William Finn News

Bridge Street Theatre, one of the most adventurous and exciting small theater companies in the Hudson Valley region, is delighted to announce a spectacular line-up of imported music, dance, and theatre for the Summer of 2022.

The Keegan Theatre has announced its 26th Season in 2022-2023, featuring 8 mainstage productions in its intimate and welcoming theater home in Dupont Circle. The season includes the world premieres of 2 newly commissioned works from DC area playwrights, 1 regional premiere, 1 DC premiere, 2 musicals, and a Pulitzer Prize-winning play.  

Every so often in our lives along comes a musical full of heart. The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, is a musical comedy with Music & Lyrics by William Finn, with a book by Rachel Sheinkin. The Broadway Production opened in 2005 and was directed by James Lapine. Since its opening, many productions both locally and regionally have been produced throughout the United States. Spelling Bee was nominated for 6 Tony Awards, winning two including Best Book. This fast-paced musical comedy features 6 adult performers playing children in a local annual spelling bee competing for the top prize, and a savings bond for furthering their education. At the judge’s table and moderator for the events of the bee are past spelling Champion Rona Lisa Peretti, who is also a local Real-Estate Agent, and Vice Principal Douglas Panch. The unique aspect of the show is that four audience members are invited on stage with the performers in the show to compete in the bee. The Announcer and Moderator switch off by ad-libbing mixed sentences and various definitions for the words often to hilarious ends. One by one the performers playing middle school-aged children take their turn at the mic and perform their unique form of spelling by talking into their hand, writing the word on the floor with their foot, or drawing the word on their arm all competing to make sure each word is spelled correctly.

Bucks County Playhouse will present a special presentation of a new Broadway musical, “Female Troubles,” at the sixth Oscar Hammerstein Festival on Saturday, June 18 at 7:30 pm. The presentation, which is part concert, part insider’s preview, is open to the public. Tickets are $35.

The Muny announced today its full cast, design and production teams for the theatre's production of Chicago, June 13-19. The cast features Sarah Bowden (Roxie Hart), J. Harrison Ghee (Velma Kelly), Adam Heller (Amos Hart), Emily Skinner (Matron 'Mama' Morton), James T. Lane (Billy Flynn) and Ali Ewoldt (Mary Sunshine). Find out the rest of the cast, and more information on the production!

Second Stage Theater has announced two new productions for its upcoming 2022-23 Season. Tony Award-nominee Bess Wohl will return to the Tony Kiser Theater (305 West 43rd Street) this Fall with the New York premiere of CAMP SIEGFRIED. Spring 2023 will see the Broadway premiere of Larissa FastHorse's THE THANKSGIVING PLAY,

On Monday, June 6th, Second Stage Theater will host the Fair Chance Job Fair. Fair Chance Hiring means that employers refrain from including questions about conviction history in the application process before a job offer is made. 

TheaterWorks Hartford, under the leadership of Producing Artistic Director Rob Ruggiero, is excited to announce its upcoming 2022–2023 season. Rob said 'This season, we’re focusing on plays that we hope inspire our audiences to come see LIVE theater. Great music, captivating stories, and world-class writing – these stories are uplifting, powerful … and will engage us all in important conversations. We’re particularly excited that they are written by four female playwrights representing the best and most important voices in American theater. These plays tell our stories.'

Bucks County Playhouse Youth Company is accepting video audition submissions for five male roles (ages 13-18) for their upcoming production of “ALiEN8.” Audition submissions should include the following: auditioner’s name and age, singing 16-32 bars of any song, as well as reading each audition scene as Ethan, Zach, Brasfield, and Ray Berry. Contact Ellen Gallos, Assistant Director of Education, at ellen@buckscountyplayhouse.org for scene materials as well as to submit audition videos.

Second Stage Theater has announced casting for the upcoming world premiere production of 53% OF. The production will feature ANNA CRIVELLI, EDEN MALYN, MARIANNA McCLELLAN, GRACE REX, CATHRYN WAKE, and AYANA WORKMAN.

Theatre Arlington will present The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee on June 3rd. This hilarious and endearing musical focuses on six quirky pre-teens (all played by adults) as they compete for a slot in the National Spelling Bee. As each speller has their moment at the mic, they candidly reveal their hopes, dreams, and touching stories about their home lives.

TheaterWorks Hartford presents the World Premiere of SECONDO the sequel to our beloved hit show, I LOVED, I LOST, I MADE SPAGHETTI by Jacques Lamarre based on stories by Giulia Melucci. Directed by Rob Ruggiero, the production runs JULY 29 – AUGUST 28 and marks the 10th anniversary since I LOVED, I LOST, I MADE SPAGHETTI first enamored Hartford audiences.

The Eugene O’Neill Theater Center has announced its 2022 summer season, which features the return of some beloved in-person public events put on pause during the virtual and hybrid seasons of 2020 and 2021. 

Pasadena Playhouse has announced the 2022/2023 Season featuring a six-month-long celebration of the works and impact of Stephen Sondheim.  The State Theater of California’s Sondheim Celebration will begin in January 2023 and extend into June.  Find out what shows are included and the full schedule.

After the success of his last Fringe show Scarlett Fever, which was set in the 1930s, creative multi-hyphenate John Wuchte knew he once again wanted to develop a period piece. The idea of what and when came to him one day when he was washing his vintage starburst dishes…

The Department of Theater/Dance at UCSB continues our return to live performances with our Spring musical, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, with music and lyrics by William Finn, book by Rachel Sheinkin, and conceived by Rebecca Feldman. Winner of a Tony and a Drama Desk Award, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee has charmed audiences across the country with its effortless wit and humor. 'The Bee' comes to the Ballet Studio Theater on UCSB's campus May 11 – 28, 2022.

 The Acting Company has announced the Actors’ Career Stability Initiative program for the 2022-23 season. With support from the Booth Ferris Foundation, all actors who accept a casting offer to join the 2022-23 national touring season and have a minimum of $10,000 in student loan debt will be eligible to apply for student loan debt relief.

Theatre444 presents the popular musical The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. Winner of the Tony and the Drama Desk Awards for Best Book, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee has charmed audiences across the country with its effortless wit and humor.

This week, FEINSTEIN’S/54 BELOW, Broadway’s Supper Club & Private Event Destination, will present some of the brightest stars from Broadway, cabaret, jazz, and beyond.

When the award-winning actress and playwright, Jodi Long, took her first steps on the Broadway stage in Sidney Lumet's production of “Nowhere to Go But Up,” she was entering a professional world that ran through her family's bloodline. Her Vaudevillian parents had long trod the boards – in fact, as part of a popular song and dance act, they even appeared on the Ed Sullivan show in the 1950s.