Todd Almond News

The Public Theater has announced a groundbreaking new initiative for community-based theater, PUBLIC WORKS, that is designed to cultivate new connections and new models of engagement with artists, audiences and the community each year. In its inaugural year, PUBLIC WORKS will create an extraordinary example of participatory theater with a free, original musical adaptation of THE TEMPEST at the Delacorte Theater, inspired by a 1916 community theatrical event of Caliban by the Yellow Sands at the stadium at City College in New York.

Coming up this week, 54 BELOW, the performance venue located just below the legendary Studio 54 at 254 West 54th Street, will present stars from Broadway, cabaret, jazz and beyond. 54 Below also launches its new series of late night events this March. Joining Tuesday nights' popular "Backstage" with Susie Mosher will be the "54 Piano Bar," a new vocal competition - 'The Callback," and more.

This June, as part of an extraordinary new laboratory for collaboration, some of the nation's most prominent and promising writers, directors, and composers converge on Berkeley Repertory Theatre. Today, the renowned nonprofit announced 18 selections for the second sizzling summer lab at The Ground Floor, Berkeley Rep's Center for the Creation and Development of New Work. During an intense four-week period, dozens of artists will live, dine, create, and collaborate at the Theatre's new campus in West Berkeley.

The Susan Smith Blackburn Prize honors 10 Finalists for its prestigious playwriting award, now celebrating its thirty-fifth year.

The Susan Smith Blackburn Prize has announced 10 Finalists for its prestigious playwriting award, now celebrating its thirty-fifth year.

Direct from a sold out season at New York's prestigious 54 Below, the Tony Award nominated Broadway star Sherie Rene Scott brings her acclaimed show, Piece of Meat - one of Time Out New York's Best of 2012 - to the London Hippodrome for three nights only in a strictly limited run from tonight 21st to Saturday 23rd February 2013.

The Pearl Theatre Company continues its 29th season-the first season in its new home on West 42nd Street-with Shakespeare's Henry IV, Part 1. On the heels of acclaim for its current Bard-centric production, In Acting Shakespeare, The Pearl picks up where the company left off after last year's staging of Richard II, directed by Artistic Director J. R. Sullivan. Henry IV, Part 1 is directed by Davis McCallum and features Resident Acting Company members Bradford Cover as King Henry and Dan Daily as Falstaff.

Audiences and critics are in love with Girlfriend and in response, Actors Theatre of Louisville will be adding an additional performance at 2.30 p.m.on Sunday, February 17. Tickets to the performance are now on sale by calling 502-584-1205 or visiting ActorsTheatre.org. Featuring music and lyrics by Matthew Sweet and a book by Todd Almond, this irresistible rock musical, directed by Obie Award winner Les Waters, has been charming Louisville with its heartwarming boy-meets-boy love story.

Can we practice goodness and create a world to sustain it? This question, posed by Shen Tei, the good-hearted, penniless and cross-dressing prostitute of Bertolt Brecht's Good Person of Szechwan, is central to the work of The Foundry Theatre. The play's concerns, and the earmarks of the Foundry's new production, make it an ideal offering from the company, which is celebrated for creating memorable theatrical events while pursuing civic inquiry and social justice. The show, starring the singular Taylor Mac as Shen Tei, is directed by Lear deBessonet and features original live music by 'indie rock vaudevillians' (SPIN) Cesar Alvarez and The Lisps.

The Pearl Theatre Company continues its 29th season-the first season in its new home on West 42nd Street-with Shakespeare's Henry IV, Part 1. On the heels of acclaim for its current Bard-centric production, In Acting Shakespeare, The Pearl picks up where the company left off after last year's staging of Richard II, directed by Artistic Director J. R. Sullivan. Henry IV, Part 1 is directed by Davis McCallum and features Resident Acting Company members Bradford Cover as King Henry and Dan Daily as Falstaff.

Manhattan Theatre Club will present its annual Winter Benefit, an evening of cocktails and dinner followed by a special one-night-only cabaret-style show featuring Broadway's brightest stars tonight, January 28, 2013 at The Allen Room at Jazz at Lincoln Center's Fredrick P. Rose Hall (Broadway & 60th Street).

