Nell Benjamin News

Connecticut Repertory Theatre (CRT) will present Legally Blonde the Musical onstage at the Harriet S. Jorgensen Theater beginning tomorrow, April 24, and continuing through May 4. The 2007 winner of London's Olivier Award for Best Musical, stars Courtney Hammond as the intelligent, self-assured and fashion conscious Elle Woods. For tickets and information, call 860-486-2113 and visit www.crt.uconn.edu.

The University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) is pleased to announce initial details for the 2014-15 Mainstage Series of opera, musical theatre and drama productions.

Dallas Theater Center brings the world's greatest detective to the stage in Sherlock Holmes: The Final Adventure, written by Steven Dietz and directed by DTC Artistic Director Kevin Moriarty. Audiences will be thrilled by Sherlock Holmes: The Final Adventure, which is based on the original 1899 play by William Gillette and Arthur Conan Doyle and opens in previews on April 25 with a Pay-What-You-Can performance and runs through May 25 at the Dee and Charles Wyly Theatre. Tickets to Sherlock Holmes: The Final Adventure are on sale now at www.DallasTheaterCenter.org and by phone at (214) 880-0202.

Connecticut Repertory Theatre (CRT) will present Legally Blonde the Musical onstage at the Harriet S. Jorgensen Theater April 24-May 4. The 2007 winner of London's Olivier Award for Best Musical, stars Courtney Hammond as the intelligent, self-assured and fashion conscious Elle Woods. For tickets and information, call 860-486-2113 and visit www.crt.uconn.edu.

25 years to the day the film was released, HEATHERS: THE MUSICAL, the new stage adaptation of Daniel Waters' iconic 1989 dark comedy, made its New York premiere at New World Stages. Written by Olivier Award winner and Tony Award nominee Laurence O'Keefe and Emmy Award winner Kevin Murphy, HEATHERS: THE MUSICAL is directed by famed stage and screen director Andy Fickman, with choreography by Emmy Award winner Marguerite Derricks. BroadwayWorld was there for the opening night festivities and you can check out photos from the theatre arrivals below!

The American Theatre Wing announced today that the recipients of the 2014 Jonathan Larson Grants are writing team Sara Cooper (lyricist/bookwriter) & Zach Redler (composer), receiving $12,500 and the Running Deer Residency; and Shaina Taub (composer/lyricist), receiving $12,500. The prestigious grants, totaling $15,000 more than last year's grants, will be presented on Monday, April 7, 2014 at a private event at the WNYC Greene Space. The event will feature special performances of the recipients' work.

The Public Theater will begin previews for the world premiere of THE LIBRARY on Tuesday, March 25, written by award-winning writer Scott Z. Burns. Directed by Academy Award winner Steven Soderbergh, THE LIBRARY will run through Sunday, April 27, in The Public's Newman Theater, with an official press opening on Tuesday, April 15.

The Hasty Pudding Institute of 1770 honored acclaimed Producer David Heyman last night as the 2014 recipient of the Order of the Golden Sphinx . The annual Order of the Golden Sphinx gala was held at the Allen Room at Jazz at Lincoln Center's Frederick P. Rose Hall in New York City. Heyman's critically acclaimed box office hit Gravity, directed by Alfonso Cuaron and starring Sandra Bullock and George Clooney received 10 Academy Award nominations and won an outstanding seven Oscars. He is the producer of all the film adaptations of J.K Rowling's Harry Potter books. Scroll down for a look at the event!

The Hasty Pudding Institute of 1770 honored acclaimed Producer David Heyman last night as the 2014 recipient of the Order of the Golden Sphinx . The annual Order of the Golden Sphinx gala was held at the Allen Room at Jazz at Lincoln Center's Frederick P. Rose Hall in New York City. Heyman's critically acclaimed box office hit Gravity, directed by Alfonso Cuaron and starring Sandra Bullock and George Clooney received 10 Academy Award nominations and won an outstanding seven Oscars. He is the producer of all the film adaptations of J.K Rowling's Harry Potter books.

