Leigh Silverman News

New York Stage and Film held its 40th Anniversary Gala, commemorating 40 years of developing new works and a reunion of acclaimed artists at SAF. The event honored Board Member Douglas Harmon and Founding Board Member Jane Harmon for their contributions to New York Stage and Film and the American Theater. Check out photos here.

This week’s stories highlight a theater landscape in motion, with notable leadership shifts, community celebrations, and major institutional changes shaping the field. Helen Shaw’s appointment as Chief Theater Critic at The New York Times marks a significant moment in arts journalism, while audiences worldwide engage with the newly opened voting for the 2025 BroadwayWorld Regional Awards. Onstage, Broadway prepares for star-studded fundraising at Red Bucket Follies, and regional companies navigate both exciting transitions and unexpected setbacks. Internationally, major UK institutions confront financial challenges and ambitious renovations, reflecting a moment of both reckoning and renewal across the global arts community.

Survival Jobs just shared Episode 144 featuring the brilliant playwright and performer Ethan Lipton. In this heartfelt and engaging conversation, hosts Jason A. Coombs and Samantha Tuozzolo  sit down with Ethan to talk about his new play The Seat of Our Pants, now running at The Public Theater. Watch in this video.

This week, we look at the record-setting viewership of the 2025 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and renewed efforts in New York and abroad to redefine cultural priorities. Across Broadway, we probe shifting economic pressures on creatives through a new interview with Andrew Lloyd Webber. Meanwhile, with the announcement of a new arts and culture transition committee by Zohran Mamdani, incoming leadership may reimagine the city’s cultural agenda. On a regional level, we follow the pioneering costume exhibition by Cleo Parker Robinson Dance at Denver International Airport — a celebration of decades of creative work — and internationally, we cover a new report revealing post-pandemic shifts across UK theatres, as well as the opening night of Paddington: The Musical in London’s West End.

A new video has been released featuring Micaela Diamond performing “Ordinary Girl” from The Seat of Our Pants, the world premiere musical adaptation of Thornton Wilder’s The Skin of Our Teeth.

If you don’t already know them, you’ll likely want to look up the names of Alice Paul, Carrie Chapman Catt, Ida B. Wells and Ruza Wenclawska…after you’re done applauding until your palms are raw, that is.

From award-winning Broadway marketing campaigns and fresh digital viewing options for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade to updates on tax credits and Tony eligibility, the industry continues to adapt on multiple fronts. Regional and national stories examine how institutions are navigating political scrutiny and how artists across the country are sustaining their work amid financial pressures. Internationally, major regulatory changes in the U.K. signal further shifts in how audiences access live performance.

THE 24 HOUR PLAYS has revealed additional artists for The 24 Hour Plays 25th Annual Gala, which will be held at The Space at Irondale.

The first national tour of SUFFS, the acclaimed Tony Award-winning musical about the passionate American women who fought tirelessly for the right to vote, will arrive in Baltimore as part of the 2025-26 Broadway Season.

SUFFS, the acclaimed Tony Award-winning musical about the passionate American women who fought tirelessly for the right to vote will begin performances in Los Angeles at the Hollywood Pantages.

Stage Directors and Choreographers Society has elected Michael John Garcés as Executive Board President at its Annual Membership Meeting.

Rise and shine, BroadwayWorld! It is November 18, 2025 and it's time to catch up on all of the theatrical happenings you may have missed in the last 24 hours.

Poudre High School Theatre demonstrates how Stage Mag can be used by organizations of all shapes and sizes to build a fully interactive show program. In New York, the Performing Arts Library prepares a major Martha Graham exhibition, and Leigh Silverman steps into her new role as President of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation. Regionally, IN Series appoints its first Executive Director and Dallas restores funding to Dallas Black Dance Theatre. Abroad, the National Youth Theatre expands its Assemble programme with a significant new grant.

Tony, Emmy & SAG Award winning actor Sean Hayes will return to the New York stage in THE UNKNOWN, a new one-man play by playwright David Cale, directed by Tony Award nominee Leigh Silverman. 

The Public Theater just celebrated opening night for the world premiere of THE SEAT OF OUR PANTS, featuring a cast led by Ruthie Ann Miles, Micaela Diamond, Amina Faye, Damon Daunno, Shuler Hensley, and Andy Grotelueschen. Check out photos from the big night here.

The world premiere of the new musicalTHE SEAT OF OUR PANTS opens tonight at The Public Theater, featuring a cast led by Ruthie Ann Miles, Micaela Diamond, Amina Faye, Damon Daunno, Shuler Hensley, and Andy Grotelueschen. Read the reviews!

The Public Theater has released first-look production photos for the world premiere of THE SEAT OF OUR PANTS, featuring a cast led by Ruthie Ann Miles, Micaela Diamond, Amina Faye, Damon Daunno, Shuler Hensley, and Andy Grotelueschen.

Leigh Silverman has been elected President of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation. Silverman joins Ellenore Scott, Sharon Ott, and a slate of distinguished trustees in shaping SDCF’s next era as the organization approaches its 60th anniversary.

The impassioned SUFFS, currently playing at the Eccles Theater in Salt Lake City, is another unmissable national tour, combining true historical drama with deep relationship building and classical musical theatre with a contemporary pop sensibility.

No doubt there are a lot of Broadway World readers interested in hearing about life on the road as an ensemble member while understudying two roles, wondering what it takes to be prepared at a moment’s notice to step into a role for which you may not have had a lot of rehearsal. I spoke with Jenna Lea Rosen about her experience on tour with SUFFS.