Michael Cristofe News

MCC Theater presents the New York premiere production of Paul Downs Colaizzo's Really Really, directed by David Cromer (the Obie Award and Lucille Lortel Award-winning director of hits Our Town, Adding Machine and Tribes). The production, which marks Colaizzo's New York playwriting debut, plays at the Lucille Lortel Theatre (121 Christopher Street, NYC) through March 10, 2013. The opening was last night, February 19. BroadwayWorld was there for opening night and you can check out photos from the theatre arrivals below!

Tennessee Williams' Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, starring Scarlett Johansson as Maggie, Ciarán Hinds as Big Daddy, Benjamin Walker as Brick and Debra Monk as Big Mama, directed by Rob Ashford, opened last night January 17, and BroadwayWorld.com was there to capture all of the excitement and glamour of the evening. Check out photos from the opening theatre arrivals below!

Wouldn't it be convenient to check out library books at Long Wharf Theatre reflecting the themes of the play just presented? Or get free theatre tickets at the public library? Long Wharf Theatre and the New Haven Free Public Library are working together on multiple initiatives marking the beginning of a long term partnership to increase access to both organizations.

MCC Theater has announced that MCC Playwright-in-Residence Neil LaBute will direct the world premiere of his new play, Reasons to Be Happy, as part of its 2012-13 Season. Performances of Reasons to Be Happy begin at the Lucille Lortel Theatre (121 Christopher Street, NYC) on May 16, 2013 and continue through June 23, 2013. An official opening is set for June 2, 2012 at 6:30 p.m. Additional information, including complete casting, will be announced shortly.

Long Wharf Theatre unveiled the largest renovation in the theatre's history, one that finally matched the patron experience with the excellence of the artistic product on the stages. The reopening took place at a press conference Tuesday, November 27th. A formal celebration will take place at the opening of THE KILLING OF SISTER GEORGE on Wednesday, December 5th.

NVA presents the heartwarming and hilarious holiday show PLAID TIDINGS. A Special Holiday Edition of Forever Plaid, PLAID TIDINGS marks the return of Sparky, Jinx, Smudge, and Frankie, a teenage singing group who've been sent down to earth by the heavenly Rosemary Clooney to put a little harmony into a discordant world.

Primary Stages last night held their annual Gala on Wednesday at The Edison Ballroom (240 W. 47th Street). The event, which honored Tony Award winner Tyne Daly (Master Class, Rabbit Hole, Gypsy), and producers and Primary Stages Board members Jamie deRoy and Ted Snowdon, featured performances by Tony Award nominee Tom Wopat (Sondheim on Sondheim, A Catered Affair), actor/director/producer Tamara Tunie ("Law & Order: SVU," "As The World Turns"), Lewis Cleale (The Book of Mormon, Spamalot, Call Me Madam), and Garrett Sorenson (Master Class). BroadwayWorld was there for the event and we bring you coverage from inside the event below!

Primary Stages previously announced program details for their annual Gala tonight, November 14, 2012 at 6:30PM at The Edison Ballroom (240 W. 47th Street). The event, which honors Tony Award winner Tyne Daly (Master Class, Rabbit Hole, Gypsy), and producers and Primary Stages Board members Jamie deRoy and Ted Snowdon, features performances by Tony Award nominee Tom Wopat (Sondheim on Sondheim, A Catered Affair), actor/director/producer Tamara Tunie ("Law & Order: SVU," "As The World Turns"), Lewis Cleale (The Book of Mormon, Spamalot, Call Me Madam), and Garrett Sorenson (Master Class). Speakers will include Julie Halston (Anything Goes, Olive and the Bitter Herbs), Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright and screenwriter Michael Cristofer (The Shadow Box, The Witches of Eastwick), and Executive Director of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS (BC/EFA) Tom Viola. The Gala Chairs are Barry Feirstein and Tom Kirdahy.

NVA presents the heartwarming and hilarious holiday show PLAID TIDINGS. A Special Holiday Edition of Forever Plaid, PLAID TIDINGS marks the return of Sparky, Jinx, Smudge, and Frankie, a teenage singing group who've been sent down to earth by the heavenly Rosemary Clooney to put a little harmony into a discordant world.

Primary Stages (Casey Childs, Founder & Executive Producer; Andrew Leynse, Artistic Director; Elliot Fox, Managing Director) have announced program details for their annual Gala on Wednesday, November 14, 2012 at 6:30PM at The Edison Ballroom (240 W. 47th Street). The event, which will honor Tony Award winner Tyne Daly (Master Class, Rabbit Hole, Gypsy), and producers and Primary Stages Board members Jamie deRoy and Ted Snowdon, will feature performances by Tony Award nominee Tom Wopat (Sondheim on Sondheim, A Catered Affair), actor/director/producer Tamara Tunie ("Law & Order: SVU," "As The World Turns"), Lewis Cleale (The Book of Mormon, Spamalot, Call Me Madam), and Garrett Sorenson (Master Class). Speakers will include Julie Halston (Anything Goes, Olive and the Bitter Herbs), Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright and screenwriter Michael Cristofer (The Shadow Box, The Witches of Eastwick), and Executive Director of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS (BC/EFA) Tom Viola. The Gala Chairs are Barry Feirstein and Tom Kirdahy.

