Larry Shue News

Sometimes when we vent, all we want is for someone to listen…and never repeat what we say. That is why people flock to Charlie, the titular character in Theatre Baton Rouge's production of Larry Shue's "THE FOREIGNER."

The Arvada Center has announced its 2017-18 season, a diverse line-up of plays and musicals. The three musical and four play season includes two regional premiere plays performed in repertory, as well as the return of one of the Arvada Center's most highly-requested musicals. The season also marks the second-year of the Black Box Repertory Theatre, a company of actors, who will perform three of the Black Box Theatre's four plays in repertory.

Right Angle Entertainment and A Rising Tide Theatrical Group have announced the all new national tour of GREATER TUNA. GREATER TUNA will play The Grand 1894 Opera House for a limited three-performance engagement on Saturday, April 8, 2017 at 3 and 8 pm; Sunday, April 9, 2017 at 3 pm.

Larry Shue's The Nerd brings with it a fairly healthy and reasonably impressive theater pedigree: more than 400 performances on Broadway, critical acclaim and audience adulation for its West End run (in fact, it was the most successful American play running there in 1986), scores of regional and community theater productions and it was the follow-up to his wonderfully funny and politically prescient The Foreigner. But like so many things that were popular during the 1980s - the "abdominizer," Cabbage Patch kids and friendship bracelets, Jelly shoes and Jordache jeans - time hasn't been so great to The Nerd and we're left wondering, incredulously and imploringly, "What the hell?"

Bucks County Playhouse's Executive Producer, Robyn Goodman, Producing Director Alexander Fraser and Producers Stephen Kocis and Josh Fiedler are pleased to announce the Playhouse's 2017 subscription season.

Artistic Director Kenny Leon and True Colors Theatre Company presents the Southeastern premiere of Exit Strategy written by Ike Holter and directed by John Dillon, running February 21 - March 19, 2017 at Fulton County's Southwest Arts Center's Performance Theater. 

Following a record-breaking 2016-17 season,Hillbarn Theatre, the Peninsula's premier theatre company, announced last night the eight ambitious productions that will comprise the lineup for its 2017-2018 season. Highlights include the Peninsula premiere of the unforgettable musical, THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME; Larry Shue's award-winning comedy, THE FOREIGNER; the hit thriller, THE WOMAN IN BLACK; everyone's favorite musical,ANNIE; the Tony Award-winning play, PETER AND THE STARCATCHER; the award-winning drama, THE ELEPHANT MAN; the national premiere of WHEN THAT I WAS…; and the raucous musical, THE FULL MONTY.  All performances will be held at Hillbarn Theatre, (1285 East Hillsdale Blvd. Foster City). Subscriptions ($210 - $336) are on sale now at hillbarntheatre.org or by calling 650.349.6411.

New American Folk Theatre is pleased to present the Midwest premiere of DEEP IN THE HEART OF TUNA, the newest installment of the comedic 'Tuna' series, which has entertained audiences across the U.S for over 25 years (Greater Tuna, "A Tuna Christmas, "Red, White and Tuna" and Tuna Does Vegas). Written by Ed Howard, Joe Sears and Jaston Williams and directed by Derek Van Barham, DEEP IN THE HEART OF TUNA will play February 4 - March 5, 2017 at the new Pride Arts Center (The Buena Theatre), 4147 N. Broadway in Chicago. Tickets go on-sale Friday, December 9, 2016 at newamericanfolktheatre.org or by calling (872) 588-5760. 

Nicholas Lyndhurst (Star Keeper) joins the previously announced Alfie Boe (Billy Bigelow) and Katherine Jenkins (Julie Jordan) in Rodgers and Hammerstein's Carousel, the third production in the partnership between The GradeLinnit Company and English National Opera (ENO).

New American Folk Theatre is pleased to present the Midwest premiere of DEEP IN THE HEART OF TUNA, the newest installment of the comedic 'Tuna' series, which has entertained audiences across the U.S for over 25 years (Greater Tuna, 'A Tuna Christmas, 'Red, White and Tuna' and Tuna Does Vegas). Written by Ed Howard, Joe Sears and Jaston Williams and directed by Derek Van Barham, DEEP IN THE HEART OF TUNA will play February 4 - March 5, 2017 at The Buena at Pride Arts Center, 4147 N. Broadway in Chicago. Tickets are currently available at newamericanfolktheatre.org or by calling (872) 588-5760.

New American Folk Theatre is pleased to present the Midwest premiere of DEEP IN THE HEART OF TUNA, the newest installment of the comedic 'Tuna' series, which has entertained audiences across the U.S for over 25 years (Greater Tuna, "A Tuna Christmas, "Red, White and Tuna" and Tuna Does Vegas). Written by Ed Howard, Joe Sears and Jaston Williams and directed by Derek Van Barham, DEEP IN THE HEART OF TUNA will play February 4 - March 5, 2017 at the new Pride Arts Center (The Buena Theatre), 4147 N. Broadway in Chicago. Tickets go on-sale Friday, December 9, 2016 at newamericanfolktheatre.org or by calling (872) 588-5760. 

