Marsha Norman News

The 2024 Susan Smith Blackburn Prize has revealed the finalists for this prestigious international award honoring women+ playwrights.

The Secret Garden: Spring Version opens at New Stage Theatre this month. Performances run February 6-25, 2024.

Luke Yankee’s Marilyn, Mom & Me world premieres February 16, 2024, at the International City Theatre. Written by Luke, he also directs the cast of Laura Gardner, Alisha Soper, Jacquelin Lorraine Schofield, Brian Rohan and Noah Wagner.

MCC Theater has revealed that Miscast24 will take place on Monday April 15, 2024 at the Hammerstein Ballroom. Learn additional details!

A show about domestic violence and oppression doesn’t sound like a cheery night at the theater. Here’s what makes the show work: the music and lyrics, especially in the opening three numbers, are about as uplifting as one can get in a show and secondly, there are opportunities for redemption for every character

The first 10 minutes of The Color Purple have been released, featuring Whoopi Goldberg's cameo and the opening number, 'Mysterious Ways.' The video also features Tamela Mann, Halle Bailey, David Alan Grier, Phylicia Pearl Mpasi, Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, and Deon Cole. It opens with Bailey and Mpasi singing 'Huckleberry Pie' as Celie and Nettie.

The Acting Company has revealed the cast for their reading of Hamlet. See the full cast and learn how to purchase tickets!

THEATER LATTÉ DA presents the Broadway musical adaptation of the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, The Color Purple, opening on March 23, 2024 in partnership with Geva Theatre.

The digital and physical releases will include hours of bonus features, including a behind the scenes look at turning Alice Walker's novel into a musical. The dozens of features will also have three featurettes with director Blitz Bazawule, producer Orpah Winfrey, the filmmakers and the star-studded cast. Find out how you can watch at home!

Superpower (I) features a tour de force performance by Fantasia, the film's central star. Written and produced by lauded hitmaker The-Dream (Rhianna, Beyoncé, Mariah Carey), the song unites all the emotion of the film into a powerful crescendo and has been shortlisted for Oscar consideration. Watch the new music video now!

The Secret Garden: Spring Version comes to New Stage Theatre in February. The production features music and lyrics by Marsha Norman, and music by Lucy Simone, and is based on the novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett. Learn more about the show and how to get tickets here!

The Color Purple topped the Christmas Day box office with a $18 million debut. The film's debut was 'much bigger' than was anticipated, tying with 2012's Les Miserables film for Christmas Day grosses in movie theaters. The film stars Fantasia Barrino, Danielle Brooks, Taraji P. Henson, Corey Hawkins, H.E.R., Colman Domingo, and more.

Maelyn Jarmon (Season 16 winner of “The Voice”) and Clay Singer (National Tour of The Band’s Visit) will star in three-time Tony Award winner Jason Robert Brown’s THE LAST FIVE YEARS at Core Theatre Group.

Read the reviews for The Color Puprle movie musical! It stars Fantasia Barrino and Danielle Brooks reprising the roles that they previously played on Broadway, plus Taraji P. Henson, Halle Bailey, Colman Domingo, Corey Hawkins, Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Phylicia Pearl Mpasi, and more. Find out what critics thought of Oprah Winfrey's new film now!

The new stills feature updated looks at Danielle Brooks, Taraji P. Henson, Fantasia Barrino, Corey Hawkins, H.E.R., Colman Domingo, Halle Bailey, Louis Gossett Jr., and more with director Blitz Bazawule in The Color Purple. Check out photos of songs like 'What About Love,' 'Push Da Button,' 'Dear God - Shug,' and 'She Be Mine' now!

This past weekend, Lucy Simon and Marsha Norman’s musical The Secret Garden took center stage at the Sandler Center for the Performing Arts as part of the 32nd season of Virginia Musical Theatre. See photos from the production.

Attendees included the cast of The Color Purple, including Danielle Brooks, Taraji P. Henson, Colman Domingo, Halle Bailey, Ciara, H.E.R., and Phylicia Pearl Mpasi. Also present were Oprah Winfrey, Stephen Spielberg, Alicia Keys, Tyler Perry, Storm Reid, Ariana DeBose, Fatima Robinson, and more. Check out photos!

Ahead of the release of the The Color Purple, check out new character poster photos for the musical movie, featuring Taraji P. Henson as Shug Avery, Phylicia Pearl Mpasi as Young Celie, H.E.R. as Squeak, Colman Domingo as Mister, Corey Hawkins as Harpo, Halle Bailey as Young Nettie, Danielle Brooks as Sofia, and Fantasia Barrino as Celie.

The song list for the upcoming The Color Purple movie musical has revealed what songs from the stage version have been cut for the adaptation. Songs like 'Somebody Gonna Love You,' 'Our Prayer,' 'Big Dog,' 'Dear God - Sofia,' 'Brown Betty,' 'Uh-Oh,' 'African Homeland,' have been cut from the movie. Find out the full list now!

On Monday November 27, the 14th annual Lilly Awards, a ceremony dedicated to honoring the work of women in the American theater, were held at Playwrights Horizons. The inspirational evening recognized the work of the generation of women who led the push for parity. Check out photos here!