New Group News

WP Theater and The Bushwick Starr, in association with New Georges, are pleased to announce that due to popular demand, [PORTO], the upside-down romantic comedy written by Obie Award Winner Kate Benson (Super Magic Wild Forest, Desert) and directed by Obie Award winner Lee Sunday Evans (Bull in a China Shop, Caught), will extend. Previously scheduled through February 25,[PORTO] will now play its final performance on Sunday, March 4, 2018 at WP Theater (2162 Broadway).

Being in such a concentrated environment as a conservatory program (not to mention in a city school), it is nearly impossible to escape the pressures and emotions that come with being a musical theatre or dance major. If you're not in class you're at an audition or a rehearsal, you're at home practicing a scene for class or watching a documentary on theatre history. No matter what you're doing, it somehow relates to the career path you've chosen. And sometimes it's more than enough, and you feel you want to drop this crazy career completely and get a "normal" job.

Abrons Arts Center is pleased to present the world premiere of Aloha, Aloha, or When I Was a Queen (April 4-21), a solo play written and performed by Eliza Bent and directed by Knud Adams. In 1996, a young Eliza Bent, along with a friend, created, directed and starred in an amateur historical film for a school project. In it, Bent portrayed Hawaii's last reigning monarch, Queen Liliuokalani. 22 years later, Bent uses her home movie as a jumping off point to lead audiences on a journey that grapples with personal history, legacy, and cultural appropriation. In the tradition of Spaulding Gray, Fran Leibowitz, and David Sedaris, Bent's humorous cringe-inducing stories chart a young Bostonian's education in race and appropriation.

Theater Resources Unlimited (TRU) presents their popular Writer-Producer Speed Date on Sunday, March 4, 2018. In deference to Oscar night, the event will start one hour earlier than usual: from 4:30pm - 8:00pm at NOLA Rehearsal Studio, 244 W 54th St., 11th floor.

Goodspeed Musicals is thrilled to announce three enticing productions planned for Chester, Conn. in 2018. First will be the inspiring You Are Here by Drama Desk Award nominees Bartram and Hill. This soaring musical will run May 18 - June 10. Next up will be a new musical adaptation of the enduring love story Cyrano. This exciting new take on the classic will be adapted by Erica Schmidt in collaboration with the indie band The National. Cyrano will run August 3 - September 2. Finally, A Connecticut Christmas Carol, a musical adaptation of the Dickens holiday classic spiced with the flavor of the Nutmeg State, returns to The Terris Theatre November 30 - December 30, 2018.

Silk Road Rising (Chief Programming Officer Jamil Khoury and Executive Director Malik Gillani) is proud to announce the World Premiere of Through the Elevated Line, written by Novid Parsi and directed by Carin Silkaitis. The production will run from March 7th to April 15th, 2018 at Silk Road Rising located at 77 W. Washington St., Lower Level, Chicago, IL, 60602. The Press Opening is March 17 at 4:00pm.

PAGE 73 PRODUCTIONS (Page 73) (Michael Walkup, Producing Artistic Director; Jenny Lagundino, Managing Director; Liz Jones and Asher Richelli, Founding Directors) has named C.A. Johnson the 2018 P73 Playwriting Fellow. Selected from over 400 applicants, Johnson will receive a $10,000 award and additional $10,000 budgeted for developing several new plays over the course of the year.

An evening of song and swing awaits local music lovers as Philadelphia Theatre Company presents "The Summer Club: A Big Band Valentine's Day." Cupid shoots his arrow down music's memory lane this February 14th as audiences are transported to an era when clubs were hot, everyone dressed up and martinis came straight up. Take the Lead Dance Project will have everyone swinging in the aisles with free dance lessons before the show. Champagne cocktails will be pouring at the bar and Asher's Chocolates will provide a sweet treat to remember the night. This one-night only event takes place at Philadelphia Theatre Company at the Suzanne Roberts Theatre (480 S. Broad). Doors open at 6:00pm, with showtime at 7:00pm. Tickets are on sale for $25 to $69 at philadelphiatheatrecompany.org, at the box-office, or by calling 215-985-0420.

Over the past eleven years, The Playwrights Realm, led by Founding Artistic Director Katherine Kovner and Producing Director Roberta Pereira, has continually produced work by brave new voices and expanded its commitment to providing holistic support to playwrights striving to make a life in the arts. The Realm is now accepting applications for their two popular open submission programs: the Writing Fellowship and Scratchpad Series.

Producing Artistic Director Elizabeth Flemming and Out of the Box Theatrics is proud to announce the second season of the sold out reading series Building the Box. Curated by Associate Artistic Director, Ethan Paulini, this new series features 4 new pieces that are being considered for full production in the 2019 (and beyond) season. With a renewed commitment to World, American and New York Premieres, this series is designed to give OOTB subscribers and patrons unprecedented access to the programming process, the opportunity to provide feedback to an in progress new play and get a sneak peek into what is ahead, not only from OOTB, but from some of America's most exciting new playwrights. 

