Susan Hilferty News

The Tony Awards Nominating Committee is a rotating group of up to 35 theatre professionals selected by the Tony Awards Administration Committee. Nominators serve for overlapping three-year terms. They are asked to see every new Broadway production and then meet each year shortly after the Tony eligibility deadline. They determine the nominations based on secret ballots supervised by an accounting firm. The results are announced early the following morning.

Roundabout Theatre Company has announced additional casting for the American Premiere of Nick Payne's If There Is I Haven't Found It Yet, directed by Michael Longhurst. If There Is I Haven't Found It Yet will feature Michelle Gomez as "Fiona," Jake Gyllenhaal as "Terry" and Brian F. O'Byrne as "George."

La Jolla Playhouse today announced the cast and creative team for its upcoming musical The Nightingale, by the creative team behind the Tony Award-winning musical Spring Awakening: Steven Sater (book and lyrics) and Duncan Sheik (music). Directed by Tony Award nominee Moises Kaufman (33 Variations, I Am My Own Wife), the production runs July 10 - August 5, 2012 in the Sheila and Hughes Potiker Theatre. The Nightingale is presented as part of the Playhouse's Page To Stage Play Development Program.

WICKED, one of the most anticipated musical productions of the 2012 - 2013 KeyBank Broadway at the Paramount series will go on sale to the public on Friday, June 22 at 10am. Tickets will be available on-line at stgpresents.org, tickets.com, and select Ticketmaster locations. Tickets will also be available by calling 877-STG-4TIX (784-4849) or in person at The Paramount Theatre Box Office (Monday through Friday, 10am to 6pm). There is an 8-ticket limit per patron.

Comedian and commentator Lewis Black shows off his playwriting prowess with ACT - A Contemporary Theatre's production of the wedding day comedy One Slight Hitch. The play is the West Coast debut of a new work by Black, who is not only a Comedy Central regular and a contributor to the award winning The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, but also a stand-up performer and studied playwright. The play began previews June 8 and opens tonight, June 14, running until July 8.

Comedian and commentator Lewis Black shows off his playwriting prowess with ACT - A Contemporary Theatre's production of the wedding day comedy One Slight Hitch. The play is the West Coast debut of a new work by Black, who is not only a Comedy Central regular and a contributor to the award winning The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, but also a stand-up performer and studied playwright.

ANNIE, the new production of the classic Tony Award®-winning musical, goes on sale today to American Express cardholders. For tickets, call 877-250-2929 or visit Ticketmaster.com. Tickets will be available to the general public on Monday, June 25. ANNIE will star two-time Tony Award® winner Katie Finneran as Miss Hannigan, Australian star Anthony Warlow making his Broadway debut as Daddy Warbucks and 11-year-old Lilla Crawford as Annie, with Brynn O'Malley (Wicked, Hairspray) as Grace Farrell, Daddy Warbucks' devoted personal secretary, Clarke Thorell (Hairspray, Mamma Mia!) as Rooster Hannigan, Miss Hannigan's ne'er-do-well brother and J. Elaine Marcos (Priscilla Queen of the Desert, A Chorus Line) as Lily St. Regis, Rooster's floozy girlfriend. The orphans are Madi Rae DiPietro as July, Georgi James as Pepper, Junah Jang as Tessie, Tyrah Skye Odoms as Kate, Taylor Richardson as Duffy, Emily Rosenfeld as Molly and Jaidyn Young as standby for the roles of Annie, Pepper, Duffy and July. The production also features Ashley Blanchet, Jane Blass, Jeremy Davis, Merwin Foard, Joel Hatch, Amanda Lea LaVergne, Gavin Lodge, Liz McCartney, Desi Oakley, David Rossetti, Sarah Solie, Dennis Stowe and Ryan VanDenBoom.

The company of the second North American tour of WICKED will welcome Jeanna de Waal as Glinda on Wednesday, June 27 in E. Lansing, MI.

Australia's preeminent musical theatre and opera star Anthony Warlow will make his Broadway debut as billionaire Daddy Warbucks in the new production of ANNIE, the Tony Award-winning classic musical. ANNIE opens November 8 at the Palace Theatre (1567 Broadway at 47th Street). Previews begin October 3. Warlow stars opposite two-time Tony Award-winner Katie Finneran as Miss Hannigan and 11-year-old Lilla Crawford (Billy Elliot) as Annie.

