Larry Gelbart News

Bay Street Theatre begins the 2013 Mainstage Season with Lend Me a Tenor (May 28 - June 23). This hilarious Ken Ludwig comedy, under the direction of Don Stephenson, includes Judy Blazer, Scott Cote, Betsy DiLellio, Donna English, Nancy Johnston, Noah Plomgren, Steve Rosen and Roland Rusinek as its hilarious cast.

Panic! Productions closes its second season with the musical comedy A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, June 1 through 16, at the Hillcrest Center for the Arts in Thousand Oaks. The popular musical farce, with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart, is directed by Broadway veteran Joshua Finkel, with music direction by Diann Alexander and choreography by Mona King.

Fountain Hills Theater presents its 2013-14 seasons for its three venues, Mainstage, Mainstage Too and Youth Theater.

Bay Street Theatre begins the 2013 Mainstage Season with Lend Me a Tenor (May 28 - June 23). This hilarious Ken Ludwig comedy started rehearsals this week in New York City under the direction of Don Stephenson. The cast includes Judy Blazer, Scott Cote, Betsy DiLellio, Donna English, Nancy Johnston, Noah Plomgren, Steve Rosen and Roland Rusinek. Ticket prices are $59.50 and $69.50. For more information call the Box Office at 631-725-9500 or buy online at www.baystreet.org.

Today in 1962, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum opened at the Alvin Theatre (now the Neil Simon Theatre), where it ran for 964 performances. A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart. Inspired by the farces of the ancient Roman playwright Plautus, specifically Pseudolus, Miles Gloriosus and Mostellaria, the musical tells the bawdy story of a slave named Pseudolus and his attempts to win his freedom by helping his young master woo the girl next door. The musical's original 1963 Broadway run won several Tony Awards, including Best Musical and Best Book. A Funny Thing has enjoyed several Broadway and West End revivals and was made into a successful film starring the original lead of the musical, Zero Mostel.

North Coast Repertory Theatre presents THE ODD COUPLE by Neil Simon, directed by Andrew Barnicle. The show runs now through May 12, 2013, after a one-week extension!

Connecticut Repertory Theatre (CRT) will present three great musicals in its 2013 Nutmeg Summer Series, June 6 - July 21 in the Harriet S. Jorgensen Theatre, Storrs. For tickets and information, call 860-486-2113 or visit www.crt.uconn.edu. All performances will be in the Harriet S. Jorgensen Theatre, Storrs.

North Coast Repertory Theatre presents THE ODD COUPLE by Neil Simon, directed by Andrew Barnicle. The show will run in previews tonight, April 10 - 12, 2013 and continues April 13 - May 5, 2013.

It is always intriguing to see what Greed does to people. It is even more intriguing when it is hilariously made fun of. Sly Fox, presented by the BroadHollow Theatre Company, will have you rolling in the isles as a con-man (and his assistant) convince the community that he is near death and turns their greed against them for his own gain, with some twists along the way.

North Coast Repertory Theatre presents THE ODD COUPLE by Neil Simon, directed by Andrew Barnicle. The show will run in previews April 10 - 12, 2013 and continues April 13 - May 5, 2013.

The Bergen County Players (BCP) in Oradell continues to celebrate its 80th season with a production of 'Better Late,' a comedy by Larry Gelbart and directed by Jerry Pettinati of Fair Lawn. Gelbart's final play will make its debut in New Jersey at the Little Firehouse Theatre on Kinderkamack Road in Oradell from March 23 to April 20. Shows will be on Friday and Saturday nights at 8pm and Sundays at 2pm. Tickets can be purchased online at www.bcplayers.org, by calling 201-261-4200 or by visiting the box office at 298 Kinderkamack Road, Oradell during regular box office hours.

Spreckels Theatre Company presents 'A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum', featuring Music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and Book by Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart.

It's a brand new year at Bay Street Theatre and a brand new 22nd season has just been announced! Three hilarious shows have been chosen for this year's Mainstage Season. The shows are LEND ME A TENOR, by Ken Ludwig; directed by Don Stephenson (May 28 - June 23), THE MYSTERY OF IRMA VEP by Charles Ludlum; directed by Kenneth Elliott (July 2 - 28) and A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM, directed by Marcia Milgrom Dodge; book by Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim.

Stephen Sondheim's hilarious musical A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM opens at the Manatee Players on February 21 and runs through March 17! This will be the last show at the Riverfront Theater before the opening of the new Manatee Performing Arts Center in March.

Scarecrow Press announces the release of Blood on the Stage, 1975-2000: Milestone Plays of Crime, Mystery, and Detection by Amnon Kabatchnik. Blood on the Stage, 1975-2000 (Hardcover, 608 pages, ISBN: 978-0-8108-8354-3, $125.00) is now available wherever fine books are sold. Blood on the Stage is also available in an eBook edition.

Spreckels Theatre Company presents 'A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum', featuring Music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and Book by Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart.

Today in 1989, City of Angels opened at the Virginia Theatre (now the August Wilson Theatre), where it ran for 879 performances. City of Angels is a musical comedy with music by Cy Coleman, lyrics by David Zippel, and book by Larry Gelbart. The musical weaves together two plots, the 'real' world of a writer trying to turn his book into a screenplay, and the 'reel' world of the fictional film. The musical is an homage to the film noir genre of motion pictures that rose to prominence in the 1940s. It was directed by Michael Blakemore with sets designed by Robin Wagner and costumes by Florence Klotz.

The Actors Fund presents a very special Musical Monday, an evening with five grand ladies of musical theatre in LADIES OF AN INDETERMINATE AGE tonight, December 10, 2012. Anne Jeffreys, Jane Kean, Pat Marshall, Patricia Morison and Charlotte Rae - join together on the same stage to sing songs from their careers, talk about their co-stars, directors and composers and stray into their wicked (or not-so-wicked) adventures in the great tradition of "No Business Like Show Business."

TheatreZone Artistic director Mark Danni previously announced his cast selection for the Tony award winning production of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.