Theatre: New York News

59E59 Theaters will the 2015/2016 5A Season with the New York premiere of THREESOME, written by Yussef El Guindi, and directed by Portland Center Stage Artistic Director Chris Coleman.

Laurel Valley Productions in association with Creative Arts Lab and Jeux de Mots presents TRAVELING PAPERS, a lively theatrical adventure exploring our connections to travel, conceived and adapted by Barbara Bosch and Martin Tackel. Barbara Bosch^ directs a cast of eight including Gwen Arment*, John Camera*, Kyle Doherty, Gwen Eyster, Peter Husovsky*, Macy Idzakovich, Jillian Stevens, and Antonio Edwards Suarez*. TRAVELING PAPERS will run at The Lion Theatre on Theatre Row, 410 West 42nd Street (bet. 9th and 10th Avenues), New York City for fifteen performances, tonight, June 3, through June 20, 2015.

The Muny announced today the cast for its production of Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story. Written by Alan Janes, Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story is directed by Marcia Milgrom Dodge, choreographed by Josh Walden and music directed by Michael Horsley.

Juma Sharkah and Laura Elsworthy will play Lily and Josie respectively in The Skriker at Manchester International Festival. The production will run at Royal Exchange Theatre from 4 July. The ensemble cast will include Sarah Amankwah, Harry Attwell, Alex Austin, Hannah Hutch, Martins Imhangbe, Kate Jackson, Stuart Overington, Beatrice Scirocchi, Andrew Sheridan, Jessica Walker, Leah Walker and Owen Whitelaw. As previously announced, Maxine Peake will play the eponymous role.

The Twentieth-Century Way, Tom Jacobson's acclaimed two- person play about homosexual entrapment in Los Angeles at the turn of the 20th century, premieres off-Broadway this spring. Directed by The Theatre @ Boston Court's Michael Michetti, and starring Will Bradley and Robert Mammana, the play begins previews tonight, May 28, 2015, with opening night set for June 3, 2015 at Rattlestick Playwrights Theatre (224 Waverly Place, NYC). The limited engagement will run through July 19, 2015.

Juma Sharkah and Laura Elsworthy will play Lily and Josie respectively in The Skriker at Manchester International Festival. The production will run at Royal Exchange Theatre from 4 July. The ensemble cast will include Sarah Amankwah, Harry Attwell, Alex Austin, Hannah Hutch, Martins Imhangbe, Kate Jackson, Stuart Overington, Beatrice Scirocchi, Andrew Sheridan, Jessica Walker, Leah Walker and Owen Whitelaw. As previously announced, Maxine Peake will play the eponymous role.

The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts announces the world premiere of Hello! Sadness!, a one-woman comedy debuting in SEI Innovation Studio on Thursday, June 11, Friday, June 12 and Saturday, June 13 at 8p.m. Written and performed by Philadelphia theater artist Mary Tuomanen, with direction by Annie Wilson, this solo performance is the fruition of Tuomanen's participation in the 2014 Kimmel Center Theater Residency with celebrated poet and performance artist Dael Orlandersmith.  

New York's own AJR just performed their current single 'Infinity' on NBC's The Today Show this morning. The breakout indie pop trio joined Kathie Lee and Hoda, with guest co-host Elvis Duran, for a chat, before blowing them away with their performance.

The National Alliance for Musical Theatre (NAMT) announces nine awards granted from their National Fund for New Musicals, a major funding program to support NAMT member not-for-profit theatres in their collaborations with writers to create, develop and produce new musicals. Now in its seventh year, the Fund will provide grants totaling $46,000 to ten organizations across the country.

In the wake of the Charlie Hebdo massacre in Paris, the political controversy surrounding the release of The Interview, and continued suppression of plays, books, and art in American schools, libraries and museums, the battle for freedom of speech and expression is more essential than ever. Planet Connections Theatre Festivity will present an evening of world premiere plays by Erik Ehn, Halley Feiffer, Israel Horovitz and Neil LaBute addressing censorship in the arts in Playwrights for a Cause, to be held at 7:30pm on June 14, 2015 at the Sheen Center, located at 18 Bleecker Street.

