Stephen Schwartz News

Godspell, one of the biggest off-Broadway and Broadway successes of all time, comes to STEPS in a dazzling new production, directed by acclaimed theatre director, Michael La Fleur (Celine Dion, Disney, Universal).

As part of its upcoming season New York City Opera will launch an all-new concert series showcasing the non-operatic works of composers whose operas will be presented on its main stage. With the 2010-2011 season boasting an opera by Oscar and Grammy-winning composer-lyricist Stephen Schwartz, the New York City Opera will host a special concert, Defying Gravity: The Music of Stephen Schwartz, featuring many Broadway stars.

Today New York City Opera released full casting, creative team, and production details for the company's 2010-2011 season.

Today New York City Opera released full casting, creative team, and production details for the company's 2010-2011 season. The season spotlights American composers and 20th-century works, world premieres, New York premieres and new productions. Offering audiences the opportunity to experience new and rarely performed operas as well as modern interpretations of traditional repertoire, the 2010-2011 season also will feature the launch of a new concert series showcasing the non-operatic works of several of the composers whose operas will be presented on the mainstage.

TheatreWorks, the nationally-acclaimed theatre of Silicon Valley, continues its commitment to the creation and development of new works with the 2010 New Works Festival, sponsored by Microsoft. The ninth annual Festival, August 8-22 at TheatreWorks at Lucie Stern Theatre, features fifteen days of new works unveiled to the public, including new musicals, new plays, a cabaret concert, and a panel discussion. This year's festival will feature a developmental production of the funny and inspirational musical FLY BY NIGHT from Kim Rosenstock, Will Connolly, and Michael Mitnick. Additionally announced for this summer's lineup are staged readings of two musicals: GREAT WALL, a vibrant pop musical from Kevin Merritt and Kevin So (with Tony Award-winner David Henry Hwang as a story consultant), and the moving gospel and jazz musical RED CLAY from Jeff Hughes and Scott Ethier. The festival will also feature readings of two plays: HOW TO WRITE A NEW BOOK FOR THE BIBLE, the latest piece from New Works Festival veteran Bill Cain (Equivocation) and VARIATIONS ON A THEME, a luminous drama by Anna Ziegler. Audience members are invited to a Meet the Artists Panel at 7:30pm on August 15. The panel discussion will give an inside look at what it's like to write for the stage. Festival composers, performers, and special guests will share a wealth of new songs and treasured favorites at Festival: Unplugged, Songs in the Key of New, a cabaret concert on Friday, August 20. For tickets (on sale July 16) and info, you may call the box office at (650) 463-1960 or visit www.theatreworks.org.

One of the biggest off-Broadway and Broadway successes comes to Bellingham, Ma starting Aug. 20 in a new production, directed by Michael La Fleur.

Some of Broadway's best and brightest talents will perform in a one-night-only salute to theater and film composer Stephen Schwartz at Westport Country Playhouse's 2010 Annual Gala on Monday, September 13.

Universal Pictures Stage Productions, Working Title Films and Old Vic Productions in association with Weinstein Live Entertainment announced today that Tony® Award nominee Emily Skinner, currently starring as 'Mrs. Wilkinson' in the first national touring production of Billy Elliot the Musical in Chicago, will join the Broadway company on October 2, 2010. Kate Hennig will play her final Broadway performance on October 1, 2010 and will return to her home town to launch the Toronto engagement of Billy Elliot, which begins performances at the Canon Theatre on January 28, 2011.

September at The Metropolitan Room features...

One of the biggest off-Broadway and Broadway successes comes to Bellingham, Ma starting Aug. 20 in a new production, directed by Michael La Fleur.

Provision Theater Company, a multi-Jeff nominated Equity theater company, will kick off their 2010-2011 season with one of the most popular rock musicals of all time, GODSPELL.

Producing Artistic Director Carolyn Griffin is pleased to announce that MetroStage's 2010-11 season will open with the world premiere of Glimpses of the Moon, a Jazz Age musical based on a novel by Edith Wharton. The book and lyrics are written by Tajlei Levis and the composer is John Mercurio. Glimpses of the Moon will be in performance Sept. 8-Oct. 17.

Reprise Theatre Company presents two one-night only special events: An Evening with Sutton Foster for one performance only on Monday, October 4, 2010 at 8:00 pm, and Betty Buckley in Concert with Seth Rudetsky on Monday, February 21,2011 at 8:00pm. Both events will be presented at UCLA's Freud Playhouse. An Evening with Sutton Foster Betty Buckley in Concert with Seth Rudetsky are the latest in Reprise Theatre Company's tradition of presenting Broadway stars in concert, which have included Patti LuPone, Carol Burnett, Ben Vereen, Kristin Chenoweth, and Brian Stokes Mitchell.

Provision Theater Company, a multi-Jeff nominated Equity theater company, will kick off their 2010-2011 season with one of the most popular rock musicals of all time, GODSPELL. The groundbreaking, energetic production based on the Gospel of St. Matthew previews August 11, opens Saturday, August 14 at 8 p.m. and runs through September 26 at 1001 W. Roosevelt Road, Chicago. Provision Theater Company Artistic Director Tim Gregory directs.

Tony Award-winning actress Bebe Neuwirth delighted students as their special surprise guest during the Broadway Artists Alliance 2010 Summer Intensive (Session One). Ms. Neuwirth (currently starring in The Addams Family) lent her talents for a surprise Q&A with the students of Broadway Artists Alliance, ages 10-21. The Q&A was led by the hilarious Seth Rudetsky.

Provision Theater Company, a multi-Jeff nominated Equity theater company, will kick off their 2010-2011 season with one of the most popular rock musicals of all time, GODSPELL. The groundbreaking, energetic production based on the Gospel of St. Matthew previews August 11, opens Saturday, August 14 at 8 p.m. and runs through September 26 at 1001 W. Roosevelt Road, Chicago. Provision Theater Company Artistic Director Tim Gregory directs.

After breaking box office records and selling out its entire run in record time both in 2006 and 2008, Wicked, the smash hit musical, makes its much-anticipated return to Hennepin Theatre Trust's Orpheum Theatre, Wednesday, August 11-Sunday, Sept. 19, 2010.

The latest in unauthorized gossip and buzz from the heart of Chicago's showtune video bars, and musical theater news from Chicago to Broadway. Happy Anniversary To 'The Showtune Mosh Pit,' 'Annie Get Your Gun,' 'Godspell,' 'La Tragedie de Carmen,' A Hate Crime and more....

A day-of-performance lottery for a limited number of orchestra seats will be held daily for WICKED, which will be performing from July 14- August 8 at the Marcus Center. Each day, 2½ hours prior to show time people who present themselves at the Marcus Center Box Office will have their names placed in a lottery drum and then thirty minutes later, names will be drawn for a limited number of orchestra seats at $25 each, cash only.

The most common question I'm asked on Twitter is, 'I'm coming to New York for one day only. Which show should I see?' Despite my knowledge of all of the currently running Broadway productions, I never know what to say. True, I have my favorite shows, but without knowing anything about the person asking the question or their taste in theatre, it's an impossible question to answer in 140 characters.