Michael Mayer News

The smash-hit musical AMERICAN IDIOT presents "American Idiot Gives Back", a day of special performances on Thursday, December 16 to benefit Broadway Cares/ Equity Fights AIDS.

The Public Theater (Artistic Director Oskar Eustis; Executive Director Andrew D. Hamingson) and Signature Theatre Company (Founding Artistic Director James Houghton; Executive Director Erika Mallin) in association with the Guthrie Theater (Joe Dowling, Director) are pleased to announce initial casting for the New York premiere of Tony Kushner's THE INTELLIGENT HOMOSEXUAL'S GUIDE TO CAPITALISM AND SOCIALISM WITH A KEY TO THE SCRIPTURES.

Yesterday, December 12, New York Stage and Film presented their Annual Winter Gala. Top theatrical talent paid tribute to honorees Laura Linney (Academy Award-nominated and Emmy Award-winning actress) and Jordan Roth (President of Jujamcyn Theaters) at The Plaza Hotel including Steven Pasquale, Rebecca Naomi Jones and John Gallagher, Jr., and cast members from Spring Awakening, Hair and American Idiot. John Benjamin Hickey and Michael Mayer served as presenters. BroadwayWorld was on hand and brings you photo coverage below.

The writer is alive (at least for now). Berkeley Repertory Theatre is preparing its new holiday show, Lemony Snicket's The Composer is Dead, and audiences can get an earful of what they're in for at Page to Stage. Daniel Handler - Snicket's stand-in - will be interviewed about this preposterous production at 7:00 PM on Monday, December 13 in the Roda Theatre. Madeleine Oldham, Berkeley Rep's literary manager and dramaturg, will moderate the conversation, which will also explore the dreadfully successful career of the bestselling author who penned A Series of Unfortunate Events.

New York Stage and Film (Johanna Pfaelzer, Artistic Director; Mark Linn-Baker, Max Mayer, Leslie Urdang, Producing Directors) has announced the lineup of top theatrical talent that will pay tribute to honorees Laura Linney (Academy Award-nominated and Emmy Award-winning actress) and Jordan Roth (President of Jujamcyn Theaters) at the Annual Winter Gala.

The Drama League proudly announces complete details for DirectorFest 2010, the 27th annual presentation of one-act plays staged by the Fall Fellows of The Drama League Directors Project (Roger Danforth, Artistic Director; Gabriel Shanks, Executive Director).

New York Stage and Film (Johanna Pfaelzer, Artistic Director; Mark Linn-Baker, Max Mayer, Leslie Urdang, Producing Directors) will honor Academy Award-nominated and Emmy Award-winning actress Laura Linney and Jujamcyn Theaters President, Jordan Roth.

The BPM Festival returns to Playa del Carmen, Mexico, from December 31st, 2010 to January 9th, 2011 and is excited to announce its stellar 2011 lineup of globally renowned DJs and nightly events schedule.

Over the course of our ninety minute conversation earlier this week, Tony-winning Broadway star Alice Ripley was kind enough to open up about her role in the phenomenon of the Pulitzer Prize-winning rock musical NEXT TO NORMAL, which is now kicking off a US Tour beginning in Los Angeles, as well as offer thoughts on many of her significant stage roles that she has taken on over the course of her impressive and varied career. Pete Townshend and THE WHO'S TOMMY to Andrew Lloyd Webber and SUNSET BOULEVARD and TELL ME ON A SUNDAY, to Sondheim with COMPANY (as the greatest Amy of all time), and even a turn in ROCKY HORROR; Alice Ripley has seemingly done it all, and her passion, dedication and insight into her craft are amply evident in both her studied performances on stage as well as in discussing the art of acting in musical theatre in conversation and what she has taken as her inspirations to play Diana Goodman, ranging from Albee to O'Neill to actors like Cynthia Nixon, Toni Collette and more. In this portion of her most comprehensive interview to date, BroadwayWorld is proud to present Part I of InDepth InterView: Alice Ripley.

