The Geffen Playhouse News

Director Patricia McGregor returns to the Geffen Playhouse after her successful directorial stint of Dominique Morriseau's SKELETON CREW last year. This time, Patricia directs the west coast premiere of LIGHTS OUT: NAT 'KING' COLE (now, already in previews), co-written by herself and Coleman Domingo. Patricia took some time after a long day of rehearsals to chat with me over the phone.

TheatreWorks Silicon Valley continues its 2018/19 season with the World Premiere of Hershey Felder: A Paris Love Story, written and performed by piano virtuoso Hershey Felder, who shattered box office records at TheatreWorks with his acclaimed portrayals of Irving Berlin, Beethoven, and Tchaikovsky. Now, Felder captures the life and music of Impressionist composer Claude Debussy, a visionary who proclaimed nature his religion, creating music of ravishing beauty, color, and compassion, from the sweeping "La mer" to the evocative "L'apres-midi d'un faune" and the mystical "Clair de lune." Intertwined with Debussy's story, Felder for the first time shares his own deeply personal connection to the City of Light.

Luckily for us, after a 10-year hiatus raising her adopted daughter Mulan ("Yes, that was her given name in China," she shared with embarrassment) with her Eastern European Jewish husband in suburban Chicago, the Irish Catholic comic recently moved back to Los Angeles to resume her career as a writer and performer. While currently filming a recurring role in the upcoming Hulu series Shrill, opposite Aidy Bryant, she decided it was time to get back on the stage and grab the spotlight again now that her daughter has moved out as a college freshman. In her new solo show, JULIA SWEENEY: OLDER & WIDER, she offers hilarious takes on parenting, religion, cancer, feminism and even her iconic SNL characters' place in today's modern landscape. And though she shared this was the first time she performed using a handheld microphone in front of an audience, Sweeney appeared to be totally at ease and enjoying the accolades from her many fans in attendance on opening night.

The Geffen Playhouse Unscripted podcast has been renewed for a third season with PodcastOne, the nation's largest advertiser-supported podcast network, it was announced today. In addition, Tony-nominated Rory O'Malley (Hamilton, The Book of Mormon) has joined the podcast series as its new full-time host.

Geffen Playhouse will present the West Coast premiere of The Niceties, it was announced today, written by Eleanor Burgess (Chill, Start Down) and directed by Kimberly Senior (Disgraced, Career Suicide). This world premiere production of The Niceties is currently running at McCarter Theatre Center in New Jersey, and replaces Antigone on the Geffen Playhouse 2018/2019 season lineup.

Vineyard Theatre announced that the 2019 Gala fundraiser will celebrate Tony, Olivier, Drama Desk, and Drama League Award nominated artist and Vineyard Board Member, Colman Domingo. The annual benefit Gala will take place on Monday, May 6, 2019, beginning at 6:30pm at Edison Ballroom (240 West 47th Street).

Geffen Playhouse today announced the full cast for its world premiere production of Black Super Hero Magic Mama, written by Los Angeles-based playwright Inda Craig-Galvan (I Go Somewhere Else, Welcome to Matteson!) and directed by two-time OBIE Award winner and NAACP Award winner Robert O'Hara (Barbecue, Bootycandy, Eclipsed).

Capital Stage presents the Sacramento Premiere of Slowgirl by Greg Pierce . This is be Jennifer King's Capital Stage Directing debut. It will be the third production of Capital Stage's 2018/19 Season: #SearchingForAmerica. Performances will run from January 23 - February 24, 2019 with a Press Opening on Saturday, January 26, 2019 at 8:00 pm.

Previews begin tonight for the world premiere production of The Convent, a new play by critically acclaimed playwright Jessica Dickey (The Amish Project, Charles Ives Take Me Home), directed by Daniel Talbott.

Those of us old enough to remember the excitement of buying a new vinyl record album and devouring every song's liner notes shared on the back or inner sleeve will certainly understand the appeal of RITA WILSON'S LINER NOTES, which enjoyed its fourth tour at the Geffen's Audrey Skirball Kenis Theater in Westwood from January 10-13 as part of the Geffen Playhouse Spotlight Entertainment Series. The evening offered not only great entertainment but lots of insider information on what went into the creation of many favorite songs from the actual songwriters themselves.

