Signature Theatre News

I recall with reverence the illustrated cover of the original cast album of MY FAIR LADY by the acclaimed caricaturist, the late Al Hirschfeld (who has a Broadway theater named in his honor). It featured the author of 'Pygmalion' which MY FAIR LADY is based on, George Bernard Shaw, overlooking a cloud in heaven with puppet strings holding up the two lead characters in the show, Henry Higgins and Eliza Doolittle, It's a true classic. So was the original cast which opened on Broadway in 1956 and starred Julie Andrews and Rex Harrison and later became a smash movie with Harrison and Audrey Hepburn in 1964. I recall having a reserved seat ticket for the film.

Second Stage Theater has announced that Obie and Drama Desk Award winner LILA NEUGEBAUER will direct the New York Premiere of TRACY LETTS' acclaimed play, MARY PAGE MARLOWE, in June of 2018 at the Tony Kiser Theatre.

A friendly reminder! The Public Theater will begin previews for the second Free Shakespeare in the Park production of the season, A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM, on Tuesday, July 11. Directed by Obie Award winner and The Public's Founder of Public Works and Resident Director Lear deBessonet, and choreography by Chase Brock, the show will run through Sunday, August 13 and officially open on Monday, July 31.

Shakespeare & Company presents Intimate Apparel, written by two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Lynn Nottage and directed by long-time company member Daniela Varon. This winner of the 2004 Steinberg New Play Award, New York Drama Critics' Circle Award, and Outer Critics Circle Award runs in the Elayne P. Bernstein Theatre from July 20 through August 13, 2017.

Simon Godwin's (Associate Director, London's National Theatre) acclaimed staging of Measure for Measure, William Shakespeare's dark comedy about justice, faith, power, sex and family, will close as scheduled next week, on July 16. Just 15 New York performances remain of the production.

As previously announced, Feinstein's/54 Below will present the timely rock musical The Fix: In Concert for one night only, featuring an all-star cast, on Wednesday, August 9th at 9:30pm. 

The late, great playwright Edward Albee is curating his legacy posthumously via "dead hand control."

Bay Street Theater has announced the cast and creative team of INTIMATE APPAREL by two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Lynn Nottage and directed by Bay Street Theater Artistic Director Scott Schwartz. Kelly McCreary, currently one of the stars of Grey's Anatomy on ABC, will star as Esther Mills.

Producers have announced the full cast for iLLA! A Hip Hop Musical at the 2017 Eugene O'Neill Theater Center's National Music Theater Conference (NMTC) this July.

Sarah Litzsinger joins the amazing cast to sing in the Benefit Cabaret, 'Tim Realbuto & Friends Sing Jeanine Tesori'.

I always find it exciting to see a musical I know nothing about and FINDING NEVERLAND fits that bill. I remember watching Jennifer Hudson sing 'Neverland' on the 2014 Tony Awards and recall watching the cast perform on the NBC 'Thanksgiving Day Parade' in November, 2014. The cast included Matthew Morrison, Kelsey Grammer, Laura Michelle Kelly and Carolee Carmello. However, the Tony Awards snubbed the musical with no nominations. After seeing the show this week, I do not understand why. I found the musical absolutely wonderful and worthy of a Tony nomination for Best Musical. FUN HOME won the Tony for Best Musical in 2015 beating out SOMETHING ROTTEN!, THE VISIT, and AN AMERICAN IN PARIS. There were no nominations for FINDING NEVERLAND.

With the challenges of putting a brand new musical on its feet, finding a moment where actress Alysha Umphress could steal away from rehearsal for this interview was a challenge of its own. And when we did connect, it was not without technical difficulties on my end, and a coffee spilling fiasco on her end as she prepared for her long day of rehearsal. Through it all, Alysha, who has appeared on Broadway in AMERICAN IDIOT, ON A CLEAR DAY YOU CAN SEE FOREVER, PRISCILLA QUEEN OF THE DESERT, BRING IT ON and ON THE TOWN (starring opposite DFW's Jay Armstrong Johnson), was upbeat, down-to-earth, excited to talk about her new big gig, and just as happy to humor me with stories from her early career.

Prospect Theater Company, under the leadership of Producing Artistic Director Cara Reichel and Managing Director Melissa Huber, has announced the cast for WORLD VIEWS, a collection of new mini-musicals in concert, the culmination of Prospect's 2017 Musical Theater Lab. WORLD VIEWS, the company's 11th lab performance, will be presented on July 8, 2017 at 8pm at The TimesCenter.

Second Stage Theater has announced that Mercedes Ruehl, winner of the Tony Award, Academy Award, and Golden Globe Award, will star opposite the previously announced Michael Urie in the upcoming production of Harvey Fierstein's modern classic, Torch Song, directed by Moises Kaufman.

The Old Globe today announced the complete cast and creative team of an exciting Globe-commissioned world premiere comedy, Ken Ludwig's Robin Hood!

Producers have announced the full cast for iLLA! A Hip Hop Musical at the 2017 Eugene O'Neill Theater Center's National Music Theater Conference (NMTC) this July.

The recent Signature Theatre revival of Suzan Lori-Parks' VENUS, based on the true story of Saartjie Baartman, depicted a 19th Century African woman who was subjected to exploitation because of white people's fascination with her prominent posterior.  But the mood is considerably lighter over at Playwrights Horizons these days, where the title character of Kirsten Childs' joyfully old-fashioned, but sneakily subversive new musical, BELLA: AN AMERICAN TALL TALE, is a 19th Century African-American woman who celebrates the attention her queenly derriere receives and uses it as a source of empowerment.

Broadway veterans Carole Demas, who originated the role of Sandy in Grease, and Sarah Rice, who originated the role of Johanna in Sweeney Todd, have teamed up to celebrate the music of Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt, composers of THE FANTASTICKS, 110 IN THE SHADE, I DO! I DO! and more. Demas and Rice have based their show on their 50 years of work and personal relationships with Jones and Schmidt. 

Tickets go on sale to the general public on Monday, June 26 at 10:00am ET for SpongeBob SquarePants on Broadway at The Palace Theatre (1564 Broadway - Broadway at 47th Street). Preview performances begin Monday, November 6th with an official opening on Monday, December 4th.

Disney's The Little Mermaid is coming to Wolf Trap from June 29 - July 2. The smash musical, based on the 1989 Disney film, will only be here for 5 performances. I had the opportunity to talk to Broadway Veteran, Eric Kunze, who plays Prince Eric.