Michael Sullivan News

As previously announced, Berkshire Theatre Group (BTG)'s sold-out production of Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick's Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning musical Fiorello! will transfer to Off-Broadway's East 13th Street Theater (136 East 13th Street, between 3rd and 4th Avenues), home of Classic Stage Company. BroadwayWorld has a sneak peek at the company in rehearsal with Harnick below!

Court Theatre, under the leadership of Artistic Director Charles Newell and Executive Director Stephen J. Albert, presents the World Premiere of Man in the Ring by Michael Cristofer, directed by Artistic Director Charles Newell.

Today, BTG is thrilled to announce the complete and final casting of this exciting revival - the first ever full-scale New York City and Off-Broadway revival of the hit musical!

Berkshire Theatre Group (BTG) has just announced its sold-out production of Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick's Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning musical Fiorello! will transfer to Off-Broadway's East 13th Street Theater (136 East 13th Street, between 3rd and 4th Avenues), home of Classic Stage Company.

The idea of a comedic play by Tennessee Williams might raise an eyebrow or two. Tennessee Williams? The same playwright who penned dark plays focusing on dysfunctional households as seen in 'A Streetcar Named Desire' and 'The Glass Menagerie?' That same Williams?

If you've seen the Maysles brother's documentaries GREY GARDENS and THE BEALES OF GREY GARDENS (which are actually collaborative efforts between David & Albert Maysles,Ellen Hovde, Muffie Mayer & Susan Froemke) then you have to see Max and Louie Productions' brilliant staging of the musical based upon these larger than life figures. If you haven't see either, then you desperately need to. Seriously, they're on HULU, watch them! Eavesdropping on Edith Bouvier Beale (big Edie) and Edie Beale (little Edie) in these films is an immersive experience, filled with snippets of songs, stories of missed opportunities and lost loves, a dilapidated estate, lot of cats, and more than one raccoon. Their love for one another is, somehow, crystalline clear, but lying beneath layers of scars that a life unfulfilled can produce. The musical tells it all, with a one act flashback to 1941 that fills in the blanks (book by Doug Wright) that led years later to their seclusion in squalor. This is masterfully achieved by the combined efforts of an exceptional cast and expert direction. I'll say it more than you once; you must see GREY GARDENS.

? New Jersey based singer/songwriter Chris Luciani is proud to announce the release  of his new rock single 'Overload.'  Recorded with producer Alex  Morelli of AMM, the single features infatuating hooks and  powerful vocals by Luciani that drive this emotionally thrilling song.  The release of 'Overload' announces a new and exciting  voice in American music in Chris Luciani. This performer and  writer incorporates the music of his influences into his own  unique sound. 

WaterTower Theatre Producing Artistic Director Terry Martin today announced casting and creative team details for the regional premiere of Outside Mullingar, directed by Rene Moreno. Written by John Patrick Shanley, Outside Mullingar will run June 3 - 26, 2016. The cast featuresJeremy Schwartz as Anthony Reilly, Jessica Cavanagh as Rosemary Muldoon, John S. Davies as Tony Reilly and Gail Cronauer as Aoife Muldoon.

BOSNIAN/AMERICAN: THE DANCE FOR LIFE is a winning little piece, dedicated to educating and informing the public about the immigration of Bosnian refugees who fled to St. Louis, MO, when frequent massacres and religious and cultural persecution became more and more prevalent in their homeland. It's a wonderful thing to have a Bosnian community in our hometown, and hopefully we're representing the true spirit of the melting pot that is America with our welcoming attitude. Surely, this migration has been taking place for a long time, so there are roots now established here. But, there's always that need to be fully recognized as a true part of the community that sometimes goes unfulfilled. Luckily, playwright Deanna Jent has lent her considerable skills to the task with a work that speaks to people of all ages.

? WaterTower Theatre Producing Artistic Director Terry Martin today announced casting and creative team details for the regional premiere of Outside Mullingar, directed by Rene Moreno. Written by John Patrick Shanley, Outside Mullingar will run June 3 - 26, 2016. The cast features Jeremy Schwartz as Anthony Reilly, Jessica Cavanagh as Rosemary Muldoon, John S. Davies as Tony Reilly and Gail Cronauer as Aoife Muldoon.

The title of Lee Blessing's play, ELEEMOSYNARY, refers to the word one of the characters successfully spells, winning a spelling bee in the process, but also to the very definition of it; charitable. It's an intriguing story of three generations of women, all of whom are extraordinarily gifted in one way or another. These individual gifts are both a blessing and a curse to each character, and ultimately greatly affect the way they interact with one another. This is a moving and fascinating story driven by the relationships between these three women, and Mustard Seed Theatre's production is challenging theatre that provides a must-see experience.

