Neil Patel News

Following its run at The Public Theater, Detroit '67, the much buzzed-about play by two-time NAACP Image Award recipient, Dominique Morisseau, will open at the National Black Theatre on Saturday, March 23. Directed by Kwame Kwei-Armah, the powerful drama will run through Sunday, April 14, presented by Time Warner. Billed as 'Uptown Meets Downtown,' the production is a collaboration between the Classical Theatre of Harlem (Ty Jones, Producing Artistic Director), National Black Theatre (Sade Lythcott, CEO; Nabii Faison, General Manager and The Public Theater (Oskar Eustis, Artistic Director; Patrick Willingham, Executive Director).

The Little Opera Theatre of NY announces its spring 2013 production of Christoph Willibald Gluck's tragi-comic opera The Reformed Drunkard. Eight performances will be presented from today, MARCH 16-24 at 59E59 Theaters (59 East 59th Street, between Park and Madison Avenues). Performance times are 8:15 pm for Fridays and Todays, including March 16, 22, and 23; 7:15 pm for Tuesday-Thursday performances, March 19-21; and 3:15 pm for two Sunday matinees, March 17 and 24. Tickets are $35 ($24.50 for 59e59 members), and can be purchased online at TicketCentral.com; by phone at (212) 279-4200; or at the 59E59 Theaters' Box Office.

MCC THEATER (Robert LuPone, Bernard Telsey, William Cantler, Artistic Directors; Blake West, Executive Director) has just announced that Leslie Bibb (Iron Man, ABC's 'GCB') and Jenna Fischer (NBC's 'The Office') will be making their New York City stage debuts opposite Josh Hamilton (The Coast of Utopia) and Fred Weller (MCC's Still Life and In a Dark Dark House) in the world premiere of MCC Playwright-in-Residence Neil LaBute's new play, Reasons to Be Happy, which LaBute will also direct. Reasons to Be Happy is a companion piece to LaBute's critically-acclaimed award-winning play, Reasons to Be Pretty, first produced at MCC Theater in 2008 before moving to Broadway where it was nominated for three 2009 Tony Awards, including Best Play. Performances begin at the Lucille Lortel Theatre (121 Christopher Street, NYC) on May 16, 2013 and continue through June 23, 2013. An official opening is set for June 11, 2013 at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are now on sale.

The Guthrie Theater today announced complete casting for its world premiere of the bittersweet romance The Primrose Path by Crispin Whittell based upon the novel Home of the Gentry by Ivan Turgenev. The production will be directed by Roger Rees and will feature actors Kyle Fabel (Broadway: The Farnsworth Invention; Off-Broadway: A Free Man of Color) as Theodore Lavretsky, Suzy Kohane (Acadia Repertory Theatre; University of Minnesota/Guthrie BFA Actor Training Program) as Liza and Sally Wingert (Broadway/West End, London: La Bete; Guthrie: Other Desert Cities, Appomattox) as Maria.

The Guthrie Theater today announced complete casting for its world premiere of the bittersweet romance The Primrose Path by Crispin Whittell based upon the novel Home of the Gentry by Ivan Turgenev. The production will be directed by Roger Rees and will feature actors Kyle Fabel (Broadway: The Farnsworth Invention; Off-Broadway: A Free Man of Color) as Theodore Lavretsky, Suzy Kohane (Acadia Repertory Theatre; University of Minnesota/Guthrie BFA Actor Training Program) as Liza and Sally Wingert (Broadway/West End, London: La Bete; Guthrie: Other Desert Cities, Appomattox) as Maria.

The Public Theater began previews for the world premiere of DETROIT '67, a Public Lab production by Dominique Morisseau, on Tuesday, February 26. Directed by Kwame Kwei-Armah, DETROIT '67 will run through Sunday, March 17 in The Public's Shiva Theater, with an official press opening on Tuesday, March 12. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast in action below!

Signature Theatre has announced a one-week extension for THE MOUND BUILDERS written by Lanford Wilson and directed by Jo Bonney. The production will now play through Sunday, April 14. The production is currently in previews and will open March 17 in The Romulus Linney Courtyard Theatre at The Pershing Square Signature Center (480 West 42nd Street between 9th and 10th Avenues). Tickets during the extension week are $75 each.

The Oscar-winning and Tony-nominated actress Estelle Parsons was honored at La Mama's annual benefit fundraiser, along with longtime La MaMa board member Peter Swords on last night, February 27, 2013 at the Ellen Stewart Theatre (66 E. 4 St.). Ms. Parsons, who appeared last fall at La MaMa in Marco Calvani's play THINGS OF THIS WORLD directed by Neil LaBute, and Mr. Swords, who served as a member of the La MaMa Board for 25 years, wascelebrated at the event by personal and video tributes from playwrights Warren Leight and Mr. LaBute. BroadwayWorld was there for the special night and you can check out full coverage below!

