Mamie Gummer News

Manhattan Theatre Club's world premiere production of THE COLUMNIST by Tony and Pulitzer Prize winner David Auburn, directed by Tony Award winner Daniel Sullivan currently opened last night, April 25, at MTC's Samuel J. Friedman Theatre. The production, which recently announced an extension, is scheduled to run though June 24, 2012. Below, BroadwayWorld brings you photo coverage from the opening night pre-show and post-show red carpets below!

Renowned investigative theatre company The Civilians celebrates its 2011-2012 season with the presentation of its first ever Civilian of the Year Award. The Civilians will honor Robert Hammond, co-founder of The High Line, at its 2012 Benefit tonight, April 23rd, at the Highline Ballroom. Hammond will be feted by the company's Associate Artists as well as additional stage and screen stars in a one-night-only performance of interviews and songs by Michael J. Friedman (Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson) about Hammond and the creation of The High Line, put together in The Civilians' signature investigative style. Interviewees for this unique performance include Amanda Burden (Director of the Department of City Planning), Florent Morellet (Restaurant Owner), and Bronson Van Wyck (Event Planner).

Renowned investigative theatre company The Civilians celebrates its 2011-2012 season with the presentation of its first ever Civilian of the Year Award. The Civilians will honor Robert Hammond, co-founder of The High Line, at its 2012 Benefit on April 23rd at the Highline Ballroom Hammond will be feted by the company's Associate Artists as well as additional stage and screen stars in a one-night-only performance of interviews and songs by Michael J. Friedman (Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson) about Hammond and the creation of The High Line put together in The Civilians' signature investigative style. Interviewees for this unique performance include Amanda Burden (Director of the Department of City Planning), Florent Morellet (Restaurant Owner), and Bronson van Wyck (Event Planner).

PETER AND THE STARCATCHER opened last night, April 15th and BroadwayWorld.com was there to capture the star filled red carpet on their way in to see the show. Get out your 'Stache' and scroll on down!

On Sunday, April 15, at 4 pm, The New Group presents this season's final presentation in Dark Nights at The New Group - Reflecting Rabe: Readings from David Rabe's Work. This event features readings of excerpts from David Rabe's acclaimed writing, from plays to fiction. Special guests, including Bobby Cannavale, Judith Ivey and Matthew Modine, will read selections and reflect on Rabe's singular career. Discussion with David Rabe and guests will follow.

On Sunday, April 15 at 4:00pm, The New Group will present this season's final presentation in Dark Nights at The New Group - Reflecting Rabe: Readings from David Rabe's Work. This event features readings of excerpts from David Rabe's acclaimed writing, from plays to fiction.

Viewers nationwide can now sample the series premieres of the hit SHOWTIME returning series THE BORGIAS, NURSE JACKIE and THE BIG C, two weeks before they premiere on the network.

Sporadically shedding its former skin as a mainly musical endeavor, last night's "The Coup" episode of NBC's musical dramedy series SMASH stepped outside the box and presented a drama-focused show heavy on the plot and light on the musical numbers - with surprisingly strong results, believe it or not. As has become abundantly apparent, in the seven episodes up until this point, SMASH seems to have excelled in its musical sequences which floated high, flying, adored (like Eva Peron in EVITA) above everything else; enlivening the proceedings where the story fell short - usually, with Ivy (Megan Hilty) dominating the Marilyn Monroe show-within-the-show songs and Karen (Katharine McPhee) making the very most of an impressive melange of pop covers - but, as penned by Scott Burkhardt and directed by GLEE veteran Paris Barclay, "The Coup" showed that SMASH has legs and can sustain a character/plot-focused story from time to time, too. And, anyway, it's hard to complain too much about a lack of songs when we were presented with perhaps the most unique and stylized pop musical number to date in the form of the Top 40-ready Ryan Tedder-written potential Marilyn burlesque routine - that is, if Derek (Jack Davenport) takes the show-within-the-show in an entirely new direction and leaves Tom (Christian Borle) and Julia (Debra Messing) by the wayside. That potential prospect seems highly unlikely, though - to say the very, very least. Speaking of high, "The Coup" flew the coop as far as daring to do what many may have thought unlikely or impossible - namely, weaving in almost seamless, fully-integrated musical sequences such as Ivy & company's down and dirty bowling alley cover song set to the funky 60s sounds of Sly & The Family Stone's "Dance To The Music", or, (almost) effortlessly managing to make a contemporary song in a musical theatre milieu actually function (more or less) and come alive in the form of the sexy and titillating 'Touch Me'. Yes, "The Coup" stylistically diverged from what has come before on SMASH, but the more risks taken, the more rewards reaped. Definitely don't count all the eggs in the SMASH basket before they're hatched!