Atlantic Theater Company (Neil Pepe, Artistic Director; Jeffory Lawson, Managing Director) is proud to announce that Patricia Conolly, Michael Countryman, Francesca Faridany, Mikaela Feely-Lehmann, Rick Holmes, John Keating, Peter Maloney, Jaime Ray Newman, Patricia O'Connell, Jeremy Shamos, Joey Slotnick and Tom Patrick Stephens will star in the world premiere adaptation of THE NEW YORK IDEA by Tony Award® winner David Auburn from the original play by Langdon Mitchell and directed by Mark Brokaw.

New York Stage and Film (Johanna Pfaelzer, Artistic Director; Mark Linn-Baker, Max Mayer, Leslie Urdang, Producing Directors) has announced the lineup of top theatrical talent that will pay tribute to honorees Laura Linney (Academy Award-nominated and Emmy Award-winning actress) and Jordan Roth (President of Jujamcyn Theaters) at the Annual Winter Gala.

The New York Times will hold its 10th annual Arts & Leisure Weekend on Jan. 6 to 9, 2011.

The New York Times will hold its 10th annual Arts & Leisure Weekend on Jan. 6 to 9, 2011. The Times's signature event is a four-day celebration of the arts featuring TimesTalks interviews between New York Times journalists and celebrated guests from film, media, music, television and theater.

The Drama League proudly announces complete details for DirectorFest 2010, the 27th annual presentation of one-act plays staged by the Fall Fellows of The Drama League Directors Project (Roger Danforth, Artistic Director; Gabriel Shanks, Executive Director).

Signature Theatre Company's production of Tony Kushner's ANGELS IN AMERICA: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes, began performances Tuesday, September 14. The first New York revival of Kushner's Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize-winning play is directed by Michael Greif. The production, originally slated to run through December 19, has been extended a second time through February 20, 2011. Previously, BroadwayWorld has brought you clips of the creative team members discussing their experience with the production. Today, we bring you the latest from the Signature's web series, revisiting original Angels company members. In this clip, Ben Shankman - Louis Ironson from the HBO Miniseries - revisits the meaning of ANGELS.

According to a report on Billboard.com, the Portland-based rock group, The Decemberists, are considering the possibility of writing a Broadway musical. Says vocalist/guitarist Colin Meloy: 'I grew up doing theater, so in theory, I would love to write a musical. I don't know if I have the stuff -- I always end up just writing little pop songs that stand a better chance on a record than on stage...It happens that the director Michael Mayer, who directed Green Day's 'American Idiot' musical on Broadway, is the guy that got me going about doing a musical...We're still talking and there's potential for a musical down the line, for sure.'

Jordan Roth, President of Jujamcyn Theaters, continued his multi-evening 92nd Street Y conversation series, 'Broadway Talks,' with Tony and Emmy Award-winning actress Elaine Stritch on December 6. Roth and Stritch discussed her current role in A Little Night Music, among other topics of her legendary career, at 92nd Street Y 1395 Lexington Avenue at 92nd Street.

TRANSPORT GROUP has once again partnered with Charity Folks for its highly anticipated annual BROADWAY HOLIDAY AUCTON. Every bid and purchase supports TRANSPORT GROUP in its mission to stage new works and reimagines revivals by American writers. Since its founding in 2001 by Jack Cummings III and Robyn Hussa, TRANSPORT GROUP has staged thirteen productions: seven plays and six musicals, including six world premieres and seven revivals. and have done outreach projects to disadvantaged communities.

The Drama League proudly announces complete details for DirectorFest 2010, the 27th annual presentation of one-act plays staged by the Fall Fellows of The Drama League Directors Project (Roger Danforth, Artistic Director; Gabriel Shanks, Executive Director).

92nd Street Y has announced that Jordan Roth, President of Jujamcyn Theaters, continues his multi-evening 92nd Street Y conversation series, "Broadway Talks," with Tony and Emmy Award-winning actress Elaine Stritch.