Syracuse Stage News

As part of its 30th Anniversary Season celebration, the Huntington Theatre Company brings the cast of August Wilson's Ma Rainey's Black Bottom to Roxbury's Hibernian Hall to perform a reading of the play on Thursday, February 23, 2012 at 7pm. The reading is free and open to the public, but an RSVP at huntingtontheatre.org/raineyreading is encouraged, as seating is limited. Liesl Tommy, director of the Huntington's acclaimed 2011 production of Ruined, helms the production. The ensemble features "ER" cast member Yvette Freeman as the legendary blues singer Ma Rainey and local favorite Jason Bowen (Ruined, A Civil War Christmas at the Huntington) as Levee.

Ken Ludwig is an internationally acclaimed playwright whose many hits on Broadway, in London's West End and throughout the world have made his name synonymous with modern comedy. He has had six shows on Broadway and six in the West End, and he has won the Laurence Olivier Award, England's highest theatre honor, as well as three Tony Award nominations and two Helen Hayes Awards. His work has been commissioned by the Royal Shakespeare Company and has been performed in thirty countries in over twenty languages. Ken Ludwig is also the author of the popular Lend Me a Tenor and Moon Over Buffalo.

Just four hours north of the great wide way theater is flourishing in central and upstate New York. Albany, Rochester, Syracuse and Ithaca all maintain professional, regional theatres that offer a wide variety of experiences for theatergoers. Here's what's on our radar (and what you can look for reviews of) in the coming months.

Powerhouse cast -- led by Greta Oglesby -- begins performance run at Syracuse Stage

Laughter and tears, gossip and home-grown advice are as prevalent as hair rollers in Truvy's Beauty Salon, the setting of the heartwarming comedy-drama Steel Magnolias by Robert Harling, playing at Bristol Riverside Theatre on March 20-April 8. Susan D. Atkinson directs an ensemble cast of BRT favorites including Jennie Eisenhower, Diane Findlay,Laura C. Giknis, Barbara McCulloh, Susan Moses, and Jo Twiss.

Running February 1-26, Caroline, or Change will be performed in the Archbold Theatre at Syracuse Stage, 820 East Genesee Street.

Running February 1-26, Caroline, or Change will be performed in the Archbold Theatre at Syracuse Stage, 820 East Genesee Street.

Alley Theatre Artistic Director Gregory Boyd announces the cast and creative team for the Alley Theatre's production of the 2010 Best Play Tony Award Winner, Red.

Quintessence Theatre Group continues its second season with Jean Anouilh's 1943 adaptation of Sophocles' ANTIGONE, in a translation by Jeremy Sams, directed by Alexander Burns.

As part of its 30th Anniversary Season celebration, the Huntington Theatre Company brings the cast of August Wilson's Ma Rainey's Black Bottom to Roxbury's Hibernian Hall to perform a reading of the play on Thursday, February 23, 2012 at 7pm. The reading is free and open to the public, but an RSVP at huntingtontheatre.org/raineyreading is encouraged, as seating is limited. Liesl Tommy, director of the Huntington's acclaimed 2011 production of Ruined, helms the production. The ensemble features "ER" cast member Yvette Freeman as the legendary blues singer Ma Rainey and local favorite Jason Bowen (Ruined, A Civil War Christmas at the Huntington) as Levee.

Primary Stages (Casey Childs, Founder & Executive Producer; Andrew Leynse, Artistic Director; Elliot Fox, Managing Director) continues its 27th season with the world premiere of the new play, Rx, written by Kate Fodor.

David Mamet is a Pulitzer-Prize winning playwright, known for his own distinct style of dialogue aptly referred to as "Mamet speak". Mamet also directed the Broadway production of Race, which premiered December 2009 starring James Spader, David Alan Grier, Kerry Washington, and Richard Thomas. Gulfshore Playhouse first hit the Naples scene with a production of David Mamet's Oleanna in 2006.

Rehearsals are underway for the world premiere of Danai Gurira's The Convert at McCarter Theatre Center in Princeton, NJ, January 13 through February 12, 2012 (press opening: January 20). Directed by Emily Mann, The Convert is produced in association with Center Theatre Group (Los Angeles) and The Goodman Theatre (Chicago). The cast features Pascale Armand, Cheryl Lynn Bruce, Zainab Jah, Kevin Mambo, LeRoy McClain, Warner Joseph Miller, and Harold Surratt.

Alley Theatre Artistic Director Gregory Boyd announces the cast and creative team for the "hysterically funny" (New York Post) new musical The Toxic Avenger.

A veteran cast brings its acclaimed performance of the noir classic Double Indemnity to San Jose, in a world premiere co-produced by the San Jose Repertory Theatre and Seattle's A Contemporary Theatre (ACT). The ensemble of five actors from Seattle and the Bay Area brought the story to stage during a successful run of Double Indemnity in Seattle in October 2011.

David Mamet is a Pulitzer-Prize winning playwright, known for his own distinct style of dialogue aptly referred to as "Mamet speak". Mamet also directed the Broadway production of Race, which premiered December 2009 starring James Spader, David Alan Grier, Kerry Washington, and Richard Thomas. Gulfshore Playhouse first hit the Naples scene with a production of David Mamet's Oleanna in 2006.

Berkeley Repertory Theatre begins the New Year with the world-premiere production of Ghost Light, a new play conceived and developed by Jonathan Moscone and Tony Taccone.

TheatreWorks of Silicon Valley is set to present the West Coast Premiere of THE PITMEN PAINTERS, from the writer of the hit film and musical Billy Elliot and the co-writer of the period drama screenplay War Horse.

Powerhouse Broadway veteran Tovah Feldshuh stars in Gypsy at Bristol Riverside Theatre as part of its 25th Anniversary Season on December 6-January 15. With music by Jule Styne, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by Arthur Laurents, the production is directed by Keith Baker and also features Robert Newman, Amanda Rose, Brittney Lee Hamilton, Joe Grandy, Bethe B. Austin, Kathryn Kendall, and Demetria Joyce Bailey.

Rehearsals are underway for the world premiere of Danai Gurira's The Convert at McCarter Theatre Center in Princeton, NJ, January 13 through February 12, 2012 (press opening: January 20). Directed by Emily Mann, The Convert is produced in association with Center Theatre Group (Los Angeles) and The Goodman Theatre (Chicago). The cast features Pascale Armand, Cheryl Lynn Bruce, Zainab Jah, Kevin Mambo, LeRoy McClain, Warner Joseph Miller, and Harold Surratt.