John Murray News

Westport Country Playhouse has received a $20,000 grant from the Fairfield County Community Foundation for general operating support of the non-profit organization's 2013 season. The nationally recognized professional theater serves an estimated annual audience of 60,000.

And memories from the past.

Members of the Naughton Family - two-time Tony Award winner and Weston, Connecticut resident James Naughton, daughter Keira Naughton, son Greg Naughton, and Greg's wife Tony Award nominee Kelli O'Hara - plus Blythe Danner, Jordan Coughtry, Edward Herrmann, Chad Kinsman, Jake Robards, Mark Shanahan, and Dana Steingold are cast in Westport Country Playhouse's Script in Hand playreading of "The Philadelphia Story," the romantic comedy classic by Philip Barry, set for one-night-only tonight, December 10, 7 p.m. Director is Anne Keefe, Playhouse artistic advisor.

Westport Country Playhouse will provide a special offer on Cyber Monday on Monday, November 26, and participate in #GivingTuesday™ on Tuesday, November 27.

Members of the Naughton Family - two-time Tony Award winner and Weston, Connecticut resident James Naughton, daughter Keira Naughton, son Greg Naughton, and Greg's wife Tony Award nominee Kelli O'Hara - plus Blythe Danner, Jordan Coughtry, Edward Herrmann, Chad Kinsman, Jake Robards, Mark Shanahan, and Dana Steingold are cast in Westport Country Playhouse's Script in Hand playreading of "The Philadelphia Story," the romantic comedy classic by Philip Barry, set for one-night-only on Monday, December 10, 7 p.m. Director is Anne Keefe, Playhouse artistic advisor.

Bobby and Jamie Deen whip up a traditional Turkey Day feast with an inside look into the Deen's family festivities and traditions on Deen Brothers Thanksgiving on Sunday, November 11th at 8pmET/5pmPT.

After a decade of performances at bars and theaters (UCB, PIT, Magnet, Barrow Street) Beauty Love Truth- improvised scenes inspired by a live musician - is thrilled to be holding a residency at the PIT on the last Thursday of each month at 8pm.

After a decade of performances at bars and theaters (UCB, PIT, Magnet, Barrow Street) Beauty Love Truth- improvised scenes inspired by a live musician - is thrilled to be holding a residency at the PIT on the last Thursday of each month at 8pm.

Westport Country Playhouse announces its 2013 season of five productions, playing next year from April through October. The series ranges in style from 'wild farce to dark humor to charming sentiment, all centered on predicaments, conflicts, and bonds surrounding families.' Under the artistic direction of Mark Lamos, 2013 will mark the Connecticut professional theater's 83rd season.

Vagabond Players have announced the following events for their upcoming season.

