Second Stage Theatre News

Tony Award nominee BRIAN D'ARCY JAMES will return to the Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning musical Next to Normal for a special limited engagement beginning Monday, May 17 at 8:00p.m. Mr. d'Arcy James originated the role of Dan Goodman in the Second Stage Theatre off-Broadway production of the acclaimed musical. J. Robert Spencer, who was nominated for a Tony Award for his performance in the role, will give his final performance on Sunday, May 16 at 7:30p.m.

YALE REPERTORY THEATRE (James Bundy, Artistic Director; Victoria Nolan, Managing Director) presents BATTLE OF BLACK AND DOGS by Bernard-Marie Koltès, translated by Michaël Attias, and directed by Robert Woodruff, at Yale Repertory Theatre (1120 Chapel Street, at York), April 16-May 8. Opening Night is Thursday, April 22.

Noble Fool Theatricals presents the Tony-Award winning new musical comedy The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, directed by Kevin Bellie and music directed by Peter Storms, at the Pheasant Run Resort Mainstage Theater (4051 E. Main St., St. Charles, IL; telephone 630-584-6342).

Second Stage Theatre (Carole Rothman, Artistic Director) will present the New York premiere of THE ELABORATE ENTRANCE OF CHAD DEITY, a new play written by Kristoffer Diaz and directed by Edward Torres. Preview performances begin on Tuesday, April 27 with an opening night set for Thursday, May 20 at 6:30pm.

Stephen Sondheim is widely acknowledged as the most innovative, most influential, and most important composer and lyricist in modern Broadway history. He is the winner of an Academy Award, numerous Tony Award, multiple Grammy Awards and a Pulitzer Prize. Some of his other accolades include a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Kennedy Center Honors (1993), the National Medal of Arts (1996), the American Academy of Arts and Letters' Gold Medal for Music (2006) and a special Tony Awardâfor Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre (2008).

Rubicon Theatre Company continues its 2009-2010 Season with a revival of BETH HENLEY's Pulitzer Prize-winning play CRIMES OF THE HEART. Set in Mississippi in 1974 (five years after Hurricane Camille), this sweet, sexy comedy follows the travails of the three Magrath sisters, who come together at the family home in Hazelhurst when the youngest Babe is charged with shooting her husband 'cause she didn't like his looks.'

The American Repertory Theater is pleased to announce the cast for Johnny Baseball, a world premiere musical about the Red Sox, with music by Robert Reale, lyrics by Willie Reale, book by Richard Dresser, story by Richard Dresser and Willie Reale, with musical direction and vocal arrangements by Wendy Bobbitt Cavett; musical arrangements by Bruce Coughlin.

Last night, Monday April 19, Second Stage Theatre hosted their annual spring gala in honor of Tony Kiser, a trustee and Co-Chairman of the theater for 29 years. Performers Kelli O'hara and Greg Naughton, Anthony Rapp, Alison Fraser, Pulitzer Prize Winner Tom Kitt, Derrick Baskin, Noah Racey and John Scherer, Becca Ayres, D'Atra Hicks, and Julie Foldesi paid tribute to Kiser in celebration. The evening additionally featured a cocktail reception and dinner. BroadwayWorld was there to capture the performers.

Tony Award nominee J. Robert Spencer will play his final performance in the Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning musical Next to Normal on Sunday, May 16 at 7:30p.m. A replacement for Mr. Spencer will be announced shortly.

Tony Award nominee J. Robert Spencer will play his final performance in the Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning musical Next to Normal on Sunday, May 16 at 7:30p.m. A replacement for Mr. Spencer will be announced shortly.

Reprise Records will release The Original Broadway Cast Recording of American Idiot on April 20, 2010, the same day the show will open at the St. James Theatre in New York City. The official album features the 24-member cast accompanied by Green Day, marking another incredible collaboration between the band and the musical. Based on Green Day's chart-topping 2004 album American Idiot, the musical and the cast recording include every song from American Idiot, as well as several songs from the band's GRAMMY® Award-winning current album 21st Century Breakdown.

Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company continues its 30 th Season (2009/10) with a four-week run of Gruesome Playground Injuries, created by the 2010 Pulitzer Prize-nominated Rajiv Joseph (playwright of Animals Out of Paper and Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo ) and directed by John Vreeke. Gruesome Playground Injuries stars Gabriela Fernandez-Coffey and Tim Getman.

Today we continue our critical appraisal of the entire English-language recorded canon of Stephen Sondheim - at the very least, all the major productions which were recorded - beginning where we have left off with the round-ups of GYPSY and WEST SIDE STORY, as well as the 2009 Revival Recording of A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC, from the last few weeks. The last show for which Sondheim wrote lyrics-only, before he was quite able to get his own musical scores produced, was his collaboration with Richard Rodgers, DO I HEAR A WALTZ? Next, we continue with the first show for which he wrote music and lyrics, SATURDAY NIGHT, as well as the first show he wrote music and lyrics for that actually made it to Broadway, A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM.

BroadwayWorld is proud to present a look at the extensive work of Stephen Sondheim on Broadway! Check out these Sondheim on Broadway facts!

BroadwayWorld is proud to present a look at the extensive work of Stephen Sondheim on Broadway! Check out Sondheim's Broadway credits, 1956-1981!

BroadwayWorld is proud to present a look at the extensive work of Stephen Sondheim on Broadway! Check out Sondheim's Broadway credits, 1984-Current!

Casting is complete and rehearsals have begun for The Blank Theatre Company's third and final production of its 19th season, Michael John LaChiusa's See What I Wanna See. Directed by The Blank's Artistic Director Daniel Henning, with musical direction by David O, See What I Wanna See will begin preview performances on Saturday, April 10, 2010 and is set to open on Saturday, April 17 at 8pm. The engagement will run through Sunday, May 23.

Huntington Theatre Company has announced casting for its production of Craig Lucas' PRELUDE TO A KISS, which will run from May 14 through June 13.

The Huntington Theatre Company concludes its 28th season - a season of American stories - with the award-winning playwright Craig Lucas' modern classic Prelude to a Kiss. Peter and Rita are two young, happy lovers who are getting married. On their wedding day, an old man comes up to kiss the bride.

The American Repertory Theater is pleased to announce the cast for Johnny Baseball, a world premiere musical about the Red Sox, with music by Robert Reale, lyrics by Willie Reale, book by Richard Dresser, story by Richard Dresser and Willie Reale, with musical direction and vocal arrangements by Wendy Bobbitt Cavett; musical arrangements by Bruce Coughlin.