Mark Twain News

MCC THEATER (Robert LuPone, Bernard Telsey, Artistic Directors; William Cantler, Associate Artistic Director; Blake West, Executive Director) today announced that their World Premiere Production of Michael Weller's Fifty Words, under the direction of Austin Pendleton, has been extended Off Broadway. Performances of the two-character play began at the Lucille Lortel Theatre (121 Christopher Street, NYC) on September 10 and the show's stars Norbert Leo Butz and Elizabeth Marvel were showered with rave reviews following its October 1 opening. The show is now scheduled to run through Saturday, November 8.

Under the new leadership of Artistic Director Henry Godinez and Managing Director Barbara Butts, the Theatre and Interpretation Center (TIC) at Northwestern University will kick off its 28th season in October with the Tony Award-winning musical 'Sweeney Todd' by Hugh Wheeler and Stephen Sondheim.

F.U.D.G.E. Theatre Company announces Training Wisteria, a dramatic comedy by Molly Smith Metzler. Training Wisteria opens on October 23rd at 8:00pm and plays through October 25th, 2008.

On Monday October 20th at 7PM, Project Shaw will present The Shewing Up of Blanco Posnet featuring Cheyenne Jackson as Blanco Posnet, and Hannah Cabell, Mary Carver, Nora Chester, Teddy Eck, Stephen Mo Hanan, Lianne Kressin, Brian Scott Lipton, John Martello, Charlotte Moore, Liz Morton, Nathaniel Shaw and Emily Young.

Goodspeed Musicals, the only two time Tony Award winning theatre in the country, announces the cast of Big River, a spirited musical adventure like no other. Big River will begin September 26 and run through November 30, 2008 at the Goodspeed Opera House in East Haddam, Connecticut. Big River is sponsored by Bank of America and Connecticut Light & Power / Yankee Gas.

A multi-ethnic cast highlights stinging themes of class and poverty when Whitefire artistic director Bryan Rasmussen directs Blood Brothers, the Olivier Award-winning, Tony-nominated musical drama by Willy Russell (Educating Rita, Shirley Valentine). The tragic musical tale opens at the Whitefire Theatre in Sherman Oaks on October 18 for a six-week run through November 23.

'Caesar and Cleopatra' by George Bernard Shaw will be performed Monday, September 22 at 7pm at The Players, located at 16 Gramercy Park South (20th St. east of Park Avenue). 'Caesar and Cleopatra' will be performed Mondays at 7 pm. These performances are open to the public. Tickets are now on sale for $20; call 212.352.3101 or visit Projectshaw.com.

Goodspeed Musicals, the only two time Tony Award winning theatre in the country, announces the cast of Big River, a spirited musical adventure like no other. Big River will begin September 26 and run through November 30, 2008 at the Goodspeed Opera House in East Haddam, Connecticut. Big River is sponsored by Bank of America and Connecticut Light & Power / Yankee Gas.

Ron Crawford stars as the departed Samuel L. Clemens in One Armed Man's special preview production of Adam Klasfeld's docudrama The Report of My Death at the Brecht Forum (451 West Street between Bank & Bethune) on September 19 and 20 at 8pm.

Primary Stages (Casey Childs, Executive Producer; Andrew Leynse, Artistic Director; Elliot Fox, Managing Director), in association with Martin Hummel, present the New York premiere of the new comedy, Love Child, written and performed by Daniel Jenkins (Mary Poppins, Big River) and Robert Stanton (The Coast of Utopia, All in the Timing), as an added event of the 2008-2009 season. Under the direction of Carl Forsman, performances are set to begin Sunday evening, October 12, 2008 at 5:00 p.m. and will run in repertory with A Body of Water by Lee Blessing for a limited engagement through November 19, 2008. Opening night is October 26, 2008 at 7:00 p.m.

Variety reports that Jon Stewart, Bill Maher, Garry Shandling, Lily Tomlin, Denis Leary, Joan Rivers, Lewis Black, Richard Belzer, Margaret Cho and more will appear on November 10, 2008 at the Kennedy Center as they pay tribute to George Carlin.

'Caesar and Cleopatra' by George Bernard Shaw will be performed Monday, September 22 at 7pm at The Players, located at 16 Gramercy Park South (20th St. east of Park Avenue). 'Caesar and Cleopatra' will be performed Mondays at 7 pm. These performances are open to the public. Tickets are now on sale for $20; call 212.352.3101 or visit Projectshaw.com.

Pittsburgh CLO is proud to announce the cast and creative team for the Pittsburgh premiere of the acclaimed Off-Broadway musical I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change, which runs Oct. 9, 2008, through Feb. 1, 2009, at the CLO Cabaret. This group comprised of almost entirely Pittsburghers is ready to provide its hip, funny and sexy interpretation of the second longest-running musical in Off-Broadway history.

Atlantic Theater Company (Neil Pepe, Artistic Director; Andrew D. Hamingson, Managing Director) is proud to announce that Peter Bartlett (The New Century, The Drowsy Chaperone) will star opposite two-time Tony Award® nominee David Pittu (Is He Dead?, LoveMusik), in the world premiere production of WHAT'S THAT SMELL: THE MUSIC OF JACOB STERLING, featuring original music by Randy Redd.

International City Theatre artistic director Shashin Desai has announced the five plays that will make up ICT's 2009 season.

Goodspeed Musicals, the only two time Tony Award winning theatre in the country, announces the cast of Big River, a spirited musical adventure like no other. Big River will begin September 26 and run through November 30, 2008 at the Goodspeed Opera House in East Haddam, Connecticut. Big River is sponsored by Bank of America and Connecticut Light & Power / Yankee Gas.

Big River premieres first in the season lineup. With a book by William Hauptman and a score by well-known country-music songsmith Roger Miller, this seven-time Tony Award-winner is a musical adaptation of Mark Twain's Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Both comical and poignant, this acclaimed musical takes audiences on an adventure down the Mississippi River

Atlantic Theater Company (Neil Pepe, Artistic Director; Andrew D. Hamingson, Managing Director) is proud to announce that Peter Bartlett (The New Century, The Drowsy Chaperone) will star opposite two-time Tony Award® nominee David Pittu (Is He Dead?, LoveMusik), in the world premiere production of WHAT'S THAT SMELL: THE MUSIC OF JACOB STERLING, featuring original music by Randy Redd.

THE ADVENTURES OF HUCKLEBERRY FINN Music and Lyrics by Roger Miller Book by William Hauptman Adapted from the novel by Mark Twain

MCC THEATER (Robert LuPone, Bernard Telsey, Artistic Directors; William Cantler, Associate Artistic Director; Blake West, Executive Director) today announced that Tony Award-winner Norbert Leo Butz has been signed to star opposite Elizabeth Marvel in the World Premiere Production of Michael Weller's Fifty Words, under the direction of Austin Pendleton. The two-character play begins performances at the Lucille Lortel Theatre (121 Christopher Street, NYC) on September 10 and continues through October 25, with an opening night set for Sunday, September 28 at 6:30 p.m.