Terrence McNally News

Does Terrence McNally's play on AIDS still hold up after 20 years? It's a bit weak, but the beach house is stunning!

The MacDowell Colony, one of the nation's leading artist residency programs, will present its 52nd Edward MacDowell Medal to renowned playwright Edward Albee on Sunday, August 14th. Since 1960, The MacDowell Medal has been awarded annually to an individual artist who has made an outstanding contribution to his/her field. The award is rotated among the seven artistic disciplines practiced at MacDowell; this will be the third time the Medal has been awarded to a playwright. Albee joins an impressive list of past Medal recipients, including playwrights Thornton Wilder (1960) and Lillian Hellman (1976), visual artist Georgia O'Keeffe (1972), composer Leonard Bernstein (1987), architect I.M. Pei (1998), filmmaker Stan Brakhage (1989), interdisciplinary artist Merce Cunningham (2003), and writer Alice Munro (2006).

In celebration of Tennessee Williams' centennial year, Westport Country Playhouse will stage a special performance by acclaimed actor Richard Thomas in 'A Distant Country Called Youth,' based on a collection of lively and evocative letters written by a young Tennessee Williams, on Monday, August 29, 7 p.m.

Currently playing the role of Frank Abagnale in Broadway's Tony-nominated musical Catch Me If You Can, the Tony-nominated actor Tom Wopat is set to release his next solo album on August 9, 2011. The jazz album will be entitled 'Consider It Swung,' and features covers, original music, and even a song that was cut from Catch Me If You Can. It is produced by the LML Music Label with piano accompaniment by Tedd Firth, Peter Grant on the drums, David Finck on bass and Bob Malach on saxophone.

According to the LA Times, stage and screen star Justin Bartha has signed on to star in Jesse Eisenberg's new off-Broadway play Asuncion. Bartha will play 'Vinny, a progressive academic and roommate of left-wing blogger Edgar (Eisenberg), who's thrown for a loop when a Filipino roommate moves in.' The duo last worked together in the 2010 independent film 'Holy Rollers.'

Celebrated cabaret performer Jamie deRoy will kick off her 21st Anniversary Season of her multi MAC Award-winning variety show, Jamie deRoy & friends, with an unforgettable cabaret evening filled with song, humor, and fun on Wednesday, July 27th (7PM) at the intimate cabaret hot-spot Metropolitan Room (34 West 22nd Street ~ btw. 5th & 6th Avenues).

Arthur Miller's autobiographical play will be staged at the Ruskin Group Theatre for a limited time. The play elegantly, and hilariously at times, depicts the way a common experience can bond people together.

Celebrated cabaret performer Jamie deRoy will kick off her 21st Anniversary Season of her multi MAC Award-winning variety show, Jamie deRoy & friends, with an unforgettable cabaret evening filled with song, humor, and fun on Wednesday, July 27th (7PM) at the intimate cabaret hot-spot Metropolitan Room (34 West 22nd Street ~ btw. 5th & 6th Avenues).

Broadway Star Marc Kudisch (9 to 5, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Assassins) will offer a musical theatre master class on Monday, August 29th from 6:30 to 10:30pm at the Davenport Studio in Midtown Manhattan.

Rattlestick Playwrights Theater announced today that they will kick off their 2011/2012 season with the F*!@cking Good Plays (festival, II) - seven (7) days of new play readings by ten (10) of today's hottest playwrights. The festival, to be presented at Rattlestick Theater (224 Waverly Place - off 7th Avenue South between West 11th & Perry Streets), will begin on Monday, August 1st and continue through Sunday, August 7th. Playwrights include: Trent Creswell, Jessica Dickey, Laura Eason, Kathryn Hathaway, Andrew Hinderaker, Bruce Kronenberg, James Lecesne, Florencia Lozano, Erica Schmidt, and Ken Urban. The readings will be directed by Jessica Blank, Denis Butkus, Evan Cabnet, Trip Cullman, Jill DeArmon, Michael Padden, Erica Schmidt, and Daniella Topol.

Signature Theatre's 22nd season kicks off by making musical theatre history with its American Musical Voices Project: Next Generation 'World Premiere Repertory Series' - the first time in the history of the American theatre that two world premiere musicals will be presented in rotating repertory, in full production. The eight-week series, beginning previews on August 23rd, will produce The Hollow (book by Hunter Foster; music and lyrics by Matt Conner), to be directed by Signature Theatre's Associate Artistic Director Matthew Gardiner; and The Boy Detective Fails (book by Joe Meno; music and lyrics by Adam Gwon), directed by Signature Theatre Artistic Associate Joe Calarco. Both musicals have been commissioned by Signature Theatre as part of its groundbreaking American Musical Voices Project: The Next Generation.

The Tony Award-winning Signature Theatre has announced that national radio host Robert Aubry Davis (WETA's 'Around Town' and Sirius/XM Radio) will be making his stage debut, playing the iconic role of Edna in its upcoming production of the celebrated musical Hairspray. Directed by Signature Artistic Director Eric Schaeffer, Hairspray will run from November 21st through January 29th. Based on the 1988 cult film directed by John Waters, Hairspray features music by Marc Shaiman, lyrics by Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman, and a book by Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan. The musical, which played on Broadway for 6 ½ years, took home eight 2003 Tony Awards, including 'Best Musical.'

Manhattan Theatre Club has just announced that Tony and Emmy Award winner Cynthia Nixon will return to MTC to star in the Broadway premiere of the Pulitzer Prize-winning play WIT by Margaret Edson, directed by MTC's award-winning Artistic Director Lynne Meadow. The limited engagement of WIT will begin previews Thursday, January 5, 2012 and open Thursday, January 26, 2012 at MTC's Samuel J. Friedman Theatre.

Anna Deveare Smith, who received a MacArthur Genius Award for her unique 'blend of theatrical art, social commentary, journalism, and intimate reverie,' is bringing her latest one-woman show Let Me Down Easy to The Broad Stage. There will be Previews on July 20 and Opening Night is July 22.

Does Terrence McNally's play on AIDS still hold up after 20 years? It's a bit weak, but the beach house is stunning!

Lyric Theatre is staging Ragtime, the powerful American journey on the Civic Center stage on July 19 through 23. Lyric's new production of Ragtime brings a powerful 35-person cast and 21-person orchestra onto the Civic Center stage!

Virginia's Signature Theatre heats up during the dog days of summer with their annual Sizzlin' Summer Cabaret, a 3-week series featuring thirteen individual acts sure to keep things red hot.

Westport Country Playhouse is staging Terrence McNally's summer sizzler, 'Lips Together, Teeth Apart,' directed by Playhouse artistic director Mark Lamos, playing through July 30th.

Westport Country Playhouse opens 'Lips Together, Teeth Apart,' written by Terrence McNally and directed by Mark Lamos, Playhouse artistic director, tonight, July 12. The production will run through July 30, 2010. A perceptive comedy with powerful dramatic conflicts, the play is about two straight couples spending a July weekend on Fire Island.

Deborah Voigt takes center stage at the Glimmerglass Festival in Cooperstown, New York this month, capping a season that showcased a startling range of roles and achievements, including her first-ever Brünnhilde performances in the Metropolitan Opera's new production of Die Walküre.