Michael Mayer News

According to Deadline.com, NBC just signed a deal with Columbia Records to release the soundtrack for the highly anticipated new series Smash. Additionally, leading lady and American Idol alum Katharine McPhee has also signed a recording contract with Columbia.

Tony Kushner's THE INTELLIGENT HOMOSEXUAL'S GUIDE TO CAPITALISM AND SOCIALISM WITH A KEY TO THE SCRIPTURES presented by The Public Theater (Artistic Director Oskar Eustis; Interim Executive Director Joey Parnes) and Signature Theatre Company (Founding Artistic Director James Houghton; Executive Director Erika Mallin) in association with the Guthrie Theater (Joe Dowling, Director) will begin its final week of performances on Tuesday, June 7.

Sh-K-Boom/Ghostlight Records is proud to reveal the secret identities of THE LEAGUE OF BROADWAY SUPER FRIENDS -- a five-part harmony-singing group featuring Broadway's brightest stars and biggest talents. Their inaugural concert will present Kelli O'Hara, Lindsay Mendez, Gavin Creel, Greg Naughton and Sherie Rene Scott, joining forces and voices for good: a June 7th benefit concert at Le Poisson Rouge, to raise funds in the fight against Pancreatic Cancer. Tickets will go on-sale at 10am on Monday, May 16h. More details here: http://sh-k-boom.com/leagueofbroadwaysuperfriends/

92nd Street Y has announced that Jordan Roth, President of Jujamcyn Theaters, will continue his popular multi-evening 92nd Street Y conversation series, 'Broadway Talks with Jordan Roth' with Grammy Award-winning musicians Bono and The Edge, on the eve of the Opening Night of SPIDER-MAN Turn Off The Dark. Roth, Bono and The Edge will discuss the Broadway show and the latest recording (Music from SPIDER-MAN Turn Off The Dark) at 92nd Street Y (1395 Lexington Avenue at 92nd Street) on Monday, June 13th at 8:00 p.m. Tickets are $35 and are available at www.92Y.org/BroadwayTalks or by calling 212.415.5500.

Tony Kushner's THE ILLUSION, directed by Michael Mayer opened on Sunday, June 5, 2011. The production will play through Sunday, July 17, 2011, having extended one week. THE ILLUSION began previews Tuesday, May 17 at the Peter Norton Space. BroadwayWorld was on hand for the opening and brings you photo coverage below!

92nd Street Y has announced that Jordan Roth, President of Jujamcyn Theaters, will continue his popular multi-evening 92nd Street Y conversation series, 'Broadway Talks with Jordan Roth' with Grammy Award-winning musicians Bono and The Edge, on the eve of the Opening Night of SPIDER-MAN Turn Off The Dark. Roth, Bono and The Edge will discuss the Broadway show and the latest recording (Music from SPIDER-MAN Turn Off The Dark) at 92nd Street Y (1395 Lexington Avenue at 92nd Street) on Monday, June 13th at 8:00 p.m.

Over 350 guests including current and past New York City high school students, and the 28 mentors who have participated in TDF's Open Doors, the theatre arts mentoring program that TDF founded in 1998 with playwright Wendy Wasserstein, will attend this year's graduation at 6pm on Monday, June 6 at NYC Center Stage 1 (131 West 55th Street, NYC). This year has been Open Doors biggest year ever with a total of 28 mentors and guest mentors working with 21 groups of students from New York City high schools.

Whether you've been living under a rock for the past week, or you're just in the mood for a recap of everything theatre, BroadwayWorld's new feature, 'This Week in Pictures' is here to satisfy your end of the week fix. Take a look below to catch up on the latest happenings from the Great White Way to the West End (and everywhere in between) with coverage of press events, rehearsals, opening nights and more!

Due to popular demand, Signature Theatre Company (Founding Artistic Director James Houghton; Executive Director Erika Mallin) is pleased to announce a one-week extension for Tony Kushner's THE ILLUSION, directed by Michael Mayer. The production, originally slated to run through July 10, 2011, will now play through Sunday, July 17, 2011. THE ILLUSION began previews Tuesday, May 17 at the Peter Norton Space (555 W. 42nd Street) with opening night scheduled for June 5.

In NBC's highly anticipated new series SMASH, Debra Messing plays a lyricist developing a brand new Broadway show about Marilyn Monroe, but according to a recent interview with the Hollywood Reporter she has also been inspired by musical theatre in real life. Messing revealed: 'My prototype growing up was Barbra Streisand. That's how I saw myself more at the time, I wanted to be Funny Girl, literally on Broadway and in the real world.'

