Shakespeare Theatre Company News

Washington National Opera (WNO) today announced details for the third season of the American Opera Initiative, its comprehensive commissioning program that brings contemporary American stories to the stage while fostering the talents of rising American composers and librettists. Three teams of new opera composers and librettists—John Liberatore and Niloufar Talebi, Jake Runestad and David Johnston, and Rene Orth and Jason Kim—will premiere new 20-minute operas, each based on a contemporary American story, in a semi-staged concert performance on November 21, 2014 in the Kennedy Center Terrace Theater.

Dorset Theatre Festival will present The Mousetrap, Dame Agatha Christie's masterpiece of mayhem and mystery, from August 14th through the 30th at the Dorset Playhouse. The Mousetrap, in addition to being one of Christie's most famous works, has the distinction of being the world's longest continually running play. The original production, at London's Ambassador Hotel, has been running continuously since 1952!

Audiences of all ages can hum along to their favorite songs like 'Edelweiss,' 'My Favorite Things' 'Climb Ev'ry Mountain' and title song 'The Sound of Music' when Central City Opera (CCO) brings to Denver one of the most popular Broadway productions of all time, The Sound of Music. Rodgers and Hammerstein II's Tony Award winning musical, which was also an Academy Award winning movie, is Central City Opera's final production for the 2014 Festival. The Sound of Music will be performed at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House in the Denver Performing Arts Complex for seven performances only from today, August 2 through August 10.

The Shakespeare Theatre Company brings two productions by the Isango Ensemble to Washington, D.C., as part of STC's 2014-2015 Presentation Series. The Isango Ensemble's unique performances reset Western theatre classics within a South African township, utilizing music, dance and elements of South African heritage. The Ensemble will perform an adaption of Mozart's opera The Magic Flute- Impempe Yomlingo and Shakespeare's epic love poem Venus and Adonis in repertory at the Lansburgh Theatre September 12-21, 2014. Tickets for non-subscribers will be available starting August 1, when individual tickets for the 2014-2015 STC Season go on sale.

Casting has been announced for the Boston engagement of Disney's The Lion King. Boston's most eagerly awaited stage production returns to the Boston Opera House stage from September 9 to October 12 as part of the 2014-2015 Lexus Broadway In Boston Season.

Audiences of all ages can hum along to their favorite songs like 'Edelweiss,' 'My Favorite Things' 'Climb Ev'ry Mountain' and title song 'The Sound of Music' when Central City Opera (CCO) brings to Denver one of the most popular Broadway productions of all time, The Sound of Music. Rodgers and Hammerstein II's Tony Award winning musical, which was also an Academy Award winning movie, is Central City Opera's final production for the 2014 Festival. The Sound of Music will be performed at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House in the Denver Performing Arts Complex for seven performances only from August 2 through August 10. Directed by Ken Cazan, who also directed CCO's critically acclaimed production of Dead Man Walking this summer, The Sound of Music will be performed in English with a full live orchestra. Single tickets range from $30 to $106.

Berkshire Theatre Group presents Noel Coward's Design for Living at the Unicorn Theatre in Stockbridge. Opening Night is August 2 at 8pm. Preview performances begin tonight, July 30 at 7pm and the production closes August 16 at 8pm.

Choreographer Spencer Liff - hot on the heels of HEDWIG on Broadwaybig Tony win - joins Goodspeed's creative team this fall to bring some hot moves to this cool new musical. Fans of @SoYouThinkYouCanDance will get the opportunity to see his latest steps in action right on The Norma Terris stage in The Circus in Winter.

Join the quest for the Holy Grail today, July 29-August 3 with Monty Python's Spamalot. Based on the classic film comedy 'Monty Python and the Holy Grail,' Spamalot is the award-winning Broadway musical that took the Tony Awards by storm in 2005.

The Old Globe today announced the full cast and creative team for Shakespeare's The Two Gentlemen of Verona. Renowned director, Globe alumnus, and Tony Award nominee Mark Lamos (Compleat Female Stage Beauty, Pentecost, Resurrection Blues) returns to the Globe with one of Shakespeare's most delightful and boisterous comedies. The final production of the 2014 Summer Season will be presented in the outdoor Lowell Davies Festival Theatre, August 10 - September 14, 2014.

Smith Street Stage, Brooklyn's fastest growing Shakespeare theatre company, will present its fifth season of Shakespeare in Carroll Park with a visceral and modern staging of Shakespeare's comedy of wit, Much Ado About Nothing, featuring its most impressive ensemble to date!

Join the quest for the Holy Grail July 29-August 3 with Monty Python's Spamalot. Based on the classic film comedy "Monty Python and the Holy Grail," Spamalot is the award-winning Broadway musical that took the Tony Awards by storm in 2005.

As one of the largest theatrical events in the world, The New York International Fringe Festival boasts an impressive roster of world premieres yearly. Of them, Los Angeles native Joshua Metzger's new play Sitting Shiva will see its first three dimensional presentation this August. Christopher Scott will direct the 90 minute play. The Broadway and Regional vet cast includes Eddie Boroevich*, Neal Mayer*, and Jeffery Plunkett*. The Production Stage Manager is Katy Moore*, and the production will be designed by Joan Racho-Jansen. *Appearing courtesy of Actors' Equity Association. Sitting Shiva is an AEA-approved showcase.

The 'Alley Theatre @ UH' season begins with Betty Buckley, Hallie Foote, Annalee Jefferies and Veanne Cox in award-winning Texas playwright Horton Foote's The Old Friends, a Southwestern premiere.

The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey presents Ben Jonson's The Alchemist, a rowdy tale of con artists and their gullible prey.

Berkshire Theatre Group presents Noel Coward's Design for Living at the Unicorn Theatre in Stockbridge. Opening Night is August 2 at 8pm. Preview performances begin on July 30 at 7pm and the production closes August 16 at 8pm.

Chautauqua Theater Company (CTC), under the leadership of Vivienne Benesch Artistic Director and Sarah Clare Corporandy Managing Director, is proud to present The May Queen a world premiere comedy by Molly Smith Metzler from July 18-27, directed by Vivienne Benesch, on the Bratton Theater Mainstage.

Smith Street Stage, Brooklyn's fastest growing Shakespeare theatre company, will present its fifth season of Shakespeare in Carroll Park with a visceral and modern staging of Shakespeare's comedy of wit, Much Ado About Nothing, featuring its most impressive ensemble to date!

Chester Theatre Company will open its 25th Anniversary Season with J.T. Rogers' haunting mystery MADAGASCAR. The production, which runs from June 25th through July 6th at the Chester Town Hall in Chester, MA, will feature CTC favorites Debra Jo Rupp (A Body of Water) and Kim Stauffer (Crime and Punishment).

Olney Theatre Center, a Maryland destination for professional theater performance and education, in conjunction with National Players, continues its critically-acclaimed 76th Anniversary season with The Tempest running July 15 - August 3, 2014 on the Root Family Stage.