Williamstown Theatre News

Producers announced today that Tony® Award-winner Donna McKechnie will be the STANDBY for the lead role of Claire Zachannassian in the highly anticipated musical, The Visit, soon to open on Broadway. The Visit will begin performances at the Lyceum Theatre (149 West 45th Street) on Thursday, March 26 with an Opening Night set for Thursday, April 23. Tickets are now available on Telecharge.com.

Classic Stage Company, under the leadership of Artistic Director Brian Kulick, Managing Director Jeff Griffin and Executive Director Greg Reiner, announced complete casting today for their upcoming production of William Shakespeare's HAMLET, starring acclaimed actor Peter Sarsgaard as Hamlet, and directed by Austin Pendleton.

The Drama Desk and Obie Award-winning Keen Company presents the first New York revival of John & Jen, the musical with music by Andrew Lippa, lyrics by Tom Greenwald, and a book by Greenwald and Lippa. The show officially opens tonight, February 26th at The Clurman Theatre at Theatre Row (410 West 42nd Street, between 9th and 10th Avenues).

The Old Globe is delighted to welcome one of the true geniuses of the American theatre, Tony Award winner Mary Zimmerman, who makes her long-awaited San Diego directing debut with an enchanting theatrical spectacle with live music and sumptuous visuals, The White Snake, continuing the Globe's 80th Anniversary festivities as part of the Balboa Park Centennial Celebration. The Southern California Premiere of The White Snake, written and directed by Zimmerman, will run March 21 through April 26 on the Donald and Darlene Shiley Stage in the Old Globe Theatre, part of the Globe's Conrad Prebys Theatre Center. Preview performances run March 21 through 25. Opening night is Thursday, March 26 at 8:00 p.m.

PAGE 73 has awarded Nick Gandiello the 2015 P73 Playwriting Fellowship. Gandiello, who was selected from more than 450 applicants, will receive the company's top prize, which includes a $10,000 award and additional $10,000 budgeted for developing several new plays over the course of the year. Page 73 will also produce at least one public workshop for Gandiello this year.

59E59 Theaters welcomes terraNOVA Collective with the NY premiere of UNDERLAND, written by Alexandra Collier and directed by Mia Rovegno. UNDERLAND begins performances on Friday, April 3 for a limited engagement through Saturday, April 25. Press opening is Saturday, April 11 at 8:15 PM. The performance schedule is Tuesday - Thursday at 7:15 PM; Friday & Saturday at 8:15 PM; and Sunday at 3:15 PM. Performances are at 59E59 Theaters (59 East 59th Street, between Park and Madison Avenues). Tickets are $25 ($17.50 for 59E59 Members). To purchase tickets, call Ticket Central at (212) 279-4200 or go to www.59e59.org.

Kansas City Repertory Theatre Artistic Director Eric Rosen announced today the casting for HAIR: Retrospection, under his direction.

Come celebrate the one and only Broadway legend CHITA RIVERA in a unique solo concert event, coming to The Alden in McLean for one night only tonight, Feb. 24 at 7:30 p.m.

The Brown Paper Box Co. announces the Chicago storefront premiere of [title of show], with music and lyrics by Jeff Bowen and book by Hunter Bell. The show will run from July 17 through August 16, 2015 at Rivendell Theatre in Chicago's Edgewater neighborhood (5779 N. Ridge Ave.). Press performances are Sunday, July 19 at 2 P.M. and Monday, July 20 at 7:30 P.M. Audition information and more will be posted at www.brownpaperbox.org.

Three-time Academy Award nominee Bradley Cooper, Academy Award nominee and Emmy Award winner Patricia Clarkson and Alessandro Nivola will play their final Broadway performance in Bernard Pomerance's Tony Award-winning classic The Elephant Man on Saturday, February 21 after 35 previews and 83 regular performances. Directed by 6-time Tony Award nominee Scott Ellis, the production began performances on November 7, 2014 and officially opened on December 7, 2014 at Broadway's Booth Theatre (222 West 45th Street, NYC). The Elephant Man begins a 12 week limited engagement at London's Theatre Royal Haymarket on May 19, 2015 for a limited engagement through August 8, 2015.

Bradley Cooper, who leads Broadway's The Elephant Man, has earned a 2015 Academy Award nomination for Best Actor and Best Picture for the film American Sniper. To allow Mr. Cooper to attend the award ceremony in Los Angeles on Sunday, February 22, The Elephant Man plays its final Broadway performance tonight, February 21, at Broadway's Booth Theatre (222 West 45th Street, NYC). In honor of closing night, BroadwayWorld flashes back to the show's journey to Broadway below!

Four-time Grammy Award winner Renee Fleming will be joined by three-time Tony Award winner Kathleen Marshall and two-time Tony Award winner Joe DiPietro for a The New York Times' 'Times Talks' on Monday, March 9, 2015. New York Times reporter Patrick Healy will moderate the 7 PM and 8:30 PM discussion which will focus on the new Broadway comedy Living on Love.

The Sheryl Kaller helmed musical adaption of the Aldous Huxley classic BRAVE NEW WORLD will present two presentations onFebruary 23rd at 3PM and February 24th at noon following the culmination of a two week experimental AEA Lab.

FIREBONE THEATRE has announced the world premiere production of Don Nguyen'sRED FLAMBOYANT, directed by Laura Savia. RED FLAMBOYANT will play a limited engagement at Anderson Hall at Calvary St. George's (61 Gramercy Park North, New York, NY 10010). Performances begin Friday, April24 and continue through Saturday, May16. Opening Night is Saturday, April25 (8 p.m.).

Berkeley Rep is proud to welcome back the beloved team of Dominique Serrand and Steven Epp for a provocative and powerful revival of Moliere's dark comedy about religious hypocrisy.

Circle X Theatre Co. is thrilled to announce the West Coast premiere of TREVOR, written by Nick Jones (Writer/Co-Producer 'Orange is the New Black') and directed by Stella Powell-Jones, starring Laurie Metcalf and Jimmi Simpson. TREVOR will preview on Thursday, March 5; Friday, March 6; Saturday, March 7; Thursday, March 12 & Friday, March 13 at 8pm and will open on Saturday, March 14 and run through Sunday, April 19 at Atwater Village Theatre, 3269 Casitas Ave. in Los Angeles, 90039.

The distinguished Cuban-American playwright Eduardo Machado has created a touchstone piece by taking a one-act play with music, written in 1982, and turning it into a full-length, two-act musical. His 'Rosario and the Gypsies,' with songs by composer Rick Vartorella and lyrics by Mr. Machado and Mr. Vartorella, was a short, wild rock 'n roll play with music about the backstage romances and melodramas of a hippie performance troupe in southern California who were devoted to the art of change. Its songs were a combination of street pop and 60's-70's rock. It was produced in NYC by Ensemble Studio Theater in 1982 and it got Machado recognized as a writer to be reckoned with. Machado and Vartorella have now revised the piece and completed its story, adding a second act, in which we learn the future for its characters. Theater for the New City will present this revised and expanded version of 'Rosario and the Gypsies' from tonight, February 18 to March 8, directed by Machado.

Frigid New York presents A PowerOut production: Let's Play Play, written by Ben Ferber and directed by Todd Brian Backus. The production plays tonight, Feb 18th - Mar 7th, 2015.

Playwrights Horizons has announced casting for IOWA, the world premiere of a new musical play written by Susan Smith Blackburn Prize finalist Jenny Schwartz (God's Ear, Somewhere Fun), music by Todd Almond (Stage Kiss at PH, Kansas City Choir Boy, The Tempest, On the Levee) and lyrics by Mr. Almond and Ms. Schwartz. Directed by two-time Obie Award winner Ken Rus Schmoll (Red Dog Howls, Middletown, What Once We Felt; next season's just-announced Antlia Pneumatica by Anne Washburn at PH), the musical play will be the fifth production of the theater company's 2014/2015 Season.

SPACE on Ryder Farm announced today that Alex Barron will become its first Artistic Curator. An accomplished dramaturg, literary manager and producer, Barron will oversee all artistic programming at SPACE on Ryder Farm - including its residency program and resident writers group,The Working Farm - and will spearhead new artistic projects and programs. Barron will work closely with SPACE's Executive Director Emily Simoness to grow the company's mission while maintaining its commitment to enriching artists and their work.