Signature Theatre News

Gulfshore Playhouse, Naples' premier professional regional theater, travels back to Ancient Rome for its second production of the 2018-19 season, "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum." The Tony Award-winning farce written by Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart, with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, takes the stage Nov. 17 to Dec. 30.

AUDELCO has announced the nominees for their 2018 'Viv' Awards, honoring Black Theatre in New York City.

Long Wharf Theatre, under the leadership of Managing Director Joshua Borenstein, presents Paradise Blue by Dominique Morisseau, directed by Awoye Timpo, from November 21 through December 16, 2018.

Theatre Communications Group (TCG), the national organization for theatre, is pleased to announce the recipients of the second and third rounds of the 2018 Edgerton Foundation New Play Awards. The awards, totaling $1,114,000 allow 27 productions extra time for the development and rehearsal of new plays with the entire creative team, hoping to extend the life of the world premiere play after its first run.

The UC San Diego Department of Theatre and Dance presents Our Town, by Thornton Wilder and directed by Kim Walsh.

The Signature Theatre production of Fabulation, or The Re-Education of Undine, by two-time Pulitzer Prize-winner and Residency 1 playwright Lynn Nottage and directed by Obie Award-winner Lileana Blain-Cruz, has been extended by one week to now play through January 6, 2019.

Hamlet Machine, an adaptation of Shakespeare's Hamlet and Henrikh Muller's Hamletmachine by Ani Vardanyan, will officially start performance Off-Broadway on October 24th, 2018 at Theatre Row (410 W 42nd St.)

Playhouse on Park is proud to announce the phenomenal cast for Dale Wasserman's One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, opening on October 31. 

Loading Dock Theatre will produce a reading of the new horror play, The Pitchforks by Andrew Kramer, on Saturday October 27 and Sunday October 28 at 5pm as a special Halloween offering of The Forklift Reading Series at their space at 170 Tillary St.

Continuing its 40th Anniversary Season, Second Stage Theater has announced complete casting for the world premiere musical, SUPERHERO.

Paper Mill Playhouse announces the appointment of Michael Stotts as the theater's Managing Director.

Signature Theatre's production of Thom Pain (based on nothing), by Drama Desk Award-winning playwright Will Eno and directed by Obie Award-winner Oliver Butler, begins performances tonight. Michael C. Hall('Dexter,' 'Six Feet Under,' The Realistic Joneses) plays the title role of Thom Pain.

Maplewood thespian turned producer has caught the bug! Late June, Gregory Omar Osborne produced a rousing production of FIVE GUYS NAMED MOE. It was a successful first for Osborne, with ticket sales at 70% over a four show weekend. Less than six months after closing FIVE GUYS NAMED MOE Osborne will present the world premiere of A PARK AVENUE CHRISTMAS written by Ed Dickson at The Burgdorff Center for the Performing Arts, December 20th - 23rd, 2018, in Maplewood, NJ.

Signature Theatre has partnered with The Shen Family Foundation to create the SigWorks: Signature Theatre/Yale Composer Partnership, a new and unique program for young musical theatre writers.  Each year the new program will award one senior from Yale University's Shen Curriculum for Musical Theater a 3-week workshop to develop their own musical upon graduation together with a Shen Artist Internship for the Signature Theatre season. As a Shen Artist the award recipient will work alongside Signature's artistic team in the preparation for a world premiere production on Signature's mainstage season. In addition, one recent graduate (within the past five years) of Yale University and a participant in the Shen Curriculum for Musical Theater will be awarded a 2-week workshop of a musical they are currently writing.

Signature Theatre will host several special events at The Pershing SquareSignature Center (480 West 42nd Street between 9th and 10th Avenues) this fall, the company announced today.

PREMIERES (Paulette Haupt, Artistic Director), the New York based music theater organization whose mission is "to bring new music theater to light," is pleased to announce the cast and creative teams for this season's INNER VOICES, the biennial series of solo works featuring new teams of playwrights and composers. Performances begin TONIGHT at 8:00pm for a limited run through Saturday, November 17, 2018 at The TBG Mainstage Theatre (312 West 36th Street - between 8th & 9th Avenues). Opening Night is Thursday, November 1, 2018 at 8:00pm.

San Diego Repertory Theatre announced today the cast and creative team for the third production in their 43rd season, Lucas Hnath's A Doll's House, Part 2. Directing this production is San Diego REP Artistic Director Sam Woodhouse. Hnath's A Doll's House, Part 2 debuted on Broadway in 2017 where it received eight Tony Award nominations. Performances run November 21 - December 16, 2018, at the Lyceum Stage Theatre. Tickets start at $25 and are currently on sale to the general public. Previews run November 21 - 27, 2018. Press opening is Wednesday, November 28 at 7:00 p.m.

BroadwayWorld has a first look at the trailer for Signature Theater's Billy Elliot the Musical directed and choreographed by Signature Theatre Associate Artistic Director Matthew Gardiner (Signature's Passion, West Side Story). Based on the powerful and acclaimed film, all 11-year-old Billy wants to do is dance. Initially facing opposition from society and his father, Billy's passion instead unites the community and changes his life in extraordinary ways. The original production with book and lyrics by Lee Hall and music by Tony, Grammy and Academy Award® winner Elton John was universally lauded, sweeping the Tony, Drama Desk and Olivier Awards for Best Musical. Billy Elliot the Musical will run from October 30, 2018 - January 6, 2019 in Signature Theatre's intimate MAX Theatre.

Audiences familiar with Signature Theatre know that it is not uncommon for Matthew Gardiner to wear dual hats as both a musical's director and choreographer. However, having dual actors tackle the lead role brings its own set of unique challenges.

National Alliance for Musical Theatre (Betsy King Militello, Executive Director) is thrilled to announce final casting for the 30th Annual FESTIVAL OF NEW MUSICALS along with The Songwriters Showcase and Midday Cabarets. The FESTIVAL OF NEW MUSICALS takes place on Thursday, October 25 and Friday, October 26, 2018 at New World Stages (340 West 50th Street, between 8th and 9th Avenues). Festival events kick off on Monday, October 22 with Thank You, 30! a gala event to celebrate the 30th Annual Festival.