William Youmans News

Producers Broadway Across America (John Gore, Thomas B. McGrath, Beth Williams), Barbara Whitman, Latitude Link, Dede Harris, Sharon Karmazin, and Howard and Janet Kagan have just announced that the La Jolla Playhouse production of the new American musical HANDS ON A HARDBODY will open Thursday, March 21, 2013 at Broadway's Brooks Atkinson Theatre (256 West 47th Street), following a preview period that begins Saturday, February 23, 2013. Ticket information will be announced shortly.

The Public Theater (Artistic Director Oskar Eustis; Executive Director Patrick Willingham) announced complete casting today for the New York premiere of GIANT, an epic love story with book by Sybille Pearson and music and lyrics by Michael John LaChiusa. Directed by Michael Greif, GIANT begins previews on Friday, October 26 in The Public's Newman Theater at its Astor Place home and will run through Sunday, December 2, with an official press opening on Tuesday, November 13. Single tickets, beginning at $75, are on sale now.

Emerging Artists Theatre will present some of Broadway's best and brightest during its third annual benefit, BROADWAY SINGS FOR EAT'S SUPPER! tonight, September 10th, at 24 Fifth Avenue Ballroom. This special evening will honor actress Shannon Bolin Kaye, the original Meg in Damn Yankees.

Emerging Artists Theatre will present some of Broadway's best and brightest during its third annual benefit, BROADWAY SINGS FOR EAT'S SUPPER! on Monday September 10th, at 24 Fifth Avenue Ballroom. This special evening will honor actress Shannon Bolin Kaye, the original Meg in Damn Yankees.

The July 30th 7:30pm benefit concert for The Actors Fund of the Benny Andersson, Tim Rice and Bjorn Ulvaeus musical CHESS will offer a limited amount of $30 Student Rush Tickets to students with a valid ID, cash only. Starring Tony Award-nominee Robert Cuccioli (Jekyll & Hyde, Les Miserables), Helen Hayes Award-winner Natascia Diaz (Man of La Mancha, Seussical, The Capeman, Carnival) and Drew Sarich (Les Miserables, Lestat, starring in the upcoming Broadway-bound production of Rocky the Musical in Europe) this special CHESS "In Concept" Concert will take place at LaGuardia Arts at Lincoln Center (100 Amsterdam Avenue); this stripped down all through-sung concert-version will focus on the music, lyrics and characters, emulating the original 1984 concept album and incorporating virtually all of the original London score.

Tony Award-nominee Robert Cuccioli (Jekyll & Hyde, Les Miserables), Helen Hayes Award-winner Natascia Diaz (Man of La Mancha, Seussical, The Capeman, Carnival) and Drew Sarich (Les Miserables, Lestat, starring in the upcoming Broadway-bound production of Rocky the Musical in Europe) will star in today's July 30th 7:30pm benefit concert of the Benny Andersson, Tim Rice and Bjorn Ulvaeus musical CHESS for The Actor's Fund. This special CHESS "In Concept" Concert will take place at LaGuardia Arts at Lincoln Center (100 Amsterdam Avenue). This stripped down all through-sung concert-version will focus on the music, lyrics and characters, emulating the original 1984 concept album and incorporating virtually all of the original London score.

ony Award-nominee Robert Cuccioli (Jekyll & Hyde, Les Miserables), Helen Hayes Award-winner Natascia Diaz (Man of La Mancha, Seussical, The Capeman, Carnival) and Drew Sarich (Les Miserables, Lestat, starring in the upcoming Broadway-bound production of Rocky the Musical in Europe) will star in the July 30th 7:30pm benefit concert of the Benny Andersson, Tim Rice and Bjorn Ulvaeus musical CHESS for The Actor's Fund. BroadwayWorld's Richard Ridge was at one of CHESS' rehearsals and brings you exclusive footage and interviews with the cast and creative team in the video below!

