The Public Theatre News

The Tony Award®-winning Old Globe is pleased to announce the cast of its 2009 Summer Shakespeare Festival, featuring two works by Shakespeare, Twelfth Night and Coriolanus, along with Edmond Rostand's celebrated classic, Cyrano de Bergerac. The three productions will be performed in nightly rotation in the Globe's outdoor Lowell Davies Festival Theatre June 13 - September 27, 2009.

Sh-K-Boom/Ghostlight Records website has the New Broadway Cast Recording of Hair as one of their forthcoming releases, the recording rights were rumored to have been won by Sh-K-Boom. This listing on the website would seem to confirm it.

Private Practice star Taye Diggs real-life wife, Tony winner Idina Menzel, will guest-star on the ABC series this Thursday March 26th. Menzel will play the mother of a patient tended to by Pete (Tim Daly). To hear one source tell it, Pete's special brand of 'bedside manner' might bring about an attraction between him and Menzel's character.

The producers of HAIR: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical have announced the cancelleation of the Monday, March 30th performance of the show 'to allow the company a day of rest in the midst of a long string of consecutive performances.'

The Official Idina Menzel fan club is reporting that the Tony winning star will be performing at the Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank, NJ on March 21, 2009. Tickets go on sale Wednesday, December 17th at 12PM EST. However, members of Idina's official fan club will have access to pre-sale tickets.

The New York Post's Cindy Adams spoke with actor John Goodman, Goodman opens at Studio 54 next month in 'Waiting for Godot.'

The SF Playhouse (Bill English, Artistic Director; Susi Damilano, Producing Director) and Lorraine Hansberry Theatre (Stanley Williams, Artistic Director; Quentin Easter, Executive Director) are pleased to announce casting for their co-production of The West Coast Premiere of The Story. 'A riveting drama about race, reporting and the truth'-Associated Press

The Official Idina Menzel fan club is reporting that the Tony winning star will be performing various concert dates in March 2009. You find the most updated schedule, the Fan Club will add dates as they become available.

The Public Theater (Artistic Director Oskar Eustis; Executive Director Andrew D. Hamingson) is presenting the New York premiere of Craig Lucas' THE SINGING FOREST. Directed by Mark Wing-Davey, THE SINGING FOREST will begin previews on Tuesday, April 7 and run through Sunday, May 17 with an official press opening on Monday, April 27 at 7 PM.

THE STORY makes its West Coast Premiere opening March 21st through April 25, 2009, previews March 18, 19 and 20 'A riveting drama about race, reporting and the truth'-Associated Press Inspired by real-life events, an ambitious newspaper reporter goes against her editor to investigate a murder and finds the best story...but at what cost?

The 16th Annual Merritt Award for Excellence in Design and Collaboration program, honoring world class scenic designer Todd Rosenthal (August: Osage County), will take place on Monday, April 27, at the Steppenwolf Merle Reskin Garage Theatre. The doors open at 5:30 p.m. with a viewing of the third annual ?Theater Design Expo' showcasing the works of over 20 Chicago-area emerging theatrical designers and a student portfolio review. Martha Lavey, Artistic Director of Steppenwolf Theatre Company, will moderate an inclusive discussion, 'Moving Chicago Productions to New York and Beyond' with the awardees, Director Anna Shapiro and Joshua Schmidt, composer and librettist, from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

The producers of ROCK OF AGES announced the complete, awesome cast for Broadway's new, smash hit musical today. Constantine Maroulis, ('American Idol' Season 4, Broadway's The Wedding Singer, RENT) reprising his critically acclaimed role as 'Drew', is now joined by Broadway's best 1970's & 1980's period actors Amy Spanger (The Wedding Singer, Kiss Me Kate) as 'Sherrie' and James Carpinello (Saturday Night Fever, VH1's 'So NoTORIous') as 'Stacee Jaxx'.

