TheatreWorks News

BWW Review: MARK TWAIN'S RIVER OF SONG at TheatreWorks Silicon Valley is a musical/historical ride down the mighty Mississippi guided by famed chronicler Mark Twain

Circuit Playhouse, Inc. which includes Playhouse on the Square, The Circuit Playhouse, and NewWorks@TheatreWorks at the Square will celebrate its 50th Anniversary with a weekend of events November 15 to November 17, 2019.

TheatreWorks Silicon Valley continues its 50th Anniversary Season with the West Coast premiere of Mark Twain's River of Song. Charting a journey down the Mississippi River, this rousing new musical shares the humorous and heartwarming stories of one of its most famous chroniclers, Mark Twain. Developed by Randal Myler and Dan Wheetman, creators of TheatreWorks favorites Fire on the Mountain and Tony-nominated It Ain't Nothin' But the Blues, this rollicking adventure features guitars, banjos, and harmonicas in a music-filled voyage that will have audiences tapping their toes. Directed by Randal Myler, Mark Twain's River of Song will be presented October 2-27, 2019 (press opening: October 5) at the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts, 500 Castro Street, Mountain View. For tickets ($30-$100) and more information the public may visit TheatreWorks.org or call (650) 463-1960.

Aurora Theatre Company continues its dynamic 28th season with the Bay Area Premiere of Bryna Turner's BULL IN A CHINA SHOP. Newly appointed Associate Artistic Director Dawn Monique Williams will direct this romantic comedy about bravery and revolution at the height of the women's suffrage movement.

Actress Crystal Bush explores her personal story of addiction and redemption in her celebrated new original solo show CHRISSY METH - A Dance with the Devil and the Journey Back to Self, at the Santa Monica Playhouse presents The BFF Binge Fringe Festival of Free Theatre Event on October 25th.

The American Music Theatre Project (AMTP) at Northwestern University has announced the 2019-2020 workshop series of projects by award-winning music theater creators, which are directed by regional theater directors and performed by students in the AMTP program.

This Month, FEINSTEIN'S/54 BELOW, Broadway's Supper Club & Private Event Destination, presents some of the brightest stars from Broadway, cabaret, jazz, and beyond.

Central Works 2019 Season closes with an exploration into the sensual world of writer Cristina García in The Lady Matador's Hotel running  Oct 12a?"Nov 10 (previews Oct 10 & 11). The play is adapted from García's novel, which was described by the NY Times as possessing a?oe...the energy of an obsessive tango.  Or, indeed, a bullfight.a?? García,  author of last season's hit adaption King of Cuba now returns to Central Works to adapt another of her lush, sensual novels.  

Playwrights Foundation announces the appointment of Jessica Bird Beza as Executive Artistic Director for the 43 year-old San Francisco Bay Area arts organization. She brings a range of executive and artistic experience to the position, including serving in leadership roles with The Old Globe, La Jolla Playhouse and Mo'olelo Performing Arts Company, producing three different new play festivals and directing at San Diego REP, La Jolla Playhouse and Theatreworks Silicon Valley.

BroadwayWorld recently caught up with Bay Area theater mainstay Dan Hiatt while he was in the midst of rehearsals for TheatreWorks Silicon Valley's new musical a?oeMark Twain's River of Songa?? in which he plays the title role.  Mr. Hiatt discussed his process for finding the character of Twain, and also shared some insights from his remarkably rich career, having worked with most every high-profile theater company in the Bay Area over the past 25 years.

Kait Kerrigan, winner of the Jonathan Larson Fellowship and the Ed Kleban Award for the most promising musical book writer in America. and Marlaina Powell, featured on Broadway in The Lion King and Smokey Joe's Café, are the newest members of Luna Stage's teaching faculty.

To many, the idea of a courtroom drama is boring and uneventful. But to others, the idea of a court case being presented on stage is intellectually thrilling as you get to follow the conversations and watch information get teased and extracted over time. The key to a successful courtroom drama is to keep it intellectually thrilling while highlighting the moments of action to keep the distracted focused.

Theatre Bay Area, one of the largest regional performing arts service organizations in North America, has announced the finalists of the 2019 TBA Awards. The sixth-annual TBA Awards Celebration will take place on Monday, Nov. 4 at the Herbst Theatre (401 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco).

The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical, the original musical adaption of Rick Riordan's New York Times best-selling novel, will arrive on Broadway this fall for a strictly limited 16-week holiday engagement at the Longacre Theatre

On September 20th, TheatreWorks New Milford will open Agatha Christie's theatrical masterpiece, Witness for the Prosecution.

This is one Tennessee Williams woman you won't soon forget. Marisa Tomei plays Serafina, a widow who rekindles her desire for love, lust and life in the arms of a fiery suitor. Get to know the cast below as they begin Broadway performances!

The 39 Steps is proving to be a hit at TheatreWorks Silicon Valley having been extended! Check out clips from the production below!

Sometimes being brave means being yourself! This fall Goodspeed Musicals' production of Billy Elliot The Musical will spark with infectious energy. This tour-de-force of dance based on the British movie of the same name, will run September 13 a?' November 24 at The Goodspeed in East Haddam, Conn. [Official Press Opening will be October 2, 2019].

Voyage Theater Company is pleased to present the world premiere of THE HOPE HYPOTHESIS, a wickedly humorous take on the rabbit hole that is America's immigration system. Written and directed by Cat Miller, the play explores the current climate of suspicion and fear a?" and what it means to us as individuals and as a society. Opening on Tuesday, October 29th, THE HOPE HYPOTHESIS runs from October 25th through November 15th at The Sheen Center for Thought & Culture (18 Bleecker Street). Tickets, priced at $37 ($27 for students and seniors), can be purchased at OvationTix.

THE PRINCE OF EGYPT, the brand-new stage musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz (Wicked, Godspell), a book by Philip LaZebnik (Mulan, Pocahontas) and based on the celebrated DreamWorks Animation film, today releases an official video from its recent press launch featuring Alexia Khadime, Christine Allado and Luke Brady,together with other members of the original London cast, performing Stephen Schwartz's classic song When You Believe.