Tony Award-nominee Robert Cuccioli (Jekyll & Hyde, Les Miserables), Helen Hayes Award-winner Natascia Diaz (Man of La Mancha, Seussical, The Capeman, Carnival) and Drew Sarich (Les Miserables, Lestat, starring in the upcoming Broadway-bound production of Rocky the Musical in Europe) will star in the July 30th 7:30pm benefit concert of the Benny Andersson, Tim Rice and Bjorn Ulvaeus musical CHESS for The Actor's Fund. This special CHESS "In Concept" Concert will take place at LaGuardia Arts at Lincoln Center, and the stripped down all through-sung concert-version will focus on the music, lyrics and characters, emulating the original 1984 concept album and incorporating virtually all of the original London score. Check out photos of the cast and creative team in rehearsal below!

Tony Award-nominee Robert Cuccioli (Jekyll & Hyde, Les Miserables), Helen Hayes Award-winner Natascia Diaz (Man of La Mancha, Seussical, The Capeman, Carnival) and Drew Sarich (Les Miserables, Lestat, starring in the upcoming Broadway-bound production of Rocky the Musical in Europe) will star in the July 30th 7:30pm benefit concert of the Benny Andersson, Tim Rice and Bjorn Ulvaeus musical CHESS for The Actor's Fund. This special CHESS "In Concept" Concert will take place at LaGuardia Arts at Lincoln Center (100 Amsterdam Avenue). This stripped down all through-sung concert-version will focus on the music, lyrics and characters, emulating the original 1984 concept album and incorporating virtually all of the original London score.

The Hangar Theatre has announced casting for its The 38th season, which will include a thrilling line-up of plays and musicals. The season takes off with Ken Ludwig's knock-down, drag it out farce, Lend Me A Tenor (June 21-July 7), starring Emily Skinner, Michael McCormick, Janet Dacal, Daniel Berlingeri, Lindsay Clemmons, Eddie Vona and Judy Levitt. That will be followed by the premiere of a strikingly innovative concept of the Tony winning best musical Titanic (July 12-July 28), starring Alma Cuervo, William Youmans, Drew McVety, Christianne Tisdale, Phillip Hoffman, Joneil Joplin, and Robert Cuccioli. The sophisticated comedy Full Gallop (August 2-August 11) is next, starring Dee Hoty, followed by the area premiere of the Pulitzer Prize winning musical Next to Normal (August 16-September 1), with Andrea Burns and Chris Hoch. The final offering is a true American classic, Horton Foote's The Trip to Bountiful (September 13-September 22), featuring Susannah Berryman.

Recently, La Jolla Playhouse's world premiere of HANDS ON A HARDBODY, starring Tony Award-nominees Keith Carradine, Hunter Foster and Mary GorDon Murray, previewed their songs in a rehearsal hall, and the production team talked about the show.

HANDS-ON-A-HARDBODY-Opens-at-La-Jolla-Playhouse-20010101 La Jolla Playhouse's world premiere of Hands on a Hardbody, starring Tony Award-nominees Keith Carradine, Hunter Foster and Mary Gordon Murray, as well as Allison Case and more, opens tonight, May 12, and runs through June 17, 2012 in the Mandell Weiss Theatre. The commissioned musical has a book by Pulitzer Prize winner Doug Wright (I Am My Own Wife, Creditors), lyrics by Amanda Green (High Fidelity), music by Trey Anastasio (lead singer of the popular band Phish) and Amanda Green, with direction by Neil Pepe (Speed-the-Plow) and musical staging by Benjamin Millepied (BLACK SWAN).

La Jolla Playhouse's Hands on a Hardbody will run through June 17, 2012 in the Mandell Weiss Theatre. The world-premiere, commissioned musical has a book by Pulitzer Prize winner Doug Wright (I Am My Own Wife, Creditors), lyrics by Amanda Green (High Fidelity), music by Trey Anastasio (lead singer of the popular band Phish) and Amanda Green, with direction by Neil Pepe (Speed-the-Plow) and musical staging by Benjamin Millepied (BLACK SWAN).

