John Simon News

Original New York cast members Jeremy Beck, Mike Doyle (Law and Order: SVU), Sevan Greene and Waleed F. Zuaiter head the cast under the guidance of original director Pippin Parker when L.A. Theatre Works presents the West Coast premiere of Betrayed, the haunting new play by award winning writer and journalist George Packer. Five performances take place February 18-22 at the Skirball Cultural Center where they will be recorded to air on LATW's nationally syndicated public radio theater series, The Play's The Thing. In early 2007, George Packer published an article in The New Yorker about Iraqi interpreters who jeopardized their lives on behalf of the Americans in Iraq, yet were provided with little or no U.S. protection or security. The article drew national attention to the humanitarian crisis and moral scandal. Based on Mr. Packer's interviews in Baghdad, Betrayed tells the story of three young Iraqis - two men and one woman - who were motivated to risk everything by America's promise of freedom. The award-winning play explores their complex relationships with each other and with their American supervisor as they struggle to find purpose even as their country collapses around them. 'The voices of the Iraqi men and women I met were so powerful that even after I finished The New Yorker article, they wouldn't leave me alone,' Packer said in an interview. 'These Iraqis put their trust in us, went to work with us, risked their lives to work with us - and nothing is riskier in Iraq than working with Americans - and as they began to come under threat, we essentially walked away from them and left them on their own. It's of a piece with everything that's wrong with this war.'

Primary Stages (Casey Childs, Executive Producer; Andrew Leynse, Artistic Director; Elliot Fox, Managing Director) has announced complete casting for the New York premiere of Shipwrecked!

SHARON CARR ASSOCIATES, LTD announced today the addition of Jessica-Snow Wilson to the cast of GLIMPSES OF THE MOON. Wilson will be replacing Autumn Hurlbert in the leading role of Susy. GLIMPSES OF THE MOON premiered exactly one year ago at the Oak Room of the Algonquin Hotel to rave reviews and quickly sold out its limited run. The show returned this fall with an expanded production and received more enthusiastic reviews. The run has now been extended through the end of March, with performances every Monday night. Starting in February, in partnership with the Algonquin Hotel, the production is adding alternating Thursday lunch matinees. The following special guest stars confirmed to appear in the show, Monday nights at 8pm in the Oak Room of the Algonquin Hotel: January 26 - ANDREA MARCOVICCI (Mabel Award Winner/Back Stage Bistro Award Winner) February 2, 5 & 9 - NATASCIA DIAZ (Jacques Brel) February 16 & 23 - TOM WOPAT Future guest stars to include: Leslie Uggams (Tony and Emmy Award-winning), Robert Cuccioli (Tony Nominated), and Gay Marshall (Jacques Brel). GLIMPSES OF THE MOON, a Jazz Age musical with book & lyrics by Tajlei Levis and music by John Mercurio, choreographed by Denis Jones, and directed by Marc Bruni, plays 'only on Monday nights but elicits a Sunday kind of love,' (John Simon, Bloomberg.com) in the Oak Room at the historic Algonquin Hotel (59 West 44th Street, between 5th and 6th Ave.).

In addition to airing weekly on Thirteen and (5 times weekly) on CUNY TV, Theater Talk is also now telecast on NJN every Thursday at 11:30 PM. NJN is available to all Digital TV viewers in the NYC area. Check your local listings! New This Week... Friday, January 23rd on Thirteen 1:00 AM (Saturday morning) Christopher Plummer and John Simon The master actor joins us to discuss his fascinating memoir In Spite of Myself. Also on board to assess Plummer's critically-acclaimed autobiography, is critic John Simon of Bloomberg News. (Reairing on CUNY TV, Channel 75 on Saturday, January 31 at 8:30 PM, Sunday, February 1 at 12:30 PM and Monday, February 2 at 7:30 AM, 1:30 PM, and 7:30 PM.) Also telecast on Thursday at 11:30 PM on NJN. Coming Up... Friday, January 30th on Thirteen 1:00 AM (Saturday morning) Spring Preview A look ahead at Broadway's spring season with reporters Jesse Green of New York Magazine and Patrick Pacheco of On-Stage, as well as the infamous columnist and commentator, Michael Musto of the Village Voice. (Reairing on CUNY TV, Channel 75 on Saturday, February 7 at 8:30 PM, Sunday, February 8 at 12:30 PM, and Monday, February 9 at 7:30 AM, 1:30 PM, and 7:30 PM.)

