South Coast Repertory News

Due to critical and popular acclaim, SpeakEasy Stage Company is adding one additional week of performances to its New England premiere production of THE WHALE by Samuel D. Hunter.

Playwrights Horizons has announced new details for its World Premiere production of YOUR MOTHER'S COPY OF THE KAMA SUTRA, a new play by Kirk Lynn (Co-Artistic Director, Austin's Rude Mechanicals), directed by Obie Award winner Anne Kauffman (Detroit, Maple and Vine at PH; Belleville; This Wide Night; The Thugs), which begins previews this weekend.

The Gift Theatre Artistic Director Michael Patrick Thornton announces the Chicago premiere of Thinner Than Water written by Melissa Ross and directed by The Gift ensemble member John Gawlik (2013 Jeff Award winner for When the Rain Stops Falling at Circle Theatre). The production marks Thornton's return to The Gift main stage since ensemble member Andrew Hinderaker's Jeff Nominated Dirty in 2012. Thornton recently appeared in Les Waters' production of Our Town at Actors Theatre of Louisville. Thornton joins guest artists Donna McGough (last seen in Coriolanus with The Hypocrites) and Darci Nalepa (Dirty) and fellow Gift ensemble members Brittany Burch (The Lonesome West), Paul D'Addario (One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest), Gabriel Franken (Broadsword), Lynda Newton (Absolute Hell) and Jay Worthington (Vigils).

Legendary progressive rock pioneer Ian Anderson will make his Segerstrom Center for the Arts debut on Thursday, September 18 at 7:30 p.m. in Segerstrom Hall where he'll perform both Jethro Tull favorites and songs from his new album, Homo Erraticus. Homo Erraticus is out on April 15 on his own Calliandra Records, distributed by Kscope. The album continues with the story of Anderson's favorite enfant terrible Gerald Bostock. For his Center visit, he will be joined by guitarist Florian Opahle, bassist David Goodier, keyboardist John O'Hara, drummer Scott Hammond and singer Ryan O'Donnell.

Magic Theatre will welcome back one of Scotland's leading contemporary playwrights, Linda McLean, with the world premiere of Every Five Minutes, directed by Producing Artistic Director Loretta Greco. Every Five Minutes runs today, March 26 - April 20.

Geva Theatre Center's 2014 Fielding Studio Series continues with the National New Play Network Rolling World Premiere of I and You by Lauren Gunderson. This production comes to Geva from the Olney Theatre in Maryland and is directed by Eleanor Holdridge. I and You begins performances on April 10 and runs in the Fielding Nextstage through April 27.

Members of the Santa Ana community-and others-are invited to attend one or more staged readings of a new community-inspired play by Jose Cruz Gonzalez. The play-in-development is part of Dialogue/Dialogos, a creative partnership between South Coast Repertory (SCR) and Latino Health Access (LHA).

Segerstrom Center for the Arts welcomes back JERSEY BOYS, the Tony, Grammy and Olivier Award-winning hit musical about Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons, playing in Orange County from June 24 - July 13, 2014. Single tickets, which start at $29.75, will go on sale Sunday, April 13 at 10 a.m. PST. Tickets will be available online at SCFTA.org, at the Box Office at 600 Town Center Drive in Costa Mesa or by calling (714) 556-2787. For inquiries about group ticket savings for 10 or more, call the Group Services office at (714) 755-0236. The TTY number is (714) 556-2746. The 2 p.m. performance on Saturday, July 5 will include audio description, open captioning and sign-language interpretation.

Pioneer Theatre Company presents Alabama Story, the third installment of PTC's new play reading series, called Play-By-Play. Alabama Story by Kenneth Jones runs April 4 and 5, 2014. PTC Artistic Director Karen Azenberg directs the production.

Award-winning musical theater superstar, Patti LuPone, who has portrayed some of Broadway's most memorable roles, returns to Segerstrom Center for the Arts for a special one-night-only performance of her latest concert, Far Away Places tonight, March 22 at 8 p.m. in the Renee and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall.

