The Old Globe News

The Laguna Playhouse Executive and Artistic Directors, Karen Wood and Ann E. Wareham are thrilled to present the second show of their 2014-2015 season, THE YEAR OF MAGICAL THINKING by Joan Didion and directed by Jenny Sullivan (Steel Magnolias). 'To have Linda Purl on our stage with one of the more powerful pieces of theatre I have come across is just a triumph that our audiences and subscribers are going to treasure,' offers Wood. 'Jenny Sullivan is quite simply one of our best theatre directors working today and to have her bring her magic touch to the powerful words of Joan Didion is simply a dream realized,' adds Wareham. THE YEAR OF MAGICAL THINKING will begin previews on Wednesday, October 8 and will open on Saturday, October 11 at 7:30pm and run through Sunday, November 2, 2014 at the Laguna Playhouse, 606 Laguna Canyon Road in Laguna Beach.

Good morning, BroadwayWorld! Because we know all our readers eat, sleep and breathe Broadway, what could be better than waking up to it? Today's big news: Bennett & Gaga's CHEEK TO CHEEK is out today, Harvey Fierstein hosts BROADWAY SALUTES, JERSEY BOYS welcomes back an old friend, PBS salutes Joan Rivers and more!

The Old Globe presents World Premiere of Bright Star, a new American musical featuring music by Edie Brickell and Steve Martin, lyrics by Brickell, and book by Martin, based on an original story by Martin and Brickell. Directed byWalter Bobbie, Bright Star runs now through November 2, 2014 on the Donald and Darlene Shiley Stage in the Old Globe Theatre, part of the Globe's Conrad Prebys Theatre Center. Previews run through September 27. Opening night is Sunday, September 28 at 7:00 p.m. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast in action below!

Lexikat Artists and MB Artists in association with the multi-award-winning NoHo Arts Center Ensemble (NoHo ACE) are thrilled to announce that the world premiere musical, SCARY MUSICAL The Musical, book by Richard Hochberg, music and lyrics by Richard Hochberg and Michael Paternostro, musical direction by Brent Crayon, orchestrations by Kenny Seymour and directed and choreographed by James J. Mellon will let YOU choose the killer! With three different alternate endings, this is the first theatre production that asks you to TURN ON YOUR PHONES during the show to vote!

ARIELLE JACOBS who appeared on Broadway and in the touring company of IN THE HEIGHTS and STACIA FERNANDEZ, currently appearing on Broadway in MAMMA MIA!, have joined the cast of BARCELONA in the roles of 'Julianna' and 'Kathryn'.

Bets Malone talks about NEXT TO NORMAL, auditions, and whats on her performing bucket list.

Karen Carpenter, a producer, director and teacher, a theater-maker for more than 30 years, has been appointed the interim Artistic Director of the William Inge Center for the Arts and the 34th Annual William Inge Theatre Festival. The Inge Festival is the Official Theater Festival of the State of Kansas, hosted on the campus of Independence Community College, which houses the William Inge archives.

Rogue Machine presents the World Premiere of NICE THINGS by Vince Melocchi Opening October 4, 2014 with reception to follow 8pm Fridays and Saturdays, 3pm on Sundays through November 23, 2014 5041 W. Pico Blvd., LA, CA 90019

Alley Theatre Artistic Director Gregory Boyd announces the cast and creative team for Dracula, the Original Vampire Play, the second production in the 'Alley Theatre @ UH' season. Featuring iconic costume and set designs by Edward Gorey, the Alley's production is based on the original 1927 adaptation of the classic thriller that marvelously balances the menace of the horror tale with sophisticated satire.

The Old Globe presents Marco Ramirez's ('Orange is the New Black,' 'Sons of Anarchy') wildly theatrical new play The Royale, directed by two-time Obie Award-winning and Drama Desk Award-nominated Rachel Chavkin, Founding Artistic Director of New York's the TEAM, Chavkin most recently won accolades for Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812 (The New York Times, Time Out New York, and New York Post Critics's Picks, and Top Ten of 2012 and 2013). The Royale will run October 4 to November 2 in the Sheryl and Harvey White Theatre, part of the Conrad Prebys Theatre Center. Preview performances run October 4 - 8. Opening night is Thursday, October 9 at 8:00 p.m. BroadwayWorld has a sneak peek at the cast below!

The Geffen Playhouse presents the West Coast premiere of Choir Boy. This new production -- featuring gospel music -- will highlight several performers from the Manhattan Theatre Club run. Nicholas L. Ashe and Grantham Coleman will join the previously announced Jeremy Pope.

