Nell Benjamin News

Dallas Theater Center announced today complete details for the Texas-sized production of the Tony Award-winning play, ALL THE WAY. A co-production with the Alley Theatre and directed by DTC Artistic Director Kevin Moriarty, the Houston Chronicle calls ALL THE WAY "a fascinating portrait of one of the most colorful and complex figures in U.S. history." ALL THE WAY features company members from both DTC and the Alley Theatre.

Broadway World award winner Marc Robin brings a bouncy, infectious bundle of pink cotton candy to the Fulton stage with LEGALLY BLONDE

Alley Theatre presents the Texas-sized, Tony Award-winning new play, ALL THE WAY, a unique co-production with Dallas Theater Center (DTC). Directed by DTC Artistic Director Kevin Moriarty, ALL THE WAY brings company members from two of the largest Texas resident theaters to collaborate and perform on stage, beginning with the Houston premiere in the Alley's newly renovated Hubbard Theatre now through February 21, 2016. The show opens tonight, February 3, 2016.

Delaware Theatre Company is pleased to announce the six finalist plays in the 2015-2016 Delaware Young Playwrights Festival:

Omigod you guys! Elle Woods is bringing pink and lots of it to the Fallon Stage in Legally Blonde directed by Tom Ossowski. Based on the novel by Amanda Brown and the hit Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer motion picture, sorority girl Elle Woods takes on Harvard Law School in an attempt to win back the love of her life. There, she must use her brains and beauty to defend famous fitness instructor Brooke Wyndham, who has been accused of murder. Along the way she discovers that true love only finds us when we learn to truly love ourselves. Featuring a book by Heather Hach with music and lyrics by Laurence O'Keefe and Nell Benjamin, Legally Blonde is sure to "bend and snap" its way into the hearts of audiences!

Andy Truscott, Director of Marketing and Development for Delaware Theatre Company and 2009 WCU alum, has been awarded the Region II Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival Gold Medallion. It is the organization's most prestigious award and considered one of the great honors in theater education.

SNL alum Tina Fey and husband Jeff Richmond will co-write and co-direct a special tribute to SNL creator Lorne Michaels at Lincoln Center's American Songbook Gala

Following critical acclaim at the Savoy Theatre, the Chichester Festival Theatre revival of Guys and Dolls will transfer to the Phoenix Theatre whilst simultaneously touring the UK from March 2016. T

Nikolai Foster, Artistic Director at Curve, today announces Lucie Jones as Elle Woods in the award-winning West End and Broadway smash hit musical comedy, Legally Blonde. Lucie rose to prominence on the X Factor in 2009 and has since starred as Victoria in American Psycho (Almeida Theatre) and as Molly in Ghost (Asia Tour).

Nikolai Foster, Artistic Director at Curve, today announces Lucie Jones as Elle Woods in the award-winning West End and Broadway smash hit musical comedy, Legally Blonde. Lucie rose to prominence on the X Factor in 2009 and has since starred as Victoria in American Psycho (Almeida Theatre) and as Molly in Ghost (Asia Tour).

The Hasty Pudding Institute of 1770 announces that acclaimed Broadway, Off-Broadway and film producer Daryl Roth will be the 2016 recipient of the Order of the Golden Sphinx award.  Ms. Roth will be honored and presented with the prestigious award at the annual Order of the Golden Sphinx Gala to be held at the Diamond Horseshoe at the Paramount Hotel in New York City on April 11, 2016.

Arkansas Repertory Theatre announced today the resignation of producing artistic director Robert Hupp. Hupp is currently in his seventeenth season as the leader of Arkansas' largest non-profit theatre company. Hupp's resignation is effective with the conclusion of his current contract which expires at the end of June 2016. At that time, Hupp will assume his new position as artistic director of Syracuse Stage in Syracuse, New York.

Syracuse Stage is pleased to announce that Robert M. Hupp has been named the company's new artistic director.

Windy City Playhouse, Chicago's newest professional theater, launches 2016 with the Chicago premiere of Nell Benjamin's slapstick farce The Explorers Club, set in a Victorian-era scientific gentleman's club. David H. Bell directs Cristina Panfilio (Chicago Shakespeare Theater's Pericles) as a female anthropologist vying for membership. Alex Goodrich (Elf: The Musical), Ryan Imhoff (Chicago Shakespeare Theater's A Midsummer Night's Dream), Matt Browning (Redtwist's Incident at Vichy), Graham Emmons (Prologue's Porcelain), Dan Rodden (Theater at the Center's On Golden Pond) and Zack Shornick (MPAACT's Ghosts of Atwood) make up the Club members, while Colin Morgan (Oracle's No Beast So Fierce) is Queen Victoria's private secretary and Wesley Daniel (Chicago Shakes' Pericles) is a blue-skinned primitive. Previews for The Explorers Club begin Wednesday, January 27, 2016 at Windy City Playhouse, 3014 West Irving Park Road. Press performances are Thursday, February 4 at 7:30 pm. and Friday, February 5 at 8 p.m. Tickets, $15-$55, are available by calling the box office at 773-891-8985 or visiting windycityplayhouse.com/the-explorers-club/

Tony Award-winning star of theater, film, and television Nathan Lane joins this year's edition of the New York Philharmonic's annual New Year's Eve celebration, LA VIE PARISIENNE, narrating Saint-Saens's CARNIVAL OF ANIMALS.

The pre-Broadway World Premiere of GOTTA DANCE officially opened earlier this week on December 28 and will play through January 17, 2016, at Broadway In Chicago's Bank of America Theatre (18 W Monroe St, Chicago), before opening on Broadway in the Fall of 2016. Nora Dunn (Saturday Night Live) and Peach Carr (Project Runway) attended last night's (Dec 29th) performance, and you can check out a photo of them below!

The pre-Broadway World Premiere of Gotta Dance officially opened in Chicago on December 28, and will play thru January 17, 2016, at Broadway In Chicago's Bank of America Theatre (18 W Monroe St, Chicago), before opening on Broadway in the Fall of 2016. Below, BroadwayWorld brings you a look inside opening night below!

Tony Award-winning director/choreographer Jerry Mitchell scores again with a light-hearted, uplifting GOTTA DANCE.

The pre-Broadway World Premiere of Gotta Dance is now officially open and will play thru January 17, 2016, at Broadway In Chicago's Bank of America Theatre (18 W Monroe St, Chicago), before opening on Broadway in the Fall of 2016. Below, BroadwayWorld brings you more shots of the cast in action!  Want to see more?  Check out the original production photos here.

Let's check out what the critics had to say...