Michael Mayer News

Sh-K-Boom Records will present the new album from Tony Award-nominee Sherie Rene Scott, All Will Be Well - The Piece of Meat Studio Sessions, as a digital exclusive today, March 25.

Unable to see AMERICAN IDIOT in New York City, I am so happy that the Third National Tour finally brought the show to Houston, TX. This lively, youthful cast owns every moment of this explosive and exhilarating AMERICAN IDIOT, and I can't imagine any other cast performing this rollicking, raucous piece as well as they do. Every human on the stage gives this show everything they can, and the end result is something I'll cherish for years to come.

DCINY expands its collaboration with innovative young composer and two-time Grammy Award- winner Christopher Tin with an exhilarating night of Tin's music at Carnegie Hall. The Drop of Dawn on Sunday, April 13 at 8:30 pm, unites two large-scale, multi-lingual choral and orchestral works: the world premiere of The Drop That Contained The Sea, and a performance of Tin's acclaimed Calling All Dawns, whose opening movement, "Baba Yetu," made history as the first piece of music written for a video game to win a Grammy Award. Performing with the Distinguished Concerts Orchestra and Singers International, which features outstanding choruses chosen from across the US, Canada and England, and conducted by DCINY Artistic Director Jonathan Griffith, is an array of spectacular singers and world music artists including mezzo-sopranos Jacqueline Horner-Kwiatek (of Anonymous 4) and Charity Dawson, tenor Saum Eskandani, Indian Classical vocalist Roopa Mahadevan, Mongolian pop star Nominjin, and Portuguese fado singer Nathalie Pires. The Drop That Contained The Sea will also be released on CD and iTunes on May 8, with pre-orders available starting April 13 on ChristopherTin.com.

Tony Award-nominated Best Musical and 2010 Grammy Award winner for Best Musical Show Album, Green Day's AMERICAN IDIOT will premiere at the Van Wezel on April 7, 2014 at 8PM. This Broadway smash-hit features the music of Green Day with the lyrics of its lead singer Billie Joe Armstrong. The book is by Armstrong and Michael Mayer and direction is by Tony Award-winner Mayer ('Spring Awakening').

Noor Theatre Artistic Director Lameece Issaq, Executive Director Maha Chehlaoui, and Producing Artistic Director Nancy Vitale announce the world premiere of The Myth Project. This director-driven workshop production in three parts from Director/Writers Kareem Fahmy, Noelle Ghoussaini, and Pirronne Yousefzadeh, will run from Thursday, May 1 - Sunday, May 4 at New York Theatre Workshop's 4th Street Theatre.

HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH has announced its lottery policy and stand room policies for all performances.

The first promotional look at the premiere Broadway production of acclaimed cult rock musical HEDWIG & THE ANGRY INCH and its newly crowned titular headliner Neil Patrick Harris is now available to view.

Acclaimed cult rock musical HEDWIG & THE ANGRY INCH is headed to Broadway for the very first time and its newly crowned titular headliner Neil Patrick Harris along with the composer/lyricist behind the score, Stephen Trask, and co-star Lena Hall (who plays Yitzhak) participate in a new behind the scenes featurette that is now available to view.

Blake Hackler, assistant professor of theatre at SMU Meadows School of the Arts, has been awarded a Fulbright Scholars Grant to conduct teaching and research in Bulgaria. Hackler will be in residence at New Bulgarian University in the capital city of Sofia from January through June, 2015, where he will teach and direct theatre, focusing on physical acting techniques. He will also observe and work with the Sfumato Theatre Laboratory, an internationally recognized theatre based in Sofia that produces highly physical interpretations of classic plays.

Gracious, charming, highly intelligent and perceptive, Polish-born artist Piotr Beczala (dubbed 'Piotr the Great' in San Francisco), first graced the San Diego Opera stage in his 2010 Boheme debut, triumphed these past weeks in Verdi's A Masked Ball, and will complete his 'March madness' with Verdi's monumental Requiem. Acclaimed for both the beauty of his voice and for his ardent commitment to each character he portrays, he is also an avid golfer, and loves being here in San Diego.

Rehearsals are currently underway for Neil Patrick Harris' return to Broadway in the new production of Hedwig and the Angry Inch, the musical with book by John Cameron Mitchell and music and lyrics by Stephen Trask, directed by Michael Mayer. The limited engagement, featuring Lena Hall (Kinky Boots, lead singer of The Deafening), will begin previews Saturday, March 29 for a Tuesday, April 22 opening night at the Belasco Theatre (111 West 44th Street). Check out photos of the marquee at the Belasco below!

This week's lineup at the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts.

The Drama League Winter/Spring 2014 Programming Schedule recently presented its 'Up Close: A Conversation with…' Series with Broadway composer, Jason Robert Brown at the Drama League Theater Center (32 Avenue of the Americas) in Tribeca, on Monday, March 10, 2014 followed by a reception. Broadway veteran Steven Pasquale, currently starring in the new musical The Bridges of Madison County with music & lyrics by Mr. Brown, moderated the discussion. Check out pictures below!

The Hasty Pudding Institute of 1770 honored acclaimed Producer David Heyman last night as the 2014 recipient of the Order of the Golden Sphinx . The annual Order of the Golden Sphinx gala was held at the Allen Room at Jazz at Lincoln Center's Frederick P. Rose Hall in New York City. Heyman's critically acclaimed box office hit Gravity, directed by Alfonso Cuaron and starring Sandra Bullock and George Clooney received 10 Academy Award nominations and won an outstanding seven Oscars. He is the producer of all the film adaptations of J.K Rowling's Harry Potter books. Scroll down for a look at the event!

The Hasty Pudding Institute of 1770 honored acclaimed Producer David Heyman last night as the 2014 recipient of the Order of the Golden Sphinx . The annual Order of the Golden Sphinx gala was held at the Allen Room at Jazz at Lincoln Center's Frederick P. Rose Hall in New York City. Heyman's critically acclaimed box office hit Gravity, directed by Alfonso Cuaron and starring Sandra Bullock and George Clooney received 10 Academy Award nominations and won an outstanding seven Oscars. He is the producer of all the film adaptations of J.K Rowling's Harry Potter books.

The Drama League continues its Winter/Spring 2014 Programming Schedule and the an 'Up Close' Series with Broadway composer, Jason Robert Brown, at the Drama League Theater Center (32 Avenue of the Americas) in Tribeca, TONIGHT at 7:00 p.m. Broadway veteran Steven Pasquale, currently starring in the new musical The Bridges of Madison County with music & lyrics by Mr. Brown, will moderate the discussion.

Rehearsals begin today for Neil Patrick Harris' return to Broadway in the new production of Hedwig and the Angry Inch, the musical with book by John Cameron Mitchell and music and lyrics by Stephen Trask, directed by Michael Mayer. The limited engagement, featuring Lena Hall (Kinky Boots, lead singer of The Deafening), will begin previews Saturday, March 29 for a Tuesday, April 22 opening night at the Belasco Theatre (111 West 44th Street).

The national tour of Green Day's AMERICAN IDIOT comes to Broward Center for the Performing Arts on March 25th.

Broadway stars might boast the biggest fan-bases, but without their directors, the vehicle driving their talents could easily swerve off the tracks. Keeping the runaway train at bay are season's bold Broadway 'conductors'. Scroll down to learn more about this season's intrepid and imaginative leaders!