Signature Theatre News

Signature Theatre and Field Day have announced a two-week extension for the U.S. Premiere of A PARTICLE OF DREAD (OEDIPUS VARIATIONS) by Sam Shepard, directed by Nancy Meckler.

The new Broadway revival of On The Town, directed by John Rando (Tony Award for Urinetown) and choreographed by Joshua Bergasse (Emmy Award winner for 'Smash') officially opens tonight, Thursday, October 16, 2014 at Broadway's Lyric Theatre (213 W 42nd St, New York, NY 10036). BroadwayWorld wants you to get to know the talented cast of Broadway's latest revival. Meet the company below!

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: ON THE TOWN opens on Broadway, Michael C. Hall joins HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH and more!

ELMER GANTRY is a musical version of Sinclair Lewis' best-selling novel, directed by Signature's Artistic Director Eric Schaeffer (Broadway's Follies, Million Dollar Quartet). Schaeffer collaborated on the last production of Elmer Gantry at Marriott's Lincolnshire Theatre in Chicago with authors John Bishop (book), Mel Marvin (music) and Bob Satuloff (lyrics) in 1998; the show has not been produced since then. Signature Theatre's presentation will be the 5th production in the show's history. Running in the MAX Theatre now through November 9, Signature's production will include several brand new songs by Mel Marvin and Bob Satuloff and a reimagined script that John Bishop worked on until his death in 2006. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast in action below!

Writer, director, and actor James Gardiner directs a short film musical WARNING: Take Only as Directed, presented by Adventure Theatre MTC.

Chicago's Eclipse Theatre Company, the Midwest's only theatre company to focus on a single playwright each season, will feature the works of award-winning American playwright Terrence McNally for their 2015 Season. Eclipse will explore the range of McNally's output with three full productions, plus readings and public events about the playwright.

Natascia Diaz talks about returning to Kiss of the Spider Woman at 54 Below six years after first playing the title role in Washington, D.C.

Olney Theatre Center, a Mid-Atlantic destination for professional theater performance and education, concludes its critically-acclaimed 76thAnniversary season with the area professional premiere of the 'Under the Sea' musical, Disney's The Little Mermaid, November 12 - December 28, 2014 on the Mainstage. Starring Helen Hayes Award-winner Donna Migliaccio and newcomer Lara Zinn, the classic musical features memorable songs such as 'A Part of Your World' and 'Poor Unfortunate Souls' as well as the Academy Award®-Winning Best Original Song 'Under the Sea'.

Playwright Joe DiPietro has become increasingly adept at illustrating the fascinating dynamics of love and family. From his first Off-Broadway success, I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change, through his Tony Award-winning hit Memphis, DiPietro has examined many aspects of the human connection. In the Broward Stage Door Theatre's upcoming production of The Last Romance, DiPietro explores a relationship between a man and a woman who just happen to be over the age of 65, and the family ties that bind, and pull. The play is a gentle and tender comedy that mixes a lot of humor with a little bit of heartbreak... and opera!

Round House Theatre continues its 2014/15 season with the area premiere of Fetch Clay, Make Man by Will Power. Directed by Derrick Sanders ('The Raisin Cycle' at CenterStage), Fetch Clay, Make Man is based on the true story of the improbable friendship that formed between Muhammad Ali and Stepin Fetchit. A co-production with Marin Theatre Company, Fetch Clay, Make Man runs at Round House Theatre from today, October 10 thru November 2, 2014. Opening night is Monday, October 13, 2014.

Zachary Quinto stopped by last night's LATE NIGHT WITH SETH MEYERS to talk about his new Starz unscripted series 'The Chair' in which he teams with Project Greenlight producer Chris Moore.

The Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation (SDCF) announces this season's Joe A. Callaway Award winners for Direction and Choreography from more than 200 eligible productions in the 2013-2014 New York City theatre season. This year's awards will be presented to John Rando for his direction of The Heir Apparent, produced by Classic Stage Company, and Martha Clarke for her choreography of Cheri, produced by Signature Theatre.

