Richard Jordan News

Three years ago, The National Centre for Performing Arts (NCPA), India's premiere arts and culture institution, rejuvenated the theatre scenario in Mumbai by introducing its first-ever, major, multi-lingual annual theatre festival of premiering plays - Centrestage. The festival aimed to create a platform for new/different works and encourage the birth of new groups.

Three years ago, The National Centre for Performing Arts (NCPA), India's premiere arts and culture institution, rejuvenated the theatre scenario in Mumbai by introducing its first-ever, major, multi-lingual annual theatre festival of premiering plays - Centrestage. The festival aimed to create a platform for new/different works and encourage the birth of new groups.

At the gala 45th Annual Equity Jeff Awards held at Drury Lane Oakbrook on Monday, November 4, Steppenwolf Theatre Company's 'Good People' received the award for Production-Play in a large tier theatre. Principal Actress Mariann Mayberry was also honored for her role in this David Lindsey-Abaire play, which considers the dangerous consequences of holding on to the past or leaving it behind. William Brown received Best Director of a play for Writers Theatre's production of the French farce 'The Liar', adapted by David Ives.

Chicago Shakespeare Theater (CST) and hip-hop sensations the Q Brothers are back at it again turning up the volume with a fresh take on a beloved classic. The Q Brothers and CST Creative Producer Rick Boynton have come together to develop A Q Brothers' Christmas Carol-a hip-hop reinterpretation of the perennial holiday favorite by Charles Dickens. Now, alongside Chicago theaters' familiar renditions of this heartwarming tale, audiences will participate in the creation of an energized, reinvented tradition. Work-in-progress performances of A Q Brothers' Christmas Carol will run in the theater Upstairs at Chicago Shakespeare, November 30-December 22, 2013.

Casting is announced for OH WHAT A LOVELY WAR, a Theatre Royal Stratford East Production:

The Theatrical Management Association (TMA) has announced the nominations for the 2013 UK Theatre Awards published below and available online at www.tmauk.org.

Christopher Durang's new comedy, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, which won the 2013 Tony Award for Best Play, will end its extended premiere on Broadway at the Golden Theatre today, August 25.

Tony Award-winner Julie White steps into the role of 'Masha' in Christopher Durang's new comedy, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, tonight, Tuesday, July 30. Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike began performances on Tuesday, March 5 and opened on Thursday, March 14.

The Broadway at Birdland partnership with multi-Grammy and Tony nominated composer Frank Wildhorn continued on July 15th with another "Frank & Friends" concert. Joining Wildhorn onstage were singers Adrienne Warren, Orfeh, Stark Sands, John Treacy Egan and Jim Caruso. Scroll down for photos from the concert!

Steve Kazee - the 2012 Tony Award winner for his performance as Guy in Once - is returning to 54 Below this month, back by popular demand after a sold-out debut engagement in May. He will be joined in this series of concerts by his band, The Shiny Liars, comprised of singer songwriter Lora-Faye Whelan, his former Once co-star and Tony nominee Elizabeth A. Davis, plus musicians Jordan Richard and Anthony Taddeo.

Chicago Shakespeare Theater (CST) announced yesterday the opening of productions developed at CST on four continents over the next several months, bringing new work from Chicago to theaters and festivals around the world. In addition to exporting its work, Chicago Shakespeare's World's Stage Series annually brings international artists to Chicago asserting the Theater's global mission.

Steve Kazee - the 2012 Tony Award winner for his performance as Guy in Once - is returning to 54 Below this July, back by popular demand after a sold-out debut engagement in May. He will be joined in this series of concerts by his band, The Shiny Liars, comprised of singer songwriter Lora-Faye Whelan, his former Once co-star and Tony nominee Elizabeth A. Davis, plus musicians Jordan Richard and Anthony Taddeo.

Producers Joey Parnes and Larry Hirschhorn have announced that Christopher Durang's new comedy, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, which last night won the 2013 Tony Award for Best Play, will again extend its premiere Broadway engagement at the Golden Theatre. With this second and final extension, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike will now end its run Sunday, August 25 (it was originally scheduled to end its run on Sunday, June 30). The critically lauded play has swept the awards circuit this year, having now been named Best Play by every major theatrical awards organization including the aforementioned Tony Awards, the New York Drama Critics' Circle, the Drama Desk, the Drama League, and the Outer Critics Circle. Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike began performances on Tuesday, March 5 and opened on Thursday, March 14.

Chicago Shakespeare Theater's (CST) Othello: The Remix, the 90-minute hip-hop adaptation of William Shakespeare's tragedy, spun out and lyrically rewritten over original beats, has been extended a second time through July 27, 2013. Written, directed and with music by the Q Brothers, Othello: The Remix is receiving rave reviews from audiences across Chicago, playing to sold-out houses and nightly standing ovations. The high energy, cross-genre production is stimulating theater attendance from under-represented audiences in Chicago with noticeable increases in multi-generational and culturally diverse audiences. The production continues to break records for Chicago Shakespeare's longstanding CST for $20 program, which offers $20 tickets for CST productions to students and young professionals under the age of 35. Following the extended run of the American premiere in Chicago, Othello: The Remix will return to London (where the production first performed last fall as part of the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad's 'Globe to Globe' festival at Shakespeare's Globe). The three-week engagement at London's Unicorn Theatre will take place September 11-28, 2013. Chicago Shakespeare's full 2013 summer programming schedule also includes: Piccolo Teatro di Milano's Inner Voices from June 25-29; Shrek The Musical from July 13-September 1; Chicago Shakespeare in the Parks performing The Comedy of Errorsfrom July 26-August 25.

The Drama League (Executive Director, Gabriel Shanks) announced today the winners for the 79th Annual Drama League Awards: Distinguished Production of a Musical, Kinky Boots; presented by Diane Paulus; Distinguished Play,Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, presented by Pam MacKinnon; Distinguished Revival of a Musical, Pippin, presented by Alex Timbers; Distinguished Revival of a Play,Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf, presented by Rachel Chavkin; Distinguished Performance, Nathan Lane, presented by Debra Messing at a star-studded luncheon ceremony hosted by Ms. Messing and David Hyde Pierce at the Marriott Marquis Times Square (1535 Broadway).

Producers Joey Parnes and Larry Hirschhorn announced today that Christopher Durang's new comedy, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, will extend its premiere Broadway engagement at the Golden Theatre by four weeks due to popular demand.

The Muny announced principal casting for the sixth show of its fantastic 95th Season, Disney and Cameron Mackinstosh's Mary Poppins the Musical, directed by Gary Griffin and choreographed by Alex Sanchez. Mary Poppins the Musical is sponsored by Ameren.

Nominations in 26 competitive categories for THE 67th ANNUAL TONY AWARDS were announced today by stage and screen actor Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Tony Award-winning actress Sutton Foster at the Tony Award Nominations Announcement.

Here's the nominated producers!

The Drama League (Executive Director, Gabriel Shanks) has announced the 2013 Drama League Awards Nominees for Distinguished Play, Distinguished Revival of a Play, Distinguished Musical, Distinguished Revival of a Musical, and Distinguished Performance Award. The nominations were announced at a ceremony hosted by Patina Miller and Michael Urie this morning at Sardi's Restaurant which were streamed live online at www.BroadwayWorld.com.