Williamstown Theatre News

The Rose Theater, one of the country's largest theaters specializing in professional productions for young audiences, will present nine shows for the 2013-14 season. Included are two world premieres, Leo Lionni's Frederick, a musical based on the popular 1968 children's book, and The Grocer's Goblin & The Little Mermaid adapted from two Hans Christen Andersen tales by Rose Playwright-in-Residence Brian Guehring and Rose Director of Youth Productions Stephanie Jacobson.

Williamstown Theatre Festival Artistic Director Jenny Gersten has announced casting for the 2013 summer season's exciting slate of productions. On the Main Stage, the cast of Animal Crackers (playing June 26 - July 14, 2013) will include Jonathan Brody (Naked Boys Singing), Adam Chanler-Berat (Peter and the Starcatcher), Mara Davi (Death Takes a Holiday), Renee Elise Goldsberry (Good People), Ellen Harvey (How to Succeed...), and Jacob Ming Trent (Hands on a Hardbody), all making their WTF debuts.

Mississippi Mud Productions will present The Blonde Bombshell Project, a new solo play written and starring Jen Danby and directed by Tony Nominee and Obie-Winning Director Austin Pendleton. Fresh from their collaboration as Catharine Holly and Dr. Sugar in Suddenly, Last Summer with Mississippi Mud, this new solo work is about about legendary Hollywood 'Blonde Bombshell' Marilyn Monroe in her final summer of 1962. ??

Naked Angels, the eclectic downtown theater company that recently partnered with the New School for Drama under the leadership of Naked Angels founding company member Pippin Parker, is pleased to announce that New School alumna Liz Carlson will assume the role of Artistic Director of Naked Angels beginning May 1, 2013, further enhancing the relationship between the two companies. Current Artistic Director Andy Donald, who succeeded Geoffrey Nauffts in July 2011 after two years as Associate Artistic Director, departs the company for a new position as a creative producer at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center.

The Old Globe today announced the complete cast and creative team for the West Coast Premiere of Bekah Brunstetter's quirky and tender comedy Be a Good Little Widow. Directed by Hal Brooks, Be a Good Little Widow will run May 11 - June 9, 2013 in the Sheryl and Harvey White Theatre, part of the Globe's Conrad Prebys Theatre Center. Preview performances run May 11 - May 15. Opening night is Thursday, May 16 at 8:00 p.m. Meet the cast in the photos below!

The Guthrie today announced that it has commissioned Tony Award and Drama Desk Award-winning Broadway songwriter and composer Jason Robert Brown to create an original music piece for its 50th-anniversary gala performance BEHOLD. Brown's composition will be based on text excerpts from Shakespeare's Hamlet.

Williamstown Theatre Festival Artistic Director Jenny Gersten has announced that Festival veteran Steven Pasquale will play 'Robert Kincaid' in this summer's World Premiere of The Bridges of Madison County. As previously announced, the new musical, which runs on the Main Stage from August 1 - 18, 2013, features a book by Marsha Norman, music & lyrics by Jason Robert Brown, and direction by Bartlett Sher. Pasquale returns to WTF after appearing opposite Kelli O'Hara last summer in the World Premiere of Far From Heaven.

New York Live Arts is set to present several Re: Awakenings performances as part of the inaugural Live Ideas festival. New York Live Arts' newest program initiative, Live Ideas is an annual humanities festival that will explore a different theme each year over several days. The inaugural festival, The Worlds of Oliver Sacks, will take place from today, April 17 through 21, 2013 and is comprised of more than 20 events, including performances, films and discussions that showcase works of art and spark conversations that engage the prevalent themes in the acclaimed neurologist's works.

Columbia Stages will present NEW PLAYS NOW, the annual festival of new plays by emerging artists from the MFA Theatre Program at Columbia University School of the Arts. NEW PLAYS NOW will run from tonight, April 17 to May 11 and will feature original works by Paulina Barros, Keith Boynton, Talya Chalef, Angelica Cheri, Pei-Chieh Chiang, Paola Lazaro Muñoz, Alessandra Most, Christina Quintana, Torrey Townsend, and Zhao Binghao.

