Second Stage Theatre News

"That's So Raven" star Anneliese van der Pol teams up with actor/writer Tim Realbuto (Ghostlight; The Emperor's Club) for an evening of song, hilarity and personal reflection at popular venue 54 Below in July.

Penn State Centre Stage will present the regional premiere of Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey's powerful rock musical Next to Normal from June 4 - 14, 2014 in the Penn State Pavilion Theatre. Directed by Cary Libkin and starring Ariela Morgenstern, Asa Somers, Raymond Sage, Tommy Hart, Christina Kidd, and Gregory LaMontagne, Next To Normal tells the story of a mother struggling with worsening Bipolar Disorder and the dramatic effect that her illness has on her family. Previews at 7:30 p.m.: June 4 and 5; Evenings at 7:30 p.m.: June 10, 11, 12; Evenings at 8:00 p.m.: June 6, 7, 13, 14; Matinee at 2 p.m.: June 7. Evenings: $30; Preview/Matinee: $20; Opening Night Reception/Show: $60 (Includes pre-show hors d'ouevres, show, and post-show desserts) Doors open at 6:30 p.m.; show begins at 8:00 p.m. For additional show information, visit www.theatre.psu.edu. Tickets are available at Penn State Tickets Downtown, Eisenhower Box Office, Bryce Jordan Center, or by calling (814) 863-0255 or 1 (800) ARTS-TIX.

Due to popular demand, Second Stage Theatre will extend the limited run of Bess Wohl's AMERICAN HERO one week, now running through June 15th. Directed by Tony nominee Leigh Silverman, AMERICAN HERO features Ari Graynor (2st Trust), Daoud Heidami (Bengal Tiger at The Baghdad Zoo), Jerry O'Connell (Seminar) and Erin Wilhelmi (The Great God Pan).

The 80th Annual Drama League Awards Ceremony and Luncheon is being held this afternoon, May 16, at the Marriott Marquis Times Square, where winners will be announced for Distinguished Production of a Play, Distinguished Production of a Musical, Distinguished Revival of a Play, Distinguished Revival of a Musical, and the much coveted Distinguished Performance Award. This year's event, which began at noon, is hosted by Broadway veteran Jesse Tyler Ferguson. BroadwayWorld is updating the winners live! Check back in to find out who took home the big awards!

Glenn Close, John Lithgow, Lindsay Duncan, Bob Balaban, Clare Higgins, and Martha Plimpton will star in a new Broadway production of Edward Albee's A DELICATE BALANCE this fall at the Golden Theatre (252 West 45th Street). The production, which will be directed by Pam MacKinnon, begins previewsMonday, October 20 and plays an 18-week limited engagement through Sunday, February 22, 2015. Opening night is Thursday, November 20.

RON RIFKIN, whose performance as Isaac Geldhart in the original production of The Substance of Fire earned him critical accolades as well as the Obie, Drama Desk, Lucille Lortel, and Drama-Logue awards, will step into the role for five performances only, May 20 - 23, at Second Stage Theatre. The production's current star, JOHN NOBLE, is unable to perform those performances due to an unforeseen conflict with the filming schedule for his Fox series, Sleepy Hollow. Mr. Noble is scheduled to return for the final weekend of performances, May 24 and 25.

Warehouse Theatre Company will open it's 2014 season with the world premiere musical BIG VOICE: THE ETHEL MERMAN EXPERIENCE, a unique concert experience that features the music of Irving Berlin, Cole Porter, Ray Henderson, Jule Styne, and George Gershwin.

Ordinary Days, an acclaimed new musical by Adam Gwon, brings Round House's 2013/2014 season to a harmonious close as it makes its area premiere. Signature Theatre's Matthew Gardiner makes his Round House directing debut with this Off-Broadway hit by one of musical theater's most exciting new composers. Ordinary Days runs at Round House Theatre Bethesda from May 28 thru June 22. Opening night is Monday, June 2, 2014.

The TONY Award-winning score of PARADE will be brought to life for one night only at Avery Fisher Hall, Lincoln Center, February 16, 2015. Recent TONY-nominee Jason Robert Brown will be at the helm to conduct a star-studded cast and full chorus as Music Director.

Pulitzer Prize nominee Rajiv Joseph's (Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo - NEA Award BEST PLAY) Gruesome Playground Injuries launches the season for multi-award winning Rogue Machine Theatre (BEST PRODUCTION award winner 2013, 2011 and 2010 - Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle, Ovation). Their SEVENTH SEASON begins May 24, 2014.

Second Stage Theatre's 35th Anniversary Gala celebration will honor Carole Rothman, Artistic Director of Second Stage Theatre, for her 35 years of supporting new works and artistic development in New York City theatre. This year's rock n' roll themed gala will be attended by over 250 Second Stage Alumni who have worked at Second Stage Theatre during the past 35 years, from Brooke Adams and Polly Draper who appeared in the very first season, to cast members from the currently running The Substance of Fire and the upcoming American Hero which will make its New York premiere this summer at Second Stage Uptown. Special guests participating in the evening's festivities include Lynn Nottage, Cynthia Nixon, Tony Goldwyn, and more. Co-Chairs for this year's gala are Tony James, Tony Kiser, and George Loening.

