for more than 570 performances. PUMP BOYS AND DINETTES has been performed frequently around the USA ever since, and this August, director Daryl Streeter will bring the delightful musical to the ADOBE Theater for a dozen performances.

Earlier this year, on March 18, Van Dean, Kenny Howard, and Michael J. Moritz, Jr. brought together a melange of Broadway's most impressive young talent for WHEN I GROW UP: BROADWAY'S NEXT GENERATION, a cabaret concert at 54 BELOW. Kenny Howard says that this group inspired him 'not only with their talents but also with a maturity that is far beyond their years.' For this cabaret concert, the children tackle the adult repertoire of their heroes, taking on music from SPRING AWAKENING, THE DROWSY CHAPERONE, THE LAST FIVE YEARS, AVENUE Q, [TITLE OF SHOW], and more.

Trustus Theatre concludes its 28th Season as it brings Collected Stories, directed by Milena Herring, to the Thigpen Main Stage. Collected Stories opens Thursday August 15th and runs through August 18th, 2013 - with a special "Columbia Theatre Curtain Call" event following the last performance. This event will bring many of Columbia's theatres, theatre artists, and patrons together to celebrate another thrilling year of performances in 2012 and 2013.

It doesn't happen often, but in 1981 a group of talented actors put on a little show about waitresses and garage guys. Then, in 1982 it moved to Broadway where it ran for more than 570 performances. 'Pump Boys and Dinettes' has been performed frequently around the USA ever since, and this August, director Daryl Streeter will bring the delightful musical to the ADOBE Theater for a dozen performances.

Trustus Theatre concludes its 2013 Off-Off-Lady series next month when it presents Collected Stories, directed by Milena Herring, at the Columbia Museum of Art. Collected Stories opens tonight, May 15 and runs through May 19, 2013.

Trustus Theatre concludes its 2013 Off-Off-Lady series next month when it presents Collected Stories, directed by Milena Herring, at the Columbia Museum of Art. Collected Stories opens Wednesday May 15 and runs through May 19, 2013

Geva Theatre Center's Artistic Director Mark Cuddy and Executive Director Tom Parrish are proud to announce the much anticipated 2013-2014 season, the organization's 41st season of producing professional theatre of a national standard for audiences in the Greater Rochester region. The 2013-2014 Wilson Mainstage Season features a high octane, all-American musical; a hilarious homage to a Hitchcock classic film; a new play by the author of Almost, Maine; an Olivier, Tony and Pulitzer Prize-winning play about race and real estate; the world premiere of a play ripped from the headlines; and the finale - a beloved and timeless comedy from an American Master. Geva's magical production of A Christmas Carol has become Rochester's holiday tradition and will return for 2013.