William Finn News

This year, give the gift of an experience that will last a lifetime. Bucks County Playhouse is offering the chance for local theater-lovers and aspiring thespians to join the cast of "Ebenezer Scrooge's Big Playhouse Christmas Show" as "Scene-Stealers" on the historic Playhouse stage.  

Over the past hundred years the theater community has celebrated some of the most notable events in Broadway's history at the Friars Club.   Last night the Barrington Stage Co. the award-winning theatre in Downtown Pittsfield, Ma. under the leadership of Artistic Director Julianne Boyd held their New York City Benefit in the legendary building where so many legends of the theater community have socialized and entertained each other.   John Rando the famed director was celebrated for his extraordinary talent and his contributions to BSC.  John has directed two of the most popular musicals in BSC history, The Pirates of Penzance and On the Town, which transferred to Broadway and received four Tony Award nominations, including Best Director.  At BSC John also directed The Royal Family of Broadway and Guys and Dolls and on Broadway, he won a Tony Award for his direction of Urinetown, The Musical.  

Barrington Stage Company (BSC), the award-winning theatre in Downtown Pittsfield, MA, under the leadership of Artistic Director Julianne Boyd, will host its annual New York City Benefit, BSC/NYC, on Tuesday, November 27, 2018, to honor director and BSC Associate Artist John Rando with the William Finn Award for Innovation and Excellence in Musical Theatre. This one-night only cabaret will take place at the Friars Club (57 East 55th Street).

Meghan Lantzy will become the new General Manager at Signature Theatre (Paige Evans, Artistic Director; Harold Wolpert, Executive Director; James Houghton, Founder), the company announced today. Ms. Lantzy comes to Signature from Lincoln Center Theater, where she has worked for more than 12 years.  

Originally an Oscar-winning film, Little Miss Sunshine is now a stage musical - and it's coming to Stirling Theatre this November.

At an SRO ceremony held at Zion Lutheran Church in Pittsfield, the Board of the Berkshire Theatre Critics Association presented the Berkshire Theatre Awards on the evening of Monday, November 12, 2018. This was the third year the awards have been presented to honor and celebrate the excellence and diversity of theatre in the greater Berkshire region.

 Audiences are thoroughly enjoying themselves at Bucks County Playhouse's production of Broadway's hilarious romantic comedy "I Hate Hamlet." The production, which runs through December 1 and was hailed by The New York Times as "Unapologetically silly…hilarious!" is directed by Marc Bruni ("Beautiful: The Carol King Musical").

An eclectic group of six mid-pubescents vie for the spelling championship of a lifetime. While candidly disclosing hilarious and touching stories from their home lives, the tweens spell their way through a series of (potentially made-up) words, hoping never to hear the soul-crushing, pout-inducing, life un-affirming "ding" of the bell that signals a spelling mistake. Six spellers enter; one speller leaves! At least the losers get a juice box. Performances run November 9th thru November 18th at the Hilliard Civic and Cultural Arts Center, 5425 Center St, Hilliard, OH, 43026. Tickets can be purchased at https://www.locallevelevents.com/events/details/5916. For performance times and more information visit: http://www.hilliardartscouncil.org/spellingbee/.

Bucks County Playhouse's Storytelling Series continues this month and features Jamie Beth Cohan, a Washington Post writer, Rory Scholl, the producer of The Liar Show and James Braly, a two-time winner of The Moth GrandSlam. The Word of Mouth: Gifts Storytelling event will take place on November 16 with shows at 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. Tickets are $25 for a single ticket and are available at BucksCountyPlayhouse.org or (215) 862-2121.

Show-only tickets to Second Stage Theater's Fall Benefit Honoring Harvey Fierstein are now on sale to the general public.  Hosted by Michael Urie, the benefit will take place on Monday, November 12 at Terminal 5 (610 West 56th Street).  The evening will feature performances and appearances by Cyndi Lauper, Rosie O'Donnell, Annaleigh Ashford, Keala Settle, Wayne Brady, Christopher Sieber, Michael Urie, Marissa Jaret Winokur, as well as Shoshana Bean, J. Harrison Ghee, Bianca Del Rio, and Gino Emnes.  To purchase tickets, please go to: https://2st.com/support-us/events/fall-benefit.

