It's Only a Play 1986 - Articles Page 8

Opened: January 12, 1986
Closing: January 26, 1986

It's Only a Play - 1986 - Off-Broadway History , Info & More

Manhattan Theatre Club Stage I
131 West 55th Street New York, NY 10019

It’s the opening night of The Golden Egg on Broadway, and the wealthy producer Julia Budder is throwing a lavish party in her lavish Manhattan townhouse. Downstairs the celebrities are pouring in, but the real action is upstairs in the bedroom, where a group of insiders have staked themselves out to await the reviews. The group includes the excitable playwright; the possibly unstable wunderkind director; the pill-popping leading lady, treading the boards after becoming infamous in Hollywood; and the playwright’s best friend, for whom the play was written but who passed up this production for a television series. Add to this a drama critic who’s panned the playwright in the past and a new-in-town aspiring singer, and you have a prime recipe for the narcissism, ambition, childishness, and just plain irrationality that infuse the theatre—and for comedy. But don’t worry: This play is sure to be the hit they have all been hoping for.

It's Only a Play - 1986 - Off-Broadway Cast

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It's Only a Play - 1986 - Off-Broadway Articles Page 8

LADY DAY AT EMERSON'S BAR & GRILL Comes to Garry Marshall Theatre
by A.A. Cristi - Mar 25, 2019


Garry Marshall Theatre presents the Broadway play Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill by Lanie Robertson for 15 performances May 15 to June 2, 2019 (press opening is Friday, May 17).  The time is 1959, a seedy bar in Philadelphia. The audience is about to witness one of Billie Holiday's last performances, given four months before her death. More than a dozen musical numbers - including "What a Moonlight Can Do," "Crazy He Calls Me," "Easy Living," "Strange Fruit," "Taint Nobody's Biz-ness If I Do," and "God Bless the Child" -- are interlaced with salty, often humorous, reminiscences to project a riveting portrait of the lady and her music.

Theatre Arlington Presents A FEW GOOD MEN
by A.A. Cristi - Mar 18, 2019


Theatre Arlington is proud to present the compelling military courtroom drama, A Few Good Men by Aaron Sorkin. Before his 1992 movie received worldwide praise and recognition, Sorkin's play, which he wrote on cocktail napkins while bartending, opened at the Music Box Theatre in New York City in November 1989 and ran until January 1991. So strong was his dialogue and characters that the film rights were sold before his play even opened.

Meet the Cast of GARY: A SEQUEL TO TITUS ANDRONICUS- Now in Previews!
by Julie Musbach - Mar 11, 2019


The Broadway production of Pulitzer Prize finalist and MacArthur Fellow Taylor Mac's new comedy Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus will begin previews this evening, 8 p.m., at Broadway's Booth Theatre. Get to know the cast below as they begin Broadway performances!

ATCA Selects 2019 New Play Award Finalists
by A.A. Cristi - Mar 6, 2019


The American Theatre Critics Association (ATCA) has selected six finalists for the Harold and Mimi Steinberg / American Theatre Critics Association 2019 New Play Award, recognizing playwrights for the best scripts that premiered professionally outside New York City during 2018.

Theatre Memphis Announce New Season And Renovations
by Julie Musbach - Feb 22, 2019


As Theatre Memphis looks toward its 100th anniversary in the 2020-21 season, it has made its play selections for an upcoming abbreviated season to run through 2019 to accommodate the expansion and upgrade plans to the facility to celebrate the century mark.

The Alarm Announce SIGMA LXXXV Tour with Modern English & Jay Aston's Gene Loves Jezebel and More
by Tori Hartshorn - Feb 22, 2019


A fraternity of alternative British rock bands led by acoustic pioneers The Alarm, post punk auteurs Modern English, and the charismatic Jay Aston's Gene Loves Jezebel have announced they will take to the road throughout North America this summer 2019. See initial dates below.

The Castillo Theatre Company Commemorates 30th Anniversary Of The Murder Of Yusuf Hawkins With Production Of BILLIE
by A.A. Cristi - Jan 22, 2019


The Castillo Theatre (Dan Friedman, artistic director; John Rankin, associate managing director) is proud to announce that it will produce a revival of the 1991 play by Fred Newman, Billie, Malcolm & Yusuf, to commemorate the 30th anniversary of Yusuf Hawkins' murder in 1989.  Billie, Malcolm & Yusuf will be directed by award-winning director, Gabrielle Kurlander.  The production includes blues and rap music. The Castillo Theatre is located at 543 West 42nd Street in Manhattan. Performances are between February 15 and March 17, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m., Sundays at 2:00 p.m.

BWW Review: LEND ME A TENOR at Old Log Theatre
by Brett Burger - Jan 14, 2019


As 2018 wrapped up, I was able to sneak in one final show. That show was my 55th show that I saw this year and it was at the lovely Old Log Theatre. This show is one that I've heard of many many times but had never gotten the chance to read or even see produced. I was beyond thrilled to finally see the farcical comedy Lend Me a Tenor by Ken Ludwig.