As Signature Theatre Company prepares for the January 2012 opening of their new Frank Gehry-designed home, Signature Center, they have launched a new video series featuring interviews with a wide array of playwrights, directors, actors, and others connected to the Theatre. Called 'Signature Stories,' the videos capture personal reminiscences about time spent at Signature and offer a 'behind the scenes' glimpse into the inner-workings of the Company. The first three multi-subject videos in the series have featured architect Frank Gehry and Signature alumni Ethan Hawke, Frankie Faison, Kate Mulgrew and more talking about the Company's new home, as well as past Signature Playwrights-in-Residence, actors, directors and designers reflecting on their artistic experiences at Signature.

Signature Theatre Companypresents Tony Kushner's THE ILLUSION, directed by Michael Mayer. THE ILLUSION begins performances on May 17, 2011 at The Peter Norton Space (555 West 42nd Street). Opening night will be June 5. heck out recently released production shots from the show below!

The New York premiere of Dale Whisman's Southern Gothic drama, Down the Road, begins previews June 1, 2011 before an official opening on June 4th at the ArcLight Theatre (152 West 71st St.).

The New York premiere of Dale Whisman's Southern Gothic drama, Down the Road, begins previews June 1, 2011 before an official opening on June 4th at the ArcLight Theatre (152 West 71st St.).

Culled from as A-list a list as you are ever likely to acquire - Steven Spielberg, Robert Greenblatt, Craig Zadan, Neil Meron, Michael Mayer, Theresa Rebeck and Marc Shaiman/Scott Wittman onwards - SMASH is the adult answer to riveting dramatic musical entertainment coming with heart, laughs, unforgettable characters and some of the biggest twists this side of the starry stages on the Great White Way. Oh, yeah, and those hallowed Broadway halls, too. Plus, SMASH provides a great new opportunity to showcase the unbelievable talent on display on the stages of Broadway and Off-Broadway and beyond, particularly given the fact that it is shot in New York and it is being cast by the biggest casting director on Broadway, Bernie Telsey. Consider the theatre-centric casting LAW & ORDER times seventy six (trombones). All of New York is the talent pool from which the stage of SMASH shall be set. And, what exactly is SMASH about, anyway? Well, SMASH is all about Broadway and what makes a musical tick - from the very inception of the show's idea by the songwriters, through writing, rehearsals and the road; all the way to the big Broadway opening where dreams are made - and nightmares born - on one magnificent, momentous night. As viewers, we are taken inside the ticking clock of the show and we experience each and every one of the multitude of machinations enacted by everyone from the stars - Marilyn Monroe, and the actress playing her, Ivy; and, more importantly, her alternative, Karen - to the overworked director (Derek), harried songwriters Tom and Julia, and the speculative and cutthroat producer behind it all, Eileen.

The League of Professional Theatre Women (LPTW), a non-profit organization committed to promoting visibility and increasing opportunities for women in the professional theatre, is pleased to recognize the talents of two outstanding women: the LPTW Lucille Lortel Award and accompanying grant will be presented to Jessica Burr, Artistic Director of Blessed Unrest; and the Ruth Morley Design Award will be given to Tony Award-winning scenic designer Christine Jones. These awards will be presented at the League's 2011 Awards Luncheon, to be held from 12:00 - 2:00 p.m. on Thursday, June 9 at Sardi's Restaurant.

BroadwayWorld.com excitedly reported last week that NBC has officially picked up the pilot entitled SMASH for a series to begin mid-season. This week in New York City, stars Debra Messing and Anjelica Huston as well as a slew of other NBC stars gathered for NBC's upfronts. Check out photos from the event below!

Atlantic Theater Company (Neil Pepe, Artistic Director; Jeffory Lawson, Managing Director) concludes its 25th Anniversary season with a celebration of its history with 10x25, an all-commissioned one-act festival of ten-minute plays by twenty five of the extraordinary playwrights who have been produced there since 1985. 10x25 will unite and reunite Atlantic ensemble members, playwrights, and frequent guest actors and directors in three separate offerings of ten minute plays, which will run the gamut of theatrical styles and conte

Previews for Signature Theatre Company's (James Houghton, Founding Artistic Director; Erika Mallin, Executive Director) production of Tony Kushner's THE ILLUSION begin tonight, Tuesday, May 17 at the Peter Norton Space (555 W. 42nd Street) with opening night scheduled for June 5.

BroadwayWorld.com excitedly reported last week that NBC has officially picked up the pilot entitled SMASH for a series to begin mid-season. This week in New York City as part of NBC's upfronts, they unveiled the complete trailer for the show. What will we do from now till its premiere? Wait impatiently!