The producers of HEATHERS: THE MUSICAL, the new stage adaptation of Daniel Waters' iconic 1989 dark comedy film, have announced that The Hasty Pudding Institute of 1770 has chosen HEATHERS: THE MUSICAL as their first foray into producing a New York stage production. Their newest initiative, Hasty Pudding Presents, is a production arm whose mission is to develop the Hasty Pudding franchise by backing performing arts endeavors consistent with its unique 200 year old brand.

The Public Theater announced complete casting today for THE LIBRARY, a new play written by award-winning writer Scott Z. Burns and directed by Academy Award winner Steven Soderbergh. THE LIBRARY will begin previews on Tuesday, March 25 in The Public's Newman Theater and run through Sunday, April 27, with an official press opening on Tuesday, April 15.

Pittsburgh International Children's Theater, a division of The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, presents the Pittsburgh premiere of Theatreworks USA's The Teacher from the Black Lagoon & Other Story Books ('Dogzilla,' 'I Want My Hat Back,' 'Grumpy Bird,' 'Lily's Purple Plastic Purse,' 'Love Splat (Splat the Cat),' and 'The Grasshopper and the Ant') from February 16-23, 2014, at six performance locations throughout the area.

Yesterday Dallas Theater Center hosted a celebration in honor of Project Discovery's recent recognition by The President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities. DTC invited 200 current Project Discovery [PD] participants, teachers, past participants, teaching artists, board, staff and program donors to an hour-long event that featured stories from PD students and a full, experiential PD activity on the main stage of the Wyly Theatre.

Manhattan Theatre Club's world premiere production of Outside Mullingar, the new play by Tony and Pulitzer Prize winner John Patrick Shanley, directed by Tony Award winner Doug Hughes, opened last night, January 23 at MTC's Samuel J. Friedman Theatre (261 West 47th Street) in a strictly limited 11-week engagement. BroadwayWorld was on hand for the big night and you can check out photos from the star-studded theatre arrivals below!

Dallas Theater Center announced today a new program for the 2013-14 season, DTC Book Club hosted by DTC Artistic Director Kevin Moriarty. DTC Book Club events are scheduled to take place with productions of Oedipus el Rey, The Fortress of Solitude, Sherlock Holmes: The Final Adventure and Les Miserables. DTC Book Club registration is open now on www.dallastheatercenter.org/bookclub.php.

Muny Executive Producer Mike Isaacson announced today the directors, choreographers and music directors for the Muny's 2014 Season, which opens on June 16 with Billy Elliot The Musical. "We're so happy these exciting artists are creating our 2014 season," said Isaacson. "This is a challenging season, one with incredible variety and power. We're fortunate that such extraordinary talents will be creating our 'Muny Magic.'"

Dallas Theater Center patrons donated $57,993.81 to the North Texas Food Bank during DTC's annual production of A Christmas Carol. During the six-year partnership with NTFB, DTC patrons have donated $297,912.16 to the organization.

BECAUSE OF WINN DIXIE, with a book and lyrics by Nell Benjamin and music by Duncan Sheik, and based on the popular 2000 novel by Kate DeCamillo, is playing in its world premiere this winter at Arkansas Repertory Theatre, with AVENUE Q's John Tartaglia at the helm. The production is set to run now through January 5, 2013. Get a first look at the cast onstage below!

While performing in SPANK! THE FIFTY SHADES PARODY Gabe Bowling and Michelle Vezilj discovered that their onstage chemistry translated well to original music and formed the bi-coastal duo Drink Me Up. Earlier this week, the pair released their first EP. Willing to defy genres to ensure that their songs are truly heartfelt and with a indie, folksy, singer/songwriter edge the couple has created an infectious quartet of songs that will leave listeners wanting nothing but more.

LEGALLY BLONDE at Greasepaint Youtheatre Pink Power! Greasepaint Youtheatre presents LEGALLY BLONDE, a tale about overcoming stereotypes and believing in yourself. This romantic musical comedy is presented tonight, December 13 through December 22 at the historic Stagebrush Theater in Scottsdale.