Viewers nationwide can now sample the series premieres of the hit SHOWTIME returning series THE BORGIAS, Nurse Jackie and THE BIG C, two weeks before they premiere on the network. The premiere episodes can be accessed on the SHOWTIME website www.sho.com/preview, on YouTube www.youtube.com/SHOWTIME, and via select television providers' free On Demand channels and websites, reaching over 40 million digital households across 26 distributors. The series premieres are also available on Showtime ANYTIME®, Showtime apps on iPhone®, iPod Touch®, Android smartphones and tablets, and Nook® tablets, as well as the Showtime Social app for iPad®, on connected TV platforms, major web portals, and for download as a free video podcast on iTunes. The fourth season premiere of NURSE JACKIE airs on Sunday, April 8 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME, followed by the third season premiere of THE BIG C at 9:30 p.m. ET/PT, and the second season premiere of THE BORGIAS at 10 p.m. ET/PT. The first three episodes of all three series will be made available on SHOWTIME ON DEMAND® and Showtime ANYTIME the day after their series premieres.

Hamish Linklater, currently appearing in SEMINAR on Broadway, and Tony Award nominee Brian d'Arcy James (Smash) have signed on for the third season, which will premiere on Sunday, April 8th at 9:30 PM ET/PT on SHOWTIME.

According to TVLine.com, Mamie Gummer will star in the upcoming CW medical pilot FIRST CUT. The actress joins previously announced cast member Justin Hartley.

The Public Theater hosted the Public Sings! benefit last night, March 6. The evening featured Tituss Burgess, John Ellison Conlee, Lili Cooper, Matt Doyle, Renee Elise Goldsberry, Greg Hildreth, Eli James, Celia Keenan-Bolger, Justin Levine, Norm Lewis, Betsy Morgan, Jessica Phillips, Bobby Steggert, and Katie Thompson and more at Joe's Pub. BroadwayWorld was there and brings you photo coverage below!

Roundabout Theatre Company (Todd Haimes, Artistic Director) will present its annual 2012 Spring Gala honoring Academy Award, Tony, Emmy and Golden Globe nominee Rob Marshall.

Next up in its continuing series Dark Nights, The New Group presents Re-imagining Baal today at 4:00pm.

Next up in its continuing series Dark Nights, The New Group presents Re-imagining Baal on Sunday, February 5 at 4:00pm. Reservations required at seats@thenewgroup.org (space is limited). Suggested donation: $20.

Last night, January 12, The Gershwin's Porgy and Bess starring Audra McDonald, Norm Lewis and David Alan Grier, opened at the Richard Rodger's Theatre on Broadway. Check out the starry theatre arrivals below!

On Monday January 9, Red Bull Theatre will hold a staged reading of PIRANDELLO'S HENRY IV, a new version of the classic play written by Tom Stoppard. Jack Obrien will direct the reading, which will feature the talents of: Richard Easton, Jennifer Ehle, John Elison Conlee, Victor Garber, Darren Goldstein, Mamie Gummer, Aaron Krohn, Patrick Page, Daniel Stewart Sherman, Benjamin Walker, and Paxton Whitehead. DANIEL STEWART SHERMAN

Lifetime has green lit the two-hour original movie-backdoor pilot Sworn to Silence, starring Neve Campbell (Scream, Party of Five), it was announced today by Nancy Dubuc, President and General Manager of Lifetime Networks.

Last night, The John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts honored its 2011 recipients of their prestigious prize. The 2011 honorees include Barbara Cook, Neil Diamond, Yo-Yo Ma, Sonny Rollins & Meryl Streep. The gala will be broadcast on CBS on December 27, 2011 at 9:00-11:00 p.m., ET/PT. Below, BroadwayWorld brings you Red Carpet coverage of the distinguished guests, including Broadway favorites Audra McDonald, Will Swenson, Laura Osnes, Patti LuPone and more!

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts this year honors singer Barbara Cook, singer and songwriter Neil Diamond, cellist Yo-Yo Ma, saxophonist and composer Sonny Rollins, and actress Meryl Streep as their 2011 honorees. The special broadcast of the gala will air on December 27 on CBS. BroadwayWorld is excited to present special photos and coverage of Broadway's own Barbara Cook and more... Here is what President Obama had to say.