Playbill News

WASHINGTON, July 14, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ Explore how the literary celebrity of William Shakespeare and Jane Austen has put contemporary readers on a first-name basis with these centuries-old writers.

Following their sold-out production of In the Heights, the Hangar Theatre will present Thirdby Wendy Wasserstein from July 21 until July 30, 2016. Set in a small, prestigious college town in New England (like Ithaca), the play tells the story of a professor whose seemingly well-ordered life is thrown into dizzying disarray after she accuses a student athlete of plagiarism.  Interim Artistic Director, Michael Barakiva, will be directing this production; he also directed the world premiere of this show at Theatre J in Washington, D.C. Join the cast, crew, and Hangar staff on opening night, Friday, July 22 at 8pm at the Hangar Theatre, located at 801 Taughannock Blvd, Ithaca, NY 14850 in Cass Park.

THE DANCE OF DEATH, August Strindberg's groundbreaking play in a new version by renowned Irish playwright Conor McPherson, begins previews on July 13 at the Shaw Festival's Studio Theatre.

'This is like a real homecoming. The last time I worked at Maine State Music Theatre was in 1995, and it was also Fiddler on the Roof,' says nationally acclaimed director-choreographer Gary John LaRosa. La Rosa, who is widely considered one of the reigning authorities on the beloved 1964 Bock-Harnick bitter-sweet musical about Russian Jews confronting a changing world, has in his own words, 'literally done dozens' of Fiddler productions throughout his vibrant, busy career. 'I've actually stopped counting,' he says with a smile, though we note that among all these, he staged the 50th anniversary Fiddler gala on Broadway, as well as at least four of these won prestigious theatre awards and nominations. This month he finds himself in Brunswick, Maine, directing a thirty-six person cast in MSMT's third main stage show of the 2016 season.

Eight outstanding educators from schools and performing arts centers around the country will work one-on-one with Broadway greats at the 7th Annual FREDDIE G FELLOWSHIP July 13th - 16th.  The event has once again been underwritten by Myrna and Freddie ("G") Gershon, Chairman and CEO of leading theatrical licensor Music Theatre International (MTI).  The four days of classes and activities honor instructors and teachers who are working to make a difference for their students and communities through the process of staging musical theatre productions in their schools and educational theatre groups.  In addition to the New York experience, each of the teachers' schools receives $5,000 from Freddie and Myrna to enhance their arts program.

Organisers of The Rob Guest Endowment have today launched the 2016 Rob Guest Endowment Awards. The Rob Guest Endowment is one of Australia's most exciting scholarship programs providing financial assistance and industry support to the next generation of musical theatre stars, creators and musicians. Applications for all awards are now open and the winners will be announced at the Rob Guest Endowment Concert to be held in Sydney in November 2016. The 2016 prize package is valued at over $50,000, including the $20,000 major prize, the Rob Guest Endowment Award.

BroadwayWorld has teamed up with renowned caricature artist Ken Fallin, a life-long theater enthusiast, who has drawn many Broadway and Off-Broadway productions. Below, check out his latest illustration, featuring Sunday's big Tony winner for HAMILTON, Lin-Manuel Miranda!

Under the stars in Peninsula State Park for the 2016 season, Northern Sky Theater (NST) stages their latest World Premiere, Doctor! Doctor! Milwaukee's Matt Zembrowski, who grew up sitting in the state park audiences since he was 12, dreamed  of writing a musical for the former American Folklore Theater, now Northern Sky, his entire life and this season fulfills that vision. Books, lyrics and music composed and written by Zembrowski, a considerable artistic feat, recommend the play as 'a prescription for laughter,' which the new musical delivered for opening week audiences. NST's talented acting troupe produce lighthearted laughter for an enthusiastic Door County crowd.

Seventeen local Columbus Theater's gathered on Monday June 27th, 2016 to perform and support a great cause-Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. Along with production numbers from favorite companies the evening also featured a silent auction of Playbill merchandise and signed Broadway memorabilia from this Broadway season.

BROADWAY BARKS has announced their 18th annual star-studded dog and cat adoption event to benefit New York City animal shelters and adoption agencies.

On Sunday June 12th the Palm West's Tony Viewing Party was hosted by Tony Award winner Christian Hoff, who earned the Best Featured Actor in a Musical Award in 2006 for his portrayal of Tommy DeVito in Jersey Boys. The event benefitted The V Foundation for Cancer Research, founded by Jim Valvano in 1993. BroadwayWorld has an inside look at the party - check out the photos below!

BroadwayWorld has teamed up with renowned caricature artist Ken Fallin, a life-long theater enthusiast, who has drawn many Broadway and Off-Broadway productions. Below, check out his latest illustration, featuring Sunday's big Tony winner for HAMILTON, Lin-Manuel Miranda!

What does a 'producer' actually do? How does one travel from that great idea for a show to a smash hit opening night on Broadway? John Breglio cannot guarantee you a hit, but he does take the reader on a fascinating journey behind-the-scenes to where he himself once stood as a child, dreaming about the theatre. 

Marshall W. Mason was the recipient of the 2016 Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre - below, check out what he had to say after he accepted the award!

WE. LOVE. AUDITION. STORIES. You know that. Everyone's got great ones, and our guests are no exception! Hear Laura Marie Duncan, Ray Lee, Krysta Rodriguez, Jessica Rush, Betsy Struxness, and Nicholas Ward spill the goods on getting those jobs. Enjoy!

BroadwayWorld has teamed up with renowned caricature artist Ken Fallin, a life-long theater enthusiast, who has drawn many Broadway and Off-Broadway productions. Below, check out his latest illustration, featuring Tonys host James Corden from back in his Broadway days in ONE MAN, TWO GUVNORS.

After a sold-out preview at Chicago SketchFest 2015 'FRIENDS: The One Where They Sing! (The Unauthorized Musical Parody)' is back and bigger than ever, beginning today, June 10.

ABT's Resident Choreographer Alexei Ratmansky, who created the version of 'The Golden Cockerel' that had its company premiere on June 6th 2016, is quoted in a Playbill article by Caroline Hamilton as saying, 'This production is overwhelmingly theatrical'. Ah, so that explains why there is virtually no dancing in the entire first act and very little in the second act! A little research reveals that Ratmansky reportedly added more dancing after getting less than laudatory reviews in 2012 when his 'Cockerel' opened in Copenhagen. Yet mime still predominates, which is the legacy of the unwieldy and heavy original costume designs by avant-garde artist Natalia Goncharova for the 1914 and 1937 Ballet Russes opera ballet productions of 'Le Coq d'Or' with choreography by Fokine. (In 1914, 'baby ballerina' Tamara Karsavina danced the role of the Queen of Shemakhan with Enrico Cecchetti as the Astrologer. The Cockerel was a stage prop.)

BroadwayWorld has teamed up with renowned caricature artist Ken Fallin, a life-long theater enthusiast, who has drawn many Broadway and Off-Broadway productions. Below, check out his latest illustration, celebrating Cole Porter for his 125th Birthday Concert at Carnegie Hall- June 7 (8pm).