Peter Marks News

An ensemble to remember is key to Shakespeare's tragicomedy.

So what actress was "like a block of wood"? Who was "overrated" and who was pigeon-toed? As the 2012-13 theater season winds down and Tony Award voters are rushing to all of the nominated shows, THEATER TALK invites drama critics Ben Brantley (The New York Times), Peter Marks (The Washington Post), and fledgling Broadway pundit Joan Rivers (Beverly Hills Courier) to weigh in with their opinions about the late-opening productions. The 2013 Season's End Critics' Panel, co-hosted by Michael Riedel of the New York Post and Susan Haskins, premieres Friday, May 17, 2013 at 1 AM (Saturday morning) on Thirteen/PBS, and repeats in the New York metro area on CUNY TV* Saturday at 8:30 PM, Sunday at 12:30 PM, and Monday at 7:30 AM, 1:30 PM, and 7:30 PM.

THEATER TALK welcomes Harvey Fierstein and Cyndi Lauper, creators of Broadway's hit Kinky Boots. The fun and revealing new interview premieres Friday, May 10, 2013 at 1 AM (Saturday morning) on Thirteen/PBS, and repeats in the New York metro area on CUNY TV* Saturday at 8:30 PM, Sunday at 12:30 PM, and Monday at 7:30 AM, 1:30 PM, and 7:30 PM.

Columbia University School of the Arts Film Program graduate Ayad Akhtar ('02) has won the 2013 Pulitzer Prize in Drama for his play Disgraced.

MATILDA THE MUSICAL, produced by The Royal Shakespeare Company and The Dodgers, opens tonight April 11, 2013 at Broadway's Shubert Theatre (225 West 44th Street). The four girls sharing the title role are Sophia Gennusa -- who will play the lead for tonight's opening -- Oona Laurence, Bailey Ryon and Milly Shapiro, each of whom will be making her Broadway debut. Let's see what the critics had to say...

Kinky Boots, from four-time Tony Award-winner Harvey Fierstein (book), Grammy Award-winning rock icon Cyndi Lauper (Music & Lyrics), Tony Award-winner Jerry Mitchell (Director & Choreographer), began preview performances on Broadway at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre (302 West 45th Street) on March 3, 2013 and opens tonight, April 4, 2013.

Playwrights Horizons, under the leadership of Artistic Director Tim Sanford and Managing Director Leslie Marcus, has announced the sixth and final production of its 2013/2014 Season.

Playwrights Horizons has just announced the first five productions of its 2013/2014 Season. The three World Premieres and two New York premieres (including a new musical) will be presented at the theater company's home at 416 West 42nd Street.

theatreWashington has announced that the 2013 John Aniello Award for Outstanding Emerging Theatre Company will be presented to Dizzy Miss Lizzie's Roadside Revue.

Tennessee Williams' Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, starring Scarlett Johansson as Maggie, Ciarán Hinds as Big Daddy, Benjamin Walker as Brick and Debra Monk as Big Mama, directed by Rob Ashford, will begin tonight, January 17, and will play a limited engagement through March 30, 2013 at the Richard Rodgers Theatre (226 West 46th Street). Let's see what the critics had to say...

FELA! has announced its return to Chicago for six performances only February 19 - 23, 2013 at the Arie Crown Theater (2301 South Lake Shore Drive).

It's like the famous Edinburgh Fringe Festival arrives in Washington, DC until Dec. 9, 2012.

Annie, the new production of the Tony Award-winning musical, began previews October 3, 2012 and opens tonight at the Palace Theatre (Broadway at 47th Street). Annie stars two-time Tony Award winner Katie Finneran as Miss Hannigan, Australian star Anthony Warlow making his Broadway debut as Daddy Warbucks and 11-year-old Lilla Crawford as Annie. Let's see what the critics had to say...

Following a widely acclaimed tour and run at the Globe in 2011, Shakespeare's Globe returns to the Schimmel Center, the company's New York home, elemental production of Hamlet. Using an Elizabethan-inspired stage in this scaled-down production, a handful of energetic players will perform this inexhaustible play.

Following a widely acclaimed tour and run at the Globe in 2011, Shakespeare's Globe returns to the Schimmel Center, the company's New York home, elemental production of Hamlet. Using an Elizabethan-inspired stage in this scaled-down production, a handful of energetic players will perform this inexhaustible play.

The Shakespeare Theatre Company, recipient of the 2012 Regional Theatre Tony Award®, presents the return of Black Watch, the critically acclaimed production depicting war from the perspectives of soldiers in Iraq. After a sold-out run at Sidney Harman Hall in 2011, this world-renowned piece from The National Theatre of Scotland makes landfall with STC before continuing on its U.S. tour. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the production. Check out the video below!

The Shakespeare Theatre Company, recipient of the 2012 Regional Theatre Tony Award®, presents the return of Black Watch, the critically acclaimed production depicting war from the perspectives of soldiers in Iraq. After a sold-out run at Sidney Harman Hall in 2011, this world-renowned piece from The National Theatre of Scotland makes landfall with STC before continuing on its U.S. tour. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the production photos below.

The Shakespeare Theatre Company, recipient of the 2012 Regional Theatre Tony Award, presents the return of Black Watch, the critically acclaimed production depicting war from the perspectives of soldiers in Iraq. After a sold-out run at Sidney Harman Hall in 2011, this world-renowned piece from The National Theatre of Scotland makes landfall with STC before continuing on its U.S. tour. Written by Gregory Burke and directed by Tony Award winner John Tiffany (Once), Black Watch deploys its audience into the hostile environments faced by soldiers, both internal and external. Black Watch will run from tonight, September 19-October 7, 2012, at Sidney Harman Hall (610 F Street NW).

92Y and 92YTRIBECA have announced their fall 2012 theater lineup, featuring Cyndi Lauper, Judy Gold, Robin Williams with David Steinberg, Peter Bogdanovich, Ben Brantley, Playwrights Horizons, Old Jews Telling Jokes and more!

David Gonski, Chairman of Sydney Theatre Company, today announced that Andrew Upton has been appointed Artistic Director of Sydney Theatre Company commencing 1 January 2013. For the past five years, Andrew Upton has been Co Artistic Director of the Company with Cate Blanchett. The duo's final program - for 2013 - will be announced on 6 September this year.