Come and dance the blues away with Five Guys Named Moe! Helen Hayes Award winner Robert O'Hara (Bootcandy, director of The Mountaintop at Arena Stage) returns to Arena Stage to direct an explosive, reimagined tribute to the 'King of the Jukebox'-legendary composer and saxophonist Louis Jordan. This modernized production features new orchestrations for classic songs, including 'Let the Good Times Roll' and 'Is You Is or Is You Ain't My Baby,' and a contemporary twist on the five Moes, now a hit boy band set in 2014. This dynamic musical revue features musical direction by Darryl G. Ivey (assistant music director for original Broadway production of Five Guys Named Moe) and choreography by Byron Easley (off-Broadway's Langston in Harlem). A co-production with Cleveland Play House, Five Guys Named Moe runs November 14-December 28, 2014 in the Kreeger Theater.

Signature Theatre (James Houghton, Founding Artistic Director; Erika Mallin, Executive Director) and Field Day (Stephen Rea and Seamus Deane, Directors) just announced casting is confirmed for the U.S. Premiere of A PARTICLE OF DREAD (OEDIPUS VARIATIONS) by Sam Shepard, directed by Nancy Meckler. Tickets go on sale October 15. All tickets for the initial run of the production are $25 as part of the Signature Ticket Initiative: A Generation of Access. The production runs November 11 through December 21, 2014 with aNovember 23 opening night in The Alice Griffin Jewel Box Theatre at The Pershing SquareSignature Center (480 West 42nd Street between 9th and 10th Avenues).

ickets will go on sale Friday, October 31.

As BroadwayWorld reported earlier this week, Tony winner and premier actress of the American stage Marian Seldes, 86, died peacefully at her home Monday after an extended illness. Her brother Timothy Seldes made the announcement. Below, BroadwayWorld remembers the legend with a selection of photos from throughout her life.

The Martin E. Segal Theatre Center at The Graduate Center, CUNY presents the 2014 PRELUDE FESTIVAL. The annual festival is dedicated to artists at the forefront of contemporary New York City theatre and performance. Following the enormous success of its tenth anniversary in 2013, the eleventh annual PRELUDE festival will be curated by Chloe Bass, Jackie Sibblies Drury, Sarah Rose Leonard, Allison Lyman, and Frank Hentschker.

One constant in Washington-area theater for which we should all be grateful, is that the wonderful creative minds and souls at Signature Theatre in Arlington, VA, can be counted on to bring us fresh, innovative and carefully crafted productions of shows that may be new to many of us. This season, Signature is giving us three world premier productions of new musicals (Sheryl Crow's Diner; John Kander's Kid Victory and DC-native Nick Blaemire's Soon), but also a revival of a musical version of the story of Elmer Gantry, a traveling salesman turned preacher, who brings a religious revival a possibly dangerous spark in his pursuit of love. Almost 90 years ago, Sinclair Lewis brought Elmer Gantry to the page and Signature's Artistic Director Eric Schaeffer, is bringing him to the Signature stage for 2014 audiences.

Due to popular demand, a seventh show has been added to Betty Buckley's weeklong run at Joe's Pub at The Public - today, October 7-11, 2014. The stage and screen star will perform new music to celebrate her new album Ghostlight (September 16, Palmetto Records), which was produced by her longtime friend and fellow music legend T Bone Burnett.

Signature Theatre presents Elmer Gantry, a musical version of Sinclair Lewis' best-selling novel, directed by Signature's Artistic Director Eric Schaeffer (Broadway's Follies, Million Dollar Quartet). Schaeffer collaborated on the last production of Elmer Gantry at Marriott's Lincolnshire Theatre in Chicago with authors John Bishop (book), Mel Marvin (music) and Bob Satuloff (lyrics) in 1998; the show has not been produced since then. This will be the 5th production in the show's history. Running in the MAX Theatre today, October 7 - November 9, Signature's production will include several brand new songs by Mel Marvin and Bob Satuloff and a reimagined script that John Bishop worked on until his death in 2006.