Second Stage Theatre News

According to the NY Times, Lynne Nottage's BY THE WAY, MEET VERA STARK, which ran at SEcond stage theatre this past spring might make its way into the Fall 2011 Broadway line-up. Producer Elizabeth I. McCann revealed that she has accquired the rights to the show, and is currently searching for investors for a potential Broadway run.

Second Stage Theatre (Carole Rothman, Artistic Director) has announced the complete cast for its upcoming production of the new musical THE BLUE FLOWER: Sebastian Arcelus (Buddy in Elf, Wicked, Jersey Boys), Marc Kudisch (Three-time Tony Award nominee for 9 to 5, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Thoroughly Modern Millie), Meghan McGeary (The Blue Flower at A.R.T.), Joseph Medeiros (Irving Berlin's White Christmas), Julia Osborne (National Tour of South Pacific), Graham Rowat (Guys and Dolls), Aaron Serotsky (August: Osage County), and Teal Wicks (Elphaba in Wicked).

The Manhattan Theatre Club has announced full casting for the upcoming world premiere of CLOSE UP SPACE by Molly Smith Metzler, directed by Leigh Silverman. Joining the cast is Academy Award & Emmy Award nominee Rosie Perez (Fearless, The Ritz) as famous author 'Vanessa Finn Adams.' Completing the cast are Jessica DiGiovanni (Off-Broadway Debut) and Colby Minifie (The Pillowman, Landscape of the Body) as well as already announced Tony Award and four-time Emmy Award winner David Hyde Pierce ('Frasier', Curtains) and Obie Award winner Michael Chernus (The Aliens, In The Wake).

Yale Repertory Theatre (James Bundy, Artistic Director; Victoria Nolan, Managing Director) presents two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist Sarah Ruhl's new version of Anton Chekhov's THREE SISTERS, based on a literal translation by Elise Thoron with Natalya Paramonova and Kristin Johnsen-Neshati, directed by Les Waters.

Executive Producer Lou Spisto today announced the cast and creative team for the World Premiere of Somewhere, a new play by Old Globe Playwright-in-Residence Matthew Lopez. Lopez's play The Whipping Man was a critical success in New York last season after receiving its West Coast Premiere at the Globe in a production directed by Giovanna Sardelli. Sardelli returns to direct Somewhere, which will run in the Sheryl and Harvey White Theatre, part of the Globe's Conrad Prebys Theatre Center, Sept. 24 - Oct. 30. Preview performances run Sept. 24 - Sept. 28. Opening night is Thursday, Sept. 29 at 8:00 p.m. Tickets are currently available by subscription only. Single tickets will go on sale on Sunday, Sept. 4. Tickets can be purchased online at www.TheOldGlobe.org, by phone at (619) 23-GLOBE or by visiting the Box Office at 1363 Old Globe Way in Balboa Park.

Stage and screen star Rosemarie Dewitt has joined the cast of FOX's 'Neighborhood Watch,' according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Second Stage Theatre (Carole Rothman, Artistic Director) announced today the establishment of The Donna Perret Rosen Award, an annual cash prize to be awarded to a promising composer/lyricist. The $10,000 award was established at the off-Broadway company's annual gala to honor Second Stage Theatre trustee Donna Perret Rosen in recognition of her long-standing commitment to young artists and new works. The award will be chosen by Tony Award-winners James Lapine, Susan Stroman, and Jack Viertel. The first 'Donna Award' will be awarded in 2012.

Second Stage Theatre continues its Uptown Series with the world premiere of The Talls, written by Anna Kerrigan and directed by Carolyn Cantor. Ms. Kerrigan's film Five Days Gone recently premiered at the Brooklyn Film Festival. The Talls will feature Gerard Canonico (Spring Awakening), Timothee Chalamet (Burning Blue), Shannon Esper (Cherry Orchard), Lauren Holmes, Michael Oberholtzer (Incident at Vichy & Raft of The Medusa), Peter Rini (Proposals) and Christa Scott-Reed (The Pitman Painters). Opening night is Monday, August 15th.

