In the wake of the Charlie Hebdo massacre in Paris, the political controversy surrounding the release of The Interview, and continued suppression of plays, books, and art in American schools, libraries and museums, the battle for freedom of speech and expression is more essential than ever. Planet Connections Theatre Festivity will present an evening of world premiere plays by Erik Ehn, Halley Feiffer, Israel Horovitz and Neil LaBute addressing censorship in the arts in Playwrights for a Cause, to be held at 7:30pm on June 14, 2015 at the Sheen Center, located at 18 Bleecker Street.
The Segal Centre will close its blockbuster 2014-2015 Theatre Season with The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz: The Musical, a world premiere musical adaptation of Mordecai Richler's novel and the feature film by the same name, from June 7-28, 2015. This new production boasts an original musical score by Alan Menken, the legendary Oscar and Tony winning composer of Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin, with book and lyrics by acclaimed lyricist-librettist David Spencer and direction by American theatre veteran Austin Pendleton. Presented with the generous support of RBC and Muse Entertainment.
The Muny announced today its complete cast for Stephen Sondheim (music and lyrics) and James Lapine's (book) Into The Woods, playing July 21-27. The production will be directed by Gary Griffin, choreographed by Chris Bailey and music directed by Brad Haak.
RICKI AND THE FLASH, starring Meryl Streep, Rick Springsteen, Kevin Kline, Broadway's Ben Platt and Sebastian Stan, just unveiled its first official trailer. Click below to watch Streep and company rock out!
Good morning, BroadwayWorld! Because we know all our readers eat, sleep and breathe Broadway, what could be better than waking up to it? Today's big news: FISH IN THE DARK welcomes back a star, we find out this year's Theatre World Award winners, and THE AUDIENCE returns to the West End!
Lapham's Quarterly (Editor and Publisher Lewis Lapham) announced today their annual gala, the DECADES BALL: The 1780s, will take place on Monday, June 1 at Gotham Hall (1356 Broadway). The gala will begin with cocktails at 6 p.m. and dinner at 7 p.m. The evening will also celebrate the 80th birthday of Lewis Lapham, who established the acclaimed literary magazine in 2007.
BroadwayWorld.com continues our exclusive content series, in collaboration with The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, which delves into the library's unparalleled archives, and resources. Below, check out a piece by Barbara Cohen-Stratyner, Ph. D., Judy R. and Alfred A. Rosenberg Curator of Exhibitions for The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts on Getting Ready for Shakespeare's 400th:
Acclaimed classical actor John Douglas Thompson will receive the Samuel H. Scripps Award for Extraordinary Commitment to Promoting the Power of Language In Classical and Contemporary Theatre at Theatre for a New Audience's Spring Gala Celebrating Shakespeare's Birthday. The celebration, Monday, May 11, is at Capitale, 130 Bowery on the Lower East Side.
Award winning Broadway director Steve Zuckerman and noted playwright, screen and television writer John Bunzel are tapped by The New American Theatre Artistic Director Jack Stehlin to offer Los Angeles a 'first look' at the new comedy 63 TRILLION, opening at the Odyssey Theatre tonight, April 25, 2015.
Colin Donnell and Patti Murin, who recently starred opposite each other in Encores! LADY, BE GOOD, will return to the stage in Irving Berlin's HOLIDAY INN at The Muny in St. Louis beginning July 6, just one week after they tie the knot!
Disney's live-action BEAUTY AND THE BEAST continues to add to its ranks! According to Variety, Stanley Tucci has joined the star-studded cast as 'Cadenza', a new character -- a grand piano described as 'a neurotic maestro.'
Award winning actor and writer Tim Realbuto (Ghostlight; 'The Sopranos') will present his newest play 'Yes' as part of the 12th Annual Emerging Artists Theatre New Work series. 'Yes' will perform on Tuesday, June 2nd at 7:00 PM at the TADA! Theatre, 15 West 28th Street. All tickets are $ 10.
Jason Shela, Mimi Stuart, Lance Laytner & Michelle Laytner are pleased to announce the formation of the Jewish Youth Theatre. The first production is a revival of the successful run of AND A CHILD SHALL LEAD, performing on April 16; Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day.
Today we are shining a spotlight on some rarely discussed and unusual connections between the world of William Shakespeare and theatrical pop culture at large. Given the wide breadth of material contained within the canon of the Bard, it is certainly no understatement to claim that the connections are virtually endless between many modern tropes, terms, themes and ideas that derive in his classic plays - whether they be tragedies, comedies, histories or latter plays - yet the intriguing aspects of many of the lesser-known theatrical connections between Shakespeare and modern theatre are illuminating and fascinating to unearth. Ranging from the influence of Shakespeare on some of our greatest musical theatre masters - Leonard Bernstein, Stephen Sondheim and William Finn included - through to the inspiration behind both Broadway's most lucrative production in history (THE LION KING) and the longest-running show in NYC to date (THE FANTASTICKS), the impact of Shakespeare on Broadway is impossible to accurately calculate - and, now, with the lovable and hilarious Shakespeare paean SOMETHING ROTTEN! poised to open later this month, the Bard is about to get a fresh jolt of electricity, buzz and excitement from the theatre community at large. Fear no more, indeed.
