Syracuse Stage News

Paper Mill Playhouse will continue its 75th Anniversary Season with the classic Charles Dickens musical Oliver!, with a holiday 'twist' for the entire family. With a book, music and lyrics by Lionel Bart, Oliver! will be directed by Paper Mill Playhouse Producing Artistic Director Mark S. Hoebee with original choreography by JoAnn M. Hunter. Oliver! will feature David Garrison (Fagin), best known for his role as Steve Rhoades on the hit television series Married...with Children, Betsy Morgan (Nancy), John Treacy Egan (Mr. Bumble), Jose Llana (Bill Sikes), David Hess (MR. Brownlow), Ethan Haberfield (Artful Dodger) and introducing Tyler Moran as Oliver. Oliver! will also feature 16 local boys from across the state of New Jersey who auditioned from a pool of over 200. Oliver! will play the Millburn, New Jersey theater from tonight, November 21 through December 29. The official press opening night is Sunday, December 1, 2013, at 7:00pm.

PICT Theatre's final production of the season is the Pittsburgh premiere of Paul Giovanni's The Crucifer of Blood, a Sherlock Holmes adventure featuring characters created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Matt Torney directs. David Whalen returns to reprise the role of Sherlock Holmes since his 2011 turn as the master detective. Also returning from the 2011 production is Daryll Heysham as Inspector Lestrade. Justin R. G. Holcomb makes his PICT debut as Dr. Watson.

Syracuse Stage will present A Christmas Carol, November 23 through December 29, 2013.

Show Palace Entertainment presents IRVING BERLIN'S WHITE CHRISTMAS, November 28 through December 25, 2013.

'Translations' will run Nov. 15-23 in the Storch Theater at the Syracuse Stage/SU Drama Complex. Tickets can be purchased online at http://vpa.syr.edu/drama, by phone at 315-443-3275 and in person at the SU Drama Box Office, 820 E. Genesee St. Check out a first look below!

Holiday cheer will abound at Cleveland Play House (CPH) with an all-new production of the beloved holiday classic, A Christmas Story running from Nov. 29th - Dec. 22nd in the Allen Theatre at PlayhouseSquare. In honor of the 30th anniversary of the unforgettable film, CPH enthusiastically breathes new life into this classic story about Ralphie and his ultimate Christmas wish. Having delighted audiences for 30 years on both the big and small screens, this incredible production is brought to vivid life on stage for Northeast Ohio audiences. Tickets are on sale now and may be purchased by calling (216) 241-6000 or online at www.clevelandplayhouse.com. CPH is pleased to have University Hospitals as the Presenting Sponsor of A Christmas Story, along with Benesch, Nordson and FirstMerit as Supporting Sponsors.

About Face Theatre Company will kick off its new OUT FRONT SERIES, a year-round collection of free public readings and developmental workshops. This month, AFT presents BILLIE AND BILLY by AFT Artistic Associate Paul Oakley Stovall, with original music by Brad Simmons and directed by Krissy Vanderwarker, playing today, November 16 and tomorrow the 17th, 2013 at American Theater Company, 1909 W. Byron St. in Chicago.

TheaterWorks will present the holiday World Premiere Christmas on the Rocks -- an offbeat collection of twisted holiday tales by multiple nationally known playwrights. These darkly humorous stories run December 3 through 22, 2013.

Billy Crystal will return to Broadway this fall for a 9-week-only limited engagement of his Tony Award-winning, record-breaking play 700 Sundays. This will mark the final engagement of this production. Previews began Tuesday, November 5, 2013 at the Imperial Theatre (249 West 45th Street) with opening night scheduled for tonight, November 13, 2013 and a final performance set for Sunday, January 5, 2014. 700 Sundays is performed and written by Mr. Crystal with additional content by Alan Zweibel and direction by Des McAnuff.

About Face Theatre Company will kick off its new OUT FRONT SERIES, a year-round collection of free public readings and developmental workshops. This month, AFT presents BILLIE AND BILLY by AFT Artistic Associate Paul Oakley Stovall, with original music by Brad Simmons and directed by Krissy Vanderwarker, playing November 16 and 17, 2013 at American Theater Company, 1909 W. Byron St. in Chicago.

