Mark Cohen News

Cape May Stage, South Jersey's premiere Equity theatre, is thrilled to launch another stellar season of their Second Stage Broadway Series with acclaimed star of stage and screen, Anthony Rapp in Anthony Rapp LIVE. On Monday, July 2nd at 8:00 p.m., Rapp brings his singular brand of cabaret to the Robert Shackleton Playhouse at the corner of Bank and Lafayette Streets in beautiful downtown Cape May.

Mixed Blood Theatre announced today that its 2012-13 season will open October 5 with the Pulitzer Prize-winning musical NEXT TO NORMAL, which will also be part of the second Center of the Margins festival. The triple-feature mini-fest will be followed in February 2013 with the culture clash comedy-of-bad-manners ELEMENO PEA and a bilingual world premiere based on Julia Alvarez' bestselling novel IN THE TIME OF THE BUTTERFLIES to be staged in April 2013.

Chocolate Factory Productions present a production of Anthony Rapp -WITHOUT YOU, based on Anthony Rapp's bestseller Without You: A Memoir of Love, Loss, and the Musical Rent, beginning performances in Boston today, June 19th. The show, which is directed by Steve Maler, will continue at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe this August and London's Menier Chocolate Factory until Septemeber 15.

Horse Trade Theater Group will present StrangeDog Theatre Company's production of Ben Clawson's (Claire Went to France with Horse Trade; recipient of the Kennedy Center's David Mark Cohen Award) THE VIRILOGY. The production will be directed by Artem Yatsunov (Bootstraps at Luna Stage Company; Claire Went to France at UNDER St. Marks) and will feature Scott Cagney, David Murgittroyd*, and Alejandro Hernandez.

Cape May Stage, South Jersey's premiere Equity theatre, is thrilled to launch another stellar season of their Second Stage Broadway Series with acclaimed star of stage and screen, Anthony Rapp in Anthony Rapp LIVE. On Monday, July 2nd at 8:00 p.m., Rapp brings his singular brand of cabaret to the Robert Shackleton Playhouse at the corner of Bank and Lafayette Streets in beautiful downtown Cape May.

The NATIONAL NEW PLAY NETWORK (NNPN), the country's alliance of non-profit theaters that champions the development, production, and continued life of new plays, has announced the winner of the 2012 Smith Prize for a new play on American political themes: George Brant's Grounded, the powerful, surprising story of an F-16 pilot who gets "repurposed" to fly drones following her unexpected pregnancy. In addition to upcoming development stints with the New Harmony Project and the Bay Area Playwrights Festival, Grounded will receive a staged reading at NNPN's Annual Conference at Unicorn Theatre in Kansas City, Mo., tonight June 8, directed by Artistic Director Cynthia Levin.

Chocolate Factory Productions have announced a production of ANTHONY RAPP -WITHOUT YOU, based on Anthony Rapp's bestseller Without You: A Memoir of Love, Loss, and the Musical Rent, to begin performances in Boston on Tuesday, June 19th. The show, which is directed by Steve Maler, will continue at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe this August and London's Menier Chocolate Factory until Septemeber 15.

SILHOUETTE STAGES has announced auditions and a call to artists and production team for its Oct/Nov production of RENT, with book, music and lyrics by Jonathan Larson, directed by Susan G. Kramer and with musical direction to be announced. Auditions will take place Thursday, July 12, and Monday, July 16 from 7 to 10 p.m.

It's a brand new season of love this summer when The 5th Avenue Theatre brings a bold and innovative production of RENT to the stage. Fresh from his smash success with First Date, Bill Berry directs this electrifying new staging of Jonathan Larson's modern rock-opera classic. A cast of Seattle's young rising theater stars, featuring Daniel Berryman, Aaron C. Finley, Naomi Morgan, Jerick Hoffer, Ryah Nixon, and Andi Alhadeff will take center stage, belting hits including "La Vie Boheme," "Take Me or Leave Me," "One Song Glory," and "Rent." Based on the Puccini opera La boheme, the hit musical premiered in 1996 to instant acclaim, and swept a host of theater awards - the Tony, the Obie, and the Pulitzer.

