Second Stage News

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: THE FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE opens tonight off-Broadway and Seth Rudetsky launches his new book series!

Lynne Meadow (Artistic Director) and Barry Grove (Executive Producer) announce recent recipients of the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Initiative commissions for Manhattan Theatre Club. The commissioned writers are Jeff Augustin (Little Children Dream of God), Courtney Baron (A Very Common Procedure) and Juliana Nash (Murder Ballad), Nell Benjamin (The Explorers Club), Madeline George (The (curious case of the) Watson Intelligence), Tom Holloway (And No More Shall We Part), Nathan Jackson (Broke-ology), Branden Jacobs-Jenkins (An Octoroon), Greg Pierce (Slowgirl), and Alexandra Wood (The Initiate).

In advance of Classic Stage Company's rare production of Rodgers & Hammerstein's 1947 musical Allegro, CSC's artistic director Brian Kulick and Tony Award-winning director John Doyle lead a conversation on the legendary team's most personal, groundbreaking and little-known work. The discussion also includes Ted Chapin, president and executive director of Rodgers & Hammerstein: An Imagem Company, and cast members George Abud, Claybourne Elder, and Jane Pfitsch.

Pittsburgh CLO has announced the Pittsburgh Premiere of the Off-Broadway sensation Murder For Two, today, October 22-January 18 at the CLO Cabaret. Everyone is a suspect in this exciting production where classic musical comedy meets Agatha Christie.

As BWW reported earlier today, Second Stage Theatre (Carole Rothman, Artistic Director) has announced the complete cast and director for its upcoming production of Neil LaBute's world premiere drama, THE WAY WE GET BY. Below, check out a clip of Sadoki in THE NEWSROOM

Below, take an exclusive inside look at BBC AMERICA's original thriller, ORPHAN BLACK and the astounding performance at the heart of the show, actress Tatiana Maslany.

Second Stage Theatre (Carole Rothman, Artistic Director) has announced the complete cast and director for its upcoming production of Neil LaBute's world premiere drama, THE WAY WE GET BY. The production will star Golden Globe nominee Tatiana Maslany, the critically-acclaimed star of the BBC America series Orphan Black, making her New York stage debut, and Tony Award nominee Thomas Sadoski, well known for his role on the HBO series, 'The Newsroom,' as well as his Tony-nominated performance in LaBute's reasons to be pretty. The play will be directed by Leigh Silverman, who was nominated for a Tony Award last season for her direction of Violet.

Producer Kevin McCollum announced today that the new American play, Hand to God, will open on Broadway on April 7, 2015 at the Booth Theatre (222 West 45th Street), marking the Broadway debut of playwright Robert Askins.

Happy Birthday, Aaron Tveit! Tveit recently shined as Enjolras in the critically acclaimed film adaption of LES MISERABLES, and has since then starred in the original USA Network series GRACELAND. Tveit starred on Broadway in CATCH ME IF YOU CAN, in the role of Frank Abagnale Jr and also created the role of 'Gabe' in the Pulitzer Prize winning Broadway musical, NEXT TO NORMAL, which he developed off-Broadway at the Second Stage Theatre and debuted on Broadway. In addition to WICKED and HAIRSPRAY on Broadway, he starred in the national tours of Hairspray and Rent.

Rehearsals begin tomorrow, Tuesday, October 21 for the Playwrights Horizons production of POCATELLO, the world premiere of a new play by Obie, Drama Desk and Lortel awards winner and 2014 MacArthur Foundation 'Genius' grantee Samuel D. Hunter (The Whale at PH, The Few, A Bright New Boise). Directed by Davis McCallum (The Whale at PH, The Few, London Wall, A Bright New Boise, Water by the Spoonful), the play will be the third production of the theater company's 2014/2015 Season.

In advance of Classic Stage Company's rare production of Rodgers & Hammerstein's 1947 musical Allegro, CSC's artistic director Brian Kulick and Tony Award-winning director John Doyle lead a conversation on the legendary team's most personal, groundbreaking and little-known work. The discussion also includes Ted Chapin, president and executive director of Rodgers & Hammerstein: An Imagem Company, and cast members George Abud, Claybourne Elder, and Jane Pfitsch.

The LCT3/Lincoln Center Theater production of brownsville song (b-side for tray), a new play by Kimber Lee, directed by Patricia McGregor, makes its New York premiere at the Claire Tow Theater (150 West 65 Street), featuring Sheldon Best, Sun Mee Chomet, Lizan Mitchell, Chris Myers and Taliyah Whitaker. The show opens tonight, October 20, and will play a 6-week limited engagement through Sunday, November 16.

The strong acting and the timely, provocative, and challenging script are likely reason enough to give this production a chance.

Signature Theatre continues its commitment to presenting bold new contemporary plays with the DC area premiere of Sex with Strangers by Laura Eason. After its New York premiere at Second Stage Theatre this summer, Signature is proud to introduce this play to DC audiences. Running now through December 7, Sex with Strangers will be presented in Signature's intimate 110-seat ARK Theatre. Directed by Aaron Posner (Signature's The Last Five Years, Woolly Mammoth's Stupid F***ing Bird), the production stars Holly Twyford (Signature's The Little Dog Laughed) as Olivia and Luigi Sottile (Steppenwolf's Buena Vista) as Ethan. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast in action below!

Adam Gwon, Julianne Wick Davis, Bobby Cronin, Sam Willmott, Ewalt & Walker, and Andre Catrini star in INSPIRED 5: A Benefit Concert for Animal Haven & The Second Chance Rescue, tonight, October 18 at 7pm at The Laurie Beechman Theatre.

SAFE HOUSE, Keith Josef Adkins' moving and surprising drama exploring a little-known chapter in our region's history, is the 71st world premiere production at the Playhouse. It will continue the Robert S. Marx Theatre season today, Oct. 18 through Nov. 15.

Obie Award winner Tracee Chimo, who can currently be seen in Second Stage Theatre's production of Lips Together, Teeth Apart by Terrence McNally, is the latest featured artist in The Creative Faces Project: an evolving portrait and interview collective of artists inspiring the New York Stage. Ms. Chimo is also set to play multiple roles in Wendy Wasserstein's The Heidi Chronicles in its upcoming Broadway run. Ms. Chimo's photos and interview, posted Thursday, October 16th, can be viewed on The Creative Faces Project website: www.thecreativefacesproject.com .

Philadelphia Theatre Company's continues its 40th Anniversary season with the Tony Award-nominated play Outside Mullingar by John Patrick Shanley November 28-December 28. Directed by Mary B. Robinson, the cast features Beth Dixon, David Howey, Anthony Lawton, and Kathleen McNenny.

Moss Hart and George S. Kaufman's Pulitzer Prize-winning play YOU CAN'T TAKE IT WITH YOU opened on September 28, 2014, at the Longacre Theatre (220 West 48th Street). The production is directed by six-time Tony Award-nominee and Drama Desk Award winner Scott Ellis (The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Twelve Angry Men, 1776). Scroll down to learn more about the full cast and watch interviews with the company below!

Steppenwolf Theatre Company's new production of Kenneth Lonergan's critically acclaimed THIS IS OUR YOUTH opened on Broadway on September 11, 2014, and runs through January 4, 2015 at the Cort Theatre (138 West 48th Street). In this production, Michael Cera makes his New York stage debut opposite Kieran Culkin and Tavi Gevinson, which premiered at Steppenwolf in Chicago this past summer, and is directed by Anna D. Shapiro. Scroll down to learn more about the full cast and watch interviews with the company below!