Michael Weiner News

The National Alliance for Musical Theatre (NAMT) announced today updated casting for the 24th Annual Festival of New Musicals and for the Songwriters Showcase that Tony nominee Nancy Opel and Tony winner and NAMT alum Joe DiPietro (O. Henry's Lovers '98) will host as part of the Festival on Friday, October 12 from 1:20-2:30pm at New World Stages (340 West 50th Street).

The National Alliance for Musical Theatre (NAMT) announced today that Tony nominee Nancy Opel and Tony winner and NAMT alum Joe DiPietro (O. Henry's Lovers '98) will host the NAMT Songwriters Showcase as part of the 24th Annual Festival of New Musicals on Friday, October 12 from 1:20-2:30pm at New World Stages (340 West 50th Street).

A Contemporary Theatre (ACT) have announced their mainstage season productions are now on sale to the general public for individual ticket purchases. The first two major productions of the season are First Date, a new musical co-produced with The 5th Avenue Theatre, followed by The Pitmen Painters, a regional premiere of the acclaimed London and Broadway play.

If you choose to take a date (first or otherwise) to the new World Premiere musical "First Date" currently being presented at ACT and co-produced through ACT and the 5th Avenue Theatre, you may end up getting quite sentimental and mushy towards your date as the evening wears on. Or you may end up breaking up as you laugh a little too hard at some of the baggage of these characters that hits a little too close to home. Either way, you're bound to have a good time (at least until the fighting begins) at this fun and funny bit of cotton candy.

Eric Ankrim and Kelly Karbacz go looking for love in First Date, a co-production between ACT - A Contemporary Theatre and The 5th Avenue Theatre which begins performances tonight. Get a first look at the production below!

Eric Ankrim and Kelly Karbacz will go looking for love in First Date, a co-production between ACT - A Contemporary Theatre and The 5th Avenue Theatre. This new musical about one date, two people, and all the voices in their heads, also features Seattle stars Benjamin Harris, Vicki Noon, Brandon O'Neill, Rich Gray, Greg McCormick Allen, and Sonya Meyer, in roles including old boyfriends, ex-fiancees, best friends, and pushy relatives, not to mention fellow diners who intrude on the couple's blind date. The 5th Avenue's Producing Director Bill Berry directs this clever and quirky world premiere romantic comedy with musical staging by Broadway's Josh Prince. With a book by screenwriter Austin Winsberg and music and lyrics by the dynamic writing team of Alan Zachary and Michael Weiner, this comedy chronicles the perils and pitfalls of blind dating and the journey from "tragic mistake" to "true love." Or at least to a second date.

A Contemporary Theatre (ACT) have announced their mainstage season productions are now on sale to the general public for individual ticket purchases. The first two major productions of the season are First Date, a new musical co-produced with The 5th Avenue Theatre, followed by The Pitmen Painters, a regional premiere of the acclaimed London and Broadway play.

From Nick Jonas and Michael Urie to the Ladies of THE VIEW to Adam Pascal, Raul Esparza, Barbra Streisand to Alan Menken, Bernadette Peters to Susan Boyle, Colin Quinn to GLEE and Everything in Between - It's the BroadwayWorld.com 2012 Valentine's Day Special - It's the Biggest Ever!

Check out BroadwayWorld TV's Around the BroadwayWorld for 9/15 featuring Songs from shows not quite on broadway including 'Now' - Dr. Zhivago, 'Second Hand Lions' - Megan Hilty, Time After Time, Turn of the Century: Behind the Scenes, Enter Laughing, the musical.

ACT -A Contemporary Theatre announces its 2012 Mainstage play season-including three World Premieres and two Northwest Premieres - along with a house filled with new presentations from The Central Heating Lab at ACT, The Young Playwrights Program, and The Hansberry Project at ACT, several of which will take place in the new 49-seat Eulalie Scandiuzzi Space located just a few steps away from the Bullitt Cabaret.

The 5th Avenue Theatre, Seattle's premiere musical theatre, is thrilled to announce its line-up for the 2011/12 season.

Ford's Theatre Society and the National Park Service are discussing the ramifications of a potential federal government shutdown.

Sara Chase joins Michel Weiner, and Darren Le Gallo returns this week, on Then we got HELP! Creator Julie Ann Emery (Hitch, 'Damages', 'Dexter') pulls a ‘Roseanne' by putting Chase in the role of Ashley, last season played by Broadway's Brandi Burkhardt, who was unavailable this season.

Ford's Theatre presents the world premiere of Liberty Smith, a madcap musical romp through Revolutionary America based on an original story by Marc Madnick and Eric R. Cohen, with music by Michael Weiner, lyrics by Adam Abraham and book by Madnick, Cohen and Abraham

Ford's Theatre presents the world premiere of Liberty Smith, a madcap musical romp through Revolutionary America based on an original story by Marc Madnick and Eric R. Cohen, with music by Michael Weiner, lyrics by Adam Abraham and book by Madnick, Cohen and Abraham.

Then we got Help! (www.thenwegothelp.com) returns Friday March 18, mixing some of Broadway?s brightest talents with TV and Film vets.

With over 30 new productions opening on DC area stages, 4 large festivals, and 2 world premiere musicals, it may still be chilly outside, but DC area stages are sizzling and bursting with great theatre. So come visit the Nation's Capital and visit our vibrant theatre scene.

Join Composer and producer, Scott Alan, for another night of 'Monday Nights, New Voices' February 28th, 2011 at the Duplex Cabaret Theatre.

Ford's Theatre presents the world premiere of Liberty Smith, a madcap musical romp through Revolutionary America based on an original story by Marc Madnick and Eric R. Cohen, with music by Michael Weiner, lyrics by Adam Abraham and book by Madnick, Cohen and Abraham.