Marsha Norman News

Ghostlight Records has debuted the first song from the Broadway-bound musical THE BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY, starring Kelli O'Hara and Steven Pasquale. Check out the somber, emotional track, titled 'Falling Into You,' below!

Sh-K-Boom / Ghostlight Records releases the 2013 Off-Broadway cast recording of the hit Second Stage Theatre production of The Last Five Years, created and directed by Jason Robert Brown, both in stores and via online outlets today, September 24. Second Stage Theatre (Carole Rothman, Artistic Director) extended this production starring Adam Kantor and Betsy Wolfe three times.

Once again, NTC courageously examines a disturbing subject that most would prefer not to think about. This time it's suicide. 'night, Mother,' by Marsha Norman, opens September 26 in Newnan Theatre Company's Black Box, the space reserved for intimate drama.

Director Michael Kahn and leading man Brandon Urbanowitz breathe new life into Harvey Fierstein's magnum opus of three one-act plays. Torch Song Trilogy still offers universal truths about love and relationships that go beyond straight or gay points of view. The play continues through October 13 in the Mead Theater.

On Wednesdays and Thursdays through October 25, Mercury Theater Chicago, 3745 N Southport Ave., is featuring complimentary dinner for two at Cullen's Irish Pub, adjacent to the theater, with the purchase of two tickets to the Broadway musical THE COLOR PURPLE. The offer is available before the performances on Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m., Thursdays at 2 p.m., and Thursdays at7:30 p.m. To make a reservation, call 773.325.1700 and ask for the 'Dinner's on Us' promotion. Gratuity is not included, this offer cannot be combined with other discounts, and it is not valid for use with previously purchased tickets. Hailed as "A genuinely eye-popping achievement!" by The Chicago Tribune and called "Lustrous…Superbly directed…Marvelous!" by the Chicago Sun-Times, THE COLOR PURPLE is based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Alice Walker and runs through October 27, 2013.

The Harvard Department of Music and the Office for the Arts at Harvard have announced the appointment of Jason Robert Brown as Blodgett Artist-in-Residence during the spring of 2014. A celebrated American composer, Brown has been hailed as 'one of Broadway's smartest and most sophisticated songwriters since Stephen Sondheim' (Philadelphia Inquirer). He is known best as the award-winning composer and lyricist of the musical The Last 5 Years, and the Tony-award winning composer of Parade.

Playwright Jen Silverman will receive the 2013 Yale Drama Series award for her new play Still this evening, September 12 at Lincoln Center Theater's Claire Tow Theater (150 West 65 Street). The evening will include the presentation to the playwright of the David Charles Horn Prize, a cash award of $10,000, and a staged reading of Still, directed by Kate Whoriskey, featuring Jeanine Seralles, Chris Grant, Birgit Huppuch and Elvy Yorst.

Every year, Stoneham Theatre seeks out stories and shows that will entertain, amuse, and surprise audiences. 'We pride ourselves on our variety,' Producing Artistic Director Weylin Symes shared. 'And this season is no different, with new and familiar titles and hopefully something a little unexpected.' Stoneham Theatre's Season 14 boasts a hip new comedy direct from Broadway, a fresh take on a classic horror story, a holiday favorite, a silly, murder mystery musical, a Tony Award-winning musical, and one show yet to be announced. 'We are very excited to present our 14th season of professional theatre right here in Metro North and pleased to share this new slate of shows with the public,' Managing Director Debra Rafson added.

The Dramatists Guild's Fellows Program will host their Annual Presentation at Playwrights Horizons in New York on October 7, 2013. The Fellows Program will present excerpts from new works written by the fourteen talented playwrights, composers and lyricists who were the 2012-2013 Dramatists Guild Fellows.

Chattanooga Theatre Center started their 2013-2014 season with a bang. Family friendly musical The Secret Garden opened on September 6th with direction by Mike Lees and choreography by Jessica Laliberte Bowman.

Playwright Jen Silverman will receive the 2013 Yale Drama Series award for her new play Still this Thursday evening, September 12 at Lincoln Center Theater's Claire Tow Theater (150 West 65 Street). The evening will include the presentation to the playwright of the David Charles Horn Prize, a cash award of $10,000, and a staged reading of Still, directed by Kate Whoriskey, featuring Jeanine Seralles, Chris Grant, Birgit Huppuch and Elvy Yorst.

54 Below will present the special series The Last Five Years in Concert - with the show's recent stars Adam Kantor and Betsy Wolfe - fromOctober 16 to 19 to celebrate the new cast recording from Sh-K-Boom / Ghostlight Records. These four shows will give audiences a chance to celebrate the musical in the intimate setting of 54 Below with the critically acclaimed performances of Betsy and Adam, along with the full band reunited from this year's hit production at Second Stage Theatre (Carole Rothman, Artistic Director). The composer Jason Robert Brown himself will be at the piano on October 16 -17 at 7:00 PM, with Andrew Resnick taking over on October 18-19 at 11:00 PM. The entire set of concerts will feature Gary Sieger on acoustic guitar, Randy Landau on fretless bass, Thomas Kim Carney on violin, and Summer Boggess and Mairi Dorman on cello. The cover charge ranges from $35 to $45 and there is a $25 food and beverage minimum. Please visit 54Below.com for additional information.

Full casting is announced today for the three-time Tony Award-winning musical THE SECRET GARDEN, which will be brought to life in an intimate concert staging to tour the UK from October 2013. On sale now. Full listings below.

Full casting is announced today for the three-time Tony Award-winning musical THE SECRET GARDEN, which will be brought to life in an intimate concert staging to tour the UK from October 2013.

The historic Woodlawn Theatre will tackle Marsha Norman's harrowing drama 'night, Mother in its Black Box Theatre. The show opens September 13 and runs through October 6.

Production dates for The Color Purple are September 6-15 in the Wilson Mainstage Auditorium at South Bend Civic Theatre, 403 N. Main Street in South Bend. Performances times are 8:00 PM, Today and Saturday evenings, 7:30 PM Wednesday and Thursday, 3:00 PM Saturday and Sunday. Tickets are $21 Today, Saturday and Sunday, $18 Wednesday and Thursday. For tickets call 574-234-1112 or go online at www.sbct.org. Sponsors for the production are Villing and Company, the Community Foundation of St. Joseph County and NIPSCO.

On October 21, 2013, the Dramatists Guild Fund will host their Annual Gala at the Edison Ballroom in New York. This year's event will honor legendary playwrights, composers, and lyricists who have greatly impacted the American theater.

BroadwayWorld.com, the largest theatre site on the Internet, is excited to announce a new feature to its comprehensive regional coverage - the Featured Regional Theater of the Week! Each week, BWW will introduce its readers to a regional theater located in one of our (over 130!) coverage cities. By exploring these different venues, their history and showcasing the production seasons, BWW continues its commitment to expand our presence in communities and cities across the United States. This Week's Featured Regional Theater: South Bend Civic Theatre in South Bend, IN

Playwright Christopher Durang, who recently won the Tony Award for Best Play, and celebrated playwright John Augustine have been announced as Playwrights in Residence at Texas State University for the 2013-14 season as part of the Bowman Guest Artist Series.

FIREHOUSE THEATRE begins its 20th Anniversary season this fall with the gripping tale 'night, Mother by Kentucky playwright Marsha Norman. Winner of the 1983 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, this eloquent, enthralling and ultimately shattering play explores the final hour in the life of a young woman who has decided that life is no longer worth living. Directed by Helen Hayes Award recipient David Emerson Toney, 'night, Mother plays at Firehouse Theatre September 19 - October 19.