Joseph Thalken News

Epic in vision and scope, Giant chronicles The Life and times of cattleman Jordan 'Bick' Benedict, his naïve young society wife, and their family in the sweeping panorama of Texas, the land that brings them together and almost splits them apart. A sensational story of power, love, lust, and bigotry among the wealthy Anglo cattle barons and oil tycoons, and the downtrodden Mexican-Americans who work for them, Giant is based on the classic novel by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Edna Ferber, which also inspired the film starring James Dean, ElizaBeth Taylor, and Rock Hudson. Written by Michael John LaChiusa, considered one of today's most intelligent and innovative musical theater composers, Giant is the first work produced through Signature's multi-year American Musical Voices Project.

Eric Schaeffer, Artistic Director of Signature Theatre, presents the world premiere production of the musical Giant by composer Michael John LaChiusa and playwright Sybille Pearson.

Jenna gives a rundown of where she's been and who she's seen in the world of cabaret in the past week. The past week's shows include Jason Robert Brown at Birdland, Terese Genecco at the Iridium, and MetroJam at the Metropolitan Room!

Eric Schaeffer, Artistic Director of Signature Theatre, today announced casting for the world premiere production of the musical Giant by composer Michael John LaChiusa and playwright Sybille Pearson.

Eric Schaeffer, Artistic Director of Signature Theatre, today announced casting for the world premiere production of the musical Giant by composer Michael John LaChiusa and playwright Sybille Pearson.

The 92nd Street Y continues the 2009 season of Lyrics & Lyricists with DAVID ZIPPEL as host and artistic director of It Started with a Dream, February 21-23. Subtitled David Zippel - Lyrics He Wrote, Lyrics He Wishes He Wrote, the Tony award-winning, Oscar-nominated lyricist of City of Angels and Disney's animated Hercules and Mulan, presents highlights from his own scores and shares his inspirations and personal favorites from the American Songbook. The show features an all-Broadway cast, including vocalists KATE BALDWIN (Wonderful Town, Thoroughly Modern Millie, The Full Monty), KEVIN EARLEY (A Tale of Two Cities, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Les Mis?rables), Tony Award-winner DEBBIE GRAVITTE (Jerome Robbins' Broadway, Chicago, Les Mis?rables), DANNY GURWIN (Little Women, Urinetown, The Full Monty), and Tony Award-winner LILLIAS WHITE (The Life, Dreamgirls, and. the voice of 'Calliope' in Hercules). One of the most acclaimed and sought-after lyricists working today, David Zippel's other credits include the Broadway musical The Goodbye Girl (written with Marvin Hamlisch and Neil Simon), The Woman in White (with Andrew Lloyd Webber, for which Zippel won another Tony nomination) and the musical stage version of Wendy Wasserstein's bestselling children's book, Pamela's First Musical, written with Wasserstein and City of Angels collaborator Cy Coleman. Series artistic director Deborah Grace Winer, in her first season at the helm, notes that this is the first time in over 25 years that L&L will devote an entire show to a contemporary Broadway songwriter at the height of his career--a return to the spirit in which L&L was founded, with the living lyricist as an active participant.

The 92nd Street Y continues the 2009 season of Lyrics & Lyricists with DAVID ZIPPEL as host and artistic director of It Started with a Dream, February 21-23. Subtitled David Zippel - Lyrics He Wrote, Lyrics He Wishes He Wrote, the Tony award-winning, Oscar-nominated lyricist of City of Angels and Disney's animated Hercules and Mulan, presents highlights from his own scores and shares his inspirations and personal favorites from the American Songbook. The show features an all-Broadway cast, including vocalists KATE BALDWIN (Wonderful Town, Thoroughly Modern Millie, The Full Monty), KEVIN EARLEY (A Tale of Two Cities, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Les Mis?rables), Tony Award-winner DEBBIE GRAVITTE (Jerome Robbins' Broadway, Chicago, Les Mis?rables), DANNY GURWIN (Little Women, Urinetown, The Full Monty), and Tony Award-winner LILLIAS WHITE (The Life, Dreamgirls, and. the voice of 'Calliope' in Hercules). One of the most acclaimed and sought-after lyricists working today, David Zippel's other credits include the Broadway musical The Goodbye Girl (written with Marvin Hamlisch and Neil Simon), The Woman in White (with Andrew Lloyd Webber, for which Zippel won another Tony nomination) and the musical stage version of Wendy Wasserstein's bestselling children's book, Pamela's First Musical, written with Wasserstein and City of Angels collaborator Cy Coleman. Series artistic director Deborah Grace Winer, in her first season at the helm, notes that this is the first time in over 25 years that L&L will devote an entire show to a contemporary Broadway songwriter at the height of his career--a return to the spirit in which L&L was founded, with the living lyricist as an active participant.