Steppenwolf Theatre Company has announced the line-up for the ninth annual First Look Repertory of New Work, featuring three developmental productions of new plays presented in rotating repertory July 26 - August 24, 2014 in the Garage Theatre (1624 N Halsted St). First Look 2014 includes: Ironbound by Martyna Majok, Hushabye by Tanya Saracho and Okay, Bye by Joshua Conkel. The 2014 festival also features readings of two new plays, American Beauty Shop by Dana Lynn Formby and Opium Den by Julie Marie Myatt. Tickets to First Look Repertory of New Work ($20) are on sale now. To purchase tickets or RSVP for the free readings, call Audience Services at 312-335-1650.

On May 13, Goodman Theatre celebrates the life and creative contributions of Robert (Bob) Christen, its longtime Resident Lighting Designer and one of the most prolific live performance designers in the country, who passed away last month at age 64.

Berkeley Repertory Theatre welcomes back Pulitzer Prize winner Tony Kushner for the West Coast premiere of his latest play, The Intelligent Homosexual's Guide to Capitalism and Socialism with a Key to the Scriptures, an epic tale of love, family, sex, money, and politics. Kushner reunites with one of his favorite collaborators, Michael Leibert Artistic Director Tony Taccone, to bring this sweeping drama to the Roda Theatre. With his trademark mix of soaring intellect and searing emotion, the legendary writer unfurls a poignant story about an Italian family in Brooklyn. When retired longshoreman Gus Marcantonio decides to die, his kids come home with a raucous parade of lovers and spouses to find that even the house keeps secrets. A portrait of a dysfunctional family filled with weighty dialogue, humor, and passion, Kushner's four-act play previews Friday, May 16, opens on Wednesday, May 21, and runs through Sunday, June 29, 2014.

Co-Hosts Judith Light and Christopher Sieber announced the nominations for the 2014 Drama League Awards, including Distinguished Production of a Play, Distinguished Production of a Musical, Distinguished Revival of a Play, Distinguished Revival of a Musical, and the much coveted Distinguished Performance Award. The 2014 Drama League Nomination announcement begins the month of celebrations leading up to the 80th Annual Drama League Awards, which will be held at the Marriott Marquis Times Square (1535 Broadway) on Friday, May 16, 2014 at noon hosted by Broadway veteran Jesse Tyler Ferguson.

Welcome to BWW's exclusive talk show, BACKSTAGE WITH Richard Ridge. Follow Richard as he visits the theater's best and brightest in their dressing rooms, on their stages and favorite hang outs to talk about their lives, careers and all of the things you don't know, but want to know. In the special interview below, Broadway's new bad guy, Will Swenson, talks all things Les Miserables- plus he shares stories about how he got his start in theatre, his past Broadway roles, and more. Check out the full interview below!

Good morning, BroadwayWorld! Because we know all our readers eat, sleep and breathe Broadway, what could be better than waking up to it? Today's big news: XXXX

Second Stage Theatre kicks off the 2014 Uptown Series with the New York premiere of AMERICAN HERO, written by Bess Wohl and directed by Leigh Silverman. AMERICAN HERO will feature ARI GRAYNOR (2ST Trust), DAOUD HEIDAMI (Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo), JERRY O'CONNELL (Seminar) and ERIN WILHELMI (The Great God Pan). Previews begin Monday, May 12th and opening night is Thursday, May 22nd.

On May 3rd, Studio 42 will present the Unproducible works of Meghan Deans - winner of the '13 Unproducible Smackdown (Ashore), Eric Dufault (Year of the Rooster), Brett Epstein - Fan Slam winner (I Loved Sam Stone), Leah Nanako Winkler (Death for Sydney Black), and Lauren Yee (Ching Chong Chinaman). Direction by Liz Carlson (The Playwrights Realm's Lottie in the Late Afternoon), Matt Dickson (INTAR's The Lowest Form of Writing), John Giampietro (EST's Year of the Rooster), and Jesse Jou (Rising Circle Theater Collectives's Say You Heard My Echo). The plays of the Smackdown are produced by Alyssa Anderson, Ying Le, Greg Nobile, Meghan Pressman, and Lico Whitfield.

Award-winning composer and lyricist Joe Iconis will take the stage on Monday, May 5, 2014 at New World Stages as part of MURDER FOR TWO's newly launched concert series Murderous Musical Mondays. The unplugged concert, which will feature both new songs and fan favorites, will take place immediately following the 7pm performance of MURDER FOR TWO at New World Stages (Stage 5 - 340 West 50th Street) on Monday, May 5th, 2014. Admittance to the concert is free to all those with tickets to the May 5th performance of MURDER FOR TWO. Tickets are available now on Telecharge.com.