Next up in Town Hall Theatre's staged reading series IN THE WINGS is a one-night only reading of BOY, a moving new play about gender identity by Anna Ziegler.  BOY will have one performance only on Monday, February 4, 2019, at Town Hall Theatre Company, 3535 School Street, in Lafayette, CA.  Tickets are $10 general admission and free to subscribers, and are available through the Box Office at (925) 283-1557 or online at www.TownHallTheatre.com. 

California Shakespeare Theater (Cal Shakes) today announced directors for the 2019 Season at the Bruns Amphitheater, including the Cal Shakes debuts of directors Megan Sandberg-Zakian (House of Joy) and Victor Malana Maog (Macbeth).

Jon Lawrence Rivera, Artistic Director of Playwrights' Arena - the first and oldest theater dedicated to discovering, nurturing, and producing original works written exclusively by Los Angeles playwrights, is thrilled to announce the encore presentation of the critically-acclaimed hit I GO SOMEWHERE ELSE by Inda Craig-Galvan, with the original cast that includes Kevin Cougal,Kita Grayson, Donna Simone Johnson, Inger Tudor, and Cheri Lynne VandenHeuvel.

If you think doing a one-person show is hard enough, try doing it as both a thespian and a musician.

Geffen Playhouse today announced the full cast for its production of Lights Out: Nat "King" Cole

Steppenwolf Theatre Company is thrilled to announce that longtime ensemble member Randall Arney will direct the highly anticipated Steppenwolf revival of Sam Shepard's True West-the production that catapulted Steppenwolf onto the American Theatre scene in 1982. Reimagined through the eyes of the new generation of Steppenwolf artists, the 2019 production of True West features ensemble members Jon Michael Hill and Namir Smallwood. True West runs July 5 - August 18, 2019 in the Downstairs Theatre. Tickets ($20 - $96) go on sale April 26, 2019 at 312-335-1650 and steppenwolf.org

Rita Wilson's Liner Notes, part of the Geffen Playhouse Spotlight Entertainment Series, returns for a special limited engagement January 10 - 13, marking its fourth tour at Geffen's Audrey Skirball Kenis Theater. Wilson will be joined by songwriters Billy Steinberg (Madonna's "Like a Virgin," Cindy Lauper's "True Colors"), the Warren Brothers (Tim McGraw's "Felt Good On My Lips," Dierk Bentley's "Feel That Fire") and additional artist/s to be announced for an intimate evening performing song sets and sharing the personal stories behind their biggest hits. Each show will be staged in the round, with audience members surrounding the artists.

 "We are the new. Beyond gender. Beyond possessions. Beyond the past." Odyssey Theatre Ensemble opens its 50th anniversary season with the Los Angeles premiere of Hir, a darkly funny, shockingly absurd and endlessly surprising vision of a world in transition by MacArthur genius Taylor Mac. Bart DeLorenzo directs for a Jan. 19 opening at the Odyssey Theatre in West L.A., with performances continuing through March 17.

BroadwayHD, the world's premiere online streaming platform delivering more than 250 premium live productions to theatre fans globally, today announced that the Geffen Playhouse production of the Drama Desk Award-winning piece The Lion will debut on the platform December 6.  The Lion will join Pulitzer Prize-winning show Long Day's Journey Into Night, and Pulitzer Prize Finalist Play Thom Pain, as the third title to stream on the platform, in partnership with Geffen Playhouse.  The show is directed by Kevin S. Bright, an Emmy Award Winning Executive Producer of the hit television series Friends and produced by Gil Cates Jr (Executive Director of Geffen Playhouse) and Eva Price (Tony-Winning Broadway Producer), and Executive Produced by Bright, Candice Abela Mikati and Fouad Mikati.

From January 4 through February 2, 2019, SpeakEasy Stage will proudly present the Boston Premiere of the hit Off-Broadway comedy SMALL MOUTH SOUNDS by Bess Wohl.