John Lithgow News

Broadway luminaries Jane Fonda, John Lithgow, Tyne Daly, Sutton Foster and Patick Wilson will appear as awards presenters at The 75th Annual Drama League Awards Ceremony and Luncheon on Friday, May 15, 2009 (noon) in the Grand Ballroom of the Marriott Marquis Hotel in Times Square (1535 Broadway at 46th Street). The event will be co-hosted by Jeremy Irons (Impressionism) and Cynthia Nixon (Distracted).

Elton John (Billy Elliot: The Musical) will receive the Distinguished Achievement in Musical Theatre Award, Arthur Laurents (West Side Story) will be honored with the Julia Hansen Award for Excellence in Directing, and Angela Lansbury (Blithe Spirit) will receive the Unique Contribution to the Theatre Award. In addition, Broadway producer Herb Blodgett will receive The 75th Anniversary Leadership Award.

Broadway and film star Jeremy Irons will announce the second annual Theater Master's Visionary Award winners on Thursday, May 14th at a gala reception at the Manhattan home of Theater Masters' founder Julia Hansen.

The Heroes star has auditioned for the role of Ariel Moore - a part for which Dancing with the Stars' Julianne Hough is also reportedly seeking - in the musical remake of Footloose, E! News reports. Lori Singer played the character of Ariel in the original film.

Broadway luminaries Jane Fonda, John Lithgow, Tyne Daly, Sutton Foster and Patick Wilson will appear as awards presenters at The 75th Annual Drama League Awards Ceremony and Luncheon on Friday, May 15, 2009 (noon) in the Grand Ballroom of the Marriott Marquis Hotel in Times Square (1535 Broadway at 46th Street). The event will be co-hosted by Jeremy Irons (Impressionism) and Cynthia Nixon (Distracted).

The 54th Annual Drama Desk Awards, hosted by Harvey Fierstein, today released a list of some of its celebrity presenters for the awards ceremony which will take place at the F.H. La Guardia Concert Hall at Lincoln Center on Sunday, May 17, 2009, at 9 PM.

Take Two will run at Northern Stage from April 22-May 17. Showtimes are Tuesdays through Saturdays at 7:30 p.m.; Sundays (April 26, May 10 and May 17 at 5:00 p.m., May 3 at 7:30 p.m.); and 2:00 matinees on Thursday, April 30 and Sat., May 9. For tickets and information, call 802-296-7000. Tickets are also available through the Northern Stage website, www.northernstage.org.

Several short plays by the late Pulitzer Prize-winning writer William Inge, never before publicly performed, will premiere April 22 at the annual William Inge Theatre Festival in his Kansas hometown. The 28th annual William Inge Theatre Festival celebrates the legacy of great American playwrights and honors Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt April 22-25. They will receive the coveted Distinguished Achievement in the American Theatre Award, joining the list of previous Inge Festival honorees such as Arthur Miller, August Wilson, Wendy Wasserstein, Neil Simon, and Stephen Sondheim.

E! Online's Marc Malkin is reporting that Gossip Girl star Chace Crawford's scheduling commitments to the show are causing significant issues with the upcoming big screen remake of Footloose. Negotiations are ongoing and are said to be getting down to the 'nitty-gritty of scheduling.'

The Drama League (Jano Herbosch, President; Gabriel Shanks, Executive Director) proudly announces nominations for the 2008-09 Drama League Awards, to be awarded at The 75th Annual Drama League Awards Ceremony and Luncheon on Friday, May 15, 2009 (noon) in the Grand Ballroom of the Marriott Marquis Hotel in Times Square (1535 Broadway at 46th Street). The event will be co-hosted by Jeremy Irons (Impressionism) and Cynthia Nixon (Distracted).

Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Marvin Hamlisch will lead the New York Philharmonic in New York Moments, a concert featuring iconic musical moments from Broadway and film, with stars from the stage and screen (in alphabetical order): Ashley Brown, who originated the title role in Mary Poppins on Broadway; Maria Friedman, who played Mrs. Lovett in Sweeney Todd and Marian in The Woman in White in London; Joel Grey, whose numerous starring roles have included the famous M.C. in Cabaret, on Broadway and in the film; Jennifer Holliday, one of the original Dreamgirls; Liza Minnelli, last seen on Broadway in Liza's at The Palace; Kelli O'Hara and Paulo Szot, stars of the current Lincoln Center Theater production of South Pacific; and 15-year-old up-and-coming singer, Nikki Yanofsky. The concert will take place Monday, April 20, 2009, at 7:30 p.m. All except Mr. Hamlisch and Ms. O'Hara are making their New York Philharmonic debuts.

The Colony Theatre Company presents the fifth and final production of its 2008 ? 2009 season, the Los Angeles premiere of the Off-Broadway, Smash-Hit Musical Thriller, No Way to Treat a Lady, book, music and lyrics by Douglas J. Cohen, (based on the novel by William Goldman) and co-directed by West Hyler and Shelley Butler. No Way to Treat a Lady will preview on Wednesday, April 15; Thursday, April 16 and Friday, April 17 at 8:00pm and will open on Saturday, April 18 at 8:00pm and continue through Sunday, May 17 at The Colony Theatre, 555 North Third Street (at Cypress) adjacent to the Burbank Town Center.

The Los Angeles Times is reporting that Zac Efron has been cast in the title role of Jonny Quest in the upcoming action film based on the famed comic character.

Elton John (Billy Elliot: The Musical) will receive the Distinguished Achievement in Musical Theatre Award, Arthur Laurents (West Side Story) will be honored with the Julia Hansen Award for Excellence in Directing, and Angela Lansbury (Blithe Spirit) will receive the Unique Contribution to the Theatre Award. In addition, Broadway producer Herb Blodgett will receive The 75th Anniversary Leadership Award.

Take Two will run at Northern Stage from April 22-May 17. Showtimes are Tuesdays through Saturdays at 7:30 p.m.; Sundays (April 26, May 10 and May 17 at 5:00 p.m., May 3 at 7:30 p.m.); and 2:00 matinees on Thursday, April 30 and Sat., May 9. For tickets and information, call 802-296-7000. Tickets are also available through the Northern Stage website, www.northernstage.org.

MAUDE MAGGART, the critically-acclaimed chanteuse - hailed as 'bewitching' by The New York Times, 'utterly enchanting' by the New York Post and 'stunning' by the Los Angeles Times - will return to THE OAK ROOM of THE ALGONQUIN HOTEL for a six week engagement from April 14 - May 23.

The Colony Theatre Company presents the fifth and final production of its 2008 - 2009 season, the Los Angeles premiere of the Off-Broadway, Smash-Hit Musical Thriller, NO WAY TO TREAT A LADY, book, music and lyrics by Douglas J. Cohen, (based on the novel by William Goldman) and co-directed by West Hyler and Shelley Butler.

John Lithgow's Stories By Heart is a touching and funny meditation on the art and essence of storytelling. Invoking memories of his grandmother and father before him, Lithgow traces his own history as an actor and storyteller, a history spanning three generations.

Lincoln Center Theater (under the direction of Andre Bishop, Artistic Director, and Bernard Gersten, Executive Producer) will present a return engagement of award winning actor John Lithgow in his critically acclaimed one man show John Lithgow: STORIES BY HEART on Sunday and Monday nights at 7pm beginning Sunday (April 12) in the Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater (150 W. 65 Street). John Lithgow: STORIES BY HEART, which will once again be directed by Jack O'Brien, will be presented during the Mitzi E.

Young actor Zac Efron revealed to EW.com why he pulled out of the Footloose remake: He didn't want to be type-cast as the musical guy.