Aurora Theatre continues the 2013-2014 Harvel Lab Series with a Teatro del Sol production, Mariela in the Desert by Karen Zacarias. It is 1950 and artists Mariela and Jose are living an isolated existence in the desert of Northern Mexico, haunted by the ghost of their young son. Jose is very ill and Mariela sends a telegram to their daughter encouraging her to come home. Where once the walls were beautifully decorated, now only one painting remains, and it is shrouded in mystery. This play will be performed in Spanish with English supertitles. This production features and amazing cast including the stunning Blanca Aguero in the title role of Mariela and Aurora Theatre Producing Artistic Director Anthony P. Rodriguez as her husband, the ailing artist Jose.

In small towns there are those who stay and those who go. With the return of a sibling, the daily routine of life is shaken up in South Coast Repertory's world premiere of Five Mile Lake by Rachel Bonds. Bonds' new drama is one of three full productions for the 2014 Pacific Playwrights Festival. The show runs April 13-May 4, on the Julianne Argyros Stage. Daniella Topol directs. Tickets are available online: www.scr.org.

The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts presents the West Coast premiere of A Coffin in Egypt, a new chamber opera in one act, based on the play, A Coffin in Egypt by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Horton Foote, for three performances only April 23, 25 and 27 in the Bram Goldsmith Theater. A Coffin in Egypt stars mezzo-soprano Frederica von Stade, one of opera's most beloved figures, whose formidable bravura has won her wide acclaim. Ricky Ian Gordon, the composer, has also composed The Grapes of Wrath, Rappahannock County, and Orpheus and Euridice. Leonard Foglia, librettist and director, directed Master Class on Broadway and Jake Heggie's Opera Last Acts.

Segerstrom Center has announced that Shirley MacLaine, originally announced for Friday, September 19, will now appear on Saturday, September 20, 2014.

Disney's Aladdin, a new musical comedy based on the Academy Award-winning animated film, opens tomorrow night, March 20th. Produced by Disney Theatrical Productions, the show features music by Tony Award and eight-time Oscar winner Alan Menken (Beauty and the Beast, Newsies, Sister Act), lyrics by two-time Oscar winner Howard Ashman (Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid), three-time Tony Award and three-time Oscar winner Tim Rice (Evita, Aida) and two-time Tony Award nominee Chad Beguelin (The Wedding Singer), with a book by Beguelin, and is directed and choreographed by Tony Award winner Casey Nicholaw (The Book of Mormon). Scroll down to learn more about the full company, plus watch interviews with the cast!

Following their recent breakout success on America's Got Talent, receiving great accolades from the judges and audiences, Lightwire Theater brings its unique method of storytelling to light at Segerstrom Center for the Arts May 17 at 1:00pm and May 18 at 1:00pm and 3:30pm in Samueli Theater. The timeless tales of Hans Christian Andersen's The Ugly Duckling and Aesop's fable The Tortoise and the Hare meet modern day cutting-edge technology as a dark stage illuminates, bringing these beloved characters to life with the use of electroluminescent wire. Audiences will marvel at the stunning imagery, compelling choreography and stirring music.

The Pasadena Playhouse announced Bruce Davison, Sharon Lawrence and RoxAnne Hart to star in A SONG AT TWILIGHT by Noel Coward, the fifth production of its 2013 - 2014 Season. A SONG AT TWILIGHT is performed tonight, March 18 to April 13; the press opening is Sunday, March 23.

Segerstrom Center for the Arts welcomes the national tour of I LOVE LUCY® LIVE ON STAGE, the brand new hit stage show adapted from the most beloved program in television history, today, March 18 - 23 in Segerstrom Hall.

Carla Ching's comedy Fast Company, about a family of Asian American con artists on the trail of a million-dollar comic book, opens tonight (March 17) at 7:00pm for its New York premiere at the Ensemble Studio Theatre, 549 West 52nd Street.

With 'SECONDS', a Festival of Play Readings, Mixed Blood Artistic Director Jack Reuler has curated a 'can't miss' opportunity to catch a glimpse of what's hot in American theatre!