Michael Berresse News

Vermont's award-winning Weston Playhouse Theatre Company has announced its 2014 season of shows - a summer of Broadway blockbusters and exciting new works. Highlights include the world premiere of Paul Gordon's rock musical Analog and Vinyl directed by Michael Berresse, Christopher Lloyd and Campbell Scott in Annie Baker's Uncle Vanya, and Obie winner Dael Orlandersmith in her one-woman Stoop Stories.

Broadway's best filled a sold-out Al Hirschfeld Theatre with laughter, tears and cheers during the unforgettable ninth annual edition of Broadway Backwards on Monday, March 24, 2014, raising a record-breaking $423,182 to benefit Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS and The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center.

The ninth annual edition of Broadway Backwards, a one-night-only performance produced by Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS and benefiting BC/EFA and the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center of New York, took place last night. This year's special event featured the talents of Michael Berresse (Kiss Me, Kate; A Chorus Line), Tony winner Beth Leavel (Elf, The Drowsy Chaperone), Tony winner Debra Monk (Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, TV's 'Girls'), Ken Page (Ain't Misbehavin', Cats), Tony winner Billy Porter (Kinky Boots), Tony nominee Andrew Rannells(The Book of Mormon, TV's 'Girls'), Tony nominee John Tartaglia (Avenue Q, TV's 'Johnny and the Sprites.'), and more This year's edition of Broadway Backwards (#bwaybackwards) was held at Broadway's Al Hirschfeld Theatre (302 W 45th Street, NYC), current home to the Tony Award-winning Best Musical Kinky Boots. BroadwayWorld was there for the after party festivities and you can check out photo coverage below!

A limited number of $40 rush tickets for the much-anticipated ninth annual edition of Broadway Backwards will be released for sale at 6:30 PM Monday, March 24, 2014. The rush tickets will be sold outside the Al Hirschfeld Theatre (302 West 45th Street). They will not be available at the box office. Tickets will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis, cash only and are limited to two tickets per person. The show begins at 8 PM.

The roster of stars continues to expand for Broadway Backwards with today's additions of Norm Lewis (The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess, TV's 'Scandal'), Roger Rees (co-director of Peter and the Starcatcher, The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby), Julie White (Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, The Little Dog Laughed), and Rachel York (Encores! Little Me, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels).

Created by the [title of show] team, NOW.HERE.THIS. is a new musical exploring life's big questions with inimitable humor and humanity. The show explores birds, bees, reptiles, early man, ancient civilizations and outer space. Also, loneliness, friendship, hoarding, hiding, laughing, living and dying. And middle school. And dinosaurs. The show concluded its off-Broadway run at the Vineyard Theatre in April 2012.

Five more of Broadway's most talented men and two of its leading ladies will join the already star-studded lineup of legendary performers for the ninth annual edition of Broadway Backwards, a one-night-only performance produced by Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS and benefiting BC/EFA and the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center of New York.

The music of the late composer Dory Previn was celebrated at a gala for the Tony and Pulitzer Prize-winning Vineyard Theatre last night. Best-known as the writer of such hit songs as 'Theme from Valley of the Dolls,' 'Mary C. Brown and the Hollywood Sign,' 'With My Daddy in the Attic,' 'You're Gonna Hear from Me,' DORY PREVIN was a legendary figure as a pop-folk singer-song-writer in the 60's-70's and 80's. The Gala performance was directed by Rachel Chavkin (NATASHA, PIERRE AND THE GREAT COMET OF 1812), with musical direction by Jon Spurney. BroadwayWorld was there fo rthe gala and you can check out photos from the special event below!

Ars Nova (Jason Eagan, Artistic Director; Jeremy Blocker, Managing Director) proudly presents the world premiere of the burlesque farce Eager to Lose in a limited Off-Broadway engagement, Wednesday, October 9 through Saturday, November 2 at Ars Nova (511 West 54th Street). Official Opening Night takes place Tuesday, October 22 at 7:00 PM.

The National Alliance for Musical Theatre (NAMT) announced additional casting and creatives for the 25th Annual Festival of New Musicals on Thursday, October 17 and Friday, October 18 at New World Stages (340 West 50th Street).

