William Finn News

Goodspeed Musicals, under the leadership of Michael P. Price, is thrilled to announce the 2010 musical season at the Goodspeed Opera House in East Haddam, Conn. The 47th season includes three fantastic musicals that are sure to delight theatregoers: the fun and frolicking Irving Berlin's Annie Get Your Gun will run from April 16 - June 27; the second production, Carnival! featuring such memorable classics as "Love Makes the World Go 'Round," will run from July 9 - September 18; and the Tony Award-winning How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying will run from September 24 - November 28.

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee- The Falcon's Eye Theatre at Folsom Lake College calls for actors from the community to audition for its spring production of William Finn and Rebecca Sheinkin's Tony Award-winning musical comedy, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, directed by David Harris with dance choreography by Debi Davis-Worth and musical direction by Philip Angove.

Playwrights Horizons (Tim Sanford, Artistic Director; Leslie Marcus, Managing Director) continues its 2009/2010 Season with the World Premiere of A COOL DIP IN THE BARREN SAHARAN CRICK, a new play by Kia Corthron (Breath, Boom at Playwrights Horizons/PH, Force Continuum), directed by Obie Award winner Chay Yew (Durango at The Public).

Second Stage Theatre (Carole Rothman, Artistic Director) will present the world premiere of MR. & MRS. FITCH, a new comedy from Douglas Carter Beane (The Little Dog Laughed, Xanadu) starring Tony Award winners John Lithgow and Jennifer Ehle.

Playwrights Horizons (Tim Sanford, Artistic Director; Leslie Marcus, Managing Director) is now accepting entries for its popular LIVEforFIVE online lottery for $5 tickets to the World Premiere of CLYBOURNE PARK, a new play by Bruce Norris (The Pain and the Itch at Playwrights Horizons/PH 2006-2007 Season).

Following its critically acclaimed production of THE SEAGULL earlier this season, the National Asian American Theatre Company (NAATCO), in collaboration with Theater Mitu, presents the World-Premiere of A PLAY ON WAR, by Jenny Connell and Rubén Polendo

The competition will continue well into the New Year at Florida Studio Theatre due to popular demand!

This February, TheatreWorks New Milford will premiere the hit musical comedy, THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE, with music and lyrics by the William Finn, and book by Rachel Sheinkin.

Second Stage Theatre (Carole Rothman, Artistic Director) will present the world premiere of MR. & MRS. FITCH, a new comedy from Douglas Carter Beane (The Little Dog Laughed, Xanadu) starring Tony Award winners John Lithgow and Jennifer Ehle.

The OBIE Award-winning National Asian American Theatre Company (NAATCO) - now in its 20th season - in collaboration with Theater Mitu, presents the World-Premiere of Rubén Polendo and Jenny Connell's new play MAMA CORAJE.

Red Branch Theatre Company is pleased to announce upcoming auditions for their 2010 season. In residence at The Drama Learning Center, Red Branch Theatre Company strives to bring quality theatre to the Baltimore/Washington area, through main stage productions and children's theatre.

The competition continues another week in Sarasota due to popular demand! After a successful ten week run, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Music and lyrics by William Finn; Book by Rachel Sheinkin; Conceived by Rebecca Feldman; Additional material by Jay Reiss) will extend for an eleventh week at Florida Studio Theatre's Keating Theatre, January 26 to January 29, 2010.

Second Stage Theatre has announced that Tony Award winners John Lithgow and Jennifer Ehle will star as MR. & MRS. FITCH in the world premiere comedy from Douglas Carter Beane. The production marks Mr. Beane's return to Second Stage Theatre where his critically acclaimed, Tony-nominated play The Little Dog Laughed premiered in 2005. MR. & MRS. FITCH will be directed by Scott Ellis, who also staged the world premiere and Broadway transfer of The Little Dog Laughed. Previews begin at Second Stage Theatre on January 26, 2010; opening night is scheduled for Thursday, February 22.

2009 provided me with the opportunity to review 126 of the more than 200 shows that were available in the St. Louis region, and it began in terrific fashion with New Line Theatre's NIGHT OF THE LIVING SHOW TUNES. This was a wonderful sampling of contemporary show tunes performed by a cast of talented locals, and featuring artistic director Scott Miller's fine accompaniment on piano. In the acoustically perfect confines of the Sheldon Concert Hall, these unique melodies made a glorious noise. And, as I continued on my quest to expose my young son to the world of musical theatre, I ended the year with the Imaginary Theatre Company's splendid presentation of BAH! HUMBUG!. I was lucky enough to catch quite a few gems in between, and I've decided to compile a list of the ten most intriguing and engaging productions I saw in 2009.

On Monday, January 25, multi award-winning composer and lyricist Ryan Scott Oliver brings his buzzed-about concert RATED RSO: The Music & Lyrics of Ryan Scott Oliver back to Joe's Pub for two final performances at 7:30pm and 9:30pm. Helmed by director Travis Greisler, RATED RSO features an eclectic range of songs from RSO's musicals Mrs. Sharp and Darling, as well as some all-new material from his latest show 35MM, all of which will transform the intimate nightspot into a haven for sexy schoolteachers, Bostonian rent-boys, obsessive homicidal teenagers and fairy dust. This final version of RATED RSO will be the biggest yet: two concerts; ten brand-new songs; and twenty-three incredible Broadway performers.

Pool Boy, a splashy new musical in development under the auspices of Barrington Stage Company's Musical Theatre Lab (under the mentorship of Producer William Finn and Artistic Director Julianne Boyd) will be given a staged reading on Monday, January 11 at Ripley-Grier Studios, 520 Eighth Avenue.

Pool Boy, a splashy new musical in development under the auspices of Barrington Stage Company's Musical Theatre Lab (under the mentorship of Producer William Finn and Artistic Director Julianne Boyd) will be given a staged reading on Monday, January 11 at Ripley-Grier Studios, 520 Eighth Avenue.

This Friday January 8th THE AFTER PARTY is thrilled to welcome Finian's Rainbow's TYRICK WILTEZ JONES and American Idiot's ALYSHA UMPHRESS

Second Stage Theatre (Carole Rothman, Artistic Director) will present the New York premiere of THE ELABORATE ENTRANCE OF CHAD DEITY, a new play written by Kristoffer Diaz and directed by Edward Torres.

This Friday January 8th THE AFTER PARTY is thrilled to welcome Finian's Rainbow's TYRICK WILTEZ JONES and American Idiot's ALYSHA UMPHRESS