John Houseman News

Entertainment Weekly is reporting that Patti LuPone has been cast on 30 Rock to play the mother 'of Judah Friedlander's... well, um, unique Frank'. There's no word on how many episodes LuPone will appear on of the hit show.

Tony Desare tunes in to the Golden Era of radio on New Telarc CD 'RADIO SHOW', spanning decades of Swing, Jazz, and Pop. Featuring special guests Jame Monheit and bucky Pizzarelli. In stores and online January 20, 2009. For most of the 20th century, well before the dawn of the digital age, radio was the primary channel for popular music of every kind. More than just a means to transmit sound on a wave to remote locations, radio created an intimate entertainment experience, a fraternal atmosphere wherein the music and everyone associated with it became a friend to the listener.

The Tony Award-winning Old Globe presents the Pulitzer Prize-winning Six Degrees of Separation, by John Guare (The House of Blue Leaves, Landscape of the Body), directed by Trip Cullman, to run in the Old Globe Theatre January 10 - February 15 (press opening: Thursday, January 15 at 8pm). Broadway veteran Karen Ziemba, who will play 'Ouisa,' won the Tony for the musical Contact and was nominated for her work in Steel Pier, Never Gonna Dance and Curtains!.

South Coast Repertory today announced the cast and creative team for Michael Frayn's ingenious comedic masterpiece, Noises Off. Directed by Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award winner Art Manke, Noises Off will run from Feb. 6 through March 8 on the Segerstrom Stage. Low-priced previews are available from Feb. 6 through Feb. 12. Opening night is Feb. 13. Press night is Saturday, Feb. 14 at 8:00 p.m. Tickets to Noises Off may be purchased online at www.scr.org, by phone at (714) 708-5555 or in person at the SCR box office. Noises Off follows the on-and off-stage antics of an inept acting troupe as they stumble from bumbling dress rehearsal to disastrous closing night. Everything that can go wrong does, as actors desperately try to hang on to their lines, their performances and the furniture. Add a slippery plate of sardines and many slamming doors, and you have the most hilarious backstage farce ever written. Art Manke received his fifth Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award for directing SCR's West Coast premiere of Bach at Leipzig in 2006. Other work with SCR includes last season's Taking Steps, the world premiere musical version of The Wind in the Willows and choreography for numerous productions. Elsewhere in Southern California, Manke has directed The Constant Wife, Private Lives and the American premiere of Noel Coward's Star Quality for Pasadena Playhouse and the world premiere of The Ice-Breaker at Laguna Playhouse. Manke was a co-founder and artistic director (1991-2001) of A Noise Within where he directed the works of Shakespeare, Moli?re, Wilde, Coward and Sophocles. Other credits include work with Denver Center Theatre Company, Shakespeare Santa Cruz, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Seattle Repertory Theatre, Mark Taper Forum, Old Globe Theatre, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, American Players Theatre, among others. The cast features Nancy Bell (Belinda Blair), Bill Brochtrup (Garry Lejeune), Kandis Chappell (Dotty Otley), Winslow Corbett (Poppy Norton-Taylor), Kaleo Griffith (Lloyd Dallas), Brian Hostenske (Tim Allgood), Timothy Landfield (Frederick Fellows), Jennifer Lyon (Brooke Ashton) and Nick Ullett (Selsdon Mowbray). The creative team for Noises Off includes John Iacvelli (Set Design), Angela Balogh Calin (Costume Design), York Kennedy (Lighting Design), Vincent Olivieri (Sound Design), Ken Merckx (Movement Consultant), David Newell (Dialect Coach), Linda Sullivan Baity (Dramaturg) and Jamie Tucker (Stage Manager). Dee and Larry Higby are the Honorary Producers of Noises Off. OC Metro is the Media Partner. Associated events taking place during the run of Noises Off include: POST-SHOW DISCUSSIONS Wednesday, Feb. 18 & Tuesday, Feb. 24 Discuss the play with members of the Noises Off cast during free post-show discussions led by South Coast Repertory's literary team after the 7:30 p.m. performances on Feb. 18 and Feb. 24. INSIDE THE SEASON: Noises Off Saturday, Feb. 21, 10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. $12 Inside the Season is a series of interactive classes that provide a comprehensive inside look at the theatrical production process. Each two-hour class is led by School and Community Programs Director Linda Sullivan Baity and features creative personnel from South Coast Repertory's current production. Tickets are $12 each and can be purchased by calling the Box Office at (714) 708-5555. (Tickets to Noises Off are sold separately.) TICKETS to Noises Off can be purchased online at www.scr.org, by phone at (714) 708-5555 or by visiting the box office at 655 Town Center Drive in Costa Mesa. Performances begin on Feb. 6 and continue through March 8. Ticket prices range from $20 to $64. Low-priced preview performances are available from Feb. 6 to Feb. 12. Performance times: Previews: Friday, Feb. 6 and Saturday, Feb. 7 at 8:00 p.m.; Sunday, Feb. 8, Tuesday, Feb. 10 and Wednesday, Feb. 11 at 7:30 p.m.; and Thursday, Feb. 12 at 8:00pm. Regular Performances: Tuesday and Wednesday evenings at 7:30 p.m.; Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings at 8:00 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday matinees at 2:30 p.m.; and Sunday evenings at 7:30 p.m. Discounts are available for full-time students, patrons 25 years of age and under, educators, seniors and groups of 15 or more. There will be a 'Pay-What-You-Will' performance on Saturday, Feb. 14 at 2:30 p.m. ($10 Minimum) and an ASL-interpreted performance on Saturday, March 7 at 2:30 p.m.

