William Finn News

[laf-ter, lahf-]: L-A-U-G-H-T-E-R. Laughter.  An expression or appearance of merriment or amusement you will experience when you come to see The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (presented in One Act) at The Farmington Players Barn.  Six awkward spelling champions compete for the top prize only to learn there is more to life than winning or losing the contest. The show opens Today December 4th and runs through Sunday, December 20th.  In the spirit of Opening Night, the pre-show party will include a middle school cafeteria theme.  Reserved seats for evening and matinee performances are available now at 248-553-2955 or online at www.farmingtonplayers.org

In what has become an annual ritual, a total of 36 established and emerging composers, lyricists, and librettists will converge on the Goodspeed campus from mid-January through mid-February 2016 to participate in the Johnny Mercer Foundation Writers Colony at Goodspeed Musicals. The writing teams, representing 19 new musicals, will populate the campus, creating a truly exciting environment for discovery and inspiration. BroadwayWorld is excited to report that Goodspeed has announced its 2016 participants. Scroll down for details!

[laf-ter, lahf-]: L-A-U-G-H-T-E-R. Laughter.  An expression or appearance of merriment or amusement you will experience when you come to see The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (presented in One Act) at The Farmington Players Barn.  Six awkward spelling champions compete for the top prize only to learn there is more to life than winning or losing the contest. The show opens Friday December 4th and runs through Sunday, December 20th.  In the spirit of Opening Night, the pre-show party will include a middle school cafeteria theme.  Reserved seats for evening and matinee performances are available now at 248-553-2955 or online at www.farmingtonplayers.org

Playwrights Horizons presents the New York premiere of 2015 Pulitzer Prize finalist Marjorie Prime, a new play by Jordan Harrison (Maple and Vine, Doris to Darlene at PH; Amazons and Their Men; Kid-Simple; 'Orange is the New Black'). Commissioned by Playwrights Horizons and directed by Obie Award winner Anne Kauffman (Detroit, Maple and Vine, Your Mother's Copy of the Kama Sutra at PH; Belleville; This Wide Night; The Thugs), the play is the third production of the theater company's 2015/2016 Season. The first preview is tonight, November 20 at 8PM at Playwrights Horizons' Mainstage Theater (416 West 42nd Street). The production has an Opening Night set for Monday, December 14 and will play a limited engagement through Sunday, January 3.

Barrington Stage Company, the award-winning theatre in Downtown Pittsfield, under the leadership the Artistic Director Julianne Boyd and Managing Director Tristan Wilson, hosted its third annual BSC in NYC Gala to benefit BSC's New Works Initiative, November 2 in the Penthouse of the American Airlines Theatre at 227 W 42nd Street.

The battle of the sexes is on! Some of the most memorable Broadway characters will square off in GUYS VS. DOLLS: A MUSICAL SURVEY OF SEX AND SEXISM, featuring the songs of Cole Porter, Frank Loesser, Rodgers & Hammerstein and many more, tonight, November 16, as part of the Broadway Close Up series.

Playwrights Horizons begins accepting entries today, Wednesday, November 11, for the LIVEforFIVE online lottery for $5 tickets to their New York premiere of 2015 Pulitzer Prize finalist Marjorie Prime, a new play by Jordan Harrison (Maple and Vine, Doris to Darlene at PH; Amazons and Their Men; Kid-Simple; 'Orange is the New Black').

Due to critical acclaim and popular demand, Playwrights Horizons has announced a second extension of their New York premiere production of HIR, a new play by Obie Award-winning theater artist Taylor Mac (A 24-Decade History of Popular Music, The Lily's Revenge, The Walk Across America for Mother Earth, The Be(a)st of Taylor Mac, The Young Ladies Of).

This fall, Sierra Stages presents the groundbreaking musical 'Falsettos' for ten performances only from tonight, November 5 through November 22 at the intimate Off Center Stage in Grass Valley. 'Falsettos' is the final production of Sierra Stages' seventh season, and is directed by Sandra Rockman, with dance direction by George Jayne and musical direction by Ken Getz, who conducts the live band.

Kaufman Music Center will present BROADWAY CLOSE UP: GUYS VS. DOLLS - A MUSICAL SURVEY OF SEX & SEXISM on Monday, November 16, 2015 at 7:30pm.

The first UK production for twenty five years of the Off Broadway musical 3 GUYS NAKED FROM THE WAIST DOWN.

The battle of the sexes is on! Some of the most memorable Broadway characters will square off in Guys vs. Dolls: A Musical Survey of Sex and Sexism featuring the songs of Cole Porter, Frank Loesser, Rodgers & Hammerstein and many more. Explore the passion and perils of love and marriage as depicted by the great writers of Broadway, including Cole Porter, Frank Loesser, Irving Berlin, Lerner & Loewe, Yip Harburg, Burton Lane, Rodgers & Hammerstein, Rodgers & Hart, Stephen Sondheim, Jule Styne, Meredith Willson, William Finn, Maltby & Shire and Jerry Herman.

Curve today announces casting for the theatre's productions of Roald Dahl's THE WITCHES and Lionel Bart's classic musical, OLIVER!

Last night Barrington Stage Company held it's annual New York City Benefit in the Penthouse of The American Airlines Theatre and BroadwayWorld was there.

The OBIE Award-winning NAATCO, National Asian American Theater Company, continues their 25th season with the World Premiere of Lloyd Suh's Charles Francis Chan, Jr.'s Exotic Oriental Murder Mystery. Ed Sylvanus Iskandar directs a cast that includes Jeff Biehl, Jennifer Ikeda, Peter Kim, Orville Mendoza, KK Moggie and Jeffrey Omura. This Off-Broadway limited engagement at Walker Space (46 Walker Street) opens tonight, November 2nd. Performances continue through November 21st only.

The University of Washington School of Drama, under the leadership of Executive Director Todd London, is proud to announce its 75th Anniversary Season. This historic season will celebrate, honor, and build upon the School of Drama's deep connections to Seattle's theatre community and serve as a bridge between the School's rich history and its future.

Acclaimed Director James Lapine was honored with the 2015 'Mr. Abbott' Award for the outstanding artistry and creativity of his forty-year (and counting) career last night, October 19th.

Over the summer, Jonathan Groff led the Encores! Off-Center production of William Finn and James Lapine's A New Brain, and fans who didn't make it to the show need not worry any longer. BroadwayWorld has just learned that the production will get a two-disc cast recording (featuring the entire 95 minute show) from PS Classics, which will hit shelves on February 5, 2016.

Sierra Stages presents the groundbreaking musical "Falsettos" for ten performances only from November 5 through November 22 at the intimate Off Center Stage in Grass Valley. "Falsettos" is the final production of Sierra Stages' seventh season, and is directed by Sandra Rockman, with dance direction by George Jayne and musical direction by Ken Getz, who conducts the live band.

After her rousing performance at the Tony Awards this year, Broadway powerhouse Lisa Howard made her solo debut at Feinstein's/54 Below this fall! Lisa was most recently seen on Broadway in her Drama Desk-nominated performance as Jenny in It Shoulda Been You. BroadwayWorld brings you photos from her big night below!