Lincoln Center Theater News

The producers of Garden of Earthly Delights have announced that the show has extended its run through Sunday, March 1 at the Minetta Lane Theatre (18 Minetta Lane).

Astoria Performing Arts Center is pleased to announce the production of RAGTIME, a musical directed by APAC's very own Artistic Director, Tom Wojtunik. Ragtime will play a 3-week limited engagement at the Good Shepherd United Methodist Church (30-44 Crescent St, Astoria, NY 11102). Performances begin Thursday, February 5th and continue through Sunday, February 22nd.

Visionary director Martha Clarke brings Hieronymus Bosch's provocative painting to life in Garden of Earthly Delights, exploring heaven, hell, and the beauty and sins amid, began performances Saturday, November 8 at Off-Broadway's Minetta Lane Theatre, 18 Minetta Lane.

New York's premier play festival, the Summer Play Festival (SPF), is partnering with London's Donmar Warehouse for the fifth year in a row to create an international playwriting program for emerging writers. The Donmar Warehouse / SPF Residency Program brings together professional theatre makers from the highly acclaimed Donmar to work with selected SPF playwrights in a focused collaboration of classroom experiments, workshops, and rehearsals, culminating in a full reading of their play. The writers will spend up to three weeks in London becoming immersed in the local theatre scene, and exchanging ideas and techniques with professional artists. The Donmar staff will guide and support the writers throughout their time in London, offering them a unique insight into the dynamics and complexities of the British theatre industry.

Additional casting has been announced for the Donmar Warehouse production of MARY STUART, Friedrich Schiller's classic play in a new version by Peter Oswald, which opens April 19, 2009 at the Broadhurst Theatre (235 West 44th Street). The production, starring its acclaimed original London leads Janet McTeer and Harriet Walter and directed by Phyllida Lloyd, begins previews on March 30, 2009 for a limited run of 20 weeks only.

Bass-Baritone David Pittsinger has assumed the role of Emile de Becque in Lincoln Center Theater's Tony Award winning production of Rodgers & Hammerstein's SOUTH PACIFIC, at the Vivian Beaumont Theater for a limited time. He has stepped in for the production's current Emile de Becque, Tony Winning baritone Paulo Szot, who had to leave the musical to honor two previously scheduled opera commitments.

Primary Stages (Casey Childs, Executive Producer; Andrew Leynse, Artistic Director; Elliot Fox, Managing Director) is happy to welcome the newest addition to their staff: Director of Development, Jessica Sadowski Comas, who brings seven years of arts fundraising experience. Ms. Comas worked in individual giving and special events management at Florida State University and the now closed Coconut Grove Playhouse. Most recently, she was Manager, Institutional Giving at Manhattan Theatre Club, where she oversaw corporate fundraising and the sales campaign for their Spring Gala. Jessica holds an MFA in Theatre Management from FSU and BA in Arts Administration from the University of Alabama (UA).

Roundabout Theatre Company (Todd Haimes, Artistic Director) is proud to announce the full cast for the upcoming New York premiere of Distracted, by Lisa Loomer, directed by Mark Brokaw. Distracted will begin previews on Saturday, February 7th and open officially on Wednesday, March 4th, 2009 at the Laura Pels Theatre in the Harold and Miriam Steinberg Center for Theatre (111 West 46th Street).

Berkeley Repertory Theatre greets the new year by proudly presenting its 50th world premiere, a new comedy about marriage, intimacy, and electricity from the creators of Eurydice. Celebrated playwright Sarah Ruhl and Obie Award-winning director Les Waters come together again for the debut of In the Next Room (or the vibrator play). Commissioned by Berkeley Rep and staged in the state-of-the-art Roda Theatre, this hotly anticipated play begins previews on January 30, opens February 4, and closes March 15. BART and Wells Fargo serve as season sponsors for Berkeley Rep's 41st year of fearless theatre, and the executive producer for this show is the Strauch Kulhanjian Family.