Two-time Tony Award® winner Katie Finneran (Promises, Promises, Noises Off) will star as Miss Hannigan in the new production of ANNIE, the Tony Award-winning classic musical. ANNIE opens November 8 at the Palace Theatre (1567 Broadway at 47th Street). Previews begin October 3.

Comedian and commentator Lewis Black shows off his playwriting prowess with ACT - A Contemporary Theatre's production of the wedding day comedy One Slight Hitch. The play is the West Coast debut of a new work by Black, who is not only a Comedy Central regular and a contributor to the award winning The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, but also a stand-up performer and studied playwright. The play begins previews June 8 and opens June 14, running until July 8.

A day-of-performance lottery for a limited number of orchestra seats will be held for WICKED, which is returning to the Benjamin & Marian Schuster Performing Arts Center with performances from May 30 - June 24. Two and one-half hours prior to each performance, people who present themselves at the Ticket Center Stage Box Office, located in the Wintergarden of the Schuster Center, will have their names placed in a lottery drum; thirty minutes later, names will be drawn for a limited number of orchestra seats at $25 each, cash only. This lottery is available only in-person at the box office, with a limit of two tickets per person. Lottery participants must have a valid photo ID when submitting their entry form, if chosen, when purchasing tickets.

ANNIE, the new production of the Tony Award-winning classic musical, will play the legendary Palace Theatre (1567 Broadway at 47th Street) on Broadway. ANNIE will begin previews Wednesday, October 3 and will open Thursday, November 8, 2012.

WICKED goes on sale to the public today, May 19 at 7 a.m.; tickets will be exclusively available at the box office from 7 to 10 a.m. on-site at The Smith Center for the Performing Arts at 361 Symphony Park Avenue in Las Vegas. Beginning at 10 a.m., any remaining tickets will be available for purchase online at www.TheSmithCenter.com or by phone at 702-749-2000. There is an 8-ticket limit per patron.

Recently, La Jolla Playhouse's world premiere of HANDS ON A HARDBODY, starring Tony Award-nominees Keith Carradine, Hunter Foster and Mary GorDon Murray, previewed their songs in a rehearsal hall, and the production team talked about the show.

La Jolla Playhouse's world premiere of Hands on a Hardbody, starring Tony Award-nominees Keith Carradine, Hunter Foster and Mary GorDon Murray, as well as Allison Case and more, opened on May 12, and runs through June 17, 2012 in the Mandell Weiss Theatre. In the video below, hear what the audience ha sto say about the new rock musical.

The company of the first North American tour of WICKED welcomes PJ Benjamin as The Wizard on Tuesday, May 8 and Nicole Parker as Elphaba on Friday, May 18 in Denver, CO.

WICKED will go on sale to the public on Saturday, May 19 at 7 a.m.; tickets will be exclusively available at the box office from 7 to 10 a.m. on-site at The Smith Center for the Performing Arts at 361 Symphony Park Avenue in Las Vegas. Beginning at 10 a.m., any remaining tickets will be available for purchase online at www.TheSmithCenter.com or by phone at 702-749-2000. There is an 8-ticket limit per patron.

After more than 5,000 auditions in a coast-to-coast search, ANNIE has announced casting for the orphans for the new production of the classic Tony Award-winning Broadway musical. ANNIE will open on Broadway in Fall 2012 at a Nederlander theatre to be announced. The production will be directed by three-time Tony Award winner James Lapine and choreographed by Tony Award winner Andy Blankenbuehler.

HANDS-ON-A-HARDBODY-Opens-at-La-Jolla-Playhouse-20010101 La Jolla Playhouse's world premiere of Hands on a Hardbody, starring Tony Award-nominees Keith Carradine, Hunter Foster and Mary Gordon Murray, as well as Allison Case and more, opens tonight, May 12, and runs through June 17, 2012 in the Mandell Weiss Theatre. The commissioned musical has a book by Pulitzer Prize winner Doug Wright (I Am My Own Wife, Creditors), lyrics by Amanda Green (High Fidelity), music by Trey Anastasio (lead singer of the popular band Phish) and Amanda Green, with direction by Neil Pepe (Speed-the-Plow) and musical staging by Benjamin Millepied (BLACK SWAN).