Manhattan Theatre Club News

In T. Adamson's scorcher of a road trip, best friends Phoebe and Nina navigate hitchhikers, shoplifting, drugs, and a flood of selfies as they hurtle through the heart and heartlessness of America. A kaleidoscopic new play with unlimited mileage.

As BroadwayWorld previously reported, the Actors Fund will bring back the critically acclaimed, Tony Award-nominated play The Tale of the Allergist's Wife by Charles Busch, for a one-night only benefit reading on Monday, November 18, 2019, at 7:30 pm at The Samuel J. Friedman Theatre (261 West 47th St.). The evening will star Charles Busch in the title role, originally played by Linda Lavin, and assembles 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 will benefit The Actors Fund.

The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey (STNJ) has continued its 2019 Season with William Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet.' Directed by Ian Belknap, Artistic Director of the prestigious Acting Company in NYC, the show will be on the Madison stage through Sunday, November 17. Broadwayworld.com had the pleasure of interviewing Bonnie J. Monte, the Artistic Director of STNJ about 'Romeo and Juliet' and her highly acclaimed Theatre.

ELAN Ensemble has announced its upcoming production of Seven, a new adaptation of the documentary play. Under the direction of Natsuko Ohama with movement direction by Stephanie Shroyer, the production is set to open on Saturday, November 23, at 8pm and run through December 16 only at the Atwater Village Theatre.

Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Robert Schenkkan's THE GREAT SOCIETY, starring Brian Cox (a?oeSuccessiona??) as LBJ, directed by Bill Rauch, will play its final performance, as scheduled, on Saturday, November 30 at the Vivian Beaumont Theater (150 West 65th St) at Lincoln Center. At the time of closing, The Great Society will have played 26 preview performances and 72 regular performances.

Lynne Meadow (Artistic Director) and Barry Grove (Executive Producer) have announced that Sasha Allen and Ana Villafañe will perform at the Manhattan Theatre Club 2019 Fall Benefit, joining previously announced performers Olivier nominee Sierra Boggess, Tony nominee Melissa Errico, Tony nominee Norm Lewis, Tony nominee Patrick Page and Tony nominee Tony Yazbeck.

This winter, Lincoln Center Theater/LCT3 will produce the world premiere of THE HEADLANDS, a new play by Christopher Chen, directed by Knud Adams, which will begin performances Saturday, February 8 and run for six weeks only through Sunday, March 22 at the Claire Tow Theater (150 West 65 Street). Opening night is Monday, February 24.

Goodspeed Musicals has announced this year's cast of A Connecticut Christmas Carol - the musical treat infused with Connecticut flavor by LJ Fecho and Michael O'Flaherty. Perfect for the holidays, A Connecticut Christmas Carol, the family-friendly take on the Dickens classic, will return to The Terris Theatre December 4 - 28, 2019. This production is supported in part by the Richard P. Garmany Fund at the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, Masonicare at Chester Village and GKN Aerospace Services Structures Corporation.

ScoBar Entertainment has announced that PIANO BAR LIVE!has been extended through November, at Brandy's Piano Bar on the Upper East Side, beginning Monday, November 4 from 7-8:30pm. Joining Piano Bar Maestro, MICHAEL McASSEY at the keys, will be a veritable Who's Who of Cabaret and Broadway! PIANO BAR LIVE! is an interactive, live-streaming Piano Bar experience. THERE IS NO COVER CHARGE for PIANO BAR LIVE! but there is a two drink minimum.

Ingrid Michaelson announced she's writing music for a musical version of the Nicholas Sparks love story 'The Notebook.' She revealed that she is writing the music and playwright and 'This is Us' writer Bekah Brunstetter is writing the book for the musical.

Laguna Playhouse announces the final cast and creative team to join acclaimed film, TV and theatre veterans Frances Fisher (a?oeTitanic,a?? Native Gardens, Barbeque), as a?oeQueen Eleanora?? and Gregory Harrison (a?oeTrapper John, M.D.,a?? Broadway's Chicago, Steel Pier), as a?oeKing Henry IIa?? in THE LION IN WINTER

Wheelhouse Theater Company today announced that it will present a staged reading of Oracles: Primitive Murderous Rage and Oedipusgate written by Jonathan Lynn and directed by Wheelhouse's Artistic Director, Jeff Wise.

a??a??a??a??a??a??a??Rec Room Arts (Artistic Director, Matt Hune) opens the 2019/20 season with the regional premiere of Lucy Kirkwood's harrowing new play, The Children. Performances begin November 9 at 7:30 and continue through December 7.

