Ron Orbach News

Chicago Shakespeare Theater's (CST) 25th Anniversary Season production of William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, directed by CST Associate Artistic Director Gary Griffin (CST's Follies, Broadway's The Color Purple) is now playing through April 8, 2012, and features a celebrated company of artists that includes stage and screen actor Ron Orbach as Nick Bottom, former Saturday Night Live funnyman Tim Kazurinsky as Peter Quince, and veteran CST actors Tracy Michelle Arnold as Hippolyta/Titania and Timothy Edward Kane as Theseus/Oberon. Performing the role of Puck is Elizabeth Ledo.

Chicago Shakespeare Theater (CST) announced today casting for its 25th Anniversary Season production of William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, directed by CST Associate Artistic Director Gary Griffin (CST's Follies, Broadway's The Color Purple) and featuring a celebrated company of artists that includes stage and screen actor Ron Orbach as Nick Bottom, former Saturday Night Live funnyman Tim Kazurinsky as Peter Quince, and veteran CST actors Tracy Michelle Arnold as Hippolyta/Titania and Timothy Edward Kane as Theseus/Oberon. Performing the role of Puck is Elizabeth Ledo.

Chicago Shakespeare Theater (CST) announced today casting for its 25th Anniversary Season production of William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, directed by CST Associate Artistic Director Gary Griffin (CST's Follies, Broadway's The Color Purple) and featuring a celebrated company of artists that includes stage and screen actor Ron Orbach as Nick Bottom, former Saturday Night Live funnyman Tim Kazurinsky as Peter Quince, and veteran CST actors Tracy Michelle Arnold as Hippolyta/Titania and Timothy Edward Kane as Theseus/Oberon. Performing the role of Puck is Elizabeth Ledo.

Actors Annie Korzen, Ron Orbach, DeeDee Rescher, and Carol Ita White join stars Jason Alexander and Gina Hecht in the special three-week engagement of the comedy The Prisoner of Second Avenue by Neil Simon. Directed by Glenn Casale, the production close May 15, 2011 at El Portal Theatre in North Hollywood.

On the heels of his 1970 hit film The Out of Towners Neil Simon crafted The Prisoner of Second Avenue in 1971, which had a more than a healthy run on Broadway and filmed in 1975 with Jack Lemmon and Anne Bancroft. Towners has always been my favorite as it depicts how bright and enthusiastic small town people visit and view the living conditions of New York City as less than desirable. Anything that can go wrong does and the pair cannot wait to make a fast exit. In Avenue, it's a perspective from within as New York apartment dwellers Mel (Jason Alexander) and Edna (Gina Hecht) Edison must cope with high rent, noisy neighbors, unemployment, robbery, garbage strikes, the exorbitant cost of living and trying to keep one's sanity in the process. In this new production at the El Portal, Glenn Casale's fantastic pacing as director and a superb ensemble make The Prisoner of Second Avenue more topical than ever.

The Prisoner of Second Avenue revolves around the escalating problems of a middle-aged couple living on Second Avenue on the Upper East Side of New York City. Mel Edison (portrayed by Alexander), has just lost his job after many years and now has to cope with being unemployed at middle age. The action occurs during an intense summer heat wave and a prolonged garbage strike, which just exacerbates Edison's plight to no end as he and his wife Edna (Hecht) deal with noisy neighbors, loud sounds emanating from Manhattan streets, and even a robbery of their apartment in broad daylight.

Actors Annie Korzen, Ron Orbach, DeeDee Rescher, and Carol Ita White will join stars Jason Alexander and Gina Hecht in the special three-week engagement of the comedy The Prisoner of Second Avenue by Neil Simon, it was announced today by producers Tom Brocato, Butterfield Road Productions in association with Charles A. Eisler, Producers Network.

The Open Fist Theatre Company is thrilled to announce the first production of its 2011 Season.

The Open Fist Theatre Company is thrilled to announce the first production of its 2011 Season.

The Open Fist Theatre Company is thrilled to announce the first production of its 2011 Season.

The Open Fist Theatre Company is thrilled to announce the first production of its 2011 Season.

The Open Fist Theatre Company is thrilled to announce the first production of its 2011 Season.

LIMELIGHT: THE STORY OF CHARLIE CHAPLIN has Music and Lyrics by Christopher Curtis and a Book by Christopher Curtis and Thomas Meehan. The show is Directed by Michael Unger and is Playing September 7 - October 17, 2010

La Jolla Playhouse announces the cast of its world-premiere musical Limelight: The Story of Charlie Chaplin, music and lyrics by Christopher Curtis, book by Christopher Curtis and Thomas Meehan and directed by Michael Unger, running September 7 - October 17, 2010 (media night: Sunday, September 19 at 7:00 pm) in the Mandell Weiss Theatre.

Reprise Theatre Company's production of 'A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum,' 1962's Tony-Award-winning Best Musical, will play its final performance on March 28 at UCLA's Freud Playhouse. Directed by David Lee, the production's book is by Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart, with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim.

One of my most cherished theatrical memories is seeing DANCE OF THE VAMPIRES in previews starring an unbelievably talented and brand-new talent named Mandy Gonzalez who has since gone to star in IN THE HEIGHTS, and just this week took the lead role of Elphaba in WICKED...

Thankfully director David Lee is giving us a presentation of Forum @ Reprise based on the 1972 Broadway revival. Why? Because it includes 2 delightful songs not in the original 1962 New York production: 'Farewell' and 'Echo Song'. These 2 numbers add that extra special touch to Lee's dynamically directed version, which puts the s in silly and could not possibly get any better.

The 2009-2010 season of Reprise Theatre Company continues with 'A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum,' 1962's Tony-Award-winning Best Musical, now playing through March 28 at UCLA's Freud Playhouse. Directed by David Lee, the production's book is by Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart, with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. Watch a 30-second promo below!

The 2009-2010 season of Reprise Theatre Company continues with 'A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum,' 1962's Tony-Award-winning Best Musical, March 16 to 28 at UCLA's Freud Playhouse. Directed by David Lee, the production's book is by Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart, with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim.

Reprise Theatre Company will open A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, 1962's Tony-Award-winning Best Musical, March 16-28 at UCLA's Freud Playhouse. Directed by David Lee, the production's book is by Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart, with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. Single tickets are available for Forum online at www.reprise.org or through the UCLA Central Ticket Office at 310-825-2101.