Verona News

Lantern Theater Company presents William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet under the direction of the Lantern's Artistic Director Charles McMahon as part of its record-breaking 18th season.

According to Deadline.com David Costabile will have a recurring role on the upcoming season of the USA series, 'Suits.' Rebecca Creskoff has signed on to join the upcoming season of 'Covert Affairs,' also on USA.

Romeo & Juliet, Shakespeare's most popular romantic tragedy of two star crossed lovers, plays in the Marian Theatre April 19 - May 13, 2012.

Cincinnati Shakespeare Company continues its eighteenth season with John Steinbeck's "The Grapes of Wrath" in an adaptation by Frank Galati. This production features CSC Ensemble Members Justin McCombs, Sherman Fracher and Drew Fracher and is directed by Brian Isaac Phillips. "The Grapes of Wrath" opens on March 30th and runs through April 29, 2012. The production design is generously sponsored by AAA.

Court Theatre Artistic Director Charles Newell and Executive Director Stephen J. Albert present Tony Kushner's Tony Award-winning Angels in America, Part One: Millennium Approaches and Part Two: Perestroika, directed by Artistic Director Charles Newell. Angels in America will run March 30 - June 3, 2012 at Court Theatre, 5535 S. Ellis Avenue. Press Opening is Saturday, April 14, 2012; Part One: Millennium Approaches at 3PM and Part Two: Perestroika at 8PM.

The Public Theater has announced additional casting today for the 50th Anniversary season of free Shakespeare in the Park at the Delacorte. David Furr (Orlando) and Stephen Spinella (Jaques) join the previously announced MacIntyre Dixon (Adam), Renee Elise Goldsberry (Celia), Omar Metwally (Oliver), and Lily Rabe (Rosalind) in Shakespeare's comedy AS YOU LIKE IT, directed by Daniel Sullivan.

In response to demand from both the public and local high schools, Lantern Theater Company announces a one-week extension for Romeo and Juliet. Romeo and Juliet will now run through April 8. The following public performances have been added.

Parsons Dance and Gala Chair Linda Stocknoff announce the company's 2012 Annual spring Gala, Paint it Red, honoring Nancy Browne, Parsons Dance friend and co-commissioner of 2011 premiere work Portinari, on Monday, April 16, 2012 at 7:30 p.m. at Espace. The evening will begin with cocktails, hors d'oeuvres, and silent auction at 7:30 p.m., followed by a dinner, live auction, and performance by Parsons Dance at 8:30 p.m., then a full night of social dancing. Festive cocktail attire with a splash of red requested. Tickets begin at $700 and are available by calling 212-869-9275, by emailing sandy@parsonsdance.org, or online at www.parsonsdance.org/gala.

They've done it again, by George, or should I say, by Will! They've topped themselves once more! The Troubies emerge super victorious with their presentation of Shakespeare's perhaps first ever play Two Gentlemen of Verona to the tunes of the rock band Chicago, renamed - you guessed it - Two Gentlemen of Chicago. Now at the Falcon, it's Shakespeare but in a fashion quite unlike anything the Bard imagined. The original play has a dog Crab, and Roosevelt the Pug (in picture above) lives up to his scene stealing image, making him a new canine star. Cast with the usual Troubie zanies Matt Walker, Beth Kennedy, Rick Batalla, Morgan Rusler and guest Rob Nagle as Valentine and Rue the Pug, Two Gentlemen of Chicago becomes more satisfying than what those other Two Guys offer... well, ok, if that's pizza, then this is like the best darn treat on the planet!

Roundabout Theatre Company has announced that critically acclaimed Broadway actress Rachel York will star as "Reno Sweeney" in the national tour of the 2011 Tony® Award winning Anything Goes. Presented by Roundabout Theatre Company, the national tour will set sail in Cleveland this fall. Anything Goes is the winner of three Tony® Awards including Best Musical Revival.

La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts continues its 2011-12 Programs for Young Audiences series with ArtsPower's national tour of Are You My Mother?, an enchanting musical about Baby Bird's courageous adventure. This 55-minute, original musical based on P.D. Eastman's endearing children's classic is recommended for audiences ages 4 and up. Performances are Sunday, March 25, 2012 at 1:00 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.

Opera Columbus presents Denyce Graves at the Southern Theatre (21 E. Main St.) on Friday, March 25, at 8 pm. Tickets are $38-$98 at the Ohio Theatre Ticket Office (39 E. State St.), all Ticketmaster outlets, and www.ticketmaster.com. To purchase by phone, please call (614) 469-0939 or (800) 745-3000.

Signature Theatre will present the world premiere of Really Really by Paul Downs Colaizzo.

GRIFFITH PARK FREE SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL 2012, the largest summer theater event in the City of Los Angeles, begins its performances June 28 and runs Thursdays through Sundays at 7 p.m. through to September 2. All Performances are free.

The Bay Area premiere of San Jose Rep's God of Carnage begins previews tonight. This winner of the 2009 Tony Award® for Best Play was written by Yasmina Reza and translated by Christopher Hampton. The production runs from March 22 to April 15, 2012, with Opening Night on Wednesday, March 28 at 7:30 pm.

Frog and Peach Theatre's 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' will play from April 26 to May 20, 2012 at the West End Theater, 263 West 86th St. The adaptation imitates life in a celebrity couple's entourage.

BASE Entertainment has just announced that DINER, a new musical based on the critically acclaimed 1982 film with a book by Academy Award winner and original DINER screenwriter Barry Levinson and music & lyrics by 9-time Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Sheryl Crow, will have its pre-Broadway world premiere at San Francisco's SHN Curran Theatre (445 Geary Street). Directed and choreographed by Tony Award winner Kathleen Marshall, DINER will play a strictly limited four week engagement from Tuesday, October 23, 2012, through Sunday, November 18, 2012, with an opening night of Friday, November 2, 2012. Due to these confirmed San Francisco dates DINER will now bow on Broadway in the spring of 2013, instead of the fall of 2012 as previously announced. Design team and casting will be announced at a later date.

Performing works by Inhyun Kim, Ashley Fu-Tsun Wang, Marco Stroppa, Kurtag, Messaien, Ligeti, Debussy, and Schumann, pianist Jenny Q. Chai makes her Carnegie Hall debut at Zankel Hall on Thursday, April 19 at 7:30pm. Tickets are $30 ($15 for students) and will be available beginning February 19th at www.carnegiehall.org, at the Carnegie Hall Box office at 57th street and 7th avenue in New York City (which is also the location of the venue), or by calling 212 247 7800.

Cassie Hodges for Bloomsday in association with Neil McPherson for the Finborough Theatre presents The first London production in 80 years of Autumn Fire.

MTV and mtvU today announced that DJ Pauly D and Dev will host the 2012 mtvU WOODIE AWARDS SPECIAL premiering on Sunday, March 18 at 8 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. CT. The half-hour show will spotlight the hottest performances and most unforgettable moments from the 2012 mtvU WOODIE AWARDS SPECIAL which rocked Austin, Texas earlier this week during the SXSW Music festival.