In addition to airing weekly on Thirteen and (5 times weekly) on CUNY TV, Theater Talk is also now telecast on NJN every Thursday at 11:30 PM. NJN is available to all Digital TV viewers in the NYC area. Check your local listings! New This Week... Friday, January 23rd on Thirteen 1:00 AM (Saturday morning) Christopher Plummer and John Simon The master actor joins us to discuss his fascinating memoir In Spite of Myself. Also on board to assess Plummer's critically-acclaimed autobiography, is critic John Simon of Bloomberg News. (Reairing on CUNY TV, Channel 75 on Saturday, January 31 at 8:30 PM, Sunday, February 1 at 12:30 PM and Monday, February 2 at 7:30 AM, 1:30 PM, and 7:30 PM.) Also telecast on Thursday at 11:30 PM on NJN. Coming Up... Friday, January 30th on Thirteen 1:00 AM (Saturday morning) Spring Preview A look ahead at Broadway's spring season with reporters Jesse Green of New York Magazine and Patrick Pacheco of On-Stage, as well as the infamous columnist and commentator, Michael Musto of the Village Voice. (Reairing on CUNY TV, Channel 75 on Saturday, February 7 at 8:30 PM, Sunday, February 8 at 12:30 PM, and Monday, February 9 at 7:30 AM, 1:30 PM, and 7:30 PM.)

Today's Broadway Blogs on BroadwayWorld.com from Monday, December 15, 2008.

The Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization is thrilled to announce that the first complete recording of Rodgers & Hammerstein's ALLEGRO will be released by Sony Masterworks Broadway on February 3, 2009. The CD is produced by David Lai, Bruce Pomahac and Ted Chapin.

Primary Stages (Casey Childs, Executive Producer; Andrew Leynse, Artistic Director; Elliot Fox, Managing Director) has announced complete casting for the New York premiere of Shipwrecked!

Savvy BroadwayWorld.com visitors have noticed a new message up on Telecharge.com for those purchasings tickets to Gypsy's final performances.

The award winning, critically acclaimed smash hit production of GYPSY will play its final performance at the St. James Theatre (246 West 44th Street) on Sunday, March 1, 2009 at the conclusion of Tony Award winner Patti LuPone's scheduled engagement.

Flamingo Court, the off-Broadway comedy by Luigi Creatore starring Jamie Farr (television's 'M*A*S*H,' Guys & Dolls) and Tony Award nominee Anita Gillette (Chapter Two, They're Playing Our Song), will play its final performance on Sunday, September 28th at 3:00PM after 68 performances (including 17 previews).

Alan Alda stopped by the New World Stages to visit his old M*A*S*H television castmate Jamie Farr and his current co-star Anita Gilette and catch a performance of their hit Off-Broadway comedy, Flamingo Court.

PROJECT SHAW, now in its third of four years, continues tackling every play George Bernard Shaw ever wrote. This will be its 30th presentation, taking place on Monday, September 22nd, 2008 at 7 p.m. at the Players Club, 16 Gramercy Park South. David Staller is producer and director.

On Wednesday morning, August 27th, Jamie Farr and Anita Gillette, the stars of off-Broadway's hit comedy Flamingo Court, were invited to ring the NASDAQ opening bell in Times Square.

In early 2007, George Packer published an article in The New Yorker about Iraqi interpreters who jeopardized their lives on behalf of the Americans in Iraq, with little or no U.S. protection or security.

Signature Theatre, under the artistic direction of Eric Schaeffer, yesterday completed the Kander & Ebb Celebration, a ground-breaking four-month festival devoted to the works of John Kander and Fred Ebb, the longest lasting song-writing partnership in the history of the American musical theater.

Roundabout Theatre Company's critically acclaimed, multi-award winning, national touring production of their Broadway smash hit TWELVE ANGRY MEN celebrates an unprecedented 63-week national tour with a return engagement in Toronto.

As theater-lovers look forward to the annual TONY Awards ceremony and the conclusion of the 2007-2008 theater season, television's long-running THEATER TALK series presents two original programs to fuel their anticipation.

Nation's Theater-Lovers Can Turn to PBS Stations or the Web for Wealth of Broadway Insiders' Opinions Beginning June 11.

The Shakespeare Society (Michael Sexton, Artistic Director) will present Rachel and Juliet, a solo work-in-progress, written and performed by Lynn Redgrave, on Monday, June 2 at 7pm at the Kaye Playhouse at Hunter College, East 68 Street, between Park and Lexington Avenues.