Jonathan Larson News

Theater Resources Unlimited (TRU) presents its annual free introductory panel Thursday, September 20, 2018: WHO IS TRU? A Free Introduction to Our Community and Programs at 7:30pm (doors open for networking at7pm) at The Playroom Theatre, 151 W. 46th Street, 8th fl., NYC. This panel is free but please reserve using the bright red reservation box athttps://truonline.org/events/who-is-tru/, or call at least a day in advance (or much sooner) for reservations: 212-714-7628; or e-mail TRUStaff1@gmail.com.

MAX VERNON - the songwriter described by The New Yorker as 'equal parts Bohemia and Broadway' - will launch his first ever residency at Joe's Pub at The Public this fall, Existential Life Crisis Lullaby, on Tuesday, September 25 at 7:00 PM with special musical guests Tonya Pinkins, Daphne Rubin-Vega, Annie Golden, MJ Rodriguez, Gizel Jimenez, Chrissi Poland, Veronica Swift, Morgan Meadows, and Avery Leigh Draut. The September evening will be directed by Ellie Heyman.

Feinstein's/54 Below, Broadway's Supper Club, presents 'The Jonathan Larson Project' October 9 - 14. Jonathan Larson wrote Rent and tick tick BOOM, the former a landmark Broadway game-changer and the latter a beloved musical gem.

Fox's RENT LIVE has just launched a casting search for the role of Roger.

'RENT,' the highly acclaimed, award-winning rock musical will be performed on the Hamilton Stage of UCPAC in Rahway for a six-show run. With music, lyrics and books by Jonathan Larson, it is based on Giacomo Puccini's opera La Boheme. Broadwayworld.com had the opportunity to chat with Brian Remo, UCPAC's Executive Director and the Director of the Center's production of 'RENT.'

Does anyone still wear a hat? Jennifer Ashley Tepper does... and this year she is wearing all of them. 

The new musical MECHANICAL by Jonathan Larson Grant recipients Mike Pettry (The Light Princess) and Sara Cooper (The Memory Show) will be presented as staged readings on September 25th and 28th, funded in part by a New Works Grant from Queens Council on the Arts.

Hell in a Handbag Productions rings in the holidays with the world premiere of SnowGirls - The Musical, a parody of the classic cult film Showgirls. Featuring a book by Derek Van Barham, music by Artistic Director David Cerda* with Scott Lamberty and Jeff Thomson, direction by Jon Martinez and music direction by JD Caudill. SnowGirls will play November 15 - December 30, 2018 at Mary's Attic, 5400 N. Clark St. in Chicago's Andersonville neighborhood. Casting will be announced shortly. Tickets are currently available at brownpapertickets.com or by calling (800) 838-3006. The press opening is Saturday, November 24 at 7:30 pm.

Broadway veteran Cheryl Stern's SHOES AND BAGGAGE, incubated at Nancy Manocherian's The Cell, is a sharply-written musical comedy gem about a woman's lifelong obsession with shopping. The autobiographical tale by the Jonathan Larson award-winning writer (who also wrote the lyrics for the fine music by her Drama Desk nominee and Emmy winning-composer husband, Tom Kochan) is punctuated both by moments of genuine self-awareness and tragedy--from the loss of her best friend to cancer to 9/11. Under Josh Barros' direction, the result is a ferociously honest show that doubles as a memoir about a 'working [stage] actor' (not to be confused with a 'star'), whose Jewishness lovingly and palpably informs every scene.

VITAL THEATRE COMPANY is pleased to announce the Super Showcase performance of OWEN & MZEE: THE TRUE STORY OF A REMARKABLE FRIENDSHIP the #1 New York Times best-selling children's book about the friendship between a tortoise and an orphaned hippopotamus written by father and daughter team Craig and Isabella Hatkoff and Dr. Paula Kahumbu . The musical features book and lyrics by Michelle Elliott and music and lyrics by Danny Larsen. Stanley Mathis is the Director/ Choreographer and Costume Designer.

The RENT 20th Anniversary Tour announced today that single tickets for the upcoming tour engagement in Cincinnati will go on sale August 24, 2018 at 9AM.  RENT will play the Aronoff Center, December 11 - 23, 2018 as a part of the Fifth Third Bank Broadway in Cincinnati 18/19 Season presented by TriHealth.

The MITTEN Lab (A Michigan Incubator for Theatre Talent Emerging Now), led by co-founders Katherine M. Carter and Rachel Sussman, is proud to announce this year's artists for its third annual residency program in Northern Michigan, taking place September 9th through 16th.

The York Theatre Company has announced the line-up for its 49th anniversary season at The York Theatre at Saint Peter's.

Village Theatre is thrilled to kick off the 2018-2019 Season with the World Premiere of The Noteworthy Life of Howard Barnes by Michael Kooman and Christopher Dimond (Romantics Annonymous at the Old Globe in London, Disney Channel's Vampirina). This production will be directed by Village Theatre associate artistic director,Brandon Ivie (Lizard Boy, Jasper in Deadland) and choreographer Al Blackstone, who was recently nominated for an Emmy for his work on the popular television show So You Think You Can Dance

BroadwayWorld has a first look at the new cast of the 20th Anniversary tour of RENT which will play the Shanghai Cultural Centre in China beginning August 30th before returning to the US this fall.

Hypokrit Theatre Company and Access Theater present R + J, a female/genderqueer adaptation of Shakespeare's classic Romeo and Juliet. Adapted and directed by Molly Houlahan featuring a diverse cast of 6 women/ gender-nonconforming actors playing all of the roles, previews begin September 27 at Access Theater in Tribeca. Opening is slated for Thursday, October 4.

The past several Broadway seasons have seen extraordinary developments in musical theatre, with a steady stream of new shows, usually transferring from non-profit Off-Broadway, offering smart writing, inventive storytelling and expanded notions of the subject matter and musical styles that can be welcomed into the art form.