Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater announces four additional commissioned playwrights as a part of Power Plays, an ambitious initiative commissioning and developing 25 new plays and musicals from a diverse mix of writers, composers and lyricists over the course of 10 years. Playwrights Lauren Yee, Zack Zadek, Emily Feldman and Karen Zacarías join previously commissioned playwrights with projects underway, including Eduardo Machado, whose Power Play Celia and Fidel, a perceptive and authentic look at Fidel Castro's most trusted confidant and political partner, Celia Sánchez, enjoys its world premiere in Arena's Arlene and Robert Kogod Cradle, February 28 through April 12, 2020.
You know those cartoons where the little fish is eaten by a bigger fish and then, just when you think everything is going to be fine, that fish is eaten by an even bigger fish? That kind of sums up how Molly Smith Metzler's 2017 play, Cry It Out unfolds in its new production by Apollinaire Theatre Company. The piece begins like a playwright's exercise, juxtaposing two young mothers from a New York suburb with little in common within the mutual confines of where their baby monitors can still receive signals from their respective nurseries. Through almost-realistic exchanges, we meet Lina, a rowdy, working class woman who has just had a baby boy named Max and Jessie, an upper-middle class corporate lawyer who has just given birth to a baby girl named Allison.
Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater announces the company for A Thousand Splendid Suns, adapted for the stage by Ursula Rani Sarma and based on the 2007 New York Times bestselling novel by Khaled Hosseini (Kite Runner).
Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater announces casting for Octavio Solis' Mother Road, a sequel to John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath. Mother Road premiered at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in 2019 and will run at Arena Stage from February 7 - March 8, 2020 in the iconic in-the-round Fichandler Stage.
The Big Chill meets This is Us in Rachel Bonds' play Goodnight Nobody. In this deeply moving and funny world premiere, a group of old friends reconnect after years apart. They reminisce with wild abandon, until the things they aren't telling each other come hurtling to the surface. The production runs January 10 through February 9 in McCarter's Berlind Theatre. More about the production at mccarter.org.
Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater announces the world-premiere musical American Prophet, directed and co-written by award-winning playwright Charles Randolph-Wright (Broadway's Motown The Musical) and featuring new music by Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter and co-script writer Marcus Hummon. The musical chronicles the life and legacy of one of the most notable human rights leaders of the 19th century, Frederick Douglass. Known as one of the greatest leaders of the abolitionist movement, Douglass was a prominent activist, author, orator and statesman. His own words power the soaring new melodies and original script. Directed by Randolph-Wright, American Prophet runs July 10 - August 16, 2020 in the Kreeger Theater.
Ballet, opera and musical theater director Daniel Pelzig helms the musical version of Irving Berlin's Holiday Inn, playing at Musical Theatre West. This is Pelzig's fourth production with MTW, after My Fair Lady in 2015, Mary Poppins in 2017 and The Little Mermaid earlier this year.
Every year hundreds of D.C.-area military families must spend the Thanksgiving holiday away from loved ones. In gratitude for their service, Arena Stage invites 200 wounded warriors, service men and women and their families to a complimentary dinner and performance of the musical Disney's Newsies at the Mead Center for American Theater. Since the first Military Thanksgiving in 2011, Arena Stage has served nearly 1,700 military members and their families with the annual event.
Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater announces the company for A Thousand Splendid Suns, adapted for the stage by Ursula Rani Sarma and based on the 2007 New York Times bestselling novel by Khaled Hosseini (Kite Runner). Set in 1992 in war-torn Afghanistan, this gripping story centers around a friendship that develops between two Afghan women following a tragedy. While facing insurmountable odds of a brutal and oppressive way of life, the two form an unlikely bond in a heart-rending fight for survival. Directed by Carey Perloff, A Thousand Splendid Suns runs January 17 - March 1, 2020 in the Kreeger Theater.
The Broadway at Birdland concert series was proud to present songwriter Georgia Stitt in an evening of her original songs called “The Me of the Moment: A Show About Re-invention” on November 18. Georgia's very special guests were Kate Baldwin, Matt Bogart, Jessica Vosk, AJ Sojola, Brandon Victor Dixon, and Molly Brown.
Netflix orders female-driven dramedy series Maid, inspired by the New York Times best-selling memoir Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother's Will to Survive by Stephanie Land.
Despite being set in 1899, NEWSIES feels marvelously modern. It is sharp, slick, and explosive.
Even if, like me, you saw the bright new production of NEWSIES on Broadway in 2012, the Arena Stage setting is instantly memorable. Being emerged in the theater-in-the-round is like the difference between seeing a beloved film on the big screen and walking into the middle of the action in the Disney theme parks.
In the summer of 1899, the newsboys of New York City took on two of the most powerful men in the country — Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst — and won. Inspired by true events, the Broadway smash hit is a testament to the power of standing up and speaking out. The Tony Award-winning musical features fan-favorites like “Carrying the Banner,” “King of New York” and “Seize the Day.” Newsies is “a winning, high-energy musical” (Entertainment Weekly) just in time for the holidays and perfect for the whole family.
The Tony Award-winning musical, Disney's Newsies, will receive an additional six performances during its run at Arena Stage. Under the direction of Molly Smith, choreography by Parker Esse and music direction by Laura Bergquist, the production now runs through December 29, 2019 in the iconic in-the-round Fichandler Stage.
The future of American theatre is in Louisville! Actors Theatre of Louisville and Artistic Director Robert Barry Fleming proudly announce the lineup for the 44th Humana Festival of New American Plays. The upcoming Festival marks Fleming's first at the helm of Actors Theatre, the nation's leading incubator for new play development. A cultural highlight for theatre lovers, artists and producers across the country, the Humana Festival runs March 1 through April 12, 2020 in Louisville.
We seized the day yesterday thanks to Chaz Wolcott taking over BroadwayWorld's Instagram Story at a two-show day of Arena Stage's production of Newsies! So in case you missed it (or just want to relive all of the fun and excitement), we compiled clips for you to enjoy. Check it all out!
Choosing whether or not to go back to work after having a baby can be one of the most difficult decisions a new mother (or father) can make. Even the most career-focused parents can find themselves weighing pros and cons when trying to do what they think is best for their growing family. But this decision is not as black and white as it may seem. Bubbling underneath can be old insecurities, conflicting gender role expectations, and fear that making the wrong choice will have a negative impact. Molly Smith Metzler's play CRY IT OUT, now playing at Hartford Stage, explores these themes through the eyes of four parents, each on their own journey through new parenthood and each dealing with the highs and lows of this common parental dilemma.
The world will know that Chaz Wolcott is taking over BroadwayWorld's Instagram Story at Arena Stage's production of Newsies this Sunday, November 10th! Be sure to seize the day and follow along throughout the day for a look behind the scenes at a two-show day with Jack, Davey, Katherine, and all of the kings of New York!
When thinking of the great composers and playwrights whose works have graced Arena Stage, these are the names that come to mind. So when Disney's Newsies was announced for this season, it is understandable why some were shaking their head quizzically.
Artistic Director Mark Yonally and Chicago Tap Theatre (CTT) bring audiences live music, a touch of magic and boundless energy with the return of their annual Tidings of Tap!, a warm and wondrous celebration of tap dance and the winter season, Sunday, Dec. 15 at 3 p.m. at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts, 9501 Skokie Blvd., Skokie, IL. Tickets range from $25 a?" $41 and are available now at 847.673.6300 or ChicagoTapTheatre.com. Group discounts are also available for groups of 10 or more.