Variety is reporting that FOX has picked up 13 episodes of the hourlong comedy from 'Nip/Tuck' creator Ryan Murphy. Fox hopes to schedule the show -- which is set in the world of high school glee clubs -- as soon as this spring, in order to take advantage of the 'American Idol' lead in reports the entertainment publication.

One of the most eagerly awaited musicals of the season - Shrek The Musical - opened up on Sunday, December 14th and BroadwayWorld and Broadway Beat were at Opening Night to capture all the excitement!

Julie Taymor's hit production of Mozart's The Magic Flute returns to the Met as this season's special holiday presentation beginning December 22. The abridged, English-language version is specially priced to appeal to families and will have four matinees and one holiday evening performance, running through January 1.

Puccini's most popular work returns to the Metropolitan Opera on Monday, December 15, at 8:00 p.m. in the visually stunning classic production by Franco Zeffirelli. Fr?d?ric Chaslin conducts the performances which run through Saturday, January 10, 2008 and feature Mexican tenor Ram?n Vargas and Latvian soprano Maija Kovalevska as Puccini's star-crossed lovers, Rodolfo and Mim?. Fellow Bohemians in the cast are portrayed by Susanna Phillips as Musetta in her Met debut, Mariusz Kwiecien as the painter Marcello, Tommi Hakala as the musician Schaunard, and Oren Gradus as the philosopher Colline. Paul Plishka sings both Benoit and Alcindoro. Massimo Giordano sings Rodolfo in the final two performances.

Daniel Barenboim Makes his Met Debut conducting Tristan and Isolde on November 28 Katarina Dalayman and Peter Seiffert sing the title roles for the first time at the Met, and René Pape reprises his acclaimed portrayal of King Marke

The Mill premieres Ken Urban's The Private Lives of Eskimos (or 16 words for snow.) Eskimos opens Sunday January 11, 2009 at 8pm at Stage Left Theatre, 3408 N. Sheffield Ave. in Chicago.

American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.) continues its 2008-09 season Koret Visiting Artist Series with a conversation with leading American playwright John Guare, author of Six Degrees of Separation, The House of Blue Leaves and A.C.T.'s upcoming Rich & Famous. Guare will talk about four decades in the American theater and his new version of Rich and Famous that includes significant rewrites in preparation for the show's first revival since 1976. A.C.T. Dramaturg and Director of Humanities Michael Paller moderates. The conversation will be followed by a Q&A session with the audience. The event is free and open to the public and takes place on the A.C.T. stage on Saturday, December 13, 2009, at 10 a.m. Reservations are required and can be made by visiting www.act-sf.org/koret or by calling 415.749.2ACT.

Five theater artists will be honored by the Henry Hewes Design Awards Committee during the presentation of its 44th Annual Awards at a Sardi's luncheon on Friday, December 12. Ninety-five theater artists were nominated for outstanding artistry in 62 productions presented during the 2007-2008 New York theater season.

Frances Hill, Founder/Artistic Director Lauren Schmiedel, Managing Director in association with Sara Katz presents Larson & Kleban Award Winning Composer JOE ICONIS' World Premiere of ReWrite; a musical comedy triple feature, directed by John Simpkins.

Playwrights Horizons (Tim Sanford, Artistic Director; Leslie Marcus, Managing Director) New York premiere of PRAYER FOR MY ENEMY, a new play by two-time Tony Award nominee, Pulitzer Prize finalist and two-time Obie Award winner Craig Lucas (Small Tragedy at Playwrights Horizons, The Light in the Piazza, Prelude to a Kiss, Reckless, The Dying Gaul) officially opens tonight Off-Broadway.

The Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization is thrilled to announce that the first complete recording of Rodgers & Hammerstein's ALLEGRO will be released by Sony Masterworks Broadway on February 3, 2009. The CD is produced by David Lai, Bruce Pomahac and Ted Chapin.