Vanessa Redgrave News

Rattlestick Playwrights Theater's Artistic Director David Van Asselt and Managing Director Brian Long have announced that following strong reviews, the world premiere of Ode to Joy, written and directed by Craig Lucas, will extend three weeks through Saturday, April 19 at the Cherry Lane Theatre, 38 Commerce Street.

The Public Theater will continue its Spring Public Forum series with an exciting new Public Forum Solo, SARAH LEWIS: PICTURES AND PROGRESS, on Monday, April 7 at 7:00 p.m. at Joe's Pub at The Public. Member tickets are on sale now. Single tickets, starting at $25, go on sale Wednesday, March 12 and can be purchased at (212) 967-7555, www.publictheater.org, or in person at the Taub Box Office at 425 Lafayette Street.

Alley Theatre Artistic Director Gregory Boyd announces the cast and creative team for Alan Ayckbourn's science fiction comedy Communicating Doors. Eleven plays penned by Alan Ayckbourn have been produced by the Alley, including the American premiere of Henceforward, directed by Ayckbourn, in 1987 and House & Garden in 2002. Alan Ayckbourn has been inducted into the American Theatre's Hall of Fame, received the 2010 Critics' Circle Award for Services to the Arts, became the first British playwright to receive both Olivier and Tony Special Lifetime Achievement Awards and was knighted in 1997 for services to the theatre.

The Theatre @ Boston Court and Rattlestick Playwrights Theater present Everything You Touch, by Shelia Callaghan, directed by Jessica Kubzansky. Opening night is Saturday, April 12, 2014 on the Main Stage at Boston Court Performing Arts Center, 70 North Mentor Avenue.

Celebrating its 13th season, the Ensemble of the Romantic Century (ERC) presents Tchaikovsky: None But the Lonely Heart at The Fishman Space in the new BAM Fisher. A fully staged theatrical concert blending striking music, powerful language and biography, Tchaikovsky: None But the Lonely Heart delves into the unconventional 16-year long relationship between one of the great composers of the 19th century and his patroness, Madame von Meck. Written by Eve Wolf and directed by Donald T. Sanders, this evening-length production seamlessly interweaves a dramatic script performed by actor Simon Fortin (Tchaikovsky) and actress Ariel Bock (Madame von Meck) of Shakespeare & Company with live chamber and vocal music performed by violinist Rachel Lee Priday, cellist Adrian Daurov, pianist Eve Wolf and tenor Blake Friedman. Featuring some of Tchaikovsky's epic pieces including Piano Trio in A Minor, Tchaikovsky: None But the Lonely Heart represents some of the composer's balletic works through dance both choreographed and performed by American Ballet Theatre dancer Daniel Mantei.

Alley Theatre presents the world premiere of a new comedy by Theresa Rebeck, Fool. In Rebeck's new comedy, two kings get together and place a wager on their fools - a jester competition, and the funniest one gets to keep his head. Two evil minions have a lot to say about this, but not as much as the kitchen wench. And what's the queen been up to all night? A dramatical comical farcical tragical play about power, love and laughter, set in a medieval kitchen. Adult Language, Adult Situations, Beheadings.

Today we are turning our attention to the increasingly ubiquitous presence of performers in their golden years reaching lofty new career heights and ingratiating themselves with new audiences all the while - most notably, Elaine Stritch, Christopher Plummer, Bruce Dern, June Squibb, Judi Dench, Angela Lansbury, Vanessa Redgrave and James Earl Jones.

North Carolina Theatre (NCT), the region's premier producer of professional Broadway musicals, in association with Broadway Series South, is excited to announce that casting has begun for their February 2014 production of LES MISERABLES directed by Dave Clemmons which will play at Raleigh Memorial Auditorium in the Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts. This will be the theatre's first time producing this timeless classic.

Alley Theatre Artistic Director Gregory Boyd announces the cast and creative team for the world premiere of a new comedy by Theresa Rebeck, Fool. In Rebeck's new comedy, two kings get together and place a wager on their fools - a jester competition, and the funniest one gets to keep his head. Two evil minions have a lot to say about this, but not as much as the kitchen wench. And what's the queen been up to all night? A dramatical comical farcical tragical play about power, love and laughter, set in a medieval kitchen. Adult Language, Adult Situations, Beheadings.