La Jolla Playhouse's Hands on a Hardbody will run April 27 - June 17, 2012 in the Mandell Weiss Theatre. The world-premiere, commissioned musical has a book by Pulitzer Prize winner Doug Wright (I Am My Own Wife, Creditors), lyrics by Amanda Green (High Fidelity), music by Trey Anastasio (lead singer of the popular band Phish) and Amanda Green, with direction by Neil Pepe (Speed-the-Plow) and musical staging by Benjamin Millepied (BLACK SWAN). Hear from the creative team in the video below!

La Jolla Playhouse's Hands on a Hardbody will run April 27 - June 17, 2012 in the Mandell Weiss Theatre. The world-premiere, commissioned musical has a book by Pulitzer Prize winner Doug Wright (I Am My Own Wife, Creditors), lyrics by Amanda Green (High Fidelity), music by Trey Anastasio (lead singer of the popular band Phish) and Amanda Green, with direction by Neil Pepe (Speed-the-Plow) and musical staging by Benjamin Millepied (BLACK SWAN).

La Jolla Playhouse's Hands on a Hardbody will run April 27 - June 17, 2012 in the Mandell Weiss Theatre. The world-premiere, commissioned musical has a book by Pulitzer Prize winner Doug Wright (I Am My Own Wife, Creditors), lyrics by Amanda Green (High Fidelity), music by Trey Anastasio (lead singer of the popular band Phish) and Amanda Green, with direction by Neil Pepe (Speed-the-Plow) and musical staging by Benjamin Millepied (BLACK SWAN).

The cast features Tony Award nominee Keith Carradine (Nashville, Broadway's The Will Rogers Follies) as "JD Drew," Allison Case (Hair revival on Broadway) as "Kelli Mangrum," Tony Award winner Jarrod Emick (Broadway's Ring of Fire) as "Mike Ferris," Hunter Foster (Playhouse's Little Miss Sunshine; Broadway's Urinetown) as "Benny Perkins," Jay Armstrong Johnson (Broadway's Catch Me If You Can) as "Greg Wilhote," David Larsen (Broadway's Good Vibrations) as "Chris Alvaro," Kathleen Elizabeth Monteleone (Legally Blonde national tour) as "Heather Stovall," Mary Gordon Murray (Broadway's Little Me) as "Virginia Drew," Connie Ray (author/performer, Smoke on the Mountain, Broadway's Next Fall) as "Cindy Barnes," Jon Rua (Broadway's In the Heights) as "Jesus Pe?a," Keala Settle (Broadway's Priscilla, Queen of the Desert) as "Norma Valverde," Dale Soules (Grey Gardens) as "Janis Curtis," Jacob Ming Trent (Lincoln Center Theatre's On the Levee) as "Ronald McGowan," Scott Wakefield (Broadway's It Ain't Nothin' But the Blues) as "Frank Nugent" and William Youmans (Playhouse's Dracula, Twelfth Night) as "Don Curtis/Dr. Stokes."

According to a report on nypost.com, the musical GIANT, which played last month at the Dallas Theater Center, will be heading to the Public Theater in Fall and has potential to transfer to Broadway.

Dallas Theater Center presents Giant at the Dee and Charles Wyly Theatre at the AT&T Performing Arts Center through Feb. 19. Tony Award-nominated Michael Greif will direct this new musical by Sybille Pearson and Michael John LaChiusa.

Dallas Theater Center presents Giant at the Dee and Charles Wyly Theatre at the AT&T Performing Arts Center through Feb. 19. Tony Award-nominated Michael Greif will direct this new musical by Sybille Pearson and Michael John LaChiusa. Aaron Lazar stars as Bick and Tony Award nominee Kate Baldwin (Finian's Rainbow) plays Leslie. Lazarand Baldwin recently stopped by Dallas' GMT whwre they performed a song from the show. Clcik below to check it out!