Over the years I've learned a tremendous amount about the Jewish religion and its traditions through the plays and people I've come in contact with at The New Jewish Theatre. But, I have to admit that I never knew the story of the 'wandering Jew', although I'd grown up with parents who loved flora and fauna, and often had the plant growing outside that was nicknamed for the tale. I brought my son along with me to see the show because I want him to be well rounded and know as much as he can about the belief systems of all cultures. Glen Berger's wonderful play, UNDERNEATH THE LINTEL, is a sort of detective story that is truly, as artistic director Kathleen Sitzer described it; a testament to faith. It achieved precisely what I had hoped it would do as well by provoking an interesting discussion between my son and I as we talked on the way home. This is a very well done production that provides must-see entertainment, while also giving its audience plenty to ponder.

Brimming with song & dance, comedy & romance, gamblers & chorus girls, the unforgettable Guys & Dolls starts the year at Pittsburgh Public Theater. Ted Pappas directs and choreographs the Great American Musical running January 28 - February 28, 2016 at the O'Reilly Theater, Pittsburgh Public Theater's home in the heart of Downtown's Cultural District. For tickets call 412.316.1600 or visit ppt.org. Guys & Dolls is presented by Highmark.

In 'Allen Wilder 2.0' by Matt Morillo, a director of softcore porn returns from Hollywood to his dead parents' house in Levittown, LI to sort through his belongings and re-examine the shame of his life. Can his ex-babysitter, recently divorced, soothe the wounds of failure he feels?  The 'trap of regrets' in each of these two gets comic treatment in this new play, whose premiere will be presented by Theater for the New City January 7 to 31, 2016, directed by the author.

So I'm watching a Paul McCartney DVD, which is a collection of videos he released over the years, and I start to queue up the one for the song "Pipes of Peace", and I notice immediately that the short film is based on the Christmas Truce of 1914. I don't recall any history classes I had in school ever mentioning this moment in time, and that's why I think it's so important that people see Mustard Seed Theatre's production of ALL IS CALM: THE CHRISTMAS TRUCE OF 1914. They need to know that even in the midst of the gruesome and grueling trench fighting that was emblematic of the first World War, there was this one day where the soldiers from both sides laid down their arms and celebrated the holiday. In fact, after seeing it twice before, I wanted to make sure that my wife and son were exposed to this beautiful and touching show. It's a moving piece that you simply must see!

The New Jewish Theatre opens their season with a nicely staged presentation of Neil Simon's lovingly written tribute to the those long gone days of vaudeville, THE SUNSHINE BOYS. As you would expect from such a prolific and gifted writer, the jokes come fast and furious, reflecting the nature of the characters as much as the subject matter, particularly with regards to Willie Clark, and his habit of finding some wry and cynical take on any conversation directed toward him. It's a reflex, and one I totally get, because I often find myself doing the same thing. It's a defense mechanism, I suppose. And, if this seems like I'm getting a little deep, that's because this version of the show has a certain poignancy and emotional affectation that provides the play with additional depth. Perhaps that's due to the fact that the main actors are normally ones you would find doing predominately dramatic works. But, this is proof positive that you can't always judge an actor by their portfolio, because they confound expectations with their superb performances. Go see this wonderfully fresh take on THE SUNSHINE boys, you'll certainly be glad you did.

The Long Island Theater Collective, a local theater production company, today announced the debut of their 2015 season with the opening of Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett on October 2 and 3rd at 8pm at the Studio Theatre in Lindenhurst. This play will be an ambitious offering in their second season. The rest of the season will consist of a new adaptation of A Christmas Carol, A New Plays Festival and William Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing.

As playwright Jessica Dickey reveals in her notes in the program, THE AMISH PROJECT is a fictionalized realization of an actual event that occurred in Nickel Mines, which has an Amish community. There, several female children were senselessly gunned down in their school room by a very troubled man who then killed himself. There is more to the story, and a simple search on the internet will reveal even more gruesome details. In fact, you'll find out that school shootings have, sadly, been going on for hundreds of years. This is not a new phenomenon, but a disturbing one nonetheless. Dickey explains that the schoolhouse no longer exists, but was razed by the Amish community and designated as a grazing area with three maple trees being the only reminder of the place where the tragedy happened. To maintain their anonymity, Dickey creates characters who are meant to represent various individuals, and gives us an unflinching glimpse into the scene that took place, while also respecting their privacy and helping us to better understand the surprising sense of forgiveness and acceptance that the Amish practice, even if others still find their ways to be unusual in this modern age we live in. Mustard Seed Theatre opens their season with this intensely powerful and moving work, and it's required viewing for any fan of exceptional theatre.

The Ivoryton Playhouse leaves the sunny tropical shores of the South Pacific in August and travels to the sizzling backstreets of '50s MEMPHIS. Scroll down for a sneak peek at the cast in rehearsal below!