Jonathan Larson News

The American Theatre Wing honors legendary director and producer Harold Prince tonight, Monday, September 16 at its annual Gala at the Plaza Hotel (Fifth Avenue at Central Park South). Anki Leeds and CeCe Black will serve as Gala co-chairs.

The award-winning Vital Theatre Company just announced FANCY NANCY THE MUSICAL, book and lyrics by Susan DiLallo, music and lyrics by Danny Abosch, and Direction/Choreography by Sam Viverito, based on the book series by Jane O'Conner and illustrated by Robin Preiss Glasser, returns to the McGinn/Cazale Theatre tonight, September 14th.

Utah Repertory Theater Company is gearing up to present the Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize-winning musical RENT from September 20 to October 6 at downtown Salt Lake City's The Project. Musical director Rick Rea spoke with BroadwayWorld about the personal and universal impact of the groundbreaking show and its iconic music.

Jeremy Greenbaum (The Fantasticks) and Aaron Komo complete the cast of Prospect Theater Company's upcoming world premiere production of TAMAR OF THE RIVER, a new music theater work with music and book by Marisa Michelson, book and lyrics by Joshua H. Cohen and direction by Daniel Goldstein (Godspell). Previously announced cast members include Margo Seibert (set to make her Broadway debut as 'Adrian' in ROCKY on Broadway in Spring 2014) as Tamar, with Ako (Throne of Blood), Erik Lochtefeld (February House), Mike Longo (Hair) and Vince B. Vincent (Geography of Loss), and Jen Anaya, Adam Bashian, Margot Bassett, Troy Burton, Tamrin Goldberg and Mary Kate Morrissey.

9 Livingston Avenue in New Brunswick will be rockin' every night beginning September 24 with music and laughter. George Street Playhouse and Artistic Director David Saint have announced casting for the opening production for the venerable theatre's fortieth season. Gettin' The Band Back Together (formerly titled Garage Band) is a rockin' valentine to the Garden State, and will be directed by Tony Award-winner John Rando - who also helmed The Toxic Avenger in New Brunswick (and New York) a few seasons back. Gettin' The Band Back Together will rock the house beginning Tuesday, September 24 and continue through Sunday, October 27. Opening night is set for Friday, October 4. Gettin' The Band Back Together is performed by special arrangement with Davenport Theatrical Enterprises, Inc. and Roy Putrino.

Amas Musical Theatre (Donna Trinkoff/Artistic Producer) will present three free staged readings of 'Cookin'!', a new musical by Debra Barsha and Hollye Levin, with musical director Gillian Berkowitz, directed by Lynne Taylor-Corbett. The readings will take placeon Wednesday, September 25 @ 6pm and Thursday, September 26 at 1:00pm and 5pm, at The Players Theatre, 115 MacDougal Street. Tickets are free and reservations are available via email at boxoffice@amasmusical.org or by calling 212-563-2565.

Angelwalk Theatre, Toronto's premiere producer of Off-Broadway style musical theatre, launches its fifth anniversary season in 2013/2014 with a new production of Jonathan Larson's autobiographical musical, tick, tick...BOOM!

The Weitzenhoffer School of Musical Theatre at the University of Oklahoma welcomes Tony nominee Jeff Blumenkrantz to the Campus Corner Cabaret at 7pm tonight, September 5, 2013 at Othello's in Norman.

The American Theatre Wing has announced the recipients of its 2013 National Theatre Company Grants. This year's recipients are: 16th Street Theater (Berwyn, Illinois), The Catastrophic Theatre (Houston, Texas), Constellation Theatre Company (Washington, D.C.),The Cutting Ball Theatre (San Francisco, California), Golden Thread Productions (San Francisco, California), The Hypocrites (Chicago, Illinois),Prospect Theater Company (New York, New York), Theater Latte Da (Minneapolis, Minnesota), Third Rail Repertory Theatre (Portland, Oregon), andTrue Colors Theatre Company (Atlanta, Georgia).

The Weitzenhoffer School of Musical Theatre at the University of Oklahoma welcomes Tony nominee Jeff Blumenkrantz to the Campus Corner Cabaret at 7pm on Thursday, September 5, 2013 at Othello's in Norman.

