Touchstone News

?Chicago Shakespeare Theater (CST) rings in the New Year with William Shakespeare's romantic comedy As You Like It, staged by CST's Associate Artistic Director Gary Griffin.

Sondra Radvanovsky will make her Metropolitan Opera role debut as the passionate title character of Puccini's Tosca on January 10.

Though no official cancellation notice has gone up on the NYT Arts & Leisure Weekend's web site for a scheduled conversation on January 8th between Patrick Healy of the Times and currently troubled SPIDER-MAN director Julie Taymor, ticket buyers are telling us that they received a refund notice yesterday and the event is no longer on sale, marked as cancelled on the ticket sales web site.

The Bay Area's hottest holiday ticket THE CHRISTMAS BALLET makes its annual sassy return with a perfect gift for audience members of all ages. Smuin Ballet's snow-filled extravaganza boasts everything from ballet, tap, and jazz to a wealth of other dances and tunes drawn from holiday traditions from around the world. Called 'an ode to holiday mischief' by 7x7 Magazine and 'an effervescent bauble' by the San Francisco Chronicle, this enormously popular yuletide celebration includes both Classic Christmas and Cool Christmas, combining beautiful and traditional performances with charming, humorous, and sexy dance pieces. The 2010 Edition includes two world premieres from acclaimed Choreographer in Residence Amy Seiwert and Smuin Ballet Master Amy London to accompany time-honored favorites. Single tickets ($20, $49, $59, and $62) are available through the respective theaters.

Tony and Olivier Award winning star Mark Rylance (La Bête, Boeing-Boeing) will recreate his wildly acclaimed, multi award-winning performance as Johnny ‘Rooster' Byron on Broadway in the Royal Court Theatre production of Jez Butterworth's universally heralded new play, JERUSALEM. The production, directed by Ian Rickson, will also star Mackenzie Crook (The Seagull, 'The Office') as Ginger and most of the original Royal Court cast, with full casting to be announced at a later date. JERUSALEM will open on Broadway on April 21, 2011 at the Music Box Theatre (239 West 45th Street). Previews will begin on April 2, 2011. The production will play a limited 16-week engagement.

Christmas City Follies, an annual holiday vaudeville production, will return to the Touchstone Theatre stage December 2nd-19th.

Lincoln Center Theater (under the direction of André Bishop, Artistic Director, and Bernard Gersten, Executive Producer) wil present Thomas Sadoski, Stockard Channing, Stacy Keach, Linda Lavin and Elizabeth Marvel in OTHER DESERT CITIES, a new play by Jon Robin Baitz, directed by Joe Mantello. Performances begin Thursday, December 16 at 8pm. Opening night is Thursday, January 13 at 6:45 pm.

This January, the Touchstone Ensemble will be joined by Moravian College students, local theatre artists, and Bethlehem community members for a public reading of Bill George's new play, The Whitman Piece.

About Face Theatre Artistic Director Bonnie Metzgar and Executive Director Jason Held are pleased to announce the world premiere of FLOAT by AFT Artistic Associate Patricia Kane, directed by 500 Clown founder Leslie B. Danzig, with dramaturgy by Artistic Associate Jessica Thebus.

Smuin Ballet presents the riveting Oh, Inverted World by acclaimed choreographer Trey McIntyre set to music by the popular indie-rock band The Shins in Walnut Creek (Feb 4-5), Carmel (Feb 18-19), and Mountain View (Feb 23-27).. This dynamic ballet the New York Times called 'striking' and 'remarkable' made its world premiere in San Francisco last October. The program will also include Bluegrass/ Slyde by Michael Smuin, an electric piece called 'riotous' by the SF Examiner and featuring the bluegrass twang of renowned banjoist Béla Fleck and master bassist Edgar Meyer. Rounding out the program is Smuin's classic ballet Brahms-Haydn Variations, a lyrical favorite filled with courtly references, called 'lovely' by the San Francisco Chronicle and 'impressive' by the New York Times. Single tickets ($49-$62) are available through their prospective theatres or by visiting www.smuinballet.org.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, Phil Lord and Chris Miller are currently in talks to direct BOB THE MUSICAL. The pair recently co-wrote and directed the animated film, Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs.

Upcoming Theatre Communication Group Member Shows - 12/05 for Philadelphia

Upcoming Theatre Communication Group Member Shows - 12/05 for Pittsburgh

The Bickford Theatre, 6 Normandy Heights Road in Morristown, NJ, continues its 16th Season with Moonlight and Magnolias by Ron Hutchinson, running November 11 through December 5, a wildly funny and illuminating behind-the-scenes tale of the business of movie making during the golden age of Hollywood.

Christmas City Follies, an annual holiday vaudeville production, will return to the Touchstone Theatre stage December 2nd-19th.

Tickets for the new Broadway musical, SISTER ACT at the Broadway Theatre (1681 Broadway) will go on sale to the general public Monday, November 29, 2010.

The Bay Area's hottest holiday ticket THE CHRISTMAS BALLET makes its annual sassy return with a perfect gift for audience members of all ages. Smuin Ballet's snow-filled extravaganza boasts everything from ballet, tap, and jazz to a wealth of other dances and tunes drawn from holiday traditions from around the world. Called 'an ode to holiday mischief' by 7x7 Magazine and 'an effervescent bauble' by the San Francisco Chronicle, this enormously popular yuletide celebration includes both Classic Christmas and Cool Christmas, combining beautiful and traditional performances with charming, humorous, and sexy dance pieces. The 2010 Edition includes two world premieres from acclaimed Choreographer in Residence Amy Seiwert and Smuin Ballet Master Amy London to accompany time-honored favorites. Single tickets ($20, $49, $59, and $62) are available through the respective theaters.

Tickets for the new Broadway musical, SISTER ACT at the Broadway Theatre (1681 Broadway) will go on sale to the general public Monday, November 29, 2010.

BAM presents Schaubühne am Lehniner Platz's 'The Marriage of Maria Braun,' November 17.

Yoko Nagae Ceschina, a patron of the New York Philharmonic since 2004, will give a significant annual gift to name the position of Music Director Alan Gilbert. The Yoko Nagae Ceschina Music Director - the first such designation for a Music Director of the New York Philharmonic - has been created to support Mr. Gilbert's artistic vision. Ms. Ceschina, a native of Japan and a trained harpist, a friend of Zarin Mehta and Mr. Gilbert, and of the Philharmonic, has provided major support for several of its Gala Opening Night concerts and initiatives of Alan Gilbert. Ms. Ceschina provided the lead underwriting gift for the Philharmonic's historic performance in Pyongyang, North Korea, in February 2008.