Esteban Cruz has had to permanently leave the cast of American Theater Company/About Face's production of RENT for undisclosed personal reasons. As of today, Wednesday, May 23, the role of Angel will be taken over by Eduardo Placer.

Als Kind sieht Tommy Walker einen Mord mit an - mit verheerenden Auswirkungen. Durch dieses Trauma wird Tommy blind, taub und stumm. Er wird von vermeintlichen Freunden und sogar seiner Familie uber Jahre misshandelt. Schließlich wird Tommy wie durch ein Wunder zum 'Pinball Wizard' (Flipperkonig) und versammelt bald als Heilsbringer eine große Anhangerschaft um sich. Doch auch als Star nutzt man ihn aus. Als er das erkennt, beschließt er, alles radikal zu andern...

In 1994 Anthony Rapp was working at a Starbucks and about to audition for Rent a new musical by a young guy named Jonathan Larson. An inspiring story about friends and artists struggling in New York's Lower East Side, it was based loosely on Puccini's La Boheme. Anthony got the part, but Jonathan died suddenly the night before the musical's off-Broadway premiere.

Anthony Rapp will perform his one-man show, Anthony Rapp: Without You - An Evening of Love, Loss and the Musical Rent, at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival on August 1-26.

Red Tape Theatre presents ELEPHANT'S GRAVEYARD by George Brant, directed by James D Palmer, opening tonight, 5/14, and running until 6/16 at the Red Tape Theatre 621 W. Belmont, Chicago.

Red Tape Theatre presents ELEPHANT'S GRAVEYARD by George Brant, directed by James D Palmer, for previews 5/10-5/12, opening night on 5/14, and running until 6/16 at the Red Tape Theatre 621 W. Belmont, Chicago.

David Cromer's production of 'Rent' should face early eviction due to poor staging choices.

The NATIONAL NEW PLAY NETWORK (NNPN), the country's alliance of non-profit theaters that champions the development, production, and continued life of new plays, has announced the winner of the 2012 Smith Prize for a new play on American political themes: George Brant's Grounded, the powerful, surprising story of an F-16 pilot who gets "repurposed" to fly drones following her unexpected pregnancy. In addition to upcoming development stints with the New Harmony Project and the Bay Area Playwrights Festival, Grounded will receive a staged reading at NNPN's Annual Conference at Unicorn Theatre in Kansas City, MO on June 8, directed by Artistic Director Cynthia Levin.

American Theater Company (ATC), together with About Face Theatre, presents a co-production of Jonathan Larson's Rent, directed by David Cromer. Rent will run tonight, April 27, 2012 - June 17, 2012 at ATC, 1909 W. Byron. The press openings are Sunday, May 6, 2012 and Monday, May 7, 2012 at 7 pm.

Mortar Theatre Company will present the world premiere of Bombs, Babes and Bingo by Merri Biechler. The experimental production, directed by Rachel Edwards Harvith, is performed at the mainstage of the newly renamed Luna Central, formerly Live Bait Theatre, 3914 North Clark Street, May 20 - June 17. Previews are Sunday, May 20 at 3 p.m. and Wednesday, May 23 at 7:30 p.m. Opening/Press night is Thursday, May 24 at 7:30 p.m. The performance schedule is Thursdays - Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. Tickets go on sale Tuesday, May 1. Ticket prices are $15 for previews and $20 for the regular performance run and may be purchased at MortarTheatreCompany.org or at the Luna Central box office at 773.819.5862.

The latest in unauthorized gossip and buzz from the heart of Chicago's showtune video bars, and musical theater news from Chicago to Broadway. 'Jersey Boys,' three musicals that start with 'Pi,' Cromer's 'Rent' leads a Larson fest, JRB in Indiana, 'Street Scene' and much more....