Artistic Director Kenny Leon and True Colors Theatre Company presents the Southeastern premiere of Exit Strategy written by Ike Holter and directed by John Dillon, running February 21 - March 19, 2017 at Fulton County's Southwest Arts Center's Performance Theater. 

Written 30 plus years ago in 1985, the late Milwaukee playwright Larry Shue's award winning Foreigner first debuted at the Milwaukee Repertory Theater. After playing Broadway in the 80's, and reprised by numerous theaters across the country on an annual basis, Foreigner returns to the Quadracci Powerhous for the holiday season. Directed by the inimitable Laura Gordon who understands Shue's incomparable blend of humor, relevance and warm heartedness, could re-envision this scenario in a rural Georgia bed and breakfast inn. At the Georgia inn, a British Sergeant, Froggy, rescues his low spirited and shy friend Charlie for a weekend's stay Here Charlie meets the winsome inn owner, Betty, a conspiring reverend, David Marshall Lee, his fiance Catherine, her younger brother, Ellard, and a rapscallion homegrown Georgian, Owen. Throw in Catherine and Ellard's recent inheritance, and the invisible white empire on a starry night, and Shue created a hilarious farce, even when seen several times.

Audiences first became aware of Jaston Williams as half of the citizens of Tuna, Texas with the debut of Greater Tuna in 1982. The saga continued with A Tuna Christmas, Red, White and Tuna and Tuna Does Vegas. The plays have been performed on and off Broadway at the Kennedy Center, the Edinburgh International Arts Festival, the Spoleto Festival U.S.A. and all over America. He has received Washington DC's Helen Hayes Award nominations for A Tuna Christmas and Red, White and Tuna as well as the San Francisco Bay Area Critics Award for Greater Tuna. He also received the L.A. Dramalogue Award for both Greater Tuna and A Tuna Christmas. A Tuna Christmas was published in 'Best Plays of 1995.' For several years, Jaston toured in Larry Shue's The Foreigner, for which he received a Helen Hayes Award nomination for Best Actor. He performed in The Fantasticks at Washington DC's Ford's Theatre and directed the musical Bad Girls Upset By The Truth at Atlanta's Alliance Theatre. A recipient of the Texas Governors Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Arts by a Native Texan he performed at the White House on three occasions. His hometown of Austin, Texas has seen him perform at the State Theatre in Eugene Ionesco's The Chairs and at Zachary Scott Theatre in Jay Presson Allen's Tru, for which he received the Austin Critics Table Award for Best Actor in a drama. He has appeared at Zach Theatre in The Laramie Project and next month is joining their production of A Christmas Carol as Scrooge. His play, Romeo and Thorazine, work-shopped at Zach in November 2001. He work-shopped his autobiographical one-man show I'm Not Lying to critical acclaim at the State Theatre and returned it there for a full production in February of 2004 as well as a benefit performance at Washington DC's Kennedy Center. His autobiographical play Cowboy Noises premiered in Austin in February 2008 to critical acclaim. Broadway World recently sat down with Jaston for a Q & A session during the run of his latest play A WOLVERINE WALKS INTO A BAR.

The Williamston Theatre and the Lansing Art Gallery have been recognized for excellence with scores above 95 on their annual applications for grant funding from the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs (MCACA).

Mid-Michigan's award winning professional theatre company, Williamston Theatre, located at 122 S. Putnam Street in downtown Williamston, is collaborating with the MSU Department of Theatre on their upcoming production, The Nerd by Larry Shue.  Performances begin Thursday, November 17 and run through Sunday, December 18.  Tickets are now on sale.

Jaston Williams' hilarious new show A WOLVERINE WALKS INTO A BAR starring Jaston Williams and Lauren Lane opens Friday, November 11th Stateside at the Paramount (719 Congress Ave). For more information and to purchase tickets go to: http://tickets.austintheatre.org.

The Off Broadway Palm Theatre presents The Nerd playing now through November 12, 2016. The Nerd is a hilarious comedy written by American actor/playwright Larry Shue. It was the highest grossing American play in London's West End in 1986 and played on Broadway in the late 1990s.  

The Annie Russell Theatre, the longest running theatre in Central Florida, announces their 84th season!

For most shows by closing, I'm sitting at the soundboard, tired of hearing the dialogue: I'm memorizing the beats in the actors voices, tracing out lines on my palms, you name it. Running a show for two weeks will end up with me either hanging on the edge of my seat out of love and adoration, or out of dying, death, and despair. The Foreigner by Larry Shue, however, is my favorite show. I never get tired of watching it, of running it, of listening to the dialogue while I'm sitting by the board. When done well, the show is hilarious, sweet, tear-jerking at times (maybe I'm emotional), and just plain enjoyable. I am typically fonder of straight plays for sound design (although I do love mixing a live orchestra with actors) because of the incredible liberties I can take. Of course, most straight plays are realistic, so there's not a ton of magical orb sounds or dragon's roars, but I do have a recording of Sowing In The Morning played on the Harmonica for The Foreigner, as well as car horns, 40 minutes of rain, and an explosion. And maybe it's me, but I love these effects.