BWW Review: TEMAN Takes A Giant Step with INTO THE WOODS
by Rakaputra Paputungan - Jan 2, 2019


TEMAN (Teater Musikal Nusantara), an Indonesian professional musical theatre company founded by alumni of LASALLE College of the Arts, Singapore, held their first musical production: Sondheim's INTO THE WOODS. The two-day run consisted of three sold out shows at the Salihara blackbox theater in Jakarta.

TFANA Presents Peter Brook And Marie-Hélène Estienne's THE PRISONER
by A.A. Cristi - Oct 30, 2018


Theatre for a New Audience (TFANA; Jeffrey Horowitz, Founding Artistic Director) presents the New York Premiere of C.I.C.T. - Theatre du Bouffes du Nord's The Prisoner, continuing Peter Brook's 40-year-long collaboration with playwright/director Marie-Helene Estienne.  

BWW Review: With Pinpoint Scrutiny, a Wonderful-to-Watch, Game-Changing CHESS by University of Utah Theatre Department
by Blair Howell - Sep 23, 2018


Tim Rice welcomes the re-imagining of CHESS, and uniquely encourages it. The lyricist has said he knows the musical that premiered in 1986 on the West End is problem-plagued. Continues to refer to CHESS as a work in progress, he suggests exploration and and alterations.

Review: SCHOOL GIRLS Offers a Heartwarming, Heartbreaking and Ultimately Hysterical Modern Morality Tale
by Shari Barrett - Sep 11, 2018


Any teenage girl enrolled in any secondary school around the world can tell you how they were tormented or teased by other girls for some reason, be it their weight, height, hair, or lack of the latest hip clothing to wear. Based only on physical appearance, little regard was paid by the most popular Queen Bee to the real circumstances of others' lives which prevented others from living up to her unrealistic expectations of those she was willing to call 'friends' in her inner circle. I can certainly remember being excluded from the more popular groups of friends in high school, not only for my weight but for my lack of interest in boys and obsession with The Beatles. Think back and I bet you can remember similar experiences you lived through or how you made fun of others you perceived as not being worthy of your inner circle friendship.

Pride Films and Plays Announces Cast of IT'S ONLY A PLAY
by Julie Musbach - Sep 7, 2018


The second production of Pride Films and Plays's 2018-19 season will be IT'S ONLY A PLAY, by Terrence McNally. McNally is arguably Broadway's most prolific gay male playwright, with 20 Broadway credits to his name, plus many other plays produced off-Broadway.

Hungarian State Opera To Make U.S. Debut At Lincoln Center's Koch Theater
by A.A. Cristi - Sep 4, 2018


The Hungarian State Opera (HSO), one of the world's busiest opera companies, comes to the United States this fall for the first time ever, presenting four operas by Hungarian composers, including two U.S. premieres, at Lincoln Center's David H. Koch Theater, October 30 to November 3. This week of opera is followed by another week of performances presented by the Hungarian National Ballet, November 6 to 11, as well as an opera and ballet gala on November 4 and the Carnegie Hall debut of the HSO Orchestra on November 5. These U.S. performances build upon the HSO's rich history of touring, which stretches back 100 years and includes performances in numerous European capitals including Amsterdam, Helsinki, Moscow, Paris, Rome, Stockholm, and Vienna, and in countries including Canada, China, Egypt, Japan (ten times), Mexico, Taiwan, and Peru. Ongoing renovations to the Hungarian State Opera House have presented an opportunity for increased touring this season, including the chance to introduce American audiences to the company and its repertoire, much of it rarely seen or heard.

Oskar Eustis To Receive SDCF's First Gordon Davidson Award
by A.A. Cristi - Sep 4, 2018


The Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation (SDCF) has named Oskar Eustis as the first recipient of its new honor, The Gordon Davidson Award, which will be bestowed annually by SDCF to recognize a director or choreographer for lifetime achievement and distinguished service in the regional theatre nationally. The presentation of the award will take place on Saturday, September 22, at the Center Theatre Group's Annex/ Gordon Davidson Rehearsal Hall, in a by-invitation-only event.

Jonah Platt Will Play Dean Dillon In New Musical TENNESSEE WHISKEY
by Julie Musbach - Aug 28, 2018


Star of stage and screen, Jonah Platt has signed on to play Country Songwriter Hall of Famer, Dean Dillon, in the upcoming musical Tennessee Whiskey The Musical: The Story of Dean Dillon, written by Dewey Moss featuring the songs of Mr. Dillon.

Susan Hill's THE WOMAN IN BLACK To Kick Off Season At Cleveland Play House
by Julie Musbach - Aug 27, 2018


Cleveland Play House (CPH) kicks off its 2018-2019 Season with the spine tingling tale of Susan Hill's The Woman in Black.  Hill's gothic ghost story, adapted for the stage by Stephen Mallatratt, will star Bradley Armacost as Arthur Kipps and Adam Wesley Brown as the Actor in the show that Daily Mail called, "A nerve-shredding experience."  Director Robin Herford will recreate his original staging from the London West End.  The American premiere of the West End Production is produced by PW Productions and Pemberley Productions.  Previews begin on September 15th, with press opening on September 21st at the Allen Theatre in Playhouse Square. 

