The Roundabout Theatre Company News

Alley Theatre Artistic Director Gregory Boyd announces the cast and creative team for the Alley Theatre's new production of Theresa Rebeck's WHAT WE'RE UP AGAINST, part of the Alley Theatre's New Play Initiative. WHAT WE'RE UP AGAINST runs on the Alley Theatre's Neuhaus Stage May 11 through June 12, 2012.

The Roundabout Theatre Company has announced the world premiere production of Bad Jews by Joshua Elias Harmon and directed by Daniel Aukin for the fall season. Bad Jews will begin preview performances on October 5, 2012 and will open officially on Tuesday, October 30, 2012. This is a limited engagement through December 16, 2012. All tickets for Roundabout Underground productions are $20.

4@15: Four New Fifteen-Minute Musicals, performed in conjunction with University of California, Irvine, will commence performances Friday, April 20, for three performances only at Roy Arias Theatre Center. Tammy Holder serves as Music Director; Brian Blythe directs.

On April 11, 2012, Broadway legend Joel Grey celebrated his 80th birthday with a special private party hosted by his longtime PR firm, O&M Co., at The McKittrick Hotel's Manderley Bar (also home to SLEEP NO MORE), following that evening's performance of ANYTHING GOES. BWW's scoopers got their hands on a cell phone shot video of the tireless star entertaining the crowd with another unforgettable performance of 'Willkommen' from CABARET. Where he gets the energy from, we don't know.

Bernadette Peters surprised Broadway legend Joel Grey on his 80th birthday with a cake backstage at 'Anything Goes' at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre in New York City yesterday, April 11, 2012. BroadwayWorld was on hand for the celebration and brings you complete photo coverage below!

Bernadette Peters surprised Joel Grey on his 80th birthday with a cake backstage at 'Anything Goes' at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre in New York City on April 11, 2012.

Today, April 11, Broadway legend Joel Grey celebrates his 80th birthday! Grey originated the role of the Master of Ceremonies in the Broadway musical Cabaret in 1966 for which he won the Tony Award. Additional Broadway credits include Come Blow Your Horn (1961), Stop the World - I Want to Get Off (1962), Half a Sixpence (1965),George M! (1968), Goodtime Charley (1975), The Grand Tour (1979), Chicago (1996), and Wicked (2003). Grey won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in March 1973 for his performance as the Master of Ceremonies in the 1972 film version of Cabaret.

The YALE INSTITUTE FOR MUSIC THEATRE (Mark Brokaw, Artistic Director) has selected two original book musicals, Mighty Five's Infinite Funk Odyssey with music and lyrics by Zach Abramson and Derek Muro and book by Phil Aulie and Xaq Webb and Mortality Play with music by Scotty Arnold and book and lyrics by Alana Jacoby, to be developed in an intensive lab setting in New Haven, June 4-17.

Atlantic Theater Company (Neil Pepe, Artistic Director; Jeffory Lawson, Managing Director) presents the world premiere of STOREFRONT CHURCH, written and directed by Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award® winner John Patrick Shanley and starring Bob Dishy, Giancarlo Esposito, Zach Grenier, Ron Cephas Jones and Tonya Pinkins. STOREFRONT CHURCH will begin previews Wednesday, May 16; officially open Monday, June 11; and play a limited engagement through Sunday, June 24 Off-Broadway as the first production to return to Atlantic's main stage Linda Gross Theater in Chelsea following completion of a historic $8.3M renovation.

Roundabout Theatre Company has announced that critically acclaimed Broadway actress Rachel York will star as "Reno Sweeney" in the national tour of the 2011 Tony® Award winning Anything Goes. Presented by Roundabout Theatre Company, the national tour will set sail in Cleveland this fall. Anything Goes is the winner of three Tony® Awards including Best Musical Revival.

Tecumseh High School's award-winning and nationally known theatre program's anticipated musical The Boy Friend opens March 23 at the Pflaumer Auditorium.

Acording to Deadline.com, Eddie Izzard is currently in final talks to star in and produce NBC's upcoming remake of the 1960's sitcom 'The Munsters'. The project, entitled MOCKINGBIRD LANE, is written by Bryan Fuller and directed by Bryan Singer. Izzard is the first actor who has been cast in the project.

BASE Entertainment has just announced that DINER, a new musical based on the critically acclaimed 1982 film with a book by Academy Award winner and original DINER screenwriter Barry Levinson and music & lyrics by 9-time Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Sheryl Crow, will have its pre-Broadway world premiere at San Francisco's SHN Curran Theatre (445 Geary Street). Directed and choreographed by Tony Award winner Kathleen Marshall, DINER will play a strictly limited four week engagement from Tuesday, October 23, 2012, through Sunday, November 18, 2012, with an opening night of Friday, November 2, 2012. Due to these confirmed San Francisco dates DINER will now bow on Broadway in the spring of 2013, instead of the fall of 2012 as previously announced. Design team and casting will be announced at a later date.

Tecumseh High School's award-winning and nationally known theatre program's anticipated musical The Boy Friend opens March 23 at the Pflaumer Auditorium.

Ken Ludwig is an internationally acclaimed playwright whose many hits on Broadway, in London's West End and throughout the world have made his name synonymous with modern comedy. He has had six shows on Broadway and six in the West End, and he has won the Laurence Olivier Award, England's highest theatre honor, as well as three Tony Award nominations and two Helen Hayes Awards. His work has been commissioned by the Royal Shakespeare Company and has been performed in thirty countries in over twenty languages. Ken Ludwig is also the author of the popular Lend Me a Tenor and Moon Over Buffalo.

Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park announces their production of SPEAKING IN TONGUES by Andrew Bovell.

Roundabout Theatre Company has announced three productions as part of the 2012-2013 theatrical season. In the fall of 2012, Roundabout will present The Mystery of Edwin Drood, starring Chita Rivera, featuring book, music and lyrics by Rupert Holmes, musical direction by Paul Gemignani and direction by Scott Ellis. Winter 2013 will bring Picnic by William Inge, directed by Sam Gold. The third production announced is The Unavoidable Disappearance of Tom Durnin by Steven Levenson, directed by Scott Ellis.

Ken Ludwig is an internationally acclaimed playwright whose many hits on Broadway, in London's West End and throughout the world have made his name synonymous with modern comedy. He has had six shows on Broadway and six in the West End, and he has won the Laurence Olivier Award, England's highest theatre honor, as well as three Tony Award nominations and two Helen Hayes Awards. His work has been commissioned by the Royal Shakespeare Company and has been performed in thirty countries in over twenty languages. Ken Ludwig is also the author of the popular Lend Me a Tenor and Moon Over Buffalo.

Kristin Chenoweth, on the February 23 airing of the LATE SHOW, revealed her allergy to formaldehyde - the chemical that preserves cadavers - and subsequently, the 'lips on my eyelids!' as she says. Chenoweth donned sunglasses to cover up what was an allergic reaction to getting eyelash extensions, but Letterman coerces her into showing off what she calls her 'slutty eyes.' BroadwayWorld has the video below.

Hosted by Jan Ravens, with performers Daniel Evans, Josie Lawrence, Jenny Jules, Jonathan Pryce, Jenna Russell, Samantha Spiro and Meera Syal are joined by Young Friends of the Almeida and award-winning theatre company Inspector Sands to perform as part of 'Almeida Up Close,' the theatre's 2012 fundraising Gala.