Hans Christian Andersen's legendary tale is reimagined into a playful animated special for today's children. The classic fable gets a colorful, music-filled makeover in the whimsical THE EMPEROR'S NEWEST CLOTHES, written and produced by Sheila Nevins, directed by Simon Wilches-Castro and featuring the voices of Emmy© winner Alan Alda, Emmy© winner Jeff Daniels, and Alison Pill. The special features original songs by Tony Award-winning composer William Finn ('Falsettos, 'The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee').

A classic Hans Christian Andersen fable gets a colorful, music-filled makeover this November when THE EMPEROR'S NEWEST CLOTHES is reimagined as a playful animated special for today's children. Written and produced by Sheila Nevins, and featuring the voices of Alan Alda, Jeff Daniels and Alison Pill, the whimsical tale includes original songs by Tony Award winner William Finn ("Falsettos," "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee"). This HBO Family presentation debuts THURSDAY, NOV. 15 (6:00-6:30 p.m. ET/PT) on the main HBO channel and FRIDAY, NOV. 16 (8:45-9:15 p.m.) on HBO Family.

Jason Robert Brown will be honored with The Museum of the City of New York 2018 Louis Auchincloss Prize on Wednesday, November 14, 2018.  The prize is presented to writers and artists whose work is inspired by and enhances the five boroughs of New York City.

Little Miss Sunshine, the quirky off-Broadway hit musical is coming to Glasgow for the first time next year.

Little Miss Sunshine, the quirky off-Broadway hit musical will make its European Premiere in a brand new production at the Arcola Theatre, London on 21 March 2019, running for a 7 week season before embarking on a UK tour starting at New Wolsey Theatre, Ipswich on 20 May 2019. Tickets for the tour go on sale from 26 October, tickets for the Arcola from 5 November.

PREMIERES (Paulette Haupt, Artistic Director), the New York based music theater organization whose mission is "to bring new music theater to light," is pleased to announce the cast and creative teams for this season's INNER VOICES, the biennial series of solo works featuring new teams of playwrights and composers. Performances begin TONIGHT at 8:00pm for a limited run through Saturday, November 17, 2018 at The TBG Mainstage Theatre (312 West 36th Street - between 8th & 9th Avenues). Opening Night is Thursday, November 1, 2018 at 8:00pm.

Originally an Oscar-winning film, Little Miss Sunshine is now a stage musical - and it's coming to Stirling Theatre this November.

Tony award-winner, Elizabeth Ashley ("Take Her She's Mine") and Tony nominee Tom Hewitt ("The Rocky Horror Show") will headline a refreshed production of Paul Rudnick's witty, laugh out loud comedy, "I Hate Hamlet" at Bucks County Playhouse, November 9 - December 1. The play marks Ashley's return to the Playhouse after co-starring opposite Robert Redford in the pre-Broadway production of Neil Simon's "Barefoot in the Park."

Black Button Eyes Productions concludes its 2018-19 season with the Chicago storefront premiere of EVIL DEAD THE MUSICAL, a parody of Sam Raimi's classic Evil Dead horror films, with book and lyrics by George Reinblatt and music by Christopher Bond, Frank Cipolla, Melissa Morris and George Reinblatt. Directed by Producing Artistic Director Ed Rutherford with music direction by Oliver Townsend and choreography by Derek Van Barham, the spooky send-up will play January 11 - February 16, 2019 at Pride Arts Center (The Broadway), 4139 N. Broadway in Chicago.

This week the Berkshire Theatre Critics Association is voting on the final award list in preparation for the Third Annual Berkshire Theatre Awards. Winners will be announced at the awards ceremony to be held on Monday, November 12 at 7 pm at the Zion Lutheran Church, 74 First Street (Route 7) in Pittsfield, MA.