As playwright Matthew Lombardo continues to develop the upcoming Arena Stage production of Looped starring four-time Emmy Award-winning Valerie Harper (Rhoda on The Mary Tyler Moore Show) as Tallulah Bankhead, a casting change has taken place. Jay Goede, known for his work on Broadway in Angels in America, A Year with Frog and Toad and Sex and Longing, will now play opposite Harper in the pre-Broadway staging, directed by Rob Ruggiero at Arena Stage at the Lincoln Theatre May 29 through June 28, 2009. Full release to follow at a later date.

Stella Cartiano presents Night of the Butterfly, A Musical for Children and Their Adults written by Zack Friedman, with music & lyrics by Dan Kitrosser, additional material provided by Evan Green. Night of the Butterfly will begin performances on Sundays beginning March 15 at 11AM & 1PM and will run through April 26. Running time is 1 hour and tickets are $25 and are available at Telecharge.com and NightoftheButterfly.com.

Abingdon Theatre Company has announced that it will present the world premiere of Romulus Linney's LOVE DRUNK, directed by Kelly Morgan and featuring Austin Pendleton and Kristina Valada-Viars on March 28, 2009. The official opening will be on Sunday, April 5, 2009 at 5:00 PM in the Abingdon Theatre Company's Dorothy Strelsin Theatre.

Native Voices at the Autry proudly presents the world premiere of Wings of Night Sky, Wings of Morning Light by musician, poet, songwriter, and playwright Joy Harjo (Mvskoke). The play is a deeply compelling journey of struggle, displacement, self-discovery, and healing. Invoking spoken word, storytelling, music, and song, Harjo takes us on a wild theatrical ride where she tells it like it is with spirit and a mean jazz sax. An allegorical work of tremendous power, Wings demonstrates how theater and art can bring life full circle.

Native Voices at the Autry proudly presents the world premiere of Wings of Night Sky, Wings of Morning Light by musician, poet, songwriter, and playwright Joy Harjo (Mvskoke). The play is a deeply compelling journey of struggle, displacement, self-discovery, and healing. Invoking spoken word, storytelling, music, and song, Harjo takes us on a wild theatrical ride where she tells it like it is with spirit and a mean jazz sax. An allegorical work of tremendous power, Wings demonstrates how theater and art can bring life full circle.

Broadway heats up this summer when three-time Emmy Award nominee and 'Grey's Anatomy' star Chandra Wilson steps into the celebrated role of Matron 'Mama' Morton, the reigning cellblock diva of the smash hit musical CHICAGO, for a four-week limited engagement, Monday, June 8 through Sunday, July 5, 2009 at the Ambassador Theatre (219 W. 49th St.).

Playwrights Foundation (PF) welcomes an unprecedented group of national and regional playwrights and directors for the development of new works as part of the In The Rough Reading Series 2009, or ROUGH. This year's selections include: Meat by Samuel D. Hunter, directed by Mark Rucker; Language Rooms by Yussef El Guindi, directed by Mark Routhier; Job by Thomas Bradshaw, directed by Jonathan Spector; Defiant by George Brant, directed by Marissa Wolf; This Is Not a Torture or an Engine by Erin Bregman, directed by Molly Aaronson-Gelb; Assisted Living by Deirdre O'Connor, directed by Jon Tracy; Natasha and the Coat by Deborah Stein, directed by Sean Daniels; and The Verizon Play by Lisa Kron, directed by Amy Mueller. Readings will take place from Mar. 30 -- May 19, every Monday and Tuesday.

The Public Theater (Artistic Director Oskar Eustis; Executive Director Andrew D. Hamingson) will begin previews on Tuesday, March 3 for Tracey Scott Wilson's THE GOOD NEGRO, which will run through Sunday, April 19 with an official press opening on Monday, March 16. Directed by Liesl Tommy and presented in association with Dallas Theater Center, THE GOOD NEGRO is the first new play to transfer from the Public LAB initiative to a full main stage production at The Public.