On Thursday, three-time Tony Award-winning Broadway composer Richard Adler passed away at the ripe old age of 90. Responsible for two of the biggest Broadway smash hits of the 1950s, THE PAJAMA GAME and GAMN YANKEES, Adler never quite managed to equal his career-high double-hitter of that era, yet his earlier work with Tony Bennett ('Rags To Riches'), Doris Day ('Everybody Loves A Lover') and Marilyn Monroe (the iconic 'Happy Birthday, Mr. President') surely shall solidify his place in the firmament of entertainment history along with his two classic musicals from the Golden Age. Winning both Best Score and Best Musical for both THE PAJAMA GAME and DAMN YANKEES, Adler's partnership with lyricist Jerry Ross - which began on Broadway in 1953 with JOHN MURRAY ANDERSON'S ALMANAC - was tragically cut short just months after the DAMN YANKEES premiere when Ross was diagnosed with lung disease and passed away soon thereafter. Yet, thanks to the beloved film versions of THE PAJAMA GAME and DAMN YANKEES and continued interest in the entities as expressed in the revivals and reappraisals of both onstage from Broadway to Biloxi to Bombay year after year, the snappy, snazzy tunes of Adler and Ross live on eight times a week all around the world - even now, more than fifty years after they premiered. Unfortunately, Adler's subsequent shows with other collaborators post-1955 failed to capture the early magic of his previous projects with Ross and his earlier musical and theatrical endeavors in the pop arena, with the racially charged KWAMINA flopping on Broadway in 1961 (though he took home a Best Composer Tony Award for his efforts anyway) and the awkwardly titled MUSIC IS failing to recreate the magic of its source material, Shakespeare's TWELFTH NIGHT, in 1976. A MOTER'S KISSES, starring Bea Arthur and a young Bernadette Peters, died on the road, as well. In the intervening years, Adler attempted musical adaptations taken from a number of intriguing sources - OF HUMAN BONDAGE and others among them - though only his ballet scores seemed to reach an audience; particularly his last, commissioned for a new production of Lorca's THE HOUSE OF BERNARDA ALBA in 1998. Of course, THE PAJAMA GAME has had two Broadway revivals - most recently the rapturously received Kathleen Marshall-directed production starring Harry Connick, Jr. and Kelli O'Hara; and DAMN YANKEES famously returned to the Great White Way with much ado in 1994 starring Victor Garber. Now seems particularly ripe for remounting YANKEES, as we approach twenty years in its absence - especially given the musical's seriously smashing showing at Encores! in 2007. Who knows, perhaps some risky producer will even take a chance on a new production of KWAMINA, MUSIC IS, A MOTHER'S KISSES or one of the bottom drawer shows someday soon to see if they possess any of the limitless potential shown by Adler's earlier work. Or maybe a stage treatment of his TV musical GIFT OF THE MAGI (originally composed for then-wife Sally Ann Howes)? Or, better yet, how about a revue? What a stupendous songstack Adler created over the course of his career - 'Whatever Lola Wants' to 'Hey There' to 'Hernando's Hideaway' to 'You Gotta Have Heart' to 'Steam Heat' to the aforementioned Bennett, Day and Monroe standards and so many more chestnuts.

Mirror Stage continues reflecting the diversity of the community on stage in high quality, progressive productions that play it smart without always playing it safe with West Coast premiere reading of Ground tonight, April 28 at 8pm and Sunday, April 29 at 2pm at the Ethnic Cultural Theatre in Seattle. Feed Your Mind: Ground will be directed by Suzanne M. Cohen and feature Michael D. Blum (Chuy), Erwin Galan (Carl), Peggy Gannon (Zelda), Daniela Melgar (Angie), John Murray (Cooper) and Pilar O'Connell (Ines).

Damn Yankees is headed to The 5th Avenue Theatre! This musical comedy is the story of an aging baseball fan who makes a deal with the Devil so his beloved hometown team can beat the Yankees in the race for the pennant. From the songwriting team of The Pajama Game, Damn Yankees is filled with hit songs including "Two Lost Souls" and the sultry favorite, "Whatever Lola Wants, Lola Gets." The Paper Mill Playhouse production will slide into Seattle this April. The creative team includes direction by Mark S. Hoebee (Paper Mill's Producing Artistic Director), music direction by Ben Whiteley, and choreography by Denis Michael Jones.

Mirror Stage will present the West Coast premiere reading of Ground on Saturday, April 28 at 8pm and Sunday, April 29 at 2pm at the Ethnic Cultural Theatre in Seattle. Feed Your Mind: Ground will be directed by Suzanne M. Cohen and feature Michael D. Blum (Chuy), Erwin Galan (Carl), Peggy Gannon (Zelda), Daniela Melgar (Angie), John Murray (Cooper) and Pilar O'Connell (Ines).

Death Wears Stilettos: A Noir Comedy, an original narrative sketch has announced two April performances: Wednesday, April 11th and Wednesday, April 18th, both at 8.00pm.

Death Wears Stilettos: A Noir Comedy, an original narrative sketch will debut at 8:00pm on Wednesday, March 21st at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre.

Damn Yankees is headed to The 5th Avenue Theatre! This musical comedy is the story of an aging baseball fan who makes a deal with the Devil so his beloved hometown team can beat the Yankees in the race for the pennant. From the songwriting team of The Pajama Game, Damn Yankees is filled with hit songs including "Two Lost Souls" and the sultry favorite, "Whatever Lola Wants, Lola Gets." The Paper Mill Playhouse production will slide into Seattle this April. The creative team includes direction by Mark S. Hoebee (Paper Mill's Producing Artistic Director), music direction by Ben Whiteley, and choreography by Denis Michael Jones.

Death Wears Stilettos: A Noir Comedy, an original narrative sketch will debut at 8:00pm on Wednesday, March 21st at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre.