The Scene 2007 - Articles Page 26

Thea Sharrock will direct Shakespeare's As You Like It at the Globe this summer from 30 May. A favourite among Shakespeare's comedies, As You Like It combines cross dressing and slapstick with gentle satire and brilliant conversation.

Two important post-Broadway mountings of 21st-century musicals opened in the Chicago area this week. One, 'Mary Poppins,' has had a great deal of attention. Now you can forget about it. This review concerns itself with the other one! 'Curtains,' the exemplary 2007 Kander and Ebb post-modern musical comedy, is now receiving its first post-Broadway mounting anywhere at our very own west suburban Drury Lane Theatre Oakbrook Terrace. That?s right! This major coup for Oakbrook continues the very high standards for musicals that the theatre set last year, with no end in sight.

Composer, singer and mandolin player Chris Thile and The Punch Brothers bring their unique sound - a creative fusion of bluegrass, jazz and classical music - to the Phillips Center for the Performing Arts on Wednesday, March 25 at 7:30 p.m.

Marin Theatre Company presents the final show of its highly successful 2008-09 season with a seminal work of modern comedy, Joe Orton's uproarious farce What the Butler Saw in MTC's Boyer Theatre beginning June 4.

Composer, singer and mandolin player Chris Thile and The Punch Brothers bring their unique sound - a creative fusion of bluegrass, jazz and classical music - to the Phillips Center for the Performing Arts on Wednesday, March 25 at 7:30 p.m.

Playwrights Horizons (Tim Sanford, Artistic Director; Leslie Marcus, Managing Director) begins 2009 with the New York premiere of THE SAVANNAH DISPUTATION, a new play by Evan Smith (Psych and The Uneasy Chair at Playwrights Horizons, Remedial English for the Young Playwrights Festival at Playwrights Horizons, Servicemen at The New Group). This will be Mr. Smith's fourth collaboration with the theater company.

Artistic Director BJ Jones and Executive Director Timothy J. Evans announce the Chicago Premiere of Mauritius by Theresa Rebeck, directed by Rick Snyder. The production, featuring Anne Adams, Lance Baker, Gary Houston, Dan Kuhlman and Suzanne Lang runs February 25- April 5, 2009 at Northlight Theatre, 9501 Skokie Blvd in Skokie. The press performance is Thursday, March 5, 2009, at 7:30 p.m. The stakes are high when half-sisters inherit a book of rare stamps that may include the 'crown jewel' of the stamp-collecting world. The battle for possession takes a dangerous turn when three rival collectors enter the sisters' world, willing to go to any lengths to stake their claim on the find. Named one of Time Magazine's 'Top Ten Plays of 2007,' Mauritius is a gripping blend of sharp comedy and heart-pounding drama that combines the best aspects of Hitchcock, Chandler and Mamet. Mauritius was written by the Pulitzer Prize nominated author of Omnium Gatherum and The Scene.

Artistic Director BJ Jones and Executive Director Timothy J. Evans announce the Chicago Premiere of Mauritius by Theresa Rebeck, directed by Rick Snyder. The production, featuring Anne Adams, Lance Baker, Gary Houston, Dan Kuhlman and Suzanne Lang runs February 25- April 5, 2009 at Northlight Theatre, 9501 Skokie Blvd in Skokie. The press performance is Thursday, March 5, 2009, at 7:30 p.m. The stakes are high when half-sisters inherit a book of rare stamps that may include the 'crown jewel' of the stamp-collecting world. The battle for possession takes a dangerous turn when three rival collectors enter the sisters' world, willing to go to any lengths to stake their claim on the find. Named one of Time Magazine's 'Top Ten Plays of 2007,' Mauritius is a gripping blend of sharp comedy and heart-pounding drama that combines the best aspects of Hitchcock, Chandler and Mamet. Mauritius was written by the Pulitzer Prize nominated author of Omnium Gatherum and The Scene.

Northrop at the University of Minnesota continues is 08|09 season with strong performances providing the Twin Cities a global experience from four prominent international choreographers and jazz leaders revisiting the work of renowned legends such as John Coltrane and Thelonius Monk.

Playwrights Horizons (Tim Sanford, Artistic Director; Leslie Marcus, Managing Director) continues its 2008/2009 Season with the New York premiere of THE SAVANNAH DISPUTATION, a new play by Evan Smith (Psych and The Uneasy Chair at Playwrights Horizons, Remedial English for the Young Playwrights Festival at Playwrights Horizons, Servicemen at The New Group). This will be Mr. Smith's fourth collaboration with the theater company. Directed by Tony Award winner Walter Bobbie (Chicago, New Jerusalem), in his Playwrights Horizons debut, the production will began previews on Friday, February 6, 2009 with an Opening Night set for Tuesday, March 3 at 7PM. The limited engagement will run through Sunday, March 15 at Playwrights Horizons' Mainstage Theater (416 West 42nd Street).

Eight new productions, four of which are company premieres, will highlight the Metropolitan Opera's 2009-10 season. General Manager Peter Gelb and Music Director James Levine jointly announced plans that include: the Met premieres of Rossini's Armida, Verdi's Attila, Jan?ček's From the House of the Dead, and Shostakovich's The Nose; new productions of Bizet's Carmen, Offenbach's Les Contes d'Hoffmann, Thomas's Hamlet, and Puccini's Tosca; and 18 revivals from the company's repertory. The season is the first to be entirely planned under Gelb's leadership, in collaboration with Levine (the past three seasons were planned before Gelb became General Manager in 2006-07 but included some productions, repertoire, and casting changes made by Gelb).