Before school's out this February half term, Andrew Lloyd Webber announces that later this month (24 February 2018) he will welcome a new group of kids to his Olivier award-winning production of School of Rock - The Musical. Continuing in the West End at the New London Theatre, School of Rock - The Musical is currently booking to 13 January 2019. In October this year an Australian production will open at Her Majesty's Theatre in Melbourne, a Broadway production continues at the Winter Garden Theatre and the US national touring production is currently booking to September 2018.

Houston Grand Opera presents Bernstein's West Side Story (April 20 - May 6), Bellini's Norma (April 27 - May 11), and return of Cruzar la Cara de la Luna (May 17, 19, 20) at HGO Resilience Theater World's first mariachi opera returns after New York triumph Houston, January 29, 2018 - Houston Grand Opera (HGO) will present the first major American opera house production of Leonard Bernstein ' s landmark musical West Side Story, April 20 - May 6, and Bellini's vocal powerhouse Norma, April 27 - May 11, in the HGO Resil i ence Theater at the George R. Brown Convention Center.

An evening of song and swing awaits local music lovers as Philadelphia Theatre Company presents "The Summer Club: A Big Band Valentine's Day." Cupid shoots his arrow down music's memory lane this February 14th as audiences are transported to an era when clubs were hot, everyone dressed up and martinis came straight up. Take the Lead Dance Project will have everyone swinging in the aisles with free dance lessons before the show. Champagne cocktails will be pouring at the bar and Asher's Chocolates will provide a sweet treat to remember the night. This one-night only event takes place at Philadelphia Theatre Company at the Suzanne Roberts Theatre (480 S. Broad). Doors open at 6:00pm, with showtime at 7:00pm. Tickets are on sale for $25 to $69 at philadelphiatheatrecompany.org, at the box-office, or by calling 215-985-0420.  

Lincoln Center Theater (under the direction of Andre Bishop) has announced complete casting for its upcoming production of Lerner & Loewe's MY FAIR LADY. As previously reported, Lauren Ambrose will be playing as Eliza Doolittle and Harry Hadden-Paton will play Henry Higgins, alongside Norbert Leo Butz as Alfred P. Doolittle and Diana Rigg as Mrs. Higgins. Just announced are: Allan Corduner as Colonel Pickering, Jordan Donica as Freddy Eynsford-Hill, Linda Mugleston as Mrs. Pearce, and Manu Narayan as Zoltan Karpathy.

Troupe today announces Elizabeth Berrington and Tanya Moodie are to star in the UK premiere of Joel Drake Johnson's tense workplace drama Rasheeda Speaking. Directed by Jonathan O'Boyle the production opens at Trafalgar Studios 2 on 20 April, with previews from 18 April, and runs until 12 May.

The New Group is presenting the Off-Broadway premiere Jerry Springer - The Opera with Jennifer Allen, Florrie Bagel, Brandon Contreras, Sean Patrick Doyle, Bradley Greer, Luke Grooms, Nathaniel Hackmann, Billy Hepfinger, Justin Keyes, Beth Kirkpatrick, Elizabeth Loyacano, Tiffany Mann, Jill Paice, Kim Steele, Nichole Turner, Terrence Mann and Will Swenson. Jerry Springer - The Opera features Music by Richard Thomas and Book & Additional Lyrics by Stewart Lee and Richard Thomas, with Choreography by Chris Bailey. John Rando directs.

The five meter long Indian drape has across epochs defined several aspects of an Indian woman's existence. 'The White Sari' is a tremendous and if I may say a very colorful attempt at understanding the several shades of cultural control over women.

A FOOLISHLY funny twist on the classic tale of Robin Hood comes alive at Roleystone Theatre this March. Written by David Neilson and directed by Brogan Smirke and Euan MacMillan, Robin Hood: The Truth Behind the Green Tights is the story of cowardly Albert, trying to get by as best he can.

Theater Resources Unlimited (TRU) announces the workshop Raising Money for Theater: Who, How, and When to Ask, part of TRU Boot Camps on February 4, 2018 from 10am - 6pm at 151 W. 46th St., 8th Floor, NYC. Basic pricing is $175 for non-members, $150 for TRU members with $25 off for early birds, thru 1/26. Discount codes available for anyone who has applied to any of the upcoming festivals, as well as students. Email TRUStaff1@gmail.com with proof of a festival application, or a student ID, and TRU will provide you with a code for $40 or $60 off (for a Festival price of $135 or Student price of $115).

Theater Resources Unlimited (TRU) announces the workshop Raising Money for Theater: Who, How and When to Ask, part of TRU Boot Camps on February 4, 2018 from 10am - 6pm at 151 W. 46th St., 8th Floor, NYC.