Joe's Pub at the Public Theater celebrates its 10th Anniversary from September through December. The 10th Anniversary Weekend kicks off the celebration on Friday, October 9, with the 10th Anniversary Gala: Tribute to Judy Collins featuring Judy Collins, Eric Andersen, Marc Cohn, Shawn Colvin, Mary Gauthier and John Martyn.

'What happens when several composers each try their hand at the same song? What do you get when you combine an amazing theatre composer with a great twentieth-century poet? What happens if you ask a pop composer to write for a string quartet?' Find out the answers on Sunday, 12 October, 2008 at 7:30 p.m., when Artistic Director Joel Fram brings his acclaimed New York New Voices series to London's Purcell Room at the Southbank Centre. An astonishing line-up of cutting-edge musical theatre composers include Jason Robert Brown, Sam Davis, Joel Fram, Marcy Heisler and Zina Goldrich, Andrew Lippa, Paul Loesel, Steve Marzullo, Marc Smollin, Georgia Stitt, and Joseph Thalken.

Michael Winther and Kimberly Grigsby present 'New Love Songs' on Monday, June 30th at 9:30pm at The Metropolitan Room.

Signature Theatre's Artistic Director Eric Schaeffer announced a $300,000, multi-year grant from The Shen Family Foundation for The Next Generation, a program to help emerging composers create new works for musical theater.

Michael Winther and Kimberly Grigsby, piano present 'New Love Songs' on Wednesday, June 18th, 7:30pm, Monday, June 23rd, 9:30pm (with special guest, SALLY WILFERT), Wednesday, June 25th, 7:30pm, and Monday, June 30th, 9:30pm (with special guest, SALLY WILFERT) at The Metropolitan Room.

Michael Winther and Kimberly Grigsby, piano present 'New Love Songs' on Wednesday, June 18th, 7:30pm, Monday, June 23rd, 9:30pm (with special guest, SALLY WILFERT), Wednesday, June 25th, 7:30pm, and Monday, June 30th, 9:30pm (with special guest, SALLY WILFERT) at The Metropolitan Room.

The Tony winner headlines a retrospective in song and film of Gershwin's partnership with Kay Swift.

A host of Broadway stars will perform in an evening celebrating three generations of working artists entitled 'They Were You' to support the innovative theatre company and school, THE ARTIST'S CROSSING at 7pm on Tuesday, May 13th, 2008 at Barrow Street Theatre, 27 Barrow Street, New York, NY 10014.

Signature Theatre, today announced the 2008-2009 season, which runs from August 26, 2008 through May 31, 2009 and features five productions as well as the special concert presentation

The Paper Mill Playhouse Board of Trustees is proud to announce that Mark S. Hoebee, Paper Mill's Acting Artistic Director since March of 2007 has been promoted to Artistic Director effective immediately.

Birdland has announced its September line-up

Peter Sachon once again brings his ambitious solo project to the intimate setting of the Lenoard Nimoy Thalia.

Northwestern University has announced that award- winning Broadway director Michael Greif has replaced Oskar Eustis as the director of the American Music Theatre Project's (AMTP) fourth new musical, The Boy in the Bubble.