Critically-acclaimed Hollywood theatre company The New American Theatre (NAT) will present Anton Chekhov's masterpiece Uncle Vanya, directed by Artistic Director Jack Stehlin, who recently was honored along with managing director/producer Jeannine Wisnosky Stehlin with a career achievement award from Stage Raw. Subtitled 'Scenes from a Country Life in Four Acts,' Uncle Vanya is adapted by the company from a translation by Constance Garnett. Opening weekend begins Friday November 1 at 8pm.

BESPOKE PLAYS - a new play reading series - announces LAURA DARRELL (DIETLAND, Frozen) will lead the first New York public readings of MEET CUTE by CHRISTINE BOYLAN (THE PUNISHER, CLOAK AND DAGGER), on November 3rd and 4th at 7pm at Manhattan Theatre Club Studios. Reservations for these industry presentations may be made by emailing BespokePlays@gmail.com. 

Wheelhouse Theater Company today announced that it will present a staged reading of ORACLES: MURDER AT THE CROSSROADS AND OEDIPUSGATE a?" A DOUBLE BILL, written by Jonathan Lynn and directed by Wheelhouse's Artistic Director, Jeff Wise. The reading will be held at Manhattan Theatre Club Studios, 311 West 43rd St., on Thursday, 10/31 at 1:30 pm and Friday 11/01 at 11am. Featured in the cast will be Alfred Molina, Austin Pendleton, Nadia Bowers, Lori Tan Chinn, Janet Dacal, Christopher Hanke, and Magaret Odette. Industry members can arrange for tickets by emailing: contact@wheelhousetheater.org

Steven Brinberg a?' best known for creating and performing Simply Barbra, the acclaimed all-live homage to the legendary Barbra Streisand a?' will produce and host an all-star tribute to Marvin Hamlisch at Catalina Jazz Club (6725 West Sunset Blvd) in Los Angeles, CA on Thursday, October 24 at 8:30 PM. The evening will feature Edie Alyson (Little Shop of Horrors), Alan Bergman (Two-time Oscar-winning lyricist), Herve Coeur (Haitian singer and songwriter), Kay Cole (A Chorus Line, Bye Bye Birdie), Mary Bond Davis (Hairspray), Fay DeWitt (Flahooley), Nancy Dussault (Two-time Tony nominee), Joshua Finkel (Kiss of the Spider Woman), Ilene Graff (Grease, I Love My Wife), Natalie Lander (a?oeLegally Blonde: The Search for Elle Woodsa??), Ashley Fox Linton (Wicked), Melissa Manchester (Grammy winning singer and songwriter), J. Elaine Marcos (A Chorus Line), Barbara Minkus (Funny Girl), Jenny O'Hara (The Odd Couple, Promises Promises), Noah Weisberg (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory), Jennifer Westfelt (Wonderful Town, a?oeYoungera??), and David Zack (Sweet Smell of Success). Michael Lavine serves as Music Director. For tickets and information, please call (323) 466-2210 or visit SimplyBarbra.com.

Geva Theatre Center presents The Niceties, by Eleanor Burgess and directed by Nicole A. Watson, in the Elaine P. Wilson Stage from October 22 through November 17. 

PlayMakers Repertory Company presents 'Dairyland,' a world premiere comedy by Heidi Armbruster. This whimsical, heartfelt tale of one woman's journey from farm to table and table to farm is directed by Vivienne Benesch, and runs from October 16 to November 3, 2019.

Segerstrom Center for the Arts Board Chairman Mark C. Perry announced today that Casey Reitz will become the Center's new President. The presidential search committee, led by long-time Center board members, Lawrence Higby and Shanaz Langson, made a unanimous recommendation after a six-month search conducted by the global executive search firm, Korn Ferry. Since 2010, Reitz has served as Executive Director of Second Stage Theater in New York City, winning a Tony Award as Best Musical as Producer of Dear Evan Hansen in 2017. Reitz will assume his new role in December 2019.