McCarter Theatre News

Lookingglass Theatre Company will open its 25th Anniversary Season with Metamorphoses, based on the Myths of Ovid, written and directed by Lookingglass Ensemble Member Mary Zimmerman. The show will play tonight, September 19 - September 28, 2012. The return of Lookingglass' seminal production, coinciding with the 10th Anniversary of the Broadway run, will open at Lookingglass in the fall of 2012 and will then move to Washington D.C.'s Arena Stage.

A Bucks County farmhouse is the setting for Christopher Durang's new comedy,VANYA AND SONIA AND MASHA AND SPIKE, starring Sigourney Weaver, David Hyde Pierce, and Kristine Nielsen. NJTV's STATE OF THE ARTS visits the playwright in his own Bucks County farmhouse, and talks to Hyde Pierce and Nielsen about working with Durang, who is also their longtime friend and colleague.

Goodman Theatre opens its 2012/2013 Season in the Owen Theatre with playwright, actor and poet Dael Orlandersmith's Black n Blue Boys/Broken Men, a co-commission with Berkeley Repertory Theatre. Directed by Chay Yew, Black n Blue Boys/Broken Men is Orlandersmith's solo-performed examination of humanity's capacity for hope and survival, rendered through the eyes of five men ages 11 to 50.

On the eve of his assassination, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., cools down in a lonely Memphis hotel room after delivering the speech of a lifetime - when an unexpected visit from a feisty, young hotel maid pushes King into a confrontation with his doubts, fears and haunting premonitions. A soul-stirring hit in London and on Broadway, The Mountaintop's humorous, magical storytelling fuses theatricality with spirituality to reach a summit that will leave audiences breathless. The Mountaintop is written by playwright Katori Hall and will be directed by Rep Artistic Associate May Adrales, who returns to The Rep after directing last season's critically-acclaimed production of Yellowman. The Mountaintop runs in The Rep's Stiemke Studio from September 26 - November 4, and opens Friday, September 28.

The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey will launch the Fall portion of its 50th Anniversary Season with the critically acclaimed stage adaptation of Charles Dickens' Oliver Twist by British playwright, author, and director, Neil Bartlett. The production begins tonight, September 12, with several discounted Preview performances, and continues through Oct. 7 at The Shakespeare Theatre's Main Stage - the intimate F.M. Kirby Shakespeare Theatre.

Grease kicks off the second blockbuster Broadway musical series, tonight, Sept. 12 - Oct. 7, 2012 at the Paramount Theatre, 23 E. Galena Blvd. in downtown Aurora.

In response to the CPS teachers' strike, Court Theatre is offering a special free performance of August Wilson's Jitney, directed by Resident Artist Ron OJ Parson, for any CPS student (and one parent/guardian) with a valid CPS ID. This free matinee will be Thursday, September 13, 2012 at 10:30am at Court Theatre, 5535 S. Ellis Avenue. There is no need to RSVP, simply present a valid CPS ID at the theatre.

From September 27 through October 21, The Nora Theatre Company will proudly present the New England Premiere of Sarah Treem's THE HOW AND THE WHY at Central Square Theater. The Press Performance is Monday, October 1 at 7:30PM.

The Broadway at Birdland concert series is proud to announce that Robert Cuccioli will be celebrating the release of his debut solo album, "The Look Of Love," by performing his concert, "A Standard Love" on Monday, October 8 at 7pm.

Judy Kuhn has been nominated for three Tony Awards and three Drama Desk Awards for her work on Broadway in She Loves Me, the American premieres of Chess and Les Misérables, and Rags. She joins the acclaimed lineup of the Broadway at The Art House series in Provincetown, today, Sept 8 and 9 for two shows only. Series host Seth Rudetsky joins her at piano. For tickets please visit www.ptownarthouse.com or call 508-487-9222.

Independent theatre non-company [ad hoc theatre project] re-ignites for the 2012 Philadelphia Fringe Festival with a devised piece built off the backbone of William Shakespeare's Othello, set in the back room of a local whiskey go-go bar. Othello, Desdemona, & Iago Walk Into A Bar runs tonight, September 8th-23rd every day at 6pm (weekdays during happy hour) at the Trestle Inn on 11th & Callowhill.

A new Chekhov-inspired play by Christopher Durang, an Edward Albee classic, and one of Shakespeare's late romances directed by Rebecca Taichman will be produced at McCarter Theatre Center during the 2012-2013 season.

Court Theatre kicks off its 2012-13 season with August Wilson's Jitney directed by Resident Artist Ron OJ Parson.Jitney is the fourth play in Wilson's Century Cycle to be produced at Court Theatre under Parson's direction. The production will run tonight, September 6 - October 14, 2012 at Court Theatre, 5535 S. Ellis Avenue. The press opening will be Saturday, September 15, 2012 at 8:00 p.m.

This October, at Berkeley Repertory Theatre, an ancient tale comes roaring back to life in a compelling new telling filled with contemporary wit and wisdom. The clash of swords and shields, the broken hearts and broken oaths, the bonds of friendship and family - An Iliad arises on a bare stage, told by an old man who's seen too much. Two-time Obie Award-winner Lisa Peterson directs a stunning show that stars Henry Woronicz, who masterfully captures the grief and glory of the battle for Troy.

Transport Group, the Drama Desk and OBIE award-winning theatre company, will present the world premiere of House for Sale by Jonathan Franzen, adapted for the stage and directed by Daniel Fish, beginning previews October 13, 2012 at The Duke on 42nd Street, a New 42nd Street project. The opening night is scheduled for October 21, 2012. House for Sale is scheduled to run through November 18, 2012.

Judy Kuhn has been nominated for three Tony Awards and three Drama Desk Awards for her work on Broadway in She Loves Me, the American premieres of Chess and Les Misérables, and Rags. She joins the acclaimed lineup of the Broadway at The Art House series in Provincetown, on Sept 8 and 9 for two shows only. Series host Seth Rudetsky joins her at piano. For tickets please visit www.ptownarthouse.com or call 508-487-9222.

The newlywed is playing a high schooler in his 4th Bway show, which arrived in NYC for a limited engagement after a national tour.