A re-imagined version of the 1921 musical SHUFFLE ALONG, one of the earliest stage hits starring, written and directed by African-Americans, opens tonight, April 28, on Broadway at the Music Box Theatre. SHUFFLE ALONG has a new book and is directed by George C. Wolfe, choreographed by Savion Glover. Scroll down to learn more about the company, plus watch SUNDAY MORNING's recent behind-the-scenes look at the show!
The orchestra starts the waltz into 'Sunrise, Sunset'. Everyone is in place, Tevye sings, 'Is this the little girl I carried?' Nothing out of the ordinary, here. Then, four male ensemble members and the Rabbi slowly come up the upstage stairs from the trap, moving downstage center, where they slowly get into position with the chuppah (Jewish wedding canopy). One little problem, tonight. There's no chuppah (we later found out it had been broken). I look around the stage at my fellow cast members, who are all slowly registering this and getting that glint in the eye you get when you're about to crack up. Then, it hit me. Samantha Massell and I have a solo coming up in a second where we have to sing the lyric, 'Is there a canopy in store for me?' The irony of this is just too much for me and, no matter how hard I try, I sing this line with the stupidest grin on my face. I mean, you can't ignore it! I absolutely LIVE for moments like this. Happy accidents that keep things fresh, can breathe new life into the show, and remind us all that it's called a 'play' for a reason. It's supposed to be fun!
rtistic Director Mandy Greenfield has announced additional casting for the upcoming Williamstown Theatre Festival 2016 Summer Season kicking off June 28 and running through August 21, 2016.
The Drama League has announced the 11 stage directors who have been selected as the 2016 Directing Fellows of The Drama League Directors Project: Noa Egozi, Drew Feldman, Sara Holdren, Candis Jones, Yavor Kostov, Katie Lupica, James Palmer, Jesca Prudencio, Ilana Ransom Toeplitz, Chloe Treat, Shaun Patrick Tubbs. More information can be found at www.dramaleague.org
Broadway's WAITRESS began performances on Friday, March 25 with a bang, setting a house record for a single performance the Brooks Atkinson Theatre and announcing a new block of tickets on sale through January 1, 2017. WAITRESS opens today, April 24, 2016. Get ready for tonight's opening bows by scrolling down to learn more about the company, plus watching highlights from the show!
Theater Breaking Through Barriers will present the World Premiere of THE HEALING by Drama Desk and Obie Award-winning playwright Samuel D. Hunter (The Whale, A Bright New Boise). It will be directed by Stella Powell-Jones. Previews begin June 11 at Theatre Row's Clurman Theatre with opening night slated for June 22.
Lincoln Center Theater will welcome Michael Aronov, Adam Dannheisser, Jennifer Ehle, Daniel Jenkins, Dariush Kashani, Jefferson Mays, Daniel Oreskes, Henny Russell, Joseph Siravo, and T. Ryder Smith in the cast of its upcoming production of OSLO, a new play by J.T. Rogers, directed by Bartlett Sher.
I must have been an incredibly naive 12 year old. As my family and I were leaving the Marriott Marquis Theatre after a performance of the revival of Annie Get Your Gun, we passed by the stage door. A hoard of people were crowded behind the barricades, eagerly clutching their playbills, sharpies, and cameras in hopes to snag an autograph or photo with Bernadette Peters and Tom Wopat. We were watching from across the street. A security person was guarding the door, and would escort Bernadette and Tom as they made their way through the crowd, greeting their fans. Once they were done, they each got into the back seats of their respective black Lincoln town cars and rode off into the night. What I couldn't wrap my head around, at the time, was....where do they go?
On Tuesday, April 26 (1pm), join us for a Career Conversations with Danielle Brooks currently starring in The Color Purple, moderated by BroadwayWorld.com's Richard Ridge of 'Backstage with Richard Ridge!' The event will take place at The New School - University Center (63 Fifth Avenue).
UglyRhino Productions has announced today that they will bring Taylor Mac's OKAY to Bushwick's new Central Arts in a newly conceived environmental production for 13 performances only, starting May 12 through 28.
Great news tonight! Geffen Playhouse has just announced a starry cast for its world premiere production of BIG SKY, written by Pulitzer Prize finalist Alexandra Gersten-Vassilaros.
Oscar nominated and Golden Globe winning actress Anne Archer will return to the UK to star as 'Jane Fonda' in a brand new production of THE TRIAL OF JANE FONDA, written by seven-time Emmy award-winner Terry Jastrow, and directed by Joe Harmston, opening at Park Theatre on 13 July until 20 August, with a press night on 14 July.
Goodman Theatre has announced Broadway stars John Dossett and Douglas Sills will join the cast of War Paint, a new musical starring two-time Tony Award winners Patti LuPone and Christine Ebersole as Helena Rubinstein and Elizabeth Arden, respectively. Dossett will portray Tommy Lewis, Miss Arden's husband and chief marketing officer, and Sills will portray the ambitious Harry Fleming, Madame Rubinstein's clubby confidante and faithful ally.
The Old Globe presents Nick Payne's Broadway hit play CONSTELLATIONS, directed by the Globe's own Richard Seer. Christian Coulson and Victoria Frings lead the two-person play, which runs now through May 8, 2016, in the Sheryl and Harvey White Theatre, part of the Conrad Prebys Theatre Center. Opening night is tonight, April 14 at 8:00 p.m.
BroadwayWorld is excited to report the complete cast and creative team of Kimber Lee's beautiful drama tokyo fish story, directed by May Adrales, coming to The Old Globe this spring.
I must have been an incredibly naive 12 year old. As my family and I were leaving the Marriott Marquis Theatre after a performance of the revival of Annie Get Your Gun, we passed by the stage door. A hoard of people were crowded behind the barricades, eagerly clutching their playbills, sharpies, and cameras in hopes to snag an autograph or photo with Bernadette Peters and Tom Wopat. We were watching from across the street. A security person was guarding the door, and would escort Bernadette and Tom as they made their way through the crowd, greeting their fans. Once they were done, they each got into the back seats of their respective black Lincoln town cars and rode off into the night. What I couldn't wrap my head around, at the time, was....where do they go?
California Shakespeare Theater marks the beginning of its 25th season at the glorious Bruns Amphitheater with Shakespeare's sassiest battle royale, Much Ado About Nothing, in a newly-minted adaptation by Kenneth Lin and Jackson Gay, with additional text by Lin, and directed by Gay in her Cal Shakes debut. Much Ado About Nothing plays from May 25 through June 19; for tickets and information, contact the Cal Shakes Box Office at 510.548.9666 or visit www.calshakes.org
The annual Playwrights for a Cause benefit will be Sunday, July 24th at 7:30 pm at the Atlantic Theatre (Linda Gross Theater), 336 West 20th Street, NYC 10011. The special performance will include six original plays. This year the playwrights for the benefit will include: Israel Horovitz, Dominique Morisseau, Antoinette Nwandu, John Patrick Shanley, Regina Taylor as well as an award-winning writer from the Planet Connections community that will be announced later.
Native Detroiter and Internationally Awarded Playwright, Actress and Television Writer Dominique Morisseau is returning home with Blair Underwood, Andre Holland and Ruben Santiago-Hudson for a public of event around her cycle of Detroit plays, entitled 'The Detroit Project'. The first acclaimed play in the cycle, DETROIT '67, about the 1967 uprising, is premiering in Detroit May 13-June 5th with the Detroit Public Theatre at the Max M. and Marjorie S. Fisher Music Center.
