Shuler Hensley News

Channel 2, WSB-TV announces the date and time of the 2011 telecast of the awards show, which celebrates excellence in greater Atlanta high school music theatre.

The Public Theater announced the first Public Forum of the 2011-2012 season, 'The 9/11 Decade: New York and America After the Towers.' Moderated by Alec Baldwin, the discussion will immediately follow the 7:30 p.m. performance of Richard Nelson's Sweet and Sad at The Public Theater on Thursday, September 8. Additional guests to be announced at a later date.

If you're looking for a quick recap of the events in the theatre world this week, look no further - here are some of the best stories that the week had to offer!

Michael Reidel reports in the New York Post this morning that Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson star Benjamin Walker will be back in the New York theater loop when he leads a reading of Bus Stop next month as cowboy Bo Decker. Amanda Seyfried will co-star alongside Walker as Cherie. Shuler Hensley will also participate. Hollywood's Paula Wagner, who owns the rights to the project will produce. Scott Ellis directs. A revival of Bus Stop is reportedly bound for Broadway.

TRICKS THE DEVIL TAUGHT ME, a new play written and directed by Tony Georges, is aiming for an off-Broadway run this year, most probably with a summer or fall preview and opening.

Public Theater Artistic Director Oskar Eustis announced the line-up today for The Public's 2011-2012 Season. The 56th Season will feature new works by Mike Daisey, Nathan Englander, David Henry Hwang, Richard Nelson, and Stew and Heidi Rodewald, as well as the premiere of FEBRUARY HOUSE, a new musical by Gabriel Kahane and Seth Bockley that is the first commission of The Public's Musical Theater Initiative.

'The Thomashefskys' were on stage again last night as Michael Tilson Thomas & the New York Philharmonic presented his acclaimed multi-media concert of the Music and Memories of Boris and Bessie Thomashefsky This years gala honored David and Sylvia Steiner as well as Tilson Thomas. Folksbiene is the sole surviving professional Yiddish Theatre in America and it preserves and adds to the legacy of Yiddish theatre, which flourished on Second Avenue and was domnated by Tilson Thomas's legendary grandparents ‘The Thomashefskys.'

Michael Tilson Thomas will conduct and host a staged presentation of The Thomashefskys: Music and Memories of a Life in Yiddish Theater, Tuesday and Wednesday, April 5-6, 2011, at 7:30 p.m., with the New York Philharmonic at Avery Fisher Hall. Directed by Patricia Birch, the multimedia evening celebrates Mr. Tilson Thomas's grandparents, Bessie and Boris Thomashefsky, by following the story of these European immigrants who played major roles in the development of American Yiddish theater, a central part of life on Manhattan's Lower East Side at the beginning of the 20th century. Starring are Judy Blazer as Bessie and Shuler Hensley as Boris; the performances feature Eugene Brancoveanu and Ronit Widmann-Levy - all making their New York Philharmonic debuts.

The temperatures are rising, everything is in bloom and spring has sprung. For parents, that means it's time to reserve your child's spot in the acclaimed Aurora Academy summer programs.

Michael Tilson Thomas will conduct and host a staged presentation of The Thomashefskys: Music and Memories of a Life in Yiddish Theater, Tuesday and Wednesday, April 5-6, 2011, at 7:30 p.m., with the New York Philharmonic at Avery Fisher Hall. Directed by Patricia Birch, the multimedia evening celebrates Mr. Tilson Thomas's grandparents, Bessie and Boris Thomashefsky, by following the story of these European immigrants who played major roles in the development of American Yiddish theater, a central part of life on Manhattan's Lower East Side at the beginning of the 20th century. Starring are Judy Blazer as Bessie and Shuler Hensley as Boris; the performances feature Eugene Brancoveanu and Ronit Widmann-Levy - all making their New York Philharmonic debuts.

Michael Tilson Thomas guides The Philadelphia Orchestra and its audiences on a journey to the world of his grandparents, Bessie and Boris Thomashefsky, young immigrants from Eastern Europe who became theater superstars, in The Thomashefskys: Music and Memories of a Life in the Yiddish Theater (February 15 and 16).

Michael Tilson Thomas guides The Philadelphia Orchestra and its audiences on a journey to the world of his grandparents, Bessie and Boris Thomashefsky, young immigrants from Eastern Europe who became theater superstars, in The Thomashefskys: Music and Memories of a Life in the Yiddish Theater (February 15 and 16).

Michael Tilson Thomas guides The Philadelphia Orchestra and its audiences on a journey to the world of his grandparents, Bessie and Boris Thomashefsky, young immigrants from Eastern Europe who became theater superstars, in The Thomashefskys: Music and Memories of a Life in the Yiddish Theater (February 15 and 16).

Multiple online reports are now stating that the NEWSIES readings went very well this week and that next up for the Disney show will be a full production at Paper Mill Playhouse in Millburn, New Jersey in the Fall of 2011. No dates or cast have naturally yet been announced for the production.

BroadwayWorld.com's scoopsters have found the cast list for this Friday's highly-anticipated reading of Disney's NEWSIES musical. Of course, participation in a reading is not a predictor of who will appear in any future productions and no announcement has been made regarding where or when a production will be mounted.

Filmmaker Raymond De Felitta penned the book to 'Buddy's Tavern,' a musical with songs by composer Kim Oler and lyricist Alison Hubbard, based on his 2000 film 'Two Family House.' Now, the show is gaining momentum, winning a development slot at the summer's National Music Theater Conference at the O'Neill Theater Center. Shows including AVENUE Q and IN THE HEIGHTS have previously performed at the center.

The award-winning York Theatre Company (James Morgan, Producing Artistic Director) hosted its 19th Oscar Hammerstein Award for Lifetime Achievement in Musical Theatre on Monday, November 22, 2010, honoring Tony Award-winning librettist Thomas Meehan (Annie, The Producers, Hairspray, Elf). The evening was directed by Tony-winning director/lyricist/librettist Richard Maltby and the award was presented by Alice Hammerstein Mathias, daughter of Oscar Hammerstein II.

The award-winning York Theatre Company (James Morgan, Producing Artistic Director) is pleased to announce the star-studded roster of performers for its 19th Oscar Hammerstein Award for Lifetime Achievement in Musical Theatre. The award will be presented to Tony Award-winning librettist Thomas Meehan (Annie, The Producers, Hairspray, Elf) on Monday, November 22, 2010. As previously announced, the evening is directed by Tony-winning director/lyricist/librettist Richard Maltby and the award will be presented by Alice Hammerstein Mathias, daughter of Oscar Hammerstein II.

The only press night offered for the Public LAB's premiere production of playwright/director Richard Nelson's That Hopey Changey Thing was this past Tuesday, November 2nd, 2010 at 7pm.  Given that the play actually takes place on Tuesday. November 2nd, 2010 at 7pm (America's Election Night, for my plethora of foreign readers) I was rather hopey that the text might, in fact, wind up being changey, depending on the news of returns coming in during the play's 90 minutes.  No such luck.  But even in its frozen state, the piece is sharp, engrossing and superbly acted.

The Public Theater (Artistic Director Oskar Eustis; Executive Director Andrew D. Hamingson) opened the world premiere of THAT HOPEY CHANGEY THING, written and directed by Richard Nelson last night, November 2. THAT HOPEY CHANGEY THING, the first play of the 2010-2011 Public LAB season, will run through November 14 in The Public's Anspacher Theater. BroadwayWorld was on hand for the opening and brings you photo coverage below.