Lynn Ahrens News

The Theatre Hall of Fame announced today its 2017 class of eight inductees, led by Audra McDonald and including (in alphabetical order) Matthew Broderick, Oskar Eustis, Tina Howe, Arthur Kopit, Marin Mazzie, Daryl Roth and Ernie Schier.

The ultimate Broadway treasure hunt is only three weeks away, and you can get a jump start now on finding unique theatrical collectables and extraordinary experiences. Pre-bidding opens today on dozens of auction items available at the 31st Annual Broadway Flea Market & Grand Auction.

The York Theatre Company (James Morgan, Producing Artistic Director; Evans Haile, Executive Director), dedicated to the development of new musicals and preserving musical gems from the past, will honor legendary musical theatre writing team Harvey Schmidt and Tom Jones.

Trinity Rep announces a special addition to this year's 40th anniversary production of A Christmas Carol. As part of its ongoing efforts to forge deeper connections with The Rhode Island community, Trinity Rep has invited 18 different community groups to perform in every public performance of this year's production.Celebrating the community-driven spirit of Southern New England's favorite holiday tradition, co-directors Angela Brazil and Stephen Thorne are excited to invite these groups on stage to share in the spotlight. Each community group will perform in three consecutive performances throughout the course of the run of the show.  A Christmas Carol will run November 9 - December 31, 2017, with acting company member Joe Wilson, Jr. in the role of miserly businessman Ebenezer Scrooge. More information is available online at TrinityRep.com/Carol.

Previews begin tonight, September 6, at 8PM for the Playwrights Horizons world premiere production of The Treasurer, a new play by Max Posner (Judy) and directed by three-time Lortel Award winner David Cromer (The Band's Visit, Our Town, Adding Machine). Commissioned by Playwrights Horizons, the play is the second production of the theater company's 2017/2018 Season.

It's only just out of reach... the Fall theatre season, that is. The 2017 Tony Awards are in the history books, so now it's time to look ahead at the new Broadway season... and fear not- it's a doozy already. With new musicals and plays about to descend on Broadway and amazing revivals of classic plays and musicals ready to entrance a new audience, BroadwayWorld has rounded up everything arriving before the end of the year.

Single tickets are on sale today for the 2018 season of Lyrics & Lyricists, the country's preeminent American Songbook series.

The best of Broadway dressed to impress yesterday as six-time Tony-winning costume designer William Ivey Long got his very own caricature at the legendary Sardi's. Long was joined by many of his friends for the special occasion and BroadwayWorld was on hand for the big day!

Primary Stages announced today that the Primary Stages 2017 Gala will take place on Monday, October 16, 2017 at 6:30 pm. The event, which will be held at Tribeca 360º (10 Desbrosses Street), will honor Lynn Ahrens & Stephen Flaherty, the Tony-winning songwriting team of Ragtime, Once on This Island, and Anastasia (Artistic Honorees); Janet B. Rosen and Marvin Rosen, producers of In Transit on Broadway (Producer Honorees); and Jose Mendez and Katie Graziano of The Excel Group and MIC Floor Covering, LLC (Corporate Honorees).

Trinity Rep kick starts its 54th season with the pairing of two dynamic American plays in rep: Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman directed by Brian McEleney and Dominique Morisseau's Skeleton Crew directed by Tiffany Nichole Greene.

After a smash run last fall, Playwrights Horizons will present MILES FOR MARY, a new play by The Mad Ones. Directed by Lila Neugebauer, MILES FOR MARY received critical acclaim during its fall 2016 run at The Bushwick Starr.

Playwrights Horizons begins accepting entries today, Friday, August 25, for the LIVE for FIVE online lottery for $5 tickets to the world premiere of The Treasurer, a new play by Max Posner (Judy) and directed by three-time Lortel Award winner David Cromer (The Band's Visit, Our Town, Adding Machine).

Asolo Rep's highly anticipated 2017-18 season 'Staging Our World' kicks off in November with Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber's Tony Award-winning musical masterpiece EVITA.

As BroadwayWorld sadly reported yesterday, Thomas Meehan, who is best known for his books of such classics as Annie, The Producers and Hairspray, has passed away at 88 years old.

Trinity Rep has announced that it has received a generous multi-year donation from Arthur P. Solomon and Sally E. Lapides to support its company, community, and education-focused mission. In celebration of this commitment, Trinity Rep's artistic director position, held by Curt Columbus, will be named 'The Arthur P. Solomon and Sally E. Lapides Artistic Director' through June 2022.

The Sol Project, the new theater initiative dedicated to producing the work of Latinx playwrights, has announced the New York premiere of OEDIPUS EL REY by MacArthur Fellow Luis Alfaro, directed by longtime collaborator Chay Yew, the OBIE award-winning director.

Producers Stage Entertainment, Bill Taylor (Sister Act, Rocky), Tom Kirdahy (It's Only A Play, The Visit) and Hunter Arnold (Kinky Boots, Spring Awakening) today announce a new block of tickets for Broadway's ANASTASIA through July 29, 2018.

Stephen Flaherty's catchy and powerful melodies and Lynn Ahren's poignant lyrics 'It was the music of something beginning, an era exploding, a century spinning. In riches and rags, and in rhythm and rhyme. The people called it Ragtime.' can be heard at Maine's very own Ogunquit Playhouse running now until August 26th. I was lucky enough to sit down and chat with ensemble member Megan Lione to talk about how the story of Ragtime is more important than ever, as it is a piece of theatre that discusses diversity, inclusion, and love. Lione says 'The cast is incredible, all ages and backgrounds. It's really amazing.'

Hartford Stage will present Our Great Tchaikovsky, a celebration of the famed Russian composer, written and performed by internationally-acclaimed pianist, actor and playwright Hershey Felder, for a limited one-week engagement - August 19 through 27.

This week, producers Ken Davenport and Hunter Arnold announced that Hailey Kilgore has been cast as Ti Moune in the new Broadway production of Once On This Island following an extensive international search by the show's casting team.