The Old Globe News

The Old Globe today announced it will present Emmy Award-winning actor Richard Thomas ("The Waltons," Fifth of July, "The Americans") starring in A Distant Country Called Youth, an intimate look at the making of an artist, adapted by Steve Lawson from early letters Tennessee Williams sent to his family, friends, and professional associates. This one-night-only engagement takes place on Monday, June 9 at 7:00 p.m.

To Austin area High School English teachers, I sincerely apologize if any of your students see The Baron's Men's current production of Romeo and Juliet. If they do, they may enter your class with the false belief that Shakespeare's play about impulsive, horny, and eventually suicidal teens is meant to be a comedy. It's not. The words 'A Tragedy' sometimes even accompany the title. The only tragedies of this production are the over three hour running time, the direction that plays the majority of the story for laughs, and the fact that The Baron's Men, while claiming to have great reverence for the Bard, would do this to one of Shakespeare's greatest works.

Connecticut Repertory Theatre (CRT) will present Legally Blonde the Musical onstage at the Harriet S. Jorgensen Theater today, April 24-May 4. The 2007 winner of London's Olivier Award for Best Musical, stars Courtney Hammond as the intelligent, self-assured and fashion conscious Elle Woods. For tickets and information, call 860-486-2113 and visit www.crt.uconn.edu.

Goodman Theatre announces that a new production of The Little Foxes by Lillian Hellman, Tony Award-winning playwright, screenwriter and author and Academy Award nominee, completes its 90th Anniversary 'Season to Celebrate.' Goodman Artistic Associate Henry Wishcamper directs the 1939 classic American Southern drama that 'could not be more timely, as the play's social skewering remains satisfyingly fresh' (Los Angeles Times). The Little Foxes is slated to appear May 2 - June 7, 2015 as the fourth production in the 2014/2015 Season, followed by Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, which runs June 20 - July 26, 2015.

Berkeley Repertory Theatre welcomes back Pulitzer Prize winner Tony Kushner for the West Coast premiere of his latest play, The Intelligent Homosexual's Guide to Capitalism and Socialism with a Key to the Scriptures, an epic tale of love, family, sex, money, and politics. Kushner reunites with one of his favorite collaborators, Michael Leibert Artistic Director Tony Taccone, to bring this sweeping drama to the Roda Theatre. With his trademark mix of soaring intellect and searing emotion, the legendary writer unfurls a poignant story about an Italian family in Brooklyn. When retired longshoreman Gus Marcantonio decides to die, his kids come home with a raucous parade of lovers and spouses to find that even the house keeps secrets. A portrait of a dysfunctional family filled with weighty dialogue, humor, and passion, Kushner's four-act play previews Friday, May 16, opens on Wednesday, May 21, and runs through Sunday, June 29, 2014.

Rattlestick Playwrights Theater Artistic Director David Van Asselt and Managing Director Brian Long have announced that performances of the New York premiere of The Few, written by Samuel D. Hunter and directed by Davis McCallum, begin tonight at 7pm at Rattlestick Playwrights Theater, 224 Waverly Place. The official opening night is set for Thursday, May 8 at 7pm; The Few is scheduled to run through Sunday, June 8.

The 2013-2014 season at Cleveland Play House (CPH) continues with the compelling world premiere production of Deborah Zoe Laufer's Informed Consent. Co-produced with Geva Theatre Center, this incredibly thought-provoking production is inspired by the real life court case between the Havasupai Indian tribe and Arizona State University, and sparks an intriguing debate on both ethicality and morality. Directed by Sean Daniels and Sponsored by Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland Clinic and MetroHealth, Informed Consent will serve as the centerpiece to CPH's 2014 New Ground Theatre Festival and will run from today, April 23 - May 18 in the Second Stage.

THE ROAD THEATRE COMPANY and Taylor Gilbert, Founder/Artistic Director together with Sam Anderson, Artistic Director, are thrilled to announce the fourth and final show of its 2013-2014 and 23rd season of premieres with the West Coast Premiere of FLOWER DUET, written by Maura Campbell and directed by Jeffrey Wienckowski. FLOWER DUET will preview on Saturday, May 31; Tuesday, June 3 & Thursday, June 5 at 8pm and will open on Friday, June 6 at 8pm and run through Saturday, July 26 at the Road Theatre Company's new second home, the Road on Magnolia, located in The NoHo Senior Arts Colony, 10747 Magnolia Blvd. in North Hollywood.