Virginia's Signature Theatre has appointed Joe Calarco to the new position of Resident Director/Director of New Works. In this position, Calarco will continue to strengthen Signature's commitment to new work by shepherding the development of new musicals and plays and actively seeking the work of original and diverse voices. Calarco will also direct 1-2 shows per season and will continue his work with Signature in The Schools, Signature's flagship education program.

The Old Globe presents World Premiere of Bright Star, a new American musical featuring music by Edie Brickell and Steve Martin, lyrics by Brickell, and book by Martin, based on an original story by Martin and Brickell. Directed by Walter Bobbie, Bright Star will run tonight, September 13 - November 2, 2014 on the Donald and Darlene Shiley Stage in the Old Globe Theatre, part of the Globe's Conrad Prebys Theatre Center. Preview performances run tonight, September 13 - September 27. Opening night is Sunday, September 28 at 7:00 p.m. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast and creative team below!

The Guthrie Theater presents the first production on the Wurtele Thrust Stage in the 2014-2015 season, Wendy Wasserstein's Pulitzer Prize-winning play The Heidi Chronicles. Under the direction of 2014 Tony Award nominee Leigh Silverman (Broadway's Violet, Chinglish, Well), The Heidi Chronicles will feature the talents of Kate Wetherhead, Ben Graney, Tracey Maloney and Zach Shaffer, as well as Sam Bardwell, Eleonore Dendy, Mo Perry and Stacia Rice.

Twelve years ago it stole the hearts of audiences in San Francisco, and now New Conservatory Theatre Center reimagines Shakespeare's R&J by Joe Calarco, in a powerful, all-new production directed by NCTC's first Artistic Associate Ben Randle. Shakespeare comes alive when four Catholic school teens, break the rules and secretly reenact Romeo and Juliet - the timeless story of dangerous forbidden love. Randle raises the stakes on this "electrifying" (Entertainment Weekly) and "vibrant, hot-blooded adaptation" (The New York Times), as it returns to our stage now set in a Jesuit school in Cairo, Egypt, where revealing who you are can still be a crime.

The Denver Center for the Performing Arts has announced the appointment of Matthew Lopez as Denver Center Playwriting Fellow for the 2014/15 Theatre Company season.

The Pasadena Playhouse announces the cast of STOP KISS, the second production of its 2014-2015 Season. Written by Diana Son and directed by Pasadena Playhouse Associate Artistic Director Seema Sueko, STOP KISS stars Sharon Leal (Bill Condon's Dreamgirls, Fox's "Boston Public," and Lionsgate's Addicted), Angela Lin (Broadway's Chinglish), John Sloan (Fox's "Happy Hour"), Brandon Scott (ABC's "Grey's Anatomy"), Amanda Carlin (Liar Liar), and Jeff De Serrano (A&E's "Longmire"). The production is performed November 4 - 30, 2014 with the official press night on Wednesday, November 9, 2014.

Lexikat Artists and MB Artists in association with the multi-award-winning NoHo Arts Center Ensemble (NoHo ACE) are thrilled to present a world premiere musical, SCARY MUSICAL The Musical, book by Richard Hochberg, music and lyrics by Richard Hochberg and Michael Paternostro, musical direction by Brent Crayon, orchestrations by Kenny Seymour and directed and choreographed by James J. Mellon. SCARY MUSICAL The Musical will begin previews tonight, September 12 at 8pm; will open today, September 19 at 8pm and run for eight weeks through Sunday, November 9, 2014 at the NoHo Arts Center, 11136 Magnolia Blvd. (at Lankershim) in North Hollywood.

Victory Gardens Theater announces the first play of its 40th Anniversary Season: the Midwest Premiere of Rest by Ensemble Playwright Samuel D. Hunter, directed by Joanie Schultz. Rest runs tonight, September 12-October 12, 2014, with the press performance on September 19, 2014, at Victory Gardens Theatre, 2433 N. Lincoln Avenue.

'Not Afraid' by Nora Sorena Casey is a dark comedy about Bets, a young woman who is obsessed with her death metal blog. When she gets a death threat, it catalyzes a series of disturbing encounters for both her and her housemate and best friend, Hunter, a callous law student. The two women argue about heavy metal, the U.S.S.R. and taco night -- and try not to die. The play is at once funny, sad and devastating. PowerOut presents the work's world premiere October 19 to November 4 at Under St. Marks, 94 St. Marks Place. Ben Ferber directs.