For its 22nd annual Spring Gala, the Kennedy Center will salute the more than 13 year tenure of Kennedy Center president Michael M. Kaiser with Camelot in Concert on Sunday, May 4, 2014 at 8 p.m. in the Concert Hall. The famed 1960 musical features book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner with music by Frederick Loewe and this semi-staged concert version will be adapted, directed and choreographed by Tony Award® nominee Marcia Milgrom Dodge. The concert staging will be accompanied by the National Symphony Orchestra conducted by Music Director James Moore. With this concert, Camelot makes its Kennedy Center debut. One of the co-chairs of the 2014 Spring Gala will be Laysha Ward, President, Target Community Relations.

As BroadwayWorld reported yesterday, Oscar, Tony and multi-award winning actor Philip Seymour Hoffman was found dead from suspected drug overdose on Sunday afternoon at his apartment in Manhattan's West Village. Beloved by audiences, and colleagues, we are sad to bring you more photos from throughout his career.

The Hollywood Reporter writes that Thaddeus O'Sullivan has signed on to direct Jessica Chastain and Vanessa Redgrave in the upcoming film adaptation of THE SECRET SCRIPTURE, based on the novel by Sebastian Barry.

North Carolina Theatre (NCT), the region's premier producer of professional Broadway musicals, in association with Broadway Series South, is excited to announce that casting has begun for their February 2014 production of LES MISERABLES directed by Dave Clemmons which will play at Raleigh Memorial Auditorium in the Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts. This will be the theatre's first time producing this timeless classic.

Celebrating its 13th season, the Ensemble of the Romantic Century (ERC) presents Tchaikovsky: None But the Lonely Heart at The Fishman Space in the new BAM Fisher. A fully staged theatrical concert blending striking music, powerful language and biography, Tchaikovsky: None But the Lonely Heart delves into the unconventional 16-year long relationship between one of the great composers of the 19th century and his patroness, Madame von Meck. Written by Eve Wolf and directed by Donald T. Sanders, this evening-length production seamlessly interweaves a dramatic script performed by actor Simon Fortin (Tchaikovsky) and actress Ariel Bock (Madame von Meck) of Shakespeare & Company with live chamber and vocal music performed by violinist Rachel Lee Priday, cellist Adrian Daurov, pianist Eve Wolf and tenor Blake Friedman. Featuring some of Tchaikovsky's epic pieces including Piano Trio in A Minor, Tchaikovsky: None But the Lonely Heart represents some of the composer's balletic works through dance both choreographed and performed by American Ballet Theatre dancer Daniel Mantei.

On Sunday 16 February, the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) will present Dame Helen Mirren with the Academy Fellowship at the EE British Academy Film Awards ceremony at the Royal Opera House, London.

On Sunday, February 16th, the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) will present Dame Helen Mirren with the Academy Fellowship at the EE British Academy Film Awards ceremony at the Royal Opera House, London.

Paul Lee, president, ABC Entertainment Group, today announced premiere dates for the new drama series “Black Box” on THURSDAY, APRIL 24 (10:00-11:00 p.m., ET), along with a new season of “Dancing with the Stars” on MONDAY, MARCH 17

Today in 1931, Broadway veteran James Earl Jones was born. He has won Tony awards in 1969 for The Great White Hope and in 1987 for Fences. He has acted in many Shakespearean roles: Othello, King Lear, Oberon in A Midsummer Night's Dream, Abhorson in Measure for Measure, and Claudius in Hamlet. On April 7, 2005, James Earl Jones and Leslie Uggams headed the cast in an African-American Broadway revival version of On Golden Pond, directed by Leonard Foglia and produced by Jeffrey Finn. In February 2008, he starred on Broadway as Big Daddy in a limited-run, all-African-American production of Tennessee Williams's Pulitzer Prize-winning drama Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, directed by Debbie Allen and mounted at the Broadhurst Theatre. In October 2010, Jones returned to the Broadway stage in Alfred Uhry's Driving Miss Daisy along with Vanessa Redgrave at the Golden Theatre. In November 2011, Jones starred in Driving Miss Daisy in London's West End, and on November 12 Jones received his honorary Oscar in front of the audience at the Wyndham's Theatre, which was presented to him by Ben Kingsley.

The little-seen small screen adaptation of Tennessee Williams's drama ORPHEUS DESCENDING starring Hollywood, Broadway and West End legend Vanessa Redgrave is now available to order on DVD for the first time.

Don't miss one night performances of FIVE BY TENN and THE GRAND DAMES at the Bacchanal next week. Tickets available at: southernrep.com or CALL: 504-522-6545.