Playwrights Horizons (Tim Sanford, Artistic Director; Leslie Marcus, Managing Director) continues its 2008/2009 Season with the New York premiere of THE SAVANNAH DISPUTATION, a new play by Evan Smith (Psych and The Uneasy Chair at Playwrights Horizons, Remedial English for the Young Playwrights Festival at Playwrights Horizons, Servicemen at The New Group). This will be Mr. Smith's fourth collaboration with the theater company.

Theater for the New City presents 'STAY OVER' by Matt Morillo and Maria Micheles, Directed by Matt Morillo. 'STAY OVER' is a dark sex comedy of a couple trying to reconcile after infidelity teaches an important lesson: if you're trying to kiss and make up on a snowy night, don't answer the door buzzer.

Playwrights Horizons (Tim Sanford, Artistic Director; Leslie Marcus, Managing Director) begins 2009 with the New York premiere of THE SAVANNAH DISPUTATION, a new play by Evan Smith (Psych and The Uneasy Chair at Playwrights Horizons, Remedial English for the Young Playwrights Festival at Playwrights Horizons, Servicemen at The New Group). This will be Mr. Smith's fourth collaboration with the theater company.

Playwrights Horizons (Tim Sanford, Artistic Director; Leslie Marcus, Managing Director) continues its 2008/2009 Season with the New York premiere of THE SAVANNAH DISPUTATION, a new play by Evan Smith (Psych and The Uneasy Chair at Playwrights Horizons, Remedial English for the Young Playwrights Festival at Playwrights Horizons, Servicemen at The New Group). This will be Mr. Smith's fourth collaboration with the theater company.

Theater for the New City presents 'STAY OVER' by Matt Morillo and Maria Micheles, Directed by Matt Morillo. 'STAY OVER' is a dark sex comedy of a couple trying to reconcile after infidelity teaches an important lesson: if you're trying to kiss and make up on a snowy night, don't answer the door buzzer.

Upright Cabaret at Mark's Restaurant was filled to the brim with two sold-out star-studded audiences as Valarie Pettiford took to the stage with her new show inspired by the things she is thankful for in her life; including her well deserved Tony Nomination in 'Fosse', her family whom she said 'filled her life with music' and of course, her fans who have supported her on her journey from her first job in the legendary film 'The Wiz' to her work in UPN's 'Half and Half.'

'Spring Awakening: In The Flesh', arrived in bookstores this month and to celebrate the arrival, the book's author David Cote was joined by the show's Tony Award-Winning creators Steven Sater (Book & Lyrics) and Duncan Sheik (Music) on Monday, September 15 and had an informative 'conversation' - on the show, the music and its long-running success at The Barnes & Noble Store at the Lincoln Triangle (1972 Broadway @ 66th Street). BWW TV caught all the action as the show's creators discussed the story, the acclaimed cast sang the songs and audience learned more about the sensation that is Spring Awakening.

Spring Awakening: In The Flesh , arrives in bookstores this month and to celebrate the arrival, the books author David Cote was joined by the show's Tony Award-Winners Steven Sater (Book & Lyrics) and Duncan Sheik (Music) on Monday, September 15 and had an informative 'conversation' - on the show, the music and its long-running success at The Barnes & Noble Store at the Lincoln Triangle (1972 Broadway @ 66th Street). In addition, cast members from Spring Awakening including Hunter Parrish and Alexandra Socha performed select numbers from the show. Following the presentation the cast and creative team signed copies of the new book, and the Spring Awakening original cast recording.

In honor of the CURTAINS cast taking their final bows this weekend, BroadwayWorld.com spoke with a few cast members to get their reflections on the show, to see what they're up to next, thoughts on the shows closing, and the journey they had being a part of it.

Eight shows a week, there is magic taking place on the stage of the Cort Theatre, four actors, no, better to describe them as magicians or alchemists or conjurers. In truth they would most likely be happy to be labeled as 'lucky stiffs' as they are able to bring joy and laughter to an audience every evening as the house lights dim, the foursome in question are the incredibly gifted cast of the Tony nominated, The 39 Steps. One talented gentleman plays the ironically billed role of 'Man 1', this would be better titled, 'Man 1000', for he seems to be playing that many roles and more, seemingly at the same time! This 'Man' is the delightfully talented, Cliff Saunders, a Canadian actor making his Broadway debut in The 39 Steps.

The Tricycle Theatre Announces their Summer/Autumn Season.

One of the Farmboys really was a farmboy and has a background in ballet, cruise ships and 2 previous B'way shows.

'The Bully Pulpit' a new play written and performed by Michael O. Smith begins performances on April 29th. Taking place on Teddy's 60th birthday, surrounded by mementos of his adventures as a rancher, Rough Rider, naturalist and President, Roosevelt re-examines the events of his colorful life from humorous and characteristically blunt perspective.

Chicago Shakespeare Artistic Director Barbara Gaines Stages William Shakespeare's 'The Comedy of Errors.' Second City's Ron West Brings Additional Comedic Twist