Artistic Director Les Waters and Managing Director Jennifer Bielstein are pleased to announce the cast and creative team for Girlfriend. This irresistible rock musical begins previews January 29 and 30, opens January 31 and runs through February 17. Girlfriend, with book by Todd Almond and music and lyrics by Matthew Sweet, will be directed by Les Waters and run for three weeks in the Pamela Brown Auditorium at Actors Theatre of Louisville as part of the Brown-Forman Series.

Manhattan Theatre Club will present its annual Winter Benefit, an evening of cocktails and dinner followed by a special one-night-only cabaret-style show featuring Broadway's brightest stars on Monday, January 28, 2013 at The Allen Room at Jazz at Lincoln Center's Fredrick P. Rose Hall (Broadway & 60th Street).

Can we practice goodness and create a world to sustain it? This question, posed by Shen Tei, the good-hearted, penniless and cross-dressing prostitute of Bertolt Brecht's Good Person of Szechwan, is central to the work of The Foundry Theatre. The play's concerns, and the earmarks of the Foundry's new production, make it an ideal offering from the company, which is celebrated for creating memorable theatrical events while pursuing civic inquiry and social justice. The show, starring the singular Taylor Mac as Shen Tei, is directed by Lear deBessonet and features original live music by 'indie rock vaudevillians' (SPIN) César Alvarez and The Lisps.

Direct from a sold out season at New York's prestigious 54 Below, the Tony Award nominated Broadway star Sherie Rene Scott brings her acclaimed show, Piece of Meat - one of Time Out New York's Best of 2012 - to the London Hippodrome for three nights only in a strictly limited run from Thursday 21st to Saturday 23rd February 2013.

The Sundance Institute Theatre Program announced the acting company and collaborators for the three projects being developed at its Fall Lab, which begins today at the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (MASS MoCA). Under the supervision of Philip Himberg, Artistic Director of the Theatre Program, and Producing Director Christopher Hibma, the two-week Lab provides creative support and direction for innovative musical theatre and ensemble-generated projects.

The Sundance Institute Theatre Program previously announced that it would return to the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (MASS MoCA) for its Fall Lab, which provides creative support and direction for innovative musical theatre and ensemble-generated projects.

Acclaimed theater company Playwrights Horizons recently announced additional performers participating in the return of its popular benefit evening STORIES ON 5 STORIES: Poetic Justice this evening, October 22.

Acclaimed theater company Playwrights Horizons has announced additional performers participating in the return of its popular benefit evening STORIES ON 5 STORIES: Poetic Justice on Monday evening, October 22.

Today we are talking to one of Broadway's biggest homegrown stars who has appeared in the original New York productions of many memorable modern-day classics, among them THE WHO'S TOMMY, AIDA, THE LAST FIVE YEARS and DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS, in additions to highly-regarded turns in the first replacement cast of RENT, the Tommy Tune/Jeff Calhoun revival of GREASE, the Off-Broadway curiosity DEBBIE DOES DALLAS, the first (and only) LA mounting of Randy Newman's FAUST, as well as her starring role in the recent Lincoln Center Theater's production of WOMEN ON THE VERGE OF A NERVOUS BREAKDOWN, and, of course, her own rapturously-received, award-winning solo showpiece, EVERYDAY RAPTURE - the convivially mesmerizing, one-of-a-kind Sherie Rene Scott. Discussing the major transitions in her life, including her transformation from ingenue to leading lady to solo performer, Scott illustrates a unique and varied career as well as opens up about the themes, songs, stories, experiences and encounters that formed the basis for her new solo piece premiering at 54 Below this week, PIECE OF MEAT. Additionally, Scott touches upon her work as the co-owner of the revolutionary Sh-K-Boom Records with her husband, Kurt Deutsch, as well as her own album work over the years, in addition to stories related to the recording of many of their most celebrated titles and the composers whose work is prominently featured on their releases - Tom Kitt, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Michael John LaChiusa and many more included. All of that, plus Mennonites, music and meat - and much, much more!