John Rando News

The Drama League (Artistic Director Gabriel Stelian-Shanks, Executive Director Bevin Ross) announced today the acting company for the 36th annual DirectorFest, the only festival in the United States dedicated to the art of contemporary stage directing. Directorfest will take place January 10 - February 4, 2020 at various locations around NYC: The New Ohio Theatre (154 Christopher Street), The Drama League Theater Center (32 Avenue of the Americas), LaGuardia Performing Arts Center (31-10 Thomson Avenue), and Joe's Pub (425 Lafayette Street). For festival details and tickets, visit directorfest.org or call (212) 244-9494 x102.

Barrington Stage Company (BSC), under the leadership of Artistic Director Julianne Boyd, announces the 2019 Associate Artists a?" actor Alan H. Green, composer Joe Iconis, costume designer Sara Jean Tosetti and actress Peggy Pharr Wilson.

There's just a few weeks left to make your voice heard and submit your votes for the 2019 BroadwayWorld Connecticut Awards, brought to you by TodayTix! The people have spoken nominations are set, and now you can vote to make sure your favorite local theatre's achievements and performers are recognized!

Ghostlight Records has announced that the new cast album of Cole Porter's The New Yorkers - The New York City Center Encores! 2017 Cast Recording is available on CD, digital and streaming formats today, Friday, December 6. The release is the first major cast album of the 1930 musical with music and lyrics by Cole Porter, book by Herbert Fields, and based on a story by Peter Arno and E. Ray Goetz. The 2017 production from New York City Center (Arlene Shuler, New York City Center President & CEO) Encores! was directed by John Rando, with musical direction by Encores! Music Director Rob Berman and choreography by Chris Bailey.

Tickets are now on sale for the 36th annual Directorfest, the only festival in the United States dedicated to the art of stage directing. Known for its history as an identifier of the next generation of directing talent, the festival will include six fully-staged productions, a showcase concert of a new play-with-music, a town hall, and conversations with directors including 2017 Tony Award Winner Rebecca Taichman (Indecent), 2014 Tony Award Winner & 2010 Drama League Founders Award for Excellence in Directing Kenny Leon (A Soldier's Play), and Intimacy Director Claire Warden (HBO's 'Mrs. Fletcher').

It's December! Voting is now underway for the 2019 BroadwayWorld Connecticut Awards, brought to you by TodayTix! Now you can vote to make sure your favorite local theatres and performers are recognized. Check out the first set of stats below.

Voting is NOW OPEN and the first votes are in for the 2019 BroadwayWorld Connecticut Awards, brought to you by TodayTix! The nominees are set, and now you can vote to make sure your favorite local theatres and performers are recognized!

Ralphie is coming to the rescue because it's the the seventh anniversary of A Christmas Story The Musical coming to Broadway! To celebrate us counting down to Christmas, we're looking back at the show's opening night at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, with the official Broadway debut of the now Oscar, Tony, and Grammy-winning songwriting duo of Benj Pasek and Justin Paul. Check out this video to see the pair alongside John Bolton, Dan Lauria, Erin Dilly, and more!

Producer Colin Ingram and the creators of the film Back To The Future, Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale, have announced the full cast for the world premiere of BACK TO THE FUTURE The Musical, which will open at the Manchester Opera House on 20 February 2020 for a strictly limited 12-week season, finishing on 17 May, prior to transferring to the West End.

The Drama League announced today the 2020 line-up of DirectorFest: The 36th Annual Directors Festival, the only festival in the United States dedicated to the art of contemporary stage directing. For its 36th year, the festival will include six fully-staged productions, a showcase concert of a new musical, a town hall, and conversations with directors including 2017 Tony Award Winner Rebecca Taichman (Indecent), 2014 Tony Award Winner and 2010 Drama League Founders Award for Excellence in Directing Kenny Leon (A Soldier's Play), and Intimacy Director Claire Warden (HBO's Mrs. Fletcher).

The Drama League has revealed more of the artists who will be celebrating Sutton Foster at the organization's 36th Annual Benefit Gala next week. The black-tie evening honoring Foster a?" a two-time Tony Award, Drama Desk, Outer Critics, Fred Astaire, and Gracie Award winner and star of TV Land's hit television series a?oeYoungera?? -- will take place on Monday, October 28, 2019 beginning at 6:30 p.m. in New York City at The Plaza (768 Fifth Avenue). As previously announced, EY is the 2019 recipient of The Drama League's Arts Ally Award, to be accepted by Herb Engert at the Benefit Gala.

Tony Award winner, Roger Bart, will star as 'Dr Emmett Brown' in the world premiere of BACK TO THE FUTURE The Musical, which will open at the Manchester Opera House on 20 February 2020 for a strictly limited 12-week season, finishing on 17 May, prior to transferring to the West End. This comes on the day Christopher Lloyd, the original 'Dr Emmett Brown' in the Back to the Future film trilogy comes to Manchester to pass on the keys to the DeLorean Time Machine to Roger.

Creating exceptional, transformative theatrical experiences that are accessible to young and family audiences in diverse communities throughout North America, TheaterWorksUSA announces their 2019-20 season with productions on Broadway, throughout New York City, and 11 productions touring around the United States and Canada.  

The Drama League has revealed some of the artists who will be honoring Sutton Foster at the organization's 36th Annual Benefit Gala this fall. The black-tie evening honoring Foster a?" a two-time Tony Award, Drama Desk, Outer Critics, Fred Astaire, and Gracie Award winner and star of TV Land's hit television series a?oeYoungera?? -- will take place on Monday, October 28, 2019 beginning at 6:30 p.m. in New York City at The Plaza (768 Fifth Avenue).

The Drama League has announced its 2019 Fall Series, including new play readings, open rehearsals, master workshops and conversations with America's leading stage directors, to be held at The Drama League Theater Center

Joshua Bergasse is in town making time for master class, discovering local talent and watching homemade flying contraptions dive into the Mississippi, as well as letting us in on a little secret that may or may not happen but is pretty fun to think about. Oh, and he choreographed and directed SMOKEY JOE'S CAFE, too.

The Broadway at Birdland concert series was proud to present singer/dancer Jared Grimes, who brought an evening of high energy, non-stop, genre-fusing music and dance to the Birdland stage. The band included Mark Meadows on piano, DeWitt Fleming on drums, Bret Puchir on guitar and Brent Birckhead on sax.

The Drama League (Gabriel Stelian-Shanks, Artistic Director) opened its applications today for the 2020 Drama League Directors Project, which offer unique Fellowship and Residency opportunities for professional stage directors at all levels of experience to advance their artistry, learn new skills, develop and present new work, and propel their careers. The only program of its kind in the nation, the deadline for completed applications is 11:59pm US EDT on Monday, February 3, 2020.

BroadwayWorld has a first look at Goodspeed Musicals's Because of Winn Dixie. This touching tale based on the award-winning novel by Kate DiCamillo will run through September 5 at The Goodspeed in East Haddam, Conn. Check out the new photos below!

Not since Annie has a stray dog inspired such joyful noise! In a Southern town filled with lost souls, a new leash on life is just around the corner when a preacher and his daughter take in a mutt named Winn Dixie. The beloved, award-winning novel about a quirky community learning to get along now sings for the first time in this uplifting new musical.