Co-Hosts Judith Light and Christopher Sieber announced the nominations for the 2014 Drama League Awards, including Distinguished Production of a Play, Distinguished Production of a Musical, Distinguished Revival of a Play, Distinguished Revival of a Musical, and the much coveted Distinguished Performance Award. The 2014 Drama League Nomination announcement begins the month of celebrations leading up to the 80th Annual Drama League Awards, which will be held at the Marriott Marquis Times Square (1535 Broadway) on Friday, May 16, 2014 at noon hosted by Broadway veteran Jesse Tyler Ferguson.

Bay Street Theatre has announced the full cast and creative team for the World Premiere of CONVICTION (May 27-June 15) by Carey Crim and directed by Scott Schwartz, Bay Street's new Artistic Director. The production is co-produced by Bay Street Theatre, Rubicon Theatre in California, Dead Posh Productions, London and Canada's Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre.

San Jose Repertory Theatre presents the Bay Area premiere of the critically-acclaimed The Big Meal, by Dan LeFranc, the 2010 New York Times Outstanding Playwright Award Winner. This razor sharp portrait of a modern American family runs May 8 through June 1, and is directed by Kirsten Brandt, San Jose Rep's Associate Artistic Director.

In advance of American Conservatory Theater's (A.C.T.) upcoming U.S. premiere of James Fenton's acclaimed adaptation of The Orphan of Zhao, a classic Chinese legend that has its roots in the fourth century BCE, A.C.T. and the Commonwealth Club of California are proud to present BD Wong and A.C.T. Artistic Director Carey Perloff in Conversation for one-night-only - Monday, May 19 at 7:30 p.m. at A.C.T.'s Geary Theater (415 Geary St., San Francisco).

The Muny announced principal casting for the first show of its spectacular 96th season, Billy Elliot the Musical, directed by Steven Minning, choreographed by Alison Levenberg, with music direction by Colin Welford. Billy Elliot the Musical is sponsored by BMO Harris Bank.

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: THE VELOCITY OF AUTUMN opens on Broadway, ANNAPURNA opens off-Broadway and more!

The Old Globe today announced its 2014-2015 Season, beginning September 13 with the World Premiere of Bright Star, a new American musical with music by Edie Brickell and Steve Martin, lyrics by Edie Brickell, book by Steve Martin, based on an original story by Steve Martin and Edie Brickell. Tony Award winner Walter Bobbie makes his Globe debut directing with this entertaining musical of enduring love, family ties, and the light of forgiveness that shines from a bright star.

San Francisco in June may be gloomy, but the lineup at Feinstein's at the Nikko will be HOT! Hotel Nikko San Francisco and Michael Feinstein are thrilled to announce the lineup for the month of June, featuring award-winning stars from stage and screen, including two-time Tony Award-winner Judy Kaye, YouTube sensation Christina Bianco, Tony Award-winning singer/songwriter Levi Kreis, cabaret legend Justin Vivian Bond, Broadway star and recording artist Shoshana Bean, and Franc D'Ambrosio & Glory Crampton's tribute to Andrew Lloyd Webber.

Yale Repertory Theatre, in a co-production with Berkeley Repertory Theatre, presents the world premiere of The House that will not Stand by Marcus Gardley, directed by Patricia McGregor. The House that will not Stand will be performed at Yale Repertory Theatre (1120 Chapel Street) today, April 18-May 10. Opening Night is Thursday, April 24.

49TH Parallel in association the multi-award-winning NoHo Arts Center Ensemble (NoHo ACE), are thrilled to present the Los Angeles premiere of a new play, BE A GOOD LITTLE WIDOW, written by Bekah Brunstetter (OOHRAH!) and directed by Sara Botsford. BE A GOOD LITTLE WIDOW will preview tonight, April 17 at 8pm and will open on Friday, April 18 at 8pm and run for six weeks through Sunday, May 25, 2014 at the NoHo Arts Center, 11136 Magnolia Blvd. (at Lankershim) in North Hollywood.

The highly celebrated New York troupe Fiasco Theater will make their Washington, DC debut with their production of William Shakespeare's clever comedy The Two Gentlemen of Verona at Folger Theatre. Directed by company members Jessie Austrian and Ben Steinfeld, The Two Gentlemen of Verona will play at the Folger from today, April 17 - May 25, 2014.

Winner of the 2012 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, an exciting new play from the playwright behind the Tony Award-winning musical In the Heights. Elliot Ortiz is back in the States after serving in Iraq, reconnecting with family and starting a new life. At the same time, four strangers in an internet chat room seek support to face demons of their own, and soon the real world and the virtual one start to intersect in unexpected ways. The Hartford Courant calls Water by the Spoonful "funny, warm, and uplifting, with characters that stay with you long after the play is over!" Water by the Spoonful runs through May 11, 2014 at the Sheryl and Harvey White Theatre (Conrad Prebys Theatre Center). BroadwyaWorld brings you a first look at the cast in action below!