The Media Theatre's production of the classic musical 'Mame' plays tonight, April 17-May 19. The show stars legendary Tony nominee Andrea McArdle in the title role. Jesse Cline directs the regional revival.

South Coast Repertory's world premiere of Beau Willimon's The Parisian Woman opens tonight, April 14.

This morning on 'LIVE with Kelly and Michael,' Broadway's David Hyde Pierce spoke about 'Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike.' After discussing the production, hosts Kelly Ripa and Michael Strahan asked Pierce a series of rapid-fire questions in a fun game called 'Piercing Questions.' Check out the clip below!

SCISSORING, a new play by Christina Quintana, will be presented as part of Columbia Stages' NEW PLAYS NOW Festival on Thursday May 2nd at 2:30pm, Saturday May 4th at 8pm, and Sunday May 5th at 2:30pm, at the Studio Theater in the Pershing Square Signature Center located at 480 W 42nd St New York, NY 10036.

Tonight, April 12, 2013, The New York Pops continues its 30th season with an evening celebrating the 65th birthday of Stephen Schwartz and the 10th anniversary of his hit musical Wicked with The Wizard and I: The Musical Journey of Stephen Schwartz. Music Director and Conductor Steven Reineke will lead the orchestra as they perform highlights from some of the composer-lyricist's most beloved works. The concert features Tony Award nominee Jeremy Jordan (Newsies), Tony Award nominee Norm Lewis (The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess), Drama Desk Award nominee Julia Murney (The Wild Party), Tony Award nominee Jennifer Laura Thompson (Urinetown), and Judith Clurman's Essential Voices USA.

Second Stage Theatre's acclaimed production of Jason Robert Brown's musical, THE LAST FIVE YEARS, has received a third and final one-week extension, and will now end its run on Saturday, May 18. The musical has broken box office records for the off-Broadway institution and ranks among the longest-running productions in Second Stage's 34 year history.

On April 12, 2013, The New York Pops continues its 30th season with an evening celebrating the 65th birthday of Stephen Schwartz and the 10th anniversary of his hit musical Wicked with The Wizard and I: The Musical Journey of Stephen Schwartz. Music Director and Conductor Steven Reineke will lead the orchestra as they perform highlights from some of the composer-lyricist's most beloved works. The concert features Tony Award nominee Jeremy Jordan (Newsies), Tony Award nominee Norm Lewis (The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess), Drama Desk Award nominee Julia Murney (The Wild Party), Tony Award nominee Jennifer Laura Thompson (Urinetown), and Judith Clurman's Essential Voices USA.

Beginning today, Wednesday, April 10, tickets will go on sale to the general public for the Playwrights Horizons (Tim Sanford, Artistic Director; Leslie Marcus, Managing Director) World Premiere production of FAR FROM HEAVEN.

The Old Globe will open its 2013-14 Season with The Last Goodbye, a new musical that marries Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet and the incendiary songs of the legendary singer-songwriter Jeff Buckley. Conceived and adapted by Michael Kimmel, the rock musical is directed by two-time Tony Award nominee Alex Timbers (Peter and the Starcatcher, Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson). Choreography is by Sonya Tayeh ("So You Think You Can Dance"), and orchestrations, music direction and arrangements are by Kris Kukul. The complete creative team and casting, as well as the remainder of the Globe's new season, will be announced at a later date. The Last Goodbye will run on the Donald and Darlene Shiley Stage in the Old Globe Theatre, part of the Globe's Conrad Prebys Theatre Center, Sept. 20 - Nov. 3, 2013. Preview performances run Sept. 20 - Oct. 5. Opening night is Sunday, Oct. 6. Tickets are currently available by subscription only. Tickets can be purchased online at www.TheOldGlobe.org, by phone at (619) 23-GLOBE or by visiting the Box Office at 1363 Old Globe Way in Balboa Park.