The Tony Award-winning Old Globe presents the Pulitzer Prize-winning Six Degrees of Separation, by John Guare (The House of Blue Leaves, Landscape of the Body), directed by Trip Cullman, to run in the Old Globe Theatre January 10 - February 15 (press opening: Thursday, January 15 at 8pm). Broadway veteran Karen Ziemba, who will play 'Ouisa,' won the Tony for the musical Contact and was nominated for her work in Steel Pier, Never Gonna Dance and Curtains!.

Court Theatre continues its 2008-09 season with the World Premiere translation of Henrik Ibsen's modernist classic The Wild Duck, directed by Artistic Director Charles Newell. The production will run at the MCA Stage at the Museum of Contemporary Art, 220 East Chicago Avenue, January 15 - February 15, 2009.

Soon there'll be another 'Jersey Boy' in town! The Toxic Avenger, a new musical by Joe DiPietro (I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change) & David Bryan (Bon Jovi), with direction by John Rand0 (Urinetown), will begin performances on Wednesday, March 18, 2009, at New World Stages (340 West 50th Street), it was announced today by the show's producers Jean Cheever and Tom Polum. Opening Night is set for Monday, April 6th.

Court Theatre continues its 2008-09 season with the World Premiere translation of Henrik Ibsen's modernist classic The Wild Duck, directed by Artistic Director Charles Newell. The production will run at the MCA Stage at the Museum of Contemporary Art, 220 East Chicago Avenue, January 15 - February 15, 2009.

Guthrie Director Joe Dowling and The Acting Company's Producing Artistic Director Margot Harley today announced casting for the co-production and national tour of William Shakespeare's Henry V, directed by Davis McCallum.

The Tony Award-winning Old Globe presents the Pulitzer Prize-winning Six Degrees of Separation, by John Guare (The House of Blue Leaves, Landscape of the Body), directed by Trip Cullman, to run in the Old Globe Theatre January 10 - February 15 (press opening: Thursday, January 15 at 8pm). Broadway veteran Karen Ziemba, who will play 'Ouisa,' won the Tony for the musical Contact and was nominated for her work in Steel Pier, Never Gonna Dance and Curtains!.

YALE REPERTORY THEATRE (James Bundy, Artistic Director; Victoria Nolan, Managing Director) presents ROUGH CROSSING by TOM STOPPARD, from an original play by FERENC MOLNÁR, directed by MARK RUCKER at the University Theatre (222 York Street, New Haven) beginning November 28 through December 20. Opening Night is Thursday, December 4.

YALE REPERTORY THEATRE (James Bundy, Artistic Director; Victoria Nolan, Managing Director) presents ROUGH CROSSING by TOM STOPPARD, from an original play by FERENC MOLNÁR, directed by MARK RUCKER at the University Theatre (222 York Street, New Haven) beginning November 28 through December 20. Opening Night is Thursday, December 4.

YALE REPERTORY THEATRE (James Bundy, Artistic Director; Victoria Nolan, Managing Director) presents ROUGH CROSSING by TOM STOPPARD, from an original play by FERENC MOLN?R, directed by MARK RUCKER at the University Theatre (222 York Street, New Haven) beginning November 28 through December 20. Opening Night is Thursday, December 4.

Fox News is reporting that the talk of the AUSTRALIA movie premiere the other night was the exciting 'news' that the film's star, Hugh Jackman, is all set to 'reappear' on Broadway in original musical, HOUDINI in the spring of 2010.

Planet Connections Theater Festivity will premiere in June 2009 as a new festival designed to promote awareness in the theatrical community about social and cultural issues. Formed by two Spotlight On Festival alums, Glory Bowen and Frank Calo, the festival will explore using theater as a tool for social change while connecting artists with new audiences in fun theatrical environment. The goals of the festival are to inspire people to get involved and fight for world causes.

YALE REPERTORY THEATRE (James Bundy, Artistic Director; Victoria Nolan, Managing Director) presents ROUGH CROSSING by TOM STOPPARD, from an original play by FERENC MOLNÁR, directed by MARK RUCKER at the University Theatre (222 York Street, New Haven) beginning November 28 through December 20. Opening Night is Thursday, December 4.

YALE REPERTORY THEATRE (James Bundy, Artistic Director; Victoria Nolan, Managing Director) presents ROUGH CROSSING by TOM STOPPARD, from an original play by FERENC MOLN?R, directed by MARK RUCKER at the University Theatre (222 York Street, New Haven) beginning November 28 through December 20. Opening Night is Thursday, December 4.

Tony Desare tunes in to the Golden Era of radio on New Telarc CD 'RADIO SHOW', spanning decades of Swing, Jazz, and Pop. Featuring special guests Jame Monheit and bucky Pizzarelli. In stores and online January 20, 2009. For most of the 20th century, well before the dawn of the digital age, radio was the primary channel for popular music of every kind. More than just a means to transmit sound on a wave to remote locations, radio created an intimate entertainment experience, a fraternal atmosphere wherein the music and everyone associated with it became a friend to the listener.

Tony Award winning singer and actress Patti LuPone is featured on this week's Associated Press 'On Broadway' podcast. In this interview Jane Waldman reports on LuPone's new CD on Ghostlight Records, 'Patti PuPone at Les Mouches;' a live recording of the legend's 1980 nightclub act that she performed on Saturdays during her run in 'Evita.'

The Houseman Award honors a profound commitment to the development of classical actors and an audience for the theater. The award this year was given to Theatre Development Fund. The Warburg Award is presented for outstanding philanthropic endeavor. The award was presented to William D. Zabel, Chairman of Human Rights First, by its President, Michael Posner.