Performances begin tonight for Signature Theatre's production of The Mound Builders written by Lanford Wilson and directed by Jo Bonney. The production will open March 17 and play through April 7 in The Romulus Linney Courtyard Theatre at The Pershing Square Signature Center (480 West 42nd Street between 9th and 10th Avenues). BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast in action below!

Performances begin tonight for Signature Theatre's (James Houghton, Founding Artistic Director; Erika Mallin, Executive Director) production of THE MOUND BUILDERS written by Lanford Wilson and directed by Jo Bonney. The production will open March 17 and play through April 7 in The Romulus Linney Courtyard Theatre at The Pershing Square Signature Center (480 West 42nd Street between 9th and 10th Avenues).

The Public Theater will begin previews for the world premiere of DETROIT '67, a Public Lab production by Dominique Morisseau, tonight, February 26. Directed by Kwame Kwei-Armah, DETROIT '67 will run through Sunday, March 17 in The Public's Shiva Theater, with an official press opening on Tuesday, March 12.

The Public Theater will begin previews for the world premiere of DETROIT '67, a Public Lab production by Dominique Morisseau, on Tuesday, February 26. Directed by Kwame Kwei-Armah, DETROIT '67 will run through Sunday, March 17 in The Public's Shiva Theater, with an official press opening on Tuesday, March 12.

HUGHIE, by Eugene O'Neill, shines in a handsome production at Shakespeare Theatre Company in Washington, D.C. Lead by Emmy-winner, Richard Schiff HUGHIE is an O'Neill curiosity that is worth seeing. Just ignore the voice-overs, please.

Atlantic Theater Company has announced The Strand Series, a new partnership with the legendary Strand Book Store. Presented with each Atlantic Mainstage production, the conversation series expands the discussion between Atlantic's playwrights, directors, actors and other artists. The upcoming installment will be held today, February 11 at 7pm and feature playwright Craig Lucas and director Pam MacKinnon of THE LYING LESSON, which begins previews at Atlantic's Linda Gross Theater on February 20.

Atlantic Theater Company has announced The Strand Series, a new partnership with the legendary Strand Book Store. Presented with each Atlantic Mainstage production, the conversation series expands the discussion between Atlantic's playwrights, directors, actors and other artists. The upcoming installment will be held on Monday, February 11 at 7pm and feature playwright Craig Lucas and director Pam MacKinnon of THE LYING LESSON, which begins previews at Atlantic's Linda Gross Theater on February 20.

The Little Opera Theatre of NY announces its spring 2013 production of Christoph Willibald Gluck's tragi-comic opera The Reformed Drunkard. Eight performances will be presented from MARCH 16-24 at 59E59 Theaters (59 East 59th Street, between Park and Madison Avenues). Performance times are 8:15 pm for Fridays and Saturdays, including March 16, 22, and 23; 7:15 pm for Tuesday-Thursday performances, March 19-21; and 3:15 pm for two Sunday matinees, March 17 and 24. Tickets are $35 ($24.50 for 59e59 members), and can be purchased online at TicketCentral.com; by phone at (212) 279-4200; or at the 59E59 Theaters' Box Office.

FROG KISS stars Stephanie Rothenberg, who plays Princess Clementine, and Curtis Holbrooke, who plays the frog, were in the WGNT studio recently to perform selections 'live' from the musical, now running in a pre-Broadway production at Virginia Stage Company. Watch below!

Signature Theatre has announced that casting is confirmed and tickets go on sale Tuesday, January 29 for THE MOUND BUILDERS written by Lanford Wilson and directed by Jo Bonney. All tickets for the initial run of the production are $25 as part of the Signature Ticket Initiative: A Generation of Access. The production runs February 26 through April 7, 2013 with a March 17 opening night in The Romulus Linney Courtyard Theatre at The Pershing Square Signature Center (480 West 42nd Street between 9th and 10th Avenues).

Atlantic Theater Company (Neil Pepe, Artistic Director; Jeffory Lawson, Managing Director) just announced that Tony Award nominated director Pam MacKinnon (Clybourne Park, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?) will direct actress Mickey Sumner (film Frances Ha, Showtime's "The Borgias") in the world premiere of Pulitzer Prize finalist and Tony Award nominee Craig Lucas's new comedy THE LYING LESSON, joining previously announced star Academy Award nominee and Emmy Award winner Carol Kane (Wicked, "Taxi").

FROG KISS, the award-winning critical and audience favorite of the 2010 New York Musical Theatre Festival, begins its world premier performances on January 15th at the historic Wells Theatre, home of Virginia Stage Company, Norfolk,. This saucy and swinging musical with book and lyrics by Charles Leipart and music by Eric Schorr, is adapted from the novella The Frog Prince, A Fairytale for Consenting Adults by Stephen Mitchell. Opening Night is Friday, January 18th with performances through February 3rd. Check out photos of the cast in action below!