The Old Globe presents The Old Globe/University of San Diego Graduate Theatre Program presentation of William Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing, running tonight, Nov. 9 - Nov. 17 in the Sheryl and Harvey White Theatre, part of the Globe's Conrad Prebys Theatre Center. Opening night is tonight, Nov. 9 at 8:00 p.m.

It's back - the funny, smart, and irreverent musical Nerds! Philadelphia Theatre Company revisits the musical satire Nerds with book and lyrics by Jordan Allen-Dutton and Erik Weiner, music by Hal Goldberg, and a brand new cast and creative team. Directed by Casey Hushion with choreography by Joshua Bergasse, the ensemble features Stanley Bahorek, Matt Bradley, Briana Carlson-Goodman, Benny Elledge, Lexy Fridell, Raymond J. Lee, Alyse Alan Louis, Robert Morrison, Kevin Pariseau, Catherine Ricafort, and Blake Segal.

In Translations, a group of students at a hedge school in 1833 Ireland are greeted by two British Army engineers that intend to map their town and change its place names from Gaelic to English. What ensue are the trials and tribulations of people living with a language barrier that quietly outlines a division between two very different cultures. Translations explores deeply rooted political and cultural issues about the imposition of the British on the Irish and what it means to preserve culture.

Continuing its 26th Season, Lookingglass Theatre Company presents The Little Prince, produced in Association with The Actors Gymnasium, by Rick Cummins and John Scoullar, based on the book by Antoine de Saint-Exupery, and directed by Ensemble Member David Catlin. The Little Prince runs December 5, 2013 - February 2, 2014 at Lookingglass Theatre Company, located inside Chicago's historic Water Tower Water Works, 821 N. Michigan Ave. at Pearson. The Press Opening is Saturday, December 14, 2013 at 7:30 p.m.

Billy Crystal will return to Broadway this fall for a 9-week-only limited engagement of his Tony Award-winning, record-breaking play 700 Sundays. This will mark the final engagement of this production. Previews begin tonight, November 5, 2013 at the Imperial Theatre (249 West 45th Street) with opening night scheduled for Wednesday, November 13, 2013 and a final performance set for Sunday, January 5, 2014. 700 Sundaysis performed and written by Mr. Crystal with additional content by Alan Zweibel and direction by Des McAnuff.

There's a marked difference between a tragedy and a wallow, and Scorched falls on the wrong side of that divide early and often. Syracuse Stage's production of Wajdi Mouawad's play skillfully renders its themes, but that's more to its detriment than to its credit when the play is question is this leaden and fundamentally dishonest.

Paper Mill Playhouse will continue its 75th Anniversary Season with the classic Charles Dickens musical Oliver!, with a holiday 'twist' for the entire family. With a book, music and lyrics by Lionel Bart, Oliver! will be directed by Paper Mill Playhouse Producing Artistic Director Mark S. Hoebee with original choreography by JoAnn M. Hunter. Oliver! will feature David Garrison (Fagin), best known for his role as Steve Rhoades on the hit television series Married...with Children, Betsy Morgan (Nancy), John Treacy Egan (Mr. Bumble), Jose Llana (Bill Sikes), David Hess (Mr. Brownlow), Ethan Haberfield (Artful Dodger) and introducing Tyler Moran as Oliver. Oliver! will also feature 16 local boys from across the state of New Jersey who auditioned from a pool of over 200. Oliver! will play the Millburn, New Jersey theater from November 21 through December 29. The official press opening night is Sunday, December 1, 2013, at 7:00pm.

The Old Globe today announced the cast and creative team for The Old Globe/University of San Diego Graduate Theatre Program presentation of William Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing, running Nov. 9 - Nov. 17 in the Sheryl and Harvey White Theatre, part of the Globe's Conrad Prebys Theatre Center. Opening night is Nov. 9 at 8:00 p.m.

Stephen Fry, who is making his Broadway acting debut as Malvolio in the critically acclaimed Shakespeare's Globe production of TWELFTH NIGHT, will be a guest on 'The Colbert Report' on Thursday, October 24. 'The Colbert Report' airs at 11:30 PM ET on Comedy Central, 10:30 PM Central.

Syracuse Stage present SCORCHED, beginning tonight, Oct. 23, and continuing through Nov. 10. Check out a first look below!