Beyond Theatre Ensemble in partnership with Face Off Unlimited and The Secret Theatre presents The Two Gentlemen of Verona, closing August 13, 2011 at The Secret Theatre, LIC

According to Deadline.com, stage and screen stars Marcia Gay Harden and Bill Pullman will star in TNT's upcoming film, Innocent. Pullman will play Rusty Sabich, who 'is charged with the murder of his wife.'

Producers Jeffrey Richards and Jerry Frankel announced that tickets for CHINGLISH will be on sale exclusively to American Express Cardmembers from Wednesday, August 10th, 2011 at 10:00 am through Sunday, August 28th, 2011 at 11:59 pm, at Telecharge.com ( 212-239-6200 ). Also, Preferred Seating is available to American Express Gold Card, Platinum Card® and Centurion® members. Tickets go on sale to the general public on Saturday, September 3rd, 2011 at 12:00am.

New Repertory Theatre, in residence at the Arsenal Center for the Arts, is thrilled to begin its 2011-2012 Season with Jonathan Larson's Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning musical RENT.

Roundabout Theatre Company has announced the full cast of the New York premiere of Stephen Karam's new play Sons of the Prophet, directed by Peter DuBois. The cast will feature Yusef Bulos (Bill), Jonathan Louis Dent (Vin), Santino Fontana (Joseph), Joanna Gleason (Gloria), Lizbeth Mackay (Mrs. McAndrew), Dee Nelson (Dr. Manor), Chris Perfetti (Charles), Charles Socarides (Timothy).

The cast of Engaging Shaw features Rod Brogan (George Bernard Shaw), Natalie Gold (Beatrice Webb), Angela Pierce (Charlotte Payne-Townshend) and Michael Warner (Sidney Webb).

According to the Chinese Almanac, Tuesday, October 11th is a good day for starting a business. So the producers of CHINGLISH, the new comedy about an American businessman doing business in China by Tony Award-winning and two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist David Henry Hwang (M. Butterfly), have decided to start performances on that day. The opening night and casting will be announced soon.

According to the LA Times, stage and screen star Justin Bartha has signed on to star in Jesse Eisenberg's new off-Broadway play Asuncion. Bartha will play 'Vinny, a progressive academic and roommate of left-wing blogger Edgar (Eisenberg), who's thrown for a loop when a Filipino roommate moves in.' The duo last worked together in the 2010 independent film 'Holy Rollers.'

On July 18, the Next To Normal tour pulled into Toronto, where it will play through July 30. Alice Ripley, who received the 2009 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her performance in the Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning Next to Normal, reprises her acclaimed performance in the musical's 36-week multi-city North American tour. Below, we bring you photo coverage of Next To Normal onstage in Toronto!

Last night, July 25, Second Stage opened Zach Braff's world premiere production of ALL NEW PEOPLE. The production concludes Second Stage's 32nd season. BroadwayWorld was on hand for the opening and brings you photo coverage below!

This summer, Broadway actors Darlene Love, Julia Murney, Anthony Rapp and Matt Dengler star in 'Free to Dream: New Songs for the American Journey,' a concert specially adapted for Colonial Williamsburg. Television personality Willard Scott also lends his recorded voice to the program, which showcases the people and places that make up the fabric of America with musical styles from country, rock and pop to swing and the blues. It is a compilation of pieces by Grammy-winning composer Doug Katsaros and two-time Emmy-nominated lyricist William Schermerhorn. A nine-piece band accompanies the singers.

The Perry-Mansfield Performing Arts School (Jim Steinberg, Board Chairman; Victor Maog, Director of Theatre), has announced its ambitious 2011 summer season of live theatre at the venerable performing arts camp and school in Steamboat Springs, CO, July 14 - August 5th with full productions of four commissioned new works: Out of Joint by A. Rey Pamatmat, The Moon, created, directed and choreographed by Otis Sallid, the new musical, Hércule's Labour of Love, with Book, Music and Lyrics by Aaron & Anna Jones, Nancy Blue: Girl Detective by Megan Mostyn-Brown and the classic Meredith Willson favorite, The Music Man.