Very Intense Productions and Your Theatrics | Jeremy Youett and Jacob Harvey present RSO FEST, a series of concerts showcasing three new musicals by composer Ryan Scott Oliver. RSO FEST will launch at New York's premier Supper Club, 54 Below (254 West 54th Street, NYC), on Monday, October 7 with the 35mm: A Musical Exhibition (produced in association with Tony Award-winning producer John Johnson), followed by Darling (produced in association with Grammy Award-winner Kurt Deutsch and Sh-k-boom) on Monday, November 4, and then Jasper In Deadland (produced in association with Prospect Theater Company) completing the trilogy on Monday November 18.

New York Theatre Workshop (NYTW) Artistic Director James C. Nicola has announced that Fetch Clay, Make Man, written by Will Power and directed by Des McAnuff, will begin performances tonight, August 23 at NYTW, 79 East 4 Street, between Bowery and Second Avenue. Opening night is set for Thursday, September 12 at 7pm. Fetch Clay, Make Man is scheduled to run through Sunday, October 13; tickets are on sale now.

The Billie Holiday Theatre's Executive Director Marjorie Moon announces the appointment of director, actor, playwright, and novelist Jackie Alexander as the Theatre's Artistic Director.

The Active Theater (Nathaniel Shaw, Artistic Director) announced today the final selections for its 2013/2014 year-long play development series, now in its second official season: LOVELY SEND ANYWHERE, by Douglas J. Cohen, and SAM I AM, by Joshua H. Cohen.

Theatrical licensor Music Theatre International (MTI) www.mtishows.com, has secured worldwide licensing rights to three of Broadway and Off-Broadway's most recent hits, SISTER ACT, AMERICAN IDIOT and MURDER BALLAD. The three shows are the newest productions to join MTI's global theatrical licensing catalogue.

Trout Lake, Washington. Running Deer Musical Theater Lab is hosting a series of week long new musical development labs this summer. Participating writers include Brian Yorkey, Nick Blaemire, Matthew Gardiner, Michael Kooman, Christopher Dimond, Tim Symons, Melanie Burgess, Bobby Cronin and Wade Dooley.

Bay Street Theatre is pleased to announce that Scott Schwartz, a leading voice of the next generation of American theater, has joined Bay Street as its new Artistic Director. His tenure at Bay Street will inaugurate a new vision for the theater beginning with the 2014 season, to ensure an exciting and sustainable future for our cultural community. Schwartz is an internationally acclaimed artist whose work has been seen on and off Broadway, across the United States, in Great Britain, and Asia. Over the past twenty years, he has built a reputation for pursuing and embracing a wide range of works for the stage, from new plays to classics to musicals and opera.

It's one of my favorite weekends of the year. The weekend I get to spend three days listening to exciting new works as presented by some of the best performers Seattle has to offer. And this year Village Theatre did not disappoint as they invited members, performers, staff and press to partake of their Village Originals 13th Annual Festival of New Musicals. Some good, some maybe not so, some needing a little more work than others but all showing a deep love for the art and presented by some of the best voices in town. Now, I can't review them as they're still works in progress but I can tell you about the shows presented over the weekend and let you know about the one show that while still in development is still running one more weekend and can have tickets purchased to by non-members (that would be you, Dear Readers).

Barrington Stage Company (BSC), the award-winning theatre in downtown Pittsfield, MA, under the leadership of Julianne Boyd Artistic Director and TriStan Wilson Managing Director, presents William Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing, directed by Julianne Boyd, running through August 25 at the Boyd-Quinson Mainstage, 30 Union Street, Pittsfield. Check out phtoos from the opening night party below!

Barrington Stage Company (BSC), the award-winning theatre in downtown Pittsfield, MA, under the leadership of Julianne Boyd Artistic Director and Tristan Wilson Managing Director, presents William Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing, directed by Julianne Boyd, running through August 25 at the Boyd-Quinson Mainstage, 30 Union Street, Pittsfield. Check out phtoos from inside the big opening below!