Oscar-Winner Sorkin Approves Local Theatre Reimagining Of A FEW GOOD MEN
by A.A. Cristi - Aug 22, 2018


It's not easy having a conversation with Joel Roster. He's got a lot to tell you, and as the Artistic Director of a new theater company approaching its sophomore production, his manic (and yet genuinely friendly) energy runneth over when the name Aaron Sorkin comes up.

IT'S ONLY A PLAY Continues Langhorne Players' 2018 Season
by BWW News Desk - Jul 28, 2018


It's the opening night of The Golden Egg on Broadway, and the wealthy producer Julia Budder is throwing a lavish party in her lavish Manhattan townhouse. Downstairs the celebrities are pouring in, but the real action is upstairs in the bedroom, where a group of insiders have staked themselves out to await the reviews. The group includes the excitable playwright; the possibly unstable wunderkind director; the pill-popping leading lady, treading the boards after becoming infamous in Hollywood; and the playwright's best friend, for whom the play was written but who passed up this production for a television series. Add to this a drama critic who's panned the playwright in the past and a new-in-town aspiring singer, and you have a prime recipe for the narcissism, ambition, childishness, and just plain irrationality that infuse the theatre-and for comedy. But don't worry: This play is sure to be the hit they have all been hoping for.

National New Play Network Announces 2018-19 Awardees
by A.A. Cristi - Jul 18, 2018


National New Play Network, the country's alliance of professional theaters that collaborate in innovative ways to develop, produce, and extend the life of new plays, announces its 2018-19 grant recipients, including the 2018 Smith Prize for Political Theatre, six Producer Residencies, and five Collaboration Fund awards that will support partnerships between multiple Member Theaters, playwrights, and other theater makers in various projects.

IT'S ONLY A PLAY Continues Langhorne Players' 2018 Season
by BWW News Desk - Jul 13, 2018


It's the opening night of The Golden Egg on Broadway, and the wealthy producer Julia Budder is throwing a lavish party in her lavish Manhattan townhouse. Downstairs the celebrities are pouring in, but the real action is upstairs in the bedroom, where a group of insiders have staked themselves out to await the reviews. The group includes the excitable playwright; the possibly unstable wunderkind director; the pill-popping leading lady, treading the boards after becoming infamous in Hollywood; and the playwright's best friend, for whom the play was written but who passed up this production for a television series. Add to this a drama critic who's panned the playwright in the past and a new-in-town aspiring singer, and you have a prime recipe for the narcissism, ambition, childishness, and just plain irrationality that infuse the theatre-and for comedy. But don't worry: This play is sure to be the hit they have all been hoping for.

Lea Delaria, Dana Delany, Ana Villafane, and More Complete Cast of COLLECTIVE RAGE: A PLAY IN 5 BETTIES
by Julie Musbach - Jun 26, 2018


MCC THEATER today announced the complete cast and creative team for the first show of the 2018/19 season: the New York Premiere production of Collective Rage: A Play in 5 Betties, written by Jen Silverman, and directed by MCC alum Mike Donahue

Opera Maine Presents A New Production Of THE MARRIAGE OF FIGARO In July
by Julie Musbach - Jun 13, 2018


Opera Maine is proud to present a new production of Mozart's masterpiece The Marriage of Figaro, a comic satire often described as 'the perfect opera.' Mozart's sublime music in The Marriage of Figaro has delighted audiences since 1786, and the captivating plot, with its dynamic characters and themes of social and sexual tension, is sure to excite today's audiences. The Marriage of Figaro will be performed at Merrill Auditorium on Wednesday, July 25 and Friday, July 27 at 7:30 p.m.  

CNBC Transcript: Former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz Sits Down with Andrew Ross Sorkin on CNBC's SQUAWK BOX Today
by Tori Hartshorn - Jun 5, 2018


The following is the unofficial transcript of an EXCLUSIVE CNBC interview with Former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz and CNBC's Andrew Sorkin on CNBC's “Squawk Box” (M-F 6AM – 9AM) today, Tuesday, June 5. The interview follows Sorkin's scoop yesterday that Mr. Schultz will be stepping down from his current role as Executive Chairman of Starbucks effective June 26th. Watch video of the interview on CNBC.com here!

BWW Exclusive: A Retrospective of Chita Rivera's Tony Nominated and Award Winning Roles
by Bethany Sulecki - Jun 8, 2018


Broadway legend Chita Rivera will be presented with a Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre at the 72nd Annual Tony Awards on June 10, 2018. This award recognizes theatre artists that have made significant contributions to theatre throughout their life.

Other Productions of It's Only a Play

1986   Off-Broadway
Off-Broadway
2014   Broadway Broadway Revival
Broadway

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