With [TITLE OF SHOW] receiving mostly glowing reviews for its London premiere, I couldn't help but hope that the creative team that took the quirky, meta-musical from Off-Off-Broadway, to Off-Broadway, to Broadway (Jeff Bowen, Hunter Bell, Susan Blackwell, Heidi Blickenstaff, Michael Berresse, and Larry Pressgrove) are taking a few moments to arrive at the intersection of Now (not the past or future), Here (exactly where they are), and This (whatever it is they're doing) to be truly present and enjoy this moment of their lives a little more clearly. All of this brought me around to the cast album for their sophomore show NOW. HERE. THIS., which was funded by a highly successful Kickstarter campaign. Living in Houston, I completely missed the premiere of this show; however, everything that made [TITLE OF SHOW] so endearing is present and improved upon in the semi-autobiographical musical's cast album that is as entertaining as it is empowering and uplifting.

Weston, Vermont may be the epitome of a small town. But tucked away on Park Street is a Goliath of a summer theater. Weston Playhouse is Vermont's oldest professional theater and that long-standing history continues this summer with their production of Next To Normal.

Following the sold-out reading and discussion at 92YTribeca, comes the fully staged, Off-Broadway production and world premiere of HANDBOOK FOR AN AMERICAN REVOLUTIONARY.

Form Theatricals (Anthony Francavilla and Zachary Laks) in association with Judson Arts presents the World-Premiere of HANDBOOK FOR AN AMERICAN REVOLUTIONARY- an explosive and hilarious study of America's modern-day Davids and Goliaths- written and performed by Matthew-Lee Erlbach ('Eager to Lose') and directed by Drama Desk nominee Tony Speciale ('Unnatural Acts'), with preview performances beginning July 19 prior to an official opening on July 22 at The Gym at Judson (243 Thompson Street, @ Washington Square South) in Manhattan.

Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for drama, Next to Normal hit the Weston Playhouse's MainStage on July 11 with an all-star cast for what is sure to be a heart-wrenching, spine-tingling theatre experience. Written almost entirely in song, Next to Normal earned the 2009 Tony Award for Best Musical Score. With a national reputation of delivering superb new musicals to its audience, Weston was able to secure both a director and a leading lady with substantial Broadway credits, abundant talent and real passion for the piece. BroadwayWorld has more production shots below!

Today in 2008, [title of show] opened at the Lyceum Theatre, where it ran for 102 performances. [title of show] is a one-act musical, with music and lyrics by Jeff Bowen and a book by Hunter Bell. The show chronicles its own creation as an entry in the New York Musical Theatre Festival, and follows the struggles of the author and composer/lyricist and their two actress friends during the initial brief (three-week) creative period, along with subsequent events leading up to the show's production. Writer/stars Bowen and Bell, as well as director Michael Berresse all won Obie Awards for their work on the off-Broadway production, and Bell was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical.

Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for drama, Next to Normal hit the Weston Playhouse's MainStage on July 11 with an all-star cast for what is sure to be a heart-wrenching, spine-tingling theatre experience. Written almost entirely in song, Next to Normal earned the 2009 Tony Award for Best Musical Score. With a national reputation of delivering superb new musicals to its audience, Weston was able to secure both a director and a leading lady with substantial Broadway credits, abundant talent and real passion for the piece. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the production shots below!

Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for drama, Next to Normal hits the Weston Playhouse's MainStage on July 11 with an all-star cast for what is sure to be a heart-wrenching, spine-tingling theatre experience. Written almost entirely in song, Next to Normal earned the 2009 Tony Award for Best Musical Score. With a national reputation of delivering superb new musicals to its audience, Weston was able to secure both a director and a leading lady with substantial Broadway credits, abundant talent and real passion for the piece. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the production shots below!

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK: Broadway returns to Bryant Park, NYMF is back for 2013, PIPPIN gets a cast album, and so much more!

Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for drama, Next to Normal hits the Weston Playhouse's MainStage on July 11 with an all-star cast for what is sure to be a heart-wrenching, spine-tingling theatre experience. Written almost entirely in song, Next to Normal earned the 2009 Tony Award for Best Musical Score. With a national reputation of delivering superb new musicals to its audience, Weston was able to secure both a director and a leading lady with substantial Broadway credits, abundant talent and real passion for the piece. BroadwayWorld has a first look at rehearsal photos below!