Community and collaboration are the watchwords of Bristol Riverside Theatre's production of Henrik Ibsen's An Enemy of the People, running tonight, May 12-May 31. Co-directed by Susan D. Atkinson and Amy Kaissar, the high-voltage drama, which concludes BRT's Mainstage Season, features an ensemble of professional actors Keith Baker, Kevin Bergen, Mark Collmer, Brian Brillinger, Laura Giknis, Marc LeVasseur, Shamus Hunter McCarty, P. Brendan Mulvey and Sabrina Proffitt performing alongside Bucks County community members. The production is supported in part by a generous grant from PECO.

San Francisco Playhouse continues its twelfth season with the world premiere of Trouble Cometh by Richard Dresser and directed by May Adrales.

On the prowl from Sat 16 May - Sat 6 June in B2, Cougar - The Musical is a hilarious, raunchy and insightful new musical about three women of a certain age saying yes to life and learning that true happiness lies within.

X Factor star, Amelia Lily (playing Whatshername), will star in Green Day's explosive, award-winning Broadway musical American Idiot, as it blasts into the UK for its West End premiere from the 17 July at The Arts Theatre, Leicester Square. Running until 27 September 2015, with press night on 22 July, American Idiot - The Musical features the music of Green Day with the lyrics of its lead singer Billie Joe Armstrong, and book by Billie Joe Armstrong and Michael Mayer. The musical is being directed and choreographed by Racky Plews, with sound by Chris Whybrow, design by Sara Perks and lighting by Tim Deiling. Further casting will be announced in due course.

Pegasus Theatre Chicago presents the World Premiere of Award-winning playwright Steven Simoncic's 'Ghost Gardens', today, May 1 through May 31 at Chicago Dramatists, 1105 W. Chicago Ave. Simoncic reunites with director Ilesa Duncan, Pegasus' Artistic Director, after working together on last year's 'Broken Fences,' and the world premiere of 'Heat Wave' in 2008. 'Ghost Gardens' runs Thursday through Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m. Preview performances are April 24, 25, 26 and 30. Tickets are $18 to $30 and are available at www.PegasusTheatreChicago.org.

This May, Katy Lipson of Aria Entertainment presents the world premiere of a new musical The Verb, 'To Love' by Andy Collyer.

Jennifer Coolidge (American Pie, Legally Blonde, 2 Broke Girls), Alexander Hanson (Stephen Ward the Musical, Jesus Christ Superstar, A Little Night Music) and Stefanie Powers (Hart to Hart, The Girl From U.N.C.L.E) with Alistair Brammer (Miss Saigon, War Horse, LES MISERABLES) and Laura Pitt-Pulford (The Sound Of Music, Marry Me A Little, The Light Princess) join Christine Baranski (Into The Woods, The Good Wife, Mamma Mia), Anita Dobson (EastEnders, Chicago) Anita Harris (Carry On Doctor & Follow That Camel, Cats), Ruthie Henshall (original Roxy in Chicago, Les Misérables), Roy Hudd (Fagan in Oliver!, Coronation Street, Good Old Days) and Russell Watson (the UK's best selling classical artist ever; winner of four Classical BRIT awards), in Follies in Concert, with The City of London Philharmonic Orchestra, at the prestigious Royal Albert Hall.

Following the highly successful 2014 “The Rant is Due Tour”; Lewis Black's all new 2015 The Rant is Due: Part Deux comes to the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall on November 13, 2015. Tickets go on-sale Friday, May 1 at 10am.

Following the highly successful 2015 spring leg of his The Rant is Due: Part Deux tour, tickets for Lewis Black's all new Fall 2015 THE RANT IS DUE: PART DEUX tour go on sale Friday, May 1 at www.livenation.com.

Laurel Valley Productions in association with Creative Arts Lab and Jeux de Mots presents TRAVELING PAPERS, a lively theatrical adventure exploring our connections to travel, conceived and adapted by Barbara Bosch and Martin Tackel. Barbara Bosch^ directs a cast of eight including Gwen Arment*, John Camera*, Kyle Doherty, Gwen Eyster, Peter Husovsky*, Macy Idzakovich, Jillian Stevens, and Antonio Edwards Suarez*. TRAVELING PAPERS will run at The Lion Theatre on Theatre Row, 410 West 42nd Street (bet. 9th and 10th Avenues), New York City for fifteen performances, June 3-20, 2015.