Director David McGinnis and his cast of nine actors bring Michael Cristofer's Pulitzer Prize-winning play The Shadow Box to life in a solid and straightforward production that kicks off ACT 1's 2012-13 season at Nashville's Darkhorse Theater.

MCC THEATER presents the world premiere production of Don't Go Gentle by Stephen Belber and directed by Lucie Tiberghien, which opened last night, October 14, at the Rattlestick Theater. Don't Go Gentle features David Wilson Barnes (Broadway's The Lieutenant of Inishmore, Becky Shaw at Second Stage), newcomer Maxx Brawer, Michael Cristofer (NBC's hit series "Smash," Broadway's A View from the Bridge with Liev Schreiber), Angela Lewis (Milk Like Sugar at Playwrights Horizons), and Jennifer Mudge (Roundabout Theatre Company's The Philanthropist). BroadwayWorld brings you photos from the big opening below!

David McGinnis makes his ACT 1 directorial debut with the upcoming production of Michael Cristofer's Pultizer Prize-winning play The Shadow Box, running October 12-27 at Nashville's Darkhorse Theater.

MCC THEATER (Robert LuPone, Bernard Telsey, William Cantler, Artistic Directors; Blake West, Executive Director) begins previews today for the world premiere production of Don't Go Gentle by Stephen Belber and directed by Lucie Tiberghien, who also directed Belber's play Geometry of Fire at the Rattlestick Theater.

MCC THEATER (Robert LuPone, Bernard Telsey, William Cantler, Artistic Directors; Blake West, Executive Director) today announced that individual tickets have gone on-sale for the first show of its 2012-13 season: the world premiere of Stephen Belber's Don't Go Gentle. Performances take place at The Lucille Lortel Theatre (121 Christopher Street) and tickets go on sale at 11AM today Thursday, August 23rd at www.mcctheater.org or by calling (212) 352-3101.

MCC THEATER today announced full casting for Don't Go Gentle and additional casting for Small Engine Repair, two productions in their upcoming 2012-13 season, which marks the company's 27th consecutive year producing and developing new work by today's most provocative and vibrant artists.

Opening ACT 1's 2012-13 season at The Darkhorse Theatre in Nashville this fall will be the company's revival of Michael Cristofer's The Shadow Box, the 1977 Tony Award winner for best play (which won for Cristofer the 1977 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, brought to the stage by director David McGinnis, who makes his ACT 1 directorial debut with this effort.

The Drama League announced today the winners for the 78th Annual Drama League Awards: Distinguished Play, Other Desert Cities, presented by Philip Seymour Hoffman; Distinguished Revival of a Play, Death of a Salesman, presented by Christian Borle; Distinguished Production of a Musical, Once, presented by Cynthia Nixon; Distinguished Revival of a Musical, Follies, presented by Kelli O'Hara; and Distinguished Performance, Audra McDonald, presented by John Lithgow at a star-studded luncheon ceremony hosted by Stockard Channing (Other Desert Cities) and John Larroquette (Gore Vidal's The Best Man) at the Marriott Marquis Times Square.

The words we've all been breathlessly waiting to hear - "You're going on as Marilyn tonight," - were finally uttered by the director of the show-within-the-show, Derek (Jack Davenport), on SMASH's "Bombshell" season finale last night: Karen Cartwright (Katharine McPhee) nabbed the coveted role. Despite seemingly all of the bets being placed early in the season against Karen by viewers and critics alike insofar as her likelihood in donning the peroxide wig and beautymark - she seemed a Norma Jean but rarely an expected choice for Marilyn; certainly no match in the classic idea of the screen siren as far as the vivacious and curvaceous Ivy Lynn (Megan Hilty) was concerned. While many were quick in giving Ivy Lynn the upper hand - or upper skirt, as the case may be - it was evident from the first moment of the series that Karen, the underdog, is who we were largely meant to be rooting for above all others; the naive Iowa girl singing "Somewhere Over The Rainbow" on a stage of glitterring stars, so close and yet so far away. Ivy surely made a fast and furious impression soon thereafter with "The National Pastime" in SMASH's pilot, but Karen had already been quite clearly established as our most central protagonist - perhaps with Julia (Debra Messing) equally as prominent. As the fourteen subsequent episodes have progressed, SMASH has revealed itself to be a true ensemble piece with the emphasis on the collective journey of all of the characters and how that has had an effect on the burgeoning Broadway musical at the show's core, but Karen and Julia still have remained the two given the most screen-time and exposure. Megan Hilty has nonetheless emerged as a force to be reckoned with and her performance in the role is the finest of all on the series, outshining all in her songs and scenes. The various highways, byways and alleyways by which we have journeyed on the road of SMASH from the beginning to last night has unquestionably been leading to the BOMBSHELL first preview performances and the reveal of who would ultimately win the part of a lifetime in the show-within-the-show - and, on that count, the SMASH season finale bared all. And, as if all of that were not enough - cameos from Broadway heavyweights Bernadette Peters and Nick Jonas, too!

Select songs from tonight's new episode of NBC's musical drama series "Smash" (Mondays, 10-11 p.m. ET), are now available from NBCUniversal Television Consumer Products and Columbia Records on the iTunes store at http://www.itunes.com/NBCSmash.