Portia News

Following news that two major sponsors, Delta Air Lines and Bank of America, had pulled financial support for The Public Theater in response to their Donald Trump-themed Shakespeare in the Park production of JULIUS CAESAR, the National Endowment for the Arts has clarified in a statement that none of its funds have been used to support the show.

Before appearing in front of the entire world on MTV's 2008 LEGALLY BLONDE casting series, actress Autumn Hurlbert had been honing her stage skills since childhood. And, although she came up second in the televised competition (still receiving a contract in the Broadway production!), Autumn left the show certain of her drive to create art without the need for fame. Now, she is touring with the recent New York hit SOMETHING ROTTEN, and I caught up with her in Houston, where the show made a stop on their way to Dallas' Winspear Opera House.

Following news that two major sponsors, Delta Air Lines and Bank of America had pulled financial support for The Public Theater in response to their Donald Trump-Themed Shakespeare in the Park production of JULIUS CAESAR, the Public Theater has released a statement.

On Sunday night, Delta Air Lines announced that they were ending their four-year-old sponsorship agreement with the Public Theater over their current Shakespeare in the Park production of JULIUS CAESAR. The play, which is set to open at Central Park's Delacorte Theatre on Monday, depicts the Roman dictator in a way that calls to mind President Donald Trump. 

Bay Street Theater is pleased to announce the cast of INTIMATE APPAREL is now in rehearsal at Chelsea Studios in NYC. The play is by two-time Pulitzer Prize winner and Tony nominee Lynn Nottage and directed by Bay Street Theater Artistic Director Scott Schwartz. Kelly McCreary, currently one of the stars of Grey's Anatomy on ABC, stars as Esther Mills.

On Sunday night, Delta Air Lines announced that they were ending their four-year-old sponsorship agreement with the Public Theater over their current Shakespeare in the Park production of JULIUS CAESAR. The play, which is set to open at Central Park's Delacorte Theatre on Monday, depicts the Roman dictator in a way that calls to mind President Donald Trump. 

Hampstead Theatre has announced the casting for Andrew Keatley's Alligators, a Hampstead Downstairs Original. Directed by Simon Evans, this burning new thriller asks how well we actually know those closest to us and explores how shameful secrets, that we thought long buried, can come back to bite us.

BWW Review: Set in 1590s England, SOMETHING ROTTEN is chock full of anachronistic humor and wit, with a cast that's something special.

The nationally regarded Fulton Theatre will present the Pennsylvania Premiere of the Tony Award-winning musical Disney's Newsies, June 6 through July 23. The inspirational Disney's Newsies, based on the real-life Newsboys strike of 1899 and the 1992 film, was the toast of Broadway for more than two years.

William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice opens the summer season at Will Geer's Theatricum Botanicum on June 3.

The Victoria Playhouse Petrolia is thrilled to announce an upcoming four-part speaker series called 'Proud to be Canadian'. With the assistance of the Celebrate Ontario grant they received earlier this Spring, they will be inviting notable Canadians from various vocations, to present a one-hour discussion, complete with multi-media components, discussing their patriotic pride. Following each inquisitive presentation, there will be an audience Q&A period, allowing patrons to chat with the special guests. Hosted by Canadian funny lady Linda Kash (well known for her Philadelphia Cream Cheese commercials), the shows will be an engaging interview style format, much like you would see on a daytime talk-show like Ellen.

Amy Wolk and Nikki M. James present 'I Only Have Lies For You', a new live gameshow that pits Broadway panelists against each other in a lying contest. Two teams of three will go head-to-head telling stories, some of which may not be true---it is up to the other team to guess, Truth or Lie. Featuring musical direction by Nate Buccieri, panelists will defend their stories by all means possible, including song and dance. Hosted by MAC Award winner Amy Wolk, 'I Only Have Lies For You' will be presented monthly at the Laurie Beechman Theatre in New York City, and will be recorded as a podcast.

On The Town at Regent's Park Open Air Theatre opened officially on 31 May and BroadwayWorld has photos from the opening night festivities below! The show runs until 1 July 2017.

Roundabout Theatre Company and Columbia University School of the Arts have announced the winners of Columbia@Roundabout's 2017 New Play Reading Series.

SOMETHING ROTTEN! is a musical comedy with a book by John O'Farrell and Karey Kirkpatrick and music and lyrics by Karey and Wayne Kirkpatrick. Set in 1595, it tells the story of the Bottom brothers, Nick (Rob McClure) and Nigel (Pierce Cassedy), and their struggle to produce a show that isn't overshadowed by their contemporary William Shakespeare (Adam Pascal). The show opened on Broadway in 2015 and was nominated for multiple Tony Awards and ran for 745 performances. This touring production launched earlier this year.

Second Stage Theater's (Carole Rothman, Artistic Director) production of SOMEBODY'S DAUGHTER has been extended by one week and will now play through Sunday, June 25.

One of the most popular and enduring of Shakespeare's comedies, A Midsummer's Night Dream invites the audience into three distinct spheres: An enchanted forest led by Oberon and Titania, a noble court in Athens where two sets of lovers prove that "the course of true love never did run smooth", and the workaday world of the Mechanicals who labor at the trades and who yearn to ACT. In true Shakespearean style, these three worlds eventually collide with hilarity and wit and, of course, romance.

The Public Theater's Free Shakespeare in the Park production of Julius Caesar, directed by Oskar Eustis, is in performances now and runs through Sunday, June 18 at with an official press opening on Monday, June 12. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast in action below!

Someone once asked me what the key is to a good cabaret performance. My answer? First, the performer should be an experienced actor and really know him or herself in depth. He must separate his own personality from every role played on stage. Cabaret audiences want to see something special, a glow from the inside that makes the person take hold of the moment and run with it. Nobody does this better than Donna McKechnie, Tony Award winner for A Chorus Line, whose vibrant persona adds warmth to every moment that she is in our presence. To me she is practically the same off stage as on; maybe that's the key, just being your true joyful self.

William Shakespeare's classic drama about politics and power. Presented in a modern setting, the production gives the audience new insights into the pressurized culture of honor, fame, war, and betrayal. Performances are May 25 thru June 18, 2017.  Thursdays through Sundays @ 8pm. Schiller Park (German Village), Amphitheatre Stage, Columbus, Ohio.  For information on donations and seat reservations, visit http://theactorstheatre.org