Manhattan Theatre Club News

Soho Rep. today announced technology entrepreneur Victoria Meakin-a board member of seven years-as the organization's new Chair, and acclaimed poet, playwright, and MacArthur Fellow Claudia Rankine as a new board member. Meakin succeeds longtime Chair Jon Dembrow, who will now serve as Chair Emeritus.

Pasadena Playhouse Producing Artistic Director Danny Feldman has announced the on -sale of tickets for the Los Angeles premiere of Ann - written by and starring Holland Taylor and directed by Benjamin Endsley Klein from May 27 to June 28, 2020, and a new production of Irving Berlin's Annie Get Your Gun with book by Herbert and Dorothy Fields, directed by Sarna Lapine, from July 28-August 23, 2020.

FEINSTEIN'S/54 BELOW, Broadway's Supper Club, will present The 'Love is Love is Love' Cabaret on Wednesday, February 12th at 9:30pm. Join us in a celebration of pride and acceptance this Valentine's month at the 'Love is Love is Love' Cabaret. This evening will feature gender-bent musical theatre classics, and repertoire from queer theatre of the past century. This salute to the LGBTQ+ community will include a cast of queer Broadway favorites. Come bang your own drum, deal your own deck, loud and proud, at the 'Love is Love is Love' Cabaret at Feinstein's/54 Below! Produced by Meghan Gunther.

Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater announces four additional commissioned playwrights as a part of Power Plays, an ambitious initiative commissioning and developing 25 new plays and musicals from a diverse mix of writers, composers and lyricists over the course of 10 years. Playwrights Lauren Yee, Zack Zadek, Emily Feldman and Karen Zacarías join previously commissioned playwrights with projects underway, including Eduardo Machado, whose Power Play Celia and Fidel, a perceptive and authentic look at Fidel Castro's most trusted confidant and political partner, Celia Sánchez, enjoys its world premiere in Arena's Arlene and Robert Kogod Cradle, February 28 through April 12, 2020.

This Week's New Classified Listings on BroadwayWorld for 1/2/2020 include new jobs for those looking to work in the theatre industry.

To this very frequent theatre-goer, the most exciting and gratifying development on New York stages since 2010 has been the growing number of productions that, before hitting it big on Broadway, graced the stages of the city's non-profit Off-Broadway companies.

Buffalo Theatre Ensemble presents 'The Cake' by Bekah Brunstetter, directed by Steve Scott, Jan.30-March 1 in the Playhouse Theatre at the McAninch Arts Center, 425 Fawell Blvd. The LA Times calls the play 'funny and smart' and observes, 'The Cake' explores human conflict from an insightful, slightly offbeat perch with understanding, respect and compassion for opposing points of view.' There will be a preview performance 8 p.m. Thursday, Jan 30; press opening is 8 p.m., Friday, Jan. 31. Performances run through March 1.

The Drama League presents DirectorFest,  the only festival in the United States dedicated to the art of contemporary stage directing. Launching the 2020 series is the musical Hello Again, with Book, Music and Lyrics by Michael John LaChiusa, Music Direction by Jesse Kissel, and Directed by 2019 Drama League Leo Shull Musical Directing Fellow Ben Randle.

Award-winning singer and actor Steven Brinberg (Simply Barbra) to perform a show especially created for the elegant Streicker Center within The Temple Emanu-El (1 East 65th Street a?" off 5th Avenue) NYC on Tuesday, March 17th at 7:00 pm. With musical director Christopher Denny backing several other musicians, the show promises the best of SIMPLY BARBRA which has traveled the world since 1993. A special surprise guest star from Broadway will join 'Barbra' for a duet. This is the musical show - a?oeThe Entertainera?? in the a?oeHello Gorgeousa?? (Barbra Streisand) Celebration and Exhibit salute. Tickets are only $25 general admission or $75 reserved section and post reception with the artist.

Center Theatre Group is currently presenting August Wilson's 'Jitney' at the Mark Taper Forum. Performances will continue through December 29. The production recently held a student matinee, and you can experience the event alongside first-time high school theatregoers from across SoCal.

Henry Lombino will present a new oratorio: Above the Noise by Daphne Gampel premiering at Dixon Place (161A Chrystie Street) for one performance on December 21 at 7:30pm.

Just last month, The Actors Fund presented the critically acclaimed, Tony Award®-nominated play The Tale of the Allergist's Wife by Charles Busch, for a one-night only benefit reading. The evening starred Busch in the title role, originally played by Linda Lavin, and assembled the entire original all-star Broadway cast including Linda Lavin, Michele Lee, Tony Roberts and Anil Kumar as well as original director Lynne Meadow. All proceeds benefit The Actors Fund.

The Old Globe today announced the complete cast and creative team for August Wilson's Jitney, directed by one of Wilson's foremost interpreters, Ruben Santiago-Hudson.

The top growing current Broadway musicals were Jagged Little Pill (12.51%), Beetlejuice (2.16%), Ain't Too Proud (1.60%), Frozen (1.40%) and Oklahoma! (1.07%). The top growing current Broadway plays were Slave Play (7.28%), A Christmas Carol (5.25%), Darren Brown: Secret (3.82%), American Utopia (3.57%) and Betrayal (2.88%).The top growing current Broadway musicals were Jagged Little Pill (4.26%), Beetlejuice (3.87%), Tina: The Tina Turner Musical (3.58%), The Lightning Thief (2.06%) and Frozen (1.10%). The top growing current Broadway plays were American Utopia (13.65%), Slave Play (3.99%), Darren Brown: Secret (3.53%), A Christmas Carol (3.26%) and The Sound Inside (1.96%).

Normal Ave will launch its 2nd Annual NAPSeries (Normal Ave Playwrights Series) with 29-hour readings of four brand new plays. This year's festival will include Men Accumulate by Peter Kim George, On Trash Monsters by Gillian Beth Durkee, Sarah Sits Shiva for Herself by Megan Pope, and Seven Letter Names by Kristian O'Hare. All readings will take place January 10-12 at Normal Ave's Medicine Show Theatre, located at 549 W 52nd Street, and are free and open to the public.

The Tank (Meghan Finn, Artistic Director) in association with Lucy Powis and The Hodgepodge Group will present the World Premiere of Really Really Gorgeous, written by Nick Mecikalski and directed by Miranda Haymon at The Tank (312 West 36th Street between 8th and 9th Avenues), January 23-February 9.

The Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan has announced that Tony nominated actor Jonathan C. Kaplan and Zoë Winters will complete the cast performing a benefit reading of 'The Wanderers' by Anna Zeigler.The play is a funny, insightful, and mysterious new drama. Ziegler is an award-winning playwright whose widely produced play, 'Photograph 51,' won London's 2016 WhatsOnStage award for best new play.

The Drama League (Artistic Director Gabriel Stelian-Shanks, Executive Director Bevin Ross) announced today the acting company for the 36th annual DirectorFest, the only festival in the United States dedicated to the art of contemporary stage directing. Directorfest will take place January 10 - February 4, 2020 at various locations around NYC: The New Ohio Theatre (154 Christopher Street), The Drama League Theater Center (32 Avenue of the Americas), LaGuardia Performing Arts Center (31-10 Thomson Avenue), and Joe's Pub (425 Lafayette Street). For festival details and tickets, visit directorfest.org or call (212) 244-9494 x102.

 Rubicon Theatre audiences are invited to “rejoice and be plaid” this holiday season as Ventura's non-profit professional theatre company presents the hilarious and heartwarming musical comedy PLAID TIDINGS, which begins previews December 11 and continues through December 29 at the theatre's home in Ventura's Downtown Cultural District. The production is directed by the original creator STUART ROSS, a beloved member of the New York and L.A. theatre community whose vast credits include Broadway and work with Manhattan Theatre Club, Radio City Music Hall, the Public Theatre, York Theatre, San Diego's Old Globe, and Pasadena Playhouse, where PLAID TIDINGS originally premiered. 

The Big Chill meets This is Us in Rachel Bonds' play Goodnight Nobody. In this deeply moving and funny world premiere, a group of old friends reconnect after years apart. They reminisce with wild abandon, until the things they aren't telling each other come hurtling to the surface. The production runs January 10 through February 9 in McCarter's Berlind Theatre. More about the production at mccarter.org.