Williamstown Theatre News

As previously reported, The Visit's Roger Rees has taken a leave from his role in the new Broadway musical The Visit, with Tom Nelis stepping in for the time being. Today, producers have released a statement on Rees' departure, confirming it's due to medical reasons.

Theater Wit Artistic Director Jeremy Wechsler announced today a two-week extension of its smash hit Bad Jews, now running through June 21 at the company's home in Chicago's Lakeview neighborhood. Immediately after, Wit will transfer Bad Jews to the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie's 318-seat space for a summer remount, June 26-July 19.

We are yet another day closer to the biggest night on every theatre-lover's calendar- the 69th Annual Tony Awards, which will be co-hosted by Kristin Chenoweth and Alan Cumming on Sunday, June 7 (8PM on CBS). Earlier this month, the 2015 Tony nominees gathered to meet the press and BroadwayWorld was on hand for the big day. Below, we bring you an exclusive interview with Micah Stock, Best Performance by an Featured Actor in a Play for It's Only a Play.

We are yet another day closer to the biggest night on every theatre-lover's calendar- the 69th Annual Tony Awards, which will be co-hosted by Kristin Chenoweth and Alan Cumming on Sunday, June 7 (8PM on CBS). Earlier this month, the 2015 Tony nominees gathered to meet the press and BroadwayWorld was on hand for the big day. Below, we bring you an exclusive interview with Robert Askins and Moritz von Stuelpnagel, Best Play and Best Direction of a Play nominee for Hand to God.

WAM Theatre has announced that Jayne Atkinson will be directing the next play in their 2015 Fresh Takes Play Reading Series, Noms de Guerre by Jacqueline E. Lawton.  

In this week's edition, we hear from John Cariani, who is currently starring as 'Nigel Bottom' in Something Rotten!- playing at the St. James Theatre. Read on to find out his top five picks!

Musical theatre star Betty Buckley recently spent time backstage at THE VISIT with Chita Rivera. In an Instagram post, Buckley wrote, 'Backstage at 'The Visit'with the incredible Broadway Star, Ms. Chita Rivera! My eyes are red from crying at the beauty of this special piece of Art & theater, centered around the extraordinary performance by beloved Chita! Amazing! She touched my heart & soul so deeply! You gotta see this!' Check out the pic below!

BroadwayWorld has learned that Roger Rees is currently on leave from The Visit, and in his place, Tom Nelis is temporarily stepping in as Anton Schell. No word yet on the duration of the hiatus. Of note, the star has also been swapped out for Nelis on the show's official web site. According to audience member reports, Nelis is giving a stellar performance in the role opposite the legendary Chita Rivera. Keep checking BroadwayWorld as we learn more!

The Old Globe today announced the complete cast and creative team for the West Coast premiere of an exciting new American play, Rich Girl, by acclaimed playwright Victoria Stewart, continuing the Globe's 80th Anniversary festivities as part of the Balboa Park Centennial Celebration. Rich Girl will be directed by James Vasquez (Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, Richard O'Brien's The Rocky Horror Show), and will play May 23 - June 21, 2015, in the Sheryl and Harvey White Theatre, part of the Globe's Conrad Prebys Theatre Center.

City Theatre announces the lineup for this year's two-day Momentum festival, featuring new works by returning favorites Jessica Dickey and Keith Reddin.

The American Music Theatre Project (AMTP) at Northwestern University will workshop and present a staged reading of the new musical "The Enlightenment of Percival von Schmootz" written by the Fred Ebb Award, Jonathan Larson Grant and Lorenz Hart Award-winning team Michael Kooman and Christopher Dimond. 

Broadway legends and Tony nominees Chita Rivera and John Kander talked to USA Today and explained how their work is their real reward.

Williamstown Theatre Festival  has announced further programming and special events to join the 2015 summer season including: the legendary Late-Night Cabaret, the ever popular Fridays@3 Reading Series, and this summer's Developmental Workshop Series. Also announced are this year's Boris Sagal and Bill Foeller Directing Fellows: Dustin Wills and Adrienne Campbell-Holt.

Paper Mill Playhouse presents the world-premiere musical Ever After, directed and choreographed by three-time Tony Award winner Kathleen Marshall (Anything Goes, Nice Work If You Can Get It), featuring a book and lyrics by Marcy Heisler and music by Zina Goldrich. Ever After begins performances tonight, May 21, 2015, and runs through Sunday, June 21, 2015.

Just yesterday, special Tony honoree Tommy Tune,  who is referenced in It's Only A Play and who won his first Tony® in the Featured Actor category, celebrated Micah Stock's first Tony nomination by surprising him ON STAGE at the curtain call of Wednesday's matinee. BroadwayWorld brings you photos from inside the special event below! 

Bucks County Playhouse (BCP) announces Bucks County's own John Augustine to return (The Hummingbird's Tour, 2014, Director) to the Bucks County Playhouse stage as 'Larry' in Stephen Sondheim's COMPANY, running May 29-June 21. Augustine will play alongside Broadway's Candy Buckley (Scandalous, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Cabaret) as 'Joanne'.

The complete cast and creative team have been announced for The Old Globe production of William Shakespeare's delightful and romantic Twelfth Night. Rebecca Taichman, whose production of the time-traveling Time and the Conways fascinated audiences last April, is back to direct the first show of the 2015 Summer Shakespeare Festival. The Old Globe engagement will begin performances on June 21 and run through July 26, 2015, with opening night on Saturday, June 27 at 8:00 p.m., in the Lowell Davies Festival Theatre.

A work-in-progress presentation of Lucy Alibar's 'Throw Me On the Burnpile and Light Me Up' begins a limited engagement at the Center Theatre Group/Kirk Douglas Theatre tonight, May 21, as part of CTG's DouglasPlus programming. It will continue through May 31 with only 11 public performances.

The Muny announced today the cast for its production ofHairspray. Winner of the 2003 Tony® Award for Best Musical, it features music by Marc Shaiman & Scott Wittman with a book by Mark O'Donnell & Thomas Meehan. The Muny's production of Hairspray is directed and choreographed by Dan Knechtges and music directed by Charlie Alterman.

The Visit, recently nominated for 5 Tony Awards including Best Musical, will host a conversation with two iconic composers following this evening's performance, May 20. Tony Award-winning composer of The Visit, John Kander, will sit down with Tony Award winning composer of